No meetings required: Eighth-grade parents can learn about HS changes through Tele-Town Hall

Parents of current eighth-graders will be receiving a phone call from HISD at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 that will allow them to participate in a live “Tele-Town Hall” meeting to learn about changes coming next school year to high school courses, graduation requirements, and college and career pathways.

A surprise caller will invite parents to click in to a live “meeting,” conducted by ABC-13’s Cynthia Cisneros in English and a separate meeting in Spanish, to learn more about how the state legislation known as House Bill 5 will affect their students’ planning for high school, higher education, and careers.

HISD principals will be on hand to discuss HISD’s 26-credit Distinguished Level of Achievement graduation plan that requires Algebra II and the choice of an “endorsement” – the equivalent of a college major.

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2,000 HISD students to compete in Special Olympics field days

Nearly 2,000 Houston ISD students will gather at Barnett Stadium, 6800 Fairway Dr., next week to participate in field days hosted by the district and Special Olympics Texas.

The events are for students who have intellectual disabilities. This is the second year the field days have been held. More than 1,300 students participated last year.

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Ceremony will honor top JROTC senior cadets

The top six Houston Independent School District JROTC cadets will be honored at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26, during the 2014 Final Review and Awards ceremony at the University of Houston Athletics/Alumni Center, 3100 Cullen Blvd.

HISD JROTC Cadet Corps Commander Cadet Colonel Ana Perez of High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice will be recognized as the top graduate.

The seniors were chosen from the ranks of all the graduating cadets in HISD’s 26 JROTC programs and will be honored for their leadership skills. The cadets will be featured leading their respective command groups.

Chávez HS health professional named top Houston-area nurse

(Houston Independent School District) Violet Clarke, who serves as the school nurse at Chávez High School, has been named one of the area’s “Top 10 Nurses” by the Houston Chronicle for 2014.

She was selected from among hundreds of nominees who come from all fields of nursing in the greater Houston area, including local hospitals, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and home health workers.

“The job of a school nurse is unique,” wrote former Principal Dan De Leon about Clarke on his nomination form. “Unless you have done it, you do not realize the fast pace and varied extremes of this profession. One minute, a student walks in with a sore throat, and the next, you get a call about another who is having a severe allergic reaction in another part of the building. Before the hour is up, you have dealt with three parents, a teenager who is afraid to (confess) she is pregnant, another who is being abused at home, and a student who needs his daily medication to control his bipolar disorder…but Nurse Clarke makes it look easy.”

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HISD Annual JROTC Final Review and Awards Ceremony

The top six Houston Independent School District JROTC cadets will be honored Saturday during the 2014 Final Review and Awards ceremony. The seniors were chosen from the ranks of all the graduating cadets in HISD’s 26 JROTC programs and will be honored for their leadership skills. HISD JROTC Cadet Corps Commander Cadet Colonel Ana Perez of High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice will be recognized as the top graduate. Continue reading →

Still school-shopping? Save the date for the upcoming spring School Choice fair

If you are looking for an HISD magnet school for the 2014-2015 school year, make sure to save the date for the spring School Choice Fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Held at Northwest Mall, 9500 Hempstead Highway, the fair will host about 70 schools, all of which are actively recruiting for the next school year.

The participating schools are:

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Senior research project helps cancer patients

(Houston Independent School District) Five North Houston Early College High School students are using their senior research project to help cancer patients.

The project Leonardo Banda, Adelina Compean, Ruby Laparra, Jessica Miner and Daniel Padron have been working on is called “Care to Share Hair.” They have grown their hair for several years so they can donate it to Locks of Love and Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which will turn their donations into wigs.

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New customer service initiative to transform HISD

HISD’s Business Operations department is rolling out a new customer service initiative that will transform the way the district connects with its customers.

The Business Operations department includes about 7,000 employees in the areas of transportation, police, food services, construction and facilities services, and business assistance. The goal is to get all employees to work together to contribute to the business operation department’s new service philosophy:

“We improve lives and build trust by providing exceptional service that creates a safe and caring environment.”

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Injuries plague Lee soccer team in state title bid

The Lee High School’s boys’ soccer team’s first trip to the state tournament didn’t go exactly as players had hoped – but it was still a motivating experience. Lee lost 1-4 in the state semifinals against Pharr Valley View in Georgetown and ended the historic season with a 19-5-1 record.

“We’re blessed and honored to be here and represent Houston as a whole because it’s not just my team,” Coach Fidel Andrade told the Houston Chronicle. “There’s a lot of teams out there and a lot of coaches that sacrifice so much for a season like this. We’re happy.”

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