Phoenix News

Principal's Message

Hello Health Careers Families,

I hope this message finds you enjoying a summer filled with experiences that make this season special. My family and I had the opportunity to visit relatives in Arizona over the Fourth of July, and it was wonderful to spend time together. As more of us return from vacations, our staff has been busy preparing for the upcoming school year and working to ensure that both our returning and new students have a smooth transition back to school.

Since the start of summer, we have enjoyed welcoming many of our incoming ninth-grade students to Camp Phoenix. If you were unable to attend, there's no need to worry—we look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming Prep Days. During these events, we will offer sessions specifically designed for incoming ninth-grade students and their parents to help everyone feel prepared for the first day of school.

Parents will have the opportunity to meet with administrators to answer common questions and learn about important campus expectations. Students will connect with current Health Careers students and receive valuable tips on time management, organization, and how to start the year successfully.

Please mark your calendars! Prep Day for students in grades 10–12 will be held on July 28, and Prep Day for incoming ninth-grade students will be held on July 29. Please see the information below for additional Prep Day details.

Athletics

As we move through July, please be aware of our upcoming athletic tryout dates. This information is available on our website and has also been shared in our weekly Smore newsletter. Students interested in participating are encouraged to contact coaches directly or reach out to our Athletic Coordinator, Tiffany Montoya, at tiffany.montoya@nisd.net.All athletic parents should also log in to Rankone to complete the required participation forms. Additional information can be found on our website.

Staff Updates

First and foremost, we have mixed emotions as we say goodbye to our Associate Principal, Krystal Abney, who has accepted the position of Principal of NSITE Magnet School. Her leadership at Health Careers has been exceptional, and while we will certainly miss her, we know the NSITE community is gaining a compassionate, dedicated, and talented leader. We wish her nothing but the very best in this exciting new chapter.

As we say goodbye to one outstanding leader, we are equally excited to welcome several talented educators to the Health Careers family. Please join me in welcoming our newest staff members:

Joe Osterman joins us as our Physical Education teacher and Head Boys' Track and Cross Country Coach. He brings years of experience and a passion for developing student-athletes, and we are excited to have him leading our programs.
Bethany Hirota-Mabry will serve as our new Band Director. She brings a lifelong passion for music and is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for students through the performing arts.
Nicole Moran joins our Mathematics Department and will also assist Mr. Hamilton with our tennis program. Nicole is an outstanding educator whose expertise and enthusiasm will be a tremendous asset to both her students and the Health Careers community.
Andrew Lychy joins our Science Department, where he will teach Chemistry and Physics. He brings a passion for computer science and STEM education, and we look forward to the knowledge and enthusiasm he will bring to our students.

We are excited for each of these educators to become part of the Phoenix family and know they will make a positive impact on our students and campus community.

Traffic Updates

You will notice that Hamilton Wolfe Road now has median delineators separating opposing traffic. As a result, vehicles exiting the Health Careers main entrance will now be required to make a right turn only.

These changes will require some adjustments to our arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure traffic flows safely and efficiently for everyone. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we implement these new traffic patterns. Additional details and guidance will be shared before the first day of school.

As we look ahead to another exciting year, I want to thank you for your continued partnership and support. Health Careers is a special place because of our students, families, and staff, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back soon. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer, stay safe, and we'll see you at Prep Days!

Brad Hebert
Principal, Health Careers High School

Freshmen and New Sophomores--Get Your ID Badge!

ID badges must be worn at all times in Northside ISD buildings. Our students are expected to wear them when entering the building. This expectation will begin on the first day of school. While ID cards can be made on Prep Day, there are many other activities and other business to take care of and the line can get long for ID Badges with only one machine to print them. We will be available to print ID badges starting Monday, July 13th. Please stop by anytime between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday to get your picture taken. Please make sure you are in dress code from the shoulders up (see Dress Code message below).

Isabella Ramos-Hernandez visited Pueblos Magicos in Veracruz and Puebla, Mexico, where there are very mountainous areas and their nature is so green, in addition to having great agriculture and celebrations in each place.

Mayah Sanchez's church does fundraising every July 4th and New years. All of the church members assist in working for Mr. W fireworks! This year, she ended up making a bunch of banners that they hung around the store.

Hunter Peterson and his dad visited Japan as part of an EF Tour group with students from Warren HS.

AP Scores are Available Now!

As you gear up to check them, take a moment to reflect on everything you learned and the academic challenges you conquered this past school year.

Remember: these scores represent your growth and the rigorous coursework you completed, regardless of the number.

We are so incredibly proud of all of you.

Tax Free Weekend is August 7-9, 2026

For more information, including a full list of items that qualify (or do not qualify) plus FAQ’s, visit TexasTaxHoliday.org.

Dress Code Requirements

"Due to outside regular contact with medical professionals, future employers, and the general public, a higher standard of appearance is expected for all Health Careers students than what may be expected at a traditional high school. We understand that the Health Careers administration and faculty will advise students on the responsibility of maintaining a mature and professional appearance, including coloring and styles of hair grooming, facial piercings, as well as appropriate dress and footwear." (HCHS Application)

There is a broad spectrum of what people may consider conventional and/or traditional in regard to dress and grooming. No written policy can account for every situation; however, we believe the following clarifications will be helpful when planning for the upcoming school year at Health Careers HS.

Any hair coloring that is not a natural hair color at birth is considered to be unconventional at Health Careers. For example, shades of blue, green, purple, many bright reds, etc. are prohibited. Large sections of multicolor shades of natural colors are also prohibited. For example, half blond, half black hair would be prohibited. Subtle highlights are acceptable as they are considered conventional at Health Careers HS.

Facial piercings, other than rings and studs in ears, are considered non-traditional at Health Careers HS. This precludes the wearing of gauges in the ears and piercings on the face (eyebrows, nose, lips, cheeks, etc.).

Students at Health Careers will be allowed to wear shorts according to the guidelines in the attached document. Please note any shorts or skirts must be of mid-thigh length.

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Prep Day for 9th Graders and New 10th Graders

9th Graders and New 10th Graders are strongly encouraged to attend with a parent.

Please plan to attend at the beginning of your session.

Last Names A-Hern--- 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM

Last names Herr-R--- 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Last Names S-Z--- 12:30 AM to 2:00 PM (Students in this alpha who are planning to attend the orchestra camp may come to an earlier prep day session.)

Important Information Meeting

HAC (Home Access Center) Setup Info

Student Account Setup and Planning Session

Pick up schedules

Dual Credit Info

Transportation Info

Club Info and sign up

T-Shirt Sales

Cafeteria Info/Free or Reduced Lunch Applications

Counselor Questions

Data Verification

PE Uniforms

ID Badges

Prep Day for Returning 10th to 12th Grade--July 28th

12th Grade-- 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM

11th Grade-- 9:45 AM to 10:45 PM

Returning 10th Grade-- 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Prep Day will cover the needs listed below for students in grades 10-12. You should come only if you need to take care of any of the following:

Pick up schedules (Also available on HAC)

Purchase an HCHS Planner ($10)

Health Science Course preparation

Parking Information and Passes ($20.00)

Off Campus Lunch Applications

T-Shirt Sales

Cafeteria Info/Free or Reduced Lunch Applications

Counselor Questions/Schedule Change Requests

Data Verification

Renew Lost ID Badge ($5.00)

Important--Schedule Changes

If you would like to request a schedule change, your next opportunity to do so will be during your prep day. To help us manage requests efficiently, please do not email your counselor with schedule change requests. The request window closed on Friday, March 27th, for rising 10th–12th grade students and Friday, May 8th, for incoming freshmen. As communicated in the spring, the master schedule is tight, so changes will be challenging and may be impossible.

To ensure we address the most critical needs first, counselors will prioritize schedule change requests for the following reasons:

Athletics or Fine Arts placement change
Replacing a course in which credit has already been earned
Increasing academic rigor (e.g., moving from on-level to Advanced/AP)
Adding a required course for graduation
Changing a non-credit course to a credit-bearing course
Correcting a scheduling error (for example, a course you did not request; alternates count as a request)

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Volunteer Opportunity

Hello, we're from Project Playdate, an organization that works with children who have special needs by hosting monthly playdates to help stimulate growth and inclusivity. On July 11th from 4:30 to 6 p.m. we are having a volunteer social. This is just an opportunity for past, present, and future volunteers to hang out and learn more about the program. We would love to see you guys, and feel free to invite as many friends as you'd like! To RSVP please DM us @ projectplaydateSA or email us at projectplaydate01@gmail.com! Can't wait!

Getting Your Driver's License This Summer?

You will need a VOE form (Verification of Enrollment). Please call our office at 210-397-5400 or email juan.martinez@nisd.net to request the form. He will prepare it and let you know when you can pick it up.

STAAR EOC scores will be available June 10th. See the attached document for information about how to access them.

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PSAT and SAT 2026-2027

At Health Careers, all Sophomores and Juniors will take the PSAT on October 21st. You will not need to register for the test as indicated in the flyer below. The cost of the exam for Juniors is covered by the district, and the campus will cover the cost for Sophomores.

All Juniors will take the SAT or TSIA 2 on April 7th.

Trying out for a Sport?

All athletes (new and returning) must complete the required athletic paperwork before they will be eligible to participate in tryouts.

Please visit the Athletics Parent Information page:
https://www.nisd.net/district/athletics/parents

Once on the site, complete the following:

Rank One Online Forms
Medical History Form (download, complete, and submit to Haylee.Martinez@nisd.net)
Physical Form (required for all incoming freshmen and all juniors; download, complete, and submit to Haylee.Martinez@nisd.net)

Athletes who have not completed all required forms and submitted the necessary documents before tryouts will not be permitted to participate.

Cross country, golf, and track tryouts will be at HCHS. See the schedule below.

NHS Information

If you will be a junior or senior this coming school year (26-27), please see the flyer below for information about how to become a National Honor society.

Please note: NHS emails will only come from the campus and will never ask for money or try to sell publications. Please don't pay for any "honor societies" unnecessarily. If you have any doubts about, please ask us.