Inside Dallas ISD

National Suicide Prevention Month is recognized during September to raise awareness and support for those who are struggling. Because the safety and well-being of students and staff is Dallas ISD’s top priority, departments and schools across the district are working together to encourage everyone to watch for warning signs and intervene as needed.  “People who are having suicidal thoughts need to know that help is readily available,” said Juany Valdespino-Gaytan, the executive director of Social and Emotional Learning. “We are working to reach the people who are silently suffering through proactive social and emotional learning strategies to access the support…

Dallas ISD’s Partnerships and Volunteer Services team has been working vigorously to secure donations and ensure that the district’s partners help uplift our students and community. “Dallas ISD is fortunate to have the support of a wide variety of agencies, individuals, businesses – public and private, higher education organizations, faith-based groups, and others,” said volunteer coordinator Tonya Mayberry Davis. “The support helps to impact student achievement and provide much-needed resources for our campuses.” These partnerships provide students with much-needed materials to make it through the school year, helping to take some of the load off parents. DFW YES is one…

Keeping students healthy is a mission for Nancy Ramirez, a nurse at Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy. As students and teachers get acclimated to the new school year, school nurses have the arduous task of making sure students have their immunization records up to date, a job Ramirez is committed to daily. Like nurses throughout the district, Ramirez is staying busy with outreach to parents. “I do my best to be proactive, and it’s an ongoing process as we also receive students who transfer from out of state and out of the country, and do our best to connect…

On Tuesday, a small group of alumni, teachers, and staff gathered to say their final goodbyes to Geneva Heights Elementary as we’ve known it, as a five-day demolition project began. “I have been at Geneva Heights for 21 years, so it is sad to see it come down, but I am so excited to be getting a brand-new building,” said teacher assistant Maricruz Espinoza. The school’s $31 million reconstruction investment is part of Dallas ISD’s Bond 2020 project. This building has been a staple in the community since it opened its doors in 1931 and has served many generations of…