AUGUST 1, 2022

DEAR SOLAR FAMILIES,

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year!

I especially want to extend a warm welcome to our new Solar families. Thank you for choosing Solar Prep, and for entrusting us with the education of your scholar. We are delighted to have you!

In 2016, I had the honor of being a part of the founding leadership team alongside the amazing  Dr. Nancy Bernardino and Jennifer Turner. We opened the doors of Solar Preparatory School for Girls and our mission was simple: to create an inclusive school community where we would empower girls to live and lead with confidence and purpose. Our values would be intentionally woven into everything we did.

The heart of Solar cannot be fully understood until you have had the unique opportunity to step foot into our space. The energy, joy and curiosity that permeates within our walls is the essence of what sets us apart. Through the combined efforts of our entire solar community, we have been ranked in the top 3.68% of public schools in Texas, by U.S. News and World Report, received top ratings from the state and local accountability system and ranked a 10/10 by Great Schools.

As a founding leadership team member, I take pride in the success that we have achieved, and I am motivated to continue our pursuit of excellence. I believe the Solar model will not only transform the lives of the scholars we serve but raise the bar for education across the nation. I am committed to ensuring the continued fidelity to the core components of our model and building the necessary systems that support the learning, growth and development of our scholars all the way through eighth grade and beyond.

Six years later, our vision and values are stronger than ever.

We have come full circle and our K-2 campus of 200 students has expanded in full to a PK- 8 campus with nearly 800 students! More than any award or recognition, I am most proud of watching our trailblazers become confident leaders, ready to make a positive impact on the world.

As we begin the new year, I encourage each of you to get involved with our Solar community. After two years of navigating our community through a pandemic, we are pleased to be able to cautiously ramp up our parent organizations, community events, volunteer and afterschool programs. You can find the link to these organizations and more ways to get involved on our website at www.dallasisd.org/solarprep. 

• Volunteer in the school through Solar Prep’s PTO. PTO is free to join and their focus is ensuring that our community is engaged and our teachers are supported and celebrated. Plus, their events are fun for the whole family!

• SBDM is the volunteer advisory board for our school that assists in helping me make decisions for our campus. I would love to see you at our monthly meetings!

• The Solar League is our “Dad’s” club, but everyone is welcome to participate, build community and find ways to lift our Trailblazers up!

• Solar Prep Girl Scout Volunteers support our teachers' implementation of the Girl Scouts curriculum in the classroom and beyond. The Girl Scout partnership is a critical component of our Trailblazers' experience at Solar where they learn that they don't need to wait to be adults to take action and make an impact.

• Friends of Solar Prep is our supporting non-profit foundation. FOSP board members consist of parents and community members who are tasked with raising funds for our classrooms, STEM programs and educator enrichment, beyond what our district is able to fund. To date, they’ve raised more than $1 million for our Solar Prep for Girls campus from private donors and grant-making foundations.

Please also remember to sign up for Bright Times, our weekly newsletter and the Remind app, where you will find all information relevant to your scholar. You will receive an email with more information on these two communications channels very soon.

Lastly, I hope to see you all at our Meet the Teacher Nights scheduled for the week of August 8th. I look forward to welcoming your scholar and your family back to Solar Prep for another amazing year of sparking curiosity, building our community and witnessing excellence!

Empowering girls,