News Blog | Whats happening in HISD

Time 2020-10-26 05:04:06

Web Name: News Blog | Whats happening in HISD

WebSite: http://blogs.houstonisd.org

ID:94646

Keywords:

Whats,Blog,News,

Description:

HISD’s Department of Academic andCareer Counselinginvites all district staff, students and parents to jointhem in recognizing Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest andlargestdrugprevention awareness program.Red Ribbon Week, which is celebratedannually October 23-31, has taken on national significance mobilizingcommunities to educate students and encourage participation in drug preventionactivities. Wearing red ribbons during the month of October represents thepledge to live drug-free and honors all who have lost their lives in the fightagainst drugs. A group of enthusiastic teachers clad in blue Huskiest-shirts cheered as students arrived at the new Scarborough Elementary Schoolfor the first time on Monday. After undergoing temperature checks, the studentsmarveled at their new surroundings and the colorful bilingual welcome signs awaiting them. Fourth-grader Elizabeth Garza wore ablack mask imprinted with the smile of a Cheshire cat, but the sparkle in hereyes made it clear she was smiling just as wide underneath it. As Mitchell Elementary School students arrived for the firstday of in-person instruction, there were plenty of bright eyes and broadsmiles, evident even underneath their masks.The students entered the new school and looked on inamazement at their new surroundings. Teachers stood nearby reminding them towalk while observing physical distancing. With their backpacks filled, the students made their way totheir classrooms, greeted teachers, and quickly found their seats, ready tobegin the school day. A day before Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, TiffanyIrving and her son Grant eagerly delivered school supplies to his kindergartenclassroom at Mitchell Elementary, just south of Hobby Airport. Little did they know then that Grant’s supplies — along withthe rest of his building and three other elementary schools across the district— would be destroyed in the coming days as the storm dumped unprecedentedamounts of rain on the city. Unfortunately, the damage wasn’t limited to the school. The Irving’shome just around the corner from the school also flooded.Studentscouldn’t hold back their delight as they entered the new Braeburn ElementarySchool for the first time on Monday — the district’s first day of in-personlearning.long-awaited day marked not just a return to classrooms, but also the firsttime since 2017 that Braeburn students have been able to settle into apermanent home. Teachersoffered a friendly ‘hello’ and ‘welcome back’ to students as they entered themain hallway, were positioned in physically distant single-file lines, and thenled to their new classrooms. Kolter Elementary School Principal Julianne Dickinson beganto feel the weight of Monday morning before the sun went down the day before.For Dickinson, Monday was different for a few reasons — thestart of in-person instruction, the return of students to classrooms after eightmonths, and the required use of masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the most special reason was that it was her students’first day in their newly constructed school.you follow Eliot Elementary School Plant Operator Irma Martinez along on hernew cleaning route, you’ll see her clean and disinfect the school fromwall-to-wall — figuratively and literally.part of her new duties, Martinez is required to clean and sanitize restroomsand high touch surfaces every hour. It includes walls, door handles, lightswitches, faucets, cafeteria tables, and anything else young students may touchthat could harbor viruses.“I try to help the students as fast as I can,” Martinez said. “That’s why I don’t work by myself. I work with my team.” Chantal Duval-Jackson’s Kickstart Karate students lined upin neat rows and ran through warm-up drills on Monday with their usualprecision and enthusiastic shouts of “Kiai!” The only noticeable differences on the first day of face-to-face instruction at Navarro Middle School were the addition of masks and carefully staggered checkerboard mat to ensure social distancing measures were observed.Duval-Jackson, who has taught karate at the school for nearly10 years, had the extra challenge this year of creating a safe space for herstudents – not an easy task considering karate usually is a full-contact sport.She has about 150 students in sixth through eighth grades, and about 30 percentof those students have opted for in-person instruction. The majority of herstudents are participating virtually. HISD campuses may have been closed for months, but the team at Highland Heights Elementary School has been working around the clock to make sure their school community is safe, clothed, fed, and supported.The Highland Heights Resource Center officially opened its doors on Monday, welcoming new and old Honeybees to the first-of-its-kind center, which offers families much-needed items such as food, clothes, shoes, and toiletries. HighlandHeights Wraparound Resource Specialist Brendella Chavis has worked diligently tomake sure students were supported.Nurse Janda Jelks’ first year as a school nurse has beenunusual and challenging, but she has leveraged her creativity and enthusiasm toexcel in her new role.Jelks, who worked in a hospital before coming to Mark WhiteElementary School, said her goal is to foster relationships between parents,teachers, and students and ensure the return to face-to-face instruction is assmooth as possible.“Our priority is making sure kids are getting as muchinstruction time as they can, either virtually or in person,” Jelks said. “Iwould hate for something that I’m doing, even though it’s state-mandated, tocut into that. So instead of the students coming to me, I come to them.”

TAGS:Whats Blog News 

<<< Thank you for your visit >>>

Hot Websites