An article was published this morning in the Dallas Morning News titled "In school, putting plans for life on paper." It was written by Mercedes Olivera, Dallas Morning News and published on page 4 of the Metro section for Saturday, 5-15-10:
"It was a ritual unlike any other at most public schools.
This week, eighth-graders each lined up at Quintanilla Middle School in northern Oak Cliff and placed a white envelope inside a 500-pound vault bolted to the floor in the lobby.
Inside the envelope was a letter, written over the course of one hour to three days, containing the students' past, present and – they hope – future.
Alejandra Calderón said she cried when she wrote hers. She wants to be an obstetrician when she grows up and wrote that in her letter.
The simple act of writing down her goal may have sparked an image of her father, who also wrote down what he wanted for his daughter the day she was born.
"Either a lawyer or a doctor," Julio Calderón said, recalling what he wrote that day.
He said he wants more for his children than he did for himself. "There were a lot of things I could've done and didn't," he said.
Natalia Hernández also cried thinking about ..."
The article goes on to speak of more Archive Project details. It was a very positive article that hopefully will encourage more schools to start their own School Archive Projects. Until then, we can celebrate with the students we are honored to serve. This year at Sunset High School the raw graduation rate for the class of 2010 will represent more than 55% of their 9th grade enrollment from 2006/2007. That is a 6% increase from the previous graduation rate record last year of 49%, and almost 20% higher than the average 9th grade graduation rate for the past 10 years at Sunset of only 36.3%!
We have come a long way and still have a long way to go. Let's celebrate breaking the 50% barrier and work to get well past the 60% barrier ASAP at Sunset High School! (The Sunset enrollment history to date is at http://www.studentmotivation.org/DallasISD/#sunset.)
