Inside Dallas ISD

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…

It’s a summer morning at Arthur Kramer Elementary School, and more than 30 kids have their noses pressed close to colorful books as they read out loud. Ask the students if they like to read, and every hand will shoot up. The students are part of Kramer Elementary’s Lit Camp, which aims to reduce the loss of learning that sometimes happens over the summer. Caitlin Mehra, the school’s reading coach, and Natalie Sharp and Christina Ruiz, teachers at Kramer, lead the camp through engaging, exciting reading activities. “The camp is very intentional and targeted to improve these students’ reading skills,…