Category Archives: Volunteers and partnerships

New bookmobile taking HISD’s literacy message on the road

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3 LLC.

Children living on the far north and south sides of Houston have a new reading resource this summer—and it will be coming to them.

HISD’s brand-new bookmobile will be visiting city parks in the North Forest and Sunnyside communities on alternating Fridays to provide children with a chance to pick out their own reading materials without having to visit a library.

Continue reading →

Nutrition Services partners with high-school transition coaches to build students’ job skills

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Through HISD’s Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) program, high-school students can go into local businesses for a couple hours a day, a few of times a week, to develop their workplace skills through on-the-job training.

For the first time this year, HISD’s Nutrition Services department is one of the partnering organizations, and it is working with two or three students from each of five high schools: Lee, Madison, Scarborough, Sharpstown, and Waltrip. Participating students learn about the food service industry by working in school cafeterias, performing tasks such as washing dishes or serving fruit.

Continue reading →

Grady MS student named myON’s fourth ‘Reader Leader’

Apurba Roy Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Apurba Roy Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Apurba Roy, who just finished the seventh grade at Grady Middle School, has been named the fourth “Reader Leader” by myON for logging the most time spent reading on that website during a particular month.

Roy read for an astonishing 219 hours and 34 minutes in myON in May. As a part of her prize, Roy received a laptop (with computer case) from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in southeast Texas. She was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on her campus June 4.

Continue reading →

Free SAT prep course now being offered by Khan Academy

Partnership with College Board to help students prepare for redesigned SAT

The College Board and Khan Academy have teamed up to provide free Scholarship Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation for all students beginning this month.

The SAT is a globally recognized college admission exam that demonstrates a student’s knowledge of reading, writing, and math. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and many colleges use the test to make admission decisions.

HISD also offers a free online SAT coaching course for grades 9 through 11 called “PREP ME,” which is available here.

Continue reading →

Houston Dynamo supports high school soccer program

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000Z0Q7D2VxBJc” g_name=”20150608-SharpstownDynamo” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

 

The Sharpstown High School soccer teams received some help in preparing for the upcoming season from none other than the Houston Dynamo.

Dynamo Charities named the soccer program at Sharpstown High School a beneficiary for Every Save Counts, a Major League Soccer (MLS) national initiative to serve youth sports.

Continue reading →

Former educators support Literacy By 3 with annual book donation

HART member Judy Harwell, dressed up as Mickey Mouse from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” hands out books at Burnet ES.

HART member Judy Harwell, dressed up as Mickey Mouse from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” hands out books at Burnet ES.

Aside from current educators, there is probably no group of people more passionate about the need for developing literacy skills in children than retired teachers. That’s why the Houston Association for Retired Teachers (HART) has been selecting one HISD school per year since 2000 to receive free books.

This year, Burnet Elementary School was the lucky beneficiary, and members of HART dropped by on May 15 to distribute one free book to each student.

“Studies show that when kids read for fun, they have a better chance of becoming strong readers,” said Principal Ana Cantu. “HART has helped our students have that opportunity by giving them brand new books of their own.”

Continue reading →

Students meet their virtual Read Houston Read mentors in person

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCTYa_NBX30 ” responsive=”no”]youtube url=”http://youtu.be/GzLcJfvbaww” width=”320″ height=”200″ responsive=”no”][/su_youtube]

 

All year long, caring volunteers from across Houston have been helping HISD students read by simply going online. But on May 29, students at Paige Elementary School got to meet their mentors in the flesh.

TutorMate is a web tool that allows mentors to tutor students via the internet. It was incorporated into HISD’s Read Houston Read program as a part of its Literacy By 3 initiative, which aims to have every child reading well by the end of Grade 3.

Continue reading →

EMERGE senior surprised with gift of new car

This year, thanks to generous donations from the HISD Foundation and Smart Financial, HISD’s Cool To Be Smart program was able to award two lucky students – one junior and one senior – with a car.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G000070Xit3k9op4″ g_name=”20150603-Smart-Financial-GiveAway-DeBakey-HS-student” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Continue reading →

Sharpstown International student wins Luby’s ACT grand prize

Katherine Miranda cited for her leadership, compassion, and generosity of spirit

Katherine Miranda

Sharpstown International School (SIS) has among its students an exceptional eighth-grader who epitomizes the quality of character that the Luby’s Achieving Character Together (ACT) program is looking for. Katherine Miranda was recognized on May 28, 2015, during the final assembly of the school year, as Luby’s ACT grand prize winner. Continue reading →

‘Chicken Soup’ books to feed students’ reading appetite

Students at Poe ES pose with Principal Jeff Amerson and their new books.

Students at Poe ES pose with Principal Jeff Amerson and their new books.

A new partnership between the Boniuk Foundation and Chicken Soup for the Soul is helping students in HISD and across Harris County to develop more cultural awareness while simultaneously building their literacy skills.

The partnership kicked off on May 14 at Poe Elementary School, where a group of students gathered to open boxes of books that were being delivered to the libraries of every school in Harris County.

Continue reading →