CenterPoint volunteers go to the phones for Grads Within Reach

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Taking time off from supplying the Houston area’s energy needs, 25 CenterPoint Energy employees spent Wednesday calling HISD students who have yet to report to school this year. The Grads Within Reach volunteers reminded the students how important it is for them to complete their education and encouraged them to return to school.  Continue reading →

HISD Partners with CenterPoint Energy to Promote Sustainable Schools

The Houston Independent School District is kicking off a new Sustainable Schools initiative that involves students in reducing energy use on their high school campuses.

Through a no-cost collaboration with CenterPoint Energy, the Sustainable Schools Program gives participating students a fun, hands-on, project-based experience in energy conservation and engineering. Continue reading →

September is National Attendance Awareness Month

September is National Attendance Awareness Month, and Houston ISD wants you to know how important it is for students to attend school every day.

A child is considered chronically absent if they miss two or more days a month. Missing more than 10 percent (or 17 days) of school a year can lead to a student not receiving a grade or being retained.

Visit our attendance website for information about HISD’s attendance policy, state truancy and attendance laws, myths about school attendance, and more.

HISD Police Department accepts the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

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Staff and personnel from the Houston Independent School District Police Department got cold and soaked on Friday after participating in the popular ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

With the help of students from Lanier Middle School and a donation of buckets from Home Depot, members from the department gladly accepted the challenge from the neighboring Spring ISD Police Department. Continue reading →

Students get a taste of what’s to come in cafeterias this fall

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Students at Stevenson Middle School got a first taste Friday of several new foods being added to the HISD Nutrition Services menu in the coming weeks.

The tasting event involved dozens of students, who were encouraged to submit their feedback after sampling the menu items, which included apple muffins, vegetarian chili, and sweet potato muffins.

Continue reading →

Austin HS Algebra I team produces its own version of the ‘Khan Academy’

Maria Rios, the content manager for the mathematics department of Austin High School, knew that there was already a multitude of resources available online—such as the Khan Academy—to help kids master various math concepts. But something about that just set wrong with her. So she and the school’s Algebra I team produced an online library of web-based instructional videos.

“What we were interested in is continuing to build relationships with our students,” said Rios, “to personalize our instruction by having our voices—the voices of the students’ actual teachers—and our style of delivery available at any time to learners.”

The video library was created both to complement students’ in-class lessons and to maximize the benefits of the PowerUp initiative, but another benefit was that it allowed teachers to “flip” the traditional classroom model on its head. Continue reading →

Online teaching and learning platform launching at 48 schools

HISD teachers at a select group of schools will be utilizing an online tool this school year designed to make their instruction more personalized and collaborative, while at the same time allowing them to do more in less time.  The new online teaching and learning platform is called the PowerUp:HUB, or HUB for short, and is being piloted at 48 K through 12 campuses  during the 2014-2015 school year.

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“The HUB is an LMS, a Learning Management System, that is a one-stop-shop,” said Annetta Modest, senior manager for Teacher Development. “Once teachers in our pilot schools sign on, they will have access to tools, curriculum, and lesson plans.” Continue reading →

J.P. Henderson ES gets teachers’ lounge makeover

J.P. Henderson Elementary has new furniture in its teachers’ lounge, thanks to Gallery Furniture, Univision 45 and Children at Risk.

The furniture store is making over several teachers’ lounges throughout the Houston area. It asked Univision 45 to pick a school, and the TV station asked Children at Risk for a recommendation.

“When Univision called that I had really good news, I ran to my office and said that I need good news – it’s the beginning of school!” Principal Herlinda Garcia said. “This sends a very strong message from the community to the teachers that we do care about you.”

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/104653995″ responsive=”no”] Continue reading →

New and veteran teachers share excitement of the first week of school

Estefania Espindola Garcia with a student at Cunningham ES

Estefania Espindola Garcia with a student at Cunningham ES

A new academic year kicked off on Aug. 25 in the Houston Independent School District, and across the city, both brand-new and veteran teachers were getting to know their students, establishing new routines, and buckling down to the business of learning.

“I am excited and ready to begin a new school year,” declared Rosetta Calhoun, a returning teacher at Sharpstown High School. “I am anticipating the new personalities and challenges I will encounter.” Continue reading →