Parents get tips on helping young children learn to read through partnership

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Many HISD parents will soon know how to read more effectively with their young children, thanks to an on-going partnership with the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL) that provides training on how to support Guided Reading activities.

HAUL’s Director of Family Support John Robinson led a literacy lesson in Guided Reading at Bastian Elementary School on Jan. 19.

“We provide Guided Reading training to parents in HISD elementary schools, because Guided Reading is the solution teachers are using in their classrooms all across the district,” said Robinson. “We are working to help parents understand how to support their children at home with the same tool being used in HISD classrooms. We started the program last year, and it was a huge success.”

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Bellaire HS coach inducted into Athletics Hall of Honor

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Coach Granvil “Wayne” Tedder has been guiding HISD athletes to greatness for more than 30 years, but on Jan. 22, district officials and students took time out to honor him, with a special ceremony held at Bellaire High School to induct him into the HISD and Houston Coaches Association Hall of Honor.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized by your peers, players, and friends,” said Tedder. “No one in my family graduated from high school except me. But I had coaches who helped me out, so I have dedicated my life to giving back what was given to me: love, knowledge, and commitment.”

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Street artist, Codwell ES students re-imagine NCAA March Madness logo

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Well-known Houston street artist GONZO247 shared his craft with about a dozen Codwell Elementary School students on Jan. 20, creating a colorful painting of the new men’s NCAA March Madness logo.

The painting will hang in a soon-to-be-restored basketball court at the Jim & Barbara Morefield Boys & Girls Club, which serves nearly 1,000 predominately African-American youth.

The new NCAA logo was announced immediately following the art lesson at a press conference celebrating the NCAA men’s college basketball Final Four tournament, which will be held in Houston April 1–4. The painting was unveiled at the press conference, along with a plan to restore the basketball court.

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New Furr HS project begins vertical construction

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Building progress at Furr High School has reached a noteworthy milestone already this year, as workers have begun installing the concrete and masonry walls, marking the beginning of vertical construction.

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Scroggins ES students enjoy ‘cat-seañera’ courtesy of Castro’s Kids

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Students at HISD’s Scroggins ES recently enjoyed a literacy-themed “cat-seañera,” thanks to Castro’s Kids, a literacy foundation started by Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro and his wife, Maris.

Scroggins librarian Jo-Anne Reed won a $1,500 grant from that organization for the school, which she used to stage a feline-themed celebration that plays off the quinceañera, a traditional celebration for Hispanic 15-year-old girls marking their transition into adulthood.

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Students ‘tackle’ hunger through Souper Bowl of Caring

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Students from dozens of HISD schools began gathering canned goods and other non-perishables this week to help fight hunger in Houston through the Souper Bowl of Caring. The annual food drive, which is designed to channel sports enthusiasts’ excitement about professional football into helping the less fortunate, kicked off on Jan. 20, and students have already started collecting donations.

“When I think of hunger, it’s always been in the context of a place far away, like a third-world country that is impoverished,” explained Carnegie Vanguard High School student Christine Huang. “The fact that Souper Bowl of Caring really focuses on the national and local levels is something I’ve never seen before.”

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What you need to know about the new Open Carry law

Recent legislative changes that went into effect Jan. 1, 2016, made it lawful to openly carry firearms in Texas under certain circumstances, but HISD does not and has never allowed handguns or other prohibited weapons to be carried into any district schools or educational facilities.

School grounds have been considered “gun-free” zones under the federal Gun-Free Schools Act that was enacted more than 20 years ago. Texas law also does not permit handguns or certain other weapons to be taken into any school buildings or carried anywhere that school-sponsored activities are taking place.

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New inspection app simplifies food quality assurance in HISD schools

HISD Nutrition Services Quality Control Representative Jeffery Chenier conducts food inspections in school kitchens using a new web-based inspection application.

HISD Nutrition Services Quality Control Representative Jeffery Chenier conducts food inspections in school kitchens using a new web-based inspection application.

Every day, HISD Nutrition Services quality control representatives visit school cafeteria kitchens to ensure that food is safe to serve and kitchens meet the city’s safety standards.

Nutrition Services recently upgraded its quality control inspection process with a new mobile application that allows for faster food-safety assessments. The new application helps quality control representatives inspect more schools and share more information with other departments.

“The application easily tracks scores for each school and we are able to send the reports directly to the operations team,” said Quality Assurance Manager Heather Kohn. “We can also attach pictures, giving a better understanding of the issues that need to be addressed.” Kohn added that Nutrition Services puts great emphasis on food safety and the prevention of foodborne illnesses in the district’s school kitchens.

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Students in final phase of PowerUp initiative receive their laptops

Washington HS sophomore Karla Bueno displays her new laptop.

Washington HS sophomore Karla Bueno displays her new laptop.

Students at a dozen HISD high schools will soon be making the most of 21st-century technology, thanks to HISD’s PowerUp program. The districtwide initiative to transform teaching and learning enters its third and final phase during the 2015–2016 school year, and students in the last group of 12 high schools began receiving laptops this month for use in the classroom and at home.

Noah Brown, a tenth-grader at Booker T. Washington High School, said he was excited to be receiving the device on Jan. 20. “It will make classwork easier,” he said. “Up ‘til now, I’ve been doing research on my phone.”

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