Reagan High School to Host International Baccalaureate World School Induction Ceremony

School to be joined by students, parents and community members

What:             Reagan High School will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate its recent International Baccalaureate authorization with students, parents and community members.  Reagan received official authorization to operate as IB campus in July along with Hogg Middle School, creating the first continuous IB feeder pattern in the historic Heights neighborhood.  Founded in 1968, IB is a non-profit foundation that offers challenging educational programs for students aged 3 to 19 to help develop their intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Who:               HISD Board of Education President Anna Eastman, Reagan High School Principal Connie Berger, HISD Lead Principal James McSwain, students,                         parents and community members

When:             Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Where:           Reagan High School, 413 East 13th Street

Middle School Principal Raises Literacy Awareness by Reading From Atop His School

T.H. Rogers Middle School principal David Muzyka reads to students from the roof of his school

T.H. Rogers Middle School principal David Muzyka reads to students from the roof of his school

T.H. Rogers Middle School principal David Muzyka spent the entire day on the roof of his school reading to students in the courtyard below. Last year, BOOK IT! challenged every school principal in the country to “read your heart out” during National Young Readers Week. This year, the organization sent out a new Principal Challenge, and Muzyka accepted, braving gusty winds and an approaching blue norther, to show his students the value of reading aloud. 

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HISD Schools Thank Veterans For Service and Sacrifice

Lyons Elementary has a long-standing tradition of honoring veterans on Veterans Day. Everyone has a part to play, from Pre-K students who make thank-you cards for veterans to older children who make flags and educational history projects that are displayed in the halls.

About 25 veterans attend each year, so Lyons always adds something new to the program. This year it was a USO show, in which teachers in WWII-era clothing sang period songs and the Flamenco Dance Troupe – the boys dressed in service uniforms and girls in poodle skirts — performed the jitterbug. There was also a Little Miss Poppy Contest as well as a bugler.

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12 HISD Football Teams Head Into Playoffs

Those Friday Night Lights will continue to shine – on Thursday and Saturday nights, too – for 12 HISD varsity squads that are extending their seasons into playoff games this week.

Pre-sale tickets are being sold at campuses at $4 for students and $6 for adults, but will cost $8 at the gate. The only exceptions are the Lamar-Morton Ranch and Madison-Katy showdowns at Katy ISD’s Rhodes Stadium, which will cost $5 for students and $10 for adults, and the Bellaire vs. Cinco Ranch game, which is $4 for students and $6 for adults in pre-sale but $5 for students and $10 for adults at the gate.

Here’s the rundown of this week’s playoffs. We’ll let you know next Monday who has made the second round.

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Chávez HS Student Wins National Art Contest with Vision of Future

Chavez HS student Luis Enrique Cortez accepts congratulations from Latino Art Beat President Don Rossi on Oct. 29 for winning the national organization’s annual art contest with his charcoal self portrait, entitled “Into the Future.”

Luis Enrique Cortez, a senior at HISD’s Chávez High School, has been named the national winner of the Latino Art Beat art competition for 2013, and representatives from that organization came to the campus on Oct. 29 to formally congratulate him during a special award ceremony.

Cortez earned top billing in the annual art contest with a charcoal drawing that took him two weeks to complete. The self portrait depicts Cortez breaking out of a colorless world and “Into The Future,” which is the name of his submission.

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Three Students’ Artwork Selected for HISD’s 2013 Holiday Greeting Card

DeBakey HS art teacher Neda Khan poses with student Tam Ngo and her winning design.

This year the Houston Independent School District honored the artistic talent of its students by selecting three finalists’ artwork for the 2013 HISD Holiday Greeting Card.  The winners were Adrian Pizarro from Park Place Elementary School, Amy Vaughan from Johnston Middle School and Tam Ngo from DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year as we have the opportunity to recognize the amazing talent of our students,” HISD Chief of Business and Community Relations Dr. Michele Pola said.  “We are very grateful for all the art teachers who support their students in their creativity.”

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New Instructional Spaces Will Benefit Students at SECHS and Waltrip

Parents and community members at South Early College High School and Waltrip High School got the opportunity to weigh in Thursday on designs ideas for the two schools, which are set for construction under the 2012 bond program.

Site work is already underway for the new South Early College High School, which is being built on the campus of Houston Community College – South, at 1990 Airport Blvd. Waltrip High, located in Oak Forest off 34th Street, is scheduled to be partially replaced and renovated.

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M/WBEs Learn Benefits of Creating Joint Ventures to Do Business with HISD

Minority- and women-owned business enterprises on Wednesday learned how merging forces and resources with large companies can lead to a better shot at landing a contract for an HISD building project.

“Smaller companies are not always able to compete against the big guys,” said HISD Team Lead for Supplier Diversity Bernard Willingham. “So, we’re going to talk about how to compete with them instead.”

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YMCPA, Sharpstown HS Unveil Ideas for New Schools to Community

Project Advisory Teams unveiled the latest ideas for the new building design of the Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy and Sharpstown High School Wednesday night. Both schools are being rebuilt under HISD’s 2012 bond program.

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