Girl Scout project brings Lamar HS senior state, national attention

Kianna Hawkins

Kianna Hawkins

A project taken on as one Girl Scout’s quest for the Gold Award has earned her additional recognition at the state and national levels.

Last year, 17-year-old Kianna Hawkins led an initiative called “EyeCare4TeenVision” to provide basic eye-care services and corrective lenses to needy young people. As a part of her project, she joined forces with various local organizations to coordinate a vision screening event for teens and collected more than 300 pairs of gently used eyeglasses. Those efforts led to Kianna earning the Gold Award, which is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive (see related local newspaper story here).

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Need $2,500 for College? Apply for Ruby Sue Clifton Scholarship by March 27

A local credit union is offering students a chance to win one of six $2,500 scholarships for college.

The Ruby Sue Clifton Scholarship was created to honor an HISD administrator who retired after more than 30 years of service to the district. The middle school named after her opened in 1979.

To be eligible, students must be graduating seniors during the 2015–2016 school year and have at least one parent who has been a member of SMART Financial Credit Union (formerly First Educators) for more than six months.

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Sunday, March 27, 2016. For details, including an online application, visit the SMART Financial Credit Union website.

New partnership seeks to recognize outstanding HISD teachers

Chick-fil-A and Telemundo are seeking the public’s help in recognizing outstanding HISD teachers by nominating educators for “Teacher of the Month” from February through May.

Winners will receive free Chick-fil-A for a year, a catered breakfast at their school, and recognition on Telemundo’s platforms.

Anyone can submit a nomination, but to be eligible, nominees must be active HISD teachers. For complete details, please see this nomination form (.pdf).

Many African American artists among HISD’s distinguished alumni give back

Editor’s Note: Black History Month runs from Monday, Feb. 1, through Monday, Feb. 29, this year, and HISD is celebrating with a series of weekly stories recognizing distinguished African Americans who graduated from district high schools. This third article focuses on alumni who went on to have successful careers in the fine arts. The first and second articles spotlighted professional athletes, and lawmakers/politicians (respectively). Others will feature educators and those with careers in radio, TV, and film.

HISD has a wealth of African-American alumni with talent in the performing and visual arts — and many of these distinguished graduates have chosen to share their gifts with later generations of students.

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Share your innovative projects with us on Digital Learning Day Feb. 17

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Digital Learning Day is Wednesday, Feb. 17, and HISD is inviting all of its teachers to share all of the innovative instructional practices taking place in their classrooms on social media using the hashtag #HISDdigital.

Digital Learning Day was created by the Alliance for Excellent Education, a national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school prepared for success in college, work, and citizenship.

In honor of Digital Learning Day, HISD is observing the entire month of February as Digital Learning Month for all K–12 campuses. Earlier this month, more than 30 HISD schools were represented at the second annual Digital Learning Expo, which was held Feb. 11 at the district’s Hattie Mae White Educational Resource Center. Students from all grades proudly demonstrated a wide range of digital projects, including musical bananas, large and small robots, book trailers created with Animoto, and mobile apps created with coding. The event was held just prior to the regular monthly Board of Education meeting to show trustees, district employees, and community partners how HISD students are using technology to transform teaching and learning.

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College Readiness recommends tool that can help students master School Day SAT

HISD’s College Readiness department wants every 11th-grade student to know that practicing and doing well on the School Day SAT could pay off in extra incentives, including scholarships and materials for college.

The department launched the School Day Incentive program for the Class of 2017 on Wednesday, kicking off the countdown to the School Day SAT on April 12. The purpose of the program is to increase student participation and scores for the School Day SAT, thereby increasing student access to higher education and money for college.

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Four more campuses recognized as ‘model’ Family Friendly Schools

DeAnda ES parents (pictured) were able to purchase books at discounted prices from local retailers after obtaining library cards from the Houston Public Library, thanks to a special arrangement made by Principal Erwin Garcia Velazquez.

DeAnda ES parents (pictured) were able to purchase books at discounted prices from local retailers after obtaining library cards from the Houston Public Library, thanks to a special arrangement made by Principal Erwin Garcia Velazquez.

Last month, HISD began honoring district campuses for their successful implementation of the Family Friendly Schools program.

Now, four more campuses have been recognized by the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department for their efforts to make parents feel welcome and valued at their children’s schools.

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Budding cinematographers, animators needed for new safety campaign

HISD’s Education Technology Department is looking for aspiring cinematographers and animators of all ages to help educate their peers about the importance of staying safe online.

The Digital Privacy, Safety & Security Moments Video Campaign challenges students to create 60 to 90-second public service announcements (PSA) that focus on particular issues, such as how to avoid “phishing” scams, when it’s okay to use free Wi-Fi, and what not to share on social media.

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Slideshow quiz tests knowledge of distinguished African-American HISD alumni

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How well do you know your distinguished alumni from HISD? Take our quiz and find out!

In honor of Black History Month this year, the district’s Communications team has put together a question-and-answer-style slideshow that highlights 24 different African-American graduates, along with the years they earned their high-school diplomas.

Among those featured are professional athletes, artists, elected officials, and more.

Black History Month runs from Feb. 1 through Feb. 29.

HISD Board of Education votes to begin process of renaming three more schools

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved three resolutions that would begin the process of renaming three additional schools so they better represent the district’s values and diversity.

The renaming resolutions affect Albert Sidney Johnston and Sidney Lanier middle schools, and Jefferson Davis High School. Continue reading →