Staff News

Mental Health Services is sharing a learning opportunity for educators offered by the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority this summer so they can better help youth who may be experiencing a mental health challenge or are in crisis.

The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Educator classes introduce participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and most importantly – teaches individuals how to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge.

These classes tend to fill up each year and we hope we see the same great response this year, as well!  The links are not searchable. Educators can use the links below to register for educator-only or community classes.  Class size is limited, so please reserve your spot today.

Mental Health Services is scheduling classes now for the 2022-2023 school year, so be on the lookout for additional opportunities to sign up later this summer.

Educator only classes:

June 28 • 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Youth MHFA Virtual Class

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-free-to-texas-educators-tickets-339696129267

 July 14 • 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Youth MHFA Virtual Class

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-free-to-texas-educators-tickets-339702468227

Classes for the general public:

June 11 • Youth MHFA • 9 a.m.–2 p.m.  SATURDAY CLASS

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-free-to-texas-residents-tickets-322795509057

 June 14 • 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Youth MHFA (for adults that work with youth) Virtual Class

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-free-to-texas-residents-tickets-322769651717

 July 20 • 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Youth MHFA (for adults that work with youth) Virtual Class

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-free-to-texas-residents-tickets-329884612757

Energy contributes to our happiness, health and overall productivity, but we often find ourselves with far too little of it. For those who endlessly rely on caffeine or simply feel exhausted all the time, learning to monitor energy levels and mindfully care for daily needs can be a game changer. 

Start by taking your energy “temperature” at several points throughout the day. Notice when you have the lowest and highest amounts of energy, and identify the interactions or events that affect you the most. Next, set a realistic goal to manage an area that regularly drains your energy. For example, if your to-do list is a constant source of stress and distraction, aim to cross off one task that feels manageable. When that is finished, take a break if needed and then start on a new goal. It helps to plan your goals around your internal clock. Pay attention to when you tend to have the most energy and take advantage of those moments. 

You can also use the following five tips to increase your energy and live a happier, healthier life. 

• Care for your body. This means eating healthy foods, prioritizing sleep and getting regular exercise. A balanced diet of protein, fruits and vegetables, dairy and whole grains is just as essential to reaching optimal energy levels as getting at least seven or eight hours of sleep. Meanwhile, frequent exercise will relieve stress, boost your endurance and fight off feelings of sluggishness. 
• Focus on what means the most. Take a moment to remember what fills you with passion and joy. Make time every day to pursue that hobby or get involved with your community, and bring meaning into your routine. It can be as simple as trying a new recipe or spending time in nature.
• Surround yourself with good people. Have you ever noticed the way some interactions drain you while others energize you? Maximize the time you spend with people you actually enjoy. Individuals who focus on positivity and authenticity or who share common interests with you will recharge you. Be selective when it comes to the relationships you prioritize.
• Avoid burning out on bad news. Keeping up to date on current events is important, but too much can leave you with a negative perspective on the world. If you begin to dwell on your worst fears or recognize other signs that the news is affecting your mental health, set boundaries. You can stay informed while still controlling your intake. The goal is not to lose sight of the goodness around you.
• Spread kindness. Having compassion for others is a great way to connect with the world and feel energized. The simple act of smiling at a stranger and wishing them well can help you focus on the positive and avoid judging yourself or others. You can take this even further by performing small acts of kindness to build up your community. 

By committing to these healthy habits, you can build up your energy and happiness at the same time. If you start sliding back into sluggishness and exhaustion, step back and take your energy temperature again. While you may never be perfect, you can always grow and develop. Best of all, you can get started right now by putting these tips into practice!  

If you find yourself needing additional support, help is available. Dallas ISD’s confidential, secure Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks has countless health and wellness resources available online and requires no contributions. From on-call counselors to practical tips on subjects like depression, communication and relationships, employees can find what they need, when they need it. 

Contact LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000 or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information.

Source: Mayo Clinic Health System 

Our pets never fail to bring us joy, especially when they are celebrating spring with us! Get to know some of our cutest Dallas ISD co-workers below, and consider setting up your own adorable springtime photo shoot.

Dallas ISD teachers can now apply for the SMU Simmons Scholars program, which was established in the Simmons School of Education to provide full tuition for a master’s degree program. 

The scholarship will provide eight educators with full tuition for a two-year, 36-hour master’s degree program with a dual focus on STEM and special education. The combination of these key instructional areas will address the needs of diverse students and provide strong content-focused instruction that encourages students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

Ideal candidates include: 

• Special education teachers who are looking to gain an enhanced understanding of STEM-focused instruction
• STEM teachers who are seeking to better support the needs of their diverse students 
• Teacher leaders who are working to spread high-quality special education techniques and STEM instruction throughout Dallas ISD

“This dual-focused Master of Education program is a signature program at SMU,” said Dr. Amy Gillespie Rouse, an associate professor in the Simmons School of Education. “We have talented faculty with expertise in SPED and STEM who are committed to working together to facilitate teacher learning in ways that allow teachers to not only integrate what they learn in SPED and STEM classes but also to apply what they learn directly to their own teaching.” 

Interested Dallas ISD teachers are invited to participate in an information session on May 31 or June 2 at 5:30 p.m. to learn more about the Simmons Scholars program and other scholarship opportunities. The registration information can be found here. 

All Dallas ISD kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers are invited to apply. The program is an incredible opportunity not only to further develop a teacher’s skills but also to strengthen equity across the district. 

“Ultimately, whether you’re a science teacher who wants to better serve your SPED students or a special education professional who wants to have more content knowledge, it’s about increasing the capacity and efficiency with which we are serving a currently underserved population,” said Michael Ruiz, Dallas ISD’s executive director for STEM. 

Applicants must complete this form—which includes an essay and a video component—by Thursday, June 9, at 5:00 p.m.. If you have any additional questions, please contact Special Services Coordinator Courtney Cummings at cocummings@dallasisd.org.

All human beings have areas where they feel especially insecure about their capabilities or the way they present themselves. Perhaps a presentation at work made them doubt the sound of their voice, or a crisis at home left them feeling like a failure. Whatever the specific stressor may be, these internal struggles can leave people experiencing low self-esteem. 

Low self-esteem has far-reaching effects on every aspect of life, including work, relationships and mental health. According to Mayo Clinic, adjusting your internal dialogue about these incidents can help you build yourself up again. It starts with identifying the events or conditions that draw out your low self-esteem. Some common triggers include major life changes, conflicts with loved ones or important work assignments. 

Once you recognize your triggers, focus on what you tell yourself when you are struggling. Are your thoughts and beliefs positive or negative? Are they based on facts or false beliefs and fear? Lastly, would you talk to a friend the way you are talking to yourself? Keeping these answers in mind, you can begin to challenge the inaccurate, negative thoughts that are adding to your low self-esteem. 

How to challenge negative thoughts: 

• If you find yourself stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, you may tell yourself things like, “I will never be good enough to do this.” Turn those beliefs around by practicing hopeful statements like, “It may be hard, but I will learn from this experience.” 
• If you jump to conclusions too quickly, take a step back by reframing your anxious thoughts. For example, “They responded to my email with a one-word answer, so they must be angry with me,” can become, “They are probably busy right now. What can I do to ease my stress?” 
• If you have a hard time seeing beyond the negatives of a situation, you may tell yourself, “I made one mistake, and now my entire team will know I am a fraud.” Counteract these thoughts by focusing on the positive. Make a list of everything you have learned and all the ways you have grown, and remind yourself that no one expects you to be perfect. 
• If you often deflect praise or discredit your own successes, give encouraging yourself a try. Instead of saying, “I only did well because I had extra time,” experiment with, “I did well because I set myself up for success and worked hard to meet my deadline. Even though I was not perfect, I met my goals.” 

Negative beliefs that lead to low self-esteem are common, but that does not mean they have to rule your mind. Remember to be patient with yourself as you practice challenging your long-term thought patterns. Big changes do not happen overnight. If you find yourself needing additional support, Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks can help. The secure, confidential service offers a variety of mental health resources as well as on-call counselors, all free of charge. 

Dallas ISD is offering teachers summer learning opportunities that will celebrate the successes of this year and provide ways for teachers to work together to shape future learning experiences.

Training sessions will be available in person at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center and some will be available virtually. Sessions are open for registration. And teachers can sign up to attend a several sessions or just one.

Courses include dozens to help teachers hone their skills in the classroom, such as Advanced Placement strategies to help students succeed, exploration of authentic Spanish-language literature and resources to help emergent bilingual students, brain-based strategies to ensure learning takes root, Dallas Arboretum courses, strategies to boost learning with technology and many more.

Other session will offer teachers an opportunity to reflect on themselves. Reading Language Arts will host acclaimed author Kelly Yang, who will share her writing process and tips for helping cultivate a passion for writing in students and strategies to apply to their own writing.

Another session will create a culture of celebration and critical reflection to help participants reflect on and celebrate their professional progress with a digital portfolio.

And a self-care lounge session will help participants understand the importance of self-care, explore potential causes of stress and take an assessment that will help them develop coping strategies.

Teachers can sign up for these and dozens of other in-person sessions taking place June 6-9 and July 11 and 12, and virtual (live, synchronous) sessions taking place June 13-16 and July 13 and 14. The Summer Learning Catalog can be found here.

Reading can help students avoid the dreaded summer slump, and in Dallas reading can also get them prizes and free books thanks to the annual Read for Me.

Families are invited to join Dallas ISD’s Language, Literacy, and Social Studies Department for the annual Read for Me event in collaboration with Mayor Eric Johnson’s SMART Summer Reading Kickoff Celebration on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Kickoff parties will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 25 Dallas Public Library branches. 

District staff will be present to help promote the summer reading initiative, help families sign up for library cards, participate in kickoff activities, and hand out thousands of free books to Dallas ISD students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. 

Find the party nearest you!

Activities include:

• Lifesize Candy Land – Central Library
• Community Carnival – Vickery Park Branch
• All About Dinosaurs – Hampton-Illinois Branch
• Kites! – Fretz Park Branch
• Live animals – Prairie Creek Branch
• Science Party – Kleberg-Rylie Branch
• All About Flight – Bachman Lake Branch
• Game On – Highland Hills Branch
• Crafts & Games – Lochwood Branch

Visit bit.ly/SMARTSummer22 for more info on the summer reading imitative at the Dallas Public Library.

Receiving and disposal of CPUs, laptops, monitors, small printers, furniture and other capital or controllable assets must follow district policy.

Departments and schools acquiring or receiving donations of capital or controllable assets must indicate the “SHIP TO ADDRESS” as Dallas ISD Central Receiving, 2517 S. Ervay, Dallas Texas 75215. This facilitates the proper tagging of equipment before distribution to the designated location.  

The exception is equipment requiring installation or testing by the vendor. In that case, it is the responsibility of the department or school to inform Capital Asset Management immediately upon receipt of the equipment for proper tagging.

Best practices for the use of appropriate object codes when acquiring capital assets in Oracle can be found at https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/52690.

When storing obsolete or broken equipment awaiting removal, departments and schools should avoid using closets, rooms, portables buildings or open areas to avoid safety issues, potential theft, and fire hazards .

Disposing of obsolete or non-working controllable assets (CPUs, laptops, monitors, small printers, notebooks, etc.) that need to be transferred between schools and departments or designated as salvage and surplus requires an Equipment Transfer and Disposal form that can be found in the Employee Self Service, DISD Fixed Asset Self Service in Oracle. Instructions regarding the ERR FORM can be found at http://inet.dallasisd.org/depts/fixedassets/docs/ERR.pdf. For questions about the Asset Management System, contact Lyn Wilkerson at (972) 581-4109.

For additional information about the transfer and disposal of capital equipment, please visit the Capital Assets Management page.

For ERR FORM questions, contact David Kessebeh at (972) 925-3842.

For Special Revenue and CATE (capital equipment), contact Phiebie Hutchins at (972)-925-3857.

For donations of capital equipment, contact Josephine Flores at (972) 925-3853.

All transfers and disposal of office or classroom furniture (chairs, tables, file cabinets, wall units, drawers, credenzas, etc.) should be accompanied by P1B forms, which can be found at  https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/57474.

During the pandemic, cafeteria staff from throughout the district stepped up to distribute meals to students and even helped to distribute devices and supplies. This school year, as the district returned to in-person learning, they were there to serve thousands of students. They are School Lunch Heroes!

Earlier this month, staff and students at 113 schools voted to recognize them as such. The schools with the top votes were:

• First Place: Harry Withers Elementary School
• Second Place: John Runyon Elementary School 
• Third Place: Hector P. Garcia Middle School 

Each of the winners received a banner and certificates. If you know of anyone who would want to be a School Lunch Hero in one of Dallas ISD’s cafeterias, tell them about a series of hiring events taking place in June. Information is available through the Food and Child Nutrition Services Hiring Events flyer.

In light of recent tragedies involving students and staff, Mental Health Services has shared resources to help facilitate conversations with students or other children during times of crisis. The tools are designed to provide guidance to help you know what to say and do before, during, and when tragic events occur.

Crisis Support Tools:

•   American Psychological Association – “Helping Your Children Manage Stress in the Aftermath of a Shooting”
•   American Counseling Association – “Gun Violence Trauma: Resources for Counselors and Consumers”
•   Crisis Response Toolkit

If you are concerned about the mental health and safety of a student, Mental Health Services clinicians are on-hand to assist. Reach out to the school counselor, using the Say Something anonymous reporting hotline or log on to our website at: www.dallasisd.org/mentalhealth to get help.

For questions, contact Dr. Tracey Brown, executive director of Mental Health Services, at trabrown@dallasisd.org or Jennifer Reed, director of Clinical Services, at jenreed@dallasisd.org.