News and Events
School Calendar - School Bulletin - Photo Gallery
2008-2009 HISD School Calendar

Library News - Coming Soon to Our School -
September  8 - 12, 2008                
Awesome books, posters, and school supplies

We start our new school year off with an explosion of good news for readers! 
Check the Library webpage for information regarding your rewards for the summer reading program,  
the Millionaire Club.

Congressman Gene Green visits Ms. Weiler's 5th Grade - April 14, 2008

Congressman Green visited Ms. Weiler's 5th grade classroom Monday for a lesson on social studies.  Click on the link to the Photo Gallery to see pictures of the event.   Ms. Weiler is our Intermediate Grade Level Teacher of the Year, and Chair of the Fifth Grade. 
Congratulations, Ms. Weiler,  for being selected for this wonderful visit.

Garden Beautification Day - March 29, 2008

Students and teachers participated in cleaning and planting our garden areas.  Phase One was the butterfly garden area around the outdoor T-Buildings.  The inner atrium garden is tended on a regular basis as part of an after-school activity.  To see pictures of this event, please go to the Photo Gallery link above.

We Celebrate Black History Month

January 28, 2008 - Garcia students held a Silent March in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Each class created a banner that was proudly displayed as students processed silently, arm in arm through the school hallways, out into the driveway, and around to the gymnasium for a program prepared just for the occasion.  It was a powerful tribute to the memory and work of Dr. King. 

We were honored to have distinguished guests Dr. Tracy Weeden, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment,
Dr. Karen Soehnge, HISD Chief Academic Officer and
Julia Guajardo, Executive Principal of the Sam Houston Feeder Pattern, North District
in attendance to participate in the silent march and to attend the program.  Their addresses to the student body and faculty were truly inspirational and we deeply appreciate their contribution, as well as their ongoing commitment to providing the best educational opportunities and guidance for children of Houston Independent School District.

January 29, 2008 - Garcia students and faculty presented a Black Heritage Program which highlighted outstanding contributions made by African-Americans.  All grade levels gave presentations which demonstrated research skills in black history content.  Mr. John Bolt, second grade teacher and program chair, collaborated with his committee and Garcia faculty and staff members to produce an excellent program for both events.

<sup>CLUTCH and Rocket Ranger Pump Us Up for Stanford-Aprenda Testing - January 11, 2008
View slideshow on the Photo Gallery

Clutch, the Houston Rockets Bear, and his trainer, Dominic Davila,  visited Garcia Elementary.  Their purpose was to get us psyched up for our Stanford-Aprenda Testing week beginning January 14, 2008.</sup>  This program was a great way to motivate students to score high on the test. We were given  test  taking suggestions that  help SLAM-DUNK the Stanford-Aprenda.

^{CLUTCH'S MESSAGE TO STUDENTS}

Why is education #1? I'll tell you why! Each and every one of you is doing something right now. You did it yesterday and you'll do it tomorrow. You will do it for the rest of your life. You are all BUILDING A FUTURE! It is your choice whether to make that future a bright one or a dark one. That future starts right now. Let’s just say you are in elementary school. Where do we go after elementary school? That’s right, Middle School. Where do we go after middle school? Correct again, High School. Where do we go after high school? You got it, College. Where do we go after college? Right on, the answer being of course, wherever we want to go. After we go to college we use all of that education to make a future for ourselves. We BUILD THAT FUTURE with a solid education. That education serves as the foundation for the rest of our lives because education is the one thing that will make the rest happen. Whether you want a career, a family, to further your education, or anything else, it all starts with education because EDUCATION IS # 1! Let me hear you say it with me. Yes, whether you are reading a print out of this or are reading on your computer screen, I want you to say it out loud with me. Ready? O.K., proclaim it nice and loud now. “EDUCATION IS #1!”

-Clutch
http://www.nba.com/rockets/clutch/Clutch_Message_to_Students-251496-822.html

"Don't Eat The Bluebonnets" 
Author-Illustrator Presentation - December 11, 2007

Author Ellen Leventhal and Illustrator Bill Megenhardt gave an entertaining and informative presentation of their book for children, "Don't Eat The Bluebonnets" at Garcia on Monday, Dec. 11, 2007.  Ms. Leventhal explained the writing process and how ideas for stories are developed.  Mr. Megenhardt captured students' imaginations with his unique caricatures and scenes.  His impromptu drawing style made everyone want to begin writing and illustrating their own book!  Following the presentation, Ms. Leventhal autographed copies of her book, and students were presented with a signed Texas poster by Mr. Megenhardt.  Follow this link to view a slideshow of the event on our Photo Gallery page. 

Garcia's 2nd Annual
Thanksgiving Food Drive

Pre-Kindergarten teachers are sponsoring a collection of food items, which began November 7 and will continue until Monday, November 19.  All the food collected will be donated to our local Houston Food Bank.  The picture was taken at our mini kick-off where we handed out paper bags and cookies to teachers to motivate them to start collecting.  Visit our Pre-K webpage!

Awards for First Quarter
November 2, 2007

Over 80% of Garcia students received awards for Perfect Attendance, Good Conduct, Punctuality and/or Honor Roll at grade level recognition assemblies. 
 

              Sally Ride Science Festival

Several  fifth grade girls, accompanied by  teachers D. Weiler and J. Flores,  attended the Sally Ride Science Festival for girls in fifth through eighth grades for a day of science and socializing. The fall festival was held on Oct. 27 at Rice University in Houston.  The festival featured an inspiring talk by an astronaut; discovery workshops with local scientists; workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls’ interests in science and math; and a street fair with hands-on science activities, booths, food and music.

This Week is Red Ribbon Week
October 22 - 26,  2007 

     All this week we will be showing our support of red ribbon week.  A calendar went home yesterday outlining events for the week.  Please join us in the fight against drugs and helping to create smart students who know to say no to drugs!

HISPANIC HERITAGE PROGRAM
Friday, October 12, 2007 ~ 1:30 p.m.
Go to Photo Gallery to view pictures

On Friday, October 12, our students perform songs and folkloric dances from Latin American countries.  Parents of the students that are performing are invited to see their children at 1:30 p.m.

El viernes 12 de octubre se celebrara el día de la Hispanidad. Los alumnos de la escuela estarán presentando canciones y bailes folklóricos de nuestra cultura hispana. 
Los padres do los alumnos que van a presentarse están cordialmente invitados a ver a sus hijos en la presentación que será a la 1:30 p.m. en la escuela. 

21^st Century After School Programs

We offer terrific clubs and activities after school each day.  Our selections include sports, fine arts, and scouting, just to name a few.  Check it out by clicking on the link to our After School Programs. 
There is something for everyone!

GARCIA SCIENCE SPECIALIST RECEIVES FELLOWSHIP  October 3, 2007

Mr. Burns applied and was accepted into a Fellowship for 2007-2008 with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education
Leadership  Program at Baylor College of Medicine.
  I am sure he will be sharing lots of great "Scientist" expertise with us.  Congratulations Mr. Burns!

GRANDPARENTS' DAY AT SCHOOL
 September 14, 2007

This day has a threefold purpose:
To honor grandparents;
To give grandparents an opportunity to show
love for their children’s children;
To help children become aware of the strength,
information and guidance older people can offer.
 
On grandparent's day, we invited the children's grandparents to school.  The students and grandparents shared a story & a song with them. The children gave a tour of the room and served cookies and a drink.  Everyone enjoyed it and had fun.
In fact, the grandparents seemed to love it! 

Please click on the Photo Gallery link above to see pictures of the event. 

Garcia Student Wins Essay Contest for Back-to-School Resolutions

Manuel Aguilar, a fourth-grade student at Marcario García Elementary School, won an essay contest recently that challenged students to make back-to-school resolutions. Aguilar's winning submission described his resolution to "pay a lot of attention in class, get good grades, and have good conduct all year long" during the 2007–2008 school year.

The contest, which was sponsored by Northline Commons, a shopping center located in HISD's North Region, awarded Aguilar a $500 shopping spree to help with last-minute back-to-school shopping needs. To win the essay contest for back-to-school resolutions, Aguilar had to compete with elementary-, middle- and high-school students in school districts throughout the Houston area.

"Choosing one winner was very difficult," said Northline Commons General Manager Rebecca Victor. "Each child's personality, excitement for a fresh start, and commitment to do better in school was apparent in each essay. It's important for children to start the school year right, and we'd like to help by supporting their back-to-school resolutions."

Other entries in the contest showed that students across Houston are resolving to be better organized, pay more attention to their teachers, take better notes, and spend less time talking with friends during class. Some hope that their new focus will help them make or reach the top of the honor roll.

Aguilar received his award on August 24 at García Elementary School. Principal Rebecca Mir and Aguilar's teachers were on hand to celebrate the student's award-winning back-to-school resolutions.

It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its education or employment programs and activities, as required by Title 6 of Educational Amendments of 1972; and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. We are not responsible for content on sites reached by links that are not on our web server, nor does the inclusion of these links on our site imply any endorsement on our part.