Renovations wrap up at Scarborough HS

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Scarborough High School senior Melanie Esquivel remembers all too well how often the school band has been shuffled around over the last few years.

They practiced first in the dance hall and then in the gym, but the acoustics amped up their sound so much teachers in nearby classrooms often complained. So they moved into the cramped black box theater, where they made do.

“I almost cried when I saw it. It’s just so emotional. I’ve been waiting so long for it,” the 17-year-old flutist said, hardly able to contain her excitement as she pointed out features of the school’s new band hall. “We’re finally like a big part of the school.”

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Robinson ES students return for ‘fresh start’ at home campus after post-Harvey renovations

Children and their parents lined up at the doors of Robinson Elementary School on Monday morning, eager to see inside their newly renovated and repaired school, which sustained significant damage from Hurricane Harvey in August.

As one student stood bewildered looking up and down the hallways, Principal Paige Fernandez-Hohos stepped in. “Who is your teacher? What grade are you looking for?” she asked. After getting the information, Fernandez escorted the little girl down the correct hallway toward the third-grade classrooms.

“It definitely feels like the first day of school in August, just because of the new building and kids aren’t always 100 percent sure of where they are going, and teachers have a new schedule,” Fernandez-Hohos said, noting the help the campus has received in getting ready for the first day back. Continue reading →

North Forest celebrates transition into new school with ceremonial walk

Hundreds of North Forest High School students followed Principal Darryl Henson across Mesa Road on Monday, coming together to formally mark their transition into their new school.

The $59.5 million campus is the first new high school built in the North Forest community in almost 50 years.

“It’s important to show our students that we are coming over into a new environment that was built just for them,” Henson said, talking about the importance of the ceremonial walk from the old building to the new one. “I want the kids to feel a sense of pride and ownership.”

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New year, new building for Sharpstown HS

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Lining the sidewalk outside the school, Sharpstown JROTC members lifted their ceremonial swords to the sky while band members played celebratory music to officially welcome their fellow students to their new campus.

Built as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, the new school formally opened its doors on Monday. To celebrate the occasion, students and teachers gathered first at their old building and then ceremoniously walked together to the new school. Continue reading →

12 HISD students to compete during MLK Jr. Oratory Competition finals on Jan. 12 

Twelve HISD students will continue the tradition of honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when they compete Friday in the final round of the Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

For more than 20 years, fourth- and fifth-graders from two dozen HISD schools have competed in the annual contest, which challenges students to write and present a short original speech on a subject related to the slain civil rights leader. The topic this year is, “What is your dream for today’s world?”

Watch livestream of competition at Facebook.com/HoustonISD or follow along on Twitter at Twitter.com/HoustonISD

Students are judged on delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation, and memorization at all three levels (school, preliminaries, and finals) of the competition. The first-place prize is $1,000; the second-place prize is $500; and the third-place prize is $300. Other finalists will receive a $100 award.. 

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January is School Board Recognition Month

The Houston Independent School District and school districts around the state are recognizing January as School Board Recognition Month to honor trustees for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for public schools.

School board members devote many hours to making sure students receive a high-quality education and are provided with schools that are safe and have the resources and instructional programs to educate them to their fullest potential. Continue reading →

Askew ES construction makes huge gains

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Christmas came early for Askew Elementary School Project Advisory Team members, who got their first tour of their new building Thursday afternoon.

Brightly colored classrooms, a learning commons overlooking the library, and large cafetorium were just a few of the spaces PAT members got a glimpse of during their walk-through, which included a final stop in the principal’s office.

Askew Principal Ebony Cumby smiled as she said she could already envision the exact placement of her new red couch.

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A day in the life of a Wraparound Resource Specialist 

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HISD spotlights its newest role that supports the needs of the whole child

To describe a wraparound resource specialist’s day as “busy” would be an understatement. The newly created role at HISD is part of Every Community Every School, a districtwide initiative that focuses on providing students with non-academic support that improves their well-being and academic achievement.

Meet Kirkland Hall, who serves in this unique position at Achieve 180 and Superintendent School, Highland Heights Elementary School. Hall’s work day is anything but typical. In the morning, he might be networking with a group of prominent community leaders to encourage support on his campus, and in the afternoon, he’s assisting a student who is struggling with an incarcerated parent. No two days are ever the same.  Continue reading →

Superintendent surprises HISD staff affected by Harvey

Nearly 400 staff members receive relief grants 

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza and the Houston ISD Foundation are making the holidays a little merrier for several hundred members of Team HISD affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Earlier this week, about 400 staff members received an email and video from Carranza informing them that they were the recipient of a special grant to help them recover from the storm.

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“When I got the email, I just started crying,” said Booker. T. Washington High School clerk Kimberly Grover. “We lost everything in the storm, and I didn’t think my kids and I would even be able to have a Christmas, but because of this we will.”   Continue reading →

HISD bus driver receives meaningful message from student

School bus drivers are usually the last to get recognized for their hard work. This holiday season, transportation employee Vivian Ivory was not only recognized, but she was given a gift of thanks.

Ivory is a 26-year school bus driver who was placed on a new bus route after Hurricane Harvey to help transport students to Lanier Middle School. One student personally thanked Ivory for allowing her to continue her education and for providing a means for her to get to and from school.

KHOU (Channel 11) covered the story earlier this week. The full story and video can be found here: http://www.khou.com/news/eighth-grader-writes-touching-note-to-hisd-bus-driver/501182466]