Harmony School of Science-Houston has been named a National School of Character by Character.org, a nationwide education advocacy organization.
The rare honor, bestowed to less than 50 schools in North America and only six campuses in Texas, recognizes HSS- Houston for its multi-year effort to build a sustainable culture of character for its students, staff members, and community members.
“Thank you to our whole HSS Houston family! We will continue putting our “paws up,” principal Megan Spears said.
“The entire HSS Houston community is beyond excited to receive this designation. This designation is well deserved and belongs to the tireless work of our incredible staff, led by our Character Team, and our students who strive every day to embody the values of Teamwork, Integrity, Gratitude, Empathy, Respect, and Service.”
Harmony School of Science
Location: 5435 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096
Grades Served: K-8
Economically Disadvantaged: 86.30%
TEA Distinctions: TEA recognized Academic Achievement in Science, Academic Achievement in English Language/Arts/Reading, Postsecondary Readiness, Top 25%: Comparative Closing the Gaps
Harmony School of Science – Houston was Harmony Public Schools’ first campus when the system was established in 2000.
The schools and districts selected as a National School of Character must meet the rigorous standards articulated in Character.org’s character framework. Each school is evaluated by a team of trained educators and includes a site visit to assess how a school’s “shared values” are motivating students to do the right thing.
The campus was also named an official State School of Character by Character.org in January, along with five others.
“The educators at these schools model and reinforce the core values of respect and dignity,” said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org. “They are teaching their students to be honest and trustworthy, to contribute their time and talents to the common good, and when necessary, to show the courage to stand up for what is right.”
HSS-Houston was one of two Harmony campuses to earn the honor in 2021, along with HSA-Cedar Park. Two other Harmony campuses – Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth and Harmony School of Innovation-Houston – earned National School of Character honors in 2020. The designation remains active for five years.
“While Harmony has always been known as a great academic school, a whole-child approach to education that emphasizes both strong minds and strong hearts is critical to our primary goal of helping students lead happy and successful lives long after their time at Harmony. That’s why we put so much focus on character traits like integrity, responsibility, honesty, self-discipline, self-respect, community-mindedness, and empathy toward others. We are extraordinarily proud of our students, teachers, and school leaders for all their work in achieving National School of Character designation,” said Harmony Public Schools CEO, Fatih Ay.”
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.
Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year for both students and team members.