EXTRA NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the May edition of Extra, a monthly newsletter published by the Student Activities Department. The newsletter is created for Team Dallas ISD, especially campus activity coordinators and principals. Extra highlights the schools and people who participate in the department’s extracurricular programs.
First, the Student Activities team wants to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to six of our principals for their incredible generosity in hosting our academic competitions at their campuses throughout this year. Principals Pouncy, Rivera, Thomas, Toole, Taylor, and Jones have been invaluable in creating meaningful and successful experiences for Dallas ISD students. Student Activities deeply appreciates their warm hospitality. We want to thank each of them for their commitment to our students' growth and involvement in extracurricular activities.
In line with our efforts to support and showcase extracurricular programs, this month in Extra, we feature competition results, event photos, a campus activity coordinator profile, and staff news. We spotlight Budget Services, Accounts Payable, and Procurement Services. Also, there is information about documentation of extracurriculars, upcoming events, and much more.
We here at Student Activities hope you find something “extra” special and useful in every issue of Extra.
Six talented Dallas ISD high school students participated in the 2025 Parrish Scholarship Debate at Spruce High School, each earning $3,000 scholarships. Roland G. Parrish Charitable Foundation in its seventh year, highlights Parrish's commitment to fostering critical thinking and civic engagement, with over $100,000 in scholarships awarded to Dallas ISD debaters during that time.
This year’s debate focused on whether books should be banned in public schools. Both sides passionately defended their positions, advocating for protections against harmful content or defending students’ free access to ideas. The event showcased impressive speaking skills and thoughtful arguments, ending with Parrish sharing personal stories about his support for education and his belief that it remains the key to realizing the American dream. Thanks to the foundation’s ongoing support, students continue to be inspired to become informed and engaged citizens.
Parrish Scholarship Debaters:
- Sarah Alias, TAG
- Bernardo Esquivel, Obama
- Mason Klein, Law Magnet
- Princess Tanyi, Irma Rangel
- Emmanuel Vargas, New Tech High
- Duaa Hassan, Hillcrest High
At the recent Lone Star Challenge competition, Claudia Solorio, Arcadia Park ES teacher, shared with us the impact of the program on her students through the years. Several of her former students recently returned to Arcadia Park to let her know that participating in Lone Star Challenge was a very memorable experience for them.
Solorio said the students even remembered reading and analyzing the novel, A Wrinkle in Time. The program sparked a chain reaction of confidence, curiosity, and achievement. The Lone Star Challenge truly builds brighter futures, she added.
"This group of students are graduating seniors now," Solorio said. "The entire batch of kids went on to excel academically and continued to participate in a club and or competition, too."
When it comes to student engagement, Tracie Walker-Reed is a true powerhouse at Spruce High School. With over a decade of service working with Student Activities, she’s been the heart and soul behind countless programs at Spruce.
From academic decathlon and debate to UIL and cheer, Walker-Reed has consistently stepped up—not only coaching and coordinating but also recruiting teachers and students to keep extracurricular programs thriving. Her ability to rally support and ensure every activity is staffed and running smoothly has made her an invaluable asset to her campus.
What truly sets Walker-Reed apart is her unwavering commitment to her students. She adjusts her schedule to meet the needs of Student Activities and never hesitates to give up her weekends to cheer on Spruce students. Whether she's leading behind the scenes or cheering from the sidelines, Walker-Reed shows up—every time—with heart, energy, and a deep belief in the power of extracurricular opportunities.
Student Activities would like to remind all schools that campus activity coordinators should be finalizing all student tracking for any extracurricular activities on the Activities Site. By now, schools should have most, if not all, of their clubs listed and should have documented both student and teacher participation.
Data collected from the Activities Site will be used to generate a report assessing each school's progress in documenting extracurricular activities. This report will be shared with the district’s leadership team upon request.
Please note that student tracking data directly impacts your school's Local Accountability System (LAS) rating, which in turn affects your campus autonomies. The final snapshot for documentation is scheduled for May 9. Schools are encouraged to ensure that all activities are fully updated by this date.
The campus activity coordinator stipend for schools with 50% or more student participation will be paid in June.
Lastly, we want to extend our sincere appreciation to all the coordinators for their dedication and hard work in tracking participation at their schools. We recognize that gathering and documenting this information—especially through collaboration with your extracurricular sponsors—requires significant time, communication, and effort. Your commitment is vital to the success of this initiative, and we are truly grateful for everything you do.
If you have any questions regarding documenting or tracking your extracurricular activities, please contact Christina Martinez at christmartinez@dallasisd.org or 972-749-5796.
For additional information about activity tracking, please click here.
Out of the 19 schools that advanced to 3A, 4A and 5A UIL Regional Academic meets, SEM, TAG, and Hillcrest earned spots at the upcoming academic state championship by winning multiple categories.
At UIL regionals, SEM advanced in accounting, calculator, computer science, journalism, math, number sense, science, and spelling, ultimately winning the regional championship sweepstakes title outright. TAG is heading to the state meet in current issues and events and computer science with Hillcrest advancing in journalism.
The State UIL Academic Meet will be held at the University of Texas in Austin on May 19-21.
Secondary students from both high school and middle school just completed their year-long debate season, which culminated in two City Championship Debate tournaments sponsored by the partnership between Dallas ISD and the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance.
This year, Dallas ISD students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of debate formats, including Policy, World Schools, Community Action Debate, and Lincoln Douglas. These tournaments showcased their critical thinking, research, and public speaking skills on a range of current topics such as intellectual property, standardized testing, book banning, violent video games, the two-party system, and a living wage.
See the chart below to find out which schools achieved the top awards at the final two debate tournaments for the 2024-2025 school year.
The fashion and style of the 1940s were on display at the Lone Star Challenge Region V competition held recently at Skyline High School. In costumes ranging from Rosie the Riveter to baseball players, about 700 elementary students came prepared to test their knowledge regarding the culture, technology, and inventions of the 1940s.
Each campus was represented by teams of nine students who took tests in literature, social studies, science, and math – all themed around the 1940s. A unique aspect of the Lone Star Challenge competition is the tradition of including a fun parade of costumes and school signs aligned to the selected Lone Star Challenge theme.
After a full day of testing, the points from all events were tallied and schools were ranked according to overall scores. With 91 schools competing for the top spot, this year’s overall winning team was from Dealey Montessori Academy.
Overall Top Schools:
Dealey, PTTA, Williams TAG, Sanger, Travis, Solar Prep for Girls, Prestonwood Montessori, Bush, Kahn, DeGolyer, Solar Prep for Boys, and Lakewood
Whether it's securing hotel reservations, processing vendor payments, handling registration fees, or navigating the paperwork for out-of-state travel, their dedication ensures our students never miss an opportunity.
Thanks to their flexibility and commitment, Dallas ISD students have proudly represented our district in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Missouri, Iowa, New York, and Georgia.
Their behind-the-scenes work puts students first—making the complex process feel seamless and giving Dallas ISD students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
With 26 years of service under her belt, Adriana Chavez brings experience, heart, and a whole lot of energy to the Dallas ISD Student Activities team. She has worked at various Dallas ISD campuses, including Dealey Montessori, where she mastered the behind-the-scenes magic—managing teacher stipends, organizing logistics, and making sure students had everything they needed to be successful. That same leadership and talent now help her support the next generation of students participating in Student Activities programs.
Now officially part of the Student Activities team, Adriana is thrilled to dive deeper into the action and see how all the moving parts come together to create meaningful, student-centered experiences. Her goal is to be a go-to team player, supporting the mission of the Student Activities Department.
Adriana is the proud parent of David and Isabella. David is currently studying business at Dallas College El Centro Campus while Isabella is a senior at Hillcrest High School.
And here’s a fun flashback: Adriana was once the captain of the drill team at North Dallas High School.
