Don’t Delay, Thank a Teacher Today

Dallas ISD Trustee Joyce Foreman, District 6

May is Teacher Appreciation Month and as the adage goes, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” So often we forget to acknowledge the hard work of educators around the district, particularly those in District 6.

Whether it’s Monica Battison of T.G. Terry Elementary School who was among the 12 finalists named at the 2015 Teacher of the Year recognition ceremony or any of the District 6 teachers featured in the Dallas ISD Top 100 Teachers announcement, each and every teacher in District 6 works tirelessly and selflessly to serve students and offer them an exceptional educational experience.

Teachers help students develop a belief in themselves, boost their academic and social confidence, overcome hurdles to learning, volunteering in the community, communicating with parents, working nights and weekends to ensure lessons are ready for students and grades are up to date. District 6 teachers deserve the gratitude and recognition of all of us. So, if you haven’t already, take the time to write a note, post to social media or make a visit to thank a teacher who helped you reach your dreams.

Here are more ways teachers are helping students achieve their dreams in District 6:

District 6 students named TCU Scholarship Recipients
Six seniors at David W. Carter High School were recently awarded Texas Christian University Community Scholarships, each valued at more than $250,000. The scholarships are awarded based on merit, academic achievement, volunteerism, and diversity.

Huge congratulations to the Carter High School recipients of the TCU Community Scholars Program:

• Courtnee Avery
• Evelyn Barron
• Reginald Cole
• Tavon Griffin
• Charity Mason
• Michael Scott

In addition to the TCU Community Scholarships, an anonymous donor gave $1,000 to each of the aforementioned Carter seniors to assist with the purchase of college supplies and necessities as they prepare to move to the TCU campus next fall.

Kimball dives into Community Engagement Efforts
Justin F. Kimball High School’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism hosted mock interviews for their students by transforming the gym into a mock interview platform.  The event attracted business professionals who interviewed students and provided feedback regarding their interviewing skills, a career-readiness effort.

Several Kimball Visual Arts Program students submitted artwork to the African American Museum at Fair Park as part of a showcase during Youth Art Month.  The artwork included self-portraits and plaster masks in celebration of Dia de Muertos and Native American cultures.

Kimball’s Student Council kicked off community service projects with a community beautification effort on their campus followed by similar efforts at Maria Moreno and L.K. Hall elementary schools. The effort included distributing Kimball Class of 2024 t-shirts to fourth graders to encourage their best students to keep focused on the goal of graduation in 2024.

Kimball’s Student Council partnered with the Kimball Band who played featured selections while Student Council served spaghetti dinners at a recent Parent Teacher Student Association meeting. The school’s student council also served dinner to families of the Ronald McDonald House for a separate occasion.

Boude Storey finds creative ways to connect with kids
A round of applause to the teachers and staff at Boude Storey Middle School who are finding creative ways to connect with students through mentorship with the introduction of a campus group geared toward girls. The group aims to help students address issues they may face as adolescents, peer pressure, goal planning and other concerns.

In addition, the campus has developed a Wyldlife Club aimed at helping students learn through interacting with nature where they have opportunities to bring STEM focused learning to life outdoors.

Summer Learning Opportunities
Dallas ISD is providing summer enrichment camps through its Summer Achievers program, the result of Dallas ISD’s partnership with Dallas City of Learning and Big Thought. Summer Achievers is a tuition-free, full day enrichment summer camp designed to provide creative, extra-curricular opportunities to district students to support their interests beyond the traditional classroom setting. Students accepted to the program are eligible for tuition from their home campuses and will receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Applications open April 19 and will close April 29. For more information, visit www.dallasisd.org/summerlearning.

GEM STEM Camp for 7-12 Grade Girls
The GEMS Camp Summer Experience is a free camp that takes place each Saturday from June through August for six weeks from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The University of North Texas at Dallas. The application period for 2016 is April 1-April 31. Apply online at http://thegemscamp.org/2016/03/11/camp-application/.

Applications Now Being Accepted for Camp 43
Attend a no-cost, three-day summer camp for teenagers to take place June 15-17 at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Class of 2016, 2017 and 2018 graduates can apply now through April 29, 2016 for an extraordinary leadership development experience at “Camp 43: Leader of One, Leader of Many.”

Lunch and snacks are provided daily along with a formal dinner on June 17 to conclude the camp. All participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum each day.

Visit http://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/Kids/Camp%2043.aspx for more information and to access the application due no later than May 13.