Author: The Hub

On Thursday, Sept. 22, people will open their hearts – and wallets – to thousands of worthy causes on North Texas Giving Day. One of those causes is a project for Dallas ISD pre-K students. The “Backpack for Books” program will serve 600 district pre-K classrooms by providing each two backpacks filled with reading materials that families can use to work with their children at home. Each pre-K student will have the chance to take a backpack home twice during the school year. In addition to the books, which are geared for students beginning to learn how to read, there are…

Back by popular demand, AlumNow is returning to share the stories of Dallas ISD alumni. If you are interested in sharing your story, make sure to follow the link at the bottom of the page. After graduating from Seagoville High School in 2009, Nancy Palacios continued exemplifying service through her profession. She is a registered nurse at UT Southwestern Medical Center currently enrolled at Baylor University working toward her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree in hopes of continuing to empower others. Throughout her high school career she found mentors who steered her toward her dream and now strives to do…

More than 200 community members came together at N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center on Sept. 17 to celebrate the unveiling of the Official Texas Historical Marker for the 10th Street Historical District formerly known as “Freedman’s Town.” The 10th Street neighborhood is considered Oak Cliff’s most important African-American neighborhood, according to Preservation Dallas. The development is thought to date back to the post-Civil War era when freed slaves settled there. “This historical marker is very significant because this community is a big part of Dallas history that has been overlooked,” said Shaun Montgomery, a community member who was among those…

Seven Dallas ISD teachers were recognized this year with Texas Instruments Innovations in STEM Teaching Awards. Texas Instruments gave the $70,000 grant to the Dallas Education Foundation, which then provided the award to the teachers. The Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation presented its Innovations in STEM Teaching Awards on Sept. 15 to 18 teachers from six local school districts during a ceremony at TI’s Dallas headquarters. The awards program, now in its 10th year, honors local secondary math and science teachers from Dallas, Garland, Lancaster, Mesquite, Plano and Richardson ISDs independent school districts (ISDs) who consistently demonstrate quality instruction and build student achievement in the…

Dallas ISD has 16 semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. Being named a National Merit Scholar finalist is among the most prestigious national recognitions in high school. About 90 percent of all semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of those finalists will win…

Lesly Zamora, una alumnas de 12o grado en Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, hizo una demostración de su habilidad para desensamblar y ensamblar una computadora en solo 10 minutos. Zamora lo aprendió durante el verano pasado en el Departamento de NEC IT. NEC ha donado computadoras para el nuevo laboratorio en esta escuela. ¡Muy bien por ella!

Lesly Zamora, a senior at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, recently demonstrated her ability to take apart and reassemble a computer in about 10 minutes. Zamora was an intern in the NEC IT department this past summer. Her demo took place the same day a new computer lab donated by the NEC Foundation of America was dedicated at her school.

Arturo Salazar Elementary School kicked of Hispanic Heritage Month with a festive celebration. Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15–Oct. 15, is a celebration of the historical and cultural contributions of Americans with Spanish, Mexican, Caribbean, and Central and South American ancestries. As part of the celebration at Salazar Elementary, students dressed in traditional costumes, parents served traditional food and drinks, and the W.E. Greiner Mariachi band played some fantastic music. District 7 Trustee Audrey Pinkerton also made an appearance. Watch the above video to learn more.

The Texas Education Agency announced that 68 percent of Dallas ISD campuses have earned at least one academic distinction designation, up from 60 percent of schools in 2015. For reference, 57.6 percent of Dallas ISD campuses in 2014 and 55.2 percent of campuses in 2013 earned at least one distinction. Overall, 17 Dallas ISD campuses in 2016 earned the maximum possible number of distinctions for their group. “We are encouraged that more of our schools are earning academic distinctions, and all of our teachers, principals and staff should take pride in work they are doing every day,” Dallas ISD Chief…

Thomas Jefferson High School will host the second Prep U Super Saturday event of the 2016-2017 school year on September 17 from 9 a.m–noon. Parents from throughout the Thomas Jefferson High School feeder pattern are encouraged to come out and take advantage of the available free resources. Prep U events are presented by the Dallas ISD Office of Family and Community Engagement, and are designed to help parents by providing a free, “one-stop-shop” where community organizations offer strategies and resources to support children academically, emotionally and socially. The event will include Dallas City Hall on the Go and over 40…