DISD Family Newsletter | Oct 2025

It’s officially October, and we’re thrilled to welcome you to this month’s edition of the Dallas ISD Family Newsletter! As the school year continues to unfold, we want to take a moment to thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Your involvement plays a vital role in your child’s success—both in the classroom and throughout our district community.

In this edition, you’ll discover:

📰 Dallas ISD News — Stay informed with important district news and announcements.
📅 FCE News — Mark your calendar for upcoming Family and Community Engagement events and opportunities.
💡 Academic Partnering — Find practical ways to support your child’s learning at home and school.
🌟 Dallas ISD Resources — Explore workshops, family events, volunteer programs, and resources throughout Dallas ISD that keep you connected and engaged.

We encourage you to read, share, and take full advantage of the resources and opportunities inside. Together, we can make this school year one filled with growth, success, and meaningful connections for every Dallas ISD family.

Thank you for being an essential part of our Dallas ISD community—we couldn’t do it without you!

Warm regards,
The Dallas ISD Family and Community Engagement Team

On Saturday, October 4, 2025, the Dallas Education Foundation (DEF) and Walmart inaugurated a new joint community initiative to help strengthen educational and family engagement programs across Dallas Independent School District – supported by a $50,000 donation made to the Dallas Education Foundation from Walmart. The gift will help expand DEF’s mission of accelerating student success and fostering connection, wellness, and opportunity for Dallas ISD students and families.

The contribution builds on Walmart’s ongoing partnership with DEF and the Dallas Independent School District and includes the introduction of a series of school-based community events that will take place this year at local Dallas ISD elementary schools. These events – known as Walmart Soccer Sparks Saturdays – will be themed around soccer as a major touchpoint for families with young children partaking in the sport and will invite school communities to gather on Saturdays when many parents are off work to strengthen school-family connections.

Each elementary school hosting one of six Walmart Soccer Sparks Saturdays, this year, will lead activities for their individual schools. Walmart will also participate and support each event at the selected local schools. The six Dallas ISD schools that will host Walmart Soccer Sparks Saturday events are Julian T. Saldivar Elementary School, John Quincy Adams Elementary School, Jose “Joe” May Elementary School, Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy, Lida Hooe Elementary School, and H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy.

Dallas ISD families are invited to the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Fair on Saturday, October 12, from 1:00–4:00 PM at Texas Native Health.

Join us as we celebrate and learn from the vibrant Native community here in Dallas! The event will feature student presentations, cultural demonstrations, and a Native fashion show to close out the day. Scan the QR code to RSVP.!

Come experience culture, community, and connection—we hope to see you there!

Dallas ISD Parents, save the date for the fall parent conferences. Find out how your child is doing in school and collaborate with your child’s teacher to help them be successful. Communication is KEY.

Calling all families from the Carter, Kimball, Lincoln, Madison, and Skyline vertical teams! Join us for a fantastic day at FAM JAM, a special event dedicated to bringing our communities together!

Get ready for a fun-filled day of family, community, and connection! Join us next month for Fam Jam at Carter High School, where families can enjoy FREE resources, exciting activities, health screenings, student performances, and more—all in one place. It’s the perfect way to connect with your school community and kick off the school year with energy and support.

📅 Date: October 25, 2025 from 9 AM - 12 PM

📍 Location: David W. Carter High School, 1819 W. Wheatland Road, Dallas, TX 75232

👪 What to Expect:

• FREE Resources: Access to endless academic and community resources for your family.
• FREE Health Screenings: Keep your family healthy and safe.
• Academic Activities: Fun and educational activities for all ages.
• Student Performances: See students perform and show off their talents from all over the district.
• Great Prizes: Exciting giveaways and prizes throughout the day.

Don’t miss it—we can’t wait to see you there!

Until then, watch our September 2025 Fam Jam Recap Video below!

Calling all schools, parents, and students to save the date for the annual event highlighting all the programs offered at the district’s legacy schools as well as the hundreds of specialty programs and schools that could be the best fit educational choice for students.

Discover Dallas ISD will take place starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Automobile Building at Fair Park. Early Learning will host a pop up within Discover to offer services to families to support prekindergarten registration for specialty schools. For more information, visit DallasISD.org/Discover.

Dallas ISD has drafted school calendars for the 2027–2028 school year, and we’d love to hear your thoughts! Your input helps shape a calendar that best supports our students, families, and staff.

Dallas ISD’s Parent Portal, powered by PowerSchool, is a valuable tool available in both English and Spanish to help parents and guardians stay engaged in their child’s education.

With Parent Portal, you can:

• View your child’s grades, assignments, and attendance securely online

• Receive email alerts about absences or grade changes

• Communicate directly with teachers

Register today for a PowerSchool Parent Portal account and stay connected as an active partner in your child’s academic success.

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New and Returning Users:

If this is your first time signing up for a PowerSchool account, click on the link below then select “Parent Sign In” followed by “Create an Account Here”

- powerschool.com/public

Questions? Send an email to ParentPortal@dallasisd.org.

Your opinion fuels our progress and takes us to the NEXT LEVEL! Dallas ISD invites parents to complete the Family & Community Engagement Survey and share valuable feedback about your campus and district. The survey closes on Friday, October 31, 2025.

Dallas ISD’s Academic Partnering initiative is all about teamwork—bringing families, teachers, and school staff together to support every child’s academic success. Through this powerful collaboration, we’re working to educate, engage, and empower parents to be active partners in their child’s learning journey.

And it doesn’t stop there—join us live on Facebook every month for our upcoming Dallas ISD Family Forums with our Academic Partnering Coordinator, Marlene Yepez-Porras, and our Executive Director, Israel Rivera, where we’ll share valuable tips, resources, and real conversations to help families stay informed and involved all year long! Don’t miss these opportunities to connect, grow, and support your child’s success—together!

SAVE THE DATES!

Family Forum Live!

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

5:00-5:30 PM

Topic: School Nutrition - Magnet and School Choices

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Academic Session Live!

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

6:00 PM - English

6:30 PM - Spanish

New Season. New Voices. New Perspectives.

Season 2 of Elevated Engagement launches with a DOUBLE drop! Hear from our Dallas ISD seniors and FCE Summer Interns, Alex Rodriguez, '26 and Jessica Contreras, '26 AND celebrate the legacy of leadership with Thomas Garner of Dallas ISD Partnerships and Volunteer Engagement.

Start listening now!

📱 How to Listen & Subscribe:
You can find Elevated Engagement on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. Simply search Elevated Engagement – Dallas ISD, then hit “Follow” or “Subscribe” to never miss an episode!

🔗 Listen on Apple Podcasts
🔗 Listen on Spotify

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that helps homeless students, including unaccompanied minors and seniors, access education and essential services. Unaccompanied seniors can obtain a letter verifying their McKinney-Vento status, which is important for applying for financial aid through FAFSA. This letter proves their status and allows them to receive special considerations, like waiving the need for parental income information. This way, seniors can get the financial support they need for higher education, helping them achieve more stability and opportunities in the future. Current unaccompanied seniors can only receive their letter for this school year until no later than June 30th.

FAFSA Letters Requests

Please send all requests for FAFSA letters through our website at: www.dallasisd.org/Domain/109

Drop-In Centers

The Homeless Education Program has established and operates Drop-In Centers in various high and middle schools within the Dallas Independent School District. These centers play a crucial role in supporting the district's initiative to increase high school graduation rates among homeless students.

Locations opening in October:

• Alex W. Spence Talented/Gifted Academy

• Billy Earl Dade Middle School

• Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy

• Emmett J. Conrad High School

• Franklin D. Roosevelt High School of Innovation

• Hector P. Garcia Middle School

• Hillcrest High School

• Justin F. Kimball High School

• L.V. Stockard Middle School

• Moises E. Molina High School

• Sunset High School

• Thomas Jefferson High School

• W.W. Samuell High School

More location openings to come!

If any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to Sakia Johnson- Hodges. We appreciate your support!

We’re thrilled to keep you informed and connected with the latest news, helpful resources, and exciting updates from across Dallas Independent School District.

You can sign up to receive our newsletter straight to your email inbox each month!

Just click the button below to fill out a quick Google Form and join our official mailing list.

No extra emails—we promise! You’ll only receive the monthly newsletter so you never miss a beat.

Thank you for staying engaged and being part of the Dallas ISD family.

Warmly,
Brianna Hogg
Coordinator I, Marketing & Elevated Engagement Podcast