Inside Dallas ISD

More than 100 Dallas ISD students had up to 60 different items for lunch on April 7 – one bite at a time. Participants at the Food & Child Nutrition Services “Food Festival” were charged with tasting the items and rating them. The students – from L.G. Pinkston High School, Zan Holmes Jr. Middle School, Arcadia Park Elementary and Robert E. Lee Elementary – convened at  3015 at Trinity Groves for the tasting. Twenty-five vendors served items such as barbecue, pizza, steak burgers, Asian-inspired chicken and waffle sandwiches. After ranking each item on paper, students tabulated their opinions on iPad Minis. Some of the…

Yaresi Rodriguez, a student at A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School, had not given much thought to her future personal budget. Rodriguez lives at home, so her parents cover the necessary expenses. However, life after high school is rapidly approaching—along with the groceries, bills, loans, and other necessary costs that come with it—and Rodriguez knows she needs to learn how to manage a personal budget, sooner rather than later. “I know when I move out and start paying my own bills, it might be overwhelming,” she said. Rodriguez said a financial literacy event presented Friday by Capital One Bank…

As a transformational leader, Dade Middle School Principal Tracie Washington has an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all children will learn by any means necessary. Washington, a Dallas ISD Principal of the Year, knew right away she had been called to be an educator. She has taken personal ownership in building a team that fosters an atmosphere in which all scholars embrace the importance of college and career readiness. “What I enjoy most is that I’m able to partner with some of the best educators in this business and we strategize and problem solve to meet the needs of every student,”…

Smart City Networks, a leading telecommunication provider for convention centers and meeting facilities, recently donated $10,000 to Maple Lawn Elementary to renovate the school’s soccer field. To celebrate the completion of the renovation, Maple Lawn Elementary staff took on students in a soccer game on Monday on the renovated field. Trustee Miguel Solis, Dallas City Councilman Adam Medrano, and Smart City Networks President Mark Haley were among the VIPs who joined staff and students in the soccer game. The students defeated the staff 4-1. After the game, Solis and Medrano thanked Smart City Networks for stepping up to help out a neighborhood school. “Our community is…