The HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department will host a webinar for parents next week to guide them as they adjust to distance learning.
“Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) At Home” will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. Parents and students will learn ways to incorporate SEL practices into their daily routines, understand the importance of mindfulness, and learn exercises and techniques that can be done by adults and students of all ages.
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HISD students, parents, teachers, and principals: Are you ready for a fun challenge to showcase distance learning?
As everyone adjusts to the new reality of online instruction, HISD has designated next week (April 13—April 17) as Virtual Spirit Week. Each day will be designated with a different theme to encourage students to share their at-home learning activities. In fact, everyone is invited to participate in the daily challenge—students, teachers, and even administrators.
As you participate each day, take photos or short videos and share them on social media using the hashtag #HISDSpiritWeek. The idea is to flood social media with positive learning activities and create a sense of community, school spirit, and inclusivity.
Continue readingThe HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department will host a webinar for parents this week to guide them as they adjust to distance learning.
The webinar, titled “Coping Strategies for Parents” will be held on Wednesday, April 8 at 2 p.m. This is part of a weekly webinar series that provides social-emotional learning tools to HISD parents and students.
Continue readingWith a districtwide closure in place and distance learning underway, what may have once been considered “normal” for principals and teachers in the seventh-largest district in the nation has changed for the foreseeable future.
Due to the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 virus, school districts across Texas were ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott to close until at least May 4, and that has made for huge adjustments at the campus and district levels.
“I assumed we would shut down for a week or two. But when I heard it would be through April, it was devastating for me,” said Worthing High School Principal Khalilah Campbell. “We knew it had to be done for the safety of our students and the community, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”
Continue readingWith the federal government extending social distancing guidelines through the end of April, the Houston Independent School District will remain closed, providing online instruction until further notice.
In addition to the federal guidelines, this decision comes in response to the new executive order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday to close all Texas schools until May 4. During this time, we will continue remote learning.
Until traditional classroom instruction resumes, the district has launched HISD @ H.O.M.E. (Home-based Online Mobile Education), a distance learning plan to ensure students’ academic and non-academic needs are met as the district remains closed due to COVID-19 precautions.
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The Houston Independent School District is launching HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV to provide educational programming as part of the district’s HISD @ H.O.M.E distance learning plan.
HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV will kick off on Tuesday, March 31 with instructional videos that include lessons from teachers and teacher development specialists in several subject areas, including math, science, reading and writing, social studies, and fine arts.
“Our mission is to support students in every community with the educational resources they need to thrive, and this is an important step in that effort – especially given the current need to deliver instruction virtually,” said Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “I want to thank our HISD Communications and Academics teams for supporting our students during these unprecedented times.”
Continue readingIn a matter of eight days, the food distribution sites operated by the Houston Independent School District in partnership with the Houston Food Bank assisted nearly 40,000 families.
The 61 food distributions served approximately 1 million pounds of food to families in need before being canceled late Wednesday. Nearly 2,000 staff and volunteers assisted with the efforts and were able to serve 5,000 families per day throughout HISD.
The cancellation of the distribution sites will remain in effect as the district re-evaluates its process for safely delivering this service to students and families.
Continue readingRucker Elementary School Principal Eileen Puente knew that her staff would need to rethink how they would engage with students following Spring Break and the closure of HISD campuses due to COVID-19.
So, on Thursday, Puente and over 20 of her teachers and staff convened at Rucker with their vehicles, formed a parade, and drove through nearby streets and neighborhoods to check in with their students from a safe distance.
Like tens of thousands of other elementary school children across HISD, the 400-plus students, who call the southeast neighborhood school home, will not be returning to campus for several weeks due to intensifying precautions around the spread of COVID-19.
Continue readingThe Monday after Spring Break, pictures of students proudly showcasing their family heritage flooded Wilson Montessori’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.
With schools closed amid COVID-19 precautions, the Montrose-based campus has found a creative way to support their students and families during this time with a Virtual Spirit Week.
“We must be mindful that this may be a difficult time for children and their families,” said Wilson Principal Shameika Sykes-Salvador. “While we won’t be seeing them in person, it’s still important for children and families not to feel isolated.”
Continue readingCurbside pickup service will still be available and social distancing required at all locations
Due to the threat of inclement weather, the Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank are rescheduling Friday’s food distribution sites for Monday to ensure the safety of families and volunteers.
Additionally, food distribution sites will extend operations throughout the week of Monday, March 23.
Curbside pickup service will continue to be available at all 39 food distribution sites districtwide next week to help promote personal health and social distancing. Families who do not have transportation and must walk to the site can continue to stand in line but will be required to stand six feet apart from each other. HISD Police and staff volunteers will be on site to enforce these measures and help with crowd control.
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