The Houston Independent School District will kick off its third year of Parent University on Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. with the first of six virtual workshops.
The workshops will connect parents and children to resources offered by the district to create successful academic careers as well as safe and healthy environments at home and at school.
Continue readingHISD families now have until July 31 to complete the application necessary to receive the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit for families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals due to school closures.
The application is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT.
The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time benefit of up to $285 will be issued on an EBT card, which can be used as a debit card to assist families in buying food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District is temporarily closing most Curbside Summer Meals sites beginning Friday, July 3, due to guidance from public health officials and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout the city.
Five strategically located sites offering both Curbside Summer Meals and the Houston Food Bank’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program — which provides families with 30-pound boxes of produce — will remain open.
Those sites are Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, Revere Middle School, and Kashmere, Chavez, and Milby high schools.
Continue readingThe four elementary schools being rebuilt as a result of Hurricane Harvey are now scheduled to open in August 2020 — a three-month delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kolter, Braeburn, Mitchell, and Scarborough elementary schools were originally scheduled to open in June 2020.
HISD Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders said the new timeline is a result of manpower shortages caused by mandated social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue readingFollowing a statewide call on Tuesday between school district superintendents and Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, I wanted to provide an update on plans for the 2020-2021 school year – which remain to be finalized.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the situation remains fluid as we try to determine next steps on what the school year will look like. During his presentation, the commissioner emphasized that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is working with Gov. Greg Abbott’s medical advisors to establish public health guidance for school districts. While preliminary information has been provided by TEA, final guidance will not be available until mid-July.
Continue readingRegistration is now open for “Virtual Camp Adventure,” a free summer camp filled with exciting STEAM activities that can be done from the comfort of home.
Sponsored by The Children’s Museum of Houston and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Camp Adventure offers an exciting and unique STEAM experience. The exhilarating virtual experience takes place July 20 to July 24.
Continue readingNearly 2,000 district and school-based employees gathered online for HISD’s first-ever all virtual Professional Learning Series (PLS), three days of professional development, team building, and preparation for the upcoming 2020-21 school year.
The theme of this year’s event, which took place June 15-17, was “Virtual Learning and Beyond: Bridging Gaps with Strong Systems.” A major focus of the series included preparing for a virtual school system, as well as management best practices and guidance for schools and teachers on how to support students engaged in online learning.
“We are embracing the virtual learning space across HISD, and PLS this summer is no exception,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said during the recorded general session. “It is our goal that our leaders rejuvenate, renew and reimagine the possibilities for the upcoming school year.”
Continue readingThree curbside summer meals sites are closed effective Monday, June 8, and will remain closed until further notice.
Summer meals sites at R. P. Harris and Nathaniel Q. Henderson elementary schools are closed due to facility issues, while the site at Oates Elementary School is closed due to a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus. The case is not related to HISD Nutrition Services or its curbside summer meals program, but it does impact the availability of the site.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District has added six school sites to its curbside Summer Meals program, which launched Monday, June 1.
New locations include:
HISD families can now complete the applications necessary to receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit for families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals due to school closures.
The application is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT and will be open until June 30.
The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time benefit of up to $285 will be issued on an EBT card, which can be used like a debit card to assist families in buying food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.
Continue reading