25 Apr 2007
Oak Cliff Campus Offers Students New Technology
DALLAS–Dallas Independent School District administrators and members of the district's Board of Trustees will join students, staff and community members at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, for the dedication of Felix G. Botello Elementary School, 225 S. Marsalis Road.
The Oak Cliff neighborhood school is named for war hero and community leader Felix G. Botello, who died in 1990. With a serious commitment to education, Botello returned to Texas after World War II, where he finished high school and attended law school. Botello's character, courage and commitment inspired his sister Adelfa Callejo, his son Felix C. and his daughter Elizabeth to study law and to give back to the community.
The dedication will include remarks from First Vice President of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees Jerome Garza and General Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. Botello's widow, Virgina Botello, his daughter and grandson will speak on behalf of the Botello family.
Two of the school's dance groups and the handbell choir will perform, along with the Botello Porristas (cheerleaders) and other student groups. Following the dedication ceremony, performances will continue on the grounds of the school, and the campus will be open for tours and refreshments. The public is invited to attend.
Felix G. Botello Elementary School offers public spaces which facilitate using the building for community and social events and supports the school's significant parental involvement and volunteer programs. The building has about 91,000 square feet and includes 37 classrooms, plus science and computer labs, art room, music room, media center, gymnasium, and kitchen and cafeteria. The LCD projectors and other advanced technology in the classrooms offer teachers new ways to engage students.
When it opened this fall, the school received students from James Bowie, Harrell Budd, John F. Peeler, and John H. Reagan elementary schools. Fifth-grade students from Botello will attend sixth grade in the fall of 2007 at the new Hector Garcia Middle School.