Inside Dallas ISD

Almost 200 Dallas ISD students are taking part in an innovative program that prepares them to be the next generation of Dallas leaders. The students, members of the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP), were recently honored at Southern Methodist University. During a special presentation on April 27 at SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium, FLP Recognition Ceremony keynote speaker and Emmy Award-winning CBS Dallas journalist Steve Pickett encouraged the “future leaders” to always stay committed to education – and to follow their dreams. “It has to start with you believing in yourself,” said Pickett, who was the first local TV reporter to air…

The SOLAR Preparatory School for Girls has turned lemons into a Project Based Learning experience. All students participated in the longterm project that taught them a variety of skills. The students helped build and paint lemonade stands and developed advertisements and sales techniques. Students also read fiction texts in which the main characters are selling lemonade. Parent volunteers helped the girls build the stands form scratch. SOLAR Prep is a Transformation School and part of the Public School Choice Imitative that opened in August 2016. SOLAR Prep also uses a blended learning model, in which lessons are taught in small groups. Students learn from the teacher and each…

Deloitte LLP, The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) and United Way have announced the recipients of the 2017 Deloitte/NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarships. Six students will be awarded and join the 38 previous recipients. They are: Maritza Aguilar, Craig Jackson, Keja Johnson, Adriana Lopez, Tahania Sierra and Stephanie Vargas. Each student will receive a $20,000 scholarship towards his or her continuing education. The recipients were honored at a breakfast on May 1 at Lakewood Country Club. Established in 2007, the Fairway to Success Program annually awards scholarships to students based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community involvement and financial need. Fairway…

Two elementary schools have danced their way into the ballroom dancing finals in Arlington later this month! Dancing Classrooms is a 20-lesson ballroom dancing program that was open to elementary schools. The ballroom dancing Colors of the Rainbow Semi-Finals saw fifth-graders from seven Dallas ISD elementary schools compete: Brashear, DeGoyler, Dunbar, Foster, Harry Stone, Holland, and Zaragosa elementary schools. Brashear and DeGoyler advanced out of the semifinals to compete in the finals later this month “The purpose of the Dancing Classrooms program is to build social awareness, confidence, and self-esteem through social dance,” said Barbara Johnson, Director of Health and Physical Education…