Tropical Storm Bill doesn’t dampen teachers’ enthusiasm for job fair

Despite the rain showers brought by Tropical Storm Bill that day to the Houston area, nearly 500 teacher candidates attended HISD’s June 18 recruitment fair at NRG Center, a record-breaking number for the district.

Cierra Nickerson, a selection specialist with Talent Acquisition, said her team closely monitored the weather reports, but decided that the event could go on safely. The decision paid off, as 491 candidates attended, and 88 teachers were hired during the fair. Another 40 follow-up interviews were also scheduled.

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Camp M.I. Way proves educational for both campers and counselors

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

Over the past several weeks, middle and high school students from HISD campuses across the district have been volunteering at Camp M.I. Way, a special program designed to give students with multiple impairments a chance to practice and expand their social skills in an atmosphere of fun.

As part of the camp, run by Homerun Hitters International, student counselors guide campers in various activities that are designed to engage the five senses. Emerson Greer, a rising junior at Challenge Early College High School, has served as a camp counselor for two years and describes the experience below:

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Students embark on the road to independent living

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This June, HISD is teaching young people to be part of a community beyond the classroom.

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Sharpstown International School community hears about plans to update campus

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A community meeting was held at Sharpstown International School (SIS) this week to brief stakeholders on district plans to renovate the unique school.

SIS was developed in 2007 as a partnership of HISD and the Asia Society International Schools Network, and was known as the International High School at Sharpstown. In the 2011-2012 school year, International High School and Sharpstown Middle School were consolidated to become the first 6-12 grade magnet program in the district. With an international studies focus, it was named Sharpstown International School.

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Passion fuels second-year teacher’s success

Switching careers can be a daunting decision, and Natalie Nelson knows first-hand how difficult that transition can be.

Natalie Nelson

Natalie Nelson worked as a political researcher and an advocate for juvenile justice reform before joining HISD as a teacher a Chávez High School in 2013.

The Advanced Placement government and economics teacher at Chávez High School chronicled her experiences as a first-year teacher in 2013–2014 in an HISD blog called 177 Days, and recently, she reflected on finishing her second year in HISD. Continue reading →

Hear what teachers are saying about the HUB

Online platform going districtwide for 2015–2016 school year

HISD’s online teaching and learning platform, known as the HUB , is moving from its pilot phase at a group of schools to full districtwide implementation during the 2015–2016 school year. To assist with the transition, K–12 teachers have been or will be attending a variety of training sessions this summer to learn how to use the online platform for classroom instruction and for collaboration with their colleagues.

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Project teams work to preserve school history in designs for new schools

As HISD project teams are making plans to build or renovate 40 schools under the district’s current bond program, they also are giving careful consideration to items of historical or architectural significance that can be preserved and incorporated into the new designs.

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Hollingsworth Science Center project to benefit HISD students twice

Students hone their craftsmanship with new tools while updating a valuable district resource

Lee High School students—many of whom worked on the greenhouse project—pose with their trophies from the Texas SkillsUSA State Championships this year. Johnny Brooks’ millwork and cabinetry students routinely advance to the state level of the competition.

Lee High School students—many of whom worked on the greenhouse project—pose with their trophies from the Texas SkillsUSA State Championships this year. Johnny Brooks’ millwork and cabinetry students routinely advance to the state level of the competition.

More than two dozen students taking millwork and cabinetry classes at Lee High School got a chance to show off their newly acquired skills recently, thanks to a donation that came with a special request.

Grant Hollingsworth, the brother of the late Marcile Hollingsworth, for whom the district’s Hollingsworth Science Center was named, donated $5,000 to make renovations to the center’s greenhouse, with the stipulation that the work be performed by district students.

Lee students constructed 10 tall wooden plant beds and one wooden storage unit for use in the greenhouse using brand-new hand tools such as saws and sanders that were purchased with a portion of the money.

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Students’ graduation stories publicized in Times Square

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Three lucky HISD students got to see their names in lights on June 10, when hundreds of students from across the country were featured on a Times Square billboard in New York City.

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