Journalist Roland Martin and BP Vice President of Operations Aleida Rios to be celebrated during annual State of the Schools address
A Peabody Award-winning journalist and a top leader of a Fortune 500 oil and gas company will be honored as distinguished alumni of the Houston Independent School District at the district’s annual State of the Schools Luncheon in February.
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Editor’s note: This is the first in a weekly series of articles designed to highlight the work of HISD students, particularly as it relates to developing global graduate skills, connecting learning to careers, or preparing for higher education. In this inaugural feature, we take a look at the communications program at Yates High School, whose students covered the district’s State of the Schools luncheon on March 3 as a part of their project-based assignments.
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More than 150 students currently participate in the communications program at Yates HS, and several of those young people got to attend HISD’s recent State of the Schools luncheon. While there, they applied what they are learning in the classroom to real life, honing their skills in photography, film-making, interviewing, and story-telling.
HISD Board President Manuel Rodriguez announces district’s first-place win of prestigious Magna Award for literacy efforts
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Speaking before a packed ballroom, HISD Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt urged the community to rally around its most struggling schools, while Board of Education President Manuel Rodriguez announced the district has won a national Magna Award for its literacy efforts.
HISD’s annual State of the Schools luncheon will be taking place at the Hilton Americas Hotel on Thursday, March 3, and the theme for 2016 is “Ready for the World: Starring Team HISD.”
Attendees of this year’s event can expect to meet and mingle with some of the district’s biggest “stars,” including teachers of the year, nurses of the year, principals of the year, and even the city’s very first youth poet laureate (a member of HISD’s Class of 2016).
HISD’s State of the Schools luncheon is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to sponsor a table or purchase tickets for your organization.
This annual event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, in the fourth-floor ballroom of the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel (1600 Lamar, 77010). Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about HISD and how it is preparing its students for success in both higher education and high-paying, high-demand jobs in the global workforce.
The event also offers a great venue to meet to meet students and school leaders, as well as community partners and elected officials.
But act fast, because time is running out. Go here to purchase tickets or become a sponsor. You can also find details on how to purchase tickets are here (.pdf) and details on sponsorship opportunities here (.pdf).
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Design renderings for schools in Groups 1 and 2 of the bond program, as well as other building projects, were on display at the 2015 State of the Schools luncheon, generating plenty of interest and conversation, as well as significant social media buzz.
Guests at HISD’s 2015 State of the Schools luncheon got a side order of entertainment with their meal. Westside High School’s Wind Ensemble of 35 students provided music throughout the program under the guiding hand of Conductor Joey Brunson, and students from 19 HISD elementary schools sang the national anthem.
Felipe Guillén has been a student at Stanford University since last fall, but the Chávez High School graduate might not be at his “new home” at all if it weren’t for HISD’s EMERGE program.
“My dream became a reality because of those who believed in me,” said Guillén, who was this year’s featured student speaker at the State of the Schools luncheon on Feb. 11. “The EMERGE program changed my understanding of the world and opened my mind up to new things.”
Their subjects ranged from starry nights and galaxies to water lilies and sunflowers, but the one thing all the orbs had in common was their inspiration: a desire to show how HISD is putting a “global” spin on education for all of its 215,000 students.
Children from 28 different campuses decorated Styrofoam balls this year to serve as the table centerpieces at the State of the Schools luncheon, and participating students were eager to share their artistic visions with guests.
Placing a strong emphasis on college attendance and completion, Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier on Wednesday unveiled plans to expand the district’s successful EMERGE program and double the number of college counselors available to high school students. Continue reading