Parents who would like to explore HISD’s portfolio of school choice options for the 2021-2022 school year are invited to the final virtual School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Representatives from HISD campuses will be available, and attendees can get help submitting their application. Parents can log into the virtual fair here.
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Nurse Paul Rademacher was running a little late.
Just before he was set to arrive at a meeting with Bruce Elementary Principal Dr. Shawn Nickerson, a third-grader had an asthma attack and needed immediate attention.
“That’s the epitome of Nurse Paul right there,” Nickerson said. “Always putting the students first.”
A few moments later, Rademacher walked into the meeting, surprised to also find HR —and a group of cheering colleagues— waiting with the principal. To his surprise, he was named the January Elementary School Nurse of the Month.
Continue readingIn the sunny courtyard of Blackshear Elementary, Tanya Fontaine Clark stood speechless for a few moments before elaborating on her passion for her job—and the school she calls home.
“My mother was a teacher. I guess I’m a chip off the old block,” Clark said. “I wanted to give back. I wanted to enrich the lives of the children at Blackshear.”
The third-generation educator had just received the award for January’s Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher of the Month. It was just one of the stops of the day for Human Resources , as they also surprised the December and January Associate Teachers of the Month and Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teachers of the Month.
Continue readingTo assist with ongoing efforts to support public health and safety, the Houston Independent School District is offering COVID-19 BinaxNOW Rapid Tests at all campuses and its central office.
The district has been provided with testing resources to test campus-based staff, district administrators, and a percentage of students (with permission from parents) through a statewide COVID-19 Rapid Testing program implemented in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The tests will be optional, but all staff who work on a campus are encouraged to participate in the program.
Each year, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo awards more than 800 scholarships, and the deadline to apply for this year’s awards is Monday, Feb. 22.
In the fall, the Rodeo committed to award $14.2 million in scholarships, $3.7 million in educational program grants, and $662,000 in graduate assistantships.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will host its next virtual Parent University workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9. (Please note: this was rescheduled from February due to inclement weather.)
The theme of the fourth session will be “Non-Academic Supports Offered in HISD.” The workshop will begin with a general session followed by virtual breakout sessions that will include information on district programs, parent engagement, and community resources.
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January is National Mentoring Month, and HISD’s Ascending to Men (ATM) Project and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES) mentoring programs are celebrating by highlighting mentors and mentoring stories on their social media platforms.
National Mentoring Month is a celebration of the positive impact mentors have in their mentees’ lives. It is also a time where interest in mentorship and making a difference in the community is at its highest, with the excitement of a fresh new year and the goals and resolutions to impact others. HISD is encouraging the public to get involved and become a mentor.
Continue readingWhen Nathaniel Melvin began teaching art at Westbury High School, he was assigned a classroom with no sink. For someone who specializes in building large sculptures and technical art pieces, that was an issue.
He installed one, but even then, the classroom never quite functioned the way he needed it to. There wasn’t enough cabinetry to hold supplies.
Melvin now teaches in a “visual arts studio” specifically designed to meet his students’ needs. Ample power is available via ceiling cables at each art table. There is plenty of built-in storage space. Most importantly — there is not one, but three sinks.
Continue readingAustin High School seniors Daniel Miranda and Jesus Cantu greeted each other as they made their way through their school’s dining commons, stopping to soak in their new surroundings before the first bell rang.
“It looks futuristic,” Miranda said, first looking up at the contemporary lighting and then down below at the dining tabletops featuring the school’s mustang mascot.
“Futuristic?” Cantu asked with a laugh. “I think you mean modern.”
Continue readingWith students back in class after winter break, Nutrition Services is re-starting its weekly Neighborhood Supersite community distribution program to ensure HISD students and families have continued access to good food.
The January supersites will kick off on Wednesday, Jan 6, at Barnett Stadium from 2 to 6 p.m. Another three supersites will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9 at Hattie Mae White and Hexser T. Holliday Food Services support centers and Sugar Grove Academy.
All sites provide seven days’ worth of student meals and family food boxes from the Houston Food Bank.
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