The Blazer Beat

North Lake Family,

STAAR testing for English I and English II is next week! We have reached the point of the year where testing will be going on for the majority of our students until the end of the school year. We recommend that all students arrive well rested and ready to start testing at 8:00 am in order to provide them with the allotted time needed to complete the exams. I would also recommend that students bring a lunch that does not require to be warmed up since they will not be able to leave the testing sites once the exams begin. If a student is not present, our office will start making calls to see if the student is running late to plan for late starts for STAAR.

Last week, Coach Nguyen was called to active duty by the US Air Force. Coach Nguyen is a founding staff member of our campus and a huge part of our community. During his last day on campus, our students were able to make him a going-away banner and our staff provided Coach Nguyen with a goody basket for his family. Please keep Coach Nguyen in your thoughts as he completes this tour, and he hopes to return for the fall semester of 2026.

Please have a restful 4-day weekend! I am thankful for the time off to spend with our family and friends. We look forward to seeing you back on campus on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Remember that all 9th-grade students have English I STAAR testing when we return. Make it a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Adrian Hernandez

Principal

North Lake Early College High School

Twitter @AdHernandez2648

Familias de North Lake,

¡Las pruebas STAAR de Inglés I e Inglés II se llevarán a cabo la próxima semana! Hemos llegado a ese momento del año en el que la administración de exámenes ocupará a la mayoría de nuestros estudiantes hasta el final del ciclo escolar. Recomendamos que todos los estudiantes lleguen bien descansados y listos para comenzar las pruebas a las 8:00 a. m., con el fin de asegurar que dispongan del tiempo asignado necesario para completar los exámenes. También sugeriría que los estudiantes traigan un almuerzo que no requiera ser calentado, ya que no podrán abandonar los sitios de examen una vez que estos hayan comenzado. Si algún estudiante no se presenta, nuestra oficina comenzará a realizar llamadas para verificar si se trata de un retraso y, de ser así, planificar un inicio tardío para su examen STAAR.

La semana pasada, el entrenador Nguyen fue llamado al servicio activo por la Fuerza Aérea de los EE. UU. El entrenador Nguyen es uno de los miembros fundadores del personal de nuestro plantel y una parte fundamental de nuestra comunidad. Durante su último día en la escuela, nuestros estudiantes pudieron confeccionarle una pancarta de despedida, y nuestro personal le entregó una canasta de obsequios para su familia. Por favor, tengan presente al entrenador Nguyen en sus pensamientos mientras cumple con esta misión; él espera regresar para el semestre de otoño de 2026.

¡Les deseamos un fin de semana de cuatro días lleno de descanso! Agradezco este tiempo libre para compartir con nuestra familia y amigos. Esperamos verlos de regreso en el plantel el martes 7 de abril de 2026. Recuerden que todos los estudiantes de 9.º grado presentarán la prueba STAAR de Inglés I a nuestro regreso. ¡Que tengan un excelente fin de semana!

Atentamente,

Adrián Hernández

Director

North Lake Early College High School

Twitter @AdHernández2648

To access fresh food and local programs near you, go to WIC https://texaswic.org/, FoodFinder https://foodfinder.us/, or the North Texas Food Bank https://msg.care/8G8kq

Congratulation to founding staff member, Mrs. Alex Locker! Mrs. Locker is our Algebra II teacher, Student Ambassador, and Destination Imagination Sponsor. She is an amazing part of the North Lake ECHS family and we are fortunate to have her! She will represent North Lake ECHS and hopefully move on to be a finalist for District Teacher of the Year!

Ms. Tierra King, is an aspiring math teacher who serves the North Lake ECHS community as our Teacher Assistant. She is always willing to help in any areas needed and has been a major factor in our students being able to pass TSIA2 Math. Congratulations!

Student banner wishing Coach Nguyen a safe deployment and Class Officer informational session!

April 6 - April 11, 2026

Assistant Principal Appreciation Week! Vote for Mr. Johnson!

https://tinyurl.com/yc2whvb9

Prom Spirit Week for Juniors and Seniors!

Monday, April 6, 2026 - No School

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - B Day -

English I STAAR Testing for 9th Grade Students

Tutoring After School

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - A Day - Uniform Day

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - B Day - College and Career Readiness Day

English II STAAR Testing for 10th Grade Students

Tutoring After School

Friday, April 10, 2026 - A Day - North Lake Spirit Day

Saturday, April 11, 2026

North Lake ECHS Prom!

Las Colinas Omni 7pm

Save the date!

North Lake ECHS Graduation May 23rd 9AM!

North Lake ECHS Social Media

Instagram:

@northlakeechs

X/Twitter: @NorthLake_ECHS

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/NLECHSDISD

Purchase your prom tickets here!

https://dallasisd.revtrak.net/hs/high-schools-j-s/north-lake-early-college-high-school/north-lake-echs-prom/#/list

Password resets will be handled by the student themselves (via calling tech support at (972) 925 - 5630) or by the classroom teacher they are with at the time. Instructions for resetting passwords can be found linked here which is also at the bottom of this Student password document.

Laptop repairs: Please familiarize yourself with the NEW process here students are asked to follow for laptop repairs, notifications, and pick-up. The blue wagon mentioned in the process is located in the front office in front of Mr. Matney’s workspace.

Please look over these videos to support you with TSIA ELAR and Math!

IMPORTANT! PLEASE REVIEW ROUTES.

Please review the routes below, a live link is also available. If you encounter any issues, please contact transportation first. 972-925-4287. Remember, buses can run behind schedule due to increased traffic.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OuunwjN-sbEmHSFSN-Q6HG7WeMZGaOoPL0jACIWJ7xU/edit?gid=1532365375#gid=1532365375

This link also provides information on tracking your bus.

Tutoring buses arrive between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Please make sure you have joined the North Lake Tutoring Buses Remind nlechbus so you are notified of your bus’s arrival.

We have created a family handbook that answers many of the questions you may have for the 2025-2026 school year. Please click on the link below to access the handbook.

pdf

insert_drive_file

25_26 North Lake ECHS Family Handbook.pdf

Download

9.9 MB

Visit our Counseling website for additional resources and Information!

Parent Counseling Needs Assessment - Please complete today!

Register for an upcoming district Parent Training!

Hello families!

Please see the information below shared from Dallas ISD Mental Health Services.

Keeping an Eye on Student Stress

As we move through the spring semester, there is a lot for students to look forward to—warmer weather, end-of-year celebrations, and important milestones. At the same time, this season can bring increased pressure related to testing, academic expectations, and future planning.

April is Stress Awareness Month, a great time to reflect on how stress impacts our students. Stress is a natural response to challenges and changes. In small amounts, it can be helpful, boosting motivation, focus, and energy. However, when stress becomes overwhelming or lasts for a long time, it can begin to negatively affect a student’s emotional well-being and ability to learn.

High school students may experience stress from a variety of sources, including academics, social relationships, family situations, and uncertainty about the future. Because not all stressors are visible at school, it is important for both families and educators to stay aware of possible signs of stress, such as:

Physical: headaches, fatigue
Emotional: irritability, anxiety, mood changes
Behavioral: changes in sleep or eating habits, withdrawal, changes in classroom behavior
Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, negative thinking

When stress becomes ongoing, it can interfere with daily functioning and academic success. That’s why our campus is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of all students. School counselors and mental health staff are available to provide support, coping strategies, and resources for students and families.

There are also simple ways to help students manage stress at home and in school:

Encourage open conversations and provide a safe, non-judgmental space to talk
Practice relaxation strategies such as deep breathing or mindfulness
Promote healthy habits, including proper sleep, hydration, and balanced nutrition
Encourage physical activity and creative outlets

Strong relationships between students and trusted adults play a key role in helping students feel supported and comfortable asking for help when needed.

Helpful Resources for Families:

Parent Training Opportunity: Empowering Families Forum
To help families discuss mental health issues, Dallas ISD is holding the Empowering Families Parent Education Forum at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, at Barbara Mann DAEP in the Buckner Building, 2909 North Buckner Blvd.

This event will provide valuable information on topics such as social media safety, substance use awareness, and supporting students with anxiety and depression. There will also be opportunities to connect with mental health professionals and access community resources.

Internship/Scholarship Opportunities

Summer Law Intern Program (Dallas Bar)

Home Depot: Path to Pro Program (18+)

Ladder Internships

Law Internship

NASA Internships

Rabbi Gerald Klein HS Internship

Dallas County

Justice of the Peace Internship

Lumiere

Summer Program Opportunity for Juniors Only

SOAR (Seeking, Observing and Achieving Results) Program

Dr. Baker 10th/11th Grade

Dr. Hart 9th/12th Grade

North Lake ECHS Families!

How are we already ain April? This year our seniors were ready to hit the ground running from day one, and they have accomplished so many incredible things. Our celebrations and asp updates for this week are as follows:

Celebrations:
- Our regional representative from UNT Denton visited our campus, and set students up with an orientation fee deferment form. We were able to sign almost all of our students who plan on attending UNT up for orientation without an out of pocket fee!
- After months of going back and forth with the financial aid office at TCU, I am so happy to inform you that Kimberly V. is being fully funded with her financial aid package! Kimberly will be attending TCU with an out of pocket cost of $0! Kimberly worked incredibly hard to make this happen, and had been working on her application and essays with me since her Junior year. Despite every hurdle and every obstacle, Kimberly kept pushing and made her college dream a reality. Way to go Kim!
- Bruno and Elizabeth went on a fully funded fly in to Albion College! We have more students signed up for another fly in to Albion in late April as well.
- Alyssa will be going on a fully funded fly in to the University of Rochester later this month!
Applications: 100% of our students have applied to at least 3 colleges and universities, and all but one student has confirmed acceptances with me!

FAFSA: 97.4% of our students have completed their FAFSA/TASFA!

Scholarships: Our scholarship total is currently $19,679,658! We are so close to our goal of $20 million!! I am still in the process of going over financial aid awards with students and recording the total scholarship amount, so I will be sure to keep you updated!

Thank you all for your continued support!

Here is the March Edition of Blazer News

Beginning on the first day of school (August 12, 2025), all students will be expected to adhere to the the North Lake Early College dress code and uniform policy.

Wednesday will be "Uniform Day" On Uniform Wednesdays, students are required to wear their ECHS uniform shirt, black slacks, khaki slacks or a skirt (no shorter than “finger-tip length” with arms in normal position, i.e., arms hanging naturally, as student is standing straight and upright).

Senior Only Uniform of grey slacks or Grey/Blue plaid skirt with the North Lake ECHS uniform shirt or Senior Shirt!

North Lake ECHS Uniform can be purchased at Levine's two locations or via their website https://levinesstores.com/collections/north-lake-early-college-high-school.

Students will be required to follow the North Lake Dress Code on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please see the image below which outlines the do's and don'ts.

All students will be required to have clear or mesh backpacks for the 25/26 school year, small personal non clear bags are allowed. Dallas ISD will provide all students with one free clear back from the school year. I would recommend the mesh bag as they are more durable for the year. If you require a backpack, you can pick up at open house or first day of school

Mesh/Clear Backpack examples - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mesh+backpack&crid=21Z8OKVNB5ZZY&sprefix=Mesh+Bac%2Caps%2C144&ref=nb_sb_ss_pltr-data-refreshed_1_8

Seniors Only, click on the photo for product info at Levine's

Please review the bell schedule for the 2025-2026 school year. If changes occur due to testing or special events, parents and students will be notified ASAP.

The building is open from 7:15am - 4:15pm. Classes are from 8:00 am - 3:20pm. Note that tutoring will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm - 4:45pm.