UPDATES & EVENTS

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The Energy newsletter is published every two weeks.

Important Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Monthly Calendar

January 19- School Holiday

January 21- STAAR Interim English I & II

January 22- STAAR Interim Algebra I

January 22- Practice SAT

January 24- Saturday Tutorials and Detention

January 31- TSI Bootcamp
February 2-3- Flex Days

February 21- Saturday Academy (AP Bootcamp)

March 5- Spring Underclass Exhibition
April 8- Underclass Honors Night

April 24- Senior Prom

April 28- Senior Honors Night and Exhibition

June 6- Senior Graduation

Energy Institute Ignites the 2026 Robotics Season with FRC Kickoff Celebration

The FRC Kickoff event at Energy Institute was an exciting, high-energy way to launch the 2026 robotics season, Rebuilt. From the moment teams arrived, the campus buzzed with movement, conversation, and anticipation as students gathered to celebrate the official start of a brand-new build season.

We were proud to welcome four HISD robotics teams to our campus, with a huge turnout of more than 150 high school robotics students. Throughout the day, our halls and common spaces filled with brainstorming circles, shared strategies, and the unmistakable sound of young engineers connecting over their love for design, problem-solving, and competition. The atmosphere was vibrant and collaborative, capturing what makes robotics culture so special.

Parents were an important part of the experience as well. Families joined the excitement, learned about this year’s game, and gained a clearer picture of what their students will be designing, building, and testing over the coming weeks. It was a meaningful chance for them to see the scope of the challenge and the creativity their students bring to the table.

To match the game’s sand-themed setting, everyone enjoyed a fun lunch of bánh mì sandwiches, adding a flavorful touch to the day. Younger guests joined in too, laughing and exploring as they dug for hidden treasures in our sandbox, bringing a playful energy that reminded us how inspiring STEM can be at every age.

By the end of the event, students, families, and teams had truly come together. The kickoff didn’t just introduce a new season. It created connections, sparked ideas, and captured the excitement and imagination that sit at the heart of the FIRST Robotics community.

Gisele Honored as Posse Scholar

We are proud to congratulate Gisele Maldonado, who was recently honored as a Posse Scholar at a special recognition ceremony. This prestigious award reflects Gisele’s outstanding leadership potential, academic promise, and commitment to making a positive impact in her community. Gisele will be attending Oberlin College on a full-tuition scholarship!

The Posse Foundation is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to identifying, training, and supporting leaders of the next generation. The Posse model is rooted in the belief that a small, diverse group of talented students—known as a Posse—can serve as a powerful catalyst for individual success and broader community change.

Posse Scholars are selected through a rigorous and highly selective evaluation that goes beyond traditional admissions criteria. Through a series of group and individual interviews, students demonstrate leadership, teamwork, communication skills, and motivation. From this process, Posse selects a cohort of 10 students for each partner college or university. Once selected, Scholars participate in Pre-Collegiate Training, meeting weekly during their senior year to develop skills in academic excellence, team building, cross-cultural communication, and leadership. This support continues throughout college through Posse’s four-year Campus Program, which provides mentoring, campus engagement, and ongoing guidance to ensure Scholars persist, thrive, and graduate. Posse also offers robust career development support, connecting Scholars and alumni to internships, coaching, graduate programs, and leadership-track careers.

Being named a Posse Scholar is a tremendous achievement, and we commend Gisele for earning this honor. We look forward to seeing all that she will accomplish as she continues her academic journey and develops as a leader of tomorrow. Congratulations, Gisele!

Energy IHS VEX Robotics Teams Compete in Katy Tournament and Prepare for State Championships

On Saturday, January 10, all four Energy Institute High School VEX Robotics teams traveled to Katy, Texas to compete in a large regional robotics tournament that brought together some of the strongest student teams from across the state.

The competition included nearly 60 robotics teams from around Texas, creating a fast-paced and highly competitive environment. After a full day of matches, problem-solving, and rapid design adjustments, three of Energy’s teams earned spots in the final round of 16. Advancing that far among such a large field reflected the teams’ technical skill, teamwork, and steady focus under pressure.

Although Energy teams did not take home the tournament title, the day was far from a loss. Students used the competition as a real-world testing ground to evaluate their robots, refine strategies, and identify improvements as they prepare for the next phase of the season. Every match offered data, insight, and motivation.

Over the course of this season, three Energy VEX teams have already earned qualification to compete in the State of Texas Robotics Championships, taking place in February. This tournament served as an important step in that journey, helping our students sharpen both their engineering designs and their competitive mindset as they continue building toward the state stage.

Celebrating Our Distinguished Scholars with CITGO

The 2025–26 Distinguished Scholars Program was created to support students who plan to continue their education at a two-year or four-year college or university. This year, forty scholarships were awarded to graduating seniors from the Class of 2026 across Alief ISD, Houston ISD, and Spring Branch ISD.

These outstanding students were selected not only for their strong academic performance, but also for the unique ways they shine beyond the classroom. Each Distinguished Scholar is being recognized for excellence in at least one of the following areas: Beating the Odds, Career and Technical Education, Communications, Performing and Fine Arts, STEM, Service and Leadership, School Spirit, or Student Athletics.

Together, this group of scholars represents the many talents, passions, and paths to success that exist across our schools, and we are proud to celebrate their hard work, determination, and bright futures.

STEM WINNER

Gisele's passion for learning has led her to excel as a star STEM student. She is a member of the Aerospace Scholarships program, the Robotics Team, and is a Girls Who Code alum. Gisele has contributed over 100 volunteer hours to her community and enjoys the challenge of advanced science courses. When not excelling academically or building transonic rockets, Gisele enjoys dancing Ballet Folkorico

LEADERSHIP WINNER
Luke channels his competitive spirit and teamwork skills through Ultimate Frisbee and previously through Robotics. Last year when his team faced setbacks, he stepped up and lead the redesign, guiding his team to consecutive state tournament appearances. Luke has mentored younger students and showcases his school's achievements with enthusiasm. His leadership is grounded in lifting others up, fostering confidence, and creating a supportive environment for all to succeed.

Dual Credit Registration

Dual credit registration has opened up for Summer 2026 for current 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grade students. The registration form will be open from December 12, 2025 – January 31, 2026. Please visit https://tinyurl.com/dualcreditEIHS to obtain more information about the program. You will be able to access the registration form on the website. If you have questions about dual credit, please email Mrs. Garcia, lauren.garcia@houstonisd.org.

Please note, seniors to NOT need to purchase a yearbook as they are included in their senior dues.

Student Opportunities

REMINDER: Seniors do not have to order a yearbook as the yearbook is a part of the Senior package.

Senior Information

SENIOR ANNOUCEMENTS:

The following message was sent out to seniors and parents via ParentSquare:

Graduation Date:

A draft of the graduation calendar has been released by HISD. Energy is scheduled to hold graduation on Saturday, June 6th at 3:00 PM at Barnett Fieldhouse (6800 Fairway).

Prom:

Just a reminder that Prom is scheduled for Friday, April 24th from 8:00 PM until midnight at (816 Town and Country Blvd #210).

Senior Dues:

The final deadline for senior dues is January 31st. If you have not paid your dues, please pay them right away. Payments can be made through SchooPay. Starting February 1 there will be a late fee added to the senior dues.

Senior T-Shirt Design Vote and Size Submission:

Senior Student Government created a survey to allow seniors to vote on their favorite senior shift design. All students need to complete this survey so that we can get your shirt size. Please complete the survey here.

Senior Exhibition and Senior Honors Night:

Mark your calendars for April 28th for Senior Honors Night and Exhibition. More information with details will go out closer to the date.

Class Rings, Yearbook Ads, Graduation Announcements, etc.

Seniors can purchase their class rings/jewelry, yearbooks and yearbook recognition ads, graduation announcements and Class of 2026 spirit wear through Jostens here: Energy Institute Senior Website with Jostens. Don't forget - you do not need to purchase a yearbook, cap/gown, or tassel.

College Acceptances:

You will need to upload your acceptances into SchooLinks and complete the google form below. Here are your steps:

Update result on SchooLinks (accepted, denied, waitlisted, deferred)
If accepted, upload a screenshot (or photo if paper acceptance) on SchooLinks. Make sure the screenshot shows your name, the college name, and the verbiage of an acceptance. It can be a picture of a letter or a screenshot of a congratulatory email.
Complete the google form sharing the good news with us so we can post it – www.tinyurl.com/IGotIn26.

Merit Aid/Financial Aid:

Make sure you are taking screenshots of all merit aid and financial aid offers. This will need to be uploaded into SchoolLinks as well. You can do this now and will need to do this before April 24th. These offers disappear if not accepted, so it's important you screenshot them now as they will not be there if you wait until later in the Spring.

PTO Information

Join the PTO - it is free at Energy Institute! You'll get our biweekly newsletter and access to our online family directly.

Everyone, even returning families, must use this link to enter or re-confirm your contact information and sign up for the school year. If you are interested in volunteering, please include your volunteer preferences when you update.

Spirit Wear Announcement: Order Your Energy Polo Shirts

Orders for Energy polo shirts are now being accepted. These polos are required for students when attending field trips and other group events, so be sure to get yours early. To place an order, email spiritstore@energyinstitutepto.org or order online. Shirts will be delivered directly to Energy for easy pickup.

Apply to School Choice 2026-27

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