HISD teachers shadow hospital personnel
‘Externship’ allows educators to learn about health care to develop curriculum
Area high school teachers spent part of their summer break learning about different health care industries and associated careers to help them develop curriculum relevant to their students.
The teachers took part in “Teacher Externship,” a program hosted by Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital and the Houston Independent School District. The weeklong summer program is in its third year and involved math, science, English, social studies, and career and technical education instructors.
During the program, teachers rotated and shadowed hospital personnel in departments such as engineering, lab, business office, food and nutrition, emergency, imaging and the pharmacy, among others. Teachers observed how hospital teams and departments organize, communicate, collaborate and utilize data.
Those skills, said program
participant Chardai Grays, can be used by her Algebra I class at Heights High School to conduct surveys and create dashboards about trends in the neighborhood surrounding the school. For example, she said students could use the skills to learn about the number of homeless people in the area or discover how many people in the area are eating healthy foods in their homes.
Heights High School anatomy, physiology and biology teacher Jonez Harlan interacted with several of the hospital’s departments. The experience allowed her to better visualize her students working in each of the medical industries. Some of the jobs, she said, require no degree. Others require certification or an associate’s, bachelor’s or higher degree.
“Fortunately, doing the Externship program afforded me the opportunity to learn about the many jobs in health care and so I can take this information back to my students,” she said in a news release.
Additional Heights High School teachers who attended the program include Nestor Corpuz, Ellen Prestage and LaTorndria Preston. Mellonie Lowery, a teacher at Westbury High School, also joined the group.
The program, said Susan Jadlowski, senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Greater Heights, helps open the hospital’s doors for learning opportunities that will contribute to cultivating future health care professionals.
“What better place to start than in the schools,” she said.
Party to preview cat-themed café, adoption center
Renee Reed is planning the “purrfect” business, and she hopes to get others in on the venture during a preview party.
In early 2017, she is opening Houston’s first cat-themed café and adoption center. Called El Gato Coffeehouse, the restaurant will serve freshly roasted coffees and pastries while getting to know adoptable cats. The mission, Reed said, is to find permanent homes for adoptable felines while enriching the animals’ lives outside of shelters where they will receive regular interaction from café guests to increase their chances of adoption.
Reed is giving the community a glimpse of what the restaurant will offer during a pop-up party cohosted with the Houston Humane Society from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Aug. 14 at Sharespace, 2201 Preston St. in East Downtown Houston. The party will include live music, food, drinks, art and cats available for adoption.
The one-night event is free and family-friendly. Free entry tickets, however, must be reserved at http://elgatopopup.eventbrite.com.
The pop-up party will include Kickstarter funding incentives giving donors the opportunity to be listed on the café’s “Cat Wall of Fame.” According to a news release promoting the event, Kickstarter incentives will be limited to those who donate during the party.
Also, the event will feature an exhibition of works by McAllen-based artist Carl Vestweber. The collection combines images from Cat Fancy magazine and People magazine. After the party, guests may stay for the debut performance of The Other, a local ethereal rock band led by Joshua Cormier, Reed’s boyfriend and partner in the coffeehouse venture.
The party also will allow guests to sample the future café’s signature coffee drink, the El AffoGato, which is made with espresso and ice cream by Fat Cat Creamery. Complimentary cocktails by Deep Eddy Vodka, Santo beer by Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Top Chico sparkling mineral water, empanadas, cotton candy and cupcakes by Jodycakes will be served. Guests also can shop for cat-inspired gifts by local artists. The party also includes a photo booth.
When El Gato Coffeehouse opens sometime next year within Houston’s Inner Loop, the café will combine Spanish architecture with modern, Japanese-influenced and midcentury furnishing mixed with natural elements. Plans include lounge seating for guests.
The restaurant’s menu is to feature a full coffee bar and will include specialty drinks and teas. Guests may also purchase cat-inspired clothing, art, books and accessories for cats.
The coffeehouse is to provide adoptable cats a separate area for them to explore and for guests to view from behind a large glass window. The cat lounge is to include an overhead catwalk, wall ledges, window niches for lounging and sleeping, and a private quarters designed to accommodate 15 to 20 cats at a time. Guests will be able to interact with the cats for a small fee. Outside animals will not be allowed into the café.
To learn more about the café, visit www.elgatocoffeehouse.com.
Sporting goods retailer donates backpacks
Retailer Academy Sports and Outdoors recently gave 5,000 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to Boys and Girls Club chapters across Greater Houston.
The retailer is preparing children of 13 chapters of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston for the start of the new school year.
A portion of the backpacks was given to students Aug. 2 during a presentation hosted by Academy at Boys and Girls Club — Spring Branch, 8575 Pitner Road.
Academy’s president and CEO, J.K. Symancyk, Academy team members and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston staff were on hand during the presentation of the backpacks and school supplies to the children. Remaining school supplies were distributed to the 12 other Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston chapters.
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston’s 13 chapters serve more than 11,000 children annually by providing a safe place, adult mentors, youth-development and activities during non-school hours. To learn more about Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, visit www.bgcgh.org.
Custom apparel store opens newest location
Big Frog Custom Tshirts and More recently opened a new retail store in Bellaire. The store allows customers to design their own apparel. Big Frog of Bellaire offers a variety of clothing brands such as Bella and Canvas, American Apparel, Next Level, Alternative and Under Armour gear. The store opened Aug. 10 at 5104 Cedar St. The franchise location is owned by Charles Luu. Big Frog utilizes technology that bonds ink to a fabric’s molecules allowing products the be washed in hot and cold water and with color-safe bleaching without risking damage, crack or peel to the garment’s image, according to a company news release.
Customers may experiment with colors, fonts and graphics to get the right look for their clothing. Design professionals assist in creating the right look on the right garment for customers.
The Bellaire location is the second for the company in the Houston market. There are more than 65 sites in the United States. Two additional Houstonarea stores are in development.
Luu is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Although he has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he began a retail career with Neiman Marcus’ Merchandising Development Program.
He eventually moved to New York City where he worked at retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s. His last job with Macy’s involved developing localized customer strategies. That job brought him back to Houston where he later was introduced to the Big Frog Custom T-shirts and More retail concept during the Houston Franchise Expo in February.
Luu said the concept is a perfect fit for his focus on the local customer experience. Big Frog of Bellaire is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 713-470-2600 or visit bigfrog.com/bellaire. downtown
Ensemble Theater celebrates 40th
The Ensemble Theatre is celebrating its 40th year during the performing arts center’s Black Tie Gala Aug. 20.
The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Ballroom of the Americas at the Hilton AmericasHouston, 1600 Lamar St. The gala includes a mayor’s reception hosted by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a salute to celebrity and corporate honorees, and food. Celebrity honorees include Oscar-winning actor Louis Gosset Jr., Broadway and television actress Angela Robinson, television and film actor Harry Lennix, actress Anna Maria Horsford and singer C.J. Emmons.
Individual tickets start at $400. Tickets or tables may be purchased online at www.ensemblehouston.com or by calling the theater’s development director, Kathy Kelley, at 713-807-4304. A table order form also is available for download from the theater’s website.
The Ensemble Theatre is located at 3535 Main St. The theater was founded by George Hawkins in 1976 to preserve African-American artistic expression and to entertain, according to the theater’s website. What began as a touring company is now one of the only professional theaters in the region devoted to the production of works portraying the African-American experience.
According to the Ensemble Theatre’s website, the production company is the oldest and largest professional AfricanAmerican theater in the Southwest and is one of the nation’s largest AfricanAmerican theaters owning and operating its facility and producing in-house.