Category Archives: Elementary Schools

Kennedy Elementary officially dedicated Wednesday morning

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Most of the 44 presidents in the history of the United States appeared Thursday morning for the official dedication of John F. Kennedy Elementary School, even if they were only student portrayals of the chief executives.

Students performed skits and gave even shorter speeches about the importance of education, public service and the historical biographies of a few of the former presidents, including a longer production involving students portraying the school’s namesake and his family.

Throughout the speeches by various HISD staff and community members, nearly all of them spoke of the dedication of Kennedy’s staff and administrators in educating children.

The stage performances were done with accompaniment by the Waltrip High School band.

Students from Kennedy Elementary’s fledgling band program sat and performed with their elders, a point that wasn’t lost on Sam Sarabia, HISD’s chief elementary schools’ officer.

Sarabia said that as he sat earlier watching the band perform, he could see Kennedy’s students absorbing the moment, watching how they played with passion. He implored the older students to recognize and accept their role as models for those who come after them, as parents and community members had done before for them.

The school, which officially opened after winter break earlier this year, serves about 750 students. And the school serves them well, as evidenced by the multiple years of exemplary and recognized status marked on the first wall to greet visitors driving to the school.

The two-story building is a combination of the former Kennedy and Allen elementaries built with approximately $17.2 million approved by voters in the 2007 bond program.

“Where we came from, the building was 48 years old, we had rain falling on us, we had possums in the building some mornings, and now we walk on terrazzo floors… the (air conditioning) works,” said Kennedy Elementary principal Daryl Sherman. “And everyone has technology to use for instruction. I think every child in HISD deserves that.”

The library and media center serve as the hub of the school, drawing students and visitors to its circular center and serving as a catalyst for children to read early and often.

“I’ve not had one tour where people weren’t wowed,” Sherman said. “When we were planning the building, we wanted to do something special. We have the library as the focus of the school. Reading is in everything we do. We know that when students are successful readers, then they’re successful throughout their life.”

The new Kennedy Elementary was built in such a way that it’s expected to require about 20 percent less energy to operate. Nearly every classroom, including special rooms for art, music and computer instruction, has clear views into the rooms for observation as well as windows for natural light and views to the outside.

Roosevelt Elementary celebrates official dedication

Near the finale of Wednesday’s official dedication ceremony for Theodore Roosevelt Elementary, at least one parent in the crowd let out a grito — a celebratory yell — during the final performance of a visiting mariachi band comprised of students.

It certainly wasn’t the only rave review at the school this morning.

Roosevelt Elementary, a Vanguard school for gifted and talented students, opened the doors to its new campus building in late November 2011, more than 80 years after the school originally opened.

The two-story school serves about 750 students, and most, if not all of them, Roosevelt principal Armando Lujan said, really enjoy learning with the new technology the school now uses.

“The students love this building,” he said. “They love the SMART boards, they love the technology. They love the fact that we are able to broadcast news over the SMART boards.”

During the celebration, attendees were entertained by three different musical groups, including songs by the school’s Pre-K students and its new choir team, as well as bookended performances by the mariachi band from Jefferson Davis High School.

Inside the school, students have access to a central library and large multi-purpose room, one Lujan said was nearly unusable in the old school. The design of the school allows for more natural light inside the hallways and classrooms, results in a nearly 20 percent reduction in energy use from the previous building.

“It’s come a long way,” said Mary Morales, president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization and mother to two students currently at Roosevelt. “It’s like the best thing they could give these kids nowadays that we didn’t have when we were younger.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It helps (students) out a lot more. It expands their minds a lot more. I remember when I was little, I wasn’t doing projects. Now they are.”

The school was built with approximately $16.5 million from the bond program approved by voters in 2007. Roosevelt is one of 20 new schools built with funds from that bond program.

Lewis Elementary School officially dedicated

Judd M. Lewis Elementary was the scene of a small gathering Monday morning to officially cut the ribbon on a new school that has been serving more than 900 students daily for nearly a year.

A handful of teachers, students, Houston ISD staff and dignitaries heard about the history of the school and its namesake, and a few of the more important features of the school built with funds from the 2007 bond program.

See more photos of the Lewis Elementary dedication ceremony by Damon Jasso of Ortiz Middle School.

Those who were in the school’s new library could only see a few of the major additions to the new two-story Lewis Elementary.

Technology and its assistance in classroom instruction were one of the key features of the new school, said principal Tonya Woods.

“This library!” said Woods. “The reading, the opportunities; we have thousands of resources just in the library alone. We have three mobile labs where (the students) can check out the computers in the classroom.

“We’re technology rich,” she said. “Everything is identical, giving the students the understanding that ‘you’re important,’… your learning is important to us and we value you.”

In addition to the upgraded technology, the school features multiple science and computer labs, as well as both a music and art lab. The school also includes a stage with a training room for drama students.

“The previous school looked nothing like this one, and as one of the young students here today said, it was the nicest building he’s ever been in,” said HISD Board of Education member Manuel Rodriguez Jr.

Rodriguez Jr. used the occasion to mention how the new school was built after voters approved a bond program in 2007. He also talked about how others, including nearby Austin and Milby high schools, would benefit should the electorate choose to support a $1.89 billion bond program on the November ballot.

“We need to have the type of schools that bring and attract new people and new firms to our area to be able to have a quality education for those children coming in, and for our own, because we will have leaders coming out of these schools,” he said. “I never expected to be on the school board when I was in high school, and here I am.”

As you approach the new school on Houston’s southeast side, you expect to see the features of a new school, but it’s some of the subtle touches that stand out first.

Pillars of baby blue hold up wavy, red colored walkways in front of a brick facade. There are multiple bike racks across the campus perimeter to encourage its student population — many of whom live less than a mile from campus — to walk or bike to school, and there’s a large covered play area off to the side.

Even still, you expect touches like that in a new school. It’s the inside of the year-old school that stands out. As you walk in, you’re greeted with a giant mural of a lion resting among a floral garden. The mural, produced by Houston artist Dixie Friend Gay, covers a 14’ by 14’ wall above the second set of double-doors to the school.

The new campus replaced one built in 1958 and named for the first poet laureate of Texas.

HISD to Dedicate Four New Campuses

In the coming days, four Houston neighborhoods will dedicate new campuses that were built using voter-approved funds from the 2007 HISD bond program.

            “These students now have a new campus to call home, and it’s all thanks to the bond program approved by voters in 2007,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “These schools represent the promises we made to the public then, and HISD continues to follow through with each one.”

            So far, HISD has opened 20 new schools and renovated 135 others using funds provided through the 2007 bond program.  The final three new school buildings included in that program are under construction.  The entire program is on track to be completed under budget.

            More information about the 2007 bond program is available here.  As the 2007 bond program comes to an end, HISD is asking voters this November to consider a proposal to rebuild and renovate 38 campuses, primarily high schools.  More information about the 2012 bond proposal is available here.

Dedication ceremonies will be held soon for the following four campuses, which opened during the 2011-2012 school year: Lewis, Roosevelt and Kennedy elementary schools. A dedication ceremony will also be held for the new addition at Grady Middle School.  A full Grady rebuild would be completed under the 2012 bond proposal.  Each school will be hosting their own dedication ceremony during the upcoming weeks.

These new elementary campuses are “green” schools, built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.  Key features in LEED schools include the installation of water-conserving plumbing, energy efficient systems and controls, improved air quality, and use of natural light.

These new campuses also include features such as new libraries, computer labs and Smart Board technology in the classrooms.

            Upcoming dedication ceremonies:

  • Sept. 24 at 9 a.m., Lewis Elementary School, 7649 Rockhill
  • Sept. 26 at 10 a.m., Roosevelt Elementary School, 6700 Fulton
  • Sept. 27 at 9 a.m., Kennedy Elementary School, 400 Victoria
  • Oct. 1 at 10a.m., Grady Middle School, 5215 San Felipe

Districtwide Tryouts for HISD’s Elementary Honor Choir

Fourth and fifth graders from all across the district are invited to audition for the Houston Independent School District Elementary Honor Choir on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Travis Elementary, 3311 Beauchamp. 

HISD’s Elementary Honor Choir was established in 2008 to provide an additional high-level choral experience for musically talented fourth and fifth graders in the district.  During the 2011-2012 academic year, 19 elementary schools were represented in the choir.

Choir rehearsals are held after school twice a month from October through January.  Music teachers are responsible for teaching the music to students at their home schools, and parents are responsible for transporting their children to and from the rehearsals. 

The HISD Elementary Honor Choir presents a spring concert each year.  Last year the choir was invited to perform at the 13th Annual Invitational School Choral Festival “Hear the Future” presented by the Houston Chamber Choir.  Additionally, the choir has been invited to perform at the upcoming Texas Music Educators Association’s Annual Convention in February 2013.

The audition will consist of a vocalise to determine the singer’s range and a short melody, Jubilate Deo, to be sung alone and in canon with a judge.  Click here to view video samples.  The schools’ music teachers are available to help the students prepare for the auditions. 

To sign up to audition or for more information, contact Katherine Martin at kmartin6@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6823.

Burbank Elementary staff team up for scavenger hunt

Teachers and staff at Burbank Elementary are gearing up for the first day of school by participating in team building activities. Earlier this week, they participated in a scavenger hunt where teams had to decipher clues at various locations around the city, including Discovery Green and the driving range at Memorial Park.  Burbank ES Teacher Robert Wiseman says the winning team members each received $70 to put toward the purchase of new school supplies.

Students attending Burbank ES and hundreds of other HISD schools begin classes on Monday, August 27. Earlier today, we posted links to some of the most frequently sought-after information by HISD parents. These will help make sure your student is ready for Monday and the rest of the 2012-13 school year.

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HISD Board of Education to Discuss Possible Bond Election

The HISD Board of Education will meet on Tuesday to discuss details of a possible bond referendum that aims to address facility needs at schools in neighborhoods across the district.
Forty-two schools across Houston, including 28 high schools, would be rebuilt, renovated, or renewed under a recommended bond package presented for the HISD Board of Education’s consideration last month.
The board must decide by August whether to seek approval of the $1.89 billion proposal from Houston Independent School District voters during the Nov. 6 general election.
The board will meet to discuss the plan at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10, and at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 12. Both public workshop meetings will take place at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street.
While including nearly $224 million in recommended projects that would benefit students at all 279 schools in the district, the proposed bond package focuses heavily on the city’s high schools. HISD’s most recent bond programs approved by voters in 1998, 2002 and 2007 have primarily addressed needs at the elementary school level. The average age of HISD secondary schools now stands at 50 years, compared to 39 years for the district’s primary schools.
The proposed bond package would completely rebuild some of Houston’s most historic neighborhood high schools across the city, while others would undergo renovations and renewals. The proposal also includes new campuses for some of HISD’s prestigious specialty magnet schools, including the nationally renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. The new HSPVA would be built downtown near Houston’s vaunted Theater District on land that HISD already owns at 1300 Capitol.

The proposal calls for $1.66 billion to be spent on improvements at 42 schools. This would cover:

• $577 million to completely replace 8 high schools

o Furr
o High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
o Lee
o Madison
o Sharpstown
o Sterling
o Booker T. Washington
o Yates

• $354 million to replace the inadequate facilities at 4 high schools

o Bellaire
o Lamar

o Sam Houston
o Westbury

• $259 million to replace inadequate facilities and renovate 5 high schools

o Austin
o Eastwood Academy
o Milby
o Waltrip
o Worthing

• $27 million to build 2 new early college high schools

o North Early College
o South Early College

• $61 million to renovate or renew 9 high schools

o Davis
o DeBakey
o Jones
o Jordan
o Kashmere
o Scarborough
o Sharpstown International High School
o Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy
o Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy

• $121 million to convert 4 elementary schools into K-8 campuses

o Garden Oaks
o Pilgrim Academy
o Wharton Dual Language
o Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School at Gordon

• $73 million to replace Dowling Middle School and expand Grady Middle School

• $126 million to replace 5 elementary schools

o Askew
o Condit
o Kelso
o MacGregor
o Parker

• $67 million to renovate and make building additions at K. Smith Elementary, replace inadequate facilities and renovate Tijerina Elementary, and build a new elementary school on the district’s west end to reduce overcrowding

The proposed $224 million in district wide projects would cover:

• Technology upgrades at all HISD schools ($100 million)
• District athletic facility improvements ($42 million)
• Middle school restroom renovations ($35 million)
• Safety and security improvements ($27 million)
• Land acquisition ($20 million)

The proposal was developed after a review of HISD’s facilities by Parsons, an independent firm that specializes in the assessment, design, and project management of education facilities. Click here to review documents that were used to develop the proposal.
Because of the district’s strong fiscal management practices, HISD has been able to maintain the lowest property tax rate of the 20-plus school districts in Harris County.
If an election is called, and voters approve the bond package, HISD would likely adopt a property tax rate increase in the future. This tax rate increase would have no impact on the homesteads of HISD residents age 65 and older, because their tax rates are frozen.
HISD estimates that the tax rate increase would be phased in over a 4-year period, beginning with an estimated 2-cent increase in 2014. This would result in an additional $29 in yearly taxes for the owner of a home valued at $200,000. By 2017, the total tax rate increase resulting from the bond’s passage would reach 6.85 cents, raising the average tax bill by $99 a year, or $8.25 per month.
School construction and renovation work approved by HISD voters in 2007 is nearing completion under budget. So far, HISD has opened 16 new or replacement schools under that bond program, 7 more new schools are under construction, and 2 more are in the planning stage. More than 100 HISD campuses have undergone renovations so far. Click here for more detailed information about the work completed under the 2007 bond program.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

 Two more Houston Independent School District student experiments will soon be headed to space.  The first experiments launched in May aboard the inaugural Space X Dragon commercial space flight and will return in July.   Two other experiments are now being prepared for the mission to the International Space Station in September.

Four HISD schools, E-STEM Middle School Academy West, Garden Oaks Elementary, Johnston Middle, and Pershing Middle Schools, participated in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 2 to the ISS. 

As part of the program, students worked with teachers and members of the community to complete research on a rigorous scientific proposal along with a design challenge for experimentation in microgravity aboard the ISS.   Students also helped design a mission patch that represents HISD and their work on this project.

 The team from Pershing Middle which took top honors and Johnston Middle school student Emily Soice will represent HISD on the SpaceX Falcon 9 flight in September.  Two HISD mission patches designed by E-STEM Middle School Academy West student Abilio Sanchez and Johnston Middle School student Sebastian Beil from Johnston Middle school will also be aboard the flight.   

 The program was made possible by donations from Advanced Metal Fusion, KBR, Lockheed-Martin, Minute Maid, and Texas Space Grant.

The Student Space Flight Experiments Program (http://ssep.ncesse.org) is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE; http://ncesse.org) in partnership with Nanoracks, LLC. This on-orbit educational research opportunity is enabled through NanoRacks, LLC, which is working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.

HISD Awards Top Custodians and Plant Operators of the Year

The Houston Independent School District presented the Custodian and Plant Operator of the Year awards, and recognized the strong work ethic, dedication and commitment of the entire operations staff on June 7.

“We want to take the time to say – we see what you’re doing, we know what you’re doing, and most importantly, we appreciate what you’re doing,” Superintendent Terry Grier said.  “The work of these employees is vital for all our schools and facilities to be able to operate smoothly on a daily basis.”     

The Secondary Custodian of the Year award was given to Hortencia Garcia from Waltrip High School and the Elementary Custodian of the Year award was given to Maria Fuentes from De Zavala Elementary School.

Honorable mentions were also given to Vickie Newton from TH Rogers Middle School and Vilma Villatoro from Red Elementary School for excellence and innovation in service to their campuses.

“We are truly proud of these custodians, who exceed expectations in every area of plant operations, and who go to work every day with their most important customers in mind – the children of HISD,” said Leo Bobadilla, Chief Operating Officer.  “These awards serve as tangible recognition of their efforts, and our appreciation.”

Marili Vaquiz from Burrus Elementary School was awarded Elementary Plant Operator of the Year, and Gary Vaughn from Welch Middle School was awarded Secondary Plant Operator of the Year. 

Honorable mentions for excellence in plant operations were also given to Maria Cerda from JP Henderson Elementary School, Jerry Johnson from Waltrip High School, and Connie Broussard from McNamara Elementary School.           

HISD’s custodians and plant operators are tasked with ensuring all of the district’s schools and facilities are clean, safe and operating adequately.