Sunset P-TECH ECHS Update
September 2022
Sunset P-TECH has always worked under the motto "Trust the Process". As we welcome a new cohort of students and prepare our current seniors for their last year of high school, we are asking for parents, teachers, students and supporters to "Trust the Process". No one has walked in the shoes of our students; completing high school, going to college, gaining work skills, volunteering in the community and for some extracurricular or outside jobs. The load can get heavy but we are asking the students to trust that we are leading them in the right direction, parents trust that we have your child's best interest at heart and teachers trust this is the hardest work you will ever LOVE.
Remember:
A new year means new beginnings, new adventures and new challenges. Trust it will all work for the greater good. Welcome 2022-2023 school year!!!
New Year New Faces and New Possibilities
In June 2022, we welcomed 2026 cohort. We have 125 new students we added to the family who have chosen to from one of our three pathways: Teacher Education, Public Health or Criminal Justice. We opened Sunset P-TECH in 2017 and our first cohort of seniors graduated in 2021. We are so excited to welcome these students into the family. This is our first year offering the Criminal Justice pathway. Sunset had a Criminal Justice Collegiate Academy and Sunset P-TECH. This year it was decided they would join our program. Through this process we acquired approximately 80 existing Criminal Justice students.
Mr. Samual Perkins, P-TECH Counselor
My name is Samuel Perkins and I am the 9th and 10th grade P-Tech School Counselor. In 2014, I earned a Master of Arts degree in School Counseling from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. I am a Licensed School Counselor and Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) with eight years of work experience as a mental health professional
Helping students reach their maximum potential is my number one goal. I strive to enhance the overall wellbeing, success and development of all of the students. I will provide services and activities to enrich and improve the academic, career and personal/social development through a comprehensive school counseling program.
Ms. Zavi Sheldon,English I
Ms. Alma Casasnovas Cardona, English II
My name is Alma Casasnovas and I am the English II Honors teacher at P-TECH. My goal is to ensure every student can read and write to the best of their abilities and then keep getting better.
Education: I obtained a Bachelor’s at University of Central Florida in Secondary Education majoring in English Language Arts. I am looking to pursue a Master’s degree in literature sometime this year.
Fun Facts: Before moving to Texas, I was living in Florida, and prior to that in Puerto Rico where I was born and raised. I love it here so far and am blessed to be part of the Sunset team. I love to cook and try new coffee shops all over town!
Leadership Forward
Sunset P-TECH has formed a partnership with Leadership Forward. Leadership Forward Mentoring Program is a one-on-one mentoring program focused on encouraging and supporting high school students to excel academically, professionally and, ultimately, in our communities. Through this program our 10th students are able to gain knowledge about various career pathways. This program recognizes the importance of connecting with community and hosts a number of community events. The community events is a way of bringing together mentors, students, and their families. Through these events families are able to learn about opportunities available to their students.
YES (Youth Empowerment Success) Mentoring Program
Our freshman are able to participate in the YES mentoring program. In August Ms. Bostic came to speak and welcome our incoming freshman. SAY YES is a program that believes strongly in connecting students to positive messages and healthy relationships that will help them navigate cultural pressures. Through their programming, they equip students of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances with the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need in order to achieve more healthy and successful futures. This is their second year working with Sunset P-TECH.
Dallas Police Department Engagements
Dallas Police Department is our newest industry partner due to the merging of Sunset P-TECH and the Criminal Justice Collegiate Academy. This year we welcomed 80 criminal justice students who are now apart of the Sunset P-TECH family. On September 29th, DPD detective Newsom talked with the students about the dangers of internet crimes. Many students were not aware that many things that are common in their social media and technology are often crimes. They made them aware that many of those crimes are through social media. We have some exciting plans for the students this year in this partnership.
Financial Literacy Workshop
The UNT Dallas seniors were able to participate in a Financial Literacy Workshop hosted by UNT Dallas Career Services. GM Financial opened their world of financial responsibility to our seniors. Our seniors are on the road to having great careers in their future. Our program is designed for students to earn their high school diploma and an Associates degree at the end of their four year journey. We also prepare our students for the workforce through professional mentoring, resume building, industry certifications and internships. Our students have the unique opportunity to start earning as early as their sophomore year of high school. With these type of opportunities, students must also learn about financial literacy to empower them to better understand their personal finances. This type of support ensures students are making sound financial decisions from college into adulthood.
Texas Association of Future Educators-Sunset P-TECH Chapter
Our TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) Chapter is already on the move. We have a new set of Officers for our TAFE Chapter. Please welcome our leaders.
👩🏻💼President: Marina Santos
🧑🏻💼VP: Josheph Guerra
📝Secretary: Destiny Campos
📓Historian: Celeste Urbina
Treasurer: Makayla Valdez
Officer Assistant: Honestie Sadler
Our officers are working on recruitment and signing teacher education students up for the Regional competition on November 12th. The Area 11 competition will take place on November 12 at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in Waxahachie, Texas.
The officers have already started presenting to the Teacher Education students about T.R.A.F.L.E.S. and the upcoming competition.
TRAFLES is the framework TAFE uses to ensure every Chapter has a well-rounded, successful program for future educators. Each of the areas of the TRAFLES is linked to a page for ideas you can do. Click on the link to discover ideas of projects for your chapter.
