Category Archives: Wraparound services

Thank your school counselor during the week of Feb. 4-8  

If a school counselor has ever helped you to calm an anxious student, console a grieving child, or help a family in distress, then take a moment during the first week of February to thank him or her.

National School Counseling Week runs from Feb. 4–8, and this year’s theme is “School Counselors: Providing Lessons for Life.”Sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, the event highlights the work school counselors do to inspire students, help them achieve school success, and prepare for college and careers.

School counselors play a vital role in the lives of students and their families, offering guidance through difficult situations and pointing them toward additional resources.   Continue reading →

Fourth annual Dream Summit prepares HISD international students for the future

Click here for more from the HISD Dream Summit.

Excitement filled the air at HISD’s fourth annual Dream Summit, held Saturday at Hattie Mae White, drawing hundreds of students eager to collect resources and information about college applications and financial aid.

The HISD Office of College and Career Readiness and Multilingual Programs event 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.

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

HISD’s Ascending to Men Project to host winter ball fundraiser 

HISD’s Ascending to Men Project (ATMP) will host its first winter ball, Journey to Brilliance in Manhood, on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at Minute Maid Park.

Under the umbrella of HISD’s Equity and Outreach Division, the Ascending to Men Project is a mentorship initiative that seeks to provide positive role models and advocates for students who need guidance and opportunities for educational, social, and professional growth to underserved young men of color in the district. The program has been in place since the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, piloting in 28 campuses. Continue reading →

Parent University helps Wisdom HS mom lead the way for new PTO 

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Armed with a fresh notebook and pens for jotting notes, Wisdom High School parent Erica Alvarado bounced from table to table at Thursday night’s second Parent University session, gathering as much information and resources as she could.

Alvarado’s mission was twofold: Learn as much as possible to help support her children’s education, and pass along resources to fellow parents serving on Wisdom’s newly minted PTO, for which she is president.

Parent University was designed to connect parents and children to resources offered by the district to create successful academic outcomes, as well as safe and healthy environments at home and at school.   Continue reading →

FedEx and Operation Warm deliver new coats to N.Q. Henderson ES 

As Houston temperatures dropped, the gift of warmth arrived just in time for hundreds of kids at Nathaniel Q. Henderson Elementary School in East Houston.

FedEx Cares teamed up with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that provides brand new coats to children in need, to deliver coats to every student enrolled at N.Q. Henderson. Nearly 40 FedEx volunteers helped more than 300 students pick out a free, brand-new coat in their size and favorite color.

“I am so excited for our campus,” Principal Alana Holloway said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our scholars. We are very appreciative. I know that our parents and families will be extremely grateful.”  Continue reading →

Five HISD campuses becoming community schools to meet the needs of students, families 

Trustees approve $2.5 million grant to fund variety of wraparound services

About 4,000 students and their families in high-poverty areas will benefit from a $2.5 million grant that will provide wraparound services, including social, medical, financial, and emotional support.

The Board of Education approved the use of grant funds from the U.S. Department of Education that will convert five HISD campuses to community schools under the district’s Every Community Every School initiative.

The five schools are Thomas Middle School and Lockhart, Benavidez, Marshall, and Robinson elementary schools. The schools serve 3,898 students in communities with high poverty rates and a demonstrated need for wraparound services and supports.   Continue reading →

HISD to offer free flu shots to all students for 2018-2019 school year 

The Houston Independent School District is partnering with Healthy Schools to offer free flu vaccines to students during the 2018-2019 school year.

A team of nurses and other staff from Healthy Schools will rotate to each campus for half-day clinics beginning in October through December.

Parents will be able to consent electronically or through a print copy. All parent consent forms and translations will be provided to campuses, and parents can either complete the form and submit to the campus prior to clinics or have their child bring the completed form on the day of clinic. Continue reading →

HISD to host Back to School Extravaganza

HISD’s Homeless Education Office will host a Back to School Extravaganza on Friday, Aug. 17 to help students get ready for the 2018-2019 school year.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Delmar Stadium (2020 Mangum Road 77092).

Free assistance will be available for Medicaid applications, Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) renewal and recertification, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Health screenings also will be available. Continue reading →

May 9 is National School Nurse Day

This week is National Nurses Week, and May 9 is National School Nurse Day, a time to recognize and honor nurses’ daily contributions to education. HISD school nurses provide invaluable services across the district every day to keep students healthy and ready to learn.

“School Nurses are trailblazers for children’s health,” said Gwendolyn Johnson, HISD’s manager of Health and Medical Services. “They find innovative ways to help students and their families deal with diagnoses of chronic illnesses like diabetes or asthma and manage symptoms and administer medication.”    Continue reading →

Jane Long Academy social worker feels called to make a difference 

Berta Alicia Ontiveros

As the school bell rings and chatter begins to fill the hallways at Jane Long Academy, Berta Alicia Ontiveros holds a squawking radio and smiles broadly as she approaches students who are still lingering after the tardy bell.

“Come on sweetie, you don’t want to be late,” she says softly.

Ontiveros is finishing her third year as a social worker for HISD. She works at Jane Long, a school with a diverse student body. Students speak multiple languages and come from varied backgrounds and cultures, which can sometimes make it difficult for them to adjust.  Continue reading →