In 2022, Dogan Elementary School’s first graders watched covetously as their second-grade schoolmates were gifted bicycles courtesy of HISD’s partnership with Oxy and Wish for Wheels. They never would have dreamed that in a year’s time, they would be the recipients of bikes of their own, just in time for the holidays.
Continue readingTag Archives: Bruce ES
Learn about HISD’s African American namesake schools this Black History Month
HISD is celebrating Black History Month by exploring the many schools named for distinguished African Americans in the community. The district has more than 30 schools that recognize the contributions of African American leaders, ranging from renowned educators to legislators and community leaders.
The first week focused on HISD’s namesake high schools, alternative schools, and the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. The second week focused on HISD’s middle and combination schools. This week, learn more about HISD’s namesake early childhood centers and elementary schools.
Continue readingWish for Wheels spreads holiday cheer with 600 new bikes for HISD students
Christmas arrived a bit early for students at Martinez Elementary School after they received new bikes from HISD community partners Wish for Wheels and Oxy.
Continue readingTeach Plus names 11 HISD educators to its state policy fellowship cohort
The national nonprofit Teach Plus has selected 45 Texas teachers to be a part of its 2022-2023 Policy Fellowship cohort, and 11 of them are from HISD.
Continue readingSuperintendent House and Mayor Turner read to HISD students as part of Houston-area literacy initiative
For the second annual Houston Reads Day, 400 volunteers read to pre-K and elementary students at Houston-area schools on Wednesday.
One of those volunteers was Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House II who joined a second-grade class at Bruce Elementary in Houston’s fifth ward.
Traci Bryant Lightfoot selected as principal of Bruce Elementary School
Traci Bryant Lightfoot has been appointed principal of Bruce Elementary. Ms. Lightfoot has served in a variety of roles during her 24 years in education, including teacher, program coordinator, instructional coach, and assistant principal. She began her career in HISD as a fifth-grade teacher and campus specialist at Barrick Elementary. She also served as a national trainer and school improvement specialist at the University of Houston. After two years of assisting struggling schools, Ms. Lightfoot worked at Klein ISD as an instructional specialist and program coordinator of Title 1 schools for five years. She returned to HISD in 2011 as a science teacher at Cullen Middle School, and was named assistant principal one year later.
Ms. Lightfoot received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Abilene Christian University and her master’s degree in Education from Prairie View A & M.
Cornelius ES student wins Martin Luther King Jr. oratory competition
Amari Venzor of Cornelius Elementary School took home top honors in the 18th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Houston.
Every year since 1996, fourth- and fifth-graders from two dozen HISD schools have competed in this annual contest, which challenges students to write and present a short original speech on a subject related to the slain civil rights leader. The topic this year was, “If Dr. King were speaking at a March on Washington today, what would he say?”
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“If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking at a March on Washington today, he would say: As I consider the past 50 years of progress, I can’t help but wonder if for every two steps we have taken forward, we have taken three steps back,” Amari said. “Have we fought so hard to instill that pride that we fail to include words like integrity, self-respect, and even a simple hi? Have we allowed economic and social status to lull us into a crippling complacency and a sense of entitlement? Simply meaning, are we putting $200 sneakers on our children who can barely read or solve basic mathematical equations rather than teaching them how to invest the same $200 into the actual shoe company? Have we been so busy trying to give our children what we didn’t have that we forgot to give them what we did have?”
Byron Roberson of Dodson ES won second place and Bruce ES student Chrystyna Haywood won third place.
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The other 2014 finalists, in alphabetical order, were:
• Shahnoor Ahtesham, Sutton ES
• Reginald Brown, Pleasantville ES
• Chrislyn Brownlow, Anderson ES
• Kierra Hunter, MacGregor ES
• Robert Lane III, Valley West ES
• Amaria Maldonado, Wainwright ES
• Kennady Roberson, Lockhart ES
• Jayla Wright, Burrus ES
• Jacovia Young, Windsor Village ES
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Other participating HISD campuses include: Atherton, Crespo, Garden Villas, Golfcrest, Gregg, Gross, Park Place, Port Houston, Rodriguez, Thompson, Whidby, and Woodson.
Don’t miss the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition finals on Jan. 17
If you’ve never seen the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Houston, you’re in for a treat.
Every year since 1996, fourth- and fifth-graders from two dozen HISD schools have competed in this annual contest, which challenges students to write and present a short original speech on a subject related to the slain civil rights leader. The topic this year is, “If Dr. King were speaking at a March on Washington today, what would he say?”