Photo by Wanda Hanson
At the regular March 3 Houston School Board meeting, High School Principal Michael Mangan presented an update on next year’s high school course offerings to the board. A new course entitled Financial Foundations will provide students a path to “financial success built on knowledge and wisdom carried out over their lifetime.” According to Mangan, it’s “the stuff people say they wish they’d learned in high school.”
An additional FACS (family and consumer science) class called Global Foods will allow students to learn more about world cultures and how culture influences cooking techniques as well as explore career opportunities in the field.
The Summit Learning Center will offer an additional life skills course; there are several grant opportunities through Perkins Grants and MDE for this offering.
An advanced art class will give students who have already taken all the art classes currently offered at HHS the chance to continue their art education through a structured independent study.
With the middle school focus on the concept that middle school is a time to try new things, a FACS class will be added there as well.
March 24, parents and students grades 7-10 will have a meeting to register for next year’s classes.
Stop It Solutions
Mangan also presented information on Stop It Solutions, a student reporting app. This anonymous reporting system will be available for students to report bullying and anxiety and mental health concerns about themselves and others.
The app is available through a grant from the Department of Justice at no charge to the school; it is personalized for the school with reports going to the appropriate school employees such as principals and school counselors. It offers a 24-7, 365 days a year crisis textline for students as well as resources such as links for meditation and dealing with anxiety. The app will be pushed out to the school chrome books and QR codes will be posted throughout the school. This effort will be coordinated with the local police department.
Washington, D.C. trip
The junior/senior trip to Washington, D.C. is being planned for November 27–December 3, 2022. Students will have multiple chances to fundraise for the trip with pizza sales in the spring and fall as well as a fruit, meat, and cheese fundraiser in the fall and a pasta fundraiser in the spring/fall. They can also choose to work in the concession stand at football games. The trip will cost between $1,565 for students choosing to have four people in their rooms and $2,470 for single occupancy. Parents will have an informational meeting about the trip soon; the board will be set to approve the trip at their April meeting.
Other business
In other business the board:
•Applauded as Superintendent Mary Morem recognized Lilly Davenport as a Hurricane Hero; Lilly rode the preschool bus to help students get on and off the bus while working to graduate early;
•Learned the CDC guidelines no longer required staff or student masking on school van and bus transportation;
•Agreed with Morem that she should get quotes for a copy machine to be located on the second floor of the elementary;
•Learned that the banking options for the school were still being compared; a decision must be made at the April board meeting;
•Approved the school calendar with a shorter Christmas break from December 23-January 2 and school ending for students on June 1; the elementary will use September 6 and 7 for interview days with parents and children;
•Agreed to have Scholastic Equipment handle the new toilet partitions project over the summer with the total of $38,525 coming out of long-term maintenance funding for next school year;
•Heard that the proactive approach of hiring two long term subs for the school and increasing sub pay had made a “night and day difference” in handling teachers’ absences.
The next regular Houston School Board meeting will be April 7 at 6 p.m. in the high school media center; the public is welcome to attend in person or view the meeting on the school website link.