Campus Staff News

Norma Wright, a counselor at Billy Earl Dade Middle School, is one of five finalists for the Lone Star State School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year program.

The program honors the best of the best in Texas: school counselors who are running a top-notch, comprehensive school counseling program at either the elementary, middle or high school level. This year’s school counselor of the year candidates completed an extensive application process and were judged by a panel of counseling professionals on multiple criteria, including school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership skills, and contributions to student achievement. There were 35 nominations submitted, 14 semi-finalists, and 5 finalists.

Wright was named the 2015–2016 Dallas ISD Counselor of the Year. Wright says that being a counselor is a calling.

“It is the work in serving the needs of any educational community that has driven me to be equipped with the skills necessary to meet the needs of that community,” Wright said. “We dice the children on academics, and performance, but the focus has to be on the whole child. It’s my unwavering commitment to building relationships that keep the core of the school on one heartbeat.”

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launches October 1, 2017 for high school seniors. National and local reports show that students who complete the FAFSA are more likely to attend college, and the sooner they complete the application the better their chances are for receiving all eligible aid.

To help build momentum around the FAFSA launch date, the district’s college access partners and high school counselors will wear green FAFSA T-shirts on Friday, Sept. 29 (see attached pictures). Students and parents can turn to these campus staff members for assistance with financial aid applications for college. There are several myths about financial aid that prevent eligible students from completing the FAFSA, but advisors and counselors are ready to debunk the myths and help more students access money for college.

The Dallas Environmental Science Academy (DESA), along with both middle schools at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, have been named 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The announcement was made Thursday, Sept. 28, by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who recognized 342 schools across the nation.

The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Each school nominated for the 2017 honor was selected as exemplary, high-performing schools as measured by state assessments, and has an economically disadvantaged population of 22 percent or greater.

In November, the three winning Dallas ISD schools will be recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“This incredible honor helps to validate our students’ extraordinary work, dedication and commitment to excellence and reaffirms our mission to prepare young women for leadership in a global society,” said Lisa Curry, principal at Rangel.

In 2011, Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School and DESA each received a Blue Ribbon.

“With the various accomplishments at Dallas Environmental Science Academy, this award enhances the vision for the school to continue excelling academically through its rigorous curricular offerings, field experiences in the outer environment, and support of career options spanning throughout the science fields,” said Arnoldo Zuniga, principal at DESA.

Each of the Dallas ISD campuses awarded credit the hard work of their students, teachers, staff and community for helping secure the nomination.

The Junior League of Dallas (JLD), along with presenting sponsor Texas Instruments (TI), awarded 69 Dallas ISD educators with grants of up to $2,000 each through the Grants for Innovative Teaching (GFIT) program.

This JLD Signature Project has awarded more than $1.7 million to Dallas ISD educators and is designed to encourage excellence in education by funding special projects addressing: reading and literacy enrichment; diversity; special education; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); or arts and culture enrichment across one or more grade levels. This year, $123,307 was distributed to fund deserving educators’ winning projects.

Sponsors include: Texas Instruments (presenting sponsor); MoneyGram Foundation; Agnes Cluthe Oliver Foundation; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation; Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee; and W.P. & Bulah Luse Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trusee.

Some of the grants selected include: Invent an Alien; Powerful City; Kids Helping Kids; and The Wall Book Study and Comic Book Project.

Invent an Alien is a project designed by Lynn DeFord at Johnston Elementary School where students will create an alien who could inhabit the planet or other environment that they have chosen. They will create a 3D model, diagram or poster of this alien out of materials they can find at home. Students will consider the atmosphere, composition, atmospheric pressure, gravitational pull and the other characteristics of their planet.

The goal of the Powerful City project by Tamara Thomas at D.A Hulcy STEAM Middle School is to help teach students about all three forms of energy, soil, and scale models in a tangible way. Students will build wind turbines, solar panels, and hydraulic generators to power a small city that they will build based off scale models of actual buildings that the students will design and create using a Makerbot 3D printer. All of these concepts are things that are taught in science and math, and the children will receive an enhanced learning opportunity through this project.

Teacher Terry Stotts’ Kids Helping Kids is a project carried out by special needs students in the Construction Trades Cluster at Multiple Careers Magnet High School. Students will construct wooden toy rocking horses to be donated to kids staying at Ronald McDonald House while they are receiving medical treatment during the Christmas Holidays, as well as students at Maya Angelou High School who are mothers-to-be. By taking part in this innovative project, students are prepared to be productive, responsible citizens with good work habits, attitudes and career skills.

Dallas Environmental Science Academy’s Katie Hairgrove created The Wall Book Study and Comic Strip Project to improve students’ comprehension of the characteristics of free enterprise and communist economic systems by reading and analyzing a graphic novel, The Wall, by Peter Sis. Students will showcase their understanding by creating a comic strip describing their journey into the world of Peter Sis, where they experience communism as he did as a young child.

“Now in its 25th year, this Signature Project encourages excellence in education by providing funding for special projects that otherwise would not be possible within school budgets,” said Eleanor Luna, the 2017-2018 GFIT Chair. “The Grants For Innovative Teaching program is one of the most rewarding projects for The Junior League of Dallas because we get to follow along and see the impact that these projects have on the schools, educators and students.”

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 11^th 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.