Foundation poured for new Delmar Fieldhouse

Delmar1Construction for Delmar Fieldhouse reached a milestone this week, as workers poured the concrete slab, in preparation for the project to go vertical this spring.

The old 55-year-old Delmar Fieldhouse was demolished in 2014 to make way for this new facility that will be part of the new Delmar-Tusa Athletic Complex. As part of the current bond program, the new three-story, 139,000-square-foot facility will include a basketball and volleyball arena, modern locker and training rooms, and ample athletic storage for the complex’s existing stadium and ball fields.

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Light It Up Blue to raise autism awareness on April 2

April is Autism Awareness Month, and in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day, communities across the globe are being asked to “Light It Up Blue” on April 2.

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People will be lighting up their homes, schools, offices, and iconic landmarks with the color blue, and HISD will observe the month in different ways across the district, including adding blue accents to the cafeteria of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (HMWESC) and even changing up the appearance of the main district website.

There are endless ways for individuals to participate—you can swap out a blue light bulb on your front porch, get folks to wear something blue at work, or turn your Facebook profile picture blue to show support.

This is our chance to shine a light on autism, so please join us.

The Office of Special Education will also be hosting an autism parent support meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at the HMWESC (4400 W. 18th, 77092) from 9–10 a.m.

Former HISD trustee now serving children as a classroom teacher

In this week’s edition of I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Harvard Elementary School third-grade teacher (and former District I Board of Education member) Karla Cisneros talks about how she went from the classroom to the boardroom and back again, the greatest gifts of her experience as a trustee, and if she’d ever consider running for that office again.

You represented District I on HISD’s Board of Education for five years in the early aughts, even serving as its president one year. Now you’re teaching third-graders at one of our elementary schools. How did that transition come about?

Karla Cisneros with her students at Harvard ES

Karla Cisneros with her students at Harvard ES

Well, I was not a certified teacher before. I was just sort of a mom who got pulled in. They hired me at Travis Elementary to be a part-time science teacher, and one thing just led to another. After I left the board, I was going to work with my husband, but I realized I wanted to be back in education at kind of a grass-roots level, so I went back to school and got certified.

And I really, really, really like being a teacher. The best part of all is the kids, but then, that’s always the best part. I knew when my own children grew up and moved on that I was going to hate being an empty nester, but so much of teaching is not just about teaching. It’s about helping usher children through their lives, not just the curriculum.

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HISD juniors awarded grant to visit Great Britain this summer

Four HISD students will travel free to Great Britain this summer, thanks to the British Foundation of Texas’s (BAFTX) Junior Achievers award. The students will travel for nearly two weeks learning about British culture.

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HISD hires new academic, human resources chiefs

March 31, 2015 — HISD Chief Human Resources Officer Andrew Houlihan has been selected as the district’s new Chief Academic Officer, replacing Dan Gohl, who is leaving at the end of the school year to take a similar position in Broward County, Florida.

Houlihan will assume his new role on April 20, as Gohl moves into the position of special assistant to the superintendent. The move will ensure a smooth transition and allow the district to maintain the momentum generated by Gohl’s successful implementation of digital curriculum, innovative teaching practices and global education initiatives.

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Student Congress elects new leaders for coming school year

StudCong_Cabinet2015_440x230Carnegie Vanguard High School student Zaakir Tameez will soon be handing over his gavel to a new leader. The graduating senior, who cofounded HISD’s new Student Congress last year, will be yielding his position as speaker of the congress to Amy Fan, a junior at Bellaire High School, after graduation this spring.

An election for new Student Congress cabinet members took place on March 28 at the Gregory Lincoln Education Center, and the new officers will assume their duties as of May 28.

“It’s been my effort from day one to create something that would last well beyond me,” said Tameez. “Today was a giant step in that direction.”

Below is a list of the new leaders-elect (pictured, L-R, above):

  • Demetron Dotson, advocacy chair, Austin HS, Class of 2017
  • Jacob Castillo, finance chair, Austin HS, Class of 2016
  • Kate Ham, chief of staff, HSPVA, Class of 2016
  • Amy Fan, speaker of the congress, Bellaire HS, Class of 2016
  • Anusha De, initiative chair, Bellaire HS, Class of 2017
  • Jessica DeBoe, outreach chair, HSPVA, Class of 2017
  • Michael Talanker, governance chair, Carnegie Vanguard HS, Class of 2016

“Our election is a testament to our motto: student-run, student-led,” said new Speaker of the Congress Amy Fan. “Now that we have a strong base of members and the foundation is set, we’re ready to accomplish even more. I’m really looking forward to next year.”

 

New signing day celebrates magnet acceptances

Districtwide celebration is also a chance to hand in paperwork

This year, students and families can celebrate their acceptance into a magnet program by participating in a Magnet Signing Day event at their campus of choice.

Magnet Signing Day events—which are scheduled at the school level and do not fall on any particular date—provide an opportunity for parents and students not only to celebrate, but to meet with school officials and confirm their child’s seat at the accepting school. Parents should bring a signed copy of their Magnet Entrance Agreement, proof of residence, and, if they have a child new to HISD entering Pre-K or kindergarten, proof of that child’s age, to the festivities.

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Speech therapists make the case for careers with Team HISD

SanAntSpeech2_300One of the best aspects of working for a school district is the opportunity to be part of a team—and that is particularly true for speech therapists.

“After salary considerations, the most critical thing speech therapists say they look for in a position is the chance to work in a supportive environment where they can collaborate with other professionals,” said Cheval Bryant, manager of Speech and Language Services. “In clinical settings, it’s often just one person in a room with a child. But in school settings, professionals aren’t in silos. They work closely with school psychologists, diagnosticians, and teachers to best serve students.”

And that’s precisely the message that Bryant and several other members of the Office of Special Education were out in force to share at the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 59th annual convention in San Antonio earlier this month.

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HAIS students travel halfway around the world to give back

For many students, spring break usually means vacation on the beach, a road trip across the country, or simply rest and relaxation at home. But students from the Houston Academy for International Studies spent their time away from school performing hands-on service learning projects in another country.

Twelve students and two teacher chaperones participated in the Rekha & Sudhir Puranik Foundation’s Impact India program. The program is based at the Puranik Foundation’s Vision International Learning Center, a rural English school that serves more than 80 impoverished primary and secondary students from villages around Pune, India.

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“Impact India is designed to teach students about India’s rich history and culture, and give them insight into how different cultures address social and political challenges,” said Rekha & Sudhir Puranik Foundation Executive Director Revati Puranik. “The school and the foundation are fully sustainable without electricity and running water, an ideal environment for students to participate in service-learning activities focused on alternative energy, agriculture, and education.”

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