Dallas ISD team members are guided by a culture rooted in four tenets—friendly, fast, focused, flexible. These culture tenets ensure that all team members work collaboratively with each other and with all other stakeholders for the success of students. While all team members embrace this culture on different levels, some are champions of the Core 4. This quarter, four of these champions in central administration will be recognized for their exemplary work in one of each of the four tenets. The champions were chosen by a committee from a list of candidates submitted by schools and departments. The recognition includes a gift bag with Core 4 memorabilia and use of the Core 4 Champion parking spot at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building. Meet the winners.
Friendly
Stephanie Espinoza
Accounts Payable
Stephanie is so kind and helpful. She provided information and resources from her department that I’ve never before received in the way she shared it. It was all in one place, well organized, clear and concise. The effort to be of service was evident in her approach and communication. Not only that, she also opted not to delay our request by rejecting an item missing information. Rather, she gave very clear notes on what was missing, instructions to access it and allowed me to send her the information directly. This allowed me to submit the missing item, which she had access to attach, without having to start all the way over on approvals. To receive this kind of service is not only appreciated, it’s made me strive to provide the exact same service to those I work with. It’s inspiring and refreshing.
Fast
Brandon Harper
Career and Technical Education
In the Dallas ISD, the embodiment of our commitment to responsiveness, accuracy, and accountability is personified in individuals such as Brandon Harper. Regardless of the urgency of requests, Brandon consistently delivers exceptional work. In his capacity as the coordinator for special projects, he supports 12 coordinators, two managers, and a director, undertaking responsibilities that include creating social media content, marketing collaterals, event promotions, and data reports, oftentimes at the last hour. Brandon executes these tasks with unwavering fidelity and urgency, delving deep into data, policies, and relevant information sources to ensure the precision of his work.
Brandon’s notable synchronization of time with task importance is evident in his prompt responses to requests from all stakeholders. His proactive problem-solving approach and adaptability to unforeseen circumstances highlight a commitment to fostering equitable outcomes.
In every interaction, Brandon not only demonstrates intentionality and urgency but also underscores his dedication to the values of responsiveness, accuracy, and accountability within the Dallas ISD. His proactive stance in seeking solutions and anticipating potential issues reflects a commitment to excellence that permeates every facet of his role.
Focused
Tabatha Sustaita-Robb
Library & Media Services
Tabatha is the library services coordinator. She is strategically-minded, intentional, and focused on supporting the district’s goals through the services the department offers. Tabatha has supported the updates in the district-library evaluation, planned and led effective professional development for librarians, and even supported students directly last year when she served as a substitute teacher at H. Grady Spruce High School. She is a team player who moved her way up from a librarian at Thomas Edison Middle School and Dallas Environmental Science Academy to library coordinator. She has supported the Alternative Certification Program by conducting training sessions for their evening cohort. She runs the department Twitter account (now known as X) with almost 4,000 followers and ensures the department always finds ways to collaborate with other groups for maximum impact.
Flexible
Lacey Kalina
Devan Trussell
Academic Services Curriculum Videographers
The videographers demonstrate flexibility in their approach, acknowledging the challenges of attending all requested shoots due to the high volume of demands. However, they also provide alternatives such as creating final products from footage shared by the requester, revisiting existing footage to meet specific needs, and offering guidance on capturing footage or using video editing software to empower others in the process.
Art teachers looking for opportunities for their students’ work to be featured can look into the 2024 DART Student Art Contest. This year’s theme is “Explore DART’s 13 cities.” The deadline to enter is Thursday, Feb. 29.
The contest is open to students in kinder through 12th grade. Judges will select one “Best of Show Winner” from all the entries. The Best of Show winner will have their artwork featured on DART rail stations and buses and DART website and will also receive a cash prize.
The first-place winner in the kindergarten through second-grade category, the third- through fifth-grade category, and the middle school category will receive a cash prize. The first-place winner in the high school category will receive a prize and will have their art featured at DART rail stations and trains. Runners-up and honorable mentions in all categories will receive prizes.
Students, colleagues and community members at Seagoville High School are proud of the accomplishments of Charque Chenard, a drill team director and dance teacher at the school. Most recently, Chenard was one of six Dallas ISD dance educators who were literally in the spotlight when they were paired up with local celebrities in a dancing challenge.
The Dancing-with-the-Stars-like competition and showcase was part of the Dallas Education Foundation’s annual gala, “HeARTof Teaching: Dancing with the Stars,” which raises funds that benefit district initiatives and students.
Charque was paired up with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who she says stepped up to the challenge and was a joy to work with. To watch a video of Charque and some of the dance educators who participated, click on this link.
According to Charque, participating in the gala and working with Judge Jenkins allowed her to not only work with one of the top leaders in the county, but also to do one of her favorite aspects of her job: choreographing and creating. So when she got chosen along with the other educators to participate, she embraced the challenge.
Through this type of work, she is teaching her students to seize opportunities and challenges. She is leading by example.
“I showed my students that even though I’m their teacher, I’m out here advocating for arts education and still moving and doing things as a professional dancer,” Charque said.
Chenard has been teaching at Seagoville High School for the past two years, and previously taught for six years at Seagoville Middle School. She said it was her students who made the transition easier, as her former middle school students who were now in high school, took on leadership roles, helping new students adjust to the rules and expectations of her dance classes.
She not only teaches them different dance genres, such as modern, contemporary, and ballet, she also teaches them skills that will help them be successful in their high school and college careers. She tries to show her students the connections between the lessons that they learn in dance and the lessons that they use in life. Being professional in dance and in life is something they talk a lot about in her classroom, she said Chenard.
“I tell them to listen to these lessons for life—lessons about being responsible, committing to something, showing up on time, and so on,” Charque said. “I help them connect the dots between what my expectations for them are and how that could play out in their everyday life once they leave my classroom.”
Last school year, Charque took her students to visit her college and showed them her old stamping grounds at Texas Woman’s University so they could see where she trained to be a professional dancer and to be their teacher.
“I try to really just lead by example and show them every day the effects that the arts have had on me,” she said.
It was when she was a student at David W. Carter High School, where she was co-captain of her dance team, that she found her calling to pursue dance as a profession. But it wasn’t until she was studying dance at TWU that her dean suggested she become a dance educator, because not only would she be fulfilling her passion, but would also add to the diversity that was needed in this field. Students need to see teachers that look like them, said Charque.
“To see a teacher of color that the students can relate to, I think it impacts them in a major way,” Charque said.
Even after receiving feedback from community members who considered dance as a hobby and not a profession, she received support from her grandmother throughout her journey to become a professional dancer and dance educator.
“I remember having so many conversations with her, and it was interesting to see everything come to fruition—to see everything unfold for her,” Chenard said. “I want my students to see that everything is possible.”
Charque says that not all of her students are interested in dance or in becoming performers, but she keeps them informed about the different opportunities available in the dance field other than being a dancer, such as technical designers that work on lighting, sets, costumes, sound engineers, stage managers, and many other careers in dance and the performing arts.
One of her favorite things about being a dance educator is the connections she makes with her students, and getting to make a difference on a personal level. Several of her former students who are in college reach out to her, and she still calls them to see how they’re doing.
Whether her students pursue dance or any related field or not she says the work that her students put in her class pushes them mentally and physically, and these experiences help them grow and prepare for future opportunities.
Whether team members work at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building or visit from other district locations, parking can sometimes be a challenge. But making sure to remember the district’s culture tenets of the Core 4 by being flexible and friendly can lead to a positive experience for all.
While some lots and levels may fill quicker than others, it’s important to follow all parking guidelines and to be patient.
Please keep in mind the following:
Dallas ISD team members are prohibited from parking in visitor spaces, which allows students, families, and guests easy access to the building.
Four main areas for Dallas ISD employees to park include the west, east, and north garages.
All garages, except the north, require an access card to enter for those based at 9400. The lower east garage is reserved.
Team members who have forgotten their access card may use the call button to enter general employee garages.
Double parking is not permitted. This includes blocking other cars in and occupying more than one parking space at a time by straddling the lines. Those who do not follow this guideline may receive additional action from the district.
Compact car parking spaces are designated only for small vehicles that can easily move in and out of the spot without blocking others on either side or taking up two spaces.
Team members are not allowed to park at Dave & Buster’s under any circumstance. Employees who are observed using that lot risk being towed.
Please remember, being courteous and considerate is part of the Core 4 culture and will help everyone have a more positive parking experience. For additional questions or information, please contact Scherry Byrd at scbyrd@dallasisd.org.
The start of the year is a good time to review financial trends, establish goals, and make choices that will help you have some financial discipline. This financial discipline—how you spend and save—will help you achieve long-term monetary goals. Often, that means prioritizing a larger, long-term reward over an enticing, but smaller, short-term benefit. For example, enjoying an extravagant dinner is fun for a few hours, but using that money to pay down your credit card may save you a lot in interest over the long run. And if one of your long-term goals is to be debt free, making a larger credit card payment now moves you closer to achieving that goal in the future.
Conforming spending and saving behavior to financial goals may come easier for some than others. But everyone can work on honing this skill. Researchers have found that certain strategies can establish and improve the self-control needed to spend and save wisely.
Build the habit of self-discipline
Whatever your age, income, or life situation, these steps can help you lay the foundation for a disciplined approach to managing your money.
Assess your financial situation. To exercise financial discipline, you need to know where you stand currently. How in control of your finances do you feel? How prepared would you be if you were to face a financial setback or emergency? At this point, you may want to consider your future financial goals.
Develop a financial plan. Once you’ve assessed your situation, identify any areas in which your current actions don’t line up with your future goals. Then, think about what you could do to improve this alignment. Let’s say one of your goals is a secure retirement but you’re currently contributing little or nothing to your retirement account. You might draw up a budget that allocates more money for retirement savings—and less for clothes, gifts, or entertainment.
Set guidelines and rules for yourself. Setting guidelines for yourself is a prerequisite for financial discipline. You can’t follow your own rules if you don’t know what they are. Speak with a financial counselor if you need some help creating your financial plan.
Set target dates for goals. For example, you might set a goal to pay off your mortgage early. First, focus on a date instead of how many weeks, months, or years are left to go. Then, create a detailed plan outlining how much you will have to pay extra each month to pay it off by that date. Studies show that framing time this way is more conducive to long-term financial patience.
Expand your knowledge. No matter how much or how little you know about money management, there’s always more to learn. Consider taking a class or webinar on investing or buying a home. You may leave with not only more information but newfound inspiration for avoiding impulsive choices.
Manage your emotions. Do you make impulse purchases when you’re feeling stressed or depressed? If your emotions rule your wallet, you may have an increased likelihood of spending more than you intended or making regrettable purchases. Pay attention to your emotional triggers for spending. Then, develop strategies for handling them in a less costly way.
Bolster your financial willpower
Financial discipline is like any skill: You can improve it through practice. These tips can help strengthen your self-control with money.
Keep close tabs on spending. Make a habit of recording and reviewing what you spend each day. Use a notebook or money-management app and compare what you’ve spent to what you have budgeted. Research shows that self-control is more likely to falter when you lose track of your behavior.
Don’t overtax your self-control. Studies show that trying to make too many choices at once can deplete your willpower. When that happens, you’re prone to hasty, ill-advised decisions. To avoid this, pace your financial decision making as much as you can. Prioritize your goals and focus on the one or two most important goals. If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a break and do something else for a while, but set a time and date to go back and make those pending decisions. Give your willpower a chance to recover.
Remove the element of choice. Another way to give your willpower a break is by reducing the number of choices you need to make. Set up automatic contributions to your savings and investment accounts.
Focus on dreams for the future
The ability to focus on your future is important for prioritizing long-term goals. Take a few minutes to visualize what your future will look like.
Imagine yourself at different points in time—two or five or 20 years from now. Then remind yourself that the choices you make today influence where you will be at those times. It’s easier to stick to the plan when you think of financial discipline not as depriving yourself today but as giving yourself the future you want.
Source: Lifeworks
If you need additional support with managing debt and mental health, take advantage of Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by LifeWorks, which is free for employees, 100 percent confidential, and available to all employees and their dependents.
Sessions through the EAP are available by phone, virtual, and in person. Employees can also find tips, articles, self-assessments, and topical features focusing on specific EAP resources available through the EAP smart App.
To start on your wellness journey please visit dallasisd.lifeworks.com or reach out to the EAP by calling 972-925-4000 and selecting option 3 for EAP.
District school and administrative offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, through Friday Jan. 5, 2024. While the district is closed for winter break, team members can still get assistance with their benefits.
Non-emergency assistance
You may reach the Benefits Call Center by calling 972-925-4300 option 2 for wellness. The Benefits Call Center will be closed on Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
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 theirmain page. If you have never used Teladoc before, you will have to set up your account before you can access the services. You will need to have 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 visitwww.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 are visiting the website, you will need your name, date of birth, social security number or employee ID.
Employee Assistance Program
The holidays can be a difficult time for some employees. If you need assistance making it through this time, please reach out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 972-925-4300 Option 3 EAP. They are available 24 hours/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.
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.
Anna Sifford, a history teacher at Hillcrest High School exemplifies the phrase service above self—which is the name of the award she received from the Rotary Club earlier this year. While she admits her classes challenge students to think beyond their comfort zone, she meets her students where they are and encourages them along the way.
Sifford teaches International Baccalaureate 20th-Century world topics, IB history of the Americas, and Advanced Placement U.S. history, and she said she feels she is not just preparing her students for college, but that her classes also prepare them for life and to be future leaders.
Sifford has visited 34 countries and is involved with the World Affairs Council. Some of her accomplishments include being part of the United Arab Emirates Study Tour this year, T.E.A.C.H. Fellow (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), U.S.-Morocco Alliance education cohort, Marshall Fellow through the World Affairs Council, and is a previous recipient of the International Educator of the Year given by the World Affairs Council.
“Winning the Rotary Club award showed me that what I’m doing is right,” Sifford said. She says she established a nonprofit—Action Allies United—inspired by the award for students, hers and those from across the community, who hope to major in international relations, diplomacy or policy, or medical anthropology, which is a brand-new major.
The purpose of the Rotary Club of Dallas “Service Above Self Award” is to call attention to the importance of service in our community and provides teachers an opportunity to recognize and reward those who have demonstrated excellence in their profession by “going the extra mile,” according to their website. The winners each received an engraved plaque and a cash award.
“The award showed me that it’s worth all those hours, and that it’s worth every Saturday where I go to have coffee with someone who’s just going to cry for an hour and then we’re going to work on their essay, ” she said.
Sifford says that it’s about hearing her students and helping them get through those hurdles. For example, a student might need help writing something they feel like they can’t understand, but she knows they can.
“I’ve had nothing but lovable kids, and I think it’s all just because of the mindset,” Sifford said. “We do work for them, and as a teacher you have one job: to make sure they succeed, right? So you do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
One of the things that Sifford does to help her students be successful is a podcast on Spotify in which she creates content from her class that her students can tune into and learn. For example, students may have a unit test coming up, and they can tune into her podcast to help prepare them for the exam.
“These kids learn through podcasts. I didn’t,” Sifford said. “So that’s very foreign to me, but it’s not to them. Service above self is meeting kids at their level, right?”
Sifford graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she studied dance—specifically tap and flamenco. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from SMU and a master’s degree in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Her previous careers before becoming a teacher included working for seven years at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City and the United Nations. She began her career as an educator in 2007 and came to teach at Dallas ISD in 2014.
When Sifford was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the United Arab Emirates Study Tour, she was one of the 50 faces of persons from around the world to be the face of the UAE. The pictures are part of a campaign celebrating the country’s 50th anniversary.
Through her years as a teacher, Sifford has always had a Junior World Affairs Council on every campus she has taught. The nonprofit she created serves the same purpose.
One of the upcoming projects that Sifford has with her nonprofit is taking 17 students in March to Casablanca and Marrakech to do earthquake disaster relief for a girls’ dormitory that was hit by the earthquake this past September. In addition to taking the money her organization has raised for the project, they will be meeting with an IB school in Casablanca. They have also created their own negotiation simulation. Instead of Model UN, they have created their own called “Lunar Accords” to address the current crisis in the Middle East.
“The intent is about how their generation can move forward because it’s going to be up to them,” she said.
Sifford said that she is doing what she loves to do because her passion is history. One of her favorite things is giving students the tools inside her classroom to be historians. Her class is very different from just lecturing from a podium. She challenges her students to research and question.
“So, in my class, the higher the grade usually means you argued with me the most, because that’s what history calls for. So, I need a room full of contrarians,” Sifford said.
Sifford’s classes have the reputation of being among the hardest on campus, but it’s the class that students have told her goes by the fastest, where they can speak their mind, she said. Some of them even change their areas of interest to history or diplomacy.
“I think it’s only because I’ve given them the power to interpret history their own way,” she said.
More than 20 Dallas ISD principals have been awarded Master Principal designation for the 2023-2024 school year. These designations are awarded annually to the top 10% of Dallas ISD principals in three categories: elementary schools, secondary schools, and choice schools.
This year’s Master Principals represent a wealth of experience and diversity across the district. The official criteria is based on: at least three years of service as a Dallas ISD principal, individual performance, and campus performance in the prior school year. In addition to a $10,000 stipend, Master Principals will be recognized at the annual Master Principal Recognition event on Feb.1, 2024, at the Joule Hotel.
In 2023-2024, the Master Principal selection criteria was adjusted to place additional emphasis on student growth and account for differences in school demographics. The designations were revealed on Dec. 13 at the annual December Principals’ Meeting.
2023-2024 Master Principals:
School Group
Principal Name
Campus Name
Elementary
Jennifer Atkins
Charles Rice Learning Center
2023-2024: H. S. Thompson Elementary School
Elementary
Rocio Bernal
George W. Truett Elementary School
2023-2024: Thomas J. Rusk Middle School
Elementary
Ida Escobedo
Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School
Elementary
Alpher Garrett-Jones
Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center
Elementary
Carlotta Hooks
C.F. Carr Elementary School
Elementary
Margaret Huff
Mockingbird Elementary School
Elementary
Alicia Iwasko
Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School
Elementary
Constance Jawaid
John W. Carpenter Elementary School
Elementary
Marissa Limon
Dan D. Rogers Elementary School
Elementary
Lakisha Merritt
Martin Weiss Elementary School
Elementary
Lourdes Morales-Figueroa
John J. Pershing Elementary School
Elementary
Beverly Mullins
Anne Frank Elementary School
Elementary
Lonnie Russell
Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School
Elementary
Christie Samuel
Ann Richards STEAM Academy
Elementary
Julie Singleton
Central Elementary School
Elementary
Caroline Wilson
James Bowie Elementary School
Secondary
Stephanie Amaya
W.H. Adamson High School
Secondary
Chandra Hooper Barnett
Woodrow Wilson High School
Secondary
Nikki Hudson
L.V. Stockard Middle School
Secondary
David Lee
Hector P. Garcia Middle School
Secondary
Jesus Martinez
Sunset High School
Choice
Reymundo Cervantes Guajardo
School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove
Choice
Michael Tatum
Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy
Choice
Arnoldo Zuniga
School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center
Dallas ISD team members continually embrace a Core 4 culture that includes the tenet that highlights friendliness—Make Memorable Moments. In Dallas ISD, not only do we build respectful relationships grounded in professional communication, but we also embrace the positive and expect the best of each other. At no time is this truer than during the end of the year when campuses and departments come together to make sure that the season’s celebrations are a little brighter for others. Here are some examples of team members’ generosity.
Rocking horses for Ronald McDonald House families
Led by teacher Terry Stotts, students from Career Institutes this year continued a long-standing tradition that started at the Multiple Career Magnet Center of building festive rocking horses to donate during the holidays to families at the Ronald McDonald House. Not only do students learn important skills doing this work, but also develop a sense of community.
Delivering 800 gifts to Scottish Rite Hospital
George Peabody Elementary School students and teachers have truly embraced the season of giving, gathering an impressive collection of more than 800 art supplies and toy donations for children at the Scottish Rite Hospital.
Communication Services adopts a school
All of Communication Services got together to make a tradition started by its Translation Services Department years ago a little bigger this year by adopting several students from H.I. Holland Elementary School. The “adopted” students will receive toys, clothing and other items on their wish lists.
Spreading joy in the community
Isabella Calvillo, of th Dual Language ESL Department, who also is a lash technician, decided to get together with another lash technician to give back to her community by doing a toy drive where the clients who bring an unopened toy/gift receive $15 dollars off their service.”The toys will be donated to my local church just before Christmas,” Calvillo said
Sunset High School adopts an elementary school
When Erika Bonilla was a liaison at an elementary school in the Moisés E. Molina feeder pattern, the liaison at Molina sponsored her elementary school so students could receive Christmas toys. That liaison then sponsored all the other elementary schools in the feeder pattern. Now that Bonilla is at Sunset as the school’s community liaison, she found herself at the giving end of the spectrum and is sponsoring one of the feeder pattern’s schools—Anson Jones Elementary School. Sunset teachers and other team members are sponsoring a student or more each from Anson Jones and giving them a new toy for Christmas. They will then wrap the gifts and deliver before school lets out for winter break. With the holidays coming and many families in Dallas ISD facing hard financial times, it’s a beautiful moment for everyone to give to those in need and to simply enjoy the smiles of gratitude, Bonilla said. Everyone is excited!
Elisha M. Pease Elementary School holds a food drive
The National Elementary Honor Society and Student Council at Elisha M. Pease Elementary School collected over 800 cans of food for the community in South Oak Cliff. The NEHS does several community service activities throughout the year, and the school’s advisor decided to team up with the Student Council to do a food drive in the school’s community. They used the house system to create a competition to see which house could collect the most cans. The only challenge was finding space to store the cans! The students enjoyed being able to contribute to the drive and help their house win.
Giving to the community
Angelina Perez, from Student Transportation Services is also the secretary for a nonprofit organization. She and her organization meet every other month to plan and organize their events. They give scholarships to high school students in the Fort Worth community, and every year for Christmas adopt more than 260 children to give their families a gift box and a jacket, shoes, and presents for each child. Juntos Se Puede–Together We Can is not just another nonprofit organization for Perez; her sister is the president.
Stephen C. Foster Elementary School shares food and culture
This year, our school welcomed over 40 students to the United States in grades third through sixth. As our school’s newcomer teacher, Brynne Mendonca wanted to invite her students’ families to a traditional Thanksgiving meal after school. Thanks to the support of the school’s PTA and community partners, they were able to serve over 60 turkey dinners and share a culturally significant holiday with students.
Family and Community Engagement Office celebrates with a purpose
FCE hosted a mid-year mixer for community liaisons, parent instructors and vendors who partner with the department during the year. Each participant was asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to The Family Place.
D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School partners up for good
During the month of November, the school community participated in the first Panther Cares Project. Panther Cares is an initiative started by the school counselors to ensure that the school is involved in efforts focused on building community and displaying empathy. Since November was Homeless Youth Awareness Month, they chose Jonathan’s Place, a nonprofit that provides safe spaces for abused and neglected children, teens, and young adults. Jonathan’s Place, led by Allicia Frye, allowed the school to partner with them in collecting donated goods and resources that will assist in continuing to make a positive impact on the populations they serve.
School of Health Professions goes for the toys
The Kines Club at the School of Health Professions has partnered with WFAA’s Santa’s Helpers in collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in the DFW Metroplex. Collected toys during the month of December and delivered them to the WFAA studios. The goal was to collect at least 50 new toys to donate.
Fourth-grade team at Louise Wolff Kahn Elementary School gets together
The fourth-grade team decided to organize a toy drive for their students. The school is a Title 1 campus, and the population it serves is primarily low income. The teachers knew that many of our students may not have a wrapped toy under their Christmas tree this year. As a grade level team, the teachers decided to bring cheer, smiles, and warm fuzzies to students this holiday season. The goal was to collect 60 toys, wrap them, and deliver them to the students right before the winter break to ensure that every student had a memorable Christmas this year. They reached out to close friends, family members, local business, and companies to support the toy drive. Little by little the toys began to arrive. The biggest challenge was competing with larger more established organizations that businesses had already committed to helping. Thankfully, the teachers were able to reach their goal with the support of companies like Equitable and Ferguson Waterworks, teachers on campus and even district central team members. They also had lots of help from the campus librarian and a second-grade teacher, who helped with wrapping and storing the toys.
Multicultural Club at North Lake Early College High School competes to donate
The students decided that along with setting up a holiday display with elements of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza, the Multicultural Club should host a toy drive. In order to increase engagement, the students planned the toy drive to be a competition between advisory classes, with the winning class getting donuts and hot chocolate as a prize. All toys were donated to the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. There were over 30 toys donated, along with other much needed items such as clothing and supplies.
Hillcrest E-TECH gives all year long
Adrianne Hanks, affectionately known as Coach Hanks, and her exceptional Collegiate M.A.P.S class at Hillcrest High School teamed up with the nonprofit organization Rise IPL, which introduced the empowering Future-Prenuers program to 153 dedicated students. Under Coach Hanks’ guidance, this initiative focuses on connecting youth to efforts that nurture productivity and passion for their future endeavors, including putting together packed care baskets for Lullaby House Dallas, filled with essential items for women and children; a Diversity and Inclusion Friendsgiving Potluck, where the M.A.P. class celebrated diversity through a heartwarming Friendsgiving Potluck, fostering a sense of unity and understanding among students; a canned goods collection where they collected 300 canned goods for the Salvation Army; a letter-writing campaign for deployed soldiers in partnership with Kroger and 96.3 New Country Radio Station through which students expressed their gratitude and support for deployed soldiers; also coordinated was gift wrapping for a children’s shelter.
William Lipscomb Elementary turns lesson into action
The kinder class turned an activity in the farm unit where the class analyzed the food items in the cans of food they brought into a canned food drive for those in need.
Human Capital Management supports homeless youths
Human Capital Management was able to support the district’s Homeless Education Program this year by donating food, clothing, and hygiene items during its annual event. The only challenge HCM faced was finding enough boxes to prepare for HEP’s donation pickup. Every year, HCM leaders show appreciation and give thanks to their employees by hosting a family-style meal in November. This is the first year HCM has supported students through the Homeless Education Program during the annual event.
Doing Zumba for a good cause
Mayra Rangel, Dual Language Department, will join Zumba instructors and dance to help make dreams come true with toys for kids and feed families in need this Christmas. The event will be hosted by the lead Zumba instructor at The Epic Fitness and Recreational Center in Grand Prairie. Attendees will contribute by having fun dancing for a $15 entry fee and a new unwrapped toy. All toys will be donated to Dalworth Recreation Center in Grand Prairie.
Victor H. Hexter Elementary School sets up an Angel tree
The first step was identifying families in need and giving them the option of completing their wish list of gifts, both needs and wants. The school then made the angel tags, keeping students and families anonymous. They set up the tree, then as a school community came together to provide gifts for all children. Gifts were offered to all children 18 and younger in the household, whether or not they were students currently attending the school. It is inspiring and amazing to see the school community come together to support families!
George Herbert Walker Bush Elementary supports families
George H. W. Bush Elementary always has prioritized supporting families, and this year is no different. The food drive began as a friendly competition between Houses and ended up being a great way to help families in need. Ultimately, the drive brought everyone together and reminded all of the importance of friendship, love, and compassion for neighbors. Also, the school is participating in Toys for Texans. Students will give toys and books.
Jerry Junkins Elementary School hosts a winter drive
The winter drive that the school hosted will benefit the homeless and less fortunate in the South Dallas area. The school gathered warm winter clothing, shoes, blankets, hot hands, and other winter necessities and will donate them to the MLK Center in South Dallas. The only challenge was navigating the locations for gathering the items, but the school was successful with the help of the Dallas District Chapters of Essence of Benevolence Grand Chapter, OES. Those chapters included Elements of Grace #5, Queen Nefertari #1, and Keturah #3.
Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy collects coats
The school hosted a coat drive for students because two student advisors realized that students were trying to bring blankets to school due to lack of warm winter coats. Students in need can now request a jacket through the school’s student pantry efforts.
Woodrow Wilson High School gives back to Head Start
The school’s chapter of National Art Honor Society is holding a toy drive for David’s Place Head Start. This effort was put in place by the student members of NAHS because they wanted to help their community for the holiday season and many of the students attended David’s Place when they were younger. This is the first time the school does this new chapter of National Art Honor Society, and the students want to start a tradition of giving throughout the years.
Career Institute East brings the toys
Career Institute East team members started with an in-house toy drive. Then it became even bigger when they added an industry partner, Excell Electric. This is the third year that Excell has helped sponsor the toy drive, and it keeps getting bigger and better every year. A huge thank you to our partners and employees at Excell Electric for making a difference in children’s lives each holiday season.
Interact Club at Skyline High School helps their own
As the new club on the block, the school’s Interact Club decided to create a project to give back to the community. The president came up with the idea to do holiday care kits for five students and their families that could use a little of Santa’s help this holiday season. Our club mentor and sponsor, The Rotary Club of Dallas, pitched in and donated five $200 Walmart gift cards. The intent was to match the monetary amount of $1000 in donations that ranged from toiletries to toys. Having to narrow it down to just five families was the most challenging, but, in the end, the group exceeded the goal and was able to provide Holiday Care Kits for six Skyline Raiders and their families this holiday season.
Stephen C. Foster Elementary School invites Santa to class
The end goal is to give every child a wrapped toy to take home for the holidays. This year there are 649 scholars who will benefit from the toy drive. It takes a great community effort, a lot of sharing and spreading the word. There is always a challenge, not knowing if there will be enough toys, but the community always comes through. Teachers host wrapping parties with community members, PTA moms, and many other volunteers to wrap the donated toys based on a color-coding system. On the last day of school or the day before, Santa makes a visit to every classroom and delivers the toys.
Gifted and Talented students at Bayles Elementary School collect cans
The group holds an annual food drive prior to the winter break to support some of the campus’ families. The idea came from a student about 10 years ago and it has continued ever since. Any canned food that is left over after helping families goes to the White Rock Center of Hope.
David W. Carter High School partners with community to bring joy
The counseling team at David W. Carter High School and community partner Business Jet Cares teamed up to give clothes, shoes, bed, mattresses, kitchen items, basketball hoops and many more times to students who were chosen by their teachers. Families picked up their gifts at the school before the holiday break.
Often, when families and friends get together to celebrate, certain foods take center stage—from decadent desserts to hearty dishes. They represent family traditions or cultural heritage, and they are enjoyed by one and all. Dallas ISD team members shared some of their favorite foods for the end-of-the-year celebrations that they either cook or simply look forward to.
Rose Badía, instructional specialist at Library Media Services
During December, we have a special tradition of making dishes with local plantains, bananas, and roots like “Ñame, malanga, batata.” This custom is important to us because of our Puerto Rican background, connecting us to our ancestors from Spain, especially the Canary Islands and Alicante. One tradition I really love is making “guineitos en escabeche,” or pickled bananas. First, we carefully pick raw bananas from the plant. Then, as a family, we cook up the tasty pickling sauce and start the cooking process. We let it sit for an extra day or two, moving it around to make sure all the flavors mix well, creating a delicious dish. This tasty treat becomes a regular part of our December holiday dinners, reminding us of our cultural roots and the happy traditions passed down through the years.
Adam George, teacher at iLearn Virtual Academy
I have Norwegian roots—legend has it my great-great-grandfather was a stowaway on a ship to America. Each year, my extended family gathers to make a traditional Norwegian flatbread called lefse. It’s a true labor of love that involves a specialized skillet, a “lefse stick” to transfer the delicate potato-based batter, and designated cooking roles within the family. It’s a delicious treat that we only eat around the holidays—it’s too much work otherwise!—and I always look forward to a day dedicated to cooking with family and connecting to my heritage. The photo depicts George with his Great Aunt Mary. Uff Da is an ambiguous Norwegian phrase to express astonishment.
MariCarmen Eroles, director of Internal Communications
For as long as I have memory, my paternal grandmother would make Catalan canelones for New Year’s using the leftover turkey from Christmas. This is a pretty traditional dish in Catalunya from where the paternal side of the family hails. As soon as I could climb on a chair in her kitchen, I would watch her make the stuffing, cook the pasta, roll them, and then, on the day, make the bechamel sauce. They are divine, and my younger brother and the rest of the family looked forward to them all year. Once she got older and didn’t have the energy to make the turkey at Christmas and the canelones for New Year’s, I took over. I have been making them for years, interrupted only by the pandemic, for the family even as our numbers continued to dwindle with time. This year, I will make them because it’s our tradition, but my brother who loved them won’t be there to taste them. He passed away this summer. But we will enjoy them in his honor once again as we welcome the new year.
Human Capital Management was able to support the district’s Homeless Education Program this year by donating food, clothing, and hygiene items during its annual event. The only challenge HCM faced was finding enough boxes to prepare for HEP’s donation pickup. Every year, HCM leaders show appreciation and give thanks to their employees by hosting a family-style meal in November. This is the first year HCM has supported students through the Homeless Education Program during the annual event.
