News Briefs

The Health and Physical Education Department is looking for student-created videos, newsletters, apps, and animations that promote exercise, nutrition, disease prevention and healthy habits. Students who use these and other digital projects to educate the community about health and wellness can win prizes such as USB flash drives, wristband pedometers and digital projectors by entering their creations in Dallas ISD’s first-ever Digital Media Fair. The competition is open to students at all grade levels and all subject areas. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts. For guidelines and directions about how to enter projects, visit http://tiny.cc/mvp2015. The fair’s winning…

Check out a short video of Mariachi Pegaso, a new student music group at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. The group was started in 2014, thanks in part students who had attended W.E. Greiner Middle School and participated in its award-winning Mariachi program.

With more than 70 percent of Dallas ISD students being of Hispanic descent, the Cinco de Mayo holiday is one of importance. On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army defeated the French in what came to be known as Cinco de Mayo. This holiday commemorates a Mexican Army victory at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-American War (1861-1867). It has become a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage for Mexican-American people. One school in particular at Dallas ISD, San Jacinto Elementary, celebrated the day with a community festival. On May 1, the aroma in the hallway at San Jacinto Elementary…

Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’ diverse group, Mariachi Pegaso, serenaded teachers during the Teacher Appreciation Week luncheon and for Cinco de Mayo. The group will attend their first Mariachi competition this week. Booker T. Washington is known for everything from arts to dance to music and bands, but surprisingly not for a Mariachi band. The school only recently established a Mariachi program in 2014, thanks in part to enthusiastic students and the Mariachi program at W.E. Greiner Middle School. A couple of Greiner alumni and ex-Mariachi program students decided to begin an after-school program…