Teachers and staff bring district to the doorstep during Neighborhood Walk

Rosemont Elementary students Idaliz and Ozandro Rios were having a typical summer morning—sleeping in, watching “Lab Rats” on Disney, eating cereal—when they heard a knock on the door.

They looked out the window and saw a most unusual sight: Mrs. Rachel Moon, their school principal, and several teachers standing in their front yard. After their mom opened the door, Moon and the teachers explained they were visiting their students’ houses to say hello and give a friendly reminder that school starts Aug. 28.

“This is very, very surprising!” Ozandro said with a laugh.

All Dallas ISD campuses participated in the first districtwide Neighborhood Walk on Aug. 21. District staff and community members canvassed throughout the nearly 400 square miles that make up Dallas ISD. In addition to reminding families about the first day of school, teachers and staff talked about the new school hours and upcoming meet the teacher nights.

Delia Rios, the mom of Idaliz and Ozandro, thanked the principal and teachers for stopping by their house.

“I think it’s a great idea that you come and let students know you are ready for them to start school,” she said. “This adds a personal touch so we know our principal and teachers care about our kids.”

Meanwhile, Dallas ISD Chief of School Leadership Stephanie Elizalde thanked the teachers and staff for spending the time to go out and meet families.

“You are the heartbeat of the campuses because you fuel student learning every day,” Elizalde said. “We could never thank you enough for that rewarding work that you do.”

Department Directory

Athletics (972) 749-2450 www.dallasisd.org/athletics

Communications Services (972) 925-3900 www.dallasisd.org/communications

Dallas ISD Connect/Main District Hotline (972) 925-5500 www.dallasisd.org/dallasisdconnect

Dual Language (972) 925-6490 www.dallasisd.org/duallanguage

Early Learning/Pre-K (214) 932-7735 www.dallasisd.org/prek

English Language Learners (Bilingual/ESL) (972) 925-6490 www.dallasisd.org/ell

Extended Day Services/ Before-and After-School (972) 925-5421 www.dallasisd.org/extendedday

Food & Child Nutrition (214) 932-5500 www.dallasisd.org/childnutrition

Gifted and Talented (972) 925-6431 www.dallasisd.org/advancedacademicservices

Health Services (972) 925-3386 www.dallasisd.org/healthservices

Homeless Support Services (972) 749-5789 www.dallasisd.org/hep

Immigrant and Refugee Services (972) 502-4189 www.dallasisd.org/refugeeservices

Magnet Schools (972) 925-8936 www.dallasisd.org/magnets

Office of Family and Community Engagement (972) 925-3916 www.dallasisd.org/parentservices

Office of Transformation and Innovation (School Choice) (972) 925-3306 www.dallasisd.org/choice

Personalized Learning (972) 925-3308 www.dallasisd.org/personalizedlearning

 Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (972) 925-4253 www.dallasisd.org/ppcd

School Menus (214) 932-5500 www.dallasisd.org/schoolmenus

Special Education (972) 581-4100 www.dallasisd.org/sped

Specialized Data Management Support (972) 794-3550 www.dallasisd.org/Page/36033

Student Activities (972) 749-5721 www.dallasisd.org/studentactivities

Student Discipline (972) 925-5540 www.dallasisd.org/studentdiscipline

Student Records (972) 925-3645 www.dallasisd.org/studentrecords

Student Transfers (972) 749-5720 www.dallasisd.org/studenttransfers

Transportation (972) 925-4953 www.dallasisd.org/busroutes

Visual and Performing Arts (214) 932-5090 www.dallasisd.org/vpa

Youth and Family Centers (972) 925-4190 www.dallasisd.org/youthandfamilycenters

Elrod’s Grocers again offers grants to pay for field trip buses

Teachers making plans for an exciting new school year have until 5 p.m., Friday, August 18, to apply for grants funded by Elrod’s Grocery to cover the cost of field trip transportation. Last school year, Elrod’s generously donated more than $20,000 to help schools provide students with out-of-school learning opportunities. Go here to download a memo with full details and instructions to submit applications.

Central staff urged to help welcome students to new school year

Central staff employees are encouraged to sign up to join their campus colleagues for next Monday’s Districtwide Neighborhood Walk to welcome students and families to the 2017-2018 school year. The Neighborhood Walk on Monday, August 21, will feature staff from all 230 district campuses walking their communities, knocking on doors and greeting parents in every neighborhood in the city.

Every school team is looking for three central staff members to add to their teams. Employees will pair up, visit homes, greet parents and students and share information about the new school year.

Campuses will treat central staff volunteers to a free neighborhood walk t-shirt, refreshments and snacks. Sign up for a campus and time from the links below to receive an immediate confirmation

Register here to volunteer at schools in the following feeder patterns:

Bryan Adams, Moises Molina, David W. Carter, L.G. Pinkston, South Oak Cliff, Skyline, W.T. White, Franklin Roosevelt and Transformation and Innovation Schools

To sign up for schools in the feeder patterns below, go here.

W.H. Adamson and Wilmer-Hutchins, Seagoville, Emmett Conrad and Hillcrest, Thomas Jefferson, North Dallas, Justin F. Kimball, W.W. Samuell, H. Grady Spruce, Woodrow Wilson and Townview Magnets, Accelerating Campus Excellence Schools, and Intensive Support Network Schools

Sunset teacher participates in prestigious art seminar in Washington, D.C.

Sunset High School teacher Laura Page was selected as one of 53 participants for the 2017 National Gallery of Art Teacher Institute on Art of the Renaissance held in Washington, D.C., in July.

The six-day seminar brought together teachers of art, English, history, math, and related subjects from 22 different states. The program emphasized the social and cultural context of Renaissance art in Italy and Northern European countries between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Participants learned about the development of oil-painting techniques, the role of prints in disseminating new ideas, using works of art as primary resources in classroom instruction, incorporating art into interdisciplinary teaching, and strengthening students’ visual literacy.

Through lectures, gallery talks, and hands-on activities, participants analyzed Renaissance artworks and focused on interdisciplinary teaching strategies. Activities were designed to meet teachers’ personal and professional enrichment needs. A demonstration of Venetian painting techniques and a site visit to a printmaker’s studio at Georgetown University rounded out the Institute’s course of study.

Generous support for the Teacher Institute was provided by the Park Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Sara Shallenberger Brown Fund, the PaineWebber Endowment, and the Annetta J. and Robert M. Coffelt Sr. and Robert M. Coffelt Jr. Endowed Fellowship.

Page was awarded a National Gallery of Art Fellowship.

AVID trainings prepare teachers for upcoming school year

Dallas ISD this week is hosting its annual weeklong AVID workshops that have been coined as “Brown Bag Trainings.”

AVID, which stands for Advancement via Individual Determination, is a global organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and postsecondary opportunities.

The AVID Center trains educators to use proven practices in order to prepare students for success in high school, college, and a career, especially students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

This week’s trainings serve as refreshers geared specifically towards AVID campus staff members for the upcoming school year.

“My teammate, Tamika Stevenson, and I strongly believe in perpetuating the AVID way by preparing our very own teachers with the skills to better service the district’s underrepresented students,” said Ebony Palmer, AVID district coordinator. “We hope this week’s trainings will motivate our teachers to take their instruction to the next level.”

Dallas ISD principals motivated by inspiring talk on Social and Emotional Learning

A principal and their child were driving home when the child got angry that they didn’t stop for fast food.

After a decent amount of crying and fussing, the child went silent. When the parent turned around to see what was going on, they saw their child hugging themselves and becoming calm. The parent asked what was happening, and the child replied they were doing “The Turtle,” a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) technique for handling anger.

“And after that day, I can tell you that principal was sold on Social and Emotional Learning,” said Tim Shriver, the Chairman of the Special Olympics and co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), to an auditorium full of Dallas ISD principals.

Shriver talked with the Dallas ISD principals about the importance and usefulness of SEL. The entertaining and informative discussion wrapped up a week of professional development for the Dallas ISD principals.

SEL is a big priority for Dallas ISD: go here to learn more.