Category Archives: Green Schools

New manager of Energy & Sustainability has big green plans for HISD

In this edition of I Am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, we talk to the new Manager of Energy & Sustainability Kellie Williams about how her experiences at Fort Bend ISD will impact her decisions here, which sustainability efforts are already afoot in the district, and what’s on the horizon for HISD in terms of “green” initiatives.

You joined HISD in May as the new manager of Energy & Sustainability. What is your vision for that department in the years ahead?

Kellie Williams poses for a photograph at the Facilities Support office, September 22, 2014. (Dave Einsel / Houston ISD)

Kellie Williams

I’d like to see HISD become the leading K–12 entity in environmental stewardship, to participate in several energy initiatives, and to achieve national recognition for outstanding performance.

We’ll also be rolling out a new energy master plan, and bringing in some consultants and engineers to identify and address deficiencies starting this year with a really aggressive approach. They’re going to be collecting data first, such as utility usage and window-to-wall ratios, then gather boots-on-the-ground types of facility information, such as light levels, temperature, and humidity readings. The goal is to complete a thorough investigation and identify opportunities for savings. Continue reading →

HISD students and staff to participate in Green Apple Day of Service

DOS_wordmark_2014Students and staff across Houston Independent School District will have the opportunity to “green” their schools on Sept. 27 by participating in the third annual Green Apple Day of Service.

The event, sponsored by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, allows for parents, teachers, and students to create a healthy and productive school environment through local service projects.

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Countdown to 2014-2015: What’s new in HISD #4 — Construction set to start on all Group 1 bond schools

This is the seventh in a series of stories counting down to the start of school, spotlighting what is new in HISD in the coming year.

As campuses head into the new school year, expect to see lots of work going on in HISD, with simultaneous work on two bond programs. Over the next several months, contractors will be busy at several campuses finishing up a variety of projects under the $805 million 2007 bond program, including new air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems for Hogg Middle School and new classroom lighting at Pugh Elementary.

As those projects are completed, work on the $1.89 billion 2012 bond program is ramping up, with construction set to begin on all the schools in the first group of the program by the end of the year. Those schools include: Continue reading →

‘Green-minded’ students earn money while giving back to nature

Performing manual labor outdoors in July is probably not the way most Houstonians would choose to spend their time, but for some HISD students, there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

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Henry MS students spend summer building garden at school

Incoming seventh-graders at Henry Middle School have spent their summer creating something beautiful and educational for their campus.

Teacher Terry Moore and his students have spent three weeks building a garden at the school, thanks to donated funds. The garden consists of 15 planters and a pond with a bridge. The students studied plant lifecycles, germination, and pollination before they chose the plants they wanted to nurture. They then took to constructing, digging, painting, and planting to bring the garden to fruition.

“This is a huge undertaking for the kids,” said Moore.
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Elementary students learn to litter less, recycle more

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With clipboards and spring scales handy, fifth-grade students at Red Elementary School traveled from class to class to weigh bins of recycled paper.

“I hope it’s a high number,” said student Jayden Brown while picking up a recycle bin full of paper. “Recycling is a good way to keep the Earth clean.”

Last week, the students weighed bins from 21 classrooms and found that their classmates and teachers had recycled 27 pounds of paper – nine pounds more than what was collected in March.

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Green schools shaping good stewards of environment

Berry Elementary School second-graders took out their green plastic knifes and chopped red peppers, cucumbers, cilantro and carrots before tossing the ingredients into a mixing bowl.

“This is fun,” said student Amairanny Macias as she smelled the ingredients for the herb quinoa and bean salad the students were making from ingredients from the school’s vegetable garden. “We’re going to mix the cheese in next.”

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Berry Elementary School reaches LEED Silver status

Berry Elementary School reaches LEED Silver status�
Campus is seventh in HISD to reach Silver level of certification for green schools

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Berry Elementary School the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver designation, making it Houston ISD’s seventh school to receive that level of certification.

The newly designed environmental studies magnet school, a $15.7 million project built with funds from HISD’s 2007 bond program, has multiple environmental enhancements designed to save energy. The two-story, 86,000-square-foot building features large cisterns that collect rainwater for irrigation, a three-sided courtyard that includes outdoor learning areas and wildflower garden areas for additional science projects, enhanced science laboratories, and large windows in each classroom. Continue reading →

Grady MS community gets progress update for new building addition under 2012 bond

Temporary buildings used for classroom instruction at Grady Middle School could be gone as early as the summer in preparation for a two-story building addition that will connect to the campus’ existing facility.

“Temporary buildings are great, but the whole point is that they’re temporary,” said Principal Gretchen Kasper-Hoffman during a community meeting Monday night at the school. “We have to do what’s best for our students now and for our future students to ensure we have a sustainable building that will be here for years to come.”

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