Lovett ES Teacher Traveling to Iceland to Study Volcanic Effects on People, Earth

Rhonda Goldmann of Lovett Elementary

Rhonda Goldmann of Lovett Elementary does the "Division Dance" with her students as part of her summer school math instruction.

Those traveling in Europe a little more than three years ago may have bad memories of an Icelandic volcano causing them to be stuck in airports waiting for volcanic ash to clear the skies, but Lovett Elementary School science teacher Rhonda Goldmann has some hope for a repeat performance later this summer.

Goldmann will travel to Iceland to observe active volcanoes in the hopes of learning more about their positive and negative effects to bring back new lessons for students.

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HISD Helps Small Businesses Through Mentor-Protégé Program

Ramon Herrera, principal at Midtown Engineers, says he hopes joining the IMPP as a protégé will help him become a better businessman.

Small business owners learned the components of a “perfect handshake” and how to smile like a politician at the Interagency Mentor-Protégé Program’s first session yesterday at METRO headquarters.

Through HISD’s partnership with the City of Houston, METRO and Port of Houston Authority, the IMPP was designed to create long-term relationships between mentors and protégés, through professional guidance and business support and development.

“It is our hope that this program will enhance the capability of (small businesses) so that they can take on a larger role with (HISD),” HISD Supplier Diversity Team Lead Bernard Willingham said.

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EMERGE Students Return from Tour of Top Colleges

Eighty high schools students from six different HISD campuses have just returned from a jam-packed trip that included visits to seven Ivy League and Tier I colleges in only six days. The tour was coordinated through HISD’s EMERGE program, which helps low-income, first-generation minority students get into top-notch colleges.

As part of the trip, students toured the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Brown, Columbia, and Yale. During several of the visits, the high school students were able to take part in panel discussions with first-generation college students, getting insight on what it’s like to leave home and family to pursue a higher education.

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Power of ‘Connection’ Proves Common Thread at Summer Leadership Institute

Whether it applied to building solid relationships between Team HISD members or making the most of tools from the Digital Age, “connection” was the common thread that tied many of the break-out sessions together on the final day of HISD’s 2013 Summer Leadership Institute on June 20.

Hundreds of campus leaders took part in the three-day event at the Reliant Center this year, and many came away with new insight into how the concept of “connectedness” could help boost student achievement.

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Parents Learn More About Proposed Changes to Attendance Zones for North Forest Transition

HISD Board of Education Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones and various administrators addressed dozens of parents at a public meeting at Kashmere High School Tuesday on the proposed changes to school attendance zones to prepare for the North Forest transition. The school zone changes would impact Kashmere High School as well as Key Middle School and Cook, Kashmere Gardens, McGowen and Paige elementary schools.

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Chávez High School Graduates’ Futures Go Full Throttle

Chavez HS teacher Greg Ditch (center) poses with former students and recent graduates Eric Lopez (left) and Walter Campos.

While many recent high-school graduates are planning trips to the beach, enjoying their newfound freedom, or sleeping late, members of Chávez High School’s Class of 2013 Eric Lopez and Walter Campos are going full throttle this summer—literally.

These young men were part of the Motor Sports Engineering program launched this school year by science teacher Greg Ditch, in which students turned an ordinary Pontiac GTO into a fully-fledged land speed race car that was piloted by NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Donnie Neuenberger.

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YWCPA Officially Dedicates Revitalized Campus Courtyard

Students at HISD’s Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy didn’t want much—just an outdoor space on the grounds of their 88-year-old campus to take an occasional break from their studies.

Now, they have it, thanks to an organization called The Links, Inc. and the seven Houston chapters’ joint community service project.

Representatives from that organization came to the campus on June 19 to celebrate the unveiling and official dedication of the newly renovated courtyard, which is shaded by a huge oak tree, graced with a tiled fountain, and paved with 207 bricks sold for $100 each and engraved with the names of their benefactors.

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Vendors, Suppliers to Follow New Scoring System for M/WBE Goals

Nearly 100 vendors and suppliers turned out Wednesday to hear about HISD’s latest efforts to build on the success of its program for minority and women-owned business enterprises. HISD will be implementing changes that will hold firms more accountable in meeting district goals.

Starting July 1, the district plans to roll out new paperwork on all its bids, incorporating a new scoring system for vendors and suppliers to meet HISD’s M/WBE participation goals. The goals are set at 20 percent for construction and the purchasing of goods and non-professional services and 25 percent for professional services.

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