Tag Archives: Carnegie Vanguard HS

Student creates powerful video on post-Memorial Day flood

When classes were cancelled in the Bayou City due to flooding on May 26, senior Jay Mondkar did not waste his day off. Mondkar, a student at Carnegie Vanguard High School, chose to bike to his school and record the aftermath of the flood with his Nikon D800 camera. He then made a video and posted it on YouTube. Within five days, the video accumulated 2,156 views.

The video, titled “Houston Flooded”, shows scenes of the torrential downpour and water-filled highways, as well as firefighters clearing roads and Houstonians navigating the damaged city.

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DeBakey tops Children at Risk’s list of best Houston high schools for sixth straight year

Reagan HS, Pilgrim Academy, and 20 other campuses also rated ‘Gold Ribbon’ schools

Children at Risk released its annual list of the top schools in the greater Houston area on April 27, and for the sixth consecutive year, HISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions was listed as number one.

Four other HISD high schools were included in the top ten: Carnegie Vanguard High School (#2), the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (#4), Eastwood Academy (#7), and North Houston Early College High School (#10).

T.H. Rogers, which serves students in grades Pre-K through 8, has held steady in the number one position among the top middle schools in Houston since 2011, and ranked first at the elementary level since 2012. Other HISD schools in the top 20 were: Wharton K-8 (#5), Pin Oak (#7), Lanier (#8), and Briarmeadow Charter (#15) at the middle-school level; and West University (#2), River Oaks (#3), Horn Academy (#6), Bush (#13), Condit (#14), Oak Forest (#17), and Roberts (#19) at the elementary level.

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Leland Kibbutzim internship to broaden HISD students’ perspective

Ten HISD students will be travelling to Israel this summer to experience life on a kibbutz. Every summer since 1980, the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship Foundation has sent high school juniors who live or go to school in the 18th Congressional District to Israel for a month.

Amber Wright and Tenaya Oliveras (Yates HS); Malcolm Edmonson (Worthing HS); Branaun Galentine (Wheatley HS); Genereux Nkundimana (Davis HS); Nahome Mekonnen (Leland College Prep Academy); David Valdes (Houston Academy for International Studies); Lizette Lerma and Pamela Banner (Carnegie Vanguard HS); and Jazzmin Sanchez (Reagan HS) will all travel to Israel June 6–July 4.

The communal philosophy of caring for one another appealed to the late congressman. Following Leland’s vision, interns learn about life in a collective community and the diverse culture of the region, as well as work, travel and live in Israel. The program is organized, coordinated, and funded by The Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.

Four students win national recognition for their writing talent

Four students from HISD schools have been recognized at the national level this spring through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Bellaire High School’s Liana Wang and Carnegie Vanguard High School’s Victoria Songyang won Gold Key Awards, while Bellaire High’s Christina Tan and Gabriel CyPacht from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts won Silver Key Awards.

Only 39 students in Harris County earned awards at the national level of this competition, which is sponsored regionally by the Harris County Department of Education. To see a full list of winners, please click here.

The Gold Key winners will be honored at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June.

Student Congress members share their concerns with state legislators

Nine HISD students travel to Austin over spring break to make their voices heard

Nine students from various HISD high schools got a chance to influence Texas law last week when they traveled to Austin on March 17 for a visit to the state capitol.

The trip offered high-schoolers a behind-the-scenes look at the law-making process and a chance to express their concerns about various issues to state legislators.

Carnegie Vanguard High School seniors Raquel Douglas and David Valerio spoke with the staff of almost 20 representatives, focusing particular attention on members of the Public Education Committee.

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eNews Highlight: Playing the waiting game

Earlier this year, Olaide Sode put the finishing touches on the last of 23 separate applications she submitted to various colleges and universities.

She has already received acceptance letters from two in-state schools, but the others remain a tantalizing mystery.

Read more about how the Carnegie Vanguard High School is dealing with the suspense of not knowing in the March 6, 2015, edition of eNews.

Other stories in this week’s edition include:  Continue reading →

eNews Highlight: It’s over—all of my college applications are done!

Now, EMERGE scholar can just wait and let the acceptance letters roll in

Some people thought Olaide Sode was crazy when they found out she was planning to apply to almost two dozen different colleges and universities this year.

But the Carnegie Vanguard High School senior persevered, and she wrapped up the last of the 23 batches of paperwork this week. Now, she is basking in the glow of her accomplishment—and waiting for the acceptance letters to start rolling in.

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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!

Beijing educators tour HISD schools, observe classrooms

20150112_151757_resizedEducators from China’s Beijing School #20 began a two-day visit of HISD schools and the central office building on Jan. 12 to observe various classrooms, explore opportunities for collaboration, and discuss school management and curriculum.

The group toured Sharpstown International School on Jan. 12 and will visit the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and Carnegie Vanguard High School on Jan. 13. The special guests participated in discussions with district board trustees, administrators, curriculum directors, and school support officers.