Students from Bellaire, Lamar, Madison, Milby, Westbury, and Westside high schools collaborated on a dance piece performed in response to a strong poem written and recited by Andrea Minotti, a senior dance student at Westside High School.
“This situation will fade, but we can’t run away from it,” he writes, “so as the days go by, sitting inside, what you will make of it?” Minotti’s powerful message inspired the dancers to express their emotions during this difficult time.
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The Houston Independent School District will be holding virtual summer school from June 8 to July 2.
The district is planning for more than 40,000 students to participate in online summer instruction via Microsoft Teams with a teacher.
Students will attend virtual summer school Monday to Thursday, and daily attendance will be two hours for students in grades PK-2, three hours for students in grades 3-5, and four hours for students in grades 6-11. Summer learning schedules for high school students taking credit recovery courses and/or courses for original credit as approved by their school counselors will be determined by the courses they are enrolled.
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HISD families may be eligible to receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit of up to $285 to be issued on an EBT card to assist families during the district’s closure.
The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The EBT card can be used like a debit card to buy food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.
Children up to 21 years old who are certified for free or reduced-price meals at school in Texas during the 2019-2020 school year and all children who attend a school that offers meals at no charge through the Community Eligibility Provision — as HISD does — are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits.
Continue readingHouston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan will surprise 10 high school seniors with 2019-2020 HISD Superintendent Scholars Awards during surprise visits to their homes.
This is the third year the scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors who have exemplified great character and resilience in the face of adversity.
Moved by their tenacity and inspiring journeys, Lathan personally selected the 10 students she will surprise from among 45 HISD seniors who were nominated by their principals or leadership teams.
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Staying connected is important now more than ever, and HISD Abroad is answering the call with next week’s Virtual Global Issues Summit hosted by HISD students.
Student hosts Van Nguyen and Boris Mejia, seniors from HISD’s Houston Academy of International Studies, will go live on Zoom at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 to discuss the impact of global issues on high school students. They will be joined by guest speakers John Moravec, founder of Education Futures, and Carrie Olson, President of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education.
Continue readingThree weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, an early morning fire swept through the home of an HISD family, causing them to lose everything.
The early April blaze not only destroyed the Jackson family’s home and the entirety of its contents, but it also left Destiny Jackson, whose five children attend HISD schools, with severe burns over a large percentage of her body after she ran into the burning home to carry her youngest son, Malik, to safety.
“My family and I are still dealing with a lot of emotion from that night,” Marcus Jackson said. “It is very hard for me talk about it, but what I can tell you is that my wife is the bravest person I know.”
Continue readingAs the school year comes to a close, the Houston Independent School District is transitioning from its community food distribution efforts to a curbside summer meals program for students.
Beginning June 1, families will be able to pick up boxed student meals twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays at one of 68 designated schools across the district. Boxes may be picked up by students, parents, or other adult family members.
Each box will contain a day’s worth of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. Families will receive several days’ worth of food — three boxes on Mondays and four on Thursdays — per child at each pickup.
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HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan on Wednesday hosted the first in a series of three virtual roundtables with PTA/PTO parent leaders to share feedback, provide insight, and address questions regarding distance learning efforts and information about the coming 2020-2021 school year.
During this first Virtual Parent Connection session, much of the conversation centered around HISD’s pursuit of the District of Innovation designation, resources to engage students and families, as well as ways that parent organizations can support their schools while the district is operating remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lathan said students, parents, and staff have done a remarkable job adjusting to distance learning and asked parents to share some of the needs they are experiencing. She also asked parents to share what would they need from her and HISD team as they prepare for the 2020-21 school year, and what assistance families need to navigate HISD virtual platforms.
Continue readingHISD’s Career Readiness department will be hosting a virtual townhall next week for high school seniors interested in entering the workforce after graduation.
“Seniors to Success 2.0” will be held from 2 – 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20 and will highlight career training programs and other career opportunities for HISD seniors. Nearly 20 local employers, including Goodwill, H-E-B and Allegiance Staffing, will be on hand to discuss interview strategies, tips for success and current job openings with pay ranging from $10-16 an hour.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District has been working diligently to celebrate the Class of 2020 graduates while ensuring the health and safety of students, staff, and families. HISD has decided to facilitate all high school graduation ceremonies for our 11,000 seniors virtually.
Considering current challenges surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis, the district believes virtual graduations are the safest option. The virtual ceremonies will begin on June 14.
While the graduations will take place virtually, seniors will have an additional opportunity to celebrate with their fellow graduates, if they so choose, during a citywide celebration on June 5, hosted by Mayor Sylvester Turner. This citywide celebration will take place outdoors at school campuses following strict safety measures.
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