Category Archives: Elementary Schools

HISD extends districtwide closure through April 10

As districts around the state and across the country continue to grapple with how to proceed in this unprecedented challenge to public health and education, the Houston Independent School District supports the nation’s need to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, HISD will extend its districtwide closure through Friday, April 10. All schools and offices are scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 13.

District administration will re-evaluate on Monday, April 6, to determine whether a longer closure beyond April 10 will be necessary. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that the state will waive STAAR testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year. STAAR testing was scheduled to begin in April. The district also will provide more information about online learning and alternative education later this week.

Continue reading →

Curbside pickup service to be available, social distancing required at district food distribution sites

The Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank will offer curbside pickup service at all 36 food distribution sites districtwide beginning March 16 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.

“Social distancing is a key measure we must implement to prevent the spread of COVID-19, so adding curbside pickup and keeping lines spaced out are important steps,” said HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “Thanks to our partners at the Houston Food Bank and our police and staff volunteers, we are able to safely distribute meals to our families in need during this time.”

Continue reading →

HISD to operate daily food distribution sites during districtwide closure

HISD, in partnership with the Houston Food Bank School Market program, will offer daily food distribution at five area high schools, beginning Saturday, March 16 to Friday, March 20.

A sixth high school will host a one-time food distribution site on Saturday, March 14.

The measure is being implementing to ensure all HISD families, many of whom have students who depend upon school meals, have access to healthy food while the district is closed.

Continue reading →

Annual Name that Book contest comes to a close

HISD students from across the district gathered at the Hattie Mae White Educational Center this week to show off their reading comprehension skills during the annual Name that Book competition finals. 

At the high-school level, the top three competitors were Carnegie Vanguard High School, The Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Bellaire High School. T.H. Rogers, Garden Oaks, and West Briar Middle Schools earned bragging rights in grades 7 and 8, while Bush, Condit, and Horn Elementary Schools took the highest honors at the finals held for grades 3-6.

Continue reading →

Poe ES Teacher Named Teacher of the Month for March

Third-grade teacher Carmen Carfello was laser-focused on a reading aloud lesson with her students when Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan surprised her as the district’s Sterling McCall VIP Services Teacher of the Month for March. 

“Words cannot describe how deserving this recognition is for Ms. Carfello,” Principal Jeff Amerson said. “She is always bringing the ELAR TEKS to life by using a mixture of real-world experiences, hands-on learning and Socratic discussions.” 

Last school year, Carfello’s students passed with an 80 percent on the STAAR Reading with 50 percent reaching Masters-level, while 90 percent of her students passed STAAR Math and 60 percent reaching the Masters-level.   

Continue reading →

HISD Pre-K Enrollment Festival set for April 18

HISD is collaborating with Good Reason Houston to promote an opportunity for families to enroll their eligible 3 and 4-year-olds into prekindergarten. 

HISD and Good Reason Houston, a local nonprofit dedicated to creating a future where every child excels in world-class public schools, will be hosting a Pre-K Enrollment Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Delmar Stadium (2020 Mangum Rd., 77092), which will allow families to learn about the prekindergarten programs across the district. Additionally, HISD and Good Reason Houston will also host a second Pre-K Festival in June.  

Families will be able to talk directly with program leaders and administration and apply for pre-K programs on the spot for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Texas Children’s Hospital mobile clinic will provide free vaccinations to children 0-18 who do not have insurance and the Ronald McDonald Mobile Dentistry unit will be on site to do free dental checkups.  

Continue reading →

Name That Book competition makes developing literacy skills fun

HISD students from across the district will gather to show off their reading comprehension skills next week during the annual Name that Book competition finals. 

Coordinated by the HISD Department of Library Services and sponsored by professional services network KPMG, the contest serves to acquaint HISD students with classic literature, as well as contemporary award-winning books, representing a variety of genres. 

Continue reading →

Transportation Services to halt route changes March 27

Transportation Services will stop making changes to existing routes at the end of March to allow the department to begin planning for the 2020-2021 school year.  

Parents will no longer be able to request changes to existing routes starting Friday, March 27. Students with new transportation requests submitted after the cutoff date will be assigned to existing routes and stops.  

“Planning for the next year is an essential part of ensuring we fulfill our mission,” General Manager John Wilcots IV said. “This deadline will allow us to shift our focus to scheduling and route planning for the coming 2020-2021 school year.”  

Continue reading →

HISD launches website to provide updates on Coronavirus

The Houston Independent School District is providing one location online where updates and information regarding Coronavirus will be posted. The website (HoustonISD.org/HealthAlerts) will be updated as needed to provide the most current resources, including a parent fact sheet, FAQs, and links from supporting health agencies.  

HISD is in contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Texas Department of Health and Human Services and Houston Health Department and continues to monitor information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) to ensure all students and staff members are safe and updated with the latest information.  

Continue reading →