By: Dallas ISD Trustee Joyce Foreman, District 6
A concerted effort is being made districtwide to expand fine arts education and student exposure to the arts. A snapshot of this commitment was flashed earlier this month as students at T. L. Marsalis Elementary School were treated to a performance by the Dallas Black Dance Theater’s dance troupe Encore!
The students watched the musical adaptation of the fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”, learned a choreographed dance and enjoyed an original performance piece by the troupe. The on-campus cultural excursion was a celebration of Black History Month, allowing many students to see themselves in a positive artistic way. I especially encourage these types of experiences because they open the minds of our students to an array of possibilities.
And speaking of possibilities, I was inspired to see special needs students from T. W. Browne Middle School participate in the Adaptive Robotics Scrimmage. The students worked with general education students to build robots and practice leading up to the event. A part of the district’s growing robotics program for students who receive special services, the scrimmage is designed to build positive self-esteem, teamwork and communication skills. Programs like this bolster the sense of humanity within our school system and reflect the commitment to equal opportunity and investment in District 6.
Students from Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School are moving forward after placing second in the Medical Mystery Challenge at the recent Destination Imagination Regional Tournament at Conrad High School. Destination Imagination is a nation-wide educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournament competitions. The Brashear team is among the 26 teams to advance to the state tournament happening in Corpus Christi on March 22–23. These gifted students have all of District 6 standing behind them as they compete with excellence and skill.
It’s no secret that the southwest quadrant of Dallas is home to some of the premier athletic programs in Dallas ISD. The culmination of years of consistent character building, effective classroom instruction and stellar athletic training produce a yearly roster of college hopefuls from the ranks of District 6 schools. I’m proud to congratulate our student-athletes who publicly committed to accepting college and university scholarship offers to fund their educations while playing sports at this year’s College Signing Day ceremony. See their names below:
David W. Carter High School
Dominique Bailey, football: Texas A&M-Commerce
Sebastian Blunt, football: Missouri Southern State University
Detrevan Cooper, football: Texas College
Asia Cunningham, football: Texas College
Tommy George, football: Texas College
Derrick Hall, football: Texas College
Cedric Hayes, football: Texas A&M-Commerce
Zahad Munford, basketball: Grambling State University
Sidney Reagor, football: Texas College
William Savala, football: Grambling State University
Daithan Waiters, football: Texas College
Justin F. Kimball High School
Mikyron Boulden, football: Missouri Valley College
Jameel Ibraheem, football: Navarro Junior College
Jameel McWilliams, football: UT-Permian Basin
Julius Monroe, football: UT-Permian Basin
