Food distribution efforts led by the Houston Independent School District in partnership with the Houston Food Bank will continue Saturday at NRG Stadium and throughout next week at 25 campuses around the district.
Saturday’s event at NRG is the fourth mass community food distribution. The site is expected to distribute 8,500 food packages. The site will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Continue readingThe 2019-2020 Houston Independent School District educators of the year were announced during surprise home visits, including visits by Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan at the homes of the elementary and secondary teachers of the year and beginning teachers of the year.
The visits took place on Wednesday, May 6, and Thursday, May 7, during Teacher Appreciation Week and included yard signs, balloons, and gift baskets near the front doors of the educators who were asked to come outside for the announcements, in keeping with safe social distancing practices.
Continue readingHouston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a first-of-its-kind citywide outdoor celebration planned for graduating seniors.
Students will be invited to return to their campuses in their caps and gowns for the event, which will take place on Friday, June 5, simultaneously outside each HISD high school. All seniors attending will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines.
The celebration is the brainchild of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who will deliver his own words of encouragement to the class of 2020.
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Booker T. Washington High School Principal Carlos Phillips has been named the H-E-B Excellence in Education Secondary Principal Award winner for 2020.
This year, Excellence in Education award winners were announced during a virtual “Toast to Texas Teachers” in celebration of National Teacher Appreciation Week. The virtual event included surprise appearances from actors Matthew McConaughey and Eva Longoria, former NBA player Matt Bonner, and fashion designer Kendra Scott.
Phillips, who was also the HISD Secondary Principal of the Year for 2019-2020, received a $10,000 cash prize and a $25,000 grant for Washington High School. Phillips was one of five finalists from across the state competing for the Secondary Principal Award.
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With the shift to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HISD seniors have had to adjust to the abrupt interruption of what should be the most memorable year in the course of a student’s academic journey.
Because of this, HISD has designated next week, May 11-15, as Senior Spirit Week to uniquely celebrate the Class of 2020.
Each day will be designated with a different theme, and everyone – whether you’re a Class of 2020 senior or a parent or teacher – is invited to take part in the daily recognition of our seniors.
Continue readingAlone but connected. Students from Bellaire, Lamar, Milby, Westside, and Westbury high schools have created a virtual collaborative dance performance eloquently expressing their feelings regarding social distancing. Forced to stay home, they are connecting with their fellow dance students virtually.
Watch the collaborative performance “Dance Alone Together” by visiting this link.
This extensive project was edited and produced by students under the direction of their dance teachers and Sanja Korman, fine arts dance curriculum specialist. According to Korman, the next project from the group will be a dance inspired by a COVID-19 poem written by a Westside High School student.
Continue readingHISD’s Office of Special Education has launched a YouTube channel to help special education students and their parents as they adjust to learning at home.
The channel will be used as an instructional resource for teachers and parents and will offer engaging educational content for students. It includes videos for grade levels K-12 that focus on science, reading, and math.
Continue readingImagine Learning has named two HISD schools 2019-2020 Imagine Nation Schools of Excellence for their exceptional use of the award-winning Imagine Learning programs.
Both River Oaks and Windsor Village elementary schools were selected for their use of Imagine Learning’s Imagine Math program, which builds problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding with personalized support.
The team from River Oaks Elementary has utilized the program long before the transition to distance learning, making the award very special.
Continue readingAlthough Worthing High School salutatorian Kerdy Jn Baptiste is three minutes older than his twin, in the end it was his sister, Kerdian Mia Jn Baptiste, who earned the title of valedictorian. But there is nothing but love and appreciation for each other’s accomplishments.
According to Worthing High School Principal Khalilah Campbell, the Baptiste twins were in a tight race for valedictorian.
“I thought he was going to catch her,” Campbell said, “but in the end, Kerdian won, (and) her twin brother, Kerdy, is our salutatorian.”
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The list of prestigious universities that want to enroll Heights High School valedictorian Emily Ramirez is impressive—Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Stanford, Wellesley, Pomona, and Rice.
Emily has decided on Harvard, however, partly because her sister is finishing her sophomore year there now. Since attending Harvard Elementary School, it has been a dream of hers to attend Harvard University.
The numerous acceptances have taken the sting out of her disappointment regarding an abbreviated senior year and graduation ceremony that is up in the air.
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