The Blazer Beat

North Lake Family,

A warm welcome to our new families and welcome back to our returning Blazers! It was a great start to the school year as we welcomed the largest group of 316 students to North Lake Early College High School! The excitement was felt by all students and staff as we returned back to our beautiful home on the lake and we are ready to have another record breaking year!

We received word this week that based on the newly released TEA Accountability Rankings, that we retained our “A” letter grade and also achieved our highest grade ever, 98 out of 100! This could have not been possible without the work of our students, teachers, staff, and community! When I found out the news, I was overwhelmed with joy because of the work we have done together over the past 8 years to reach these heights of success! We will celebrate this moment and continue to push ourselves to offer our students the best possible education! Thank you for entrusting us with your children and for the helping us achieve an “A” rating.

Please take this time this weekend to catch up or get ahead of your school work before our Dallas College classes begin with DCCCD staff. Students in dual credit courses with our teachers have already started their college work and I’m very happy with the work I have seen! Make it a great weekend and thank you for your support of North Lake Early College High School!

Sincerely,

Adrian Hernandez

Principal

North Lake Early College High School

Twitter @AdHernandez2648

Familias de North Lake,

¡Una cálida bienvenida a nuestras nuevas familias y bienvenidos de nuevo a nuestros estudiantes "Blazers"! ¡Tuvimos un excelente comienzo de año escolar al recibir al grupo más grande hasta la fecha, con 316 estudiantes, en North Lake Early College High School! Se percibía el entusiasmo entre los estudiantes y el personal al regresar a nuestro hermoso plantel junto al lago, ¡y estamos listos para vivir otro año que marcará un récord!

Esta semana recibimos la noticia de que, según las clasificaciones de rendición de cuentas recién publicadas por la TEA, hemos mantenido nuestra calificación de "A" y, además, hemos logrado nuestra puntuación más alta de la historia: ¡98 de 100! ¡Esto no habría sido posible sin el esfuerzo de nuestros estudiantes, maestros, personal y comunidad! Cuando me enteré de la noticia, me invadió una gran alegría al pensar en el trabajo que hemos realizado juntos durante los últimos 8 años para alcanzar este nivel de éxito. ¡Celebraremos este momento y seguiremos esforzándonos para ofrecer a nuestros estudiantes la mejor educación posible! Gracias por confiarnos a sus hijos y por ayudarnos a obtener esta calificación de "A".

Por favor, aprovechen este fin de semana para ponerse al día o adelantar sus tareas escolares antes de que comiencen las clases de Dallas College impartidas por el personal del DCCCD. Los estudiantes inscritos en cursos de doble crédito con nuestros maestros ya han comenzado sus actividades universitarias, ¡y estoy muy satisfecho con el trabajo que he visto! ¡Que tengan un excelente fin de semana y gracias por su apoyo a North Lake Early College High School!

Atentamente,

Adrián Hernández

Director

North Lake Early College High School

Twitter @AdHernández2648

Week of August 17

Value of the Week - Boldness

What will you do to show this value during the week?

Monday, August 17, 2026 - A Day

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 - B Day

Junior Huddle during Advisory

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 - A Day - Uniform Day

Please wear your uniform or club shirt

Thursday, August 20, 2026 - B Day

College and Career Readiness Day - Wear your gear!

Seniors! Jostens will be here at 9 am! Don’t Miss Out!

Friday, August 21, 2026 C Day

North Lake ECHS Spirit Day!

Block Lunch Tutoring - Visit your teachers for the first 30 minutes of block for tutoring or club work

North Lake ECHS Social Media

Instagram:

@northlakeechs

X/Twitter: @NorthLake_ECHS

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/NLECHSDISD

Celebrated our 8th school year and welcoming back our students to our beautiful home on the North Lake College Campus! Here are some of the sights from the week!

Check out the supports you can type into Google Gemini from your Dallas ISD Device! It will help you study for the test

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

*IMPORTANT*

HEAT MITIGATING TACTICS

Due to the high temperature, drivers will do their best to limit the opening and closing of doors on the bus to keep them cool. We ask that students do not open windows on the bus while riding to and from school.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE REVIEW ROUTES, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES!

Please review the routes below, a live link is also available. If you encounter any issues on the first day, please contact transportation first. 972-925-4287. Remember the first days of school, 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.

Beginning on the first day of school (August 11, 2026), 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. This also included no sleep ware such as pajamas or pajama pants. Failure to follow this will result in a student code of conduct referral.

All students will be required to have clear or mesh backpacks for the 26/27 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

Remember Blazers, no strapless tops! Please bring a sweater if you wear this item.

Please review the bell schedule for the 2026-2027 school year. If changes occur due to testing or special events, parents and students will be notified ASAP.

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

Visit our Counseling website for additional resources and Information!

• Parent Counseling Needs Assessment - Please complete today!

COUNSELOR’S CORNER: LEVEL UP YOUR WEEK!

We made it through Week 1! As we head into our second week of school, now is the time to begin building strong routines, asking questions, and addressing concerns early. Remember: don’t wait until a small challenge becomes a boss battle!

⭐ Student Power-Ups

• Check PowerSchool regularly. Know your grades, assignments, and attendance.

• Ask for help early. Talk with your teachers or counselor before you begin feeling overwhelmed.

• Show up and stay engaged. Attendance and participation matter.

• Set one goal for the week. Small, consistent steps can make a big difference.

• College classes begin Monday, August 24! Students should make sure they know how to access their Dallas College courses, review course expectations, and be ready to start strong.

🍄 Parent Power-Up: Stay Connected Through Parent Portal

Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to sign up for the Dallas ISD PowerSchool Parent Portal. Parent Portal provides real-time access to important information, including grades, assignments, schedules, and attendance, making it one of the best ways to monitor your student’s academic progress throughout the semester.

Don’t wait until progress reports or report cards to discover that your student is struggling. Checking Parent Portal regularly gives families an opportunity to have conversations, celebrate progress, and address concerns early.

🔗 Dallas ISD PowerSchool Parent Portal:
https://www.dallasisd.org/departments/family-and-community-engagement/parent-resources/powerschool-parent-portal

Ms. Price
9th-Grade Counselor
diprice@dallasisd.org

Dr. Hart
10th–12th Grade Counselor
kyparker@dallasisd.org

College Corner

To kick off this college application season we will Blaze our way through the first steps in the college application process and kick off a few important upcoming events.

First Steps:

1. Make sure seniors have activated their accounts on SCOIR (only 39/76 members of the senior class so far). Everyone should have access to do so from their DISD email who hasn't already. This is one of the main portals where they will work with the college advisor, Ms. Kinnard.

2. Create and link Common App accounts to SCOIR.

3. Start making FSA IDs (accounts) for parents and students to login to the FAFSA when it opens October 1st. Timing is crucial and the sooner we get this in, the better each students' odds of financial aid. (The FAFSA is also a graduation requirement, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Kinnard with any questions you may have: skinnard@aspdallas.org)

4. Visit Ms. Kinnard's office hours and start discussing financing and college list building (open to students and parents as needed): here

5. Check out the Overview of Senior Year on the North Lake ECHS website: this has many resources, including testing dates.

Ms. Kinnard will be coming by Senior advisory periods next week to help with making accounts.

ASP Events (In person) | Updates:

· August 30th, 3:00-4:30pm, 6 Colleges Info Session at Hillcrest- Six prestigious colleges will be coming to Hillcrest High to discuss the admissions process with students grades 9 through 12 from across Dallas ISD. This event is a great opportunity to gain insight into how admissions officers think and what can make applicants competitive in the college application process. No matter where you or your student(s) are thinking of applying, attending this information panel is a great first step towards building solid foundations on the college journey.

Registration link: https://www.sixcolleges.org/rsvp/rsvp-2026-aug30-dallas.html

ASP Events (Virtual) | Updates:

• Mon, August 24th, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, ASPxDavidson Virtual Info Session for Families- This is a virtual info session to go over some of the particulars of the fully funded scholarship Davidson College (a prestigious liberal arts college usually costing around $60,300) offers 10 ASP students every year. Highly recommended for families of students with strong academics who want to get more insight into the process.

Registration link: https://admission.davidson.edu/register/?id=bac1bac8-787e-46e9-9512-8d9cdd197541

Opportunities:

A few opportunities for review, please follow up with Ms. Kinnard if you are interested, think you or your student may qualify, or have any questions:

• Girls Who Invest (GWI) Scholars Program: Priority Deadline Sept. 15th, Final Deadline Oct. 15th
• Description: tuition-free education, opportunities to connect with leading investment firms, paid internship opportunities, and the resources that come with a community
• Who Qualifies: incoming first-years planning to attend a 4-year accredited institution

• Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) by the National Black MBA Association DFW Chapter: Deadline Aug. 23rd
• Description: This is a nine-month leadership development program focused on career preparation, college readiness, financial leadership, and leadership. This is a program that would take place outside of their normal school curriculum and would look excellent on their resumes, it would also provide students with the ability to network with peers who are driven in similar ways.
• Who Qualifies: Black high schoolers 9-12 in the DFW area
• Many colleges are currently running fly-in programs that may have financial assistance, participating in these programs can enhance the admittance likelihood of prospective applicants and can be a fun way to engage with college culture before arrival. Please discuss specifics with Ms. Kinnard if you or your senior are interested.

Remind Codes

Class of 2027 (Seniors)

text @nlclass-27 to the number 81010

Class of 2028 (Juniors)

text @nlech28 to the number 81010

Class of 2029 (Sophomores)

text @nlechs2029 to the number 81010

Class of 2030 (Freshmen)

text @nlechs2030 to the number 81010