Sunset P-TECH ECHS
October/November Edition
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Ralph Spencer Jr.
Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.
- Unknown
Teachers give us comic artists, filmmakers, astronauts, architects, and entrepreneurs. Without teachers, we wouldn’t have Superman, the Eiffel Tower, or the internet. Ultimately, it is the teachers who have the greatest superpower: creating superheroes.
P-TECH Teachers, you are TRUE ROCKSTARS!!!
Happy fall! 🌰 🍂
Pop Up Clinic/FAM JAM
Dallas ISD has hosted area-specific FAM JAMs. The Southwest Network serves Pinkston, Adamson, Sunset, and Molina communities. On October 22nd the Family and Community Engagement department hosted Fam Jam for all Dallas ISD families to engage with our schools in the southwest, visit resource tables and just have fun. Industry Partner Dallas County Health and Human Services participated by having their Pop-Up Clinic where families could register and receive COVID and Flu vaccinations. Our public health students are able to volunteer, serve and educate those in their community. We had a group of students at Pinkston High School volunteering at Fam Jam and the Pop-Up Clinic. But we also had three students travel to a Health Fair at Dallas College at Mountain View. Dallas County Health and Human Services may have several Pop-Up Clinics across Dallas on the same day at the same time. Dallas County representative, Marisa Gonzales, the Outreach Program Manager, works to ensure our students have the hands-on experiences needed to truly understand the work in the field of public health.
Freshman Eva Rodriguez
Freshman Debany DeLuna
Health Fair at Dallas College at Mountain View
DEA Red Ribbon Week
National Red Ribbon Week takes place the week of Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. During Red Ribbon Week, participants wear red ribbons to show the importance of living a drug-free lifestyle. The first Red Ribbon campaign began more 30 years ago when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena was murdered while fighting the crime against illegal drugs. In his honor, his loved ones wore satin red badges. Today, the Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of people to promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
The seniors at UNT Dallas participated in the DEA Red Ribbon presentation.
Opportunities at Children's Health
Children's Health representative, Sandra Vasquez met with our freshman and sophomores to discuss the multiple opportunities at Children's Health. She was able to share her career journey and discuss how she began her career in education which led to her career at Children's Health as a TeleHealth Educator. She also discussed how TeleHealth is used in Dallas ISD elementary schools through the school nurse.
Through school-based telehealth, Children’s Health℠ care providers treat kids over video calls. We equip school nurses with the training and equipment they need to bridge the distance between your child and our expertise. That way, your child can get the care they need without missing classes (Children's Health, 2022)
TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) Sunset P-TECH Chapter
Area 11 Service Project
Our teacher education students are required to participate in TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) which supports our teacher education pathway. It is a great way for students to understand the many facets of the education field and change their perspective from that of a student to an educator. On November 12th, the students will compete in the Area 11 competition to hopefully advance to the state level. They were required to have a service project as a chapter with the following criteria:
Each chapter will adopt a local middle or elementary school classroom
The chapter can serve by mentoring, redecorating, donating supplies, or helping to create a class library
They had to create a collage of their efforts
Our officers chose Salazar Elementary and adopted Mrs. Rebeca Rocha's 5th-grade class (5b). Our chapter president, Marina Santos worked with the Workplace Learning Coordinator to get approval to adopt and visit the class. Mrs. Rocha said her class really needed pencils and scissors. The officers were able to gain those items as well as backpacks, paper, pens, pencils, scissors, and other necessary items for their class. Marina also reached out to industry partner representative for Dallas HCM, Dr. Trolynn Paul, who helped with the donation of supplies. Teamwork makes the dream work!!!
Through this visit, the officers were able to meet Assistant Principal, Ms. Clay who invited them to come back for more amazing work. So stay tuned!!!
Area 11 TAFE Competition
This year the Sunset P-TECH Chapter had 11 students participate in the Area 11 Conference. The conference took place at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in Waxahachie. If student advance to the state level they will travel to Round Rock, Texas for
The 39th Annual Teach Tomorrow Summit
March 2 - 4, 2023 | Kalahari Resort Round Rock
During the state conference, students have opportunities to:
- Compete in 40 High School events 12 Middle School events, 12 Special Edition Events, and 6 Higher Ed. events
- Earn scholarships
- Meet other students that want to be teachers
- Speak to University representatives from the top schools
- Teach, share, compete, celebrate and have fun!
The students competed in the following categories:
- Destiny Campos-Job Interview
- Honestie Sadler-Public Speaking
- Marina Santos-Interactive Bulletin Board (Middle School)
- Alejandra Valadez-Children's Literature K-3-Spanish
- Shania Wilson-Lesson Planning & Delivery-STEM
- Celeste Urbina-Children's Literature K-3
- Makayla Valdez-Public Speaking
- Christian Santiago, Ricardo Sanchez, & Silverio Castillo-Ethical Dilemma
- Josheph Guerra-Exploring non-core subject teachings
The students did a fabulous job!!! We are keeping our fingers crossed as we wait for the results.
Competition Results
WE ARE GOING TO STATE!!!
Our students participated in the Area 11 competition and we are pleased to announce we will have 3 categories move on to the state level. The following categories and students will advance as a state qualifier:
Ethical Dilemma (Varsity)-Christian Santiago, Ricardo Sanchez and Silverio Castillo
Exploring Non-Core Subject Teaching Areas (Varsity)-Josheph Guerra
Lesson Planning and Delivery-STEM (Varsity)-Shania Wilson
Exploring Non-Core Subject Teaching Areas
Josheph Guerra
Lesson Planning and Delivery-STEM
Shania Wilson
Ethical Dilemma
Christian Santiago, Ricardo Sanchez and Silverio Castillo
Understanding Why We Take TSI
Every student in the state of Texas must take TSI before taking college classes.
What Is the TSI Assessment?
The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative program designed to help your college or university determine if you are ready for college-level course work in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. If you are an incoming college student in Texas, you are required to take the TSI Assessment - unless you are already exempt (read below) - to determine your readiness for college-level work. Based on how you perform, you may either be enrolled in a college-level course and/or be placed in the appropriate developmental course or intervention to improve your skills and prepare you for success in college-level courses.
Which students must take the TSI Assessment?
Not all incoming students need to take the TSI Assessment. There are many ways you can be exempt. Qualifying for a TSI Assessment exemption means that you can enroll in any entry- level college course without restrictions. In other words, there are no prerequisites for enrollment in the entry-level college courses. In certain cases exemptions are subject-specific, which means you may qualify for an exemption in one area such as reading but not in another area like mathematics or writing. You may be exempt if you meet one or more of the following:
Texas Success Initiative Exemptions
- Scored a 23 or higher on the ACT composite and a minimum of 19 on both the English and math tests;
- SAT administered prior to March 2016: Earned a combined (verbal critical reading + math) SAT score of 1070, with a minimum score of 500 on both sections;
- SAT administered March 2016 and later: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) minimum score of 480, Mathematics minimum score of 530 (no combined score needed);
- TAKS scale score of at least 2200 on the math section and/or 2200 on the English Language Arts section with a writing subsection score of at least 3;
- Veterans, active duty personnel, and a student who is serving as and, for at least 3 years preceding enrollment, has served as a member of a reserve component of the U.S. armed services;
- Transfer from another institution having satisfactorily completed college-level coursework; or
- Enroll in a certificate program of one year or less (Level One certificates) at a public institution.
If you think you may be exempt, please contact an advisor at your college. For a complete list of TSI exemptions, visit www.thecb.state.tx.us/TSI.
What are the college ready scores for the TSI Assessment?
THECB recently approved an amendment to TSI rules to remove all language related to "phase-in" scores of the TSI Assessment (TSIA) college readiness benchmarks:
Reading - 351
Mathematics - 350
Writing -
(A) a placement score of at least 340, and an essay score of at least 4; OR
(B) a placement score of less than 340 and an ABE Diagnostic level of at least 4 and an essay score of at least 5.
More information regarding the Texas Success Initiative and the TSI Assessment can be found at www.thecb.state.tx.us/TSI.
Reference
College for all Texans. College For All Texans: Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?objectid=63176344-FFFA-217B-60C9A0E86629B3CA
Community Service Hours
Community service is a non-paying job performed by one person or a group of people for the benefit of the community or its institutions. Community service is distinct from volunteering since it is not always performed on a voluntary basis.
Community Service Criteria:
Volunteering is not necessarily the same as community service. Simply working without payment does not necessarily qualify as community service.
Students may not serve in connection with a family member’s employment, business, or source of income. Parents or family members may not sign the verification form for their child.
All services shall be performed without the expectation of a reward.
Attending meetings or being on committees will not qualify as service credit.
Credit can be granted for fundraising activities that benefit the community.
All P-TECH students are required to get 40 hours of community service per school year.
Logging Your Hours:
There are two expectations of logging your hours: You must fill out a PAPER form (found in the P-TECH office) and an ONLINE form. This way, you will be able to log your own hours online and check to see what events you have logged!
Step 1: Complete your paper form and remember to have the event supervising adult sign it. Also, be sure to include the phone number of the adult event supervisor. Hours that cannot be verified will not be counted toward your Community Service hourly total.
Step 2: Take a selfie/picture at the event with the supervising adult or you in action as further documentation.
Step 3: Log your community service hours to our Community Service Google Form
Step 4: Keep your log in a safe place or scan it and keep it in an electronic file
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Leslie Altamirano-Dallas Explorers with Dallas Police Department
Eva Rodriguez-Pop-Up Clinic with Dallas County Health and Human Services
Jacqueline Valerio-FAM JAM Volunteer
Diversity Posters in English II
Here’s a picture of the kids’ work on their diversity posters. Sophomores are working on learning about different body types and body image standards in their societies. They drew these projects and are about to turn in their first official research paper on the influence of social media and influencers on teenagers’ self-reflection on the mirror.
Technology Distribution at UNT Dallas
Our students often have great opportunities and our partnership with UNT Dallas has brought our students many resources. Rap superstar and entrepreneur, Tip “T.I.” Harris and Moolah Wireless to provide free tablets with 12 months of data service to 400 lucky students attending UNT Dallas. Through our partnership with UNT Dallas our seniors currently taking classes on their southern Dallas campus were given the opportunity to receive a free tablet along with 12 months free data. So on an early Sunday morning, the Lincoln B-TECH, Sunset P-TECH, Nakia Douglas and UNT Dallas staff along with the CEO of Moolah Wireless, Vernell Woods distributed tablets to students in a drive thru "Technology Distribution". Thank you UNT Dallas for your continued support.
CEO Vernell Woods and Sunset P-TECH Senior, Natalie Acala
Sunset P-TECH Senior, Audrey Rubalcava
The Distribution Team
“It’s like going
back to school. You know, autumn! Time for ‘Harry Potter’.”
— Robbie Coltrane
“Life starts
All over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
“She loved the fall,
All the sun-faded colors of summer repainted by vivid reds and golds.”