Category Archives: High Schools

33 HISD high schools rated as best in nation in annual Washington Post rankings

More than two-thirds of the high schools in the Houston Independent School District made the Washington Post’s annual list of the Most Challenging Schools in America — and four schools cracked the top 100.

Carnegie Vanguard High School took home top honors for HISD, ranking 11th out of the 2,156 high schools from across the country that made the list. Energized for STEM Academy came in 32nd place, the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice ranked 52nd and Challenge Early College High School came in at 97th place. Continue reading →

Retired brigadier general to speak at Austin HS’s fourth annual White Rose Dinner

BrigGenRamirez_250The commandant of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets will be returning to his alma mater on Thursday, March 12, 2015, when Brigadier General Joe E. Ramirez Jr., U.S. Army, Ret., presents the keynote speech at Austin High School’s fourth annual White Rose Dinner.

After graduating from Austin, General Ramirez attended Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in science in 1979. He obtained a master’s degree in management from Webster University, St. Louis (1993) and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania (2000).

General Ramirez has earned numerous awards during his 31 years of military service, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Parachutists Badge.

The dinner will take place at 6 p.m. at the University of Houston’s Hilton Hotel (4800 Calhoun, 77004) and the public is invited. Tickets are $50 each, and there are three premium sponsorship levels available. To reserve a seat or arrange a sponsorship, please call 713-924-1600.

All proceeds from the event will be used to support Austin High School programs. The white rose, symbolizing truth, purity, and honesty, appears on the Stephen F. Austin family’s coat of arms.

Wheatley HS students welcome new U.B.U. Lounge

UBU_Wheatley1_400Students, faculty, and staff at Wheatley High School celebrated the grand opening of their new U.B.U. Lounge on Jan. 22. The cafeteria now features three dining stations, Custom Brothers, Tortilla, and Home Zone and students had the opportunity to sample items from all three.

“The food being sampled is good,” said Wheatley senior Mwyinika Heard. “I didn’t eat lunch at school much before, but I will start, if they are serving these items. The food is more flavorful than it has been in the past.”

The dining stations were designed to provide menu variety and offer students the ability to customize their lunch experience.

“Students at Wheatley participated in a taste test that helped us select items for the menu,” Nutrition Services Senior Administrator Audene Chung told attendees. “You provided your feedback and we listened. Our goal is to bring you items that you want to eat.”

Twenty-seven HISD students land 2015 all-state ensemble seats

More than two dozen HISD students earned a spot on a Texas Music Educators Association All-State Ensemble this year.

Trumpeter Esmeralda Sandoval (Waltrip HS) and baritone saxophonist Grace Estrada (Westside HS), as well as five students from Bellaire High School and 20 from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, will perform in various groups during the TMEA’s annual convention in February.

All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. Approximately 1,750 students were selected through a process that began with more than 64,000 students from around the state vying for the honor to perform in one of 15 ensembles (bands, orchestras, and choirs).

Last year marked the first time a Westside student had ever been selected, and the same student (Grace Estrada, now a senior) is returning this year. You can read more about her achievement in this school-based newsletter.

HISD student athletes commit to play college sports on National Signing Day

More than 90 of HISD’s top student athletes committed to taking their academic and athletic talent to the college level as part of National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 4.

The HISD ceremony at the Region IV Education Service Center, aimed to recognize the students’ formal commitment to continue their education and sports careers at colleges and universities around the country. During the event, students signed symbolic certificates of intent to continue their careers in baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.

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Among the highlights:

  • More than 50 HISD senior boys will continue their football careers in college, including 11 from Lamar High School, seven each from Reagan and Wheatley high schools, six from Kashmere High School, five from Furr High School, and four each from Madison, Sterling, and Westside high schools.
  • Five HISD senior girls will run track and field in college.
  • Eleven senior boys and four senior girls will play college basketball.

Traditionally, National Signing Day has been reserved for senior high school football players completing their letters of intent with colleges and universities. But, for the past six years, HISD has included both female and male athletes from all sports to showcase the district’s athletic talent. Additional athletic commitments also are expected after Signing Day.

During the event, students heard from featured speaker Antonio Armstrong, a Kashmere High School graduate, former NFL player, and owner of Houston-based 1st Class Training, as well as HISD Director of Athletics Marmion Dambrino, HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, HISD Board of Education Trustee Wanda Adams, and representatives from the Houston Positive Coaches Alliance.

Click here to view a list of the 2014-2015 HISD student athlete signees.

Project Advisory Teams tour 4 innovative schools in D.C. area

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The concept of a 21st century school can be hard to imagine. But Project Advisory Team members from nine HISD schools have a clearer vision after a trip to our nation’s capital last week.

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Need help applying and paying for college?

fafsa-promoFebruary is full of free events to help HISD families

Navigating the college application process and finding financial aid to pay for higher education can be somewhat daunting for both students and parents, but HISD and various community partners are here to help throughout the entire month of February.

Mark your calendars, and check below for a list of FREE fairs, expos, and events that are open to middle- and high-school parents.

Continue reading →

Bellaire HS graduates nail perfect scores on AP macroeconomics exam

Bellaire HS grads Yuqing “Mike” Xiong, left, and Jinchen Zou

Bellaire HS grads Yuqing “Mike” Xiong, left, and Jinchen Zou

Two Bellaire HS graduates just learned that they made perfect scores on last May’s Advanced Placement (AP) macroeconomics exam. Yuqing “Mike” Xiong and Jinchen Zou graduated from Bellaire last spring and took the exam to earn college credit and be eligible for higher-level courses as university freshmen after completing Michael Clark’s economics course.

Jinchen and Yuqing’s are two of only 51 students worldwide to have made a perfect score on the exam in 2014, which was taken by 117,209 students last year. Jinchen now attends Yale University and Yuqing is going to the University of Texas.

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Waltrip High School getting a modern makeover

Renovations at Waltrip High School are changing the look of the campus as glass installation recently got underway, which will replace aging windows and orange metal panels which date back to 1959 when the school was first built.

Bond Waltrip

A worker installs windows at Waltrip High School.

The change will give the campus a modern feel and be a welcomed by many stakeholders who have expressed a strong desire to see the orange panels go.

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Community partners ‘fire’ up students to attend school

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CITGO Petroleum Corp. and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) gave away 30 Kindle Fire tablets to students at six Houston-area schools in the second year of “Kindling Young Minds,” a project designed to boost attendance. Two HISD schools – Inspired for Excellence Academy and Harper Alternative School – are part of the program. The HISD schools were selected to participate in the project because of their at-risk population and low attendance rate. Continue reading →