The Blazer Beat
February 6, 2026
North Lake Family,
February is the start of Black History Month, and we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the contributions of African Americans. From medical discoveries to the utilities that make our everyday lives easier, this could not have been done without the breakthrough research of African Americans. The Blazer Beat this month will highlight these amazing individuals and also the work that Dallas ISD is doing to celebrate Black History Month.
This past week was also Counselor’s Appreciation Week! We are fortunate to have two amazing counselors, Dr. Baker and Dr. Hart, who proudly serve the North Lake ECHS community daily! They have done so much to not only elevate our school but also serve as mentors to other counselors throughout Dallas ISD. I am so proud to have both of their expertise on our North Lake ECHS leadership team and am honored to serve our community with them. Our counselors also earned the CREST Award from the Texas School Counselor Association, highlighting their work in both academic and social growth. This is a back-to-back award for them, and we are so proud of their work!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and is able to enjoy the time we have with our family and friends. Don’t forget to encourage your student to stay on top of their college work and not wait till the last minute to complete deadlines. Make it a great week, and thank you for supporting North Lake ECHS.
Sincerely,
Adrian Hernandez
Principal
North Lake Early College High School
Twitter @AdHernandez2648
Familias de North Lake,
Febrero marca el inicio del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana, y celebramos el centenario de las contribuciones de los afroamericanos. Desde descubrimientos médicos hasta los servicios que facilitan nuestra vida diaria, nada de esto habría sido posible sin la innovadora investigación de los afroamericanos. Este mes, Blazer Beat destacará a estas personas extraordinarias y también el trabajo que el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Dallas (Dallas ISD) está realizando para celebrar el Mes de la Historia Afroamericana.
¡La semana pasada también celebramos la Semana de Agradecimiento a los Consejeros Escolares! Tenemos la suerte de contar con dos consejeros excepcionales, la Dra. Baker y el Dra. Hart, quienes sirven con orgullo a la comunidad de North Lake ECHS a diario. Han hecho muchísimo no solo para engrandecer nuestra escuela, sino también para servir como mentores de otros consejeros en todo el Distrito Escolar de Dallas. Me enorgullece contar con su experiencia en el equipo directivo de North Lake ECHS y me siento honrado de servir a nuestra comunidad junto a ellos. Nuestros consejeros también recibieron el Premio CREST de la Asociación de Consejeros Escolares de Texas, que reconoce su labor en el desarrollo académico y social de los estudiantes. ¡Este es el segundo año consecutivo que reciben este premio, y estamos muy orgullosos de su trabajo!
Espero que todos tengan un excelente fin de semana y disfruten del tiempo con sus familiares y amigos. No olviden animar a sus hijos a mantenerse al día con sus tareas universitarias y a no dejar las entregas para el último momento. Que tengan una excelente semana y gracias por apoyar a North Lake ECHS
Atentamente,
Adrián Hernández
Director
North Lake Early College High School
Twitter @AdHernández2648
Dr. Baker 10th/11th Grade
Dr. Hart 9th/12th Grade
Hello North Lake Families!
Our ASP updates for this week are as follows,
Celebrations: 4 of our students were selected as finalists for the ASP X Centre College scholarship! Our students will have the opportunity to interview with Centre College later this month. I will keep you updated on their progress!
Applications: 98% of our students have applied to multiple four year universities, and at least 82% have been accepted!
FAFSA: 96% of our students have completed their FAFSA/TASFA! The remaining student eligible to complete the FAFSA has completed the student portion, and are waiting on their parents to complete the parent section. I sent an email and a letter home, and will follow up with them this week.
Scholarships: Our scholarship total is currently $7,883,896 in scholarships and grants! Many schools have not released financial aid awards yet, so this number should continue to rise as more and more schools release financial aid!
Matney out: I will be off campus the following dates and times,
- February 17th: I will be off campus all day
- February 18th: I will be off campus all day.
Thank you all for your continued support!
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
John Johnson - Assistant Principal
Monique Gossett - Campus Coordinator
Kara Hoover - English I Cluster Lead Teacher
Kane Cortez - MAPS and Algebra I
Ana Martinez - Biology and AP Environmental Science
Hector Osegueda - AP Human Geography and AP African American Studies
Aaronia Ferguson - English II, Senior Sponsor and Cluster Lead Teacher
Bethany Crawford - Dual Credit German
Jeff Heiple - Geometry and Cluster Lead Teacher
Samah Al-Hamadi - Dual Credit Biology
Alexandra Locker - Algebra II
Swati Chakarvarty - Honors Chemistry
Aubry Born - Dual Credit English
Dr. John Davis II - Special Education
Elida Rueda - Parent Support Specialist
Dr. August Darbonne - Dual Credit US History and Mexican American Studies
Dhara Katbamna - Dual Credit Math and AP AB Calculus
Kelly Green - Dual Credit Government and AP Economics
Steven Nguyen - Dual Credit Health/PE and Cluster Lead Teacher
Michelle Smith - Dual Credit English
Danny Whitsell - Business and Financial Literacy
Nurse Archie - School Nurse
Natasha Sublet - Office Manager
Sandra Fisher - Financial Clerk and Parent Liaison
Cledy Olivares - Campus Safety Monitor
Tierra King - Teacher's Assistant and TSIA2 Math Tutor
Tonya Caston - Data Clerk/Registrar
