Local chamber of commerce recognizes Heights-area educators

Two HISD employees were recognized recently for their contributions to the education of Heights-area children.

Shakiri Hooper, a clerk at Garden Oaks Montessori, has been named the Paraprofessional of the Year, while Joyce Rogers, an instructional specialist at Waltrip High School, was named the Educator of the Year by the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nominees were judged by a committee on the basis of their experience and evidence of leadership, service, and dedication to making a difference in students’ lives.

“Ms. Hooper is extremely hard-working and goal-oriented,” wrote Garden Oaks Principal Lindsey Pollock. “She is a team player who seeks win-win solutions even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.”

“Joyce has served as a role model not only for staff, but also for students,” said former Waltrip High School Principal Andria Schur. “She takes a personal interest in motivating people to be their personal best, while also challenging them to serve as models and motivators to those around them.”

Both women will be formally recognized during the organization’s annual education luncheon on May 18.

DeBakey tops Children at Risk’s list of best Houston high schools for sixth straight year

Reagan HS, Pilgrim Academy, and 20 other campuses also rated ‘Gold Ribbon’ schools

Children at Risk released its annual list of the top schools in the greater Houston area on April 27, and for the sixth consecutive year, HISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions was listed as number one.

Four other HISD high schools were included in the top ten: Carnegie Vanguard High School (#2), the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (#4), Eastwood Academy (#7), and North Houston Early College High School (#10).

T.H. Rogers, which serves students in grades Pre-K through 8, has held steady in the number one position among the top middle schools in Houston since 2011, and ranked first at the elementary level since 2012. Other HISD schools in the top 20 were: Wharton K-8 (#5), Pin Oak (#7), Lanier (#8), and Briarmeadow Charter (#15) at the middle-school level; and West University (#2), River Oaks (#3), Horn Academy (#6), Bush (#13), Condit (#14), Oak Forest (#17), and Roberts (#19) at the elementary level.

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Austin HS and Sam Houston MSTC project teams meet to design new schools

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Project Advisory Teams from Austin HS and Sam Houston MSTC attended a charrette, or intensive workshop, where they collaborated on preliminary design plans for their new schools.

Each school’s project team – along with architects, facilities planners and project managers – spent the two-day session focused on how to design a 21st century school that will incorporate the needs of students, teachers and other stakeholders while creating an engaging learning environment.

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Top six JROTC cadets in HISD Class of 2015 honored at awards ceremony

The top six Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets, who were named earlier this month, were honored on April 25 at the Annual HISD JROTC Final Review and Awards Ceremony.

All were promoted to the rank of Cadet Colonel (Army) or Cadet Captain (Navy), which are the highest ranks in the program. The top seniors were chosen from among all the graduating seniors in HISD’s 25 JROTC programs.

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Johnston MS seventh-grader wins HISD art contest

Maniscalco_400Makaila Maniscalco, a seventh-grade student at Johnston Middle School, has been named the winner of an art contest sponsored by the Office of Special Education Services.

Makaila created a mask that won first place out of 21 entries from across the district. Judging took place April 14–17 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, and the theme of the contest was “Who Am I?”

Makaila relies upon her memory of color, and used her tactile senses to color different parts of the piece. She likes the mask because it “keeps the viewer’s eye moving and guessing about who the mask might represent.”

As the winner of the contest, Makaila’s artwork will become the logo for the 2015 Special Education Conference, which will take place July 21–23 at Westbury High School.

Finalists were Tatum Brooks (Westside HS), Javier Gutierrez (Lamar HS), Jonathan Reyna (T.H. Rogers), and Hailey Hernandez (Wainwright ES).

CVHS senior awarded $20,000 Footlocker scholarship

Carnegie Vanguard High School senior Tre’shunda James was surprised on Friday, April 24, at a schoolwide pep rally, where she was awarded a $20,000 scholar-athlete scholarship from Footlocker. James was also selected for the District 20-6A All-district Volleyball First Team.

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Jack Yates HS students tour Houston Public Media

 

Taking advantage of the chance to observe radio and television professionals at work, Jack Yates School of Communications Student Television Network (STN) chapter members toured Houston Public Media’s facilities on the University of Houston campus.

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The students, accompanied by Yates High School journalism instructor and STN sponsor Victoria Syes, observed KUHF staff members during their live radio show. Students also operated studio cameras and spoke with on-air talent Dave Fehling and web producer Stacey Morrow.

Magnet Spotlight: Scarborough HS preparing kids for careers in computer science

Campus is the sixth and last to be featured in a series of articles on magnet schools with space still available

Scarborough High School students tour the Houston ISD data center, March 12, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Scarborough High School students tour the Houston ISD data center, March 12, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

In today’s digital world, the value of technical computer know-how cannot be overstated.

That’s why HISD is giving students a leg-up in that industry by offering classes in networking and computer administration through the Futures Academy at Scarborough High School.

Scarborough is one of eight district campuses offering a specialized course of instruction designed to give students a strong foundation in traditional subject matter, as well as the technical knowledge they need to land jobs in high-demand fields right after graduation.

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Project teams for Kashmere, Scarborough and Westbury work on design ideas

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Project Advisory Team members, along with architects and facilities planners for Kashmere, Scarborough and Westbury high schools, spent two days this week working on initial design plans for their campus renovations.

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