HISD National Signing Day ceremony to recognize top student athletes

Ninety of HISD’s top performing student athletes will commit to taking their academic and athletic talent to the college level on Wednesday as part of National Signing Day.

The HISD ceremony aims to recognize the students’ formal commitment to continue their education and sports careers at colleges and universities around the country. During the event, students will sign symbolic certificates of intent to continue their careers in baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

Traditionally, National Signing Day has been reserved for senior high school football players completing their letters of intent with colleges and universities. But, for the past seven years, HISD has included both female and male athletes from all sports to showcase the district’s athletic talent. Additional athletic commitments also are expected after Signing Day.

The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, at The Pavilion, 7525 Tidwell Road located on the Forest Brook Middle School campus.

Black History Month 2016: Spotlight on HISD’s distinguished alumni

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 first article focuses on alumni who went on to have successful athletic careers. Others will spotlight artists, educators, legislators, and those with careers in radio, TV, and film.

HISD alumnus Moran Norris regularly gives back to the schools he attended, including Madison High School (pictured). Here, he is distributing backpacks to incoming freshmen during the fall 2015 orientation.

HISD alumnus Moran Norris regularly gives back to the schools he attended, including Madison High School (pictured). Here, he is distributing backpacks to incoming freshmen during the fall 2015 orientation.

From Wimbledon finalist and Olympic gold-medalist Zina Garrison (Sterling, Class of 1982) to National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and Olympic bronze-medalist Chukwuemeka Noubuisi “Emeka” Okafor (Bellaire, 2001), HISD has produced dozens of African-American graduates who have gone on to enjoy impressive careers in professional sports.

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Seven student athletes honored by Sugar Land Skeeters

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Seven HISD juniors from three different high schools were recognized recently by a professional baseball team for their skill on the field.

The Sugar Land Skeeters honored Elizabeth Castillo, Julissa Duenas, and Marcus Mack (Bellaire HS), Courtney Taylor, Mary Tindall, and Jimmy Winston (Lamar HS), and Richard Bailey (Waltrip HS) during the organization’s fourth annual Hot Stove Banquet on Jan. 21.

The girls are members of the 2016 All-Greater-Houston Preseason High School Softball Team, while the boys are members of the 2016 All-Greater-Houston Preseason High School Baseball Team.

To see a list of all the honorees this year, please visit the Skeeters’ website.

 

HISD students win big in Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art Contest

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art Contest Committee judged nearly 600 pieces of HISD student artwork on Jan. 21 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. Several HISD students walked away with top recognitions for this year’s contest, including three for Best of Show and four Gold Medal Awards.

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Video: HISD’s Business Assistance Supplier Diversity team a valuable resource

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HISD is committed to providing opportunities for minority and women owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) to do business with us.

If you are looking to do business with HISD, our Business Assistance Supplier Diversity department is the place to start.

Whether you need information on upcoming bid opportunities, becoming M/WBE-certified, or even help getting through some paperwork, HISD’s Supplier Diversity team is available to point you in the right direction.

For more information, contact the Business Assistance office.

New partnership gives Scarborough HS students hands-on training in HVAC

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A new partnership with Lone Star Community College is giving some HISD students a leg up on high-demand careers in the HVAC field.

Students taking the dual-credit course on HVAC (which stands for “heating, ventilating, and air conditioning”) are now in their second semester of the class at Scarborough High School. In it, they receive both classroom instruction and time in the lab, where they get hands-on experience with air conditioning units, electrical wiring boards, and other equipment.

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DeBakey HS holds beam-signing event to celebrate new campus

Students, staff and community members from DeBakey High School for Health Professions gathered on the construction site for its new school on Wednesday to sign a steel beam that will be used in the building.

The new $64.5 million building project is being built under HISD’s current bond program located on the western side of the Medical Center complex on land donated by the Medical Center.

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DeBakey will receive a new 198,000-square-foot building five-stories high to  accommodate 900 to 1,000 students. The facility will feature state-of-the-art medical training equipment with teaching labs for dental, rehabilitation, and patient care. These will include mock hospital rooms and science labs designed to mimic real-world research labs.

“It’s pretty impressive,” said DeBakey ninth-grader Lucy Zhang. “It’s going to be amazing once it’s completed, and we’re able to move in and go to school here. It’s much bigger, and I feel that it gives an opportunity for larger classrooms and preferably more room to do hands on activities.”

After the beam-signing, workers will transport it to the construction site to install in the new building, scheduled to open for students in August 2017.

Bond Oversight Committee receives program update at quarterly meeting

The Bond Oversight Committee convenes on Tuesday to review fourth quarter progress on the bond program.

The Bond Oversight Committee convenes on Tuesday to review fourth quarter progress on the bond program.

HISD’s Bond Oversight Committee held its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, with the panel receiving an update on the district’s $1.89 billion bond program covering the fourth quarter 2015.

The panel was briefed on project highlights of several schools and heard from HISD’s Chief Information Technology Officer Lenny Schad, who also is acting chief operating officer overseeing the bond program.

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Petrochallenge student competition drills down to the top three teams

The sounds of students hard at work — plotting, drilling, and making deals — filled the room at Houston Community College-Southwest during the Independent Petroleum Association of America/Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (IPAA/PESA) Petrochallenge. Nearly 400 students participated in the annual four-day competition, which challenges young people to become leaders in the oil and gas industries through a simulation-based training tool called OilSim.

Students from different schools in Houston and Fort Worth not only predicted and acquired valuable blocks for oil and gas production, they were tasked with making deals among the different teams to test their business acumen. In the process, students learn about the methods used in the real world of oil and gas, the terminology used, and maybe even a new career option.

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“I’ve learned about water depth and geometrics and all this stuff I didn’t know about going in,” said Westside High School student Jason Levine.

When all was said and done, three teams of students from Milby and Westside high schools, as well as the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA), took home the top prizes. Each winning team received a monetary prize, but students say they gained so much more.

“I knew I wanted to be a petroleum engineer,” said YWCPA student and second-place team member Alyssa Dorelus. But coming here just reaffirmed what I already knew.”

The Petrochallenge is sponsored by Schlumberger, NExT, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, and IPAA/PESA.

Sponsorship opportunities, tickets still available to 2016 State of the Schools luncheon

HISD’s State of the Schools luncheon is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to sponsor a table or purchase tickets for your organization.

This annual event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, in the fourth-floor ballroom of the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel (1600 Lamar, 77010). Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about HISD and how it is preparing its students for success in both higher education and high-paying, high-demand jobs in the global workforce.

The event also offers a great venue to meet to meet students and school leaders, as well as community partners and elected officials.

But act fast, because time is running out. Go here to purchase tickets or become a sponsor. You can also find details on how to purchase tickets are here (.pdf) and details on sponsorship opportunities here (.pdf).