HISD’s 2018 Principals of the Year are from Braeburn ES, Jones Futures Academy 

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It was a day full of surprises on Thursday as Superintendent Richard Carranza, Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan and school board members, made their rounds to name the district’s 2018 Principals of the Year at Braeburn Elementary School and Jones Futures Academy.

Braeburn Elementary School Principal Santos Reyes was crowned as HISD’s Elementary Principal of the year, while Jones Futures Academy Principal Geovanny Ponce was named HISD’s Secondary Principal of the Year.    Continue reading →

HISD Police, Risk Management join Florida think tank following school shooting

As students and teachers make their way back to classes this week in Parkland, Fla., the community is seeking normalcy and continuity through vigils, community focus groups, and a think tank made up of members from some of the nation’s largest police agencies.

As part of that think tank, the HISD Police Department and Risk Management Team joined with law enforcement officers and safety practitioners from across the country on Monday to discuss school safety issues.

The session was held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on March 5, and it was hosted by the Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department. Continue reading →

Superintendent updates collaborative on HISD wraparound services efforts

The trauma of Hurricane Harvey continues to affect students in HISD and across the Houston area, HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza told a behavioral health collaborative on Friday.

Representatives from more than 20 school districts gathered at the Center for School Behavioral Health collaborative luncheon at the United Way for an update on what HISD is doing to meet the mental health needs of students and teachers in the wake of the hurricane.

HISD Superintendent Carranza spoke about how critically important social and emotional services are to ensure that students are ready to learn. Continue reading →

Project aDOORe artwork exhibit to visit Hermann Park 

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A traveling fine arts exhibit of doors known as Project aDOORe will stop at Hermann Park’s Lake Plaza on Saturday, March 3 at noon as part of Hermann Park’s 8th annual Student Performance Series.

Project aDOORe Houston aims to strengthen school communities that were most impacted by Hurricane Harvey by providing students with a means to heal through the creation of art. Students from 26 HISD campuses turned doors from storm-damaged homes into works of art that have been showcased throughout the city.   Continue reading →

Wilson Montessori prepares to welcome students to new building addition

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Construction on the three-story addition to Wilson Montessori is wrapping up, with the school preparing to open a portion of the facility next week and complete the remainder of their move-in over spring break.

Workers are finishing interior touches, and plan to do a final cleaning before crews start setting up furniture. Exterior site work, including sidewalk installation, will be complete in the coming weeks.

The Montrose-area prekindergarten through eighth-grade school is receiving a $24.7 million makeover as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond program. The project includes construction of the addition, as well as renovations to the historic main building, which was built in 1924. Continue reading →

Northside HS community celebrates construction progress, leaves mark on new school

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Festive music filled the air at Northside High School on Wednesday as alumni and community members walked along a Panther-purple carpet into a wall-signing celebration held to mark the construction progress made at the school.

About 200 attendees were treated to student performances and heard from guest speakers before being invited to add their signatures to special wall panels, which will be permanently exhibited in the new building.

“Generations upon generations have entered these doors,” Northside Principal Cecilia Gonzales said. “Today they can leave their mark, which will be on display for generations to come. It’s really exciting.” Continue reading →

Westbury HS moving into new building addition

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Construction on Westbury High School’s two-story building addition is wrapping up, with the school beginning to move into the space this weekend and use the new classrooms as early as March 5.

Classroom furniture setup is complete. Furniture installation for the dining commons and other flexible spaces is underway, as are final interior touches and wood floor installation in the main gym.

The school will be fully moved into the new addition by the time students return from spring break. Continue reading →

Garden Oaks Montessori to finish out school year in new additions

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The Garden Oaks Montessori campus will be buzzing with activity over spring break, as construction wraps up on two additions and crews work to ensure the buildings are ready to welcome students on March 19.

Final interior touches are underway, and safety and lighting inspections are in progress. Furniture will be delivered in the coming days, and final cleaning and floor waxing will happen before spring break. Continue reading →

Chavez Chess Academy recognized by governor, mayor  

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The Chavez Chess Academy, under the direction of instructor and coach Robert L. Myers, has been busy. In a couple of weeks, the team will travel to compete in Tokyo, and in June, they are headed for Greece and Italy.

The team has won five state chess championships in a row, and team member Anateresa Hipolito is now rated one of the top 100 girls in America. Consequently, the students were recognized by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Governor Gregg Abbott.

Last summer they competed and won in London, Paris, and Rome and were featured twice on the cover of “Texas Knights,” the official publication of the Texas Chess Association.

 

HISD surveys students and parents on magnet programs

HISD is seeking parent and student input on the district’s magnet programs in an effort to better understand our families’ needs. The survey is open to students or parents of students who:

  • Attend a magnet program
  • Do not attend a magnet program
  • Live within HISD but do not currently attend an HISD school

The survey can be found at HoustonISD.org/MagnetSurvey. It will be open until March 30.

HISD pioneered the development of magnet programs in the 1970s and is known nationally for its innovative offerings at more than 100 schools.

“We remain committed to magnet programs and school choice,” said HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza. “We want to be sure that our programs are in line with the district’s vision that every child, no matter where they live, has equitable opportunities and access to an effective, personalized education.”

The community will have opportunities to comment on the magnet program in public meetings that will be scheduled for the coming weeks.