Superintendent HD Chambers received the prestigious President’s Award at the Third Annual Guiding Star Award Program presented by the Parents for Public Schools of Houston organization. Mr. Chambers is the only superintendent to ever win this award. Business Partners/Mentoring Specialist Delores “Dee” Jones also received a 2013 Guiding Star Award. This is the second Guiding Star Award for Jones. The Guiding Star Awards were created to identify and acknowledge previously unsung heroes from the greater Houston area.

Horn Elementary, Rees Elementary and Kerr High School were recognized for Outstanding Academic Performance by the Texas Education Agency’s Division of Federal and State Education Policy. These State Distinguished Performance Schools must be a Title I, Part A campus for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 and must meet other requirements.

Alief ISD will be recognized during a mayoral proclamation ceremony on June 11 at the Houston City Hall. The district will be recognized for its participation in the See to Succeed Program, which is led by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. The initiative aims to improve vision and vision-related health, education and social factors by performing annual vision exams and providing eyewear to children.

Elsik High School student Summer Roberson was named the 2013 Scholar Athlete of the Year for Softball by the Touchdown Club of Houston during the annual Spring Sports Scholar Athlete Dinner. Linda Yado was also recognized at the dinner as a finalist in female soccer.

Taylor High School graduate Nickolas “Nick” Muckleroy is competing on season 10 of the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance. Judges said his audition performance was “a religious experience,” and it had one judge’s hair “standing on end.” Muckleroy, a Class of 2009 graduate who was on the cheer team and in the Alief Jazz Ballet, will be moving on to Vegas for the next round of competitions. You can vote for him during the show, which airs on Tuesdays.

Hearne Elementary’s fourth grade student Dominique Ramirez won a first place Gold Medal and Certificate in the Houston Bar Association Black History Art Contest.

Youens Elementary kindergarten teacher Joly Giraldo was recently named the First Year Teacher of the Year by The Kappa Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. This award is given to a first-year female teacher in Alief ISD who has demonstrated potential for distinctive service in the field of education.

Various Alief ISD students placed in the annual University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Academic Meet in Austin. Kerr High School student Mohit Agarwal placed second in Current Events. Hastings High School student Abigail Onwunali received a third place medal in Prose Interpretation.

Killough Middle School’s girls softball team finished the season undefeated and as the middle school district champions. The majority of the girls on the team are seventh grade students.

Alief Early College High School was spotlighted by Educate Texas and the Teaching Channel. Educate Texas, a public-private initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, showcased teachers Kevin Sevin and Monica Baines, and the two AECHS teachers modeled best practices for teachers in other early college high schools as a part of the filming.

Best Elementary Principal Dr. Lorena Augustus successfully completed her doctorate degree in Education at the University of Houston in Professional Leadership.