Six Dallas ISD math and science teachers honored as TI STEM Fellows

Six Dallas ISD teachers were recognized during a special event on Sept. 20 as 2017 Texas Instruments STEM Fellows, each receiving a $10,000 prize as part of the honor.

This year’s TI STEM Fellows are:

  • Marcelo Migoni, science teacher at Raul Quintanilla Sr. Middle School
  • Luis Araiza, math teacher at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School
  • Steven Murray, math teacher at W.B. Travis Vanguard and Academy
  • Caitlin Hull, science teacher at Bryan Adams High School
  • Davide McLoda, robotics and science teacher at the School of Science and Engineering
  • Chenay Taylor, math teacher at Skyline High School

This is the 11th year of the TI STEM Fellows program. To date, $1.6 million has been awarded to STEM teachers in six Dallas-area districts. Eighty-four winners who have received a total of $864,000 are from Dallas ISD.

The $10,000 prize includes $5,000 for professional development/technological classroom enhancement, and $5,000 as a personal reward.

“Hopefully that will be a plus to you personally,” said Lewis McMahan, chairman of the Texas Instruments Foundation. “And that it may help motivate you to continue with the great work you have done.”

To qualify for the TI award, a Dallas ISD STEM teacher must be eligible to become a Distinguished teacher, be nominated by their principal, complete an application and be observed by central staff members who are experts in the specific content areas.

A seventh Dallas ISD teacher won the award this year, but has since left the district. Anne Papacostas was a science teacher at James Madison High School.

New learning opportunities for Central Staff in Cornerstone

Central staff employees can take advantage of learning opportunities this fall.  Sessions include:

Instructor Led Training

DiSC for Team Building and Effective Relationships

Effective Business Writing

Process Improvement Basics

Beyond the Basics:  Excel for the Intermediate User

Boundary Spanning Leadership

Meeting Your Deadlines

Talent Conversations

Creating Accountability

Promoting Respect in the Workplace

Crucial Conversations

Feedback that Works

Managing Conflict

Fall Book Studies (Registration opens on October 1):

Leadership 2.0

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Online Learning Opportunities (Registration opens on October 15)

Online learning opportunities will be available to the first 400 central staff employees requesting access.

Click here to browse for training in Cornerstone.

Contact Staceye Randle at srandle@dallasisd.org  for additional details.

Required compliance training must be completed by Oct. 31

Dallas ISD employees are critical to promoting a safe and healthy environment for students. Compliance training ensures all staff are prepared and knowledgeable of Board policies, federal and state mandates as well as health and safety practices. ALL central staff personnel must complete the following online training at Dallas ISD eLearning site or Region 10.

The following compliance videos can be accessed at www.region10.org:

  • FERPA/Copyright Laws
  • Sexual Harassment
  • TX Educators’ Code of Ethics

The following compliance video can be accessed at http://tiny.cc/recognizeandreport:

  • *Child Abuse: Recognizing and Reporting

*NOTE: Dallas ISD will not use Region 10’s Child Abuse Training for compliance purposes. The Child Abuse Training is being offered through Dallas ISD’s Elearning site. Staff members should login using their EAD credentials (username and password).

After the successful completion of each training module, print out the certificate and retain a copy for your records.

The deadline to complete the Compliance Videos is Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding compliance training, please contact Jennell Johnson at 972-925-3379 or jenjohnson@dallasisd.org.

Dallas Mavs offer Dallas ISD staff, students discount tickets to October games

See Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of your Dallas Mavericks take on the Bucks, Bulls, or Magic for as little as $5 an upper level seat or $30 for lower level seats.

This discounted offer is exclusive for Dallas ISD teachers and staff including their families and friends and applies to the following preseason games:

· Monday, Oct., 2nd vs. Milwaukee, 7:30pm

· Wednesday, Oct. 4th vs. Chicago, 7:30pm – Breast Health Awareness Night-Wear pink with your Mavs blue, to support breast health!

· Monday, Oct. 9th vs. Orlando, 7:30pm

To purchase tickets go to: www.mavs.com/DISD, and use Promo Code: DISD

Dallas ISD Toastmasters Club invites staff to Sept. 20 speech contest

The Dallas ISD Talk It Up! Toastmasters Club invites district employees to attend the club’s upcoming speech contest at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20. The contest will feature Talk It Up! club members performing speeches in two categories: Humorous Speeches and Speech Evaluations. Audience members are invited to laugh along with the humorous speeches and witness how Toastmasters perform speech evaluations. The contest will be held in room 247 of the H.B. Bell School Support Services  Building. Admission is free, and everyone’s welcome. The club’s regularly scheduled meetings are held in the same space from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays and are open to all employees. To learn more about Toastmasters, visit the club’s Facebook page, or call (972) 925-3915.

Help salute excellence; nominate a Core 4 colleague

Core 4 Friday is back! The district is eager to highlight district employees who do an outstanding job providing great customer service to external and internal publics. The search is on for those who go above and beyond to exemplify the Core 4: Focused on student achievement; Fast and Flexible in the delivery of services or products to every customer; and Friendly—no matter the answer.

Help celebrate these dedicated employees for their commitment to serving others by nominating them for Core 4 recogition. Each month, nominees are recognized on the Core 4 website, and their names are entered in a random drawing for one of four $25 gift cards courtesy of the organization Love in Motion that seeks to make Dallas a city where love is the change agent for positive growth and direction. Gift card winners will be announced on the last Friday of each month on Core 4 Friday.

No self-nominations, please. All nominees will be vetted with supervisors from their service areas. Go here to nominate, or visit the Core 4 webpage.

Why I Teach: Lauren Closner at Arthur Kramer Elementary School

“I teach so I can see that spark in my students when they read that word or sentence for the first time. It’s the best feeling for them, and it’s the best feeling for me”

Lauren Closner is a first-grade teacher at Arthur Kramer Elementary School, and she has taught in Dallas ISD for two years.

Why I Teach asks teachers across Dallas ISD why they love being an educator.

 

Health/PE Department taps new name to reflect broader duties

The Dallas ISD Health and Physical Education Department has a new name to reflect its additional role to provide districtwide support for the physical, social and emotional well-being of students, families and staff.

Now called the Urban School Wellness Department, it will continue to provide curriculum, assessment and professional development for health and physical education for grades K-12.

The department has become responsible for supporting district compliance with many local, state and federal mandates related to the overall health and wellness of the school community. That means it has to help build an infrastructure to support activities to achieve those goals.

One way it accomplishes such a broad mission is to provide a coordinated wellness message across classroom content areas and departments using the “Connecting Wellness Calendar.” Each six weeks, highlights include theme days, national observances, Dallas-based events, district initiatives and staff wellness programs.

As the department’s role has expanded, so have the district’s recognitions because of its work. Some of the recent awards include a USDA Healthier US School Challenge Award for all elementary and middle schools; Texas Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) Champion Award; It’s Time Texas, Health Advisory Council Award and more.

Urban School Wellness Department director Barbara Johnson credits the Board of Trustees and Superintendent Michael Hinojosa with their support of health programs for students.

“Academic achievement will improve with healthier students,” Johnson said. “Quality instruction includes educating the whole child. All students can achieve if they are in a healthy and supportive school environment.”