HISD’s Department of School Choice has announced key dates for families interested in participating in the school choice process and enrolling their scholars in magnet or alternative schools.
The process has been updated based on feedback that the District received from families with the intention of simplifying and streamlining the school choice process. HISD will condense the application and enrollment timeline in order to notify families about their options earlier.
Continue readingFonville Middle School is an HISD magnet campus that houses the Academy for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Professionals. Under the direction of Magnet Coordinator Nishtha Pant, Fonville’s three-year-old magnet program gives STEM scholars access to classes developed to foster creative thinking in scientific fields.
Fonville’s STEM curriculum begins with Introduction to STEM in the sixth grade and branches out into three learning pathways: Engineering, Information Technology, and Computer Science. To supplement these programs of study, Fonville works with community organizations to introduce further STEM concepts. One of these organizations is the Houston Zoo, who visited Fonville on Friday, Nov. 3, with three animal ambassadors in tow.
Continue readingHartsfield Elementary School looks like an average campus from the outside. Inside the school’s front doors, even a keen observer might not immediately notice one of the elements that makes Hartsfield unique, even though it – or they – are just a few feet away, lining the hallways to the left and right: snakes, lizards, a tarantula, even an alligator, all call Hartsfield, HISD’s only Animal and Environmental Science magnet elementary school, home.
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Roaring applause and cheers of joy echoed throughout the Parker Elementary School cafeteria on Monday as Principal Lori Frodine welcomed students to the first day of school in their new building.
To mark the first day, students gathered by grade level for assemblies in the cafeteria, where Frodine excitedly introduced the students to the new facility and its features and answered their questions.
“You guys have the coolest music rooms ever,” Frodine said to the eager students seated before her.
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Sugary donuts and hot coffee lined blue tables at the front entrance of Kolter Elementary School as students, faculty, and parents covered their hands with bright-colored paint and marked the building’s exterior with vibrant handprints.
The festivities were part of a “Donuts before Demo” event designed to allow hundreds of community members the chance to say goodbye to their beloved building, which is being demolished and rebuilt due to damages sustained from Hurricane Harvey.
“It’s exciting,” Kolter Principal Julie Dickinson said, smiling. “Although initial circumstances weren’t ideal, we’re getting a new building. It’s worth the wait.”
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Over the winter break, Lockhart Elementary School hosted a free three-day computer camp for 60 students in a coding club sponsored by Schlumberger, a global technology supplier. The camp was also sponsored by KidsXplore, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching kids about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Students in grades 4-6 learned how to build computers using a new computer platform called Raspberry Pi. The students connected wireless keyboards, monitors and speakers to their CPUs (central processing units). Once their computers were built, students connected them to a Wi-Fi network where they were able to load Scratch and other computer programming software. Students also participated in a circuits workshop to explore circuit design. Continue reading
Burbank and Elrod elementary schools to keep magnet status for 2014-2015 academic yea
The Houston Independent School District is restoring the magnet designation at two elementary schools following a thorough review of the schools’ presentations and related documentation during the appeal process. Burbank and Elrod elementary schools will keep their magnet designation and funding for the 2014-2015 academic year.
“As we listened to the magnet program representatives who presented appeals, the committee was looking for clear evidence that these programs were on the path to meeting the magnet standards within one to two years,” HISD Assistant Superintendent of School Choice Dave Wheat said. “After a lot of deliberation, we’re pleased to announce that we are restoring the magnet designation at Elrod and Burbank elementary schools.”
At least 80 people applied for entry into one of Houston ISD’s newest high schools, the Energy Institute High School, on Wednesday afternoon at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
The Energy Institute High School will capitalize on Houston’s renowned energy industry, representing the fields of geoscience, alternative energy, and offshore technology. Corporate partnerships at the full magnet school will help provide a strong foundation in chemistry, engineering, science and mathematics. Students will be encouraged to see how professionals operate and are provided with numerous real-world experiences which provide an edge for future college coursework.
These could be your students at the new Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan beginning next fall.
Applications are being accepted now through the application deadline of May 16, 2013 for the newly created Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan. The two new magnet schools were approved by the HISD Board of Trustees at a recent board meeting.
The Energy Institute High School will capitalize on Houston’s world-leading energy industry, representing the fields of geoscience, alternative energy, and offshore technology. HISD is expanding its existing partnership with the Independent Petroleum Association of America to enhance the school’s curriculum and instruction. The Energy Institute High School will begin with ninth-grade students and add a grade level each year to eventually serve students in grades 9-12.
New campuses will expand options for students seeking specialty schools with academically challenging courses
The HISD Board of Education on Thursday approved creating two new magnet schools that will offer a highly rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The newly created Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will now begin enrolling students for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. The Energy Institute High School will begin with ninth-grade students and add a grade level each year to eventually serve students in grades 9-12. The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will open with a sixth-grade class and eventually serve students in grades 6-8. Earlier this year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education authorized the district to apply for $12 million in federal magnet school funds for these two new magnets and six others (click here for more information).