Category Archives: High Schools

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 →

North Forest homecoming to be made more memorable by giveaway

Remember when Houston ISD auctioned off North Forest ISD memorabilia? Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones purchased much of it and is giving it back to the community Saturday.

North Forest High School’s homecoming game against Austin HS is set to kickoff at 6 p.m., but three hours before that, at 3 p.m., Skillern-Jones, along with State Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Jerry V. Davis, will host a tailgate party, complete with refreshments, a DJ, and door prizes. Skillern-Jones also be giving away all the district memorabilia to alumni or students who want it. Continue reading →

Challenge Early College HS students learn about cybersafety and digital citizenship peer-to-peer

Underclassmen at Challenge Early College High School took their recent lesson about cybersafety and digital citizenship very seriously. As one of the Phase II PowerUp schools, Challenge students will get laptops by the end of October and must undergo digital citizenship training. At Challenge they are doing the training a little differently. Challenge ECHS seniors were trained by HISD instructional techs, and they, in turn, are training the 9th-, 10th- and 11th-graders during their Advisory class.

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“They’re actually getting the information from the perspective of a student, and it’s from a facilitator in their own advisory, so it’s someone they’ll actually listen to,” said Challenge senior Sandra Torres. “They won’t tune out the student because they’re so connected to them, so they’re actually going to pay attention and take into account what they say.” Continue reading →

PSAT Test Day introduces students to the SAT, prepares them for college

HISD 9-11th graders took the PSAT during the school day on Oct. 15 at their campus as part of the district’s PSAT Test Administration Day.

The PSAT, a preliminary SAT and College Board exam that measures college readiness among students, is offered to HISD students free of charge on PSAT Test Administration Day at HISD. Students are scheduled to take the exam in the morning and could spend up to three hours completing the test that includes sections on math, critical reading, and writing.

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“There are a lot of opportunities for students to prepare for the PSAT in HISD,” said Jharrett Bryant with the HISD College Readiness Department. “The PrepMe platform is an online course that’s given to all students in the district. It’s actually an adaptive course, where based on a diagnostic you take at the beginning of the class, it customizes a study plan for you.” Continue reading →

Check out this week’s HS football schedule

We’ve got a packed weekend of high school football!

One of the most closely watched matchups will be Bellaire vs. Lamar. Lamar has won the last 31 games against Bellaire and is looking to extend its streak to 32, but the powerful Cardinals are looking put a stop to it. Check out this story on yourhoustonnews.com for more about the rivalry and how this game will impact the race for the 20-6A crown.

Here’s this week’s HISD high school football schedule: Continue reading →

Ivy Plus College Night shows students they can get accepted into a top college

Madison High School senior Jamie Russell has his heart set on attending the University of Texas or Texas A&M University, but he came to Ivy Plus College Night Monday anyway to weigh his options and learn about the nation’s top colleges.

“My counselor told me this would be a good chance to learn about top colleges and see what opportunities they have for students in higher education,” said Russell, who is currently ranked No. 7 in his senior class. “I’m getting good advice on financial aid and the (college) application process.”

Hundreds of high school students from across the district attended Ivy Plus College Night at Reagan HS to get tips on how to increase their chances of getting accepted into a top tier college such as Yale, Harvard, Rice, and Duke. All of the colleges represented at the event are ranked among the top 100 by U.S. News & World Report.

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Family Learning Academy offers parents resources for college and career planning

Houston ISD wants to help parents be ready for when their children graduate and go on to college or join the workforce. The district’s Family and Community Engagement Department is holding a Family Learning Academy to give tips and let parents know about the options available.

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Patricio Dominguez attended the first Family Learning Academy Super Saturday, which was held at Jones Futures Academy, to find out how to save money.
Continue reading →