HPISD will officially dedicate the new Michael M. Boone and Robert S. Hyer Elementary schools and the HP community is invited to join the celebrations.

Open houses will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 3 at Boone, 8385 Durham Street, and from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Hyer, 3920 Caruth Boulevard. Each campus will hold a dedication ceremony at 2:15 p.m. during its open house.

Beginning a Life Together in University Park

By Sarah Mitchell

Living on a quiet street behind Snider Plaza, Jeff and Lara Lisle were drawn to the neighborhood’s charm and convenience. “We were drawn to the house because of the neighborhood,” explained Lara. “We love our back yard and pool, and we also built a firepit in the backyard. It’s a great hangout spot, and we find we spend a lot of time out there. Our location within University Park is very convenient as well. We are able to walk to Snider Plaza for restaurants and shopping, and our location is near where we work.”

Jeff is originally from Stamford, Texas, and graduated from Texas Tech in 2011. He moved to Lubbock after graduation and began working for Vista Bank. In 2015, he made the move to Dallas to start the Dallas branch and is now the Senior Vice President of Lending. Lara, born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, attended Penn State where she graduated in 2013 with a degree in Elementary Education. She moved to Dallas in 2016 and now has her masters in Gifted and Talented Education. She is currently the TAG teacher at Armstrong and is in her sixth year at the school. She has also taught everything from kindergarten through 5^th grade.

 The couple met through Jeff’s CEO at Vista Bank who was also the parent of one of Lara’s first grade students at Armstrong. Jeff and Lara married in January 2020 at the Park Cities Club in Dallas and had their honeymoon in St. Lucia. “That is still our favorite trip together,” said Jeff. “We hope to go back again soon!” Lara continued, “We love traveling and making new memories. The beach and the mountains are some of our favorite places.” Lara even surprised Jeff with a ski trip in March 2020 to Alta, Utah. This was her first time to ski and their first trip together since their honeymoon.

The vacation, however, did not go as planned. “We got to Utah, enjoyed one day of skiing, and management told us at dinner that the mountain was shutting down the next day,” shared Lara. “We moved our flights up to come home one day early before the world shut down. We got home safely, and the next day there was an earthquake in Utah. We were so thankful we made it home and didn’t get stuck there!”

The Lisles try to take as many trips as they can and recently visited Marco Island, Florida, over Thanksgiving to spend some time at the beach. They also spent Christmas in Pennsylvania with Lara’s family. Jeff’s favorite location is Red River, New Mexico, where he loves to ski in the winter. “My family has a house in the mountains, and we enjoy spending time there in the summer to enjoy the cooler weather and hike, in addition to our winter ski trips.”

Jeff and Lara also have some favorite local hangouts as well. They enjoy playing tennis at the courts near their home and riding bikes in their neighborhood or at White Rock Lake. “We love being near Snider Plaza and frequently walk to Foxtrot, Nektar, Bandito’s, and Dive,” they shared. Lara is passionate about fitness and nutrition and started a small business, EmbraceFit, in September 2020 where she records 30 minute at-home workout videos for busy women.

 Jeff and Lara love living in Dallas and now consider this “home”. “Living in this community makes you feel like you are living in a small town and not the city of Dallas,” said Lara. “It’s fun to live near SMU and have the feel of a college town. We think Dallas will be a great place to raise a family with great opportunities. We’ve met some wonderful people here and love that this is where we met and started our life together.”

Scottie Joe’s is a student-run coffee shop located on the campus of Highland Park High School. The coffee shop is made possible through a partnership with the Credit Union of Texas (CUTX). Junior and senior students from Highland Park ISD’s Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program will manage Scottie Joe’s business operations and marketing, while students from the school’s 18+ transition program will oversee the coffee shop’s day-to-day service.

Scottie Joe’s coffee shop expands opportunities already afforded to students in the 18+ transition program. Those opportunities already in operation include Scot’s Café, a catering service, and Scottie Treats, a dog treat-making service. Students in the 18+ transition program staff both. The addition of Scottie Joe’s is yet another opportunity for special needs students to gain supported-work experience and develop their communication and social skills and food service, sales, and customer service abilities. This collaboration between the MAPS program and the 18+ transition program allows all students to receive valuable job experience without leaving the high school campus. 

“The location and accessibility of the coffee shop as a job site within the school ensures that all students at all ability levels will have access to meaningful job training,” said Director of Special Programs Laurie Gagne. “Access to this level of training would not be possible without the partnership and collaboration of CUTX.” 

While the 18+ transition program students run the coffee shop, it will be managed by students from the MAPS Business Design and Leadership program. Fifty-four students were selected to participate in this year-long professional program. The course combines hands-on business experience at Scottie Joe’s, including tracking inventory, stocking supplies, writing the human resources handbook, and marketing the coffee shop. The course also provides credit for three blended classes – AP Microeconomics, Economic Advanced Studies and Entrepreneurship. Outside of course credit, MAPS students will also be able to grow their professional network from a young age by collaborating with CUTX and other local businesses. 

“With the help of CUTX, Scottie Joe’s offers students a unique opportunity to develop business and job readiness skills and gain real-world business experience,” said Dr. Tom Trigg, superintendent of Highland Park ISD. “It is our privilege to partner with Credit Union of Texas on this endeavor. Their support in the classroom as business mentors to our students will also be very beneficial to the success of the program.”

Many people love sweet, furry, four-legged animals, but some do not. Please be respectful and follow the Town Ordinance, which requires the owner to control their pet with a leash when they are on public property. Leashing your pets is kind to those that don’t like animals, helps prevent unpredictable animal bites, and prevents you from receiving a $152 fine.

HP Mayor Margo Goodwin presented a proclamation during the March 1 Town Council meeting declaring the week of April 3-9, 2022 as National Library Week in the Town of Highland Park. The Proclamation recognizes the work of HPISD librarians, citing that HPISD libraries offer an environment conducive to reading and learning, creative expression, investigation and research, and enhancement of knowledge for youth.

HPMS Librarian Jill Bellomy, HPHS Librarian Jenn Hampton and Bradfield Librarian Amy Jent attended the meeting to accept the proclamation on behalf of all HPISD librarians.