Author: Messaging and Marketing

Former Moisés E. Molina High School quarterback Diondre Preston received the gift of mobility on Thursday, Aug. 28, during halftime of a game between his alma mater and R.L. Turner High School. Preston suffered a spinal cord injury on the field in 2010, which left him fully paralyzed. With the help of Gridiron Heroes, the former football star was presented with a handicap-accessible van. It was a moment he and his mom will never forget. For more than a year, the Prestons have had no readily accessible way to transport Diondre. Gridiron Heroes is a non-profit that provides resources and…

Dallas ISD will set up a back-to-school hotline to answer concerns and questions that arise during the first week of classes, starting Monday, Aug. 25, the first day of school. The parent hotline will address school-related concerns and ease the confusion normally associated with the first week of school. Parents may call the hotline at (972) 925- 5437 (KIDS) on Monday, Aug. 25, through Friday, Aug. 29, to receive information about enrollment, bus routes, reduced school lunch applications, immunization requirements, school location, hours of operation and more. The hotline will operate in English and Spanish. Hotline hours are: Aug. 25…

The North Texas area is home to some of the most innovative and highly-regarded venues featuring the arts, culture, history and science, but often these experiences are inaccessible to Dallas ISD classroom students because of lack of funds. To help bridge the gap, Target’s corporate responsibility group offers grant funding. Now through Oct. 1, K-12 educators can apply for up to $700 to support a field trip that provides an engaging learning experience for students. To apply, visit the field trip grants section of the Target website, and be prepared to submit the following: A description of the field trip…

This summer, Humanities Texas selected Skyline High School AP English Literature and Composition teacher Margie Robinson as a recipient of a 2014 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award. Robinson was selected from more than 500 nominations of Texas social studies and language arts teachers. The recognition is another distinction for the NASA project manager turned teacher, who instills a passion for learning in her students. The award is a “pat on the back that all teachers need from time to time,” said Robinson. “But it really speaks well of the students. It’s an award for all of us.” While working at…

Dedication is what retired Dallas ISD Maintenance and Facilities employee Brent Ditmars says kept him on the job for 41 years. Ditmars, who has worked at many Dallas ISD schools, started out painting facilities and then working on wooden floors. That’s when his supervisor,who knew he could draw, asked him to paint the mascots on the floors in the gyms. You can find Ditmars’ artwork in places such as L.G. Pinkston High School, H. Grady Spruce High School and numerous other facilities. He’s proud of the legacy he’s left behind in his work. “I have mixed emotions about it, after…

Dallas ISD teachers interested in teaching Modern Band will soon have the opportunity to participate in a Little Kids Rock training workshop to prepare them to teach their students how to play popular music including hip hop, rap, rock and blues. Composition, improvisation and recording are also emphasized. Dallas ISD has partnered with the nonprofit organization Little Kids Rock (LKR) since 2008, giving thousands of students the gift of music. Approximately 75 district schools will benefit from LKR this school year. Nationally, more than 100,000 students take part in the program.“We are able to reach a group of students who…

Six Dallas ISD students will travel Sept. 25 to Washington, D.C., for the second leg of the commemorative 2014 Freedom Riders historical tours. The students’ journey this time centers on the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Each trip focuses on a pivotal time in the nation’s history and requires students to take on the roles of well-known leaders of the civil rights movement as they re-enact historical events. During this trip, the students will portray well-known Dallas activists and envision what it might have been like had the leaders…

Dallas ISD high school juniors and seniors are starting the school year focused on taking steps toward college. Counselors are meeting and talking with students to help them get prepared to make the most of their conversations with college recruiters at the Sept. 17 Districtwide College Fair. At Hillcrest High School, Lead Counselor Gailene Anderson recently visited with seniors in the school’s AVID classroom to discuss what to expect from the college fair. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a course designed to help first generation college students get past hurdles like passing advanced placement classes, preparing…

Preparing and delivering a fresh, nutritious breakfast to 63 classrooms for 1,366 students, their teachers, and administrators before the bell for first period might sound like a major challenge, but Rashundra Thomas and her staff of 10 cafeteria workers at Ann Richards Middle School have it down to a science. Starting at 5 a.m., the cafeteria staff arrive and turn on the ovens to begin preparing the warm food options that include items like chicken sausage sandwiches, chicken chorizo tacos, pancakes, tamales, and French toast sticks. The menu also includes 100 percent fruit juices, a fresh fruit or veggie, and…

This school year, Robert T. Hill Middle School will feature an Instruments Master Class; students at Maya Angelou High School can explore women’s careers in science through Girls Love Science; and the Mavericks First Lego Robotics Team will launch at Highland Meadows Elementary School. All of these opportunities are possible through Grants for Innovative Teaching, a signature program of the Junior League of Dallas, supported by Texas Instruments and other sponsors. Educators from across the Dallas Independent School District submitted proposals this past spring outlining original projects addressing reading and literacy enrichment, diversity, special education, STEM or arts and culture…