Dallas ISD gives from the heart

Across the district, schools and departments hosted events to benefit the community, a school, or families, making the end of year celebrations a little better for others. They shared these efforts below.

Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

Booker T. Angels is an annual event coordinated by the student council and Parent Teacher Student Association at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Students, team members, and families of the school adopt five families who need assistance from H.I. Holland Elementary at Lisbon.

David G. Burnet Elementary School

The effort involves giving 19 students in second and third grades a gift of their choice and a gift card as well as other small stocking stuffers before their winter break. The tradition has been in place since 2023 when the students were in kindergarten, first and second grades. Teacher assistant Jesele Perez, who did the first gifting, got assigned again with these students and is doing it again by saving up money of her own, finding sponsors through connections, getting each students’ hobbies and interests. Perez grew up in the same neighborhood as the students, so she knows and has experienced the struggles first-hand on what most low-income families go through during the holidays. She believes that no studen

t should go without a gift during the holidays. With the help of friends who are Dallas ISD graduates, she made it happen and now each and every student in second and third grades will receive a gift and a gift card. Perez and her friends all had fun while working on this project since they knew this is benefitting students that are currently living in the same neighborhood they all grew up in. She hopes this small project positively impacts these students, encourages them to keep up the good work and also give back to the community.

Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School

The fifth grade is sponsoring a Christmas Pet Food Drive.  Toy drives and food drives during this season are common, but those for pets are usual, so the school decided to spread the joy to animal adoption centers.

Trinity Heights Talented and Gifted Counseling Department

This year, the school decided to do a canned food drive. We came up with the idea because so many families have had reduced benefits, job loss, and experienced homelessness. The women’s shelter benefited from our donation of over 500 canned goods.

Special Services

Listening to KRLD Radio on her way to work, Patricia Ann Washington heard them doing a Radiothon for Make A Wish Foundation. Being a licensed social worker, she is familiar with this organization, so she made a donation. 

Dual Language Department

Each year during Christmas, the department hosts the adopt-a-family outreach event. It’s that special time of the year when the department comes together to support and uplift students and their families. These families are new incoming families to the district that enroll through the International Welcome Center.

Biomedical Preparatory at UT Southwestern

We are a choice school that has a unique economic make up. We are 50% economically advantaged and 50% economically disadvantaged. The school  decided to start our own version of the angel tree called Kwanzaa Kindness. Our families have the option to be a sponsor or sign up if they need help with gifts during the holiday season. The kindness of our sponsors brings joy and hope to families during this holiday season.

Victor H. Hexter Elementary School

Hexter continued its tradition to put up an angel tree for families in need.

Albert C. Black Jr. STEAM Academy

This October, Eduardo Mata Montessori was excited to participate in Sock-tober, a month-long sock drive to support the community. Socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, and together we can make a difference by collecting new socks of all sizes for those in need. At the end of the drive, all socks collected were donated to a local shelter.

Winnetka Elementary School

Our wonderful and hard-working PTO will give out toys to each of our scholars in all grade levels.

Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy

The Sudie Williams National Junior Honor Society hosted the third annual canned food drive. Inspired to make a real change in the community, the school came together and donated a total of 6,516 cans. Students also started a coin drive during carpool which raised an additional $681 dollars.

Communication Services

During the holidays, Communication Services says happy holidays with toys, books, clothing and other items for students. The department, which includes Digital, Social,  Internal, Translations, Creative Services, Call Center, DSTV, and Media Services, adopted a classroom at B.H. Macon Elementary School and another at Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School and bought gifts for students based on their needs and wants. This tradition was started by Translation Services, and for the past three years, the whole department has embraced it.