Inside Dallas ISD

Written by Julian Spearman, Student Activities Department This semester, introducing Mario Kart World to the Dallas ISD Esports program culminated in a thrilling victory. “During the year, our Esports team meets weekly to train,” said Allison Peña, coach of Felix G. Botello Personalized Learning Elementary. “We hold mini tournaments on our campus every week, so our students are extremely prepared.” Similarly, Luis Baeza , coach for Geneva Heights Elementary School, said that consistency was their secret weapon. “We committed to weekly practices where we didn’t just play the game,” he said. “We focused on structure, social skills, and the fundamentals…

Written by Julian Spearman, Student Activities More than 200 elite cheer programs from all over Texas came together at the Ft. Worth Convention Center for the UIL State Spirit Cheer Championships. Dallas ISD sent 5 teams to the competition, and Woodrow Wilson and Roosevelt high schools defied the odds securing a top spot in the championship. The teams’ success marks a historic milestone for Dallas ISD athletics, proving that the district’s spirit programs are becoming a force to be reckoned with on the state stage. With over 200 teams vying for a title, finishing in the top 20 is a…

Written by Lennon Formaggini, Student Activities Department The energy at Skyline High School was electric.  Hundreds of students entered the building and eccentric costumes were on full display. Friends, family, and judges were eager to watch the team challenges at the Destination Imagination Regional tournament. The annual event drew more than 150 teams from across the Dallas region and served as the crucial starting line for teams hoping to prove their creative problem-solving abilities. After months of preparation, unique scripts, and engineered devices, students solved complex, open-ended problems combining science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. When the final scores were tallied,…

Reading is important at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, and students celebrated Read A cross America Day with a visit from Morr Meroz, author of the graphic novel “Snowlands.” Meroz began the meet-and-greet with a fun game consisting of a series of slideshows displaying scalloped silhouettes of characters in the novel. Questions appeared above the row of silhouettes: Best leader? Most clever? Funniest? With hands up in the air, students shouted out their answers. Prompted by Meroz, some even defended their choices. Author school visits are a common way to encourage students to read and…