Summer has officially begun for the 4,200 K-8 students currently enrolled in Trinity Basin Preparatory’s seven Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mesquite public schools! The students, their families, and school staff enjoyed an evening of fun, food, family, and more at Dallas Heritage Village, home to the largest and finest collection of 19th century pioneer and Victorian homes and commercial buildings in Texas on Thursday, June 9, 2022.

Trinity Basin Preparatory encompasses the idea that it “takes a village to raise a child.” Local nonprofits that partner with the charter school were at the event to exhibit services available to students and families in the coming summer months and upcoming school year. Dallas Youth Sports, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Clayton After School Program, and Parents Advocating for Student Excellence (PASE) set up displays at the event, sharing information about resources available to the Trinity Basin Preparatory community. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate the end of another successful school year with our students, their families, our staff, and prospective students and families at Dallas’ beloved Heritage Village,” Director of Development Brandon Duck said. “Our staff, students, and families have worked hard and we were glad to welcome them to an evening of fun and community on the last day of the school year.”

The event hosted current and prospective students, families, and staff as they enjoyed Dallas Heritage Village amenities through historical buildings and demonstrations to connect the classroom curriculum to the hands-on learning experience. 

Students had the opportunity to explore a variety of historic buildings including the Section House, Farmstead, Schoolhouse, and Shotgun House. Trinity Basin Preparatory and the Village created an educational scavenger hunt, where the Village staff will be available to answer questions and provide support. Between historical activities, students posed for photos with beloved characters sat for face painting and shared popcorn and giggles with their classmates and families.

Open Palette, inside Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Downtown Dallas, is celebrating all dads with $10 Old Fashioned cocktails all day on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19th.

The cocktail is part of Open Palette’s Artisan Creations, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, angostura bitters, orange bitters, and sugar all rested in their house american oak barrel for more than a month.

Open Palette is the perfect place for friends and family to gather for Father's Day. For lunch, enjoy shareables like the Cauliflower made with chimichurri and lemon greek yogurt; entrees like the Roasted Chicken made with corn succotash, pork lardons, corn puree, and white BBQ; and desserts like the Triple Chocolate Cake. For dinner, enjoy shareables like the Pork Belly made with pickled blueberries, whipped citrus cream, and fresh sumac; entrees such as the delicious Pea Citrus Risotto made with shitake mushrooms, peas, and parmesan; and desserts including the Citrus Panna Cotta made with candied orange pistachio and blackberry fluid gel. Reservations can be booked through OpenTable.

Guests can park in the hotel’s parking garage or take the DART train straight to the hotel’s front door; enjoy a Father’s Day lunch or dinner at Open Palette; grab a drink at Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, the hotel’s 4,000 square-foot world of sports nirvana; and then explore downtown by walking to the many nearby attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Klyde Warren Park, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Perot Museum of Nature & Science, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, the Deep Ellum neighborhood, and more! More information about destinations that are walking distance from the hotel can be found here. 

Open Palette is Sheraton Dallas’ signature restaurant and bar and offers modern American cuisine with a bold spin on flavors. 

Open Palette's address is 400 N Olive St., Dallas, TX 75201

Trinity Basin Preparatory has selected Ashlee Thrash as the 2022 Teacher of the Year. Thrash teaches 1st-7th grade special education functional living skills at the Trinity Basin Preparatory Mesquite campus. Thrash has served in education for 11 years and is currently serving in her second year at Trinity Basin Preparatory. 

Thrash graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s of Science in Unified Early Childhood Education and earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has taught special education and kindergarten in the DFW area for the past 10 years and has touched the lives of many students. 

Through her 11 years of experience in education, Trash has gone beyond her duties in the classroom to impact the lives of her students. Recognizing the need for after-school and weekend meals for students, Thrash created a snack program to ensure the needs of students were met beyond the hours of the school day. Through organized donations, Thrash purchased food for four families to ensure basic needs were met during Spring Break when students were not on campus. 

Thrash is the organizer of the school’s Clothes and Food Closet, where students have access to school uniforms and food when needed. Thrash seeks extended learning opportunities for her students by teaching them the importance of giving back to their peers and community. Through the “Food 4 Kids” program, Thrash’s class packs backpacks with food and delivers them to students within the district. 

“In my functional living skills classroom, my top priority is to instill honesty, accountability, independence, and confidence into every student that enters my classroom despite physical, cognitive, or academic abilities,” Ashlee Thrash said. “My hope is that students leave my classroom feeling a little more confident and loved, knowing that they will always have my support.” 

Liberty Capital Bank presented Thrash with a $2,000 check at a recognition ceremony in front of students to celebrate the accomplishment.

Trinity Basin Preparatory Ledbetter Campus and Dallas ISD students tuned up on May 19, 2022 to perform orchestral and band music they had practiced throughout the spring semester. The concert was held at 5 p.m. at Trinity Basin Preparatory's Ledbetter campus, located at 2524 West Ledbetter Drive in Dallas.

Sixty students from 1st-8th grade participated in showcasing their newly developed musical skills. The students had been practicing under the expert direction of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Teaching Artists to learn the basics of classical music through the development of instrumental skills and discovering a love for music, along with other skills applicable to all areas of life including curiosity, practice, and emotional intelligence. Trinity Basin Preparatory’s Ledbetter Campus is one of five South Dallas campuses participating in the program, among campuses without their own traditional orchestra or band curriculums. 

“Watching the students discover a love for music has made every moment of preparation exciting,” Ledbetter Campus Principal Dawson Spicer said. “We are extremely thankful for the partnership with Dallas Symphony Orchestra and thoroughly enjoyed watching and listening to our students perform after months of hard work.”

As student orchestras and bands typically meet for less than an hour a week in the traditional classroom setting, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Learning Artists aim to fully engage students in their musical aspirations, hosting group lessons three times a week at the campus in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood. 

All young musicians can have this same opportunity to learn from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra this summer at their annual summer camp being held July 9-30, 2022. The camp will be held at the Trinity Basin Preparatory's Ledbetter campus. There is no cost to attend the camp as instruments, instructors, and instructional materials are all provided by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Those interested in registering for the camp for the first time may do so here. Those interested in returning to the camp may sign up here.

Please find images of the May 19 concert here. Please let me know if you are interested in speaking with a member of Trinity Basin Preparatory leadership about the value of including music and other arts programs in their curriculums.

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is thrilled to announce that John Bergner has been selected as CFT’s 2022 Vester Hughes Award honoree. When Vester passed in 2017, CFT created the Vester Hughes Award in honor of his legacy, his longstanding commitment to charitable causes, and his support of CFT’s philanthropic initiatives. Vester first began working with CFT in 1958 and served as CFT’s general counsel or senior tax counsel for more than 50 years. During Vester’s tenure, CFT grew into one of the most prominent community foundations in the country, and the largest in Texas. 

As legal counsel for W.W. Caruth, Jr., Vester helped create the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at CFT, which continues to grant millions of dollars to nonprofits across our community each year. Beyond his work with CFT, Vester was a brilliant tax attorney, influencing many aspects of federal taxation; arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court, and successfully lobbying Congress on several occasions to amend federal tax laws.

In selecting a recipient of the Vester Hughes Award, CFT seeks out an outstanding professional advisor who has contributed exceptionally to their field, who has championed charitable giving, and supports CFT’s mission of growing community giving. Recipients are devoted to assisting clients with charitable giving and serve as thoughtful and impactful mentors to other advisors in the field of philanthropy. 

“John Bergner embodies the best qualities of Vester Hughes, and we are excited to recognize him as our 2022 Vester Hughes Award Recipient,” said Dave Scullin, CFT president and CEO. “CFT has witnessed firsthand the incredible impact John makes in support of the causes that matter most to him, and the mentorship he provides to many in his field.” 

Bergner is a shareholder in the Dallas office of Winstead PC and serves as co-chairman of the wealth preservation practice group. His practice encompasses tax estate and business succession planning and administration of estates. With over 40 years of experience as an attorney, Bergner is nationally recognized for his work. 

He’s served as a speaker, lecturer, and professional resource across the country. Bergner has shared his knowledge with emerging attorneys by leading tax and estate planning seminars. He’s also a visiting adjunct professor at the University of Miami Law School. 

Bergner’s professional and community involvement is extensive. He’s active in the American Bar Association (ABA), having served as a past Council Director, Chair of the Estate and Gift Tax Committee, and Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the ABA’s Tax Section. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, currently serving as a member of the Estate and Gift Tax Committee. 

CFT has partnered with Bergner since 1987, when he joined the organization’s Advisory Council. He’s provided CFT with feedback to inform its work and services and has helped secure speakers and high-quality content for professional seminars. Bergner also engages in personal philanthropy through his charitable fund at CFT. 

Bergner has an expansive impact with clients and nonprofits, and CFT is honored to recognize him for his leadership and community involvement with this year’s Vester Hughes Award.