This past week, we celebrated the Lunar New Year and our community came out in droves to celebrate with us at our Bill Marshall Center. You can check out the pictures here. Thanks to Jennifer Baker and the Alief staff committee who helped make this Saturday a special day. When we think about our strategic goal, “Alief Family,” these cultural celebrations are opportunities for us to come together and enjoy the rich diversity of Alief ISD. I had a fantastic time and look forward to next year.
Last week was busy, but amid everything, I was able to attend the Westchase Rotary Club Soup’er Bowl. Check out the photos here. Congrats to our students for winning this cooking competition against Spring Branch ISD for the second year in a row. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Houston Westchase for supporting our students with scholarships from funds raised. If you have not had an opportunity to stop in and have lunch at our bistro, you are missing a real treat. I encourage everyone to stop in and grab a bite.
This week, we continue to celebrate Black History Month and all the magnificent accomplishments of African Americans throughout the country. With the November election approaching, I am reminded of Annie Lee Cooper, a civil rights activist who stood in line for hours to register to vote in 1965. Annie Lee Cooper failed a literacy test and was denied the right to vote and was even fired from her job as a nurse for exercising her right to vote. Let’s not take this right for granted come November. Every election is important, so vote and vote often!
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Celebrations
Kerr High School student Hoan Nguyen's artwork was selected as a finalist in the World Aids Day Art competition! Hoan's artwork is designed to raise awareness about HIV and is also part of the largest public display of youth artwork in Harris County. Congratulations!
Alief Hastings High School Rodolfo Gonzalez has been selected as a 2023-2024 National Youth Advisory Council Member for The Kroger Co’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste environmental and social impact plan. This is the second year of selecting and collaborating with a 15-member Youth Advisory Council of committed student leaders across the US. This year, more than 1,500 students were considered for this Youth Advisory Council role. The Alief community is immensely proud to have such a remarkable representative in this national leadership program.
The National Wildlife Federation is involved with a group of teachers and students at Taylor High School as part of their Resilience in Schools & Communities (RiSC) program. They have applied and been awarded a grant to increase the resiliency of their school grounds, and are looking to implement a pocket prairie as well as tree planting project next spring. The teacher who is leading the project is Ms. Angel Brooks.
Congratulations to senior Hastings Fighting Bear football player, Tristen Shandy, for being selected as a finalist for the Touchdown Club of Houston Football Scholar Athlete Awards Program. Out of the 59 nominations received by the Touchdown Club from area coaches, Tristen was chosen as a finalist for this award. This is the 25th year for this program that highlights the brightest and the best. Tristen will be recognized and honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, February 21 at the Bayou Event Center in Houston, Texas.
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Looking forward
February: Black History Month
February: CTE Month
February: Love the Bus Month
February 19: President’s Day (Student/Staff Holiday)
February 20: Board Meeting
February: 20-22: Education Foundation Spirit Day
February 28: New Teacher Spring Summit
March 2: Alief Family U Conference
April 6: Teacher Job Fair
April 27: Taste of Alief