Superintendent House visits future healthcare heroes at DeBakey HS

Tucked away on a side street in the shadow of the largest medical center in the world, DeBakey High School for Health Professions is the district’s medical magnet school, where students can learn more about the various career paths involved in the healthcare field, from the typical bedside options to the legislative branch.

Students like Cindy Choi, Paul Daniel, Caitlyn Davies, and David Dzul, all seniors, who gave Superintendent Millard House a tour of the school, which opened its $65 million, state-of-the-art, 194,000-square-foot building on the western edge of the Texas Medical Center in 2017.

 House was visiting the school on its second day of the 2021-2022 school year. As the ongoing global pandemic continues to make headlines, students at DeBakey are preparing to be the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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Superintendent promises data-based decisions in the best interest of students, families

Superintendent Millard House II marked his first day of school in the Houston Independent School District by traveling from campus to campus, welcoming students back and peeking into their classrooms to watch them learn.

But his first stop — though not on his official schedule— held special meaning.

“As I dropped off my fourth grader at school this morning, he told me, ‘Dad, I have butterflies in my stomach,’” House said, referring to the range of emotions many students are feeling as they start a second school year amidst the pandemic. “That’s understandable.”

House told the story while speaking to a room of reporters and district officials who gathered at Parker Elementary School for HISD’s first-day-of-school press conference.

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HISD Virtual Academy vs. Temporary Online Learning: What’s the difference?

HISD Strategy & Innovation Executive Officer August Hamilton explains the difference between the two virtual learning programs offered to students this school year. To learn more about each program, visit the HISD Virtual Academy and HISD@H.O.M.E. Temporary Online Learning websites.

A look at ‘Ready, Set, Go’ protocols with Memorial ES safety tour

HISD Superintendent Millard House, along with district officials, got to see the “Ready, Set, Go” safety initiative in action Monday at Memorial Elementary School.

The “Ready, Set, Go” plan provides students, families, staff, and the community a safe environment for in-person learning with protocols that include required masks in all HISD buildings, constant sanitization of surfaces, COVID-19 vaccination sites, testing, and physical distancing.

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HISD updates COVID-19 dashboard to monitor new school year cases

With the return to in-person instruction for all HISD classes on Monday, Aug. 23, the district’s COVID-19 dashboard will be reset to reflect confirmed cases for the new school year to better inform the community.

The online dashboard will continue to track the number of confirmed COVID-19 student and staff cases by campus as originally designed to ensure transparency. The reset version will go live as the first day of school begins.

“We are in the midst of a pandemic, so we want to assure our parents and the community that all information is provided and updated in a timely fashion,” HISD Superintendent Millard House said. “The dashboard is an effective way to share information to staff members and families.”

The dashboard will continue to be updated daily, allowing users to review student and staff data by location and districtwide. The map showing where cases are throughout the district will also be updated. As new data for the school year is added, current cases will be displayed for the most recent 14 days.

The dashboard will strictly follow all applicable privacy laws as it relates to the release of personal health information.

To view the COVID-19 dashboard, go to HoustonISD.org/COVID19Dashboard.

For more information on HISD’s Back to School Plan, visit HoustonISD.org/ReadySetGo.

Student Assistance lends a hand at Back To School Extravaganza

Houston Independent School District Student Assistance held a “Back To School Extravaganza” drive-thru event Friday at Bethel’s Empowerment Center.

The event featured a drive-up that included free vaccinations (including for Covid-19), backpacks, supplies, fresh produce, local vendors, giveaways, Medicaid and CHIP renewal applications, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications, and HISD Community Partnerships.

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HISD board approves vaccination stipend, added COVID leave

The Houston Independent School District Board Of Education approved a stipend program that gives employees a one-time $500 stipend for those who show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. On Thursday, the board also approved additional Covid-19 leave time if needed for isolation.

Once approved by TEA, to get the stipend, employees must submit their proof of vaccination to Health and Medical Services by Nov. 19, 2021. Additional guidelines will be shared with employees soon.

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HISD closing curbside summer meals and apartment complex delivery programs

With the new school year set to begin on Monday with 100 percent in-person learning, Nutrition Services is ending its campus curbside pickup and apartment complex delivery programs for summer meals.

The final distributions for both programs are Thursday, Aug. 19. Pickups and deliveries on that day will include three days’ worth of student meals, hand sanitizer, and masks. No further distributions are scheduled.

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Atherton Elementary, Reliant pair to provide back-to-school supplies

On Wednesday, Atherton Elementary hosted a drive-thru distribution / meet the teachers event where Reliant provided 500 back-to-school kits to students in anticipation of the start of the school year.

The kits included classroom basics like pencils, notebooks, folders, and more, which is part of a larger drive from Reliant to donate 10,000 kids state-wide. Atherton got involved through HISD’s Community Partnership program.

“At Reliant, we believe that investing in the future of young people pays dividends – in the lives of students, their families and our community,” Reliant said in a news release. “We’re excited to partner with Houston ISD. Today we are donating 500 school packs for all students at Atherton Elementary School in Greater Fifth Ward.”

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