Sharing winter break stories of travel and family

Dallas ISD team members spent their winter break at home or traveling with family while others visited new places to rest and recharge for the new year. Several share their stories and photos below.

Sarah Foster, principal at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy

She spent her winter break traveling to the Bahamas, where she and her family enjoyed the amazing blue waters of Exuma. 

“We usually spend every other Christmas as a blended family on a big trip,” Foster said. “It includes all of the Dad’s side of the family, my mom, my blended siblings, and our kids. It makes so many memories!”

Karyn Pfeffer, auditor with Internal Audit

She traveled to Omaha, Neb., to be with her aging parents, and learned during her trip that she is, unfortunately, not a good cook though she did not share details of what led to this conclusion. 

“Taking my dad to what will hopefully be his last radiation treatment and seeing him ring the bell,” she said was an important memory of the trip.

 

William Perez, early learning specialist

He had a wonderful winter break staying home to celebrate Christmas with family and then traveling to Portland, Ore., to visit close friends. They really loved the opportunity to visit Silver Falls State Park and Mount Hood. 

“Growing up in the ‘80s meant that you watched the movie Goonies several hundred times,” he said. “We could not miss the opportunity to visit the Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach (at the end of the movie) and the original Astoria home. It was an amazing experience! Goonies never say die.”

Jordan Hillis, Montessori teacher at Montessori Academy at Onésimo Hernandez 

She spent her 20s and the majority of her 30s working on cruise ships during summers and holidays and traveling to more than 100 countries. Then, she settled down at 40 and had a baby, so the break was spent with family enjoying the baby’s first Christmas. 

“My husband is a photographer, and we love to create memories in photos,” she said. “We dressed our son as an elf, took pictures in a cup of hot chocolate, and captured him enjoying his first snowfall!”

“I’ve been a teacher for more than 15 years, and I find so much joy in watching my students blossom in the classroom and beyond,” she added. “Their curiosity and sweetness inspired me and gave me the courage to have a child of my own, and I’ll always be grateful to them for that.”

 

 

 

 

 

Yvonne Rojas, principal at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School

She spent a lot of quality time locally with her daughter—Leyah, a third grader at  Winnetka Elementary School—visiting many outdoor locations, such as the Dallas Arboretum, Klyde Warren Park, the Omni Hotel for ice skating and New Year’s. They also had fun indoors with games and movies like Moana and Wicked. 

“We also did a lot of crafts and cooking at home which was very fun to do with her because of her interest in trying new things,” she said. “The best part was all the smiles and giggles we had, especially when we would discuss our day and laugh about our favorite parts. She loves her school and teachers, so everywhere we go, she would tie it back into something she learned at some point during the year. For example, in art, her teacher talked to them about sculptures around Dallas, and every time we would see one, she wanted to take a picture of it and discuss its meaning or importance to art.”

 

Alexis Crain, third grade teacher at Jerry Junkins Elementary School

She spent the winter break traveling—one week in Louisiana and one week in Florida.

Most of my time in Louisiana was spent in the Baton Rouge area but also a few smaller cities. Her favorite part was seeing fields of sugarcane in St. Martinville. 

“My friend’s family used to farm sugar cane, so I was able to learn some interesting facts about it,” she said. “I have always been fascinated by Louisiana history and culture.”

From Louisiana, she traveled to Orlando, where her favorite spot was Universal Islands of Adventure. 

“It was nostalgic seeing the Harry Potter attractions, and they brought back childhood memories,” she said. “The roller coasters were so much fun! Surprisingly, I am not a fan of roller coasters but proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. I learned to take risks and try new things.”

Gabriela Mejía Villarreal, a dual language teacher at Jerry Junkins Elementary School

She spent the winter break visiting family in Mexico and welcoming the new year in Las Vegas. The highlight of her break was getting engaged at Horseshoe Bend in the Grand Canyon. She also went to Cirque du Soleil’s “One,” a show based on Michael Jackson’s music, where dancers were moonwalking on the wall.

“We visited the Lower Antelope Canyon afterwards and celebrated our engagement with the breathtaking views of the canyon,” she said.