Several Houston Independent School District seniors will receive a surprise visit—and a scholarship—from Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. The exemplary students will be surprised as part of the Superintendent Scholars Award.
The fourth year of these scholarships, the Superintendent Scholars Award recognizes the achievements of graduating seniors who have exemplified great character and resilience in the face of adversity.
Continue readingA trio of high schools in Houston Independent School District are being recognized by the College Board.
Bellaire High School, North Houston Early College High School, and Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy are each being honored with the prestigious 2020 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Only 1,119 schools in the country obtained this honor.
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For the fourth consecutive year, the Wisdom High School math team is headed to state UIL competition.
The school’s UIL Calculator Applications team won the regional championship on Saturday at Fort Bend ISD’s Willowridge High School. With a team score of 581 points, they defeated runner-up Waller ISD by 22 points to advance to the state finals, which will be held on May 1.
The team includes sophomore Paul Oh, sophomore Bruno Santana, senior Wilmer Salgado and freshman Emir Genc. They are coached by Eridani Alcantar, Saul Cantu and JooHee Cho – under the direction of Principal Michelle Wagner.
As students begin to think about the future, Nutrition Services Culinary Educator Brittany Jones is working to ensure they’re equipped with a key ingredient for success — the basics of cooking.
Chef Jones is one of two educators who teach “Get Growing Houston” classes at Attucks Middle School and Worthing Early College High School. The 10-week classes were piloted at the schools to help students learn the importance of good nutrition and the fundamentals of cooking.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District celebrated the top students from each high school’s graduating class at a Scholars Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday evening at Delmar Stadium.
Dozens of attending valedictorians and salutatorians were presented with medallions by their parents in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements, including a history-making nine valedictorians from Bellaire High School.
Continue readingWith the first phase of construction 85 percent complete, Bellaire High School is on track to debut three new wings — academic, fine arts, and physical education — when students return for the 2021-2022 school year.
Crews are installing technology in the three-story academic wing, which is nearly complete and expected to be outfitted with furniture in June after students depart for the summer.
Carpet has been installed in the auditorium and ceiling tiles and flooring are now being installed in the remainder of the fine arts wing. Epoxy flooring in the natatorium pool also is underway in the physical education wing.
Continue readingFollowing a path of green and white balloons, dozens of Austin High School students and staff shuffled into the auditorium to find seats for the big event — the premiere of Austin’s virtual grand opening.
Clad in green attire and masks, students and staff gathered for the physically distanced watch party hosted in the recently renovated school auditorium, where a giant screen was set up to display the celebration.
Among the sea of green was senior Zuri Mendoza Gonzalez, who sat front and center in a ruffled green and white dress. She said she was excited to represent Austin as the master of ceremonies in the virtual grand opening and wanted to be close to the action.
“It was nice to be part of such a historical event, especially as the master of ceremonies,” Mendoza Gonzalez said. “It was very special, an honor really.”
Built as part of the 2012 Bond program, Austin’s $80.9 million, 288,628-square-foot campus features a three-story academic wing, two gyms, and an outdoor courtyard. The virtual grand opening showcased these areas, bringing them to life with student-led segments and performances.
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High school students in Houston Independent School District have the chance to enroll in two Ethnic Studies courses for the 2021-2022 school year. Students can choose from African American Studies or Mexican American Studies.
A 2016 study with Stanford University showed that such courses can improve performance with students at risk of dropping out. The researchers found that the courses increased students’ attendance by an average of 21 percent and increased their GPA by an average of 1.4 grade points.
In African American Studies (HISD Course #SST3714), students learn about the history and cultural contributions of African Americans, developing an understanding of the historical roots of African American culture, especially as it pertains to social, economic, and political interactions within the broader context of United States history.
In Mexican American Studies (HISD Course #SST3510), students explore history and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course emphasizes events in the 20th and 21st centuries, but students will also engage with events prior to the 20th century.
Continue readingThe recently released list of Texas Honor Roll schools selected by the Educational Results Partnership includes 49 Houston Independent School District campuses.
The schools were selected by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) for 2019-2020 based on students’ academic performance, closing achievement gaps among groups of students, utilizing evidence-based instructional practices, and having a defined system-wide mission of college and career readiness for all students.
Continue readingHISD’s Innovation and Postsecondary Programming department is currently offering a Virtual Study Hall for students taking High School Advanced Placement, IB, Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses.
This free after-school resource will be offered online every Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. and include help with college-level course assistance.
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