Tag Archives: North Forest HS

North Forest celebrates transition into new school with ceremonial walk

Hundreds of North Forest High School students followed Principal Darryl Henson across Mesa Road on Monday, coming together to formally mark their transition into their new school.

The $59.5 million campus is the first new high school built in the North Forest community in almost 50 years.

“It’s important to show our students that we are coming over into a new environment that was built just for them,” Henson said, talking about the importance of the ceremonial walk from the old building to the new one. “I want the kids to feel a sense of pride and ownership.”

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HISD to open four new or renovated schools Jan. 8

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Three Houston Independent School District high schools and one elementary school will open their doors and welcome students in to new facilities when they return from winter break on Jan. 8.

The schools are Sharpstown, Scarborough and North Forest high schools, and Robinson Elementary School.

Sharpstown was rebuilt and Scarborough was renovated as part of the district’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The construction of the new North Forest High School and renovation of storm-damaged Robinson Elementary School were overseen by the bond team, but not funded with bond dollars. Continue reading →

North Forest HS construction approaches completion

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With construction almost complete, the North Forest High School Bulldogs are on track to kick off the 2018 spring semester in their new building.

Both doors and kitchen equipment have arrived for installation, and marker boards are scheduled to be delivered in the coming weeks, project officials said. Carpet and ceiling tile installation also is underway.

The $59.5 million campus, which is being built on the east side of Mesa Road across from the existing school, will accommodate 1,300 to 1,500 students.

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Achieve 180 debuts with parade and community event in Sunnyside

Worthing feeder pattern schools join forces for ‘Southside Takeover’

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza took to the streets of the Sunnyside community on Saturday, Aug. 19, for the first ever “Southside Takeover,” a back-to-school bash to kick-off the start of the 2017-2018 school year and the start of Achieve180.

“Achieve 180 is more than a plan or initiative,” said Carranza. “It’s a movement to better serve our historically underserved and academically challenged schools.”

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The “Southside Takeover” featured Carranza at the helm of a parade with students, staff, and parents from Worthing High School, along with various other campuses in the south area, and a resource fair for families with free immunizations, school supplies, backpacks, uniforms, food, and entertainment. Continue reading →

Darryl Henson named new principal of North Forest High School

Darryl Henson (Houston Independent School District)Dr. Darryl Henson has been selected as the new principal for North Forest High School. Dr. Henson returns to Houston from Ysleta ISD, where he has been serving as the principal of Parkland High School for the last two years. Under his leadership, Parkland earned all seven academic distinctions from the Texas Education Agency. Dr. Henson began his career in education as an elementary  teacher in Austin before joining HISD in 2007 as a special education teacher at Wisdom High School. He also held other administrative roles as assistant principal at Heights High School and as an elementary and middle school principal in El Paso. Dr. Henson earned his bachelor of science degree in elementary education at the University of Texas in Austin, master’s degree in education from the University of Texas, Arlington, and a doctor of education from the University of Houston.

Construction on new North Forest High School reaches halfway point

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Construction on the new North Forest High School, located on the city’s northeast side, is now 50 percent complete and scheduled to be finished in the third quarter of 2017.

“The project has really gained momentum over the last quarter,” said HISD Senior Manager of Construction Services Meredith Smith, who is overseeing the project. “We’re right at the half-way point now, and there’s lots of activity on the site. We’re seeing progress every day.”

The new $59.5 million campus, which is being built on the east side of Mesa Road across from the existing school, will accommodate 1,500 students. Continue reading →

Challenging childhood prompts probation officer to give back

In this week’s “I Am HISD,” which features district students, graduates, employees, volunteers, and other team members, probation officer Juan Sorto talks about what prompted him to become a member of HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools, why he is so passionate about working with students in the North Forest area, and who inspired him to reach for greatness as a child.IAH_JuanSorto_200

You approached HISD several years ago with a very specific request: to volunteer in schools that used to be part of North Forest ISD. Why was serving students in that part of town so important to you?

I moved to the North Forest area in 2001, and I still live there today. It has a lot of students who are in the same situation I was as a kid. They are growing up in the same condition—poverty. I was raised by a single mother who didn’t know any English and barely finished the second grade, and I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school and go to college. When I finally reached a level where I was stable in life and had a disposable income, I wanted to get more involved with kids who were struggling themselves but maybe didn’t know how to succeed.

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Construction continues for new North Forest HS

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Steel beams are now standing, and concrete slabs are being completed on the new North Forest High School.

The new facility will accommodate 1,300 to 1,500 students and is set to include plenty of natural light, flexible learning spaces, a modern dining commons and CTE (career and technical education) spaces. It is the only school in the district with plans for an indoor running track.

The target completion is first quarter of 2017.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects

New schools in North Forest making construction progress

Driving along Mesa Road in the North Forest neighborhood in HISD, steel columns can be seen rising from the sites of North Forest High School and North Forest Early Childhood Center, as both projects have begun vertical construction and are proceeding on schedule.

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Teachers: Attend a job fair for North Forest area schools on June 5

$5,000 sign-on/transfer bonus being offered

Teachers interested in making a difference in a child’s life can attend a job fair on Friday, June 5, for HISD schools in the North Forest area.

There are openings at all levels, and a $5,000 sign-on or transfer bonus is being offered to help recruit highly effective teachers to North Forest schools. You must be a pool-approved candidate to attend or a current HISD teacher to attend. Use the link below to apply now.

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