Tag Archives: Hurricane Harvey

Superintendent surprises HISD staff affected by Harvey

Nearly 400 staff members receive relief grants 

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza and the Houston ISD Foundation are making the holidays a little merrier for several hundred members of Team HISD affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Earlier this week, about 400 staff members received an email and video from Carranza informing them that they were the recipient of a special grant to help them recover from the storm.

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“When I got the email, I just started crying,” said Booker. T. Washington High School clerk Kimberly Grover. “We lost everything in the storm, and I didn’t think my kids and I would even be able to have a Christmas, but because of this we will.”   Continue reading →

Pop Up Shop for Harvey-impacted families canceled; will be rescheduled after holidays

Sunday’s Pop Up Shop for families impacted by Hurricane Harvey has been canceled.

The Pop Up Shop was previously scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, at Butler Stadium. An alternative time and date  for the Pop Up Shop is pending for after the holidays, and HISD will broadcast that information as soon as it becomes available.

 

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AIG donates $100,000 to HISD Foundation for Harvey relief efforts

At the November HISD Board of Education meeting, representatives from American International Group (AIG) presented a donation of $100,000 to the HISD Foundation for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“The American International Group (AIG) has historically been a strong and generous supporter of the Houston community,” Board of Education President Wanda Adams said during the meeting. “That has been especially true in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.” Continue reading →

Project aDOORe exhibit on display at Hattie Mae White

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An exhibit of student art from 26 campuses across HISD that features doors from storm-damaged homes transformed into works of art is on display at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

The fine arts initiative — known as Project aDOORe Houston — aims to strengthen school communities that were most impacted by Hurricane Harvey by providing students with a means to heal through the creation of art. The exhibit will continue through Dec. 15.   Continue reading →

New Jersey student inspired to reach out to HISD in wake of Harvey 

Like millions of others across the country, Aleyna Kilic, a seventh-grade student in Jersey City, NJ, watched the news about Hurricane Harvey in disbelief at the devastation the storm wrought.

Instead of thinking, “someone has to do something,” Kilic knew she had to get involved personally.

Unsure about the best course of action, she reached out to the counselor at her school, The Learning Community Charter School, Shanelle Muse. LCCS is a PK-8 school with 585 students who come from all over Jersey City, which has been named one of the most diverse cities in the nation.   Continue reading →

HISD teachers receive Hurricane Harvey relief grants 

This week, more than 140 teachers  across the district were awarded grant money that will go toward putting classrooms back together in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Thanks to the HISD Foundation and many philanthropists and corporations locally and nationally, nearly $178,000 was awarded to teachers in partial or full grants of up to $1,500. The grants were awarded based on need, the number of applications, and available funds.

The storm left many HISD schools across the city damaged, and many teachers had limited resources to get their classrooms back up and running before the start of school. In September, teachers were encouraged to submit an application to request funds that would cover the costs of replacing classroom supplies, technology, and other resources that were lost as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey.   Continue reading →

Principals honor Superintendent for leadership during Harvey

Carranza and COO Brian Busby surprised at monthly principals meeting

HISD Superintendent of Schools Richard Carranza surprised all district principals with a special ‘”HISD Strong” award at their monthly leadership meeting on Oct. 4, but then school leaders turned the surprise back on him.

While in the midst of being honored by Carranza for her efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Scarborough Elementary Principal Miriam Medina invited a group of fellow school leaders to the front of the board auditorium. The group then announced to the superintendent and Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby that they were awarding the two of them for their leadership during and after the storm.

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“Speaking for myself and the group up here, I appreciate our Superintendent and Mr. Busby for their ability to take in all the information including the federal information from FEMA, the state, and local decisions being made at a moment’s notice and then distribute it to us,” said Bellaire High School Principal Mike McDonough, one of nearly a dozen principals who gathered at the front of the board auditorium.

The group, made up of leaders from campuses who had a delayed first day of school because of the storm, thanked Carranza and Busby for their for their strength, support, and commitment to HISD students, staff, and schools impacted by the storm.

“They made sure to make decisions with the help of us, the principals, and included our expertise and knowledge of our school communities,” McDonough said. “We appreciate it.”

Carranza, who was genuinely surprised by the award presentation, thanked the crowd and said the best was yet to come.

“This city cannot survive and this city cannot be a world class city without Houston ISD,” Carranza said. “HISD is the best school district in the state, and we are going to make sure everyone knows it!”

 

Hurricane art by HISD students on sale to raise money for hurricane relief

When some HISD students wanted to raise money for hurricane victims, they picked up their paint brushes and crayons and got to work. Tinsley Elementary School art teacher Phil Daum and his students are using art and technology to raise money for the HISD Foundation’s hurricane fund.

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Yao Ming visits Hilliard ES, donates $100K to mayor’s hurricane fund 

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Basketball star Yao Ming toured the flooded Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 26 to show his support for HISD students suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Hilliard is among the “top 10” HISD schools damaged by the storm, and it will be months before students will be able to return.

Ming joined Hilliard Principal Edrick Moultry and HISD officials at the school, which took on four feet of water from nearby Halls Bayou. Also on the tour were HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza, Board President Wanda Adams, and Trustees Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Diana Dávila, Anna Eastman, and Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca.

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First day of school for some HISD students means reporting to a new school 

The streets in the neighborhood in northeast Houston just north of Halls Bayou were lined with furniture, drywall, and carpeting, a sure sign that their houses had flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

Joseph and Karina Mayorga had just finished remodeling their two-story house when the water came. Although they had only about a foot of water in their house, it was enough to destroy their living room furniture, appliances, new red-oak kitchen cabinets, and original hardwood floors dating to 1951.

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