Bishop Lynch Receives Presidential Award
Bishop Lynch High School was one of five area schools – and 220 nationwide – to receive a recent National School of Excellence Award, says principal Edward Leyden.
High parental involvement, a broad-based student population and high-quality educational programs contributed to the award, Leyden says. Noteworthy programs include the Student Foundation, which consists of a board of governors and allocates money to area charities, and the Community Service Program, a mandatory part of the curriculum. Last year, Bishop Lynch students contributed 40,000 hours of community service. With an enrollment of 620, that’s about 65 hours per student.
Stonewall Offers After-School Care
Stonewall Jackson Elementary is one of two DISD schools offering after-school child care for students, says principal Olivia Henderson. The program is funded by the school’s PTA.
Student activities during the program include study hall, arts and crafts, physical education, and sign-language choir. Snacks also are available during the program, which operates from 3 to 6 p.m. on school days.
Cost is $60 monthly, Henderson says.
Copy Machine Saved at Stonewall
Budget cutbacks nearly claimed Stonewall Jackson Elementary’s only copy machine recently, says principal Olivia Henderson, resulting in a situation where teachers and administrators would have had to reach into their pockets to pay for copies.
But after some negotiations with DISD, funding for the copier was restored.
Stonewall funds its copier and supplies through funding made available based upon students’ test scores, Henderson says. This year, Stonewall will receive less money for such supplies because students scored in the 90th percentile on the TAAS tests; schools with scores in the 40th percentile or lower receive additional funding to boost programs.
It’s a case where success in standardized tests nearly caused a serious hardship for the students, teachers and administrators responsible for the test improvement.
Be Informed. Be Involved.
DISD School Board meetings are scheduled the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month. The board meets at 7:30 p.m. in the DISD Administration Building, 3700 Ross Avenue.
Our East Dallas school board representative is Betty Vondracek.
