Tag Archives: Gregg ES

Jennifer Pettit named new principal of Gregg Elementary School

Jennifer Pettit has been selected as the new principal at Gregg Elementary School. Pettit most recently served as assistant principal at Shearn Elementary School.

She began her career in 2006 as a kindergarten teacher at Alcott Elementary School. Pettit was promoted to a teacher specialist at Shearn Elementary School. In 2017, she became an assistant principal at Shearn. She earned her Bachelor of Science  in Psychology from the University of Houston and her Master of Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix.

Students at four schools create upbeat school murals

Thanks to the Moran Norris Foundation and artist Fernando Romero, dozens of HISD elementary students had a chance to create new murals at their schools in early September.

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Wearing face masks, the students learned how to apply spray paint under the direction of Romero, a former graffiti artist from New York City, and Moran Norris, a retired NFL player who enjoys giving back to his community. Moran and his wife Tamara established their foundation to help students succeed.

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Surprise! Shearn ES students find new program, meet the superintendent

Shearn Elementary School is one of 14 HISD schools launching the school year today as a dual-language campus, with instruction in both English and Spanish, and students had a special visitor this morning.

Dr. Terry Grier dropped in as the school day began to greet students and parents, and to pump up their enthusiasm for dual-language. “I sure wish we had this when I was in school,” Grier told a trio of fifth-grade school leaders who guided him on a tour of Shearn.

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Marques Foster was delighted to hear about the new program. “I really want to learn Spanish,” she said. “I know it’s important to have more than one language.” Continue reading →

Countdown to 2014-2015: What’s new in HISD #5 — Dual-language programs expanding to 14 more schools

This is the sixth in a series of stories counting down to the start of school, spotlighting what is new in HISD in the coming year.

When the school bells sound Monday in HISD, 14 additional elementary campuses will be conducting classes in two languages, as the district expands its successful dual-language program to a total of 32 schools.

The structure offers foreign language immersion for English-speaking students and a bilingual program for Spanish speakers.

The expansion process started a year ago, when all HISD elementary schools were invited to apply for the successful program. Those chosen have spent months preparing. HISD has a six-year plan to turn at least half its elementary campuses into dual-language schools by 2020. Continue reading →

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?”

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Video Demonstrates Students Receiving Special Education Services Performing Well in Regular Classes

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/78588097/ w=320&h=205]

HISD’s Gregg Elementary is having great success placing children with special needs into the general student population and is getting national recognition for those strides. Susan Pansmith, senior manager for the district’s Elementary Special Education Services, presented the HISD video, which details Gregg’s advances, to 300 participants at a conference in Chicago on “Success at an Early Age: Improving Outcomes for Young Children With Disabilities.”

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