Category Archives: Special events

Crespo ES student wins 25th annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

Fourth-grader wins $1,000 prize for original speech inspired by civil rights leader 

Crespo Elementary School fourth-grader Vivianna Serna used her own experience with discrimination amongst friends as a guide for her winning speech at the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition. 

Serna was awarded first place for her original speech that tackled hate and bigotry between friends, stating that Dr. King’s teachings showed her that she must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.

The event was held Friday at HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. Serna was among 12 HISD students to participate in the final round of the Foley & Lardner LLP-sponsored competition, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.

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HISD kicks off 2020 Holiday Toy Drive

Houston Independent School District employees are sharing in the spirit of the holidays with those less fortunate through the district’s 2020 Holiday Toy Drive.

Donors are encouraged to drop off new and unwrapped toys at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St. Houston, TX 77092) by Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. Receptacles are located at the East and West entrances of the building.

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First virtual Dream Summit series event puts students on path to college

HISD kicked off the district’s Dream Summit Series on Thursday with the “Launch the Dream” virtual event, which was filled with information to help students take the necessary actions and steps to make their college aspirations a reality.

The HISD Office of College and Career Readiness and Multilingual Programs DREAM Summit annual event, which is held each year to aid HISD DREAMers, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees, along with their families, was adapted into a series of virtual events giving more students a chance to make their college dreams come true.

Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Rick Cruz welcomed students and their families to the virtual event applauding them for their commitment to the future.

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Student winners of 2020 holiday greeting card competition announced

In a virtual ceremony with participants, HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan on Wednesday unveiled the winners of its annual holiday greeting card student art competition from nearly 100 entries across the district.

“This event presents a special opportunity for the district to share our students’ artwork with the greater community,” Lathan said. “It is my pleasure to help showcase the work of our student artists and the fantastic work our fine arts teachers are doing to cultivate these talents across the district.”

The winners for 2020 – fifth-grader Ediel Chávez of Crespo Elementary School, seventh-grader Michell García of Wharton Dual Language Academy, and senior Viviana Pérez of Sam Houston MSTC – were among 18 finalists from elementary, middle, and high schools. All finalists received a boxed set of their holiday cards. The winners received gifts from sponsors Raising Canes, Jerry’s Artarama and the Glassel School of Art. All finalist holiday card designs will be available online for purchase.

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Special Education Fall Virtual Parent Summit set for Dec. 12

The Houston Independent School District will hold its 2020 Special Education Fall Virtual Parent Summit on Saturday, Dec. 12, providing parents with the opportunity to meet with Special Education professionals and attend online learning sessions.

This event serves as an opportunity for HISD to better support families and empowers them to be a partner in their child’s education. The theme of the event is “Supporting Educational Success During a Pandemic” and will address topics such as transition, instruction, compliance, and evaluation.

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HISD to name student winners of 2020 holiday greeting card competition

The Houston Independent School District on Monday, Nov. 16, will unveil the winners of the district’s 2020 holiday greeting card student art competition.

This year, 18 students from HISD elementary, middle, and high schools were named finalists from a total of 99 entries. The 18 finalists were chosen by the district’s area superintendents. Those 18 entries then went to HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan for judging. She then chose one elementary, one middle school and one high school to represent the district as winners.

During a virtual ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, the winning cards will be announced by HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan.

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HISD honors Class of 2020 in virtual graduation ceremonies

The Houston Independent School held virtual graduation ceremonies on Sunday to celebrate the district’s 11,000-plus graduating seniors.

The virtual commencements were broadcast in partnership with Herff Jones and in collaboration with graduation technology partners StageClip and MarchingOrder. Each virtual ceremony included recorded messages from the superintendent and other district officials, as well as audio of each student’s name as their personalized slide was displayed.

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HISD to host virtual career fair for seniors

HISD’s Career Readiness department will be hosting a virtual townhall next week for high school seniors interested in entering the workforce after graduation.

“Seniors to Success 2.0” will be held from 2 – 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20 and will highlight career training programs and other career opportunities for HISD seniors. Nearly 20 local employers, including Goodwill, H-E-B and Allegiance Staffing, will be on hand to discuss interview strategies, tips for success and current job openings with pay ranging from $10-16 an hour.

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Mayor, HISD interim superintendent announce citywide celebration for graduating seniors

Houston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a first-of-its-kind citywide outdoor celebration planned for graduating seniors.

Students will be invited to return to their campuses in their caps and gowns for the event, which will take place on Friday, June 5, simultaneously outside each HISD high school. All seniors attending will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The celebration is the brainchild of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who will deliver his own words of encouragement to the class of 2020.

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Bastian ES to host free community health fair

Students, employees, and the community are invited to attend the free Smart Scholars Foundation Community health fair on Saturday, Feb. 29 at HISD’s Bastian Elementary School.  

The event, which is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is sponsored by the Houston Food Bank and will feature free dental, health, vision and hearing screenings for the community, as well as enough food to feed more than 300 families.  

Hope Farms, a Recipe for Success Foundation dedicated to combating childhood obesity, will also be on hand doing culinary demonstrations to teach the community how to incorporate healthy vegetables and fruits into their diet.  

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact 832-367-9688.