Due to inclement weather, all Dallas ISD schools, after-school activities, athletic events and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.

All exempt and hourly central and campus-based team members do not have to report to work and will be paid for the day while the district is closed.

Greetings PWM and EDW staff,

What a wonderful start to a new year it has been! The level of focus in your classrooms has been a joy to watch. With data from ACPs for middle school and data from curriculum assessments, we now have something to help us follow the students and guides in the right direction. 

This time of the year is very fast paced and can get stressful but I want to encourage you to take time for yourself and your students and just breathe. Take some time daily to take care of yourselves by taking at least 30 minutes to so something that helps you relax. You can't be your best self unless you are ok.  

Let's be very intentional on how we tackle this semester as we prepare our students for not just STAAR, but to be a better version of themselves! We got this!

One Pack, One Goal!🐺

Mrs. Kimtesha L. Madlock

Assistant Principal

Prestonwood Montessori 

In this issue, look for . . .

• #BeTheLight: The Week in Review
• #1Pack1Goal: The Week Ahead
• E.D. Walker Middle School
• Prestonwood Montessori
• Athletics
• Calendar and Events

Montessori Summit

Kudos to Ms. Lundy, Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Rincón for leading sessions at this year's Montessori Summit. Ms. Lundy presented her techniques in lesson planning and data tracking while Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Rincón introduced the Tree of Life. We are proud of your leadership both on our campus and at the district level!

Thank you to all of our guides who attended the Summit and fostered connections and relationships with educators from around the district. If you haven't already, please provide feedback by completing the Montessori Summit survey.

Shoutout to Ms. Tiffany Hampton, 6th Grade Science ILT! She presents content logically and coherently, and keeps students engaged by varying engagement strategies to encourage them to take intellectual risks.

A teacher's impact can last long beyond their time with a student! Several former students visited to update their favorite Walker teacher, Mr. Fred Flores, on their life at W.T. White HS!

The seeds you plant in students continue to grow and flourish after they leave your classroom!

MILT Calibration Walks

MILT Calibration Walks started the first semester in an effort to ensure that observations and school-wide initiatives are aligned and part of a united vision. These walks include Mrs. Madlock, Ms. Low and team leads. In our last MILT Calibration Walk, we piloted the PWM Observation Checklist, which serves to support conversations around what is observed in the classroom:

• Thank you to Ms. Gilbert, Ms. Rincón and Ms. Opitz for joining us on our first MILT Calibration Walks of the semester.
• Major kudos to Mrs. Braun, Ms. Lundy and Mr .Moreno for welcoming us into your classrooms! It was unbelievable to see the intentionality of your classroom systems and instructional planning.

On Think College Thursday, staff represent not only their colleges and universities but also their sororities and fraternities! Ms. Desiree Dumas, Ms. Ariel Knox-Jackson, and Ms. Amanda Sanders were caught celebrating their sorority Founders' Day on Think College Thursday!

Ms. Blanca Duran was proactive by obtaining plant covers from our PTO in preparation for the cold winter days! Additionally, we appreciate that Ms. Duran embraces a variety of roles on campus; she teaches GT while lesson planning for STEM, looks out for the garden, provides lesson plans for absent colleagues and brings joy to our campus as an active member of the Sunshine Committee. Thank you, Ms. Duran!

Engineering in Action! Shoutout to Mr. Russ Rachuig, Mr. Jose Guerrero and Ms. Aida Riley for fostering an engineering spirit in their FLS classroom with a tallest or biggest tower competition!

Congratulations to TMSCA (Texas Math and Science Coaches' Association) Sponsors Heather Segura, Janet Rodriguez and their competition team, seen here with their ribbons from the Fall Competition. These students placed in Number Sense, General Math, Calculator Applications, and/or General Science!

Shout out to Mr. Jesus Delatorre! He is an ELAR rockstar! 😊 He continuously challenges his students with high level questioning. He does an amazing job adapting lessons to be engaging and differentiated to his student needs. He also goes above and beyond to collaborate on lessons, support teachers, and is always looking for new strategies to grow in his practice.

Congratulations to Region III Spelling Bee 2nd Place Winner Adrian Calderon and proud ELAR teacher Ms. Makaela Finley! He's moving on to the next district level Spelling Bee! We're proud of his hard work and dedication!

Congratulations to All City Band members Juniper Eckstein, Jacob, Manning, Jacob Reyes, Giad Marin, Aldrin Perales, and Monserath Marquez, and Band directors Lynn Pogue and Douglas Dunlap, who spent Friday evening and all day Saturday rehearsing at Molina HS for their All City Band concert on Saturday evening. They were joined by the top performing band students from across Dallas and delivered a spectacular performance. We are very proud of these students for their hard work and dedication to excellence.

Walker Kewl Snacks, the Walker business club sponsored by Ms. Kayla Miles, resumed their popular Friday dismissal time snack sales!

Congratulations to Walker VRC Robotics team, led by Shanna Crawford and Michael Keeton, that advanced to the quarterfinals of their competition and earned the Inspire Award for a team that "effectively communicates their passion for the VRC program, maintains a positive attitude throughout the event, has a clear vision for their future and participates with both a high level of integrity and good sportsmanship. They believe they can achieve what they set out to achieve through their diligence."

Upcoming Events

Library Schedule

E.D. Walker Middle School

CREW Novel Study: What Lane?

This semester all E.D.Walker students and teachers will receive a copy of What Lane? to partake in a novel study during crew. As part of this novel study, students will engage in conversations about identity, race and belonging.

It is important that we create an environment where students feel comfortable to engage in these topics by explicitly stating norms for discussion and participation.

We will kick-off the novel study in crew on Tuesday, January 16th. You can preview the first day by clicking here. The slides are also available in the Crew slide deck!

Upcoming All in Learning Tests

Click here or on the image below to access the deck with links.

Please continue to follow district calendar for kinder through second grade Eureka and Amplify assessments. PWM, if you read this, text Ms. Madlock "I read the newsletter!" for a chance to win a $10 Target gift card.

Upcoming PLC and PD

Click here or on the image below to access the deck with links.

Family- Teacher Conferences

Our girls basketball team defeated Franklin this past week with the score of 48-6. Congratulations to our 7th grade boys basketball team on staying undefeated.

With the new semester underway, we have our last slate of sports coming up to finish the school year. All start dates below may subject to change.

Track & Field: Feb. 5th

Volleyball: Feb. 12th

Baseball: Feb. 13th

Game Schedule 01/15 - 01/19

Wed 01/17/2024 - Girls "A" Basketball - Rusk vs. Walker @ Loos 7:30pm

Thurs 01/18/2024 - Boys Basketball - Rusk vs. Walker @ Walker 6:30pm & 7:30pm

Jinu Tummala - January 2

Zelda Saxton - January 7

Cristina Cendejas - January 8

Gregory Duplessis - January 15

Kendal Turner - January 15

Guiletsi Liendo - January 21

Laura Hall - January 24

Taylor Slovacek - January 28

Desiree Dumas - January 31