Pride Preview Vol. 7

Thank you for another incredible week of learning and growing together. I want to begin by celebrating the success of North Texas Giving Day—$18,000 worth of contributions for our school! I hope you all remember how much your community is behind your success!

This week, we also continue our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our community is deeply enriched by the cultures, histories, and traditions we honor during this time, and I look forward to the upcoming events created by our Multicultural team, and classroom experiences that highlight the importance of this celebration.

This Friday, we are excited to welcome Academy 4 to campus as we launch this year’s mentoring program with our 4th graders. This partnership is one more way we ensure that every student feels supported, inspired, and empowered.

Thank you to everyone who shared your voice in the recent Climate Survey. I’ve read through your feedback, and I want you to know I hear you. Many of you spoke about how much you value the way our staff supports one another and how our school events bring families and the community together — those strengths are worth protecting and building on. At the same time, you also raised areas where we can improve, like communication and consistency, and we will be intentional about refining those together. I’m grateful for your honesty and trust, and I look forward to the work ahead with all of you.

As always, thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to our school. Together, we are living out our motto:

Excellence, Not Without Effort.

This week we celebrate Mrs. Malanowski as our Pride Member of the Week! After first serving as a substitute, she stepped into our Total Communications classroom and has quickly become a central part of the program’s success.

Her commitment is evident—she stays after school each day researching activities and finding new ways to enrich the TC experience for our students. Her persistence, creativity, and dedication ensure that our kids receive the very best, every single day.

Thank you, Mrs. Malanowski, for your persistence, passion, and example—we are so grateful you are part of the Pride!

• TA's clock in by 7:30am | Teachers clock in by 7:45am
• Morning Circle Lessons
• Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

Monday, Sept 22

• 3:45p-4:45p | Faculty Meeting (Toddle Training)

• 5:30p | 👪 Watch D.O.G.S Info Meeting

• 3:30–5:00p | Coding Club
• IB Collaborating Planning 2nd AM / 1st PM
• International Day of Sign Languages

Wednesday, Sept 24

• Attendance Matters: Walk the Walk. Show Up to Shine! Wear something bright, sparkly, or dress like a superstar.

• 11:30a-1:00p | Book Bash with United to Learn | Schedule

• IB Collaborating Planning 3rd AM / KN PM

Thursday, Sept 25

• IB Collaborating Planning 4th AM / 5th PM
• 3:30-4:30pm | After School Instrument Ensemble

Friday, Sept 26

• Academy 4 Friday (ALL STAFF WEAR ACADEMY 4 SHIRTS!)
• 11:30–11:40am — Club Leaders Arrive
• 11:40–11:45am — 4th grade students get in line for Club Session 1
• 11:45am–12:25pm — Club Session 1
• 12:30–1:10pm — Club Session 2
• 1:15pm — Mentor Training Begins (Cafeteria)
• 2:00pm — Mentoring Time with 4th Graders Begins
• 3:00pm — Hangtime
• 3:30pm — Dismissal
• IB Collaborating Planning PK4 AM / PK3 PM
• Teacher's Assistant Day

• We will use a modified schedule this upcoming Friday to account for Academy 4 Fridays. We will hand these out after school tomorrow.

• Please review below to see your slot for the Book Bash on Tuesday.

• TEKS must be written out and annotated/highlighted, with the verb clearly called out →

• Learning Objectives (LOs) must align to the TEKS.

• Student tasks must align to the verb of the TEKS

- Please see below under INSTRUCTION

🎯Submit one student to receive a ROAR Call Here

🎯 Plan Grade Level Field Trips

🎯 Activity Funds Sponsor Training

UPCOMING

• Please refer to this document for updates and information about Bilingual Learning Checks

• Students will each receive one State Fair voucher this week.

• All sponsors of student organizations must review and share the Student & Parent Expectations 2025-2026 with parents
• All students participating in any after school activity must have a parent consent form on file per district policy. Ms. Timms will be sharing this with sponsors this week.

• From October 1 through December 12, 2025, teachers and staff can receive important seasonal and preventive vaccinations at various District locations.
• Flyer

• Once a passing score of 80% or better has been received, you will receive a certificate via email. Please provide Ms. Valadez a copy of the google certificate for recordkeeping in the event of an audit/campus review.

• Each grade level is expected to plan one field trip per semester.
• Fall Field Trip Form Deadline - October 24th

• All field trips forms MUST be submitted to Ms. Valadez at least 20 instructional days prior to the trip. The last day for field trips is May 3rd. I spoke with Ryan from PTA, and they are sponsoring two field trips. One in the fall and one in the spring per grade level. More information regarding forms will be send next week.

• SMCs Testing Dates
• October 6: Reading | Blueprint
• October 7: Math | Blueprint
• October 8: Science | Blueprint
• SMC will be done in SchoolCity. They have launched a redesigned Student Portal, which now includes sections for Launchpad, Tests, Scores, and Reports. Please visit the Assessment webpage and show the instructional video to students so they are familiar with the updates.
• The SMC testing procedures will be shared next week.

• Quality PLCs using PLC Agendas Template
• Student Goal Setting Template Established by September 30
• Annotated standard posted in all classrooms (This is a compliance item if all you do is write it on the board...if you use it at the beginning of your lesson, refer to it throughout, and reference it at the end...this becomes a powerful teacher tool!)

"Goal setting is not an event. It’s a system. When designed with students at the center, it develops agency, focus, and ownership of learning."

• Explore types of Student Goal Setting Sheets

Look Fors:

• Language is simple, student-friendly, and age-appropriate.

• Data points are clearly labeled (no unexplained acronyms or codes).

• Space for the student to write their own goal (not pre-filled by the teacher).

• Includes a student reflection section (ex., “What helped me grow?” or “What will I try next?”).

• Visuals (graphs, trackers, color coding) that show growth clearly.

• Space to record progress at multiple points.

• Makes progress visible over time so students see the impact of effort.

• Positive framing (focus on growth, not deficits).

• Room for adult feedback or affirmation.

By September 30:

• All student goals need to be completed.

• Evidence of student goal setting should be seen in classrooms.

• Students should be able to speak to their goals.

• Share a sample Student Goal Sheet with your executive director.

• Preview the Text (Talk)
• Annotate (Read)
• Check Comprehension (Talk)
• Evaluate with Evidence (Write)
• Using RACE Method

Thank you for your commitment to excellence last week. Our focus this week will be to increase student voice in each classroom by:

• Providing at least 3 opportunities for checks for understanding, especifically "turn and talk" in every lesson, and ensure that each student is participating in the conversation.

• Asking open-ended questions at key points to check for understanding.

• Circulating the classroom while students are engaged in discourse and calling on a variety of students to share their thinking.

We will be conducting our learning walks next Tuesday and look forward to see your students in action. Let’s continue to provide our Lions with rich opportunities to speak, reason, and shine in their learning.

• RDW Strategy

AM Session (8:00 – 11:30) | PM Session (12:00 – 3:30)

Tuesday, September 23, 2025:

• AM: 2nd Grade | PM: 1st Grade

Wednesday, September 24, 2025:

• AM: 3rd Grade | PM: Kindergarten

Thursday, September 25, 2025:

• AM: 4th Grade | PM: 5th Grade

Friday, September 26, 2025:

• AM: Pre-K 4 | PM: Pre-K 3

Materials to Bring:

• Previous Unit (for reflection)

• Access to Toddle

• Charged Technology

• Access to upcoming curriculum

• CAN DO IT attitude!

Other resources:

• BOY MTSS Slide Deck
• Be prepared for your first SST meeting by watching this video!

Questions about MTSS? Email Ms. Timms at totimms@dallasisd.org

RECESS:

Recess is an important time for students to recharge and play safely.

Please remember:

• Teachers should be actively monitoring students at all times — not on phones.

• Move around the area to ensure strong visibility and supervision.

• Ensure students have plenty of water, especially on hot days, so everyone stays safe and healthy.

HALLWAYS:

• Only one student should be out of your classroom at a time.

• All students must have a hall pass when in the hallway.

• To maximize instructional time, limit individual bathroom breaks and adhere to the classwide break times outlined in the master schedule.

Let’s work together to keep our hallways safe, orderly, and focused on learning.

BREAKFAST FORMS

✨ Friendly reminder, teachers: please complete the breakfast form each morning by marking all present students and making sure they pick up their breakfast.

• Woodrow Grant Foundation (up to $60,000): Please submit ideas to Mr. Carter by October 25.
• LECPTA Grant: If you have proposals, please get with Mr. Carter by October 25 (this funded the 5th Grade camping trip last year).
• Maker Space: Nearly $20,000 remains for our new maker space (to be complete by December). If you’d like to join the design team, let Mr. Carter know.
• PTA Wishlist - Don’t forget—you can request up to $500 through the PTA using this form. Before submitting, please check with Mr. Carter to confirm the item isn’t already on campus.

This year, our campus has planned engaging activities for students and families alike, including:

• Quinceañera Tradition Day (October 3rd): Students may dress as quinceañeras or chambelanes while our Specials teachers bring this tradition into the classroom.

• Piñata Contest (submissions due October 13th): A creative and colorful way for students to showcase their artistry and cultural pride. (stay tuned for more information)

• Hispanic Heritage Night at Lipscomb (October 15th): Classroom displays, parent volunteers, and community celebrations will highlight notable Hispanic figures and traditions

As part of our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, we’re putting together a Quinceañera Display! A chambelán is a young man who participates in the quinceañera tradition. To make the display extra special, we’d love for you to share a photo of yourself around age 15, dressed elegantly—think a nice shirt with a bow or tie (PROM photos work perfectly too!).

And if you don’t have a photo… well, you could always ask AI to create one 😉 (just kidding… but also kind of serious!).

Please send your photo to Elda Elias, who will be creating the posters.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our culture in such a fun and meaningful way with our students!

Miss Gamez

The Woodrow Wilson High School Community Foundation, is significantly increasing their grant funding this year to $60,000! Grants open for feeder pattern teachers on September 22nd. This is a great opportunity to fund student clubs or ideas your have for the campus or your classroom!