January 2020

HCM Benefits Department is excited to introduce a new fitness opportunity as a part of a wellness initiative. We are hosting free group fitness classes with personal trainers every Tuesday and Wednesday beginning January 21^st. These unique classes will vary week to week. All fitness levels from beginner to advanced are welcome. The classes will be led by certified personal trainers that will meet you where you are in your fitness journey.

Tuesdays
Cardio Strength and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Linus D. Wright Building in Room 1350; room locations vary depending on availability

Bring comfortable clothes, shoes, water, a towel, and a mat and get fit!

Wednesdays
Stretch and Meditation
12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Linus D. Wright Building in Room 207 and 208; room locations vary depending on availability

If you have any questions, please call the Benefits Department at (972) 925-4300.

The Post Secondary Partnerships and Programs department would like to invite those who are interested in teaching dual credit courses to attend the Dual Credentialing Interest Meeting from 5:30  to 7 p.m. on Jan. 27. The meeting will be held at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building, 9400 North Central Expressway, in Room 583. You will have an opportunity to meet with Dallas County Community College District representatives and have your credentialing questions answered. If you have any questions please contact Elizabeth Woodall at ewoodall@dallasisd.org or (972) 925-5476.

For more information about the meeting, download the flyer.

Eight outstanding young public speakers from Dallas ISD have advanced to the finals of the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition, and their performances can be watched live starting at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, by clicking on this livestream link.

Established in Dallas in 1993, the Floey & Lardner LLP MLK Jr. Oratory Competition is hosted annually to encourage the community to remember and pay tribute to the late civil rights leader’s legacy. The competition is designed  to recognize and foster the writing and oratory skills of elementary students. Fourth- and fifth-grade elementary students composed their own original three-to-five minute speeches incorporating ideals from King’s writings, speeches and other records to answer the competition’s theme question, “What would Dr. King’s vision be for America in 2020?”

Do you want to sharpen your professional skills, develop your leadership ability, and become a more confident communicator?

At Dallas ISD Talk it Up! Toastmasters, you can accomplish these goals in a self-paced supportive environment alongside others pursuing the same goals. Toastmasters learn by doing, by following a proven program of speeches and leadership activities. Want to learn firsthand how Toastmasters can help you give voice to your potential?  Register through Cornerstone to attend Dallas ISD Talk It Up! Toastmasters Open House on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Linus D. Wright Administration Building, 9400 N. Central Expressway, Room 300.

Dallas ISD Talk It Up! meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at the H.B. Bell School Support Services Building on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month and at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD School Administration Building on the second and fourth Wednesdays.

Dallas ISD has three district-approved, district-sponsored principal prep programs, one of which has an application deadline right around the corner: The Texas Principal Leadership Academy in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin.

UT Austin – Texas Principal Leadership Academy Program Highlights

• Fast-tracked program that can be completed in 12 months with courses completed in Austin, Dallas and online.
• Participants serve in a Teacher Leader Intern position under a mentor principal allowing candidates to engage in authentic leadership activities before moving into a leadership position.
• The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Jan. 15, at education.utexas.edu/principal.

Employees who may be thinking about retiring within the next five years will have the opportunity to explore the steps they need to take now to prepare at two free seminars.

Retired Teachers Association

The Dallas Retired Teachers Association will hold its annual retirement seminar for all public school employees at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Dallas Public Library–Community Showcase Room, 1515 Young St.

The seminar will include presentations about building a retirement plan, financial consultations, Dallas ISD retirement procedures, Social Security and Medicare rules, Teacher Retirement System benefits, and TRS health insurance. Refreshments and door prizes will be provided by the Credit Union of Texas.

To attend, you must register by Saturday, Jan. 18, by emailing richgrst@hotmail.com or vlusk2131@sbcglobal.net. For additional information, contact (972) 224-3186.

Dallas ISD Benefits Department

The Benefits Department will host a retirement information seminar for all employees at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Linus D. Wright Administration Building, 9400 N. Central Expressway, room 1350 on the 13th floor. Attendees will receive information regarding the district’s procedures, Teacher Retirement System benefits and helpful planning tips leading up to retirement. Those interested in attending can register by Jan. 31.  There are several ways to register:

• Register through Cornerstone
• Call 972-925-4300
• Email Retirement@dallasisd.org

For additional information regarding the Feb. 4 seminar, please contact the Benefits Department at (972) 925-4300 or benefits@dallasisd.org.

Happy new year and welcome back to a fresh new start in 2020. Listen up, did you know that almost everything you do in life involves some form of communication?

Any time you interact with another person, you are communicating. Whether you smile at a stranger or ignore them, speak to someone or listen attentively when that person is talking to you, you are communicating.

We communicate for numerous reasons: to make decisions, solve problems, get answers, resolve conflicts, discuss events or tasks, or gather information. A person’s success often depends on good communication skills.

As an employee of Dallas ISD, no matter your role, you are the customers’ point of contact and often the primary source of communication.  If parents and students see you in the local grocery store or out in the community, in their eyes, you not only represent the district, you are the district.  As a district communicator, how you interact with customers is important. In fact, it is one of the most important jobs required to establish and develop relationships.

As we move forward this semester, challenge yourself to commit to doing one thing differently or better to ensure you make a positive impression on your customers. Smile. Engage. Be helpful.  Show you care.  One thing, no matter how small, can improve your communication skills and make a huge difference in building positive relationships with customers.

Hundreds of South Oak Cliff High School students were welcomed back to their school when the spring semester started Tuesday. But it wasn’t quite the same building they left when the renovation work began.

The building structure is the one that’s been there since 1952, but it has been through a $52-million overhaul that includes a gym addition, new administrative offices, a cafeteria expansion, new roofing, and interior and exterior renovations to the entire campus. The renovation work and upgrades to the building were completed using funds from the 2015 bond program.

For more information about projects from the 2015 bond program, visit Bond 2015 Progress.