Trip to Africa provides insight into student body for Las Américas leaders

A “selfie” taken by Las Americas Newcomers School Principal Marie Moreno with some Ugandan students.

It’s been said that to really understand someone else, you first have to walk a mile in their shoes. That’s why Principal Marie Moreno went on a trip to Africa over Spring Break with one of her campus administrators.

Moreno, who traveled to Uganda and Kenya with test coordinator Rachel Barrios, is now hoping to parlay the lessons she learned overseas into better experiences for the students and parents she serves at Las Américas Newcomer School.

“We hear stories from our children every day (about what their lives were like before coming to America),” said Moreno. “But it’s different when we put ourselves in their environment. We had the experience of living in their world. Giving up all the amenities we take for granted only makes me appreciate our children even more.”

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I Am HISD: Meet the man who helped bring lacrosse to HISD

Dave Vollmer

By day, Dave Vollmer is a senior manager in HISD’s IT department, but by night, he serves as a boys’ head lacrosse coach for Lamar High School—a volunteer position he has held for 25 years.

Learn more about why he’s so passionate about the sport and how he helped bring it to HISD schools in this week’s “I Am HISD” profile. Or check out the full edition of eNews online.

Other highlights from this week’s issue include:

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Parker ES students present their wish list for new school

Don’t paint the girls bathroom walls pink was one of many requests from a small group of Parker Elementary School students who wrote a list of 26 must-haves for the design of the new campus.

The students presented the list Wednesday to the school’s architect, sharing ideas for solar panels, automatic sinks, open windows, larger classrooms and music rooms, an updated library with reading zones for different grade levels, and individual spaces for the gym, cafeteria and auditorium.

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Algebra I students in middle school no longer required to ‘double-test’

Middle school students who take Algebra I as a seventh- or eighth-grader will no longer face the prospect of “double testing.” Until recently, those students would be required to take both the Algebra I end-of-course (EOC) exam and their grade-level STAAR math assessment.

Now, the Algebra I end-of-course exam will satisfy the requirement for a math test for those middle school students.

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Three Milby HS families honored for having largest number of sibling alumni

Pictured are the Lively sisters: Mary (Class of 1955), Laurel (Class of 1970), Elizabeth (Class of 1975), Kathryn (Class of 1960), Carol (Class of 1970), and Robyn (Class of 1967), left to right.

Milby High School is one of the oldest high schools in Houston, and three families recently proved it when they were honored by the school’s alumni association for having the most graduates from a single generation.

The Andersons and the Fivecoats were the undisputed champions, with eight siblings each, but the Livelys were not far behind, with a group of six sisters who graduated between 1955 and 1975.

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Chávez HS embraces its namesake’s Sí, se puede (Yes, we can) spirit to mark his birthday

César E. Chávez

If César Chávez were still alive, he would be 81 on Monday, March 31. To honor his memory and recognize his birthday, César E. Chávez High School is spending seven days honoring the man and teaching students more about him. Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).

“Bearing his name carries great responsibility,” said Chávez Principal Rene Sanchez. “As the only comprehensive high school in the state of Texas and one of only four in the entire country named for César Chávez, we need to teach and inspire our students with the words and deeds of our namesake.”

Chávez was a well known Latino American activist who used nonviolent protests – including fasting in 1968 — to bring draw national attention to the harsh working conditions of farm workers. The organizations he helped found ultimately resulted in better working conditions for farmers.

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Notices to go out Friday for nearly 50,000 HISD magnet applications

A new online application process and computer-generated lottery have been completed and nearly 50,000 notifications of the Houston Independent School District magnet programs including Vanguard placements for 2014-2015 will be sent to families by email (after 5 p.m.) and postal service Friday.

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Video details progress on creating a 21st century Waltrip HS

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/87899474/ w=320&h=205]

A new video released by HISD highlights efforts to turn Waltrip High School into a 21st century campus by building a partial three-story building replacement and updating the space with general building renovations – all of which will be funded by the district’s 2012 bond program.

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Challenge takes 14,400 pounds off HISD employees, adds $80,000 to paychecks

If you happen to be at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, you may notice employees in athletic shoes walking both inside and outside of the building. They’re part of the more than 5,500 HISD employees from across the district who are hoping to be bathing suit-ready in a few months signed up for the HISD HealthyWage Challenge that began in February and continues through the end of May.

All that is required to succeed is to maintain a slow-but-steady weight loss of four pounds a month for four months, and each participant will be rewarded $160, as well as be entered in a drawing in which each team member might win an iPad. There are other incentives as well, including one that doesn’t require losing weight — everyone who weighed in and out for the first month of the contest is automatically entered into a drawing, and five lucky winners will win a FitBit in April.

At the end of the first month, 3,515 employees weighed in, and 2,023 had lost at least four pounds and will receive $40 in their April 9 paycheck — for a total of $80,920. The total weight loss in February was an amazing 14,400 pounds, which is equal to one elephant, one school bus, or two pickup trucks.

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Lights, camera, PowerUp at Bellaire HS!

Bellaire High School students and staff are sharing their personal insights regarding the district’s PowerUp technology initiative in a new, student-produced video.  Molly Oretsky, Iceland Vu, and Anthea Wilson, who work on Bellaire’s student newspaper and website, Three Penny Press, filmed the recent distribution of student laptops on their campus and interviewed students and staff on how the devices are changing classroom instruction.

Bellaire is one of 11 high schools in phase one of PowerUp, which eventually will give every HISD high school student a laptop to use at school and at home.

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