Staff News

The holiday season is upon us which brings to mind all the wonderful dishes and desserts like pecan pie, stuffing, casseroles, and eggnog that people enjoy this time of year. These comfort foods can make eating healthy during the holidays challenging. The best intentions can crumble when making merry with family and friends who are feasting on delicious foods. Health Services has some tips to avoid overindulging during the season.

Be wise with dessert:

•   Split a dessert with a family member or friend.
•   Bring a healthier version of your favorite dessert to the gathering.
•   Try to avoid eating a dessert after every meal.

Be mindful of hidden calories:

•   Try to avoid adding sauces to meats or cheese sauce to vegetable dishes.
•   Swap full fat dressings for lighter versions.
•   Swap sugar for a lower calorie sweetener in beverages.
•   Try a mocktail version of your favorite beverage.

Before the holiday gathering:

•   Eat before the gathering so you are not too hungry.
•   Survey available options and avoid grazing.
•   Offer to bring a healthy dish to the gathering.

Remember, everything in moderation so you have a good time and stay healthy with habits that work for you. If you eat more than you planned, don’t consider it a catastrophe and add guilt to the mix. Start again with healthy habits the following week. 

Websites to give your favorite holiday recipe a health make-over:

https://recipes.heart.org/en/collections/lifestyles/holiday

https://diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/holidays-entertaining

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/17938/holidays-occasions/christmas/

Ricardo Velez found his calling helping students develop college readiness skills as an AVID tutor and has found his place as an eighth-grade English language arts and reading teacher in Dallas ISD thanks to the district’s Alternative Certification program.

Velez showed his passion for supporting students as an AVID tutor while working on his associate degree at Dallas College. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon, he knew he wanted to become a teacher and found that Dallas ISD’s AC and Latino and Black Male Residency programs aligned with his goals and beliefs.

“I wanted to come back home and was looking at different AC programs, and when I saw the resident program, I really identified because I know what it’s like to grow up like these students,” he said. “I remember how I looked at my own teachers and my  own struggles. I wanted to be part of a school district that helps the same child I was. I have been enjoying it ever since.”

Velez always knew he wanted to be a teacher and thought back to teachers who have helped him develop self confidence and his own voice and wants to do the same for his students. 

As an eighth-grade teacher at Hector P. Garcia Middle School, Velez is committed to fostering an inclusive and open-minded classroom where students feel comfortable and empowered to engage deeply with literature. He feels that encouraging the analysis of diverse perspectives broadens students’ understanding of texts and promotes critical thinking and respect for differing viewpoints, he said.

“His ongoing commitment to professional growth and the desire to make an even more significant impact on his community are reasons why he has been so successful as part of both the AC and the residency programs,” said [who from HCM is saying this?]. “These programs help him continue to be successful by providing him with valuable tools and mentorship to further shape students’ lives.”

In his classroom, Velez strives to provide a variety of resources and to deliver differentiated instruction because students learn at their own pace, he said.

Velez said he is his students’ number one fan in and out of the classroom.  He is sure to show up to football games and cheer them on to continue building meaningful relationships beyond the classroom walls, which helps bridge the gap between school and community by making them feel that their efforts and achievements are celebrated. He understands that being an educator involves mentoring, encouraging, and showing up for students. 

“To build student relationships, you have to see them more as a whole person, not just as a student,” he said. “You see them developing their personalities and their own character.” 

What Velez finds most rewarding about being a teacher is seeing their students grow. They recently completed mid-year exams that showed significant growth in reading, he said. 

“Some of them showed 200 percent growth, and one of my eighth graders reached a ninth-grade reading level!” he said. “I love seeing them believe in themselves and take those risks.”

Velez encourages those who are looking to become teachers to find an alternative certification program that aligns with their beliefs and what they value. 

“Here at Garcia Middle School, I was able to be placed at a campus that promotes well rounded education, social emotional learning, academic rigor, but also kindness and responsibility,” he said. “I would definitely recommend Dallas ISD’s program. It provides genuine support that is very applicable to the classroom.” 

If you’re passionate about children’s success and are interested in making a difference in the lives of children, the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program offers free tuition and all the training you need to become a certified teacher, said Shuntrice Rhodes, director of Alternative Certification. Inspire the next generation of young minds teaching in one of the critical shortage areas, including core subjects in early childhood to sixth grades with ESL, bilingual, English language arts and reading in seventh through 12th grades, math in seventh through 12th grades, science in seventh through 12th grades, or special education in early childhood through 12th grade. 

For more information about Dallas ISD’s AC program, contact alternativecertification@dallasisd.org. Apply now at dallasisd.org/acp.

District schools and administrative offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 23, through Friday, Jan. 3. While the district is closed for winter break, team members can still get assistance with their benefits. The Benefits Contact Center will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Non-Emergency Assistance

You may reach the Benefits Call Center by calling 972-925-4000, option 2 for wellness. 

For non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu, TRS ActiveCare participants can utilize Teladoc at a reduced cost. Call 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit their main page. If you have never used Teladoc before, you must set up your account before you can access the services. You will need your name, date of birth, and BCBS member ID number to register.

Flexible Spending Accounts/ Health Savings Account

If you have questions regarding your HSA/ FSA, contact Optum at 877-528-9876 or visit

www.optum.com. Optum is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When you call, you will need your FSA/HSA card number, name, and date of birth. If you visit the website, you will need your name, date of birth, social security number, or employee ID.

Employee Assistance Program

Some employees find the holidays challenging. If you need help navigating this time, please contact the Employee Assistance Program at 972-925-4300, Option 3 EAP. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To access the website or the Telus Health One app, you will need your district email address, district username, and password.

•       the website Telus Health
•       the app: Telus: Health One

Leaves of Absence

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.

Dallas ISD is committed to supporting beginning teachers in their first or second year of teaching, and one of the ways that this happens is by providing them mentors. 

Human Capital Management and Professional & Digital Learning partner to provide the Teacher Mentor Program, which supports beginning teachers, resulting in high-quality instruction, improved student performance, and retention of new educators joining the teaching profession.

The Teacher Mentor Program:

• Provides a campus-based mentor to beginning teachers in their first or second year of teaching
• Provides effective support to beginning teachers to successfully transition into their teaching assignment
• Coaches beginning teachers to improve their performance
• Orients beginning teachers to district and campus policies and procedures
• Assists beginning teachers with connections to district curriculum and curricular resources, including formative and summative assessments
• Helps beginning teachers build positive relationships to ensure student success
• Provides professional development that includes mentorship best practices to mentors and appropriate campus staff throughout the school year

One of the features of the Teacher Mentor program is the annual fall mixer where more than 700 teacher mentors, novice teachers, and central staff support teams gather to socialize, celebrate and network. The event includes a Department Fair that allows new teachers to learn more about what resources are available from central administration departments. 

This fall, Dallas ISD has been planting for education and for the community as almost 100 fruit trees are setting roots in two separate orchards at the STEM Environmental Education Center and at Seagoville High School.

Seagoville students participated in the Urban Orchard Planting sponsored by Dollar General and GROW North Texas. Thanks to the partnership, 50 trees and bushes were planted on the campus grounds, and when they mature and bear fruit, the food will be given back to the Seagoville community during the school’s monthly food drives.

Similarly, the food harvested from the 40 trees planted at the environmental center with the help of Sunset High School students and GROW North Texas volunteers will benefit local food banks, district resource centers and the environmental center’s animals.

“We are planting the orchard to use for instructional purposes,” said Mark Broughton, director of the environmental center. “For example, we will use the orchard to provide students with opportunities to investigate and explain how producers can make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide through the cycling of matter.”

Among the trees planted at the environmental center are peach, jujube, Asian pear, European pear, persimmon, pomegranate, elderberry, fig, agarita, mulberry, nectarine, plum, pawpaw, goumi berry, and blackberry. The trees will take approximately three years to mature.  

The end of year celebrations are a source of merriment, but they can also be a source of danger because of the decorations used for the traditional festivities. The American Red Cross has a list of tips to make sure families stay safe. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the top three days for candle fires, but trees, tree lights, and other decorations are also a risk if not maintained properly. 

According to the Red Cross, one of the best ways to prevent a disaster from a home fire is to test the home’s smoke alarms and practice the home fire escape plan with free resources at redcross.org/homefires. In addition, the organizations provides these 10 simple safety tips for the use of lights and ornaments:

1. Check all holiday light cords to make sure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together—no more than three per extension cord.
2. If buying an artificial tree, look for the fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat.
3. If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and water it to keep it fresh. Bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
4. If using older decorations, check their labels. Some older tinsel is lead-based. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation. Avoid breathing in artificial snow.
5. When decorating outside, make sure decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.
6. If using a ladder, be extra careful. Make sure to have good, stable placement and wear shoes that allow for good traction.
7. Don’t use electric lights on metallic trees.
8. Don’t forget to turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
9. Keep children, pets and decorations away from candles.
10. If hanging stockings on the fireplace mantel, don’t light the fireplace.

Reading and writing are critical parts of the whole education, and with several published authors among Dallas ISD team members, these subjects rise to a whole new level.

Inside the pages of her new book, “Namaste Y’all,” Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School teacher Smriti Adhikary tells the story of Gayatri, a young girl adjusting to life in the United States after moving from Nepal. At the same school, fellow author and school librarian, Kena Sosa, is guiding Adhikary through her journey as a new author.

At Arthur Kramer Elementary School, Candice Goetsch, an art teacher, recently published a book, inspired by her lessons about Bridget Riley, an optical art pioneer. Goetsch’s book, entitled “Through a Diamond: The Looking Life of Bridget Riley,” encourages children to engage more with their surroundings and find treasures of their own. Her school recently celebrated the teacher’s accomplishment by featuring a live reading and a tunnel walk through their Bridget Riley-inspired op art installation. 

Inspired by other teacher-turned-authors on Instagram, Adhikary, who teaches first grade, wrote her first manuscript over the summer by drawing from personal experience. The main character, named after Adhikary’s mother, struggles with culture shock on the first day at her new school.

“As a teacher in a low-income area, and even being a minority myself, I feel like 11 years ago there weren’t a lot of books that covered diversity,” she said. “Slowly, in the past few years, Asian-inspired books were being written and I thought they did a really good job with Ramadan and Diwali. But since I am also South Asian from Nepal, where my parents come from, I wanted to put Nepal on the map.”

For Sosa, writing inspiration comes from observations all around her and forming connections with others. 

“Becoming an author was the product of enjoying writing and being curious. I had already written poetry, and articles in college, but taking a class in children’s literature brought me a new joy,” she said. “I started making books out of materials at home and truly enjoyed the process. It took years of submitting, but I got my first contract in 2015 and dove straight into learning about the world of publishing.”

With a 23-year career in education, and 17 years working in a library, Sosa said libraries open students to a world of possibilities.

“The library can be anything we dream it to be–an art gallery, a museum, a research center, a tech lab, but always a place for free learning,” she said. “Being a curious person, I need to work somewhere where I continue to learn and grow. Even now, I learn new things in the library. My mission is to show kids how exciting being a lifelong learner can be.”

Sosa’s advice for Adhikary–and aspiring writers–is two-fold.

“As an educator, it is vital for us to model what we want our students to learn and master. How can they feel brave enough to tell the stories in their hearts, if we aren’t? Seeing us write and create makes them feel more safe to try new things themselves,” she said. “If the thought to write has crossed your mind it is because there is a story in you worth telling. Telling stories helps us better understand ourselves, our perceptions, and how to connect and empathize with others. We have to give perspective for the antagonist and protagonist, which for me, has helped me gain understanding and depth.”

For years, an art teacher and a TAG teacher at Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow had been collaborating on projects and, this March, they came together again for their biggest one yet—creating ornaments for the holiday season to be displayed at the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Visual arts teacher Natalie Hebert and Talented and Gifted teacher Angela Mcilveene have worked together for years, first at Geneva Heights Elementary School and now at Jill Stone, collaborating on projects that involve research and art. Hebert has been a teacher with Dallas ISD for most of her nine years in the profession, and Mcilveene has been a teacher for 18 years.

Every year, the center invites a school to create the ornaments that are used to decorate the courtyard trees during the holidays, and this year, it was up to Hebert’s and Mcilveene’s students. The ornaments and other decorations around the center and presidential library revisit the  themes from Bush’s time in office, cycling through them every eight years. 

“Our school was the only elementary school and the only Dallas ISD school to participate, making this an especially unique and exciting opportunity for our students!” McIlveene  said. “It’s very special.”

The theme for this year is 2003: A Season of Stories, which is why the second- through fifth-grade students researched the theme and then picked from about 100 books one that had a particular meaning to them so they could recreate it as an ornament. The teachers met several times with Bush library staff during the months leading to the project and then worked with the students in the “presidential art club” to create 60 ornaments. 

“The students committed to three weeks after school to plan and create their ornaments,” Hebert said. “The ornaments were wooden, so it was a new type of media for them to work with. It was a learning curve, but they did fantastic.” 

Students painted either the cover and the back of their chosen book or could paint an open book with an image from inside the book that was meaningful to them and also add a few little details and their names, Hebert said. 

The students also had the opportunity to go with Hebert and McIlveene and Principal Selena King on a field trip to the center to see their ornaments decorating the tree. They toured the museum, including the full-size replica of the oval office, made presidential decisions in the interactive Critical Decision Points Theatre, and had warm cookies and milk next to their ornaments. Students were given tickets to the library so they could visit with their families.

“It was a proud and inspiring moment for our students and school community,” Hebert said. 

When the decorations are taken down after the end of year celebrations, the ornaments will be returned to the students,who will have bragging rights that their artwork was displayed at one of the only 15 presidential libraries in the United States.

When husband and wife, Pere Valls and Laura Moreno, traveled from Spain to teach in Dallas, they brought global expertise to Chapel Hill Preparatory Academy and embarked on a journey of sharing new cultural experiences with their young children.

“The idea is to go to a new country, learn, and bring that knowledge back home. It’s an exchange—I’m learning new techniques and teaching strategies while sharing what I know,” Moreno said. 

Moreno currently teaches ESL classes and has 18 years of experience in elementary education. Valls brings 25 years of teaching experience to his role as a fifth-grade math teacher at Chapel Hill. They see the exchange program as an opportunity for their children to learn more about the world while sharpening their language skills.

This is the third time the family has traveled to the United States as part of the Visiting International Teachers Program teacher exchange initiative.

“You learn language fast, but you forget faster,” said Vallas. The family returned to ensure their children could grow up bilingual in English and Spanish. 

When their son was 4 years old, his grandmother helped him practice writing skills. By the time he began attending Chapel Hill, his teachers were impressed with his handwriting and overall academic growth. His sister also continues rapidly improving and picking up English comprehension. When the Valls family is not at school, they enjoy traveling and making new friends.

“I think we’re the kind of family that fits with everybody. We’ve got friends in the United States, Mexico, Japan, and Spain. As long as people are nice, it doesn’t matter where they come from,” Moreno said.

In Reno, Nev., they were two of three Spanish-speaking teachers in their school, Valls said. Now, they are two out of hundreds of bilingual teachers in Dallas where they have met people from other Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico, El Salvador, and Colombia.

“I love learning about other cultures by connecting with other educators. It enriches your knowledge,” he said.

Though the Valls family plans to return to Spain in three years, they cherish the opportunity to share this global experience with their children while they’re young.

“We’re living in a society where you need to know a bit of everything,” Valls said. “It’s important for kids to experience different cultures—they’ll be better prepared for the future. Our children have dual citizenship, and maybe one day, they’ll return for college here.”

Moreno appreciates how their jobs allow them to offer their children a cultural immersion many dream of. 

“Our kids are so lucky to be with us in the same school,” she said. “Even though it was tough for them at the beginning, I was always right here, and their dad was at the end of the hallway. So many people pay to send their kids abroad, and we get to do it simply through our work as teachers.”

The end of the year celebrations can be fun, but they can also be stressful for families, including students. Dallas ISD Mental Health Services has resources that team members can use to identify stress among young people and help them deal with it.

Stress is the way the body naturally responds when faced with challenges, or when nervous, anxious, or under pressure, said Deborah Purge, a licensed mental health clinician with the district. Examples of these stressful times might be needing to complete a science project or taking a math exam and feeling unprepared. Stress can help motivate an individual to work harder and faster, but too much stress can negatively affect mood, health, and how that person interacts with others around them.

Signs of stress:

Some signs of stress might include symptoms such as head and stomach aches, unexplained pain without being ill, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, recent nightmares, and changes in appetite. A student suffering from stress might appear irritable, nervous, anxious, fretful, tearful, and clingy with little interest in activities previously enjoyed. If changes in behavior among young people are observed it might suggest that the student is experiencing a challenging time and needs help to better deal with the situation, Purge said.

Stress management techniques:

• Relaxation Techniques / Physical Activities:
  • Deep Breathing Exercises: Belly Breathing and Butterfly Breathing Exercise
  • Muscle Relaxation: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique
  • Mindfulness Meditation: The Beach – Guided Imagery for Relaxation; Video 2
  • Meditation and Yoga: Yoga Video
  • Grounding Exercises: Video
  • Exercise: Walking, running, jogging, dancing, stretching, playing sports, etc.
  • Creative Activities: Drawing, coloring, painting, journaling, listening to or making music.
  • Connect with nature:  Be sure to spend time outdoors to soak up some sun and explore nature.
•  Develop Healthy Habits:
  • Good Sleep Routine: Go to bed on time and get at least 8-10 hours. of sleep.
  • Nutrition: Make sure to eat healthy meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
  • Allow enough time to complete tasks and assignments.
  • Practicing good self-care will bring awareness to physical and emotional needs.
  • Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts or statements that help when feeling stressed.

Share where to get help:

•   Parents / caregiver / trusted family member
•   Trusted adults at school (teachers, nurses, principals, etc.)
•   School counselor on the campuses
•   Mental Health Services (MHS):  Ask parents to reach out to MHS for additional support

References:

Relaxation Techniques for Kids

https://online.regiscollege.edu/online-masters-degrees/master-science-applied-behavior-analysis/relaxation-techniques-for-kids/#:~:text=Deep%20Breathing%20Exercises%20Among%20the%20simplest%2C%20most%2Deffective,helps%20to%20calm%20them%20physically%20and%20mentally.

Stress in Childhood

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002059.htm