Staff News

Sunset High School has seen many changes through the years, from adopting new curricula  to administration changes, but Valarie Nichols and Stephanie Blankenship have been a constant source of support to students for more than three decades.

As English teachers, they have been committed to encouraging students to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential.  

“Adapting to changes has been challenging, especially with the increasing emphasis on standardized tests,” Nichols said.

As Nichols reflects on becoming campus Teacher of the Year and being recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, she finds her proudest accomplishments extend beyond accolades. Blankenship finds great fulfillment in the strong relationships she has built with both students and colleagues.

Their paths to teaching are as diverse as their experiences in the classroom. 

Blankenship’s motivation to pursue a career in education was solidified by the influential English instructors she had during her high school years.

“In high school, all four of my English teachers played a big role in my decision to major in English and pursue teaching,” she said.

For Nichols, a serendipitous journey led her from aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist to discovering her true calling in the classroom, thanks to the encouragement from her father and mentors.

“For me, it was a whole roundabout way,” Nichols said, recounting her transition from radio, television, film with a minor in psychology to substitute teaching, to a fulfilling career in education.

Their dedication to their students goes beyond just imparting knowledge.

Nichols emphasized the importance of being true to oneself: “I’ve learned to embrace the oddness and stay true to who I am, which allows me to be there for my students in ways others might not.”

Blankenship shared a quote from Maya Angelou: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” To her, the quote highlights the profound impact teachers can have on students’ lives.

During Teacher Appreciation Week—which recognizes and celebrates the profound influence educators have on shaping the future—they celebrate their 30 years at Sunset High School and  continue to impart invaluable lessons, both inside and outside the classroom.

At Dallas ISD, students get to be rockstars for a few minutes. That’s how Seagoville High School modern band and fine arts director Rodney Dittmar explained the experience of students coming together for the Dallas ISD Modern Band All-City Jam, which Seagoville Middle School hosted last month. Now in its 13th year, it has been an annual tradition at the school since 2011. 

The 14 district schools that participated all have modern band programs with students from elementary to high school. Dittmar said that it’s always such an honor to have the other schools come out to Seagoville and represent their school and showcase the work they’ve been doing.

“The part that is really cool for me is the little ones get to see the older students, and everyone enjoys each other’s performances,” he said. 

One of the highlights for Dittmar was seeing his own daughter Rebekah, who attends Eduardo Mata Montessori, perform on stage. With her school band, she sang “Under Pressure,” an iconic song made famous by the rock band Queen. 

For a couple of videos highlighting some of the students’ work at the Modern Band All-City Jam, click here and here.

Dittmar, who is also a Regional Music Will Ambassador, said he received nothing but positive feedback from students—after all, he organized this with them in mind as an opportunity to highlight their talents and share their creativity as musicians, he said. It allowed them to begin to feel what it’s like to play on a stage and to be performers.

At Seagoville Middle School, Seagoville High School and 19 other secondary campuses, students have guitar and modern band classes during the day, but it might look different on other campuses. Some campuses offer modern band after school. Either way, Dittmar said he’s motivated by the way the program has grown throughout the district. The district currently has over 100 Music Will programs. 

Beyond the concert, Dittmar and colleague Olympia McClendon, fine arts director at Felix G. Botello Elementary School, have helped other schools bring modern band to their campuses. In addition to their work as teachers, they also plan events, such as a fall workshop at L.V. Stockard Middle School, and work with Matthew Edwards, director of choral, elementary, and general music for the district, to expand the program. Music teacher Beth Poquette Drews also plays an important role in coordinating the workshop at Stockard.

They help teachers get the instruments and the training, as well as professional development. While the teachers are already there in the schools, they work with them to make sure they have the resources they need. 

The ultimate goal—and Dittmar’s mission—through all these opportunities is to put music programs like these in underserved schools. He and his colleagues have witnessed how music can transform and change lives, he said, so the work continues.

The schools who participated in the Dallas ISD Modern Band All-City Jam were:

Emmett J. Conrad High School

Daniel Webster Elementary School

Martha Turner Reilly Elementary School

John W. Runyon Elementary School

Felix Botello Elementary School

Leslie A. Stemmons Elementary School

Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy

Gilbert Cuellar Sr. Elementary School

Eduardo Mata Montessori

School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove

Seagoville Middle School

Seagoville High School

Teacher Appreciation Week kicked off with a Texas flavor for two Teacher of the Year finalists, who were surprised with monetary awards and burgers for all team members at their schools as part of the WhataTeacher of the Year recognition.

Rosamaria Alvarado Jimenez at F.P. Caillet Elementary School and Saraid Driskell at Solar Preparatory School for Boys were awarded a $1,000 grant each to use for their classroom or a school project. The grants are part of Whataburger’s Feeding Student Success program, which focuses on charitable giving at the intersection of food insecurity and education.

“Teachers are true heroes,” said Donna Tuttle, Whataburger vice president of marketing and communications. “Many of us still remember our favorite teacher and the impact they made on our lives. Whataburger’s free breakfast offer and WhataTeacher grants are just small ways we try to say thank you for their powerful work.” 

The recognition was made possible thanks to the Dallas Education Foundation working together with Whataburger to receive and disburse the funding.

“Through their partnership with the Dallas Education Foundation, Whataburger is committed to uplifting and supporting Dallas ISD students and teachers,” said Mita Havlick, executive director of DEF. This is the second year in a row for Whataburger to honor two teachers in Dallas ISD.

A proud product of Dallas ISD, Rosamaria “Rosy” Alvarado Jiménez is a kindergarten dual language teacher at F.P. Caillet Elementary. Alvarado Jiménez is the sixth of 10 siblings. Her parents emigrated to Dallas from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Alvarado, who has taught in the district for 26 years, is an Exemplary rated teacher and has also earned a Master designation through the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment. Some of Alvarado Jiménez’s leadership roles include TEI Campus Expert, grade-level chair, and mentor to novice teachers. Alvarado Jiménez is committed to learning and implementing innovative teaching practices as well as helping each student achieve their greatest academic and social potential as they prepare for their future. Alvarado Jiménez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Southern Methodist University.

Saraid Driskell is a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Boys. She is a first-generation Mexican American whose parents emigrated from Mexico City and is the first in her family to obtain a college degree. Driskell has used her lifetime passion for education to foster a love for learning in her students. A 19-year veteran teacher, she is a an Exemplary rated teacher. Driskell serves in various leadership roles such as chair of the science department and culture and house system, coordinator of project-based learning, and sponsor of the debate team. Driskell believes in investing and building relationships with students to foster a sense of belonging and community. Beyond her campus, Driskell has led professional development for various schools across the nation, helping teachers implement blended learning in an engaging and innovative way. Driskell holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Park University and is currently pursuing graduate studies.

Imagine what it would be like to have a career day, where professionals and community members visit a school to share their experiences not just one day a year but on a regular basis. Associate superintendent Nancy Bernardino, who was the founding principal of the school and the late Jennifer Turner, the founding assistant principal, came up with Wisdom Wednesdays, also known as Wonder Woman Wednesdays, and Fierce Female Fridays. 

“To believe that they have potential in STEM and careers that are in leadership, they need to be able to see women who look like them almost on a weekly basis,” said principal Olivia Santos.

When it started on Fridays, it was like a call out to the community. The school used its resources, such as parents and teachers who know somebody who knows somebody and so on, she said. That’s how they continue to identify and invite the speakers to this day.

Most schools have career day once a year, and students might have a connection with someone who comes to the school, but Santos thought “why not give students more options?” Santos said that they’ve invited speakers such as presidents and CEOs to Zumba instructors to doctors and teachers to share with students. Philanthropist and Microsoft trailblazer Melinda Gates has been one of the guest speakers. 

“I think it’s really just figuring out how to make sure that we are encouraging girls to be able to see themselves in different roles and then what that looks like for them,” Santos said. To further expand this work, Solar Prep for Girls has partnered with organizations such as Lydia Hill Philanthropies who have provided resources. 

The women that have participated in the speaker series are asked to prepare a two- to three-minute presentation. They share things like how they became interested in their career, and what obstacles they’ve overcome as women. Santos and her team have taken it a step further and wanted to make this experience more relatable and understandable for students.

The speakers also share a piece of advice with the students and end their conversation with a question, Santos said. For example, a speaker might say something like “I’ve had to practice a lot of empathy in my career. And so my question to you is, ‘When have you shown empathy this week?’” Students will then turn and talk to each other and have a conversation and then come back to the group, Santos said. 

“We want to make sure that we are representing the whole idea for them to be able to see themselves in these individuals and know they have experienced the challenges that we know that our girls may face in their future,” Santos said.

While most of the speakers have been women, they occasionally have male speakers. They want the students to also be able to see men who are willing to empower and uplift.

Santos said one of the biggest takeaways from Solar Prep’s speaker series has been about how much it has changed the girls’ perspective of what they can be. 

“When we were young, you might have said things like we want to be a doctor or a police officer or a teacher or a nurse or something like that,” Santos said. “We have girls who now talk about being physicists or stem cell researchers. There’s just such a wide variety of professions, and students need to be exposed to these many different options.”

Doctors and nurses are what come to mind when thinking about the medical field, but Natasha McLaurin, counselor at Buckner Terrace Montessori, wanted to expand those options for the students at her school. 

She noticed that there was a gap in knowledge in a range of careers outside of doctors and nurses. She set out to expose students to people who looked like them and to bring more awareness to the variety of careers in the medical field. 

She established a partnership with Children’s Health and, with the help of employees from the hospital, McLaurin created a model they called “Medical Explorers Day,” which took place recently.

McLaurin and her team laid the groundwork, scheduled times, and created an event that included different stations highlighting the variety of careers in the medical field. Students got to work with dummies, for example, and heard the simulation of a baby’s heartbeat through a stethoscope. 

“The students got to use manipulatives on campus,” McLaurin said. “They actually did kinesthetic learning that made it relevant to them and captured their attention.” 

Students got to participate in age-appropriate interactive activities and simulations that mimicked real life health scenarios. They also got to see an ambulance up close and personal and had the chance to interact with emergency professionals that work in these types of environments. 

McLaurin said that some of her future hopes for students are that they remember this experience, make connections and possibly go into one of these career paths—maybe even save a person’s life. 

She attributed much of the success of the event to her administrators.

“My hope is that this serves as a catalyst to explore STEM, as there are a plethora of opportunities in the medical field,” said Cassie White Rodriguez, assistant principal at Buckner Montessori, who helped make the event happen. 

Sparking a love for STEM that the students didn’t know they had and making learning fun and relevant are two of the takeaways McLaurin said she hopes resulted from the event.

One way to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is by reading about history and stories by authors who represent these diverse voices. From inspiring biographies to captivating fiction, Dallas ISD’s Library and Media Services Department is encouraging team members to explore the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders together.

This year’s national theme is “Advancing leaders through innovation” to commemorate the contributions and influence of trailblazers and visionaries among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. 

Through Dallas ISD’s extensive library resources that are accessible for free, you can check out the collection of e-books, access online platforms like Gale for comprehensive research, and explore enriching print books. These are available to any student and team member in the district.

Below are some of the resources:

Picture book biography link to access information on Teaching Books resources from the district: 

Asian American culture and authors

Pacific Islander collection

Site about AAPI history from one of the district’s premium resources,

Elementary Gale in Context: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

To take a deep dive and research specific areas, you can look it up through Encyclopedia Britannica 

All of these resources and more can be found at www.dallasisd.org/onlineresources. 

Because safety is a top priority at Dallas ISD, the district is piloting an app that allows team members to initiate an alert at the campus in case of an emergency.

The Raptor Silent Panic Alarm has been in use at three campuses this semester and allows any team member to trigger an evacuation or a lockdown in case of an emergency. During a recent training at E.B. Comstock Middle School, employees were encouraged to download the app to their personal cell phones and try it out.

Comstock employees were generally surprised at how easy it was to access and use the app, and several said they felt safer having this new resource available to them.

“The app makes me feel safer. I always have my phone, so I can just click on it if anything. I also bookmark the app on the district’s platform so it’s safer,” Selena Garibay said. 

The app will be available for all schools in the fall. 

“At a time of an emergency on a campus, it’s crucial that people are notified to take the appropriate precautions, and this app will allow any employee to do this very quickly,” said Dallas ISD Police Chief Al Martinez.

The app also has a feature where those who have it downloaded on their phones can communicate via messaging within the app to get updates from the principal or report new events. 

Additional information on how to download and use the app will be available in the fall when school resumes for the 2024-2025 school year.

As Teacher Appreciation Week—May 6-10—approaches, it’s time to celebrate the dedicated educators who have spent the year shaping, supporting and encouraging students. In honor of their hard work and dedication, several establishments across DFW are offering special deals. Keep an eye out on @TeamDallasISD for more discounts next week.

RaceTrac—FREE medium crazy good coffee during teacher appreciation week May 6-10. 

Whataburger—Teachers who present an ID between 5 and 9 a.m. can get a free taquito, breakfast on a bun or honey butter chicken biscuit at participating locations of Whataburger. One free breakfast item per customer. Tag them on social media with your free breakfast item using #whatateacher2024.

Raising Cane’s—In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, the franchise is giving 10 teachers an all-expenses-paid summer vacation. The prize includes round trip tickets anywhere in the United States, a two-night hotel stay, and a $200 gift card for spending money. For your chance to win, enter at raisingcanestasweepstakes.com between May 6-10.

Galleria Dallas—Celebrating the coolest educators at the rink! During Teacher Appreciation Week, teachers can visit for complimentary skating during public skating hours. A school ID is required. 

Shake Shack— Show your badge to enjoy a hand-spun shake on us when you order during Teacher Appreciation Week! May 6 – 12. 

Dallas Arboretum—Access to the Dallas Arboretum is always free for teachers. Complimentary daytime admission (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) to the Main Garden and Children’s Adventure Garden is available to teachers and other educators grades K-12. Offer is not valid for educational field trips and does not apply to paid educational programming. Parking fees apply. 

Other companies like Michael’s and Half Price Books also offer discounts for educators throughout the year.

The Employee Assistance Program through one.telushealth.com has discounts for district employees all the time. Just sign in and click on the Perks to browse discounts offered.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Dallas ISD cares about the overall health and well-being of team members and knows how important mental health is. When life gets busy, it can be easy for our well-being to take a back seat, and it can become difficult to make time to care for ourselves. To help make it a little easier to take the needed time to care for your well-being and the well-being of your family, the Benefits Department is excited to share that the district’s Employee Assistance Program partner, TELUS Health, now has online booking available through the TELUS Health One platform and app.

It’s quick, easy, and confidential to book an appointment with a counselor for individuals, couples, or family counseling appointments. Team members can select the day and time that works best for you as well as see details about the counselors, such as gender, language, and areas of specialization, to select the counselor that fits your needs best. Telephone, video, and in-person sessions are available through the online scheduling tool. For in-person appointments, please use the ‘chat’ feature when prompted.

To begin, login to the TELUS Health One platform at one.telushealth.com or download the TELUS Health One app from your app store. Your username will be your work email address and your password will be the same one you use to log into our work system. 

Remember, the EAP provides short-term counseling for you, your spouse/partner, and any dependent family members. Counseling sessions can assist with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and more. And, as always, you can reach TELUS Health EAP 24/7 at 972-925-4000 Option 3. For additional questions, employees may contact the Human Capital Management Benefits Department at 972-925-4300, email benefits@dallasisd.org, or click here for information on the Benefits Website.

For students to not only communicate in a language other than English and to expand their world is what Toni Garabete, a French teacher at J.L. Long Middle School, hopes will be the result of his teaching. 

“I would like to transmit a passion to the students towards French, towards getting to know the French-speaking world,” Garabete said. “If they are on vacation in France or another French-speaking country like Quebec, I want them to not only communicate but to appreciate things like the food and culture. Language expands your world.” 

Garabete, who has been a French teacher at Long Middle School for the last two years, is of Armenian descent but was born in Syria. He grew up in Syria and Lebanon, and his first languages are Arabic and French, having learned both languages in a bilingual school. In Syria, he studied French Literature at the University of Aleppo and then moved to France to pursue his postgraduate degree in the city of Lyon, France. 

With more than 25 French-speaking countries in existence, Garabete said his mission is to help his students imagine their possibilities for the future. 

Prior to moving to the United States, he lived in Venezuela, where his wife is from, and where his children were born. He  speaks Arabic, French, Spanish, and English. In Venezuela, he was a  professor at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas and after retiring from teaching at the university, Garabete focused on being a business owner.

Given his experience in teaching languages and world cultures, and with at least two decades experience in teaching French and Spanish, Garabate was offered a position with the district through the World Languages Department—a position he said he gladly accepted.

At Long Middle School, where he said 60% or more of the students are Hispanic, knowing Spanish first has helped his students learn French because of some of the similarities between the languages. When Garabate arrived at Long Middle School, the students had been without a French teacher, so he was determined to get the students to an adequate level and recover the time lost. 

“I wanted to concentrate a lot on giving them tools so that when they finish the course, they can talk to a person in French,” Garabete said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”

He said his students have come to realize the value of communicating in a language that is not their native tongue. For example, a student of his recently tried to communicate in French with someone from Senegal, but it was challenging due to the lack of fluency. It was a turning point for the student and an opportunity for Garabate to share with his students that learning French and other foreign languages can open up another world for them. They have also shared with him moments when they’ve tried French cuisine or how they’ve shared French language and culture with their families. 

Although French is the main language he is teaching, Garabete doesn’t rule out teaching about Arab culture in the future, which he described as important with approximately 380 million people in the world speaking Arabic. 

“It’s a beautiful, fascinating language,” he said. “The poetry, literature, and rich culture is amazing. It’s considered the second most difficult language after Chinese.” 

“I love the hospitality of Arab culture, and people are very generous,” Garabate added. “You will see how they treat you with kindness, which is a contrast with images that have been presented in the media.”  

His advice to students in the district who are newcomers from other countries is to be proud of their culture and identity. But he also encourages them to adapt and integrate into the U.S. culture. He said that there may be instances of culture shock, but through understanding, tolerance and acceptance from all sides, there could be a positive outcome. 

“For any person coming from any culture, be it Hispanic, Arab, African, we can all be proud of  cultures but at the same time, work to adapt and integrate, as we cannot live on the margins,” Garabete said. “The idea is to preserve culture, be proud of it, and be willing to integrate and to share it as well.”