Author: The Hub

After much hard work and rehearsal, Charles Rice Learning Center fifth-grader Lyriq Turner was named the winner of the 2016 Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. Turner was the judges’ top choice from among eight orators who recited their original speeches in response to the question,“What would Dr. King say in his campaign speech if he were running for president this year?” The student orators were judged on their delivery, stage presence, content interpretation and memorization. Approximately 135 students participated in the annual competition that began in October with in-school competitions that identified 15 semifinalists. Of that group, eight finalists were selected…

Established in 1983, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the fight for civil rights in the U.S. In addition to activities celebrating the life of Dr. King, the holiday has been combined with a national day of service to honor the spirit of his life’s work. We’ve compiled a list of events in and around Dallas this holiday weekend for you and your family to enjoy. 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and Parade: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Dallas has several events scheduled for…

Lyriq Turner, a fifth-grader at Charles Rice Learning Center, took the top spot in the 24th annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition final. She and seven other finalists vied for the top honors on Friday, Jan. 15, at The Majestic Theatre. Watch her deliver her winning speech in the video above. The theme of each speech was to present what the students thought Martin Luther King Jr. would say if he were running for U.S. president today. Marcos Mares, a fifth-grader at William Brown Miller Elementary, took second place. Za’Kiah Bell, a fifth-grader at J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology…

Eric Cowan is no stranger to public service and child advocacy. He has served on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees since 2010 and is the current board president, a position he was twice selected by his board colleagues to fill. President Cowan represents District 7, which includes North Central Oak Cliff and parts of West Dallas. Throughout his years on the board, Cowan has continued to champion students throughout the Dallas Independent School District and, as a district parent, he continues to be a voice for parents as he makes decisions that affect the districts roughly 160,000 students. For…

Hundreds of Dallas ISD students gathered at Fair Park recently where they took on instant challenges with the Star Wars theme: May the Creative Force Be with You. Destination Imagination is an educational program in which students solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournament competitions. Sponsored by the Student Activities Department, elementary and secondary students – in Star Wars costumes – worked in teams and on deadline with tasks and performance-based, hands-on activities throughout the day. Dallas ISD has more than 160 teams from 74 schools competing in Destination Imagination. The 2016 Dallas Regional Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 20…

Seventeen Dallas ISD students spelled their way to the Dallas County spelling bee after the district round was conducted on Tuesday, Jan. 12. There were 95 students from 60 schools who participated at bees at César Chavez Learning Center, Clinton P. Russell Elementary School, Henry B. Gonzales Elementary School, Jerry Junkins Elementary School and Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School. The county bee will feature winners from public schools in the county and will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Dallas County Schools Technology & Training Center, 5151 Samuell Blvd. Dallas ISD students advancing to the county bee are:…

Leslie Romero, a fourth-grade student in the dual-language program at Harrell Budd Elementary, has many reasons she is thankful to be bilingual and biliterate. For starters, she is able to help her Spanish-speaking parents when they need to translate or understand something in English. She also knows that being bilingual and biliterate will be useful when she looks to get a job down the road. But knowing two languages provided an extra bonus this month, as her essay titled “Why I’m Proud To Be Bilingual” won first place in the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Essay contest for the…

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and trustees said a demographic report showing a slight student enrollment decrease this year is a call to action to determine ways to bring families back to the district. The student enrollment in 2015–16 is 158,692, which is down from the 2014–15 student enrollment of 160,253. The largest enrollment drop—approximately 1,000 students—came on the kindergarten level. Hinojosa said the slight student enrollment decrease is a wake up call for anyone who believes the district can go about “business as usual.” “We must determine why students are leaving or not choosing to come to Dallas ISD, and we…

It took nine years for Shawn Scott, a 1995 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School, to complete his college journey. However, through each hurdle, he became more determined to achieve his goal. Today, Scott is head of technology for VenueCenter and spends some of his spare time teaching students the ins and outs of computer programming. He urges students today to learn from the mistakes of others because “the biggest thing you don’t know is what you don’t know.” AlumNow, The Hub feature that profiles district graduates, caught up with Scott to see how things are shaping up in his life.…

The H. Grady Spruce High School staff kicked off the new semester by visiting homes of 116 students who had at least 99-percent attendance for the first semester. More than 100 teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches, and City Year Corps members split into teams and spent the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 6 surprising students with “All-Star Attendance” certificates and getting to know them and their families. Students shared with staff why they made it a point to be at school each day and their thoughts on how the school could encourage others to do the same. Family members welcomed staff into their homes…