At Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, dancers are breaking barriers. “I love the idea of being a Black dancer on pointe. We don’t see that a lot – especially people our age who are dancing in the lead roles adults do,” said Azaria B. Azaria, along with Aniyah W. and Micah W. are lead dancers in the Espresso Nutcracker. Produced by Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the performance features over a dozen dancers from Booker T. Many are upperclassmen who are taking on leading roles like the Sugar Plum Fairy, Chinese Tea, Dance of Reed-Pipes,…
Author: Jenna Carpenter
For Mariele M., leadership is all about being a role model. “It means always doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. It means helping others and showing kindness to everyone, even if you don’t know them.” A sixth grader at George H.W. Bush Elementary School, Mariele’s voice can be heard during the morning announcements, a task she takes seriously. “I notify everyone about what they need to know in the morning,” she said. Morning announcements are just one of the responsibilities students at Bush Elementary take on throughout the day. Every classroom has a chart with different…
Todos los días, Madeleine Menchaca ve a sus estudiantes de prekínder alternar sin problema alguno de un idioma a otro al aprender, jugar y conversar. Como maestra de lenguaje dual en Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy, Menchaca lidera un salón de clases en que el español y el inglés se entretejen naturalmente en cada lección. “Me encanta verlos aprender cada idioma y ver su desarrollo”, dijo. “Son muy curiosos, y es muy impresionante lo mucho que crecen a lo largo del año”. Originaria de Puerto Rico, Menchaca dijo que los estudiantes del programa de lenguaje dual a menudo empiezan el…
Every day, Madeleine Menchaca watches her pre-K students seamlessly shift between two languages as they learn, play, and talk with one another. As a dual-language teacher at Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy, she leads a classroom where Spanish and English weave naturally through every lesson. “I just love seeing the students learn each language and how they develop,” she said. “They are so curious, and it’s really impressive how they grow during the year.” Originally from Puerto Rico, Menchaca said students in the dual-language program often start the year speaking only one language, but soon start speaking in full sentences…
Amami L., a student at Rosie M. Collins Sorrels School of Education and Social Services at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, has a passion to help people. “It’s something my mom instilled in me; to always be part of the community,” she said. “Whether it’s volunteering or helping people, you’re supposed to do good.” A junior, Amami said those passions are motivating her to become an industrial organization psychologist, which partners with private companies to improve well-being, productivity, and effectiveness of their employees. “They help with burnout and make sure the workforce is healthy,” Amami said. There are two clusters…
Conforme se acerca el final del semestre, varios estudiantes del distrito han conseguido entrar en universidades, algunas tan prestigiosas como University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame y Boston College. Gabriel M., de Skyline High School, es uno de ellos. “Siempre me interesó ir a Boston a estudiar, y Boston College es la universidad que me encantó”, dijo. “Estoy emocionado por todas las increíbles oportunidades que me ofrecerán y por hacer nuevos amigos”. Sergio R., quien recibió una beca completa para estudiar en Texas Christian University, dijo que recibirla fue un sueño realizado. “Me encanta TCU y el momento que…
As the end of the semester approaches, seniors across the district are starting to secure spots at colleges and universities. Students are being admitted to prestigious institutions such as University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, and Boston College. Gabriel M., a senior at Skyline High School, is one of them. “I have always been interested in going to school in Boston, and Boston College is the school I fell in love with,” he said. “I’m excited about the school because of all the amazing opportunities they will have to offer and making new friends.” Sergio R., who received a…
A veces la primera experiencia de los estudiantes con el vuelo no sucede a miles de pies en el aire. Empieza justo en el salón de clases. “Antes vivía cerca del aeropuerto ejecutivo”, dijo Juan Q. “Me gustaba ir afuera y ver los pequeños aviones aterrizar y despegar”. Juan, quien hoy es estudiante de aviación en el Instituto de Profesiones del Sur y espera un día ser piloto privado, se vio inspirado a seguir esa especialización gracias a un compañero de clase mayor. El programa de aviación de cuatro años da a los estudiantes la oportunidad de explorar todo desde…
Sometimes, a student’s first experience with flight doesn’t happen thousands of feet in the air. It begins right in the classroom. “I used to live near the Dallas Executive Airport,” said Juan Q. “I liked going outside and seeing the small airplanes landing and taking off.” Juan, now an aviation student at Career Institute South who hopes to become a private pilot, was inspired to join the pathway by an older classmate. A four-year program, the aviation pathway gives students the opportunity to explore everything from flight operations to aircraft systems. It is part of Dallas ISD’s broader effort to…
El Día de Acción de Gracias está a la vuelta de la esquina y los estudiantes del programa de culinaria de Franklin D. Roosevelt High School of Innovation están sirviendo más que platillos deliciosos: están sirviendo a la comunidad. Bajo la guía de Cheryll Harris, chef directora del programa de artes culinarias, los estudiantes preparan una cena y trabajan de voluntarios en eventos comunitarios cada Día de Acción de Gracias, perpetuando así una larga tradición de Roosevelt que consiste en ayudar a la comunidad. “Hacen falta varias semanas de planificación, organizar donaciones y coordinar voluntarios”, dijo Harris. “Los preparativos nos…