HISD recognizes 99 seniors headed to nation’s top-tier colleges and universities

EMERGE Class of 2015 awarded more than $20 million in scholarships, collectively

HISD paid tribute to 99 graduating scholars from 24 high schools during the second annual EMERGE Senior Awards Ceremony on April 28.

Through EMERGE, these scholars have earned the distinction of being accepted into colleges and universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Princeton, Rice, Smith, Stanford, Tufts, and Yale. As a whole, the group has been awarded more than $20 million in scholarships and financial aid, with the majority of students receiving individual financial packages totaling upwards of $40,000 per year.

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Meet HISD one of HISD’s four dedicated dietitians, Jennifer Lengyel

HISD dieticians Jennifer Lengyel (L) and Nan Cramer

HISD dieticians Jennifer Lengyel (L) and Nan Cramer

As one of the four dietitians in HISD’s Nutrition Services department, Jennifer (Griffin) Lengyel estimates she has educated more than 40,000 HISD students and community members on the subject of healthy eating.

“I love being in the field and interacting with the kids,” said Lengyel. “My teaching philosophy is fun first, learning second. When students enjoy the experience, they absorb and retain information at an incredible rate.”

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Bond Oversight Committee reviews first quarter progress

HISD’s Bond Oversight Committee held its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, in which the panel received an update on bond projects from the first quarter.

Among the topics discussed were a review on how the district calculates capacity for schools, as well as information on M/WBE participation levels and financial reports. HISD staff said they were excited about the work that is underway, including foundation work and vertical construction, and said there is more to come.

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Next round of STAAR EOC exams May 4–8

HISD high school students will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, May 4.

High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed algebra I, biology, and U.S. history will be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

Make-up test opportunities will also take place during that period (May 4-8). This is the final test administration of the spring season. Re-testing opportunities for EOC exams have been scheduled for early July.

Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a new FAQ (.pdf), a complete schedule of testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety. Students may also consult with their school counselors with any questions or concerns not addressed on the STAAR website.

Chávez HS scores surprise first-place finish at state chess competition

Coach Robert Myers (far L) with the Chavez HS team at regionals

Coach Robert Myers (far L) with the Chavez HS team at regionals

Students at Chávez High School were thrilled to walk away with a third-place team victory at the State Scholastic Chess Championship in McAllen, Texas, last month, but they were even more excited when they learned that due to an extremely complicated tie-break system, computer results revealed that they were actually the first-place winner among unrated players.

The team had to score among the top five groups at the regional tournament to advance to the state competition, and placing first there qualified them to compete in the national tournament held in Columbus, Ohio, where they ranked sixteenth in the nation in the unrated section.

“Chess is about options,” said Chávez Coach Robert Myers. “The students exercised those options and continued to practice, study, and develop. They have learned through perseverance to never give up, never surrender.”

The team subsequently placed first at a KIPP chess tournament held on April 18.

 

HISD students honored for their winning dental posters

From left: Dr. Piazza, president of the Greater Houston Dental Society; Piney Point ES fifth-grader Viviana Jimenez; Garden Villas ES third-grader Alejandra Rodriguez; White ES second-grader Sandy Kong; Condit ES fifth-graders Eden Barr and Heidi Tamm; CoChairs of the Dental Health Committee Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Aguilos.

From left: Dr. Piazza, president of the Greater Houston Dental Society; Piney Point ES fifth-grader Viviana Jimenez; Garden Villas ES third-grader Alejandra Rodriguez; White ES second-grader Sandy Kong; Condit ES fifth-graders Eden Barr and Heidi Tamm; and Dental Health Committee CoChairs Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Aguilos. Not pictured: Scroggins ES second-grader Gabriel Velazco.

Every year, HISD elementary and middle school students participate in the Dental Health Poster Contest, which promotes the American Dental Association’s National Children’s Dental Health Month campaign. The purpose is to convince children and adults of the importance of good oral health.

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Yates HS holds Elective Fair for future freshmen

Yates High School held an Elective Fair and Signing Day event on April 29 for Houston-area eighth-graders to see all that the school has to offer. Yates has two magnet programs—communications and maritime—and a Career & Technical Education program in health sciences.

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Fondren MS recognized for providing exemplary customer service

A commitment to meeting high expectations in every area has resulted in a big prize for Fondren Middle School. That campus was recently named the inaugural winner of HISD’s Blue Star Award for Service Excellence.

The award was created to honor schools that provide exemplary customer service; a friendly, professional environment; and a culture of positive expectations, and Fondren was selected from a field of 22 nominees and five finalists. As a part of the evaluation, a team of volunteer judges made unannounced, structured visits to each nominated campus, in which they conducted walk-throughs of the facilities and interacted with staff members. They also made anonymous calls to each school to test the clerical staff’s response.

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Support budding entrepreneurs on Lemonade Day, Sunday, May 3

It’s been almost a decade since Lemonade Day first came to the Bayou City, and over the years, thousands of HISD students have participated in this annual exercise in learning how to start and run a business.

Lemonade Day is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, 2015, and the competition for Houston’s Best-Tasting Lemonade will take place from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at four locations that day:

In addition to the Best-Tasting Lemonade contest, this year’s event will offer students a few more opportunities to earn recognition, including a Best Stand contest determined in part by “likes” on social media. Other contests for young people include competitions for the Most Innovative Business Plan, Most Charitable Entrepreneur, and Best Social Media Campaign.

“Judges will give their opinion of the best-tasting, of course, but in the other categories, we really want to reward the children who are putting in the work and getting creative,” said Lemonade Day Houston Associate Director Gabrielle Gunn. “These competitions will be based in part on the stories that are shared by teachers, principals, students, and customers, so we encourage everyone to come out and support Houston’s young people.”

For a full list of lemonade stands and their locations, please visit the Lemonade Day website.

HISD to recognize 99 seniors headed to nation’s top tier colleges and universities

The Houston Independent School District will pay tribute Tuesday to 99 graduating scholars from 24 high schools during the second annual EMERGE Senior Awards Ceremony.

Through EMERGE, the scholars have earned the distinction this year of being accepted to colleges and universities such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Rice, Smith, Stanford, Tufts, and Yale. As a whole, the group has been awarded more than $20 million in scholarships and financial aid, with the majority of students receiving individual financial packages totaling upwards of $40,000 per year. Continue reading →