HISD school lunch heroes honored with city proclamation

Dozens of Nutrition Services employees gathered by black tents as cars snaked through the parking lot at Barnett Stadium – a Neighborhood Supersite where families can pick up student meals, family food boxes, and household supplies.

But this Wednesday, the team was surprised with a proclamation from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner designating Friday, May 7, 2021 as HISD National School Lunch Hero Day.

“Today, we celebrate Nutrition Services employees,” Interim Co-Chief Operating Officer Eugene Salazar said as he presented the proclamation. “This proclamation acknowledges your outstanding achievements and unwavering dedication to families and students in our community.”

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New partnership targets food desert surrounding Dogan ES

Sunny skies and a warm May morning helped usher in a new partnership that aims to battle food insecurity in the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhood surrounding Dogan Elementary School.

At a launch event on Friday at the school, the Houston Independent School District announced the partnership, which teams up local nonprofit Brighter Bites with the American Federation of Teachers, the Houston Federation of Teachers, and Houston Educational Support Personnel. The partnership hopes to address food equity issues and access to healthy food in the surrounding neighborhood.

The solution? A food distribution at Dogan—open to anyone in need from the community—offering fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as clothing and other supplies on a biweekly basis.

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In your words: HISD community shares what makes our teachers special

As Teacher Appreciation Week comes to a close, we are spotlighting some of the best teachers in HISD, chosen by you! There were many submissions to the online form, with a wide range of teachers from campuses across the district.

Below, you can find the teachers submitted by students, their parents, and fellow educators. For more teacher spotlights, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Complete the 2021 Parent Involvement Survey for the Texas Education Agency

Does your child receive special education services? If yes, this is a reminder to complete your Special Education Parent Involvement Survey.

If your child was selected for inclusion in this year’s sample, you should have received an invitation to complete the survey at www.ParentSurveyTX.com and a PIN code.

If you cannot find your PIN, or need help completing the survey, call 713-556-7042 or email SpEdSupportingParents@HoustonISD.org or contact Gibson at support@gibsonconsult.com or 512-685-2697. If you did not receive an invitation, your child was not selected in this year’s sample.

Please complete the survey by May 28, 2021.

HISD Career and Military Signing Day set for May 20

Join Career Readiness as they celebrate graduating seniors who have secured employment or committed to the U.S. Armed Forces.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, at Delmar Fieldhouse (2020 Mangum, 77092). See Career and Military Signing Day for more information.

For questions, please contact Melanie Martinez-Gomez at mmarti96@houstonisd.org or Echos Blevins at echos.blevins@houstonisd.org. More formation can also be found on the Career Readiness website at HoustonISD.org/CareerReadiness.

HISD celebrates National Police Week May 9-15

Law enforcement officers in the Houston Independent School District and across the country will be celebrated for their service and sacrifice as part of National Police Week on May 9-15.

HISD police officers’ duties include everything from keeping campuses safe to providing crucial assistance at sporting events and food distributions to serving as mentors to students – and more. Their efforts make a huge difference on every aspect of the district.

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Amanda Sebba named new principal of Garden Oaks Montessori

Amanda Sebba has been selected as the new principal of Garden Oaks Montessori. She has served as the assistant principal for the past four years at Braeburn Elementary School.

During her time at Braeburn, Sebba helped lead the school to academic gains in several areas including reading, math, and writing. She also spearheaded efforts to strengthen protocols around interventions and data analysis. This work was all done despite the challenges the school faced after being displaced for three years due to Hurricane Harvey damage.

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Budding artists surprised as winners of Blast Off with a Healthy School Breakfast art contest

First-grader Nidarshani Chinthagunta gasped and her eyes widened as a bright turquoise bike adorned with white balloons was wheeled into the T.H. Rogers conference room where she stood sandwiched between her mother and school principal.

Grabbing the 20-inch Titan Tomcat by the seat and handlebars, she carefully eyed the new bike as she whispered a shy, “thank you.”

Nidarshani was one of two grand prize winners in the district’s “Blast Off with a Healthy School Breakfast” art contest held in honor of National School Breakfast Week in March.

More than 60 students submitted original artwork using the breakfast theme. A panel of judges from the district’s Nutrition Services and Fine Arts departments selected the top winners at the elementary and secondary levels.

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Vote for 2020-2021 Fan Favorite Teachers of the Year

Houston Independent School District will name its “Fan Favorite” Teachers of the Year in June, and you can vote now for your pick.

Voting begins Wednesday, May 5, and ends on Friday, May 14. Winners will be determined in three categories (Elementary School, Middle School, and High School) and will be announced on June 15 at the virtual Educators of the Year event.

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Ortiz MS celebrates heritage, diversity with mariachi program

The scene playing out on the stage at Ortiz Middle School on a humid May morning is a familiar one to many Houstonians.

Musicians decked out in embroidered pants, wide-brimmed sombreros, and colorful silk ties playing vihuelas, guitarróns, trumpets, and other instruments in a style instantly recognizable as mariachi music.

But what makes this group stand out is that the musicians are all under the age of 14.

“It makes me feel alive,” sixth-grader Joshua Campos said. “My problems, when I play, they just go away. I just think about the music.”

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