HISD  Superintendent

Dr. Abelardo Saavedra was appointed Superintendent of Schools for the Houston Independent School District on December 9, 2004 to replace Dr. Kaye Stripling, who retired effective August 31, 2004.

Dr. Saavedra joined HISD in February 2001 as the Southeast District Superintendent.  Prior to joining the HISD family he was the Superintendent of Schools in his native Corpus Christi from 1993 to 2000.

Dr. Saavedra began his career in Corpus Christi as a public school teacher and rose steadily through the ranks, serving as an assistant principal, as a principal, and in numerous administrative roles in both the instructional and business divisions.

During his tenure as Superintendent, Corpus Christi ISD received state and national recognition for the development and adoption of "real-world academic standards" in all grade levels, and, owing to those standards, it was accorded "recognized" status by the Texas Education Agency. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Dr. Saavedra is married to an elementary-school teacher. He is proud father of two daughters.

HISD South Regional Superintendent

HISD South Regional Director

Warner D. Ervin

Kathleen Morgan

Madison Feeder Pattern Executive Principal

Teodoro J. Villarreal

Principal

FROM THE PRINCIPAL....Cynthia A. Smith    

                Reading is a skill, and it gets better with practice.  Research shows that children who spend at least 30 minutes a day reading books, magazines and newspapers are more likely to become good readers.

“Let’s read together.”  These are familiar words to a young child.  Reading as a family activity is a very valuable experience.  Studies have shown that when families are involved in reading together, no matter what age the children may be, the difference in the educational “success factor” is great. 

The following are a few ideas that may help you on the path of family reading:

·        Build new habits with simple actions, such as finding a newspaper article that may be of interest to your youngster and reading it aloud.

·        Limit the amount of TV your child watches.

·        While you’re cooking or doing other household tasks, ask your son or daughter to read something to you.

·        Encourage your older children to read to your younger children.

·        Provide babysitters with books they can read to the children.

·        Make a family trip to the library and encourage your son or daughter to check out a book “just for fun.”

·        If a new movie, which is based on a popular book, is about to be released, purchase the book.  Have family members read it before going to see the movie.  After viewing the movie, discuss the similarities and differences between the book and the movie.

·        Make books a regular gift, whether for a birthday, Christmas, or other gift-giving holiday.  Tie in book gifts with your child’s interests.

·        Set aside a definite homework hour for your children.  If your child finishes early, encourage the rest of the time to be used for reading.

One of the most powerful skills your son or daughter will ever develop is the ability to read.  What we read opens doors to exploring important ideas. Reading can become a family tradition with a big payoff as it provides true quality time together, raises self-esteem, encourages a lifelong skill and gets everyone excited about books and learning. 

Hello,

I bring you greetings from the Assistant Principal's Office.  We are well into what looks like another successful year at Grissom Elementary.

My door is always open to lend support to all of our students, parents and community supporters.  If you're ever in the building, please drop by to see me.

With Sincerity,

Shelia M. Edwards