Tag Archives: Johnston MS

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 →

HISD librarians code for literacy at ‘hackathon’

HISD librarians are participating in a new twist on the usual computer codefest this Saturday, from 12-7 p.m. when they take part in a “literacy hackathon” at the Houston Public Library.

At least six librarians, representing Lovett ES, Colter ES, Bonner ES, Scroggins ES, Johnston Middle School and the Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion School, have signed up to participate in Literacy Hack – a free, collaborative event where designers, writers, educators, software developers and other citizens work together on projects to help the literacy community. The event is sponsored by the Houston Center for Literacy.
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K-2 ‘Name That Book’ contest encourages reading at a young age

Everyone’s a winner just for competing in the HISD K-2 “Name That Book” contest, which was held March 3-7 at MC Williams Middle School. There were 10 winners — two winners on each of the five days — out of almost 80 participating elementary schools: Askew, Bell, Briargrove, Condit, Lockhart, Lovett, Mandarin Chinese, Valley West, West University, and Wharton Dual Language elementary schools. Each school can enter only one team. Students received medals and certificates for competing.

The annual K-2 competition prepares younger students for upper-level competition, which includes all grade levels and continues through April 17. Unlike the upper-level students, K-2 students only compete on one day. Middle school finalists – Black, Briarmeadow, Energized for Excellence, Energized for Stem Southwest, Grady, Johnston, Pin Oak, T. H. Rogers – compete at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 14, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. See the full contest schedule here.

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HISD students, staff join national school choice celebration at Union Station

Clifton MS sixth-grader Victoria Lopez and her mom got to know HISD School Support Officer Lupita Hinojosa, left, at Saturday’s National School Choice Week kick-off event.

HISD students and staff were among the thousands who attended the National School Choice Week kick-off at Houston’s Union Station Saturday, Jan. 25. The celebration brought together Democrats and Republicans, home-schoolers, public school districts, charters, and even a few virtual learners around a common cause: school choice.

Superintendent Terry Grier, introduced by KIPP Co-founder Mike Feinberg, pointed out to a sea of yellow scarves and signs advocating school choice. Nearly 70,000 students in HISD are exercising their right to choose the school that meets their unique needs. Contingents from Elrod,Garden Oaks, Parker, Poe Red, and Roberts elementary schools; Clifton, Fleming, Johnston and Revere middle schools; and Chavez, Challenge Early College and South Early College high schools were there.

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Middle-School Orchestra Invited to Perform at Carnegie Hall Next Year

Johnston is the first from the Houston area to be so honored

Johnston MS

Johnston Middle School’s Sinfonia orchestra will be heading to Carnegie Hall next April, thanks to a stellar performance at a National Orchestra Honors competition this spring and the encouragement of an internationally acclaimed conductor.

The orchestra was named one of three national winners in the “middle school strings” category of the contest held in May of 2013 after submitting recordings of two of its performances for judging.

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Got holiday cards? Order yours from HISD through Dec. 6

Every year, HISD students from across the district create original artworks in the hopes of having their design chosen to grace the district’s annual holiday card. This year, Superintendent Terry Grier selected three students’ designs–one from Park Place ES, one from Johnston MS, and one from DeBakey HS. The winners were announced during a special reception for the finalists on Nov. 8. You can learn more and see a gallery of all of the finalists’ submissions in this related article.

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Johnston MS Receives $28,000 Grant to Support Japanese Language Instruction

The Consulate-General of Japan in Houston recently presented HISD with a $28,000 Japan Foundation grant to support the Japanese language program at Johnston Middle School. The check was awarded during a reception welcoming students from Chiba, Japan, who visited Houston Aug. 16 to 29 as part of the Japan America Society of Houston’s Houston-Chiba Youth Exchange program.

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Millionaire Club Spotlight: What Are You Reading This Summer?

HISD’s Millionaire Club is a literacy initiative designed to encourage students to read for pleasure during the summer months. Each week, we’ll catch up with one HISD librarian to find out what’s on his or her reading list. This week, we spoke with Cindy Dinneen, a librarian at Johnston Middle School.

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Johnston MS Orchestra Recognized at State and National Levels

Johnston Middle School’s Sinfonia Orchestra recently earned recognition at both the state and national levels.

The group was ranked as one of the top five most-outstanding middle school orchestras for the third consecutive year by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), through the TMEA’s Honor Orchestra program. This annual competition seeks “to recognize and honor quality musicianship in the performance of advanced literature at the highest level” since 1960.

On the national front, Johnston was also named one of the Foundation for Music Education’s commended Mark of Excellence winners in the “string orchestra” category of the National Orchestra Honors project (Lanier MS is the other honoree from HISD; it won in the “full orchestra” category).

The Johnston Sinfonia Orchestra is directed by José Rocha.