HSPVA senior’s experience as a fine arts student has left indelible mark

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It’s a bittersweet last first day of school for Kinder HSPVA senior Jorge Cordova. On one hand, he is excited to see his friends after summer break, but on the other, this will be their last year together. As a theater student who plans to be an actor, Cordova is thankful for his experience at the arts magnet high school.

“HSPVA has made a huge impact on my life,” Cordova said. “It has already opened doors for me both inside and outside of school. My teachers have always encouraged us to dream big, and I am already living my dream.”

It’s been just Cordova and his mom since he was 3 years old. “My mom is from Tampico, Mexico, and I was born here in Houston. She has been both mother and father to me, and she has done an amazing job. She has been by my side through some tough times, and I don’t know what I would have done without her.” Cordova’s mother, Alex Barron, has her own small housecleaning service.  Continue reading →

Yates HS students enter the new Lion’s Den for the first day of school

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Festive music and cheers filled the air of the new Yates High School as students danced their way into the new facility to kick off the 2018-2019 school year.

More than 20 alumni — donning crimson and gold — gathered at the school’s main entrance chanting the school song as the band and color guard performed for students and staff in celebration of the new facility.

“The building brings life to Yates and the community,” said Yates alumnus Marcus Brooks, who is also the father to a current Yates senior. “It’s something new and fresh for the kids.”

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New Energy Institute HS helps students, staff embrace project-based learning

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A big smile spread across Samaya Watson’s face as she looked around the wide, brightly colored hallway adorned with inspirational phrases and clusters of modern furniture, where she and her classmates could gather.

“It feels like I’m in a Disney movie,” the 16-year-old Energy Institute High School junior said, giggling as she joked that she was expecting her classmates to break out into song and dance at any moment. “The atmosphere is different. Everybody just feels excited to learn and do new things.” Continue reading →

High School for Law and Justice celebrates new building with grand opening

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A large crowd of students and staff welcomed a host of elected officials, alumni, and public safety officials to the official grand opening for the newly built, 105,000-square-foot High School for Law and Justice.

Positioned on the central grand staircase, the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Art’s jazz band provided an array of up-tempo musical selections, helping to kick off the celebration.
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YWCPA welcomes students to newly renovated campus for first day of school

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Excitement could be seen on the faces of many students at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy as they walked the halls of their newly renovated facility for the first day of the 2018-2019 school year.

The school’s multi-phased construction project wrapped earlier this summer with completion of the final work to third-floor classrooms and learning commons areas.

“It’s definitely exciting,” YWCPA Principal April Williams said, mentioning the completion of the school’s final renovations. “It really sells our school well and the girls deserve it.”

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Robinson ES ready start school year at home

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At Robinson Elementary School, there is a different kind of excitement — an almost nervous energy — in the air this fall.

Like any other August, teachers have been busy setting up their rooms and excitedly making plans for the school year. But their thoughts are easily drawn back to last August.

Where they were. What they were doing. How they had to abandon their perfectly assembled classrooms just a few days before the start of school and seek shelter from a storm that would end up devastating their classrooms, their school, and their neighboring community. Continue reading →

School buses ready to carry Woodson pre-K students

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When school starts on Monday, five HISD school buses will look just a little a bit different on the inside, after being adapted to fit the district’s youngest students.

HISD’s Transportation Services modified the buses to make them safer to transport pre-kindergarten students to Woodson PK-5 Leadership Academy. The school’s full-day pre-kindergarten program expanded this school year, and nearly 250 pre-K students from the Sunnyside community are enrolled in the program. Continue reading →

Hilliard ES beginning school year in renovated building after Harvey

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The start of school means many things to many people. But for the faculty and staff of Hilliard Elementary School, this year is a celebration of resiliency.

The excitement is palpable in the school, as teachers move about putting final touches on their classrooms. The pristine foyer features a colorful bulletin board proclaiming the school’s theme for the year — Mission: Possible.

“It’s good to be home,” Hilliard Principal Erica Kimble said. “That’s how everyone feels.”

It was just one year ago that Hurricane Harvey ripped through the Houston area, leaving the nation’s fourth largest city under 51 inches of water. The flood waters took no mercy on Hilliard, depositing as much four feet of water in some areas of the school. Continue reading →

After Harvey, Facilities Services continues to keep close watch over HISD

When Hurricane Harvey hit, Facilities Services Security Maintenance Dispatcher Kenneth Johnson left behind his home and relocated to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, where he could monitor and serve the district.

“It was kind of scary,” Johnson said, recalling images captured on security cameras when the storm hit. “Water was going up the hallways.”

As the flood waters rose, some HISD locations lost their security camera feeds, but Johnson kept calm and helped organize response logistics, which included determining where to send technicians for maintenance.

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HISD executive chef appreciates lessons learned from Harvey

As the start of the school year approached in August 2017, Nutrition Services Executive Chef David Husbands was energized and ready for a new year full of promise.

The department was prepared to take on the school year without the management of Aramark and it was armed with new recipes, a newly-installed nutrition officer and a bold vision for school meals in HISD.

Instead of welcoming students back on the first day of school, Husbands and his team stepped in as first-responders, providing hot meals to communities who had limited access to food.
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