Vanguard magnet programs challenge students with rigorous courses

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In the Vanguard magnet program at Black Middle School, students are taking advanced courses such as biology, geometry, and creative writing. They’re working on their own experiments, researching history on a local and national scale, and even writing their first novels.

“Our students are taking high-school level courses in the seventh and eighth grades,” said Katelyn Riley, the school’s Vanguard coordinator. “Our sixth-graders are learning seventh-grade math, and we have students taking geometry and biology as eighth-graders.” Continue reading →

Winter holiday schedule: School resumes Tuesday, Jan. 6

The Houston Independent School District’s 2014 Winter Holiday schedule is as follows:

Students do not attend school from Monday, Dec. 22, 2014, through Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. Students will return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015.

HISD central and administrative offices will be closed beginning Dec. 22, 2014, and reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.

Employees with questions should consult the duty schedules posted here.

The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities all during the holiday break. Emergencies may be reported by calling 713-892-7777.

HISD breaks ground on four new campuses, celebrates first project to ‘go vertical’

Two years ago, Houston voters approved a $1.89 billion bond to replace or repair 40 HISD campuses, including 29 high schools. Now, taxpayers are starting to see the fruits of that decision, as HISD officials and community leaders have broken ground on four brand new campuses over the past two weeks, and recognized the first project from the 2012 bond to “go vertical.” Continue reading →

Two Bellaire HS students named Russian Scholar Laureates for 2014

RussianScholLaur2014_250Every year, the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) recognizes high school students from across the country for their mastery of the Russian language.

This year, 30 students were honored, and two of them are from HISD: junior Krista Barentine (right) and senior Quinn Otte, both from Bellaire High School.

“Bellaire is the only school with two Scholar Laureates,” noted Bellaire HS Russian teacher Elizabeth McLendon. “The rest only have one. We get two nominees due to the size of our program. There are only three Russian programs in the U.S.A. serving more than 100 students, and we are one of them.”

The Scholar Laureate program was established in 2004 by the Board of Directors of the ACTR to give teachers of Russian an opportunity to recognize one sophomore or junior each year as the school’s most outstanding Russian scholar. Students can only be nominated by teachers who are current members of ACTR.

Teacher wins Texas A&M education award thanks to former student

Carnegie Vanguard High School history teacher Andrew Dewey has been selected to receive the Texas A&M University Inspiration Award for Exceptional Education.

Dewey was nominated for the award by his former CVHS student, Brookelynn Russey, who will graduate from Texas A&M on Friday, Dec. 19. He will be presented the award during the commencement ceremony. Continue reading →

High school students research Houston environmental issues

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Furr HS environmental communications students present at a Houston City Council hearing with program business partners, Jackie Young of Texans Together and Juan Parras of T.E.J.A.S.

Furr High School students testified before Houston City Council on Dec. 16, asking authorities to reject a new trash proposal currently under consideration by the city. According to reports, the council members were impressed with the students’ speeches.

The students are enrolled in Furr’s Environmental Communications pathway, part of HISD’s Linked Learning program that combines rigorous academics with hands-on learning and real-world experiences, thanks in part to a $30 million federal Race to the Top grant.

Continue reading →

Students across district giving back this holiday season

Students across HISD are giving back to those in need this holiday season in a variety of creative and inspiring ways. At Herrera Elementary, the school’s 3D design and print club produced toys using their 3D printer to give as holiday presents to children in their community. The toys were based on characters from animated movies and video games. Read more about that story here.

At Farias Early Childhood Center, Santa and his helpers — AKA HISD high school students —distributed toys to every prekindergarten child, thanks to a partnership with Leading Ladies, a nonprofit organization run by students from different high schools in Houston. Read more here.

During the month of December, students at Roosevelt Elementary joined the district’s effort to collect new toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Approximately 140 new toys were collected and donated by students from that campus. See related story here.

And at Patterson Elementary, the school’s safety patrol joined forces with second grade students to deliver toys to patients at the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston. Read more here.

Roosevelt ES students contribute to Toys for Tots campaign

RooseveltEST4T_400aStudents at HISD’s Roosevelt Elementary School got caught up in the holiday spirit recently when they were asked to participate in the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Toys campaign.

At the behest of coordinating teacher Stephanie Smith, students collected more than 140 toys for the annual drive during the month of December, learning about philanthropy and the reward of giving in the process.

“This was a wonderful learning experience, both academically and morally for the Roosevelt Bears,” said Smith. “Each day, more and more toys trickled in from students who were lit up with excitement about the thought of putting a smile on another’s face Christmas morning. We are looking forward to continuing this toy drive in the years to come.”

Community partner changing the culture at one HISD school

CullenMS_Jackets_400Members of Team HISD at HISD’s Cullen Middle School are feeling better about themselves and their campus, thanks to an on-going partnership with a nearby faith-based organization.

First Presbyterian Church has been uplifting the spirits of the faculty, staff, and students at that school through a variety of projects since 2011, and it recently surprised campus leaders with an additional $20,000 donation. Continue reading →

Patterson ES students share joy of the season with Shriner’s Hospital patients

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Almost 90 percent of the children attending HISD’s Patterson Elementary School qualify for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch program, but they didn’t let that stop them from giving back to others.

Students at the literature magnet campus collected more than 400 toys for the benefit of children who can’t be home with their families this year because they are receiving on-going treatment for injuries or illnesses at local medical facilities. Continue reading →