Inside Dallas ISD

Students at Alex Sanger Elementary scored a visit from notable Dallas Cowboys alum this week as part of an initiative aimed at promoting youth health and wellness. Former linebacker Bradie James and Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown presented Sanger with a $2,500 grant on behalf of Hometown Huddle, a partnership between United Way and Fuel Up to Play 60, and the Gene and Jerry Jones Foundation. The grant was in response to Sanger’s efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles among students and families at the school. In addition to presenting the $2,500 check, Brown and James joined volunteers from the Cowboys…

City Year Dallas AmeriCorps members volunteer each day at Dallas ISD’s O. W. Holmes Humanities/Communications Academy. The 12-member group provides one-on-one tutoring in math and Reading/Language Arts classes, greets students twice a week with engaging chants and inspirational cheers, and lends a friendly ear to students. A main goal is to keep students in school. Watch this video to learn how City Year Dallas mentors are helping Dallas ISD students reach their potential.

Students and staff at Dallas ISD’s Umphrey Lee Elementary School are using the  P.R.I.D.E. House system to sharpen students’ social skills and in turn boost their academic success. “It provides a deep connection between our students and teachers in various grade levels,” said Principal Roshondra Clayton-Brown. “And we have found it is really working and changing the social environment of our school.” Melanie Dadson, House Coordinator/Testing Coordinator, said a key to the program is consistency. Each week, students are introduced to certain elements: a college, a quote, a habit of mind and an essential. Watch the video to see parts…

Justin F. Kimball High School student-athletes would have otherwise headed to the State Fair of Texas’ Secondary Fair Day with their peers on Friday, Oct. 16. Instead, they agreed to venture over to Thomas Tolbert Elementary School to participate in a team community service effort. “We are excited about the opportunity to have a partnership with Kimball, our feeder school,” said Tolbert Principal Lakeisha L. Smith of Kimball’s basketball and cross country teams’ visit to her campus. “Our students need to see that older kids do give back. We’re always talking about how we are a community service or a community…