Author: The Hub

Dallas ISD’s graduating class has reported receiving more than $104 million in college scholarships. Nearly 3,000 college scholarships have been awarded to 1,066 seniors. More than 7,500 seniors are expected to graduate this year. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the scholarship dollars represent dividends from a worthwhile investment. “These scholarships are just the first dividends from the countless hours invested in pursuit of academic excellence, an investment that will continue to pay off far into the future,” Hinojosa said. “The total reflects the quality of our graduates and the strong support they have received from teachers, counselors and parents. Both our staff…

Wearing shirts that read “Mental Health Matters,” the Dallas ISD Psychological and Social Services’ (PSS), school social workers, and school psychologists participated in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk earlier this month. PSS employees raised $1,000 in support of NAMIWalks. Norma Pereida, a licensed master social worker with PSS, said the event is part of a greater effort to change how Americans view mental illness. Go here for more information on PSS, and go here for more information on NAMIWalks.

Recently, sixth-graders from 20 Dallas ISD schools participated in a Model United Nations Conference at Ellis Davis Field House. Students debated current issues and prepared draft resolutions with supporters and adversaries in order to resolve problems that affect the world. “The students have been studying world cultures for the entire year. This is a complement to the curriculum,” said Shalon Bond of the Dallas ISD Social Studies Department. “It’s kind of fun for the students because they dress up as if they’re from that native country. They are delegates from that country and they are representing what that country really needs,…

Dr. Tererai Trent asked one simple question to girls at Mark Twain and Adelle Turner elementary schools—“What do you want to be when you grow up?” The question gave rise to wide eyes and a whirlwind of girls’ hands up in the air ready to announce to their peers their dreams. Whether a veterinarian, a ballerina, a teacher, or a police officer, each and every girl had a dream to become something, which was just the message behind Trent’s book, “The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can.” The story follows Trent’s experience as a little girl from Rhodesia…

Samantha White, a teacher at Richard Lagow Elementary School, loves her job because she has the privilege of inspiring students to become who they want to be. White became a teacher to help shape the world of tomorrow for a better future that she, as well as others, can live in. Meet a Top 100 Teacher, a Hub feature that talks with top educators in Dallas ISD, caught up with White in her classroom at Lagow Elementary. What motivates/inspires you? I am motivated by the “lightbulb” moments that I spark through daily interactions with my students. When they arrive at the…

William Brown Miller Elementary hosted a fun Cinco de Mayo celebration last week. Students performed dances celebrating Mexican heritage and culture. Look at the above photos for an inside look into the event.

Two dogs, a hamster, a chinchilla, a hedgehog, a turtle, some bunnies and a couple of chickens walk into a library … No, that’s not the set up for a bad joke; that’s what happened on Friday, May 13, at Dallas ISD’s Benjamin Franklin Middle School to celebrate National Pet Day. Librarian Rosenid Badía arranged for parents to take some family pets to school during lunch for the celebration. The pets could be held and played with, but only if students read to the animals first. Students were also encouraged to conduct research about the animals and learn what it…

Dallas ISD is set to partner with the non-profit community to turn a vacated school building in South Dallas into a one-stop shop that will serve both students and their families. Dallas ISD officials on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. Community Outreach Center to transform Julia C. Frazier Elementary, which closed in 2012, into the Frazier House. The Frazier House will offer a shared space between Dallas ISD and the non-profit that meets the academic and social services needs of students and families in South Dallas. “The Frazier House will let us serve…

The end of the school year might be quickly approaching—June 2 is the last day of classes for students—but the great news in Dallas ISD keeps coming in. From a huge recognition for two of our schools to a senior on track to make history, today’s edition of This Week in Dallas ISD is full of great stories. Watch the 110-second video recap here, or read below to catch up on this week’s news. A big recognition for Dallas ISD Dallas ISD schools were the only two in Texas to earn the 2016 National Title I Distinguished honor. Go here…

W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy Principal Yvonne D. Rojas welcomed parents, community and district officials on Thursday to a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the historic campus’ recent expansion. The event featured the school’s mariachi band, Leadership Cadet Corps, choir and international and academy dance performances. The event closed with the ribbon-cutting and the unveiling of a recently installed piece of student artwork titled “The Towers at Greiner”—a ceramic sculpture garden comprised of student reflections of the school’s diverse heritage, student experiences, the Oak Cliff Community and the City of Dallas. “We have a great group of students,” said…