Category Archives: High Schools

High school students get first-hand look into higher-education options

Students from Jones Futures Academy and Milby High School recently had the opportunity to learn more about pursuing their higher-education options and to start thinking about looking into options beyond their bachelor’s degree studies.

In an event hosted by Prospanica Houston (formerly known as the National Society of Hispanics MBAs) and with volunteers from the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), students were encouraged to explore the opportunities they can pursue after graduating high school, including the benefits of a master’s degree.

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HSPVA junior named city’s second Youth Poet Laureate

Fareena Arefeen

Fareena Arefeen

Fareena Arefeen, a junior at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, has been named Houston’s second Youth Poet Laureate, succeeding Andrew White, who graduated from HSPVA in June and is now attending New York University. The position was created by Writers in the Schools in partnership with the Houston Public Library, City of Houston, and Office of the Mayor.

Arefeen was one of 40 Houston-area students to apply. Candidates submitted five poems to a committee of what WITS Executive Director Robin Reagler called “page poets and stage poets.” The committee narrowed it down to five students, and the finalists were interviewed by a smaller group of published poets. The one-year term includes a book deal, a scholarship, and being mentored by Houston’s Poet Laureate, Robin Davidson.

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Groundbreaking ceremonies planned for Wilson Montessori, Energy Institute HS

Wilson Montessori and Energy Institute High School will hold groundbreaking ceremonies in November to celebrate the start of construction on their new buildings.

The Wilson Montessori event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. at their school campus, 2100 Yupon St. The Energy Institute event will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. at the site of their new location, 3501 Southmore Blvd. Continue reading →

Fun, friendly competition during Special Olympics Field Day for high schools

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High school students took the field on Thursday during the fourth annual Special Olympics Field Days at Butler Stadium, participating in sports such as football, basketball, track, and soccer. The events give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to showcase their athletic skills by taking part in fun athletic contests. Elementary school students will have their field day next week on Nov. 17, which will conclude the event this year.

HISD unveils 2016 holiday greeting cards designed by students

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The Houston Independent School District announced the winners of the district’s 2016 holiday greeting card competition that features creative student artwork highlighting family holiday traditions, seasonal decorations, and classic holiday songs.

The winners – fourth-grader Angela Ramos of Ed White Elementary School, seventh-grader Annette Hernandez of Pilgrim Academy, and 11th-grader Javier Garcia of Scarborough High School – were among 40 finalists from elementary, middle, and high schools. All finalists received a boxed set of their holiday cards. Their holiday cards also will be available for purchase and on display at the HISD administration building. Continue reading →

LyondellBasell, Junior Achievement give HISD seniors lesson on money management 

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Nearly 50 seniors from Energized for STEM High School traveled to LyondellBasell‘s Houston Engineering Center in East Houston this week to take part in a personal financial planning and career exploration seminar presented by Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.

Students from Chavez and other area high schools also participated in the seminars, which reached more than 300 students over four days.

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Anthony Bourdain show to feature Wisdom HS, diversity of HISD 

bourdain_wisdomhsNearly two years ago, Wisdom High School Principal Jonathan Trinh was featured in a local newspaper story about adults who immigrated to the United States as a child and how they adjusted to life here.

So when producers for Anthony Bourdain’s show on CNN, Parts Unknown, were doing research for their upcoming show on Houston, they read the story and wanted to include the Trinh family.

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HISD-HCC Transition Program helps students with disabilities find gainful employment

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HISD has several programs to help young adults with significant disabilities transition successfully from high school to a productive adult life. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we are featuring three of these programs. This is the third in the series. Read the first in the series, about students at the Houston Food Bank, here, and the second in the series, about students working with Texas Children’s Health plan, here.

HISD teacher Jilianne Barzilla begins her HISD-Houston Community College Transition class each morning with physical warm-up exercises to get her students’ blood flowing. After that, she grabs a large purple ball and asks them to think of three words to describe themselves. She tosses the ball to a tall young man named Patrick.

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Program trains students with developmental challenges to thrive in office environment

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HISD has several programs to help young adults with significant disabilities transition successfully from high school to a productive adult life. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month , we are featuring three of these programs. This is the second in the series. Read the first in the series, about students at the Houston Food Bank, here.

Eleven interns arrive at their classroom in the administrative offices of the Texas Children’s Health Plan at 8:30 a.m. every morning and spend an hour with their teacher, Lisa Mangum, before fanning out to work in various departments – collating documents, making phone calls, and manning copy machines.

These young adults, ages 18-22, attended HISD high schools before being accepted into a Project SEARCH program that is training them to work in an office environment.

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HISD and MD Anderson partner for youth tobacco prevention program   

Dr. George Wilding, Vice Provost, Clinical & Interdisciplinary Research MD Anderson; from left, Angela Borzon, HISD Director of Instructional Technology; Felicia Ceaser-White, HISD Manager of Health and Physical Education; Maureen Cagley, Vice President, Academic Operations MD Anderson (and HISD graduate and HISD parent); Dr. Grenita Lathan, HISD Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Dmitrovsky, Provost and Executive Vice President MD Anderson; Annie Wolfe, HISD Officer of Secondary Curriculum and Development; Dr. Alex Prokhorov, Professor, Behavioral Science; pose for a photograph after announcing a partnership during a Houston ISD Board of Trustee meeting, October 13, 2016.

All middle and high students will be provided with smoking prevention curriculum developed by cancer center

HISD and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have reached a first-of-its-kind agreement to provide access to an evidence-based, youth-oriented tobacco prevention and cessation program for all 110,000 HISD middle and high school students.

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