Inside Dallas ISD

About a dozen dads whose daughters will attend the new Solar Preparatory School for Girls this fall worked on a few projects around the school on Friday, Aug. 12. One of the projects was repurposing an old chalkboard into a hanging Lego wall in what will be the school’s art room (formerly the library) on the second floor. Green Lego squares were being glued to the surface to create a vertical building surface. Downstairs, and learning materials were being sorted to clear office space that was being painted Friday afternoon. The school, which will open with grades kindergarten through second grade,…

More than 125 incoming H. Grady Spruce High School freshmen got their first taste of Timberwolf spirit at the school’s ‘Fish Camp’ held on Tuesday, Aug. 9. More than a dozen local organizations including CiCi’s Pizza and the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce joined the beginning of year momentum by providing pizza and Class of 2020 t-shirts for every incoming freshman, complete with a design by Robert Cooper, Spruce art teacher. Spruce staff and community welcomed the ninth-graders with open arms and immediately ushered them into the auditorium. There, a pep rally kicked off the half day of rotating sessions, which included…

As a professional basketball player, Nancy Lieberman’s jersey number was 10. On Thursday, Aug. 11, she visited Dallas ISD’s Robert T. Hill Middle School to ask students to commit to working at least 10 hours of community service during the next year. In return, each student received one of about 300 new backpacks from Nancy Lieberman Charities. Perhaps more important, Lieberman committed her ongoing support to the school. “We’re not a one-and-done program,” she said. “I will come back to this school.” Lieberman’s professional resumé leaves no doubt that she is one of the most successful American basketball players of all…

Pinkston High School’s band will represent the State of Texas in the 2017 National Memorial Day Parade. Congressman Michael Burgess nominated the band after seeing their Veterans Day performance where they placed third out of nearly 100 bands. Osley Cook, the band’s director, says he is thrilled for the opportunity for his students. When he began his director position seven years ago, the band had five members who could hardly read music. Major college band programs in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Georgia are now recruiting the school’s talented band members. While the students love to play for their…