HISD Educators of the Year honored at Hawaiian-themed celebration

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The Houston Independent School District said “mahalo” (“thank you”) to the district’s top elementary and secondary teachers of the year during the sixth annual Educators of the Year celebration, which honors exceptional teachers, principals, and instructional coaches.

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HISD to honor teachers, principals at annual Educators of the Year banquet

The Houston Independent School District will honor its principals and teachers at a Hawaiian-themed Educators of the Year banquet on Friday, May 19, at the Bayou City Event Center.

During the event, the district will announce its 2016-2017 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, as well as the recipients of the Beginning Teacher of the Year honors for elementary, middle school, and high school. The Fan Favorite Teacher, who was selected by survey, also will be announced.

Earlier this school year, the 2016-2017 Elementary and Secondary Principals of the Year were named, and two instructional coaches were presented the first-ever Ann Sledge Instructional Coach Excellence Awards. Those award recipients also will be recognized at the event.

Fourteen finalists were named for the Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the year. The two winners will go on to represent the district in Region 4. The 14 finalists were selected from all 287 campuses based on performance data and other criteria. Continue reading →

North Forest HS construction edges closer to completion

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The North Forest High School Bulldogs will have much to be excited about in 2018 as construction on their new building is 70 percent complete.

Installation of the building’s exterior windows are nearly complete, while painting, polishing of concrete, and hanging of drywall are ongoing, project officials said. Permanent power will be turned on this month, and HVAC units will be brought online.

“It’s going to be a beautiful campus,” North Forest Principal Richard Fernandez said, adding that he is eager for his students to see the school. “I can’t wait to see their reactions when they first walk into the new building.”

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HISD Police sends student safety reminder for graduation and summer break

With the school year winding down, HISD Police is joining forces with local religious leaders, school district administrators, and law enforcement agencies to emphasize the importance of student safety.

The message is a key part of Project Safe Start. Established in 1989, the program aims to beef up police patrols in and around campuses during the last week of school to help prevent criminal activity and increase student safety as summer vacation begins.

“In HISD, our job is not over until every child makes it home safely,” HISD Police Lt. James Bridges said. “We take this responsibility very seriously, and the commitment to ensuring that this is accomplished each day.”

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Kinder HSPVA celebrates ‘topping out’ of new building

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Workers and guests gathered on the fourth floor of the new Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts on Wednesday to watch as a crane hoisted an evergreen tree to the top of the structure, marking construction of the building’s highest point.

McCarthy Building Companies, contractor on the $80.2 million project, sponsored the Topping Out Ceremony as a way to thank workers and sub-contractors and celebrate their strong safety record. Company officials said the project has an average of 180 workers on site each day and has logged more than 175,000 man hours without a recordable safety incident. Continue reading →

HISD teaming up with City to combat Zika

Schools provided with informational fliers to bring awareness to virus

As tens of thousands of HISD families and staff members get ready for summer break, HISD and the City of Houston Health Department are teaming up to bring awareness to the Zika virus, particularly to those who may be traveling outside the United States in the next few months.

Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which can bite during the day or night. Most people who get the virus do not get sick. However, Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, and the infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects.

HISD schools have been provided with informational flyers from the Houston Health Department to distribute to families and staff before the last day of school and during summer school. The flyers bring awareness to the virus and to the ways it can be prevented. Continue reading →

Burbank ES, Lyons ES named to 2017 America’s Best Urban Schools list

Burbank and Lyons elementary schools are among 27 schools from across the country named to the 2017 America’s Best Urban Schools list by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST).

Selected from thousands of schools in the nation, Burbank was named a Gold Level winner and Lyons was honored with a Silver Level award.

Gold Level prize winners were announced at the 2017 America’s Best Urban Schools Symposium on May 16 in Nashville, Tenn. Both Burbank and Lyons participated in the symposium and presented about their campuses. Continue reading →

Books Between Kids donates thousands of books to HISD students

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Since 2013, Books Between Kids has been providing gently used books to HISD elementary school children. The number of HISD schools that have benefited from their generosity has grown to 69 schools this year, and on May 23, they will give away their millionth book to an HISD student at Piney Point ES.

On May 16, students at Braeburn ES were busy browsing the tables of books arranged by grade level. Books Between Kids Co-Founders Amy Barnes and Sandra Ahlhorn looked on, along with a number of long-time volunteers.

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HISD Police announce art contest winners

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The Houston Independent School District Police Department has announced the winners of the third annual Police Appreciation Week art contest.

Fifth-grade artists were encouraged to showcase their talents with the department’s K-9 unit as the theme. Participants also explored other themes, including the importance of law enforcement and the different types of police officers.

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Summer readers can boost knowledge, win rewards  

It doesn’t take long for students to lose some of the academic progress they have made during the school year by sitting idle over the summer, so HISD is challenging students to use the power of reading to combat the dreaded “summer slide.”

Below are a number of ways to access thousands of books absolutely free through the district’s Summer Reading Program.

”It’s been proven through research, experience, and time that students lose at least three months of learning during the summer if they don’t engage in reading over the summer break,” said HISD’s Library Media Services Manager Janice Newsum.  Continue reading →