Inside Dallas ISD

“What do you love most about yourself?” This was the conversation starter for one of the 240 Dallas ISD students who competed in the inaugural round of the Amazing Shake Competition at City Lab High School on Nov. 10. The competition focused on tie-breaking life skills such as a firm handshake, eye-contact, and back-and-forth communication. More than 120 volunteers from businesses throughout Dallas participated as judges. Each judge received a bag with five ballots that were used to score each student. On Monday, Nov. 13, after all ballots are tallied, the top five shakers from each campus will be announced to…

Angel Sitiriche was a private lawyer and Army reservist in Puerto Rico when he was called to active duty after 9/11. He was in charge of the multi-national division north operational for the Iraqi Police and Military Police Officers, overseeing 2,000 soldiers. During his service he received many commendations, including the Bronze Star, Humanitarian Service Award, and Army Achievement Medal. Upon returning from Iraq, he decided to invest in the community and become a public school teacher. And for the past 12 years, Sitiriche has taught at John J. Pershing Elementary School. His outstanding contributions to education were recognized last…

Students at Dallas ISD’s Solar Preparatory School for Girls were part of a global effort on Thursday, Nov. 9, to have more than 635,000 people participate during the day in cup-stacking activities to break a Guinness World Record. The “Stack Up!” challenge has been coordinated by the World Sport Stacking Association since 2006. Last year’s effort had more than 622,000 verified participants. The sport of cup-stacking involves stacking cups in preset patterns, with competitors trying to beat their opponents’ times while also adding their own flair. Solar Prep teacher Mayra Trillo guided the students through five cup-stacking stations, including a…

Robotics teams in Dallas ISD will receive additional resources to foster interest and ability in STEM learning through the help of a $350,000 grant from Texas Instruments Foundation (TI Foundation). Oswaldo Alvarenga, executive director of Dallas ISD’s STEM department says the gift will create more exposure for students specifically interested in learning more about robotics. The donation will also help fund various competitive robotics events for Dallas ISD schools to compete in during the 2017-2018 academic year. “This grant will also ensure the expansion of robotic teams and opportunities for students to participate in co-curricular and extra-curricular STEM activities in…