HISD celebrating Educational Diagnosticians’ Week

HISD celebrates Educational Diagnosticians’ Week during the week of March 4-8 to celebrate and honor educational diagnosticians and their contribution to positive student outcomes. 

With nearly 150 educational diagnosticians employed at the district and the largest populations in the state of Texas, these professionals are trained to formally assess students in the areas of cognition and achievement. More specifically, educational diagnosticians identify challenges a student may be facing on his or her learning path.     

At HISD, one may find a diagnostician attending any type of special education meeting between the school, student and family, functioning as the expert in how a student learns and processes information.  

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Record number of campuses seek certification as Family Friendly Schools

New Platinum certification level being launched as part of program

HISD Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) continues to make strides with its Family Friendly Schools program, experiencing a new record-high number of 170 campuses seeking to be certified for the 2018-2019 school year.   

Now in its fourth year, the Family Friendly School Program is bringing a new challenge: earning Platinum Certification. Launched during the 2015-2016 school year, the program focuses on guiding campuses who embark in a concerted effort to carry-out research-based activities and strategies to build relationships with families, link family events to student learning, develop parent capacity, and honor families’ diversity.  

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Parker ES dedicates new facility, Spark Park

Parker Elementary School students, staff, parents, and community members were visibly excited about their new colorful and modern surroundings as they gathered for Building and Spark Park Dedication ceremony Thursday.

Parker students provided musical entertainment throughout the evening, including the Parker Elementary School Advanced Strings, a surprise performance by the school band, and a reception with Parker Jazz Band.

“One of the things that I see is just how much more seriously the kids take their performances in a fancy auditorium like this one,” Parker Principal Lori Frodine said.

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Kinder HSPVA named 2019 Landmark Award finalist

The new Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts building has been named a Houston Business Journal 2019 Landmark Award finalist.

The annual awards program recognizes impressive real estate projects that make a significant impression on the Houston landscape and help sculpt the look, feel, and image of the city.

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Nutrition Services recognized by Texas Department of Ag

Besides being delicious and nutritious, what do tortillas, skim milk, and watermelon all have in common?

The items were part of Nutrition Services’ winning menu for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s 2018 Farm Fresh Challenge, which encourages schools to incorporate local foods into their menus and garden-based learning activities into their curriculum.

“The students learn about growing plants locally and the benefits of choosing local foods,” Nutrition Services Senior Manager Amanda Oceguera said. “The aim of this program is to establish behaviors that create healthy students for their entire lives.”

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Transportation Services offers free Commercial Driver’s License prep class

Transportation Services is working to address its driver shortage by offering free training for individuals who wish to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License.

The class for the license, also known as a CDL, is held Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Northwest Terminal (6351 Pinemont Drive) and is open to anyone interested in becoming an HISD bus driver until the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

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Lamar HS construction nears 70 percent completion

Driving down Westheimer Road near River Oaks, it’s easy to see progress on Lamar High School’s new building, as crews have surpassed the two-thirds mark and are on track to complete construction this summer.

The $122.9 million building was completely enclosed in January. Electrical wiring, ceiling grid, and drywall installation are in progress and HVAC installation is set to begin this week.

“I’m really pleased with the progress being made each day,” Project Manager Marvin Stone said. “It’s going to be a beautiful facility.”

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HISD names 2018-19 elementary, secondary Principals of the Year

There was a wave of celebrations on Wednesday morning as the district crowned its 2018-2019 elementary and secondary Principals of the Year.  

The first stop for a caravan filled with district leadership and staff was at Durham Elementary School, where campus administrators, teachers and students filled the cafeteria to surprise Principal Amy Poerschke as this year’s Elementary Principal of the Year. 

“When district leadership interviewed Principal Poerschke earlier this year, it was music to my ears to hear her passion and commitment to ensure all children at her campus and beyond received the absolute best in their education,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said.  

It wasn’t hard to keep a smile on everyone’s face as Poerschke was greeted by students offering cheers and high-fives as the third-year principal made her way through the crowd. 

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HISD takes home 18 state awards for communications, community engagement efforts

The Houston Independent School District earned top honors for its work in communications and community engagement during the 2019 Texas School Public Relations Association Annual Conference in Cedar Creek. 

Presented to HISD Communications and HISD Business Operations Strategic Engagement and Outreach teams, the accolades covered nearly all facets of the teams, including writing, videography, graphic design, marketing, branding, and special events. 

HISD Communications took home the prestigious Crystal Award for the 2018 HISD State of the Schools special event “Rebuild + Reimage,” which consisted of a multifaceted communications campaign that employed a variety of media, including graphic design, production, video, livestreaming, social media and three-dimensional table cards with hover animation. In addition, it also won two Crystal Commendations Certificates of Merit. Business Operations Strategic Engagement and Outreach took home 15 Star Awards medals, including five gold, nine silver, and one bronze. 

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Lathan receives Outstanding Texan Award

HISD Interim Superintendent, Dr. Grenita Lathan

Houston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan has been named one of this year’s Outstanding Texans by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus (TLBC). 

The award is given to individuals from the public and private sector who demonstrate exemplary service and commitment to their community. 

“I am truly honored to receive this distinguished award, and I am grateful to the Caucus, especially state Sen. Borris Miles, for this amazing recognition,” Lathan said. “This award is the result of our entire team, which consistently gives 1,000 percent toward our goal of making HISD the best school district in the nation.”   

Lathan received her award at the TLBC Outstanding Texan Award Gala in Austin on Monday. The chair of the Caucus for the 86th Legislature is State Rep. Harold Dutton.