Grads Within Reach Walk scheduled for Sept. 22 

HISD will hold its Grads Within Reach Walk on Saturday, Sept. 22 to encourage students who have not enrolled for the 2018-19 school year to come back to their respective campuses.

The goal is to walk through the neighborhoods of 23 HISD high schools and identify students who have not returned to school and give them and their parents the necessary information to re-enroll.

HISD wants to develop a collective and sustainable approach to ensure that all students are receiving the appropriate support to return to school, stay in school, and positively benefit from the various services we provide.

HISD Board of Education adopts recommendations from Special Education Committee

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday unanimously voted to adopt recommendations from the district’s Special Education Ad Hoc Committee, which was tasked with assessing HISD’s current special education program.

Approval to accept the report and its seven recommendations grants the interim superintendent the authorization to carry out the recommendations.

In a separate vote, the board also voted to sunset the ad hoc committee. Continue reading →

HISD Nutrition Services to host annual Grandparents Day celebration

HISD Nutrition Services is set to host its annual Grandparents Day celebration on Thursday, Sept 13 to honor all grandparents districtwide.

Grandparents Day, recognized the Sunday after Labor Day, is a national holiday that recognizes the important role grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren.

Students are encouraged to ask their grandparents to join them for a special lunch served by school cafeterias to commemorate the day. Continue reading →

HISD Read to Succeed competition encourages reading through myON platform 

HISD is inviting all elementary campuses to participate in the district’s first-ever Read to Succeed Competition beginning Monday, Sept. 10 to Thursday, Jan. 31.

This competition is an opportunity for all pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students to compete against each other to see who can read myON books for the most number of minutes.

Students can choose any e-book available through the myON reading platform to read.   Continue reading →

Instrument drive to benefit HISD school music programs

HISD is partnering with the CMA Foundation and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to host a citywide Houston Instrument Drive through Monday, Oct. 1 to benefit school music programs and their students.

So, round up those lonely instruments gathering dust in your closet or garage and put them in the hands of deserving kids who will truly enjoy bringing their music back to life. There are convenient drop-off times and locations throughout the greater Houston area. To find donation locations, go to www.mhopus.org/instrument-drive.

In addition, CMA will be hosting Maddie and Tae (www.maddieandtae.com) at Waltrip High School on Sept. 17 to talk to band students about futures in the music industry.

Darcele Lofton named new principal of Bellfort Early Childhood Center

Darcele Lofton has been selected as the new principal of Bellfort Early Childhood Center. Lofton has been in education for over 11 years and has served in HISD as an hourly lecturer, teacher, and in various leadership roles. As a part of the leadership team at Tinsley Elementary School, where she served as a Math and Science specialist, she helped move the school from “Improvement Required” to a “Met Standard” rating. Most recently she served as a Title I school grants administrator, working with 80-plus elementary campuses. Lofton earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and her master’s degree in Education Administration from Houston Baptist University.

I am HISD: Yates HS alum focuses on giving back to the community through success as restaurateur

In August 2018, 29-year-old Joe Anderson opened a Chick-fil-A restaurant at I-45 and Almeda, becoming the youngest African-American owner-operator among Texas franchises. A Third Ward native and Jack Yates High School graduate, Anderson was determined to succeed in the restaurant industry and has put in long hours and hard work to achieve his dream.

You grew up in HISD and had some great success as a student athlete at Yates High School. What was your experience like as a student at Yates High School and growing up in the Third Ward?

I was so involved in track, and I was so passionate about competing at the next level and going to the state meet. I had transferred to Yates for my senior year and was there to get my diploma and run track. So, something I didn’t do well in high school was socialize a lot. There are times I wish I would have socialized more, but I’m also appreciative of the sacrifices I made then and the hard work that came with being a student athlete. Continue reading →

No classes on Monday for fall holiday; professional development planned

Students will not have classes on Monday, Sept. 10, for the district’s fall holiday. Classes will resume at the normal time on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

Schools will be holding professional development, and administrative offices will be open during normal business hours on Monday. School-based staff who have their principal’s permission to use previously uncompensated professional development time in lieu of Monday’s work day may do so.

View the full academic calendar to review other holidays during the 2018-2019 school year.

HISD dietitian earns School Nutrition Specialist credential

Elementary students may know her as the Lunch Lady – the lovable storybook character who serves up lunch with a side of justice. But Nan Cramer takes school lunches and good nutrition seriously.

Cramer, a registered dietitian with HISD’s Nutrition Services, recently earned certification as a school nutrition specialist. She received the credentials last month after taking a comprehensive credentialing exam administered by the School Nutrition Association, a national industry association that supports schools with professional development and other programs. Continue reading →

Transportation Services taps new leader with strong logistics background to oversee daily operations

A new senior leader has been named to the Houston Independent School District’s Transportation Services department as part of continued efforts to address challenges and improve bus service for students.

German Enamorado will help oversee operations as the department’s new senior operations manager. He will report directly to Transportation Services General Manager Tim Brown. His post is effective immediately.

“My first goal is to review current processes and see what key areas need immediate attention, so we can improve student arrival time,” said Enamorado, whose background is in logistics. “I’m looking forward to hearing from stakeholders to see how our new procedure is impacting kids and determine what we can do to improve it.” Continue reading →