HISD’s Energy Institute held the last of a series of presentations given by distinguished speakers on April 30, and by the time their special guest was finished, he was as impressed by the students as they were with him.
Category Archives: High Schools
Bellaire HS teacher wins H-E-B lifetime achievement award
Michael Clark
Michael Clark, a teacher at HISD’s Bellaire High School, was honored on May 3 with a Lifetime Achievement award at the secondary level through H-E-B’s 2015 Excellence in Education Awards.
Clark was named HISD’s own Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2011. He has been an educator for almost a quarter of a century, with the last 15 of those years spent at Bellaire High School teaching Advanced Placement government and economics courses.
High School Ahead Academy bus driver honored for going above and beyond
High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis had no idea she would be recognized for going above and beyond her daily route assignment to help a student in need.
HISD Transportation Manager Alan Delaney, High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis and HISD Senior Manager Chandra Robertson
But Davis and four other HISD employees and volunteers were honored for their services during a special luncheon held on April 30. She says she has only been with the district since last November and was surprised to discover she would be receiving an award for simply doing her job.
“I’m really humbled,” Davis said. “I just treat students how I would want anyone else to treat my own children.”
Milby HS student wins national digital storytelling contest
Nancy Casarrubias
Milby High School’s library is a place “where learning never ends,” and now, the whole world knows it.
Senior Nancy Casarrubias created a five-minute video showcasing her library (and its librarian, Rowena Verdin) for a digital storytelling contest sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians—and her entry won in the high-school category (grades 9–12).
The contest challenged students to show how their school library/librarian helps advance their education by encouraging them to learn new things, fine-tune their research skills, and discover how to make the most of available resources. The focus of entries was the 2015 School Library Month theme, “Your School Library: Where Learning Never Ends.”
Basketball showcase helps HISD girls ‘court’ scholarship offers
In February of this year, hundreds of male student-athletes got the chance to strut their stuff on the gridiron in the hopes of landing college scholarships, and a few weeks ago, it was the girls’ turn—only this time, it was on the basketball court.
More than 40 female junior and senior basketball players from HISD schools took part in the Houston Choice Select Girls Basketball Showcase on April 18. The event is sponsored by the Houston Area Coaches Association, Systems Basketball, and Houston Parks & Recreation, with assistance from the HISD Athletics department. It featured a professional skills workout with multiple scrimmages, and athletic scouts from a number of colleges and universities, including Concordia, Le Tourneau, Paul Quinn, and Tyler, were on hand to watch.
“I really enjoyed it,” said North Forest High School student Joi Simmons. “It gave me an opportunity to show off my skills and to consider other NAIA [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] schools for college.”
“I am so glad this opportunity is finally available for these inner city girls,” said North Forest High School Head Girls Basketball Coach Jasmin Cardenas. “I graduated from an HISD school and only wished that we had these opportunities then.”
Sterling HS valedictorian wins coveted Gates Millennium Scholarship
Robert Childress, a senior at Sterling High School, will be following his military dreams to Texas A&M University this fall at minimal cost to himself, after representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced the winners of the Gates Millennium Scholarships for 2015.
Childress, who is the valedictorian at Sterling this year, was one of only 1,000 students chosen from more than 52,000 applicants nationwide—and the sole student selected from HISD.
The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program was established in 1999 to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential.
Candidates for the GMS award must be citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States. Students must also meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria, have at least a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), and have demonstrated leadership through community service or other extracurricular activities.
A full list of Gates Scholars from the Class of 2015 is available here (link to PDF is at the bottom of the article).
Next round of STAAR EOC exams May 4–8
HISD high school students will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, May 4.
High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed algebra I, biology, and U.S. history will be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.
Make-up test opportunities will also take place during that period (May 4-8). This is the final test administration of the spring season. Re-testing opportunities for EOC exams have been scheduled for early July.
Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a new FAQ (.pdf), a complete schedule of testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety. Students may also consult with their school counselors with any questions or concerns not addressed on the STAAR website.
Chávez HS scores surprise first-place finish at state chess competition
Coach Robert Myers (far L) with the Chavez HS team at regionals
Students at Chávez High School were thrilled to walk away with a third-place team victory at the State Scholastic Chess Championship in McAllen, Texas, last month, but they were even more excited when they learned that due to an extremely complicated tie-break system, computer results revealed that they were actually the first-place winner among unrated players.
The team had to score among the top five groups at the regional tournament to advance to the state competition, and placing first there qualified them to compete in the national tournament held in Columbus, Ohio, where they ranked sixteenth in the nation in the unrated section.
“Chess is about options,” said Chávez Coach Robert Myers. “The students exercised those options and continued to practice, study, and develop. They have learned through perseverance to never give up, never surrender.”
The team subsequently placed first at a KIPP chess tournament held on April 18.
Yates HS holds Elective Fair for future freshmen
Yates High School held an Elective Fair and Signing Day event on April 29 for Houston-area eighth-graders to see all that the school has to offer. Yates has two magnet programs—communications and maritime—and a Career & Technical Education program in health sciences.
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CVHS senior awarded $20,000 Footlocker scholarship
Carnegie Vanguard High School senior Tre’shunda James was surprised on Friday, April 24, at a schoolwide pep rally, where she was awarded a $20,000 scholar-athlete scholarship from Footlocker. James was also selected for the District 20-6A All-district Volleyball First Team.
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