Andrew Casler has been named the new principal of Oak Forest Elementary School. Casler joins Oak Forest after serving at Pilgrim Academy for the past eleven years. During his time at Pilgrim Academy, Casler served the community as a technology teacher, physical education teacher, dean of students, and most recently as the elementary assistant principal. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Houston as a member of the University of Houston- HISD Turnaround Leadership Cohort.
Winter break begins Monday; classes to resume Jan. 8
HISD schools and district offices will be closed for Winter Break beginning Monday, Dec. 25. Classes and regular business hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.
Friday, Dec. 22 is a teacher preparation day, and students will not attend classes.
Employees with questions should consult the duty schedules posted here.
The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities during the holiday break. Emergencies should be reported by calling 713-892-7777.
HISD to open four new or renovated schools Jan. 8
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Three Houston Independent School District high schools and one elementary school will open their doors and welcome students in to new facilities when they return from winter break on Jan. 8.
The schools are Sharpstown, Scarborough and North Forest high schools, and Robinson Elementary School.
Sharpstown was rebuilt and Scarborough was renovated as part of the district’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The construction of the new North Forest High School and renovation of storm-damaged Robinson Elementary School were overseen by the bond team, but not funded with bond dollars. Continue reading
Northside HS classroom renovations lead campus into 21st century
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When Northside High School alumnus Machell Blackwell walked through the doorway on the third floor of her alma matter, she said she felt like she was walking through time.
On one side of the well-worn building, it seemed dark and confined — even a bit dated. But on the other, hallways were lighter, classrooms were brighter, and there was a colorful, collaborative space where students could gather to work in small groups.
“To me, I feel like I was walking through a time machine,” said a smiling Blackwell, who also serves as a Northside PTO recruiter and member of both the Northside Project Advisory Team and Shared Decision-Making Committee. “I just walked into the 21st century.”
Summer internship available for juniors, seniors interested in medical research career
HISD is partnering with MD Anderson Cancer Center to offer three current juniors or seniors a paid summer research internship on cancer science.
If you are interested in a career in medical research, this could be a great opportunity for you. Applications are due by Jan. 11, 2018.
The 10-week program runs June 6 through Aug. 10, 2018. Students receive a $6,000 stipend paid in installments throughout the internship. Continue reading
HISD high school wins $100,000 worth of sports equipment
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Sharpstown High School won a $100,000 customized sports equipment grant from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Let’s Play, and Good Sports back in September, and now the new athletic gear has been delivered to the school. State Representative Gene Wu presented Sharpstown Principal Daniel De Leon with a congratulatory certificate during a school celebration on Dec. 14.
The school received new soccer balls, new goals for the soccer field, cones, and practice gear; a football five-man blocking sled with flags and uniform pants; starting blocks and training equipment for track; rackets and tennis balls for tennis and PE; gloves, bats, baseballs/softballs, and practice gear for the baseball/softball programs; and a wealth of other PE equipment ranging from hula hoops to jump ropes to medicine balls to floor hockey equipment.
Organization provides East End students with 2,500 pairs of shoes for holidays
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Students in Houston’s East End gathered at Austin High School on Thursday to receive new shoes in time for the holidays, thanks to the Navigation Area Business Association’s annual Shoes for Kids donation.
For the 30th year, NABA donated more than 2,500 pairs of shoes to students from 10 HISD elementary schools: Burnet, Carillo, DeZavala, Franklin, Gallegos, J.R. Harris, J.P. Henderson, Lantrip, Page, and Tijerina. Continue reading
Board approves plan to rebuild four Harvey-damaged schools
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education during its December meeting on Thursday approved a plan to rebuild four elementary schools that sustained the most severe flood damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey.
Facilities assessments of the four elementary schools — Braeburn, Scarborough, Kolter, and Mitchell — found significant property damage, as well as a strong need to raise the elevation of the buildings to prevent potential future flood damage.
The cost to replace the four schools is estimated at $126 million, which will be funded by a combination of Operations reserves and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) funds. Continue reading
Aramco donates $4.7 million to support students, teachers at schools affected by Harvey
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The HISD Foundation today announced seven schools in which students were displaced due to damage from Hurricane Harvey will be the beneficiaries of a $4.7 million flood relief donation from Aramco Services Company, the Houston-based U.S. subsidiary of Saudi Aramco.
“The schools that will benefit from this grant are still working toward a sense of normalcy,” said Superintendent Richard Carranza. “It’s overwhelming, in a good way, to know that these students, staff, and school communities are the beneficiaries of this kind of generosity and kindness.”
The donation will be used by the foundation to replace and enhance technology and fulfill needs requests for Braeburn, Hilliard, Kolter, Mitchell, Robinson, and Scarborough elementary schools, and Liberty High School. Those items include, but are not limited to: Continue reading
HISD honors longtime trustees Eastman and Lunceford
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HISD trustees Anna Eastman and Mike Lunceford, who both were elected to the HISD Board of Trustees in 2009 and are now retiring, were thanked on Thursday for their service during a reception at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
Superintendent Richard Carranza thanked Eastman and Lunceford for their eight years of service, calling them “good public stewards of public tax dollars. … Your touch is everywhere in our district, and your legacy will live on for years.” He presented them with crystal apples as a small token of the district’s appreciation. Continue reading