Inside Dallas ISD

he 2021 Dallas ISD Holiday Invitational basketball tournament will be held Tuesday through Thursday, December 28-30. The 81st annual tournament is rich in tradition and features exceptional competition, including regional qualifiers and state champions. This year’s new format includes a 16-team Gold bracket and a 16-team Silver bracket for both boys’ and girls’ competition. A total of 32 girls’ teams and 32 boys’ teams each are guaranteed at least four games during the three-day event. Brackets: Boys’ Gold | Boys’ Silver | Girls’ Gold | Girls’ Silver Eight Dallas ISD high school campuses will host tournament games on Tuesday and…

After beating Lovejoy, the South Oak Cliff High School football team is taking on Lubbock-Cooper on Friday, Dec. 19, in the state semifinal game. The action starts at 7:30 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. Go here to buy tickets. “Got (a) team to get ready for next week,” South Oak Cliff Head Coach Jason Todd told WFAA after the win Saturday. “No time to celebrate. Got to get back, get ready and focused.” This marks the first time the Golden Bears football team has made it to the state semifinal since 1970. A Dallas ISD school hasn’t won a…

On Saturday, Nov.13, Student Activities broke its own record high at the first in-person secondary chess tournament since December 2019! A total of 646 secondary students from 63 schools participated in the tournament. In the middle school section (grades 6-8), Long Middle School took first place, Pleasant Grove TAG came in second, and Sudie Williams placed third. In the high school section (grades 9-12), TAG took first place, Thomas Jefferson came in second, and Science and Engineering placed third. Students enjoyed a little hula hoop and limbo competition while waiting for each round. Everyone was excited to be back!

Michael Iwasko has always admired the passion his wife Alicia pours into her work with Dallas ISD families, first as a teacher and now as principal at Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School. That is why when their daughter turned 2, he decided to quit his corporate job and find a way to also make a difference. “I wanted my daughter [Nadezhda] to look at me with the same pride as when she looks at the work my wife does to make a difference in her school and our community,” Michael said. These past few weeks, the family, which now also…