UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Dance Concert

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 - 7:30 PM

Spring Dance Concert

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 - 7:30 PM

SAT Only

Sat, Mar 13, 2010 - 8:00 AM

Spring Break

Mon, Mar 15, 2010 - 7:55 AM

PTO General Meeting

Mon, Mar 22, 2010 - 6:30 PM

PTO Board Meeting

Mon, Mar 22, 2010 - 7:00 PM

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Bring the World to Your Family - Without Leaving Home!

May 01, 2009

Each August more than 2,400 AFS high school exchange students from around the world arrive in families across America . Would you share your home with one of these students for the school year or a semester, this year or maybe next? From Africa, Europe, Asia, or Latin America.

AFS Intercultural Programs/USA www.afsusa.org has led student exchanges for more than 60 years. We know family life makes all the difference for a young visitor and we will work with you to match a student with your interests and personalities. When you open your home and heart to a child from another country - even temporarily - you introduce the world to your family and give your AFS student the opportunity to take back a piece of America. Single parents and empty nesters are welcome, as well as families with young children - it's all about your heart, not your size or demographic!

As a school and family based program, students are accepted into public and private schools across our communities, for a year or a semester. AFS staff and volunteers provide support throughout the year with frequent events and orientations and discussion groups. Together, we believe we can change the world for peace.

Please let Carol Marshall, hosting volunteer, (713-660-6413 or cmarsha@swbell.net) know if you want to reach out and host an AFS Exchange Student. Thank you for continuing to help us welcome outstanding exchange students into caring American families like yours! We have details about program abroad as well (semester, summer, or year!) so call us soon.

AFS Intercultural Programs www.afs.org

Letter of thanks to curernt and future hosting families.

HSPVA ranked the third best high school for students by the Children at Risk organization.

(more info...)

Piano company is instrumental to the success of HISD music students

January 21, 2009

Eleventh-grade student X'ene Taylor dreams of becoming a famous concert pianist, but first she's getting the training she needs at HISD's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). Thanks to Forshey Piano she is able to get that training on a brand new concert piano.

"It helps to motivate us to practice because in the past, we had older pianos, and they didn't sound the same," says Taylor. "With the older pianos, we couldn't do everything we wanted to do in a piece, but now with the new ones, we get a lot of work done and it sounds good."

Last year, Forshey Piano Company partnered with HSPVA to loan new pianos to HSPVA students and faculty. After one year of use, the pianos are now available for sale at a substantial discount by Forshey Piano. Forshey continues to provide new pianos for HSPVA every school year for free and the company also maintains the instruments at no cost to the school.

The Piano Sale will take place Friday, January 23, through Sunday, January 25, at Forshey Piano (800 Southwest Fwy., 77027). Interested buyers must call to make an appointment at 713-621-9955.

"Our partnership with Forshey Piano and the Steinway Company means that HSPVA will be supplied with new pianos every year," said HSPVA Principal Dr. Herb Karpicke. "This is so important for our students. To learn and to perform on excellent instruments gives a huge advantage to young players. We are very grateful to Fred Forshey for making this opportunity possible."

"Forshey Piano recognizes the potential of the amazingly talented students at HSPVA," said Fred Forshey. "They have earned the right to play and create on the best pianos available. That's why we stepped in with a program that provides new Steinway-designed pianos each year. After all, music is the daily food for the soul."

(For more information, contact the HISD Press Office at 713-556-6393)

Congratulations to the Theatre Department on the National Youth Theatre Awards!

From the National Youth Theatre Awards web site (for direct link to article select this link).

National Youth Theatre is excited to announce the winners of our Third Annual National Youth Theatre Awards to honor outstanding work in youth theatre. This year more than double the shows from last year were considered for the awards, including more than 170 productions from more than 90 different theatres in more than 60 cities spanning 23 states.

The award winners were selected from nominations by a panel of ten judges and reviewers. In addition to the youth who performed in the youth theatre companies, any minor (under age 18) who performed at a show reviewed by a National Youth Theatre judge was also considered for the awards, as well as the adults who participated in the youth theatre productions backstage (directors, set designers, costume designers, etc.). Thank you all for your incredible work and all the unforgettable entertainment over the past year!

The winners will be formally presented with their awards at a ceremony honoring their accomplishments in different regions of the country including two ceremonies in California, one in Phoenix for the Western half of the country excluding California, one for the Northeast (CT, NY, MA, and PA), and another for the rest of the Eastern half of the country.

Award winners are listed below by the area of the country in which they performed. If you can't make it to your ceremony, you might be able to attend one of the other ceremonies if you wish. Please RSVP using the link below. We hope you can join us

Western Region
Sunday, August 17 @ 7:30 p.m.

Herberger Theatre Center
222 E. Monroe
Phoenix, AZ 85004

How's this for a follow up to five GRAMMYS? Two Presidential Scholars!

HISD's HSPVA the only school in the country to do so

May 2, 2008 - Two students from HISD's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) have just been named Presidential Scholars for 2008. Jamye M. Grant and Grantham H. Coleman are both 17-year-old seniors and are both theatre students.

Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 3,000 candidates qualified as potential Presidential Scholars on the basis of outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, or by nomination through the nationwide youngARTS™ competition conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Only 139 students were named Presidential Scholars, 20 of those from fine arts schools.

Only five students from Texas were named Presidential Scholars. In addition to the two students from HSPVA, there were two students from two private schools in Dallas and a student from a public school in Austin.

Principal Herb Karpicke said, "Recently we were honored for the fifth time as a GRAMMY Signature School and now this. HSPVA is the only school in the country that can boast TWO Presidential Scholars this year and over the history of the program HSPVA has had more Presidential Scholars in the performing and visual arts than any other high school in the nation. I am extremely proud of these students and of the national accolades our school continues to receive. It speaks volumes about the quality of our staff, our programs and our students."

The Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments in Washington D.C., from June 21-24. In addition, each Presidential Scholar will be allowed to select his or her most inspiring and challenging teacher to travel to Washington, D.C., to receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education and to participate in the recognition events.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, who is herself a product of HISD schools, said "The 2008 Presidential Scholars shine a bright hope on the future of our country. Not only have these young graduates demonstrated exemplary discipline and achievement in academics and the arts, but they have also exhibited exceptional leadership and service to their local communities. Their commitment to excellence and contributions to society reflect the character and innovation necessary to keep America both competitive economically and collaborative in overcoming challenges within our global community."

The Presidential Scholars program was created in 1964 to honor academic achievement and was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the arts. The program has honored more than 5,000 of the nation's top students over its history. The 139 Presidential Scholars for 2008 include one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and students from families of U.S. citizens living abroad. This also includes 15 chosen at-large and 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts. A 29-member Commission on Presidential Scholars appointed by President Bush selected the scholars based on their academic success, artistic excellence, community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

(For more information, please contact the HISD Press Office)

HSPVA Music Department Named One of Five GRAMMY Signature Schools

More than 20,000 schools were considered, but only 14 were chosen as GRAMMY Signature Schools for 2008 - and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is one of them.

This is the fifth such honor the GRAMMY Foundation has bestowed upon HSPVA (4001 Stanford, 77006).

"For the past 10 years, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program has recognized and rewarded excellence in music education at U.S. public high schools," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy® and President of the GRAMMY Foundation. "These schools maintain high quality music programs that foster and demonstrate the significant role music can play in the lives of their students."

Each of the 14 GRAMMY Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit the school's music program. The recipients are determined by a panel of top music educators and professionals. The selection process begins each year in September when the GRAMMY Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools requesting information about each school's music program.

Applications are completed and submitted online in October. After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs, and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent screening committee to determine which schools merit Signature School status.

"The first time we were recognized by the GRAMMY Foundation it was an extreme honor," said HSPVA Principal Herbert Karpicke, "but to repeat four more times speaks to the enduring quality of our music programs, the consistent hard work of our students, the unwavering dedication of the HSPVA staff and the continuing support of HISD's administration and Board of Education."

"This GRAMMY award recognizes the quality and quantity of our music offerings," added HSPVA Music Department Coordinator Pat Bonner. "I am so proud of our music faculty, students, and parents who are committed to maintaining such a high level of achievement."

(For more information, please contact the HISD Press Office)

HSPVA wins the 2008 Name That Book Contest!
Congratulations to all of our team members!
Texas Senator Rodney Ellis announcement about the
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Children's Medicaid

"CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to uninsured children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private coverage. A family of four can earn up to 200 percent of the federal level - $41,300 a year for a family of four in 2007 - and qualify. Families will pay no more than $50 a year to insure all their children. CHIP and Medicaid cover regular check-ups and immunizations, hospitalization, surgery, x-rays, prescription drugs, dental, vision and mental health services. "

"On Saturday, February 23 from 10:00am to 3:00pm, the Children's Defense Fund of Texas will hold a children's health insurance program enrollment drive at 21 participating H-E-B stores. Trained volunteers will be on hand to assist families in applying for CHIP and Medicaid. To apply for coverage at local enrollment centers, parents need to bring copies of proof of household income. Accepted forms of documentation include: one recent pay stub; last year's W-2 tax form; or a letter from the employer verifying cash income. Parents should also bring copies of children's birth certificates and children's social security numbers. "

"Families can also apply for CHIP or Medicaid by calling toll-free 1-877-KIDS-NOW or downloading an application from the internet at www.chipmedicaid.org."

"The 2007 Texas Legislature made important strides in restoring the Children's Health Insurance Program, including allowing families on CHIP to apply for coverage every 12 months instead of twice a year. It is now critical to let families know that CHIP is back on track. "

"Please join me in signing up Texas children for the health coverage that they need and deserve through CHIP and Children's Medicaid. For more information on upcoming outreach activities, call the Children's Defense Fund of Texas at 713.664.4080 or www.cdftexas.org."

Sincerely,

Rodney Ellis
Texas State Senate, District 13

Magnet Application for 2008-2009

Contrary to the currently available HISD Magnet application, HSPVA does not have a report card grade requirement for students to be scheduled for an audition. - Updated Application 2008-09-Magnet-Application.pdf

HSPVA named in "Texas Monthly's Best Schools List."

November 28, 2007

Texas Monthly's fourth annual list of the Best Public Schools in Texas, which was released in the December 2007 issue of the magazine, includes 28 HISD schools.

The magazine's partner in the annual effort is the National Center for Educational Accountability (formerly Just for the Kids) which analyzed student test results for the past three years to rank Texas public schools. Out of 7,956 public schools in the state of Texas, 859 were named the best in Texas. According to the Texas Monthly article, "Students at the elementary schools that are included performed better, across all grades, on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test than did their counterparts at other schools around the state. Middle schools and high schools made the list because their students' improvement on the TAKS test was higher than predicted by their previous test scores."

The 15 HISD elementary schools that made the list are Barbara Bush, James Berry, Luther Burbank, Manuel Crespo, John Durkee, Virgil Grissom, J. P. Henderson, Jennie Kolter, E. A. "Squatty" Lyons, James Oates, Piney Point, River Oaks, Oran Roberts, West University and Ed White. The eight middle schools on the list are the Energized for Excellence Academy, Henry Grady, Kaleidoscope, Sidney Lanier, Project Chrysalis, The Rice School, T.H. Rogers, and West Briar. The five high schools on the list are Bellaire, Andrew Carnegie Vanguard, Challenge Early College, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, and The High School for Performing and Visual Arts.

Welcome to the delegation from Iraq
Through the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (http://exchanges.state.gov/education/ivp/) a delegation from Iraq will be visiting HSPVA on Monday, November 5, 2007. Traveling under the program title "Performing Arts," the delegation is composed of nine individuals, including several government officials from the Ministry of Culture. During their U.S. program, these visitors will examine the role of performing arts in the community, including education and wider-audience promotion, and they will also discuss administrative issues related to the arts, including fundraising and mangerial duties. While in Houston they will meet with HSPVA to discuss the role of performing arts in education. We are honored by the delegation's visit and welcome them.
HSPVA has been selected as a Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) Honor Roll School.
" Of the more than 8,000 Texas public schools less than 5% will be so honored. The TBEC is the most prestigious award for sustained academic excellence in Texas. It recognizes schools that have demonstrated three years of consistent, high performance in all subjects compared to other schools serving similar student populations….(HSPVA has) truly earned a place on the Honor Roll through hard work and student achievement over an extended period of time." TBEC Honor Roll
HSPVA wins the 2007 Name That Book Contest!
Congratulations to all of our team members!
HSPVA named No. 1 school in the Houston area!
more info...