Virtual town hall offers vital college readiness info for HISD seniors

HISD aired a live virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 28, to assist students pursuing postsecondary education options during the COVID-19 crisis.

The virtual town hall, which aired in English and Spanish, opened with remarks from HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and featured experts in college admissions, scholarships and financial aid, testing requirements, and enrollment.

Dr. Lathan thanked everyone for their patience during this difficult time, saying, “Our goal is to give you access to knowledgeable individuals who can provide up-to-date information, resources, and answers to any questions you might have.”

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Scarborough ES construction 94 percent complete

Construction at the new Scarborough Elementary School is steadily progressing, despite the district being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work on the campus has continued, as allowable under the public health guidelines, with a reduction of the workforce to adhere to social distancing requirements.

The $23 million project is tracking at 94 percent completion, with site work, paving, underground utilities, structural steel, roofing, interior wall systems, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installation complete. Exterior wall systems and interior finishes are ongoing.

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Three HISD students receive prestigious National Merit Scholarship awards

Three Houston Independent School District students have received National Merit Scholarship awards, one of the nation’s most competitive academic honors for graduating high school seniors.

Two of the students attend Bellaire High School and one attends Westside High School. They are among 1,000 distinguished high school seniors who have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 160 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

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T-Mobile donates $60,000 to support HISD students during COVID-19 crisis

T-Mobile has donated $60,000 to help meet the needs of the students of the Houston Independent School District during the COVID-19 crisis.

The donation was sent to the HISD Foundation, the district’s nonprofit organization that raises funds to support students, staff, and families.

“We greatly appreciate T-Mobile’s generosity during this challenging time,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “None of us can get through this crisis alone, so we are grateful to our community partners who are helping the district continue our commitment of meeting the educational and nutritional needs of students and their families.”

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Virtual Student Leadership Program accepting applications from high school students, district alumni

In response to the unique challenges presented by COVID-19, the Houston Independent School District is excited to announce that 100 interns will be hired to tutor students remotely.

The HISD Virtual Student Leadership Program will offer online instruction and lessons to students in need, delivered by student interns. To promote social distancing and properly plan, the focus of HISD’s Summer Student Leadership Program has been shifted from in-person internships within departments to online virtual tutoring services.

In addition to providing high-quality virtual academic instruction, the district remains committed to ensuring that students have access to competitive summer employment opportunities. All students who applied for the Summer Student Leadership Program will be notified of the change and are invited to apply for a paid internship tutoring students virtually.

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Eastwood Academy HS student accepted to 25 universities across nation

Voters in Harris County may want to remember the name Mercedes Sotelo. The Eastwood Academy senior has some serious goals – and clearly likes to have options.

Sotelo, who is a proud lifelong resident of Houston’s East End, has been accepted to 25 colleges across the nation. States with universities with her name on their acceptance lists range from Hawaii to Maine. On top of that, her scholarship offers totaled a whopping $559,000.

The choice wasn’t easy, but Sotelo ultimately chose to stay home, in Texas. In the fall, Sotelo will attend Concordia University in Austin, where she will pursue a degree in Political Science and Government.

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Travis ES kicks off annual One Book, One School event with drive-through parade, book pickup

As a line of cars stretched down the block of Houston’s Woodland Heights neighborhood, Travis Elementary second-grader Kai Teste eagerly waved his hands from the car window at his teachers’ smiling faces.

For the past six years, the HISD school has participated in the One Book, One School event in which the entire campus community reads one book together at the same time.

Because the districtwide closure due to COVID-19 happened before the books could be delivered, the campus created a drive-thru parade so students could pick up the book while simultaneously saying hello to their teachers.

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Facility tour showcases how Nutrition Services is mobilizing to safely feed families

When Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan arrived at the HISD Hexser T. Holliday Food Service Center, she was eager to tour facility operations, but precautions had to be taken first.

Upon entering the facility, her temperature was taken just footsteps inside the door — a safety precaution and clear sign of the times as the world endures the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the weeks since our district closed, we’ve worked hard to meet the needs of our community,” Lathan said. “This visit is a great opportunity to get an up-close look at how the entire food distribution process begins.”

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HISD Fine Arts explores innovative projects to support distance learning

The Fine Arts Department is working with teachers and students to promote the fine arts curricula, as well as additional projects to inspire students while distance learning is occurring.

Dancers from six HISD high schools worked together virtually to create a dance to inspire students studying at home via distance learning. The students are in the process of editing the video, which is part of a series titled “HISD Dance Alone—Together.” The video is expected to debut on Fine Arts Friday on April 24.

The Fine Arts Department is also receiving world-class guidance for instruction in theater arts. The Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the Globe – three world-renowned theater companies in the United Kingdom – have granted HISD permission to use their online materials in the district’s theater curriculum. In addition, eight HISD theater teachers have created or are in the process of creating videos to accompany the HISD @ H.O.M.E. theater curriculum.

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HISD educators use 3D printers to produce face shields for health care workers, first responders

Houston Independent School District STEM educators are joining the effort to help first responders and health care professionals by producing face shields to be used in the fight against COVID-19.

Using HISD’s 3D printers, a team of six district educators are producing at least 100 face shields per week in response to the shortage of personal protective equipment.

The collaborative effort, which began on April 8 and is known as H-Force, is led by Houston Community College (HCC) and includes HISD, San Jacinto College, the University of Houston at Sugar Land, the Fort Bend County Judge’s Office, TX/RX Labs, and Alief ISD.

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