CTE students commit to HCC construction program during drive-in ceremony

Partnership with Marek Construction offers dual credits, industry credentials

Houston Independent School District Career and Technical Education students signed commitments on Tuesday to complete a two-year Marek Construction Academy program at Houston Community College.

The commitment ceremony took place during a physically distanced drive-in event in the HCC Southeast Campus parking lot. Students received commendations from executive leadership and then made their way to the stage individually to sign their commitment forms.

“We are proud of all of you. Hone your skills, learn your trade and strive to be the best,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “As you grow in this career, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you made a great choice to invest in yourself and an excellent program.”

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Robinson ES teacher named December Teacher of the Month

Fifth-grade math teacher Jennifer Harwell was teaching her students at Robinson Elementary School how to multiply decimals when she was pulled out of her classroom for a special surprise.

Harwell was named HISD’s December Teacher of the Month for making learning about numbers exciting for all students, even those who may not always enjoy math. As a thank you for her hard work, this holiday season, she will be driving a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV LT, courtesy Sterling McCall Chevrolet.

Harwell is also a team lead for fifth grade and ensures her team works cohesively and actively collaborates with other grade levels to align instruction and good practices. This year, she has taken on the role of Career Pathways Instructional Excellence Coach and is working to coach new teachers on effective practices and quality instruction for all students.

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Proposed Pre-K instructional materials available for online review

The Houston Independent School District is participating in the prekindergarten instructional materials adoption process TEA’s Proclamation 2021, evaluating which of the state-adopted materials best supports HISD students.

As part of that evaluation, the district invites school and community members to review the state-adopted materials for English and Spanish prekindergarten systems and provide feedback. Materials selected and approved next spring by HISD Board of Trustees are then eligible for district purchase and distribution to Pre-K classrooms.

Ten publishers have submitted materials for HISD’s consideration. Instructions on accessing online samples of these materials can be viewed online here.

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School Choice application deadline for Phase 2 is Feb. 26  

Parents who would still like to apply for a school choice program for the 2021-2022 school year have until Friday, Feb. 26 to do so. 

After all applications in Phase 1 have been offered, eligible Phase 2 students who meet a program’s qualifications will be considered in the order in which their application was submitted, should the program have space available. 

Any applications for students who live outside the HISD boundaries will not be considered until Phase 3, even if the application was submitted during Phase 2. 

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Emancipation Park Conservancy provides more than 100 bicycles to HISD second-grade students

More than 100 Houston Independent School District second-grade students at two elementary schools were given new bicycles Friday afternoon, donated by the Emancipation Park Conservancy as part of its holiday season celebrations.

Second-graders at Thompson and Blackshear elementary schools were surprised to learn they were receiving the new bikes.

“We hope these bicycles will brighten the lives of our hardworking students,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “The Emancipation Park Conservancy is a wonderful community partner, and we always appreciate their support.”

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HISD kicks off 2020 Holiday Toy Drive

Houston Independent School District employees are sharing in the spirit of the holidays with those less fortunate through the district’s 2020 Holiday Toy Drive.

Donors are encouraged to drop off new and unwrapped toys at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St. Houston, TX 77092) by Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. Receptacles are located at the East and West entrances of the building.

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HISD recognizes November Associate Teachers of the Month

Human Resources had a busy Friday morning, surprising the Associate and Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher of the Month winners for November with gift baskets and festive balloons.

Associate Teacher Maria Gonzalez-Hatton at Burnet Elementary School was named the Associate Teacher of the Month for going above and beyond her duties as an intervention teacher.

Burnet Principal Ana Cantu said Gonzalez-Hatton takes the time to truly know her students and is dedicated to them.

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HISD to celebrate Computer Science Education Week

Program a drone. Track movements of an Amazon delivery robot. Animate greeting cards. These are just a few of the ways students can participate in Computer Science Education Week on Dec. 7-13.

Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the field.

HISD’s Office of Career Readiness, along with DroneBlocks, Code Avengers, and Amazon Future Engineer-endorsed BootUp and CoderZ, have created computational thinking activities to inspire future computer science engineers.

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HISD’s return to the classroom supported by $200,000 donation from Phillips 66

The Houston Independent School District has been disinfecting schools daily in order to combat the spread of COVID-19, and a $200,000 donation from locally based international energy company Phillips 66 is now supporting those efforts to protect students and staff.

HISD has utilized the donation to outfit schools with state-of-the-art electrostatic cleaning supplies and equipment. The Phillips 66 donation is designed to assist with safe continuation of in-person instruction on district campuses.

“There is no doubt that this generous gift is making our campuses safer,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “We deeply appreciate Phillips 66’s desire to help HISD keep our campuses clean and safe.”

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HISD families encouraged to participate in Harris County housing study

HISD is encouraging families to participate in a Harris County housing study conducted by The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University that will examine the types and prices of homes needed in Houston-area communities.

The “My Home is Here” survey will help Harris County better understand the complexities around homes for all residents of the area. A public-facing survey and a field research team has been created to ask residents to provide relevant information on how to make changes in the way the County leverages public dollars and coordinates with housing developers to bring the types of homes needed for the community.

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