Image courtesy of Katryna Ross
Mockingbird Elementary has a new logo that stitches the legacy of the East Dallas School to its future.
Katryna Ross, a current parent at the soon to be named Mockingbird Elementary, designed the winning logo. The blue image includes a mockingbird, a star (the mascot) and an “I love you” sign language symbol that also resembles a skyline. Ross hoped to reflect the new name and the old mascot (which the school will keep) as well as connect the logo to the deaf education students who attend the school and give a nod to urban Dallas.
Last Thursday, 13 designers submitted 40-45 logos to a crowded Stonewall Jackson auditorium, quickly explaining each of their images and the connection to the school. Ross says that some of the designers weren’t even parents and included locals and others with family connections to the school. After two rounds of voting by adults and students, Ross’ design came out on top.
Ross is a creative director who works in consumer package goods like candy, sports drinks and bread. She currently has a second-grader at the school. She has helped design other logos for Stonewall, J.L. Long and Woodrow, where she has two other children.
For a school name transition that hasn’t always been smooth, Ross says the voting process went well, and she gives credit to Stonewall PTA President Nicole Tisdale for such a professional voting process. After the presentations, guests got three votes to place on different logos. Then there was a second round of voting for the final three. “Nicole Tisdale ran it so well and was so professional about it,” Ross says. “From, my point of view, I didn’t see any strife.”
“It makes me so happy, and it’s an honor that it was chosen, especially seeing how many great options there were,” Ross says. A working mother, Ross contributes to the local schools in any way she can. “I can’t always be there in person, so it is great to be able to volunteer my time that way.”
The school name and logo will debut July 1. Lee Elementary, also in East Dallas, is going through a similar process to become Geneva Heights World School.
