Inside Dallas ISD

Students, staff, parents and volunteers celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with green thumbs on Tuesday, March 17, as they planted a new garden at John Quincy Adams Elementary School. Fifth-grader Raymond Arguelles relished the opportunity to grab a shovel and help with digging duties. But he’s also looking forward to making a few new friends, too. “A lot of times, you hardly see that,” he said of birds and wildlife, gesturing to a banner emblazoned with a large blue jay. “With a garden, they might just stop by.” Tuesday’s installation marks the 27th garden coordinated by nonprofit REAL School Gardens, and…

Alex Sanger Elementary School students shouted their favorite color, did (safe) karate chops, and performed a variety of other dance moves during a special Koo Koo Kangaroo concert on Tuesday afternoon. Koo Koo Kangaroo, an interactive comedic dance-pop band from Minnesota, performed at Alex Sanger Elementary after its students won a GoNoodle contest sponsored by Children’s Health. GoNoodle is an online service that provides “brain breaks” in classrooms through brief, interactive videos designed to encourage body movement. To win the GoNoodle contest, Sanger Elementary had the highest percentage of GoNoodle users in Dallas ISD between Feb. 9–March 6. “Brain breaks…

Meelina Khanal, a junior at Emmett J. Conrad High School, would have loved for a friend to teach her about her new adopted country when she moved to the United States at the age of 14. Specifically, a friend who could have taught her the language, customs, and, most importantly, guided her through the school’s curriculum would have been invaluable. Now, as a mentor in a pilot program that matches older refugee students with their younger counterparts, she is able to provide that help that she would have loved. “When I was new here, I wished I had someone like…

No matter what was on the lunch menu, seniors at Thomas Jefferson High School had a once-in-a-lifetime serving of Meat Loaf on Friday, March 6. The famous actor and musician returned to his alma mater, along with three fellow TJ grads, to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards from the school’s alumni association. Meat Loaf, known in school as Michael Aday, got his start in acting on the very stage he was standing on Friday. The Class of 1965 graduate shared a few things about how he found his path while at school. “My career started at this school, but it started…