2018 National School Lunch Week shines spotlight on importance of good food

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Cheers and laughter echoed around the room as Mandarin Immersion Magnet School students rushed to the cafeteria for lunch on Wednesday.

Many of the students were eager to select a lunch option from “Student Favorites,” a special menu featuring pizza, chicken sandwiches, and fresh salads served as part of National School Lunch Week.

“The salads are good,” said fifth-grader Brady Gastineau about the salad bar implemented at his school as part of a districtwide initiative to make them available in every school by the spring. “I like that you can choose what you want to put on them.” Continue reading →

Yates HS welcomes guests to Lion’s Den to celebrate school’s grand opening

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A sea of crimson and gold filled the foyer of Jack Yates High School on Oct. 16, as guests donning the school’s colors gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new 208,000 square foot building.

A host of special guests and community members joined students, faculty, and staff to recognize the special occasion. The festivities kicked off with high energy as the school’s Marching Motion band provided a show-stopping performance.

“The new building offers brand new technology and a new atmosphere,” Senior Class President Alyss Kerl said. “As a senior in the school of communication, printing technology pathway, I have been provided a new studio in the printing image tech class, which has allowed students to be introduced to industrial printing machines.” Continue reading →

Transportation Services begins bus badge distribution

HISD Transportation Services began distributing personalized badges this week to HISD student bus riders as part of the district’s Student Badge Program.

Badge distribution began Thursday, Oct. 18 and Friday, Oct. 19 for a 22-school pilot group with general distribution across the district set to begin on Monday, Oct. 22.

The 22-school pilot group includes: Elmore, Herod, Lockhart, Parker, and River Oaks elementary schools; Woodson PK-5; Fondren, Pershing and West Briar middle schools; Carnegie Vanguard, Chavez, Lamar, Waltrip, Westbury, and Westside high schools; DeBakey High School for Health Professions, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School; Houston Academy for International Studies, Gregory-Lincoln Educational Center, Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan; Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men; and High School for Law and Justice. Continue reading →

HISD holds its first official Parent University

HISD hosted its first official Parent University workshop on Thursday, Oct. 18 at four geographically dispersed locations across the district—Fonville Middle School, Austin, Sterling and Westbury High Schools.

The theme for the first workshop was “Getting Involved with Your Child’s Education.” Each school provided resources and information fairs that focused on ways parents could become more involved at their child’s campus and the importance of parental involvement.

There were also a variety of district and community program representatives available to speak with parents.

“It’s important that we equip our parents with valuable information and resources that will produce positive academic outcomes for their child in and outside of the classroom,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education unanimously votes to reinstate Lathan as interim superintendent

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted unanimously to reinstate Dr. Grenita Lathan as interim superintendent of HISD.

The Board of Education also voted to authorize the Board President or her designees and the interim superintendent to bring back recommendations concerning executive coaches for trustees and the interim superintendent, respectively. Trustees voted to submit a request to the Texas Education Agency to change the district’s assigned governance conservator.

In addition, trustees voted to set a date for the completion of the superintendent search and adopt a resolution concerning reconciliation.

The firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates will conduct a national search for a permanent superintendent.

HISD to hold Dual Language Parent Leadership Conference on Oct. 20

Houston ISD invites parents of dual language students to attend the district’s inaugural Dual Language Parent Leadership Conference from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Hattie Mae White Building (4400 W. 18th St. 77092).

With the theme of this year’s conference, “Understanding and Advocating for Bilingualism and Bi-literacy,” participants can expect to leave transformed and ready to support their children at home with new and effective instructional second language acquisition strategies.

Click here to register.

 

Proposed instructional materials available for review at HMW

The Houston Independent School District is participating in the instructional materials adoption process this year as part of the TEA’s Proclamation 2019, joining other school districts around the state in selecting materials for classrooms that will be used over the next eight years.

Instructional materials available for review include the following subjects.

  • English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR), grades K–8
  • Spanish Language Arts and Reading (SLAR), grades K–6
  • Spelling (English and Spanish), grades 1–6
  • Handwriting (English and Spanish), grades K–5
  • English Learners Language Arts, grades 7–8
  • Personal Financial Literacy (PFL), high school

Continue reading →

Hilliard ES holds grand re-opening celebration

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The atmosphere was festive and joyful at Hilliard Elementary School on Thursday morning, as students and staff gathered to welcome guests, and celebrate the grand re-opening of their beloved campus, which was heavily damaged last year in Hurricane Harvey.

Hilliard students and staff spent last school year at the former Fonwood Early Childhood Center to allow crews time to repair and renovate their flood-damaged campus. The school officially moved back to their refurbished building over the summer, in time for the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

“We are so excited to be on our home campus,” Hilliard Principal Erika Kimble said. “We are back, and we are thriving.”

Since Hurricane Harvey, the school — including all classrooms, the library, and the gym — has been completely restored, as have the campus grounds. Additionally, a new retention pond and extensive storm drainage system have been added to prevent future flooding. Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education to consider reinstatement of Lathan as interim superintendent

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education announced it has mutually agreed to consider the reinstatement of Dr. Grenita Lathan as interim superintendent of HISD, the largest school district in Texas.

During a press conference at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, trustees announced the consideration of the rescinding of Thursday night’s vote to appoint Dr. Abelardo Saavedra to the position. The Board will meet on Thursday, Oct. 18, to consider the reinstatement of Dr. Lathan. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

“We are committed to working together as a board for the benefit of our students, and we are unified in our efforts to build a better governance structure for our children,” HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones said. “We are confident that Dr. Lathan is the right person to lead the seventh-largest school district in the nation as our interim, and we thank the public for their encouragement and support.” Continue reading →

Transportation launching new tool for parents to track their child on HISD school buses

Transportation Services is introducing a new student badge program that will allow parents to track when and where their students board and depart HISD school buses.

Beginning, Oct. 29, students who are eligible for bus transportation service will use a personalized badge that must be scanned when they enter and exit their school bus.

“As we rectify some of the bus issues we have encountered this school year, this badge program will help to ease parents’ tensions,” said John Wilcots IV, interim general manager of Transportation Services. “They will know exactly when their child boards and exits the bus to go to school in the morning and the same at the end of the school day when they go home.” Continue reading →