Tag Archives: Bellaire HS

Twenty-seven HISD students land 2015 all-state ensemble seats

More than two dozen HISD students earned a spot on a Texas Music Educators Association All-State Ensemble this year.

Trumpeter Esmeralda Sandoval (Waltrip HS) and baritone saxophonist Grace Estrada (Westside HS), as well as five students from Bellaire High School and 20 from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, will perform in various groups during the TMEA’s annual convention in February.

All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. Approximately 1,750 students were selected through a process that began with more than 64,000 students from around the state vying for the honor to perform in one of 15 ensembles (bands, orchestras, and choirs).

Last year marked the first time a Westside student had ever been selected, and the same student (Grace Estrada, now a senior) is returning this year. You can read more about her achievement in this school-based newsletter.

Bellaire HS graduates nail perfect scores on AP macroeconomics exam

Bellaire HS grads Yuqing “Mike” Xiong, left, and Jinchen Zou

Bellaire HS grads Yuqing “Mike” Xiong, left, and Jinchen Zou

Two Bellaire HS graduates just learned that they made perfect scores on last May’s Advanced Placement (AP) macroeconomics exam. Yuqing “Mike” Xiong and Jinchen Zou graduated from Bellaire last spring and took the exam to earn college credit and be eligible for higher-level courses as university freshmen after completing Michael Clark’s economics course.

Jinchen and Yuqing’s are two of only 51 students worldwide to have made a perfect score on the exam in 2014, which was taken by 117,209 students last year. Jinchen now attends Yale University and Yuqing is going to the University of Texas.

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Carnegie Vanguard HS students mastering art, music, fencing

Ariel Simmons

Ariel Simmons

Three students from Carnegie Vanguard High School are making news this week for being at the top of their respective games.

  • Cole Bennette, a junior, recently entered and won an art contest titled “Houston in 2025,” in which he had to envision what the Bayou City would look like in another 10 years. Cole’s artwork now adorns a billboard on I-45 at Smith Street, whose space was donated by Clear Channel Communications. The contest was sponsored by the Center for Houston’s Future.
  • Ariel Simmons, a senior, won gold medals at two prestigious fencing competitions: He won the U.S. title for 20 and under in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier this month and the U.S. title for adults last month in Dallas. His sport is epee check.
  • Junior Kerrigan Quenemoen and her partner, Kenneth Yu (a senior at Bellaire High School), have once again advanced to the national finals of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Senior Piano Duet Competition in March. They also shared this honor back in 2013.

Congratulations to these talented students!

Bellaire HS students visit set of local show to learn more about broadcasting

BellaireHS_GDH_440x230Students in Bellaire High School teacher Charles Sanders’ structured learning class (for children with autism spectrum disorders) got a peek behind the scenes of a real television show recently, when they served as audience members on Great Day Houston, hosted by Deborah Duncan.

The students visited the set to learn more about the different types of work that go into producing and taping a live performance.

“A few of our students have technical theatre or theatre arts for an elective,” explained Sanders. “They have helped with the preparation of a few performances of the Bellaire Belles (the school’s dance team) and various plays this school year. So we wanted to see an actual live performance put on and we had an awesome time.”

Two Bellaire HS students named Russian Scholar Laureates for 2014

RussianScholLaur2014_250Every year, the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) recognizes high school students from across the country for their mastery of the Russian language.

This year, 30 students were honored, and two of them are from HISD: junior Krista Barentine (right) and senior Quinn Otte, both from Bellaire High School.

“Bellaire is the only school with two Scholar Laureates,” noted Bellaire HS Russian teacher Elizabeth McLendon. “The rest only have one. We get two nominees due to the size of our program. There are only three Russian programs in the U.S.A. serving more than 100 students, and we are one of them.”

The Scholar Laureate program was established in 2004 by the Board of Directors of the ACTR to give teachers of Russian an opportunity to recognize one sophomore or junior each year as the school’s most outstanding Russian scholar. Students can only be nominated by teachers who are current members of ACTR.

Pre-K students get a holiday surprise

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Preschool students at Farias Early Childhood Center enjoyed an early holiday treat Tuesday, Dec. 16. Santa and his helpers along with HISD high school students and members of Leading Ladies, a nonprofit female youth service organization, distributed toys to 380 excited four-year-olds. Continue reading →

Italian Consulate celebrates winners of literary contest

Students who are taking Italian at Bellaire High School and Pin Oak Middle School entered projects in a literary contest organized and sponsored by the Italian Consulate and the Committee of Italian Residents Abroad. Italian journalist and archeologist Valerio Massimo Manfredi presented the winners with certificates during the 10th Conference of Italian Researchers in the World, which was held at the Italian Consulate on Dec. 6. Continue reading →

Bellaire HS students weigh in on updated designs for new school

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Students at Bellaire High School on Monday heard from the project architect during a lunchtime meeting sponsored by the student council about the latest plans for the school’s new 21st century campus.

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Video: Vision for a new Bellaire HS is coming together with community’s help

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In a new video, members of Bellaire’s Project Advisory Team (PAT) discuss their vision and priorities for the school’s new 21st century campus, which will be built as part of the district’s 2012 bond program.

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