Staff News

April 10 is a holiday for all Dallas ISD, the first one since the district closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community. The district is closed that day, and for those working from home, that means that they can take time to be with family and are not expected to attend meetings, answer emails or perform other tasks. However, in the rare instance that an employee has to work he or she will follow the time mandates and compensation guidelines outlined in policy.

Teachers are not expected to hold classes and students are not expected to engage remotely either on April 10 or on April 13. While teachers and students are also off on Monday, April 13, central staff are expected to resume work.

The deadline to apply for Grants for Innovative Teaching has been extended through April 26.

The purpose of the Junior League’s Grants for Innovative Teaching is to encourage and support excellence in teaching through innovative projects. Grants of up to $2,500 for the 2019-2020 school year funded classroom projects that ranged from an “escape room experience” and aquarium kits to 3D printing pens and ukuleles.

Over the years, Dallas ISD teachers have received thousands of dollars from the Junior League of Dallas to fund their unique and innovative classroom projects. The grants are used for special projects that otherwise would not be included in school budgets.

The Junior League would like to have grant applications from each Dallas ISD campus for the 2020-2021 school year. Grant application details:

• All Dallas ISD educators are eligible to apply
• Projects span all grade levels—kindergarten through 12th grade—and all subject areas
• Educators may request funding of up to $2,500 for innovative teaching projects
• Application can be completed and submitted electronically
• Funded projects MUST be completed within the allowable time frame of Sept. 1, 2020 – April 1, 2021.

Additional information and the application are located at https://www.jld.net/grants-for-innovative-teaching/.

Those interested in becoming campus leaders have more time to apply to the Future Leaders Academy, which Dallas ISD offers in partnership with UNT-Dallas. The deadline to apply is now April 24.

While working from home, making plans for the rest of the school year and supporting at-home learning, take some time to plan for your future. If you are interested in a future in school leadership, but do not yet have your Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Principal Certification, consider applying for the Future Leaders Academy at UNT-Dallas.

The application deadline has been extended until Friday, April 24.  This 18-month program prepares future school leaders and graduates earn their Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership to become eligible for a Principal Certification. You can access the application at https://teach.untdallas.edu/fla.

Whether supporting at-home learning, distributing meals or maintaining the district’s operations during the closure, Dallas ISD staff continue to embrace the Core 4 principles of customer service. The distractions of home along with the isolation that often comes with remote working can make focusing on these principles challenging and impact productivity.  Here are five key ways to stop that from happening:

Motivate Yourself

Self-motivation techniques can help you to boost your confidence, think positively, and set clear goals.

Minimize Distractions

Which distractions tend to affect you most? Maybe you get caught up doing household chores, or suffer interruptions from family or friends. Eliminating these distractions could be as simple as shutting the door.

Reward Yourself

Find ways to make each task more enjoyable and rewarding, as well as giving yourself “treats” when the task is completed. For example, reward yourself with your favorite coffee treat for completing a task successfully.

Control Your Social Media

Think carefully about which notifications you need to get immediately, allowing those and muting others. Schedule times during the day to check your phone. And, if you’re still struggling, see if tools like Cold Turkey Writer™ help you to control your time online.

Know Your Goals

Along with short-term, task-related goals, make sure that you’re also clear about the wider career goals and purpose you’re striving to achieve. Keeping these in mind will motivate you to do your best work, whatever your location.

Excerpt from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/working-from-home.htm

Brought to you by CORE 4 … because you make the difference.

As COVID-19 continues to affect our community, life has started to look different for thousands of people: cancellations, social distancing, working from home and, if you’re a parent, homeschooling. Dallas ISD’s HCM Benefits Department is working to support district employees by providing weekly helpful information and resources.

You can choose how to respond to the uncertainty and challenges presented by the pandemic. This unique time is a wonderful opportunity to cultivate an inner sense of calm that remains unshaken by external events. Dimitrius Glenn, certified by National Council on Strength and Fitness, shares a few recommendations to bring a sense of calm among the chaos.

Look at the bright side

Typically, you’re accustomed to nonstop activity and often find yourself saying that there are not enough hours in the day. Without long commutes and lack of social events, you might have more free time. Are you using it to spend quality time with yourself, family and loved ones?

Quality time with yourself could include a commitment to eat healthier by planning menus and shopping accordingly. Read a book or magazine that you had been meaning to get to, stretch during the day, get more sleep, and go for a walk keeping in mind social distancing guidelines.

Think of this time as a personal retreat to dive into a routine that nurtures you and your family.

Support your mental immunity

Be conscious of your emotions and your triggers during this time. Notice if your worries escalate to anxiety and seek support. Never let fear take over! This is the perfect time to double down on mental and physical wellbeing.

Caring for yourself will support your immunity and resilience in addition to preparing you for what the coming weeks might bring.

Tip: Practicing deep breathing techniques can help balance the nervous system, in particular shutting off the sympathetic “fight or flight” impulse of the brain. Diaphragm breathing is known to have extremely beneficial effects on the cardiopulmonary system and enhances parasympathetic activation, which reduces blood pressure and slows down the heart and breathing rates after a stressful event.

Support your food immunity

Ultimately, the best defense against all infections is a healthy immune system fed by plenty of water and non-processed foods like fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

While it’s always a good idea to consult your healthcare provider before taking medications or supplements, and definitely if you feel ill, certain herbs included in the daily diet might help support the body’s immune system. Some of these herbs include:

• Elderberry
• Turmeric
• Peppermint
• Oregano Oil
• Ginger Root

To stave off illness, experts recommend washing your hands, not touching your face, sneezing into your armpit, eating several servings of vegetables and fruits, exercising, drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of fresh air and sun as well as plenty of sleep.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Information provided within this article is intended to be used as general information only, and is in no way intended to replace medical advice, be used as a medical treatment program, nor to diagnose or cure any disease or medical condition. Always consult with a qualified physician for medical advice.

Karla Smith’s passion for STEM led her to the otherworldly experience of attending a Space Camp for teachers at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama.

After one of the 10 percent of applicants chosen for the opportunity, Smith, a science teacher at Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy, engaged in astronaut training simulations that were both physically and mentally challenging. Following the incredible experience, Smith became even more passionate about the link between STEM education and student success.

“We aren’t going to Mars, but the ones who will be are sitting in our classrooms today,” Smith said. “We must do everything we can to prepare them to launch into their futures.”

Smith is a top district teacher who is thriving under the Teacher Excellence Initiative, which seeks to identify, encourage, and reward effective teachers by prioritizing and supporting academic excellence. Through the Distinguished Teacher Review Process (DTR), Dallas ISD recognizes teachers who demonstrate leadership, pursue learning opportunities, contribute to the profession of education, and promote academic excellence.

Smith is proud to call herself a DTR Ambassador.

“I serve as a DTR Ambassador because I want other teachers who are equally as passionate about ensuring student success to be recognized and rewarded for their amazing accomplishments,” Smith said.

But above all, Smith cares the most about her students.

“It is always my hope that students will grow and maximize their own God-given gifts in pursuit of their happiness and future of choice,” Smith said. “I often offer this advice: What we feel like doing now is rarely going to get us what we will want later. Do the things now that will prepare you for anything so that your future options include everything.”

Dallas ISD, we are a team. Whether from school or in the office—or from home like we have been this week—we come together to focus on making sure Dallas ISD students have the best education possible. That continues to be our focus as we do what is necessary to keep our students, staff, and families healthy and safe while navigating COVID-19.

Core 4 wants to share tips with you to help along the way as we continue to excel as a team in delivering services to students, families and staff remotely.

Everyone knows that happiness comes and goes. But, you can keep it around longer by reflecting on positive experiences while navigating COVID-19.

Step 1 – Create a JOY list

Make a short and sweet list of moments that bring a smile to your face. Keep this list handy and refer to it for a boost of encouragement when you need it.

Step 2 – Spread JOY

Celebrate the wins – whether big or small. Compliment your team and colleagues when they get it right. And do your happy dance (if you have one) when you’ve done well.

Step 3 – Repeat! (because you have a lot to be grateful for and you’re doing great work.)

Brought to you by CORE 4 … because you make the difference

While the district may be closed, if you need assistance with your benefits, a number of resources are available.

District schools and administrative offices will be closed for spring break from Monday, March 16, through Friday, Mar 20, but the benefits call center will be open regular hours during that time to provide assistance. The call center’s hours March 16-20 will be 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m.

For those non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu, TRS-ActiveCare participants can utilize Teladoc at a reduced cost.  Call 855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit its main page.

If you have questions regarding your FSA, you can contact Connect Your Care at (877) 528-9876 or visit www.connectyourcare.com.  Connect Your Care is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You may reach the benefits call center at (972) 925-4000 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.  For questions regarding leaves of absence, email benefitsleaves@dallasisd.org.  During the periods in which the district is closed, the email boxes will be monitored periodically to ensure any critical issues are resolved in a timely manner.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden offers complimentary admission to the Main Garden and Children’s Adventure Garden to teachers and educators. Present a valid educator picture ID at the ticket booth for the complimentary admission. If the ID does not have a photo, an educator’s ID plus a driver’s license can be presented. Teachers and educators can purchase a Dallas Arboretum membership and receive a 10% discount for the first year with their IDs. The offer is only valid on daytime admission and does not apply to paid educational programming that is offered during the year at https://www.dallasarboretum.org/education/. Parking fees apply.

The hustle and bustle of a typical workday can bring on stress for many employees as they try to juggle multiple responsibilities at once. Continuously jumping from one task to another often leads to something called Directed Attention Fatigue.

Here are some of the symptoms:

• Distractibility
• Irritability
• Impatience
• Indecisiveness
• Difficulty starting or finishing tasks

If any of these sounds familiar, you may need to take a break and recharge. Taking a break doesn’t just mean walking away from your desk. It means not checking your phone for messages and emails, texting, chat, surfing the web, or checking Facebook. All of these activities can worsen Directed Attention Fatigue instead of helping you relax.

Here are a few exercises that you can try to put you back on track:

• Take a real break—step away from your computer, put down your phone and concentrate on breathing in and out for 60 seconds.
• If you can go for a walk, do it! If you can leave your cell phone behind, even better.
• Make time to take a real lunch break. Time away from your workspace can be energizing.

Keep it simple, but make it happen—regularly.

By taking the time to recharge, you’ll find it easier to stay positive throughout the day. Try it and see how it impacts your ability to work with your colleagues and other customers.