Category Archives: High Schools

School Choice application deadline for Phase 2 is Feb. 26  

Parents who would still like to apply for a school choice program for the 2021-2022 school year have until Friday, Feb. 26 to do so. 

After all applications in Phase 1 have been offered, eligible Phase 2 students who meet a program’s qualifications will be considered in the order in which their application was submitted, should the program have space available. 

Any applications for students who live outside the HISD boundaries will not be considered until Phase 3, even if the application was submitted during Phase 2. 

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HISD kicks off 2020 Holiday Toy Drive

Houston Independent School District employees are sharing in the spirit of the holidays with those less fortunate through the district’s 2020 Holiday Toy Drive.

Donors are encouraged to drop off new and unwrapped toys at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St. Houston, TX 77092) by Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. Receptacles are located at the East and West entrances of the building.

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HISD to celebrate Computer Science Education Week

Program a drone. Track movements of an Amazon delivery robot. Animate greeting cards. These are just a few of the ways students can participate in Computer Science Education Week on Dec. 7-13.

Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the field.

HISD’s Office of Career Readiness, along with DroneBlocks, Code Avengers, and Amazon Future Engineer-endorsed BootUp and CoderZ, have created computational thinking activities to inspire future computer science engineers.

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HISD’s return to the classroom supported by $200,000 donation from Phillips 66

The Houston Independent School District has been disinfecting schools daily in order to combat the spread of COVID-19, and a $200,000 donation from locally based international energy company Phillips 66 is now supporting those efforts to protect students and staff.

HISD has utilized the donation to outfit schools with state-of-the-art electrostatic cleaning supplies and equipment. The Phillips 66 donation is designed to assist with safe continuation of in-person instruction on district campuses.

“There is no doubt that this generous gift is making our campuses safer,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “We deeply appreciate Phillips 66’s desire to help HISD keep our campuses clean and safe.”

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Seven HISD schools ranked number one in various Children at Risk categories of best public schools

DeBakey HS for Health Professions named best public high school for 14th consecutive year

Park Place ES, T.H. Rogers each ranked number one in two different categories

Nearly 100 campuses in the Houston Independent School District have received high rankings on Children at Risk’s annual list of best public schools in the city’s eight-county region, with DeBakey High School for Health Professions once again declared the best public high school in the area.

Park Place Elementary School and T.H. Rogers School each received number one rankings in two different categories.

Park Place is number one on the list of Consistent Gold Ribbon elementary schools. It is also number one on the list of Pandemic Proof elementary schools because it has received high marks from Children at Risk for three consecutive years.

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HISD, No Kid Hungry to provide up to 5,000 holiday turkeys to families in need

For a lot of families, the holiday table doesn’t feel complete without a turkey as its centerpiece.

Nutrition Services will be able to provide that holiday hallmark — and a little extra holiday cheer — for up to 5,000 HISD families thanks to a partnership with and generous donation from No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization that aims to end child hunger.

Up to 5,000 turkeys will be distributed to Houston families just ahead of HISD’s winter break during Neighborhood Supersites scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12 and Wednesday, Dec. 16. The turkeys are funded by an $80,000 donation from No Kid Hungry.

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Celebrate 12 Days of Code with a variety of coding exercises for every grade level

HISD is inviting all students to celebrate the 12 Days of Code in December with interactive calendars that allow them to engage in a new coding experience every day.  

Coding helps students solve problems, use logic, and think creatively, and it gives them a foundation for success in 21st-century careers. The activities in these three calendars for elementary, middle, and high school include Block-based coding, Python, and JavaScript, developing skills in computational thinking, sequences, loops, and debugging programs. 

Activities are made fun and engaging incorporating characters from StarWars, Frozen, and the Grinch with music from some of the industry’s top artists.  To access the 12 Days of Code calendar of activities, go to HoustonISD.org/12DaysofCode

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First virtual Dream Summit series event puts students on path to college

HISD kicked off the district’s Dream Summit Series on Thursday with the “Launch the Dream” virtual event, which was filled with information to help students take the necessary actions and steps to make their college aspirations a reality.

The HISD Office of College and Career Readiness and Multilingual Programs DREAM Summit annual event, which is held each year to aid HISD DREAMers, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees, along with their families, was adapted into a series of virtual events giving more students a chance to make their college dreams come true.

Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Rick Cruz welcomed students and their families to the virtual event applauding them for their commitment to the future.

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Student winners of 2020 holiday greeting card competition announced

In a virtual ceremony with participants, HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan on Wednesday unveiled the winners of its annual holiday greeting card student art competition from nearly 100 entries across the district.

“This event presents a special opportunity for the district to share our students’ artwork with the greater community,” Lathan said. “It is my pleasure to help showcase the work of our student artists and the fantastic work our fine arts teachers are doing to cultivate these talents across the district.”

The winners for 2020 – fifth-grader Ediel Chávez of Crespo Elementary School, seventh-grader Michell García of Wharton Dual Language Academy, and senior Viviana Pérez of Sam Houston MSTC – were among 18 finalists from elementary, middle, and high schools. All finalists received a boxed set of their holiday cards. The winners received gifts from sponsors Raising Canes, Jerry’s Artarama and the Glassel School of Art. All finalist holiday card designs will be available online for purchase.

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Madison HS teacher honored for work in health, physical education

Madison High School teacher Paula Ceaser has been awarded the 2020 K-12 Health Education Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (TAHPERD).

The award is in recognition of “excellence and leadership in the HPERD profession for demonstrating leadership, achieving excellence, and being an outstanding representative of the teaching profession.”

Ceaser has taught physical education at Madison for 12 years and serves as a department chair and a lead teacher for HISD, helping to shape curriculum for health and physical education across the district. Ceaser said her role has allowed her to bring new opportunities and ideas to her students, from archery and fishing to participation in a grant with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote adolescent health initiatives.

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