Dallas ISD Board of Trustees Dan Micciche, District 3

Spring is in the air, and District 3 is celebrating with innovation. Thank you to all the students, families and team members who show up every day ready to pursue excellence.

Robotics take flight with aerial drone competition  

The Computer Science and Technology team at Dallas ISD hosted the Aerial Drone Competition at Alex Sanger Preparatory, and more than 100 students from three school districts competed in the unique competition.

The competition allowed students to learn engineering and programming by building their own ready-to-fly drone and autonomously navigating the drone through an obstacle course. Teams also learned about drone flight principles, documentation and communication skills.

The next competition will be on March 11 at Bryan Adams High School. Teams that advance at these competitions qualify for the Aerial Drone Regional Championship in Houston in April.

Welcoming a principal 

Join us in welcoming L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School’s new principal, Maria Puentemejia. After serving in the U.S. Army for eight years, Puentemejia found her calling in education. She is now in her 18th year of education and has spent half of her career serving Dallas ISD families and students. We will be cheering her on as she works alongside the community, teachers and students at L.L. Hotchkiss to have her campus excel. 

Paving the way to success

Congratulations to the Alex Sanger Preparatory students who recently brought home the gold at the Elementary School Debate at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith. Thank you to teacher Jesse Corfield and to all the other educators who are sponsoring debate students.

It was great to visit Casa View Elementary School and meet with the students on Casa View’s championship robotics teams. I also got a chance to visit Charles A. Gill Elementary School and speak with their talented students and team members. 

Celebrating student athletes

More than 80 student athletes recently signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers in college. A job well done to Bryan Adams signees Jacob Carter, Samson Milton, Jonathan Sible, Kirby Lewis, Shimiria Phillips and Ulysses Charavria, and to Emmett J. Conrad High School signees Jaquarius Gordon, Brandon Nieto and Deitrick McElroy. 

Neighborhood Night Out

We will be showcasing the district’s neighborhood schools on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. Families will be able to register for their campus and learn about the benefits of the schools in their neighborhood. For more information, please visit Dallasisd.org/neighborhoodschools.

Nominate an extraordinary teacher

The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its annual Teacher of the Year award through March 31. A total of six awards will be presented to teachers who are making significant contributions toward innovative programs that serve and promote education for their students. Learn more at eastdallaschamber.com/teacher-of-the-year-awards.