Special Education Spring Virtual Parent Summit set for April 24

The Houston Independent School District will hold its 2021 Special Education Spring Virtual Parent Summit on Saturday, April 24.

The summit will provide parents with the opportunity to meet with Special Education professionals and attend online learning sessions. HISD aims to better support families and empower them to be a partner in their child’s education.

The summit is a half day virtual event and will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spanish translations of the sessions will also be available. Attendance is free; however, registration is required. Register to attend at bit.ly/SPEDSpringParentSummit21.

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HISD Foundation hosts virtual State of the Schools

The speech was virtual, but the stunts were very real.

The “stunt” in question was the image of Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan flying hundreds of feet in the air above southwest Houston in a small plane piloted by a teenager.

The segment—with Sterling High School student Trinity Ernest—highlighted the Career and Technology Education programs across the district. It was filmed as part of the 2021 State of the Schools program, held virtually this year for the first time.

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HISD partners with Houston Dynamo for free virtual early childhood classes

HISD has partnered with the Houston Dynamo and Dash to provide free virtual classes for early childhood students and their families with the Soccer Starts at Home Program (SSAH).

This preschool-targeted program will focus on building the brain-body connection for students, reinforcing and building brain pathways as well as reinforcing parent-child bonds. If you are interested in learning more about this program and its benefits, don’t miss the opportunity to attend a SSAH Parent Workshop.

These parent workshop meetings are important to help improve engagement and development, and include educating parents/guardians on SSAH. The parent workshops will also, and importantly, explain the program components: Development Classes, VDC’s, Skill Builder Card, etc. The presentation is designed to give parents the tools to give their child a flying start in the game of soccer and life.

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HISD hosting virtual teacher job fair on April 10

The Houston Independent School District is hosting a virtual teacher job fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 10.

Interested candidates need to apply online at TeachHISD.org by April 8. Qualified applicants will then receive an invitation to join the job fair virtually.

Candidates will have the opportunity to meet principals and leadership for on-the-spot interviews, and pool-approved applicants can receive job offers on the spot as well.

Come be a part of the largest school district in Texas, with more than 280 schools serving nearly 196,000 students.

HISD delivers meals directly to students through apartment complex distribution program

A steady wind churned gray clouds across the sky as dozens of HISD families lined up Thursday outside the Chestnut Hill Apartments office, waiting to pick up student meals for their children.

HISD’s Nutrition Services regularly delivers to this Southwest Houston apartment complex — and 24 others — to provide meals to virtual learning students whose families can’t get to curbside distributions.

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Two ethnic studies courses offered to HISD high school students

High school students in Houston Independent School District have the chance to enroll in two Ethnic Studies courses for the 2021-2022 school year. Students can choose from African American Studies or Mexican American Studies.

A 2016 study with Stanford University showed that such courses can improve performance with students at risk of dropping out. The researchers found that the courses increased students’ attendance by an average of 21 percent and increased their GPA by an average of 1.4 grade points.

In African American Studies (HISD Course #SST3714), students learn about the history and cultural contributions of African Americans, developing an understanding of the historical roots of African American culture, especially as it pertains to social, economic, and political interactions within the broader context of United States history.

In Mexican American Studies (HISD Course #SST3510), students explore history and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course emphasizes events in the 20th and 21st centuries, but students will also engage with events prior to the 20th century.

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Kolter ES celebrates virtual grand opening, 60th anniversary

Lined up on the hardcourt, Kolter Elementary School students eagerly awaited their turn to grab fun signs and silly glasses and squeeze between columns of red, white, and blue balloons for the perfect photo op.

On the far end of the court, the students — all clad in blue t-shirts emblazoned with a large “60” — chased each other around and danced to music booming through nearby speakers.

The spirited atmosphere was part of celebration day, which included a watch party for the virtual grand opening and 60thanniversary of the newly built school.

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Children’s Museum Houston honoring HISD teachers with early childhood awards

Twelve Houston Independent School District teachers are being honored by Children’s Museum Houston for being outstanding educators.

The museum’s annual Marian and Speros Martel Early Childhood Educator Award is for pre-K through third-grade teachers who exemplify excellence in the classroom.

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HISD Board approves $12 million reimbursement, STAAR test changes at meeting

More than $12 million in expenses related to COVID-19 will be reimbursed to the Houston Independent School District.

At its regular meeting this week, the HISD Board of Trustees approved the reimbursement funds through the CARES Act. The funds will reimburse numerous costs including technology, supplies, and distance learning materials required during the pandemic.

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HISD Athletic Director named Region V Athletic Director of the Year

Andre Walker poses for a photograph at Delmar Stadium, September 24, 2015.

He may be the Director of Athletics, but ask Andre’ Walker what he thinks makes HISD special and he will tell you the answer is simple.

“It’s what we do for our community, especially right now. It’s the food distributions, the vaccine clinics, the testing,” Walker said. “This district is the heart of this city.”

He credits those extra steps as the reason why the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association named him the Region V Athletic Director of the Year.

“They see the value in what we do in this district,” he said.

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