For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, the Houston Independent School District is adopting a new grading policy in alignment with the implementation of the district’s new online learning system, HISD @ H.O.M.E.
To ensure that students’ grades are not negatively impacted due to the need for online instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will continue food distribution efforts at 25 sites throughout the district during the week of Monday, April 13.
Nutrition Services staff are packing food bags at the Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Facility, which serves as the central hub for the initiative. Staff will then deliver the food to the distribution sites. Each site can distribute up to 500 bags — or 15,000 pounds of food — per day.
As families arrive at sites, nutrition staff will minimize contact by filling out the required Emergency Food Assistance Program forms for families and placing food in their trunks. Participants who walk to the sites also must adhere to social distancing requirements.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will be launching the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline starting Monday, April 13, to provide timely answers to questions from students and parents about distance learning.
Starting on April 13, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., students and parents can call the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline at 713-556-INFO (4636). Operators will be on hand to answer questions in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic. The hotline will remain in place for as long as it is needed to support the transition to at-home learning.
“We are working diligently to offer equitable at-home learning support during this unprecedented crisis,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “We hope this hotline will be a key resource for students and parents who might have questions about our district’s distance learning, HISD @ H.O.M.E.”
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HISD students, parents, teachers, and principals: Are you ready for a fun challenge to showcase distance learning?
As everyone adjusts to the new reality of online instruction, HISD has designated next week (April 13—April 17) as Virtual Spirit Week. Each day will be designated with a different theme to encourage students to share their at-home learning activities. In fact, everyone is invited to participate in the daily challenge—students, teachers, and even administrators.
As you participate each day, take photos or short videos and share them on social media using the hashtag #HISDSpiritWeek. The idea is to flood social media with positive learning activities and create a sense of community, school spirit, and inclusivity.
Continue readingThe HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department will host a webinar for parents this week to guide them as they adjust to distance learning.
The webinar, titled “Coping Strategies for Parents” will be held on Wednesday, April 8 at 2 p.m. This is part of a weekly webinar series that provides social-emotional learning tools to HISD parents and students.
Continue readingWith the federal government extending social distancing guidelines through the end of April, the Houston Independent School District will remain closed, providing online instruction until further notice.
In addition to the federal guidelines, this decision comes in response to the new executive order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday to close all Texas schools until May 4. During this time, we will continue remote learning.
Until traditional classroom instruction resumes, the district has launched HISD @ H.O.M.E. (Home-based Online Mobile Education), a distance learning plan to ensure students’ academic and non-academic needs are met as the district remains closed due to COVID-19 precautions.
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The Houston Independent School District is launching HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV to provide educational programming as part of the district’s HISD @ H.O.M.E distance learning plan.
HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV will kick off on Tuesday, March 31 with instructional videos that include lessons from teachers and teacher development specialists in several subject areas, including math, science, reading and writing, social studies, and fine arts.
“Our mission is to support students in every community with the educational resources they need to thrive, and this is an important step in that effort – especially given the current need to deliver instruction virtually,” said Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “I want to thank our HISD Communications and Academics teams for supporting our students during these unprecedented times.”
Continue readingIn a matter of eight days, the food distribution sites operated by the Houston Independent School District in partnership with the Houston Food Bank assisted nearly 40,000 families.
The 61 food distributions served approximately 1 million pounds of food to families in need before being canceled late Wednesday. Nearly 2,000 staff and volunteers assisted with the efforts and were able to serve 5,000 families per day throughout HISD.
The cancellation of the distribution sites will remain in effect as the district re-evaluates its process for safely delivering this service to students and families.
Continue readingThe Monday after Spring Break, pictures of students proudly showcasing their family heritage flooded Wilson Montessori’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.
With schools closed amid COVID-19 precautions, the Montrose-based campus has found a creative way to support their students and families during this time with a Virtual Spirit Week.
“We must be mindful that this may be a difficult time for children and their families,” said Wilson Principal Shameika Sykes-Salvador. “While we won’t be seeing them in person, it’s still important for children and families not to feel isolated.”
Continue readingCurbside pickup service will still be available and social distancing required at all locations
Due to the threat of inclement weather, the Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank are rescheduling Friday’s food distribution sites for Monday to ensure the safety of families and volunteers.
Additionally, food distribution sites will extend operations throughout the week of Monday, March 23.
Curbside pickup service will continue to be available at all 39 food distribution sites districtwide next week to help promote personal health and social distancing. Families who do not have transportation and must walk to the site can continue to stand in line but will be required to stand six feet apart from each other. HISD Police and staff volunteers will be on site to enforce these measures and help with crowd control.
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