Category Archives: Uncategorized

HISD to Break Ground on Worthing High School Expansion

Administrators, staff, alumni, students and Sunnyside neighborhood residents will be joined by HISD Board of Education District IX Trustee Larry Marshall for the official groundbreaking ceremony  for Worthing High School’s renovation and expansion on Wednesday, March 21 at 10 a.m. at 9215 Scott Street.           

            “Sunnyside is a proud community with close-knit ties to successful people across the United States,” Marshall said.  “We are delighted to be able to welcome them to the site of the new and improved Worthing High School.  It’s been a dream for these residents for a long time.”

            State Senator Rodney Ellis, a distinguished graduate of Worthing, and State Rep. Borris Miles will be joining the Worthing community for this special ceremony. 

            The project includes a new two-story classroom addition, safety and security upgrades, technology improvements, and roof repairs, in addition to repairs of the athletic track.

“This new school building, with the renovated commons and auditorium, will definitely be a source of pride for the residents of Sunnyside,” said Worthing Principal Tod Nix.  “Most importantly, this is something our students are going to be proud of and enjoy every school day.”

            The $805 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2007 has helped make this Worthing project possible. The expanded and renovated campus will include:

  • New library;
  • Additional technological resources;
  • New science labs; and
  • New commons area.

            The campus’ old life skills building will become the new Worthing Community Learning Center, a student union-type structure that will include study rooms, recreation areas, and meeting space.  This center will serve all the children of Sunnyside, including those attending some of the area elementary and middle schools.

For more information about other school construction projects district wide, visit www.hisdprojects.org.

HISD Receives ‘Leadership in Action’ Award

HISD’s Green District Challenge energy conservation program was recognized with the 2012 Leadership in Action Award for Environmental Improvement earlier this week during the Leadership Houston awards luncheon.  The annual award recognizes Houston corporations and nonprofits that have made extraordinary contributions to the greater Houston community, through programs and projects in 10 different categories, including Environmental Improvement.

 “We are proud of our efforts to model for our students what it means to be good stewards of our financial and natural resources,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “Our schools are long term investments, so it’s important that we build facilities that use less energy. And through our Green School Challenge, our students are learning the important role they play in energy conservation.”

HISD Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla accepted the award on the district’s behalf.

The District earned the Leadership in Action award for its precedent-setting  implementation of  a three-pronged initiative and comprehensive approach to energy efficiency, including capital improvements, process improvements, and behavioral change programs.  The District initiative features energy-efficient building designs, green building practices, fuel-efficiency initiatives, and behavioral change programs at the school campuses, and is complemented by a new energy performance contracting program that will allow district wide retrofits of facilities with emerging technology in energy-efficient lighting, building controls, HVAC equipment, and other building systems.

 HISD is also committed to building new facilities to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. 

In 2011, HISD’s transportation department was named as the top school district green fleet by Government Fleet magazine, a first for HISD. HISD’s energy-efficient programs in transportation include outfitting special GPS equipment for idle reduction and route efficiencies, the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and propane, and the installation of emission reduction devices on 490 buses. 

This January, HISD implemented the Green School Challenge, a competition among schools, designed to inspire students to track their school’s energy use, and form campus ‘Green Teams’ to increase single stream recycling and decrease energy use.   

For more information about the district’s single stream recycling program, and other information on energy efficiency, visit www.houstonisd.org/greenschoolschallenge.

2012 Spring Break Schedule for HISD Offices, Schools

All HISD campuses and offices will be closed for Spring Break from Monday, March 12, through Friday, March 16, 2012. Schools and offices will reopen for normal business on Monday, March 19, 2012.

HISD employees should consult the duty schedules posted here.

The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities all during the holiday break.

Emergencies may be reported by calling 713-892-7777.

Students, parents weigh options at Career and Technical Fair

Students interested in the culinary arts, stenography, the military, the automotive industry and other career opportunities packed the Hattie Mae White building for the Career and Technical Education College Fair hosted by HISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department. Representatives from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, The Culinary Institute of America and others were on hand to give students and their parents practical advice on deciding a career path.

Jones High School 11th grader Lashunda Mason, who showed up at the fair with aspiring nurse Krystal Burleson, originally had considered the veterinary sciences, but upon leaving the fair found herself surprised that she was interested in joining the U.S. Army. “I really wanted to sign up for it, but I was like ‘I don’t know,’ ” said Mason. Other students expressed similar sentiments – that the fair exposed them to options they didn’t know existed.

“It’s a way of creating awareness,” Texas Chiropractic College representatives Monique Lewis and Jena Rogers said, when asked why the fair was important. “The most asked question we get is ‘What is a chiropractor?’ ”

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HISD hosts Career and Technical Education College Fair

HISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, in partnership with the College and Career Readiness Department, is hosting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) College Fair  at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street, 77092) from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m today.

Students and their parents can discuss career options with representatives from various two-year colleges and technical and vocational institutions. Information will be available on several fields of study including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Automotive Services
  • Computer Technology
  • Cosmetology
  • Health & Medical Services
  • Hotel & Restaurant Services
  • Law Enforcement
  • Manufacturing
  • Military
  • Technology
  • Welding

See who came out to the live STAAR information session

 More than 100 people crowded the main studio and two overflow areas  to learn more about the new state end-of-course examinations  at HISD’s live STAAR forum. Parents, students, educators and other members of the community engaged a panel of experts in a question and answer session covering a variety of issues related to STAAR.

Click through the photos below to see who came out to the event.

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Frost Elementary school celebrates milestones at dedication of new building

Houston Independent School District Board of Education trustees Larry Marshall and Paula Harris were on hand at the official dedicatory service of Frost Elementary School, built thanks to the $805 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2007.

“None of this could have occurred without the parents and community who voted for the bond program,” Trustee Marshall said as he commended the HISD facilities team for their hard work. “The support of this community has been integral for the success of this bond program to provide modern, healthy, technologically advanced campuses for the district’s students.”

The new school features science labs, a library, a computer lab and Smart Board technology in every classroom.

Click through the photos below to see scenes from the dedication ceremony and pictures of Frost Elementary School.

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HISD superintendent to highlight district accomplishments in State of the Schools Address

State of the Schools 2012

Nearly 2,000 community and business leaders, educators, and elected officials are expected to attend HISD’s State of the School luncheon on March 1 at the Hilton Americas Hotel.  Superintendent Terry Grier will address the many accomplishments and progress HISD has made made toward preparing students for college and future careers. Among the year’s highlights:

Although the luncheon is sold out, coverage of the event will be provided on the HISD News blog, HISD’s Twitter stream (@HoustonISD) and a live stream on abc13.com.

For more information, please click here to visit the Houston ISD website.

District saddles up, dusts off cowboy duds for ‘Go Texan Day’

Every year, HISD employees, students and their families dress up in western attire for Go Texan Day, the citywide celebration announcing the return of the  Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This year saw a splash of color and definitive Houston style during the annual festivities.

 Click the photo below to see what aspiring cowboys and cowgirls wore at the Hattie Mae White Building , then send your Go Texan Day photos to us at hisdphotos@yahoo.com . Or check out the western gear on our Facebook page.

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HISD teachers help develop curriculum for the district

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/31161260]Approximately 280 teachers from across the district have been collaborating with HISD’s Curriculum Department for the past several months to develop a high-powered, standards-based curriculum for all students in the Houston Independent School District.

They meet after school and on weekends, and educators involved in the Curriculum Writing Initiative report that their work has given them fresh insight into the necessity of focusing on standards.

“The curriculum-writing experience has opened my eyes to the importance of aligning our curriculum to the TEKS,” said Kolter Elementary School teacher Sharon Grimm. “This process will make me a better teacher and will ensure that all my students’ needs are met.”

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