Category Archives: High Schools

Three senior athletes earn Positive Coaching Alliance scholarships

Karoline Hight, Aaron Reese, Tre-Shunda James

Three Houston ISD seniors each have $2,000 scholarships to put toward college thanks to the Positive Coaching Alliance.

Karoline Hight (swimming) of Bellaire HS, Aaron Reese (football) of Kashmere HS and Tre’Shunda James (volleyball) of Carnegie Vanguard HS received Triple-Impact Competitors scholarships at a banquet held on Oct. 18.

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Lee HS community briefed on construction plans for new school

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A community meeting was held Monday evening to discuss design plans and the construction timeline for the new 21st century campus at Lee High School.

Through HISD’s 2012 bond program, $73.8 million has been allocated to build the new Lee HS campus. The new 240,000-square-foot facility will include state-of-the-art technology with flexibility to allow for future upgrades. The two-story school will be divided into four neighborhood wings with open spaces and plenty of windows to maximize natural light.

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Madison HS names young cancer patient honorary team captain at homecoming

 (Houston Independent School District)

Kyssi Andrews poses with the Marlins’ usual team captain, senior Dornell Murrell.

Young Khrystin “Kyssi” Andrews has been getting a lot of attention since her mother waged a social media campaign to obtain a much-needed medical test for her daughter in 2012.

Last week, the three-time cancer survivor went on a dream date with “Prince Charming” in honor of her sixth birthday, and on Oct. 17, she was named the honorary team captain of the Madison High School Marlins during their homecoming game against the Austin High School Mustangs.  Continue reading

A college visit to Texas A&M sparks students’ drive to succeed

The cadets in uniform, the large buildings, the football stadium, and students skateboarding and riding bicycles to class were some of the first things Yates High School senior Jason Covarrubias noticed upon arriving on the campus of Texas A&M University.

Until last week, he had never visited a college outside of Houston.

“I could go by myself on a college visit, but I’d be lost in the process,” he said. “My parents probably couldn’t go with me because they have to work, and I work on the weekends. So for HISD to do this, I really appreciate it.”

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HISD took about 120 12th graders to College Station last week to visit Texas A&M. Students from Davis, Furr, Kashmere, North Forest, Worthing, and Yates high schools and Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy boarded charter buses as early as 6:30 a.m. to participate in the day-long trip. Continue reading

Sharpstown seniors get help with college applications

Workshop guides students through ApplyTexas, HCC processes

While 9-11th graders were busy taking the PSAT College Board exam Wednesday, seniors at Sharpstown High School huddled over their PowerUp laptops and created an account on ApplyTexas, an online college application that allows students to apply to every Texas public university, plus some private and two-year schools.

“A lot of our students are low-income, first-generation, underrepresented, said College Guidance Administrator Aaron Rodriguez. “If there’s not someone there to guide them, to push them to apply, I think [the college application process] would be really challenging for them. That’s what we’re here for.”

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HSPVA community hears about construction, final design plans for new building

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About 25 parents, staff and community members gathered for a final meeting to go over the construction process and design plans for the new High School for Performing and Visual Arts on Tuesday. HSPVA is one of 40 schools throughout HISD that will be rebuilt or renovated under the 2012 bond program.

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Bellaire Army JROTC cadet receives military honor

JROTC cadet Bianca Rubio-Casteneda poses for a photograph at Bellaire High School, October 10, 2014. Rubio-Casteneda has been awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for outstanding achievement in the reserve officers training corps program. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Bianca Rubio-Castaneda

Bellaire High School senior Bianca Rubio-Castaneda says she first joined the JROTC program in ninth grade because she thought the uniforms looked cool. She didn’t realize then how much of an impact the program would have on her life.

Last week, she learned she is one of 29 students this year out of more than 30,000 candidates in the world to receive the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement, the second highest honor awarded to a JROTC cadet. Rubio-Castaneda, a cadet lieutenant colonel and cadet commander of the Bellaire Army JROTC Battalion, tried to hold back tears after being presented the award at the October HISD Board Meeting.

“No one told me I was getting this award, and it’s such an amazing honor,” she said. “I’m grateful to have the support of my school, my peers, and my ROTC directors. They’ve always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.” Continue reading

A homecoming day to remember

Homecoming had special meaning for the students, parents and alumni of North Forest High School Saturday. It was more than just a football game, more than the morning parade, more than the tailgate party with refreshments, door prizes, and music leading up to the game. Saturday was about their history, their memories.

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Moms, dads, grandparents, teens, aunts, friends, and youngsters strolled up and down tables with mementos from the former North Forest school district and were able to take home items that had meaning for them. Continue reading

Waltrip HS junior chosen to serve on Souper Bowl of Caring’s youth advisory board

 (Houston Independent School District)Jonathan Simmons, a student at HISD’s Waltrip High School, has been chosen to serve on the Souper Bowl of Caring’s (SBOC) national youth advisory board this year.

The junior was one of only 14 students selected from across the nation to participate, and Jonathan was chosen after completing a rigorous application process that required students to submit a number of essays explaining why they wanted to serve.

As a part of his board duties, Jonathan delivered a speech in front of 500 guests—including Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair—at that organization’s Tackle Hunger Houston luncheon on Sept. 30. Continue reading

Westside teachers putting the HUB to the test

Students at Westside High School won’t be getting their PowerUp laptops until January, but that’s not stopping teachers on campus from using the PowerUp:HUB with their students.

With the help and encouragement of their campus instructional technologist, Westside teachers are starting to use the online teaching and learning platform for various instructional routines with their students including homework assignments and tests.

“Initially I had negative thoughts about the HUB, but now I like it because I and I am not so scared of it,” says Westside Advanced Placement World History Heather Barrow, who is using the HUB for homework assignments that she previously would have assigned to her students to do from a textbook. Continue reading