Category Archives: High Schools

‘Three Doctors’ inspire HISD students to support one another though hardships

Wheatley HS students at the "Three Doctors" event

Wheatley HS students at the “Three Doctors” event

Students from HISD’s Kashmere, Scarborough, and Wheatley high schools received a full dose of motivation on Nov. 6 from “Three Doctors” who made a pact to support each other while growing up in the rough neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey, and achieved professional success as a result.

The students attended a presentation given by Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins at the Brown Convention Center as part of the White House initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper,” which aims to close the achievement and opportunity gaps for young men of color.

Continue reading →

HISD Student Congress leader advises peers to ‘embrace the uncertain’

Amy Fan

Amy Fan

In this week’s “I Am HISD,” which features district students, graduates, employees, volunteers, and other team members, Bellaire High School senior Amy Fan talks about why she got involved in the HISD Student Congress, what her goals are for this school year, and the biggest hurdle she had to get over in embracing her role as speaker of the congress.

You served as the outreach chair of the Student Congress during its inaugural year of operation. What made you decide to throw your hat in the ring for the top leadership position?

You make me sound like a politician. Actually, I’ve been really interested in education reform for a while, even before the Student Congress was founded (mostly just through reading and watching videos), and I’ve come to embrace its mission. And after being part of the Student Congress Cabinet in its founding year, I learned a lot more about the district, both from a student perspective and an adult perspective, and it seemed logical to run for speaker my senior year. Continue reading →

2015 holiday greeting card artwork winners announced

The winners of HISD’s annual 2015 Holiday Greeting Card competition were announced on Nov. 3, and one was a repeat from last year.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000CezGACxycAw” g_name=”20151103-HolidayCards” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Gloria Xie, who won in the middle school category in 2014, also claimed that honor this year as a seventh-grader at Pershing Middle School. “I would just like to say thank you to my principal, Ms. (Kim) Heckman, and my teacher, Ms. Perugini, and my parents,” she said.

Each year, the district sends out hundreds of holiday greeting cards to principals, board members, legislators, local leaders, parents groups, and community partners. Since 2003, these cards have featured the artwork of HISD students.

The other students whose artwork was selected for 2015 were: Continue reading →

Washington HS students deliver on prosthetic hand project

A 6-year-old girl from Waller ISD is very close to making a dream of hers come true, thanks to five students at HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School and a 3D printer.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000Uoirf.PjEf0″ g_name=”20151102-Prosthetic” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

The high-schoolers used the printer to build a prosthetic arm for Gracie Henderson over the past year, and they presented the completed device to the youngster on Nov. 2.

“We wanted to help her fulfill her dream of picking up an apple,” explained senior Leslie Cosme, who worked on the project. “I was very nervous before she first received the hand, but when I saw her face lite up, it made me really happy.” Continue reading →

HISD, Furr HS Green Institute recognized for partnership with U.S. Forest Service

Green Ambassadors visit local schools, communities, and parks to spread the conservation and environmental awareness message. They work with Woodsy Owl and his animal friends.

Green Ambassadors visit local schools, communities, and parks to spread the conservation and environmental awareness message. They work with Woodsy Owl and his animal friends.

The Green Institute at Furr High School is only two years old, but that program is already getting national attention for its efforts.

In March, a group of students from there delivered a presentation at the National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program in Washington, D.C. And this week, students and educators will travel to the nation’s capital again to be honored alongside Forest Service representatives for the Abraham Lincoln Honors Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Principal Bertie Simmons will accompany students and educators in support of their recognition for this prestigious award. Continue reading →

Westside HS senior chosen to participate in U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Jordan Elliot, a senior at HISD’s Westside High School, was recently selected by the U.S. Army to participate in its 2016 All-American Bowl.

Jordan is one of about 90 students to be chosen from across the nation, and the only one from HISD schools. He is also the second Westside senior to be selected for this honor. Westside graduate Frank Ileanacho (Class of 2014) played in the 2015 bowl. Continue reading →

Bellaire Concert Chorale performs with national ensemble

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000L5R7I.PMCUk” g_name=”20151024-Bellaire-Concert-Chorale” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

After a three-day residency with the award-winning Rose Ensemble, Bellaire High School’s Concert Chorale joined them in concert to open the Houston Early Music season on Sunday, Oct. 24, at St. Philip Presbyterian Church. The program was entitled “Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims.”

Continue reading →

Upcoming HISD football games to be rescheduled due to weekend storms

Four Houston Independent School District varsity football games planned for this weekend are being rescheduled as a result of schedule conflicts caused by the recent storm. The schedule conflicts were created when two games on Saturday, Oct. 24 — Yates vs. Davis and Washington vs. Wheatley — had to be moved to Monday, Oct. 26 because of inclement weather. Continue reading →

DiscoverU expands the number of educational travel opportunities for HISD students

DiscoverU has increased the number of partnerships it has with HISD schools to seven for the current school year, allowing even more students to expand their horizons through foreign travel, college campus residencies, business internships, and more.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000hx674KIYyGc” g_name=”20151021-DiscoverU” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]
Continue reading →

HISD students earn top award for summer rocket launch

This summer, while many high school students were still enjoying their vacation, students from HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School were traveling with their teacher to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico to attempt to launch a rocket they built as a classroom assignment.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000pPB_AlSHitM” g_name=”Washington-HS-Rocket” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Only five high schools qualified to travel to WSMR this summer, and this was Washington’s fifth attempt. But for the first time this year, the students’ vehicle successfully left the launch tower — marking only the second time a high school has ever reached that milestone. The students received the SystemsGo Goddard Level Diamond Award for their achievement at a special ceremony held on Oct. 16. Continue reading →