Students at Poe ES pose with Principal Jeff Amerson and their new books.
A new partnership between the Boniuk Foundation and Chicken Soup for the Soul is helping students in HISD and across Harris County to develop more cultural awareness while simultaneously building their literacy skills.
The partnership kicked off on May 14 at Poe Elementary School, where a group of students gathered to open boxes of books that were being delivered to the libraries of every school in Harris County.
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Mastering words is a way of mastering the world. And students at Chávez High School have proven such mastery by winning the first annual Vocabulary.com Vocabulary Bowl.
The nationwide competition challenges students to sign up and play vocabulary games. For each word a student masters, his or her school receives a point. The competitive aspect spurred Chávez students to accumulate an impressive 303,387 points.
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The 2015 winners of the African American National Spelling Bee Championships visited the Texas State Capitol on May 12, 2015, to be honored for their accomplishments. Two of the three champion spellers were HISD students.
Before the days of Kindle and the Internet, children who wanted books to read over the summer had to either persuade their parents to purchase titles at a bookstore or visit their local libraries.
Now, students can still while away an afternoon in the cool quiet of a public library, but the days of being limited to hard copies are long gone. This year, HISD students can get a jump on their summer reading by taking advantage of two great online resources: myON and Istation. Continue reading
HISD is known for being one of the most innovative school districts in the country—and that visionary spirit is what has earned it a feature in an edition of Politico Magazine.
The district is the subject of a May 21 article in the magazine’s “What Works” series, which is designed to highlight innovative practices and how they spread across America. Continue reading
Attending a dual-language school has really paid off for one group of third-graders at Twain Elementary School.
Francisco Martinez’s Spanish immersion class at Twain has been named a national winner in the DreamBox Learning Math Challenge, a competition that requires students in grades K–8 to solve various math problems in Spanish. Continue reading
Students at Pugh Elementary School celebrated the joy of reading on May 18 with representatives from Books Between Kids, members of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Trailblazers Committee, and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation.
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Elementary students got to build the bicycles they earned through improved literacy goals last Friday, May 15, at the Houston Zoo. Second- and third-graders worked hard all semester to achieve goals set by their teachers to improve their literacy skills. The “Getting Young Minds in Gear” event was led by Elves & More, a program that uses bicycles as an incentive to encourage literacy in elementary school students.
John Moore Services is observing its 50th anniversary in Houston this year, and to celebrate, the company gave away 250 books and teddy bears on May 15 to students at HISD’s Marshall Elementary School.
The books were written and illustrated by a local artist, and tell the story of “Buddy the Home Repair Bear,” who learns he doesn’t have to be a star athlete to be a hero in his own right.
“We are so grateful to John Moore Services for this generous gesture,” said Principal Hilarion Martinez. “I particularly like the book’s message — that people who come through for their friends are heroes, too.”
“We want to support literacy in our community by giving back to children who may not always have the privilege of getting their own book and toy,” added a John Moore Services representative.
Grady MS seventh-grader Prabin Panta with HISD Curriculum Specialist Cynthia Gonzalez and Library Services Manager Liz Philippi. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.
Prabin Panta, a seventh-grader at Grady Middle School, has been named the third “Reader Leader” by myON for logging the most time spent reading on that website during a particular month.
Prabin read for 97 hours and 22 minutes in myON in April. As a part of his prize, Prabin received a laptop (with computer case) from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in southeast Texas. He was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on his campus May 14.
“It was a pleasure meeting Prabin,” said Carl Franklin, account manager with Muses3. “He is a terrific student and an amazing reader. We are delighted that myON is part of his middle school experience.”