Student laptop distribution underway as part of PowerUp initiative

Almost 19,000 HISD students are receiving laptops this month as part of the district’s one-to-one initiative that will eventually give every high school student a computer. The initiative – PowerUp – will not only give students 24-hour access to a laptop and a variety of software but to digital-age instruction that will transform teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom.

“PowerUp is not about the device,” said Superintendent Terry Grier. “This is about creating anytime-anywhere learning for our students so they can have the world at their fingertips. We want to make sure they learn skills that complement technology so they won’t be replaced by technology.”

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Jordan HS dominates at 17th annual Hair Battle Royale

Jordan High School’s 17th annual citywide hairstyling competition took place on Jan. 13, and many of the prizes were claimed by students from the host school’s own cosmetology program.

The team of Maribel Covarrubias, Alexus McGee, Tamela Phylow, Angelica Punkett, and Arlett Sanders earned first place in the fantasy category with an elaborately braided design that resembled the curving horns of a ram. Jordan students also swept the rest of the fantasy category, with memorable designs such as the second-place entry, which paired a bright red-and-blue wig topped by a hair net of bright yellow cord, with a dress shaped like a hairstyling-themed carousel in the same vibrant colors.

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Board of Education to vote on policy update banning offensive mascots

Board of Education swears in HISD’s new District IX trustee

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education is expected to vote Thursday during its regular monthly meeting on the second reading of a policy update that would prohibit offensive or culturally insensitive school mascots.
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Parents urged to talk with their teens about PSAT/NMSQT scores

Last October, thousands of HISD freshmen, sophomores, and juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT college-readiness test, and campus staff began distributing the results this month.

Parents are strongly encouraged to discuss these scores with their children, as they can not only help gauge a student’s readiness for college but also identify good candidates for Advanced Placement (AP) classes next semester and, in some cases, determine a student’s eligibility for scholarships.

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Want preschool instruction for free at your home? Sign up now for HIPPY!

If you are the parent of a young child who is not currently enrolled in preschool, then you’re in luck.

HISD’s Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is currently accepting applications, and families who are zoned to attend any of more than four dozen elementary schools are eligible to participate.

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Don’t miss the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition finals on Jan. 17

If you’ve never seen the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Houston, you’re in for a treat.

Every year since 1996, fourth- and fifth-graders from two dozen HISD schools have competed in this annual contest, which challenges students to write and present a short original speech on a subject related to the slain civil rights leader. The topic this year is, “If Dr. King were speaking at a March on Washington today, what would he say?”

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Construction networking event builds connections on 2012 bond

More than 200 subcontractors and minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) had the opportunity on Monday to build relationships with the 14 firms HISD has selected to provide construction manager at risk (CMAR) services on school building projects.

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Kolter ES student gets (digital) face-time with former first lady

Kolter ES fifth-graders participate in the “Reading Discovery with First Lady Barbara Bush” teleconference on Jan. 14. At far right (wearing headphones) is Matthew Kalmans, who got to ask Mrs. Bush a question.

It’s not often that fifth-graders have a chance to ask questions of a former first lady, but that’s exactly what Kolter Elementary School’s Matthew Kalmans got to do recently, when the George Bush Presidential Library held a teleconference with Barbara Bush to promote literacy.

Only 18 schools from across the nation were chosen to participate in the “Reading Discovery with First Lady Barbara Bush” event on Jan. 14, and Kolter was one of them.

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Scroggins ES educator named national Bilingual Teacher of the Year

Maria Elena Galán teaches fractions to her third grade class at Scroggins Elementary School, January 14, 2014.

Maria Elena Galán, a third-grade teacher at HISD’s Scroggins Elementary School, has been named the 2014 Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE).

“This award acknowledges your work as an exceptionally skilled and dedicated teacher in a bilingual program,” read the notification letter from NABE. “Your application contained outstanding testimonials and descriptions of your professional role as a bilingual teacher.”

Galán was selected for her ability to inspire students in two languages and her dedicated service to the school and its surrounding community.

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Videos highlight progress in designing new HSPVA, Washington High School

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/83708052/ w=320&h=205]

HISD released two videos Thursday that showcase the progress in the planning and design of Booker T. Washington High School and The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Both schools are being rebuilt under the district’s 2012 $1.89 billion bond program.

The videos highlight community feedback on the projects and the work being done by the schools’ architects and Project Advisory Teams, which include students, faculty and parents.

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