For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, the Houston Independent School District is adopting a new grading policy in alignment with the implementation of the district’s new online learning system, HISD @ H.O.M.E.
To ensure that students’ grades are not negatively impacted due to the need for online instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:
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HISD is proud to announce the 2020 valedictorians and salutatorians from each of the district’s high school. The valedictorian is the student who has earned the highest grade point average in his or her graduating class, and the salutatorian is the scholar with the second-highest grade point average.
In the past, HISD has hosted a scholars banquet for these students and their parents, in which district officials recognized their outstanding academic achievements. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the banquet will not be held this year.
2020 Graduation Survey: Provide feedback on an alternate graduation ceremony plan
Continue readingThe College Board last week announced that due to nationwide school closures, students will have access to remote-learning activities and the option to take a 45-minute exam online.
According to the College Board, students who are already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge. Exams will be given May 11-22. The testing schedule can be viewed online here. Students can take exams at home or in schools, if they reopen.
Students can submit an online exam using a computer, tablet or smartphone, as well as providing a photo of handwritten work. Certain courses — Art and Design: 2D; Art and Design: 3D; Computer Science Principles; Drawing; Research; and Seminar — will use portfolio submissions and will not have a separate online exam. All deadlines for these submissions have been extended to May 26.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will continue food distribution efforts at 25 sites throughout the district during the week of Monday, April 13.
Nutrition Services staff are packing food bags at the Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Facility, which serves as the central hub for the initiative. Staff will then deliver the food to the distribution sites. Each site can distribute up to 500 bags — or 15,000 pounds of food — per day.
As families arrive at sites, nutrition staff will minimize contact by filling out the required Emergency Food Assistance Program forms for families and placing food in their trunks. Participants who walk to the sites also must adhere to social distancing requirements.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will be launching the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline starting Monday, April 13, to provide timely answers to questions from students and parents about distance learning.
Starting on April 13, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., students and parents can call the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline at 713-556-INFO (4636). Operators will be on hand to answer questions in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic. The hotline will remain in place for as long as it is needed to support the transition to at-home learning.
“We are working diligently to offer equitable at-home learning support during this unprecedented crisis,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “We hope this hotline will be a key resource for students and parents who might have questions about our district’s distance learning, HISD @ H.O.M.E.”
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Due to the districtwide closure and current restrictions involving social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the application process for pre-K is now online only.
HISD is currently accepting applications for its full-day pre-K program at schools across the district, offering more 3- and 4-year-old students in our community with the opportunity to attend a high-quality program that will build a strong foundation of learning.
Due to precautions surrounding the coronavirus, pre-K application and enrollment timelines have been adjusted:
Continue readingThe HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department will host a webinar for parents next week to guide them as they adjust to distance learning.
“Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) At Home” will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. Parents and students will learn ways to incorporate SEL practices into their daily routines, understand the importance of mindfulness, and learn exercises and techniques that can be done by adults and students of all ages.
Continue readingEditor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series on how six HISD students are adjusting to the shift to virtual instruction throughout the district amid COVID-19 precautions. Read Part 1 here.
It has been two weeks since the district launched HISD @ H.O.M.E. (Home-based Online Mobile Education), a distance learning plan that has students at all levels of education transitioning from physical to virtual classrooms.
We checked in with three seniors to see how their second week of distance learning went and how the Class of 2020 is coping with the adjustment for the last months of their high school careers.
Part 1: HISD students adjust to the new reality of distance learning
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HISD students, parents, teachers, and principals: Are you ready for a fun challenge to showcase distance learning?
As everyone adjusts to the new reality of online instruction, HISD has designated next week (April 13—April 17) as Virtual Spirit Week. Each day will be designated with a different theme to encourage students to share their at-home learning activities. In fact, everyone is invited to participate in the daily challenge—students, teachers, and even administrators.
As you participate each day, take photos or short videos and share them on social media using the hashtag #HISDSpiritWeek. The idea is to flood social media with positive learning activities and create a sense of community, school spirit, and inclusivity.
Continue readingThe HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department will host a webinar for parents this week to guide them as they adjust to distance learning.
The webinar, titled “Coping Strategies for Parents” will be held on Wednesday, April 8 at 2 p.m. This is part of a weekly webinar series that provides social-emotional learning tools to HISD parents and students.
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