On April 19, CVHS was awarded national distinction by the Magnet Schools of America (MSA) at their conference in NYC. Melissa Matsu, our Dean of Instruction, Lamia Moumni and Ramon Moss represented Carnegie in receiving this distinction. CVHS is the first school in HISD to recieve this award.
“We’ve been in the process of receiving this award for over a year now, and I’ve learned so much more about this school than I already knew, being at this school for many years before,” said Moumni, the Magnet Coordinator, GT Coordinator, Testing Coordinator and AP French teacher.
Although this award is one of many that CVHS has received in the past few years (AP Platinum Distinction, Honor Roll School, etc.), the rigorous MSA reports Moumni has done this year have paid off.
“The fact that this is a Magnet award, because all of our previous awards have been awarded out of all schools, makes it very unique. We’re ranked 12 as far as Magnet [schools go], and we’ve been ranked but never really recognized, so that [award] gives us that additional step of being now recognized and also ranked,” said Moumni.
On top of magnet recognition, CVHS has also risen from #35 to #31 on the national rankings for the best high schools in America, according to US News.
But what does it take to become a nationally recognized magnet school? Well, with a combination of dedicated students and hardworking staff at the forefront of our reputation, CVHS has lived up to the five pillars outlined by MSA.
Pillar 1: Diversity
Diversity is a huge aspect of CVHS, with a variety of students from different ethnic and economic backgrounds. To celebrate these differences, students come together for the annual International Festival (iFest), CVHS’s largest annual student fundraising event (raking in over $15000 through donations and sponsorships).
Pillar 2: Innovative Curriculum and Professional Development
Teachers at CVHS have consistently collaborated in meetings and ironing out curricula to maximize productivity in the classroom.
As a part of both the administrative team and the teaching staff, Moumni collaborates with numerous people around the school to get her job done efficiently.
“It’s interesting because I’m the AP French teacher and work together with the students, so I know their needs as well as my needs as a teacher to communicate with the other administrators,” said Moumni.
With these connections, Moumni explains that professional development has led CVHS to MSA distinction, as well as being a school that’s been selected for promising pilot courses that the school will see within the next couple of years.
Pillar 3: Academic Excellence
Excelling in the academic realm is a feature of CVHS that’s most nationally known. The course load is rigorous, with students taking on average at least ten AP courses throughout their career (a majority of the rest being honors classes). This is compared to the average 3-4 APs a student will take in their lifetime. On top of the classes, CVHS also places high on standardized test scores, with the CVHS graduating class of 2023 being in the top 8% of high schools for SAT scores (average 1316) according to the General Academic. This academic standing proves CVHS worthy of a college readiness score of 99.7 by the US News.
CVHS also boasts a wide range of nationally recognized extracurricular activities, such as our Worlds-qualifying robotics team, district-leading sports teams (2024 volleyball and tennis district champions), Carnegie Theatre Company’s rank in the top 16, and over 30 Upstream News articles featured by the Best of Student News Online.
Pillar 4: Leadership
Leadership runs through the veins of students across the school, with CVHS being home to over 100 student-led clubs that each participate in fundraising and community services.
Pillar 5: Family and Community Partnerships
CVHS’s relationship with partner organizations like the PTO and more has fostered a tightly-knit community. From sponsored lunches to social media support, CVHS is extremely appreciative of alliances that better student and teacher life.
All in all, Carnegie has excelled at being a magnet school.
“I hope Carnegie continues to grow and shine, even with all we’ve been through recently,” said Moumni.
Tobias • May 6, 2024 at 2:03 pm
Nice article