Category Archives: Elementary Schools

Principals Get Fired Up by Keynote Speaker

Fantastic! Inspirational! Amazing!

These are a few of the comments overheard after keynote speaker Alan Hooker ended the Welcome Back Team HISD event for principals and their staff on Wednesday morning, Aug. 7, at Chavez High School.

Hooker, HISD’s Leadership Development Officer, talked specifically about how to be successful in realizing your dreams. His childhood dreams included becoming a basketball star in high school, even though he was only 5 foot 6 inches at the time. He grew tall and made the team. His college dream was playing football for the Dallas Cowboys, and sure enough, they recruited him.

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North Forest Families Urged to Complete Application for HISD’s Free and Reduced Price Meals Program

Application available online and at all HISD campuses for 2013-2014 academic year

The Houston Independent School District urges all North Forest families to complete an application with HISD’s Food Services Department as soon as possible in order for their children to qualify for free or reduced price meals during the 2013-2014 school year.

“Many of our families may not realize they need to apply each year for meal benefits,” HISD Food Services Senior Manager Brian Giles said. “It‘s important that they submit the application in order to qualify so their children can start the first day of school with healthy meals.”

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Sign Up Today for the Mayor’s Back-to-School Fest on Aug. 10

Mayor Annise Parker will be hosting a Back-to-School Fest for parents on Sat., Aug. 10, 2013.

The event will take place from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the University of Houston, and it is expected to serve about 25,000 families from almost two dozen Houston-area independent school districts.
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Millionaire Club Spotlight: What Are You Reading This Summer?

HISD’s Millionaire Club is a literacy initiative designed to encourage students to read for pleasure during the summer months. Each week, we’ll catch up with one HISD librarian to find out what’s on his or her reading list. This week, we spoke with Jo Reed, the librarian at Scroggins Elementary School.

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HISD Teachers Engaged In Five-Year Study On Science Instruction

A teacher pours water into a tub to examine its flow through a dirt pile.

A teacher pours water into a tub to examine its flow through a dirt pile.

The key to a successful future for children may not come in the answers, but in the questions.

For the third year in a five-year research project known as Investing in Innovation, more than 400 HISD teachers in first through eighth grades are undergoing intense science training to study how children learn with inquiry-based instruction through the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s LASER i3 program.

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Reagan HS and Hogg MS Celebrate IB Authorization

Reagan High School and Hogg Middle School are the two latest HISD campuses to receive official authorization to operate as International Baccalaureate World Schools. The announcement, which came on July 5, creates the first continuous IB feeder pattern in the historic Heights neighborhood. Students now can begin the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Harvard Elementary and then progress to Hogg Middle School and Reagan High School for the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).

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Summer School is Underway at Former North Forest ISD’s Hilliard Elementary

Hilliard ES principal Mike Walker on the first day of school.

Hilliard ES principal Mike Walker on the first day of school.

Looking sharp in a light grey suit, white shirt, and red tie, Hilliard Elementary Principal Mike Walker is working the room. Even though summer school officially began at 8 a.m., parents are still arriving with their children at 8:30. Despite some minor confusion, North Forest’s Summer School Program is officially underway.

Classes also are being held at Shadydale Elementary, Forest Brook Middle School, and North Forest High School Monday through Thursday until August 1. Buses are picking up students at their home campus at 7:10 a.m. and transporting them to one of the schools where summer classes are being offered.

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Millionaire Club Spotlight: What Are You Reading This Summer?

Browning ES librarian Danielle Norris reads The One and Only Ivan, written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Castelao.

Browning ES librarian Danielle Norris reads The One and Only Ivan, written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Castelao.

HISD’s Millionaire Club is a literacy initiative designed to encourage students to read for pleasure during the summer months. Each week, we’ll catch up with one HISD librarian to find out what’s on his or her reading list. This week, we spoke with Danielle Norris, a librarian at Browning Elementary School.

So, what are you reading right now?

Right now, I’m reading all of the Bluebonnet Books (recently released titles written by American citizens).

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North Forest Families Encouraged to Register for Summer School

Classes to be offered at four campuses in the North Forest community

The Houston Independent School District will offer summer school instruction for students in the North Forest community from July 8 through August 1 at the following schools: Shadydale and Hilliard elementary schools, Forest Brook Middle School, and North Forest High School.

HISD is sending notification letters this week to the households of students who should attend summer school.  The summer school session is intended for students who need to retake portions of the STAAR exam, students who have not met grade-level promotion standards, high school students who need to retake STAAR end-of-course exams, high school students in need of course credit recovery, certain English language learners, and certain students receiving special education services.

Classes will be held Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Transportation will be provided at eight different locations within the North Forest community.  For more information on bus pickup sites, call 713-613-3040.

Deadline to register for summer school is July 11.  Parents can visit their neighborhood schools to register for summer school or register online at www.houstonisd.org/nfsummer.