Join our student performers, staff members, and classmates at the Sugarland Skeeters Holiday Lights on Thursday, December 12th. Come out for a night of fun for the whole family. Click here for more information on how to order tickets.
Archive for month: November, 2019
On National STEM Day, educators across America celebrated the exciting opportunities made possible by science, technology, engineering, and math studies. Charter schools have been major contributors to making STEM education more widely available to students in every neighborhood and from every background.
One charter school network that’s leading the charge: Harmony Public Schools.
Harmony Public Schools was founded with a mission—to encourage students in underserved communities to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. There’s a well-known gap in STEM education with African American, Hispanic, and low-income students taking AP science courses and majoring in sciences in college at much lower rates than White, Asian, and wealthier students. But Harmony’s founders and educators—many of whom hold advanced degrees in science and engineering fields—knew that these disparities were about access, not ability, so they leveraged the charter school model to build a different kind of school.
Based in Houston, Harmony places a heavy emphasis on STEM through its award-winning PreK-12 curriculum and helps students gain critical job skills and hands-on experience for the future. At Harmony campuses, it’s not unusual to see 2nd graders using a 3D printer to code and print their own toys or high schoolers creating 3D-printed prosthetic limbs for families in need. The end result is remarkable—58 percent of Harmony alumni choose STEM majors in college, more than double the national and Texas averages.
By exposing students to cutting-edge technology and hands-on experiences, Harmony is leveling the playing field for underrepresented groups and giving students the support they need to find their passion. Khalid, a Harmony School of Excellence alum, credited his school with helping him to discover his love of engineering and inspiring him to positively influence his community.
In addition, teachers like Theresa Gray (who was just awarded Teacher of the Year by the Texas Charter Schools Association) are given the flexibility to offer classes on Entrepreneurship and Social Media Marketing in order to prepare students for a 21st century workforce.
This dedication to personalized learning and innovative teaching approaches has paid off. Harmony has a 98 percent graduation rate, and 100 percent of those graduating seniors are accepted to college, a feat that is made even more impressive by the fact that 64 percent of Harmony alumni are the first in their family to attend college.
Harmony Public Schools have received glowing ratings from the Texas Education Agency. In 2019, the agency awarded five out of seven Harmony networks an overall “A” rating for their academics and gave all seven networks “A” ratings for financial accountability. National media have noticed, too. This year, all 23 Harmony high schools were on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best high schools.
Harmony’s CEO, Fatih Ay, says, “A solid foundation in STEM allows our students to better understand the world around them and connects them with the future careers and opportunities that can make that world a better place. That’s why STEM is at the heart of Harmony’s academic model.” Harmony schools are proving that no student should have their horizons limited by low expectations or lack of access to world-class teaching. By inspiring students to pursue some of the most innovative work in the world, Harmony is showing students that nothing is beyond their reach.
This article was written by Starlee Coleman, CEO of the Texas Charter Schools Association. It originally appeared in a blog post for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Click here to see what’s happening in this week’s edition of Wednesday Mail.
La inscripción abierta para el año escolar 2020-2021 en las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony ha comenzado. Aquí encontrará todo lo que necesita saber para solicitar el próximo año.
Familias de las Escuelas Públicas actuales de Harmony Estudiantes que desean permanecer en el campus actual el próximo año
Espere a que llegue su formulario de reinscripción al comienzo del segundo semestre, luego envíelo entre el 6 y el 24 de enero para informarnos que volverá en 2020-2021
Familias de las Escuelas Públicas actuales de Harmony Estudiantes con la intención de mudarse de campus el próximo año
Visite HarmonyTX.org/Aplicar del 1 de noviembre al 1 de febrero. 10 para solicitar la inscripción en su nuevo campus de Harmony.
Familias de estudiantes potenciales de escuelas públicas de New Harmony
Visite HarmonyTX.org/Aplicar del 1 de noviembre al 1 de febrero. 10 para obtener más información sobre Harmony y solicitar la inscripción abierta.
LO QUE CREEMOS
No todos los niños son iguales. Entonces, ¿por qué debería ser cada escuela?
Las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony creen que cada estudiante puede lograr su propio potencial único y pleno a través de un entorno académico solidario y colaborativo que enfatiza el aprendizaje personalizado y los métodos de enseñanza innovadores.
QUE HACE DIFERENTE LA ARMONÍA
Educación atractiva: nuestro aprendizaje basado en proyectos involucra habilidades de pensamiento crítico y hace que el aprendizaje sea divertido con actividades prácticas que educan y entusiasman.
Habilidades para el mañana: Nuestro plan de estudios ha sido reconocido por TEA y otros por proporcionar a los estudiantes las habilidades STEM que necesitan para los trabajos demandados del futuro.
Preparado para la universidad: Harmony tiene una tasa de aceptación universitaria del 100%, y casi dos tercios de nuestros estudiantes son los primeros en sus familias en asistir a la universidad.
PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES
¿Las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony cobran matrícula para asistir?
Absolutamente no. Harmony es una escuela chárter pública gratuita de Texas. Creemos que cada estudiante merece la oportunidad de asistir a una escuela pública de alta calidad que se adapte a sus necesidades individuales, independientemente de sus ingresos.
¿Quién es elegible para asistir a las Escuelas Públicas de Harmony?
Todos los niños que residen en el límite geográfico de una escuela Harmony que cumplen con los requisitos de registro son elegibles para asistir. Sin embargo, a diferencia de la mayoría de las otras escuelas, los límites geográficos de Harmony son mucho más amplios y generalmente incluyen a toda la comunidad en la que reside la escuela, lo que significa que todos los estudiantes en el área, independientemente del nivel de ingresos del vecindario o la familia, tienen la misma oportunidad de asistir a un escuela de armonía de calidad.
¿Qué documentos necesito para solicitar?
No se necesitan documentos solo para aplicar. Sin embargo, si su hijo es seleccionado para la inscripción durante el proceso de lotería, deberá proporcionar algunos documentos básicos que verifiquen la identidad y el domicilio de su hijo.
Ya tengo un hijo en Harmony y me gustaría inscribir a su hermano por primera vez. ¿Todavía necesito solicitar?
Sí. Los hermanos de los estudiantes actuales de Harmony aún deben presentar una solicitud, pero se les da prioridad si se necesita una lotería en el campus.
FECHAS PARA RECORDAR
01 de noviembre
La inscripción abierta para 2020-2021 comienza para nuevos estudiantes
6-24 de enero
Período de reinscripción para estudiantes actuales
10 de febrero
Inscripción abierta para la fecha límite de solicitud 2020-2021
11-25 de febrero
Loterías del campus (si es necesario)
Please be advised that all students will be participating in our “Day of Awesomeness” tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19th. Please make sure that all students wear tennis shoes along with socks. We also need volunteers to help during each session. If you would like to help, please click here. Your student is also able to wear this year’s spirit shirt with jeans to participate.
Please be advised there is no school on Friday, November 15th due to staff professional development. We hope you have a wonderful and relaxing three day weekend.
Harmony Public Schools is recruiting talented, compassionate bilingual teachers dedicated to helping every student succeed. Harmony offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a commitment to excellence in the classroom.
Interested applicants may click here to apply online.
Click here to see what’s happening in this week’s edition of Wednesday Mail.
HSA Katy will be having a food drive between November 11th-21st to help those in need during the holiday season. All donations will be given to a local charity. The class that brings the most donations will win a popcorn party.
Please contact Ms. Schaefer if you have any questions.
Join us Thursday, November 14th for our Parent Academy! We’re very excited about all our speakers and the useful information they will be sharing with us. Come join for the whole event or just individual sessions. We hope to see you there!
Please be advised that ALL clubs and tutorials are cancelled today, November 7th due to weather. We’re sorry for the inconvenience but this is for the safety our of students and staff.
If you or someone you know is a Veteran, we would love to have them come speak with our students about your experience in the service. If you are able to visit, please reach out to your student’s teacher or to Ms. Schaefer at mschaefer@harmonytx.org.
Click here to see what’s happening in this week’s edition of Wednesday Mail.
Please be advised that any student that donated to our Fall Festival will have free dress tomorrow, November 6th. Students have received a free dress pass with guidelines on it. Please make sure all students abide by these guidelines. Thank you for all the families that donated and helped make our Fall Festival a success!
Open enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year at Harmony Public Schools has begun. Here’s everything you need to know to apply for next year.
Families of Current Harmony Public Schools Students Intending to Stay at Current Campus Next Year
Wait for your re-enrollment form to arrive at the start of the second semester, then submit it between January 6-24 to let us know you’ll be coming back in 2020-2021
Families of Current Harmony Public Schools Students Intending to Move Campuses Next Year
Visit HarmonyTX.org/Apply from Nov. 1-Feb. 10 to apply for enrollment to your new intended Harmony campus.
Families of Potential New Harmony Public Schools Students
Visit HarmonyTX.org/Apply from Nov. 1-Feb. 10 to learn more about Harmony and apply for open enrollment.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Every child isn’t the same. So why should every school be?
Harmony Public Schools believes each student can achieve their own unique, full potential through a caring and collaborative academic environment that emphasizes personalized learning and innovative instructional methods.
WHAT MAKES HARMONY DIFFERENT
Engaging Education: Our project-based learning engages critical thinking skills and makes learning fun with hands-on activities that educate and excite.
Skills for Tomorrow: Our curriculum has been recognized by the TEA & others for providing students the STEM skills they need for the in-demand jobs of the future.
College Ready: Harmony has a 100% college acceptance rate, and almost two-thirds of our students are the first in their families ever to attend college.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Harmony Public Schools charge tuition to attend?
Absolutely not. Harmony is a tuition-free, Texas public charter school. We believe every student deserves the opportunity to attend a high-quality public school that fits their individual needs regardless of income.
Who is eligible to attend Harmony Public Schools?
All children residing in a Harmony school’s geographic boundary who meet registration requirements are eligible to attend. Unlike most other schools, though, Harmony’s geographic boundaries are much wider and generally include the entire community in which the school resides, meaning that all students in the area – regardless of neighborhood or family income level – have the same opportunity to attend a high-quality Harmony school.
What documents do I need to apply?
No documents are needed just to apply. However, if your child is selected for enrollment during the lottery process, you will need to provide a few basic documents that verify your child’s identity and home address.
I have a child in Harmony already, and would like to enroll their sibling for the first time. Do I still need to apply?
Yes. Siblings of current Harmony students still need to apply, but are given priority status if a campus lottery is needed.
DATES TO REMEMBER
November 1
Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 Begins for New Students
January 6-24
Re-Enrollment Period for Current Students
February 10
Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 Application Deadline
February 11-25
Campus Lotteries Held (if needed)
Open enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year at Harmony Public Schools has begun. Here’s everything you need to know to apply for next year.
Families of Current Harmony Public Schools Students Intending to Stay at Current Campus Next Year
Wait for your re-enrollment form to arrive at the start of the second semester, then submit it between January 6-24 to let us know you’ll be coming back in 2020-2021
Families of Current Harmony Public Schools Students Intending to Move Campuses Next Year
Visit HarmonyTX.org/Apply from Nov. 1-Feb. 10 to apply for enrollment to your new intended Harmony campus.
Families of Potential New Harmony Public Schools Students
Visit HarmonyTX.org/Apply from Nov. 1-Feb. 10 to learn more about Harmony and apply for open enrollment.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Every child isn’t the same. So why should every school be?
Harmony Public Schools believes each student can achieve their own unique, full potential through a caring and collaborative academic environment that emphasizes personalized learning and innovative instructional methods.
WHAT MAKES HARMONY DIFFERENT
Engaging Education: Our project-based learning engages critical thinking skills and makes learning fun with hands-on activities that educate and excite.
Skills for Tomorrow: Our curriculum has been recognized by the TEA & others for providing students the STEM skills they need for the in-demand jobs of the future.
College Ready: Harmony has a 100% college acceptance rate, and almost two-thirds of our students are the first in their families ever to attend college.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Harmony Public Schools charge tuition to attend?
Absolutely not. Harmony is a tuition-free, Texas public charter school. We believe every student deserves the opportunity to attend a high-quality public school that fits their individual needs regardless of income.
Who is eligible to attend Harmony Public Schools?
All children residing in a Harmony school’s geographic boundary who meet registration requirements are eligible to attend. Unlike most other schools, though, Harmony’s geographic boundaries are much wider and generally include the entire community in which the school resides, meaning that all students in the area – regardless of neighborhood or family income level – have the same opportunity to attend a high-quality Harmony school.
What documents do I need to apply?
No documents are needed just to apply. However, if your child is selected for enrollment during the lottery process, you will need to provide a few basic documents that verify your child’s identity and home address.
I have a child in Harmony already, and would like to enroll their sibling for the first time. Do I still need to apply?
Yes. Siblings of current Harmony students still need to apply, but are given priority status if a campus lottery is needed.
DATES TO REMEMBER
November 1
Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 Begins for New Students
January 6-24
Re-Enrollment Period for Current Students
February 10
Open Enrollment for 2020-2021 Application Deadline
February 11-25
Campus Lotteries Held (if needed)