Category Archives: Parents

Campus Safety Message from Superintendent Terry Grier

Dear HISD Community,

Schools are supposed to be places where our children feel safe to learn and play with their friends.  On Friday, we were reminded that even our best efforts to protect our precious students are sometimes not enough to prevent tragedy.  I know that all of you join me in praying for the Newtown community and sending them our sincere condolences as they grieve their unimaginable loss.

As Houston ISD students and employees return to class today, I want to assure you that we are taking action to ensure our schools are as safe as possible.  We have nearly 200 fully certified police officers in the HISD Police Department, and they are vigilantly patrolling our school neighborhoods and walking our campus hallways.  Every school in HISD regularly performs safety drills, and every campus leadership team has an emergency preparedness plan in place.  In the days and weeks to come, our police department leaders will be reviewing our procedures to determine whether any modifications are necessary to further protect our children and employees.

HISD also employs a well-trained team of psychologists whose services are available to every campus.  Our principals and teachers will not hesitate to bring them in to help any student who might need their care.   It is not uncommon for children to have questions and to express fears in these times.  We encourage parents to address their children’s concerns proactively.  The National Association of School Psychologists offers some helpful tips for parents as they discuss this tragedy with their children.  Those suggestions include reassuring children that they are safe, and acknowledging their feelings.  You can find more recommendations on the group’s website by clicking here.

The final week of school before winter break is always a time of celebration and anticipation.  We owe it to our children to keep it that way.  We also owe them a collective commitment to doing whatever it takes to keep them safe while they are in our care.  I want to personally wish each of you a joyful holiday season, and encourage you to hug your children just a little tighter and a little longer this year.

 Terry B. Grier

YWCPA Hosts Computer Programming Symposium

[slideshow]More than 200 area third- through eighth-grade students, teachers, and parents attended a computer programming symposium on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy.  

The Inaugural Schlumberger Log-in Symposium provided participants with free access to computer programming and robotics software, equipment, training, and other resources. There also were student robotics and computer exhibitions from Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy on display.  

Volunteers from Schlumberger, Rice University, University of Houston and Texas Southern University served as mentors and instructors for the students. They also held informational seminars for parents interested in learning about education opportunities in the computer programming and technology fields.

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HISD Honors Parents at Parental Involvement Day Celebration

The Houston Independent School District will honor parents during its Parental Involvement Day Celebration on Friday, November 16.  The celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Delmar-Tusa Athletic complex (2020 Mangum).

The annual event will recognize parents for the role they play in supporting their children’s educational and personal growth.  It will also offer parents innovative strategies they can use to help their children learn.
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Scholarship, Financial Aid Fair Set to Assist Students and Parents

HISD’s Class of 2012 earned a record $180 million in college scholarship offers, and seniors this year are hoping to match or surpass that number. To assist students in their scholarship search, HISD’s College and Career Readiness Department is holding the “No Dollar Left Behind”  Scholarship and Financial Aid Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Challenge Early College High School (5601 West Loop South, 77081).

Students and parents attending the fair will have the opportunity to speak with various scholarship exhibitors, learn how to improve their scholarship search and get tips for successful essay writing. Representatives from the Department of Education will also be on hand to answer questions.

 “Many of our HISD families believe they can’t afford to send their child to college, but there is plenty of aid out there if you you know where to look,” said HISD Counseling Manager Nefertari Mundy. “In fact, there is nearly $150 billion dollars available from the federal government in the form of grants, loans, work study and scholarships. We want to make sure our students leave no dollar behind.”

Students attending the fair will also have a chace to win a $1,500 scholarship and can meet with representatives from 20 different organizations that have scholarships available to HISD students, including the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo, the Houston Hispanic Forum and the Childrens Defense Fund, to name a few.

Regional colleges like Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern and others will also be on hand to discuss scholarships that their institutions have to offer students.

HISD seniors attending the fair can also receive a free meningitis immunization thanks to the Meningitis Initiative. Students must have this vaccine to attend most colleges.

 

HISD Police Department Partners with ARAMARK Education to Promote “Kids with Character” Mentoring Program

The HISD Police Department introduced a new partnership today with ARAMARK Education to promote positive character building in HISD schools.  The Kids with Character mentoring program will recognize elementary students who have displayed outstanding citizenship in their classes.

Twice a month, HISD officers will eat lunch with students who have shown strong character.  During the lunch the officers will also serve as role models by showing students how to be good leaders. Continue reading →

Parents Plus Curriculum Equals Better Math Instruction for Helms Students

HISD’s Curriculum Department hosted a Partnering with Parents to Prepare Students for Algebra workshop at Helms Elementary School recently, and nearly 90 parents attended the event, which was designed to help them learn some of the same instructional strategies used by HISD teachers to convey various mathematics concepts to their children.

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Top 10 links for HISD parents: Pre-pay lunches, plan for holidays, monitor grades, and more

Here’s a roundup of links that parents may want to reference throughout the year:

 

What’s New at HISD for the 2012-2013 School Year

About 200,000 Houston Independent School District students are expected to return to school for the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 27.  Students from five middle schools and four high schools in the district’s Apollo 20 school turnaround program will get a one-week head start on Aug. 20 when their school year begins.

The 2012-2013 school year brings many exciting improvements to Houston schools as HISD continues its work to offer a consistently rigorous education in a safe learning environment at all 279 campuses.

 New Schools

Four new school buildings funded by the 2007 voter-approved bond program will open on the first day of school. 

  • Carnegie Vanguard High School– (1101 Taft) – The Carnegie Vanguard Magnet program serves students who have been identified as gifted and talented in intellectual ability. In 2002, the Vanguard school moved to the former Carnegie Elementary campus which was originally built in 1963. The new building is located adjacent to the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center. 
  • Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center-(4842 Anderson Road) – The school will offer a two-way dual English and Spanish language program to its kindergarten class in an effort to develop full bilingualism and bi-literacy for all students.  The center will implement this program in one of the kindergarten classes during the 2012-2013 academic year and will add one grade per year until there is a complete two-way dual language program in grades K-8.
  • Lockhart Elementary School – (3501 Southmore) – The replacement school will now serve pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.  Students from the former Lockhart and Turner Elementary schools will attend the new campus. 
  • Neff Elementary School – (8301 Neff Street) – The replacement campus will serve students in grades 2-5.  The former Neff campus is being converted into an early childhood campus for students in pre-kindergarten through first grade.

New Programs

 Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School – (6300 Avenue B, Bellaire) This is HISD’s first Mandarin Chinese language immersion school. The school will initially serve students in kindergarten through second grade, with additional grades to be added in subsequent years. Core subjects including language arts, math, science, and social studies will be taught primarily in Mandarin Chinese with a certain amount of English language development instruction incorporated each day.

 

Houston Innovative Learning Zone program- Students at six HISD campuses (Furr, Kashmere, Scarborough, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington high schools and Long middle school) will have the chance to earn associate’s degrees and career training in high-demand technical fields.  The HILZ program was created in partnership with Houston Community College. In addition to taking the standard core credits required of all high school students, HILZ students will take courses taught by college professors using a blend of face-to-face and online instruction. In addition, credits earned by HILZ graduates will transfer to any public Texas university.

More Tools for Principals and Teachers

 Curriculum Changes- HISD has a new and improved curriculum designed with the input of thousands of teachers. The new curriculum is aligned with state and national standards and will prepare students for the rigor of STAAR and other standardized tests.  The new curriculum also places an emphasis on every child reading at or above grade level.

  • New literacy plan- The new literacy plan serves as a guide for teachers and leaders as they prepare students to be proficient readers, independent thinkers, and effective communicators. The plan is called CLASS (Curriculum and instruction, Leadership, Assessment, Support for families and communities, and Sustainability).
  • Revamped K-5 English Language Arts curriculum: The curriculum was designed in partnership with teachers and training provided by the Neuhaus Education Center.   Teachers at all grade levels have received Neuhaus training on literacy intervention strategies.  In the 2012-2013 school year, sixth and ninth- grade students who are reading below grade level will receive an extra daily class period of reading instruction using a specially designed curriculum from Neuhaus.

 

  • Continuing Leadership Training for Principals:  HISD has formed new partnerships with Rice University, the University of Texas, and St. Thomas University to help develop skills of current principals and to help train new talent. New and aspiring principals can attend an intensive four-week Emerging Leaders Institute.  Ongoing monthly training is available for first-and second-year principals and assistant principals.  There are also six new courses for principals related to decision-making in the area of staffing.

 Bond Election Proposal in November

Houston voters will decide in November whether to approve a proposition to build modern high schools in neighborhoods across Houston, and improve safety and technology district-wide. The $1.89 billion plan would address facility needs in 38 schools. For a complete overview of the proposal and the schools that would be rebuilt or renovated, click here.

Gregory-Lincoln Education Center Summer Teaching Institute

For two weeks in June at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, teachers and administrators gathered for a team building and planning event, “The 48 Hour Summer Teaching Institute.”  For 6 hours a day over an 8 day period, the group participated in team building, planning, literature review, and shared vision exercises.  One of the highlights of the institute was when former 8th grade students discussed their experiences with the teachers.  During the student panels, administrators were able to ask the students specific questions to help gain insight about their teaching methods from a student’s point of view.

The goal of the institute was for teachers and administrators to come together to develop a better education plan for the upcoming school year.  Principal Pamela Farinas hopes events like this will help teachers and faculty recognize common goals and bonds as educators.  She also hopes the teaching institute will become an annual event.