Category Archives: High Schools

Thousands of Families Turn Out For PowerUp Parent Nights

HISD parent Cecil Perry is thrilled that her daughter, Tamara, will soon have her own laptop to use while attending classes at Madison High School and at home. “She is going to need computer skills in order to be successful after high school when she goes on to college and eventually gets a job,” said Perry. “Hopefully she will teach me a thing or two along the way.”

Perry is one of several thousand parents who have turned out for PowerUp meetings over recent weeks to learn more about the districtwide one-to-one initiative that will eventually provide a laptop for every high school student at HISD. As part of phase one of PowerUp, nearly 18,000 students will receive laptops this coming January; but before they do, HISD wants to ensure that both they and their parents understand the responsible use of technology, good digital citizenship, and Internet safety.

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Reagan and Hogg Celebrate New IB Status

Reagan High School and Hogg Middle School are officially celebrating their new status this week as International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools, the latest HISD campuses to receive official authorization. After receiving approval July 5, the schools were able to begin offering the rigorous IB program when the new school year launched, creating the first continuous IB feeder pattern in the historic Houston Heights. Students begin the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Harvard Elementary and progress to the Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Hogg and Reagan.

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Milby Community Learns More About Initial Design Concepts for School

More than 150 parents, teachers, students and alumni of Milby High School turned out Tuesday night to learn more about the preliminary designs and concepts for the new school being funded by the 2012 bond program.

Milby is slated to be rebuilt into a 21st century facility while maintaining the campus’s architecturally significant building structure. On Tuesday, HISD staff and the school’s architects fielded many questions about the project, including size, classrooms and athletic fields.

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Reagan High School to Host International Baccalaureate World School Induction Ceremony

School to be joined by students, parents and community members

What:             Reagan High School will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate its recent International Baccalaureate authorization with students, parents and community members.  Reagan received official authorization to operate as IB campus in July along with Hogg Middle School, creating the first continuous IB feeder pattern in the historic Heights neighborhood.  Founded in 1968, IB is a non-profit foundation that offers challenging educational programs for students aged 3 to 19 to help develop their intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Who:               HISD Board of Education President Anna Eastman, Reagan High School Principal Connie Berger, HISD Lead Principal James McSwain, students,                         parents and community members

When:             Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Where:           Reagan High School, 413 East 13th Street

HISD Schools Thank Veterans For Service and Sacrifice

Lyons Elementary has a long-standing tradition of honoring veterans on Veterans Day. Everyone has a part to play, from Pre-K students who make thank-you cards for veterans to older children who make flags and educational history projects that are displayed in the halls.

About 25 veterans attend each year, so Lyons always adds something new to the program. This year it was a USO show, in which teachers in WWII-era clothing sang period songs and the Flamenco Dance Troupe – the boys dressed in service uniforms and girls in poodle skirts — performed the jitterbug. There was also a Little Miss Poppy Contest as well as a bugler.

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Chávez HS Student Wins National Art Contest with Vision of Future

Chavez HS student Luis Enrique Cortez accepts congratulations from Latino Art Beat President Don Rossi on Oct. 29 for winning the national organization’s annual art contest with his charcoal self portrait, entitled “Into the Future.”

Luis Enrique Cortez, a senior at HISD’s Chávez High School, has been named the national winner of the Latino Art Beat art competition for 2013, and representatives from that organization came to the campus on Oct. 29 to formally congratulate him during a special award ceremony.

Cortez earned top billing in the annual art contest with a charcoal drawing that took him two weeks to complete. The self portrait depicts Cortez breaking out of a colorless world and “Into The Future,” which is the name of his submission.

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Three Students’ Artwork Selected for HISD’s 2013 Holiday Greeting Card

DeBakey HS art teacher Neda Khan poses with student Tam Ngo and her winning design.

This year the Houston Independent School District honored the artistic talent of its students by selecting three finalists’ artwork for the 2013 HISD Holiday Greeting Card.  The winners were Adrian Pizarro from Park Place Elementary School, Amy Vaughan from Johnston Middle School and Tam Ngo from DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year as we have the opportunity to recognize the amazing talent of our students,” HISD Chief of Business and Community Relations Dr. Michele Pola said.  “We are very grateful for all the art teachers who support their students in their creativity.”

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HISD Police Investigating Jordan High School Incident

Houston Independent School District police are investigating an incident that happened around 8:26 a.m. today at Barbara Jordan High School.

The campus officer was patrolling the parking lot when he spotted two people he suspected of breaking into a vehicle. The officer confronted the suspects and ordered them to get out of their vehicle. The suspects did not comply and the officer fired his weapon when the driver of the suspects’ vehicle drove toward him. The suspects escaped.

The incident remains under investigation and the officer will be on administrative duty until the investigation is complete, which is standard procedure when an officer fires his weapon.

Partnership Yields Real-World Skills for Students with Special Needs

Jones High School graduate Cynthia Nieves puts labels on supply bags at a Walgreens pharmacy as a part of her training in the HISD/HCC Transition Program.

Some students need just a little extra help to become self-sufficient—and that’s where the HISD/HCC Transition Program comes in.

This partnership between the district and the local community college system, which began in 1994, was designed for students with cognitive disabilities who have already met the district’s graduation requirements.

HISD teachers work collaboratively with Houston Community College instructors to help students learn skills they can use in obtaining meaningful employment, such as the art of interviewing, how to complete applications, and the characteristics of good employees.

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Furniture Expo Sets Stage for 21st Century Learning Spaces

Sitting down at flexible tables with swivel chairs and tablet compartments, students, teachers and parents moved quickly from one piece of furniture to the next to see which ones were the most comfortable and collaborative.

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More than 70 people tested out furniture on display Tuesday at Houston ISD’s first furniture expo showcasing 21st century learning environments. The event allowed Project Advisory Teams (PATs) to explore different learning spaces and provide feedback to help guide the design for the new schools being built and renovated under the district’s 2012 bond program.

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