Eduardo Torres’ immediate goals in his first few weeks as the new principal at Woodrow Wilson include creating a safe, secure environment for students, re-emphasizing instruction and reducing the school’s dropout rate.
Says Torres, 39: “The message I want to get across to the students is this: I care about every student here. This school is a safe place, and it’s my job to make your life better. Education can work if you give it a chance.”
Officially, Torres’ tenure at the neighborhood high school began July 12, when he replaced Robert Geisler. But he had already started evaluating and planning weeks before, when he learned he would leave his principal post at Spence Academy to take over at Woodrow.
“I’ve talked to the faculty and just about every student who has come into the building this summer to get their input about Woodrow in general,” Torres says.
“It’s obvious that many of the students care about the school and its traditions, and we have an excellent faculty.
“I want to take what is here and enhance it so that all the students who attend Woodrow will work a little harder and have that same kind of pride.”
Torres, who holds a doctorate from East Texas State, says by creating a secure school environment, students will be able to focus on education.
“I expect the students to be orderly, but I also want them to feel safe, and I want them to be happy that they’re at Woodrow,” he says.
So far, Torres is impressed with the school’s academic achievements.
“Woodrow has consistently produced National Merit finalists, so we’re obviously doing something right, and I’m not going to change anything that is successful,” he says.
“However, if there’s a subject area where students are struggling, I’m going to find out why.”
Torres also wants to decrease Woodrow’s drop-out rate. Last year, the school had more than 450 ninth graders but only 187 graduating seniors.
“Something is very wrong with this,” he says. “I want to find out why these students are not completing high school and do something about it, and I’m counting on help from the faculty, parents and the community,” he says.
State Awards Mount Auburn $102,965 for Excellence
Several East Dallas schools, headed by Mount Auburn Elementary, are among 55 DISD elementary, middle and high schools recently recognized by the Texas Education Agency for gains in student performances. Each school will receive certificates of excellence or cash awards.
Mount Auburn was awarded $102,965 as one of five schools to receive cash grants of more than $30,000. The others were Bayles ($48,102), James Bonham ($63,460), Dan D. Rogers ($65,005) and Alex Sanger ($52,642) elementary schools.
The Mount Auburn award is the highest cash award in the program. The 1993 Texas Successful Schools Award System selects winners based on results from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills tests, student attendance, drop-out rate, and college entrance exam scores among high school students.
Schools receiving a certificate for meeting the criteria for the state’s Recognition of Outstanding Effort include Dan D. Rogers and Stonewall Jackson elementary schools.
Meadows Foundation Honors Lakehill, Bishop Lynch
Lakehill Preparatory School and Bishop Lynch High School were among 99 high schools honored recently at the Meadows Foundation Awards for Charitable School Projects.
In all, 99 secondary schools from Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis and Tarrant counties were recognized for volunteer efforts serving North Texas communities.
The schools received $87,250 in awards from the foundation. The top eight received $5,000, and the remaining 91 schools received $500. A special recognition award of $250 went to eight of the 99 schools.
Lakehill and Bishop Lynch will receive $500 to use for charitable purposes in their communities. The awards honor outstanding and effective volunteer programs developed by the high school students.
This past year, Lakehill build a food pantry at the school to serve senior citizens in East Dallas. Each month, students deliver food baskets to approximately 25 senior citizens.
Bishop Lynch students hold leadership workshops for students attending East Dallas private elementary Catholic schools. The purpose of the workshops is to teach the students leadership skills.
“Our goal with this program is that every student in a participating school has the opportunity to do some form of community service and do it meaningfully,” says Eloise Meadows Rouse, vice president and special projects coordinator for the Meadows Foundation.
School projects that qualified for the awards had to be planned, executed and submitted by students under the sponsorship of a school organization and an individual teacher/sponsor.
This year, many schools participated in projects that focused on drug awareness, recycling, providing leadership to elementary students, and social service programs.
Approximately 737 area non-profit agencies, organizations, hospitals and nursing homes benefited from this year’s volunteer activities. In addition, thousands of senior citizens, handicapped persons, sick children, needy families and individuals have been directly served by the students.
DISD Students will Begin School Year on Aug. 11
On Wednesday, Aug. 11, DISD students head back to school.
New students should be registered at their appropriate school prior to Aug. 6. Information needed for registration includes student’s birth certificate, Social Security card, immunization records and proof of residence, such as a utility bill.
For information, contact the DISD administration office at 824-1620.
Calendar
Stonewall Jackson Preschool PTA Membership Coffee: Saturday, Aug. 28, 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Sally Gardner at 821-0238 or Jan Neal at 824-5788 for location and details.
Lakewood Preschool PTA Membership Coffee: Thursday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m, 6633 Country Club, and Friday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m., 7140 Brookcove. For information call Kathy Daume at 823-6505 or Sherri Munn at 827-1518.
