THE LEGAL PAD
IN THIS EDITION:
- January Calendar Dates
- This or That and Writing Contest
- Student Highlights
- Alumni Advice
- Interview with Mr. Feimster
- Mental Health Page
- Community Service
- College Corner
- PTSA Page AND MORE! Want to
Illustration by: Hope Habia
CALENDAR
January 9th
January 12th
January 16th
Created by: Mikayla Spivey
INTERACTIVE SECTION
Take a brain break! Circle your favorite option and share with your friends and remember to have fun with this!
Created by: Joyce Medina and Amarys Rodriguez
Last month, we asked you to submit a short story. Mason Klein, a sophomore, shared with us about his favorite holiday. Thank you for sharing, Mason!
"My favorite holiday is Christmas! Christmas has been important to me since I was young because of its festivities, family, and food. I love the lights and decorations that fill neighborhoods with so much whimsical joy. Christmas music is one of the most famous holiday music types for good reason. Artists and bands remake and create new Christmas songs every year! Outside from just traditional American culture, other cultures blend practices with Christmas to create new common ground for everyone! Christmas food can range from where you are, but traditional holiday foods in any part of the world just remind us of home. Christmas does a wonderful job of uniting everyone toward a common goal. It teaches us to give to one another and how to use empathy. Christmas teaches lessons like no other holiday can. It’s the season of giving, so it allows us to appreciate those who are closest to us. Christmas traditions can also range from family to family! Some celebrate it on Christmas Eve while others the day after Christmas. Christmas has even expanded outside of just christians as a holiday focused on loving one another. Christmas is the time of love! As the most versatile and powerful holiday, Christmas is my favorite."
RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
QuestBridge is a nonprofit that connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income, and first-generation students with leading colleges and opportunities. Every year, the program offers a competitive scholarship program known as the "National College Match" in which high school seniors are given the opportunity to win a full-ride scholarship to any one of the organization’s partner schools.
Interviewer: Hope Habia
With an extremely rigorous application process, the scholarship is by no means easy to obtain, which is why The Legal Pad is thrilled to tell you about this year’s two Law Magnet National College Match winners, Brooke Sanchez and Abraham Cortez! Brooke matched to Washington University in St. Louis, and Abraham matched to Princeton University!
Although somewhat reclusive, Abraham Cortez is, without a doubt, someone the Law Magnet community would be wise to keep an eye on. As if being at the top of his class wasn’t impressive enough, Abraham managed to secure himself a spot at one of the nation’s highest-ranked university at no cost. If it isn’t #1, Abraham Cortez doesn’t want it.
Q: Congratulations! How do you feel about the current news you've received?
A: "Thank you very much! I am really happy and glad. I still can’t fully believe that I was admitted to Princeton. I’m really thankful for this great opportunity to attend a prestigious university. I honestly didn’t think I’d be admitted, so when I received the news, I was in shock."
Q: Tell me a bit about yourself!
A: "I am an introvert, so I generally like to stay home and watch a good movie. Some of my favorite movies include Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Marvel movies too. As far as TV shows go, I really like sitcoms such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Big Bang Theory as well. In my spare time, I like to study ahead in all my courses just to have a notion of what lies ahead. I like to listen to classical music and music from the 60’s up to the 90’s. If the weather is good outside, I sometimes like to go out for a walk and appreciate nature."
RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
Q: Cool! What are you planning to study and why?
A: “I’m planning on studying aerospace and mechanical engineering. I like physics and math a tremendous amount. What I like about engineering is that the field combines math and physics, so I felt engineering was perfect for me.”
Q: Engineering? You’re a far braver man than I am. What do you believe most helped you in the National College Match?
A: "I think first and foremost I have to thank all my teachers who helped me through these years. I want to highlight Ms. Nguyen, Ms. Gregg, Mr. McCoy, and Mr. Mikesell because they all wrote my letters of recommendation. I greatly appreciate them having written my letters. Additionally, I want to give many thanks to Ms. Richman, who helped me with my Princeton supplements. I also want to thank my friends Randy Aguilar and Erick Canales, who proofread my essays. I couldn’t have done this without their collective support."
Q: What is your biggest motivation?
A: “My biggest motivation would have to be my family. My entire family has always supported me in my endeavors. My mom and dad have always been there, and I really am fortunate to have them. I seek to pursue the highest form of education to make my family proud.”
Q: How do you feel about moving out of state?
A: “I am somewhat excited but at the same time a little nervous. I am excited to explore Princeton and maybe explore the nearby cities of New York and Philadelphia. However, I am somewhat nervous and sad to move to another state because I’ll be far from my family. I love the city of Dallas so it will be somewhat hard to leave this amazing city. Also, the climate is a bit colder since New Jersey is up north so I’ll need to adapt to the cold.”
Q: Thanks for the advice! Alright, last question. What do you love most about the law magnet?
A: “The Law Magnet has the best teachers in Townview!!! Aside from that, I like the various activities and programs the Law Magnet has to offer. The staff is very friendly too. I think the Law Magnet is a great school and anyone would be very fortunate to get into this school. I certainly feel proud to be part of the Law Magnet’s class of 2023.”
Are you a part of any activities in or outside of school? Do you know someone you want to nominate for a highlight? Could it be a sport, a hobby, extracurricular, or maybe a small business? Interested in being interviewed next? Fill out this google form!
RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
Brooke is definitely one of the strongest, empowering females I've met, with an amazing story to share. Being matched to her dream school through Questbridge is the beginning of the many accomplishments she will achieve.
Interviewer: Sara Granados
Q: Congratulations! How do you feel about the current news you've received?
A: I'm a little shocked. At first, I went into the school year thinking I wasn't going to actually apply for QuestBridge. After mentioning that to Mr. G, he altered the way I was thinking about myself, and I was like, You know what? Maybe I can get this."
Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.
A: I grew up to be very independent. I kind of grew up with different family members my whole life, so I've always taken the opportunity to do everything I can in school. I've had a job ever since I've been able to work. In school, I would focus mainly on law related extracurriculars since my overarching goal was to one day be a family court justice. I would say I’m pretty down to earth, I care about other people, but I also like to focus on myself a lot.”
Q: Where did you get matched with and what was that ranked on your list?
A: “I got matched with Washington University at St Louis, and that was actually ranked #1. Prior, they flew me out to visit the campus for free and that's when I fell in love with it, but it's always been on my school list since I was a sophomore.”
Q: What are you planning to study and why?"
A: “At WashU, I plan to study advanced literature as my major, and my minor is going to be in legal studies. At first, I wanted to make my major something political, but I figured I wanted to broaden the field and major in something that can take me anywhere just in case my passions change.”
Q: What are some of your interests and hobbies?
A: “In middle school, I was actually a theater kid, so coming into law it was really easy for me to transition into public speaking. I'd say that I've always shined with that, which made me progress into Mock Trial, and I also did Moot Court for the majority of high school. Outside of that, I've juggled guitar, ukulele, and piano. I just find a lot of things fun.”
RAISING THE BAR - STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
Q: What has helped you to accomplish your goals?
A: “Despite my personal circumstances, like family problems growing up, I would say it would be the teachers I grew up with and my cat that I've had since 8th grade. I’d say these factors and of course myself helped. I want to see myself do better, and I want to get out of these circumstances. This is my motivation; this is my push.”
Q: What is your biggest motivation?
A: “My younger self is my biggest motivation; I see my younger self as somebody who is strong, just not as capable, who either did not have the voice or didn't know where she was going. I would say that seeing my younger self and knowing how I was back then is really pushing me to be better and be the person that she would have wanted to be.”
Q: How do you feel about moving out of state?
A: “Freshman year I was so scared of moving out of state just because I didn't know what I would do in case of an emergency. I wasn't very self reliant on myself. Now that I've gone into the real world with many jobs, and driving now, I think I've gotten more responsible. Not saying moving out of state is going to be easy, it's definitely going to be a journey. I look forward to starting over, the idea of being in a new place and around new people. No one really knows your past unless you want them to.”
Q: What advice can you give to underclassmen?
A: “It's not about being the smartest in the room, it's not about getting A's all the time, it's about being the hardest worker in the room. If you're not the hardest worker, your goals are going to be a lot harder to reach. Take care of yourself because in the end, if you don't take care of yourself, your mental health is going to suffer. With that, school as well. Be the hardest worker, keep your mental health together, and also learn to be okay with change.”
Brooke, not only have you made the Law Magnet family proud, but there is no doubt you've accomplished enough to make your younger self proud as well. We wish you the best at WashU and an abundance of success! Thank you for sharing with us.
Legal LegendsPrincipal
Thank you Mr. Feimster for your time and contribution to the Law Magnet. To honor and appreciate his legacy, we bring you "33 Questions" with Mr.Feimster! Be sure to check out the video below to see the full interview.
Interviewer: Valentina Leon
Garet Feimster is a Dallas, Texas, native and a product of the Dallas public school system. An educator for seventeen years, Mr. Feimster has served as the principal of the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet (Law Magnet) since 2016. He previously served as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal.
During Mr. Feimster’s tenure, the Law Magnet has risen to national prominence. The Law Magnet currently ranks 48th among the top high schools in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report and 41st by the Jay Mathews (Washington Post) Challenge Index. Currently, 100% of Law Magnet students graduate on time, 91% enroll in postsecondary studies, and 70% graduate from college. The Law Magnet Class of 2022 earned $24 million in scholarships, with an average senior award of $247,423 per student.
The U.S. Department of Education designated the Law Magnet as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019 based on overall academic excellence. That same year, Mr. Feimster was named a Terrel Bell Award for Outstanding Leadership Finalist (Top 30 Principals in the U.S.) by the U.S. Department of Education.
Q: What made you choose to become a principal?
A: "In year 6 of my teaching, the DISD Superintendent at the time did a walkthrough of my classroom with the Executive Director of the Hillcrest Feeder Pattern. They saw my leadership qualities in those brief moments and approached me about the idea of becoming an administrator. I listened."
Q: What's your favorite thing about the Law Magnet?
A: "The Law Magnet as a big family!"
Q: I heard you’re a shoe fan, what is your favorite pair of shoes?
A: "I am a sneakerhead. I don’t have a favorite pair of shoes because I have so many, but my favorite model is probably the New Balance 992."
Q: What brought you to the Law Magnet?
A: "The Law Magnet community thought I was the best fit for the principal position. I was honored and accepted the challenge."
Q: We recently heard about you leaving the Law Magnet. What is the next step in your career?
A: "I was promoted to Executive Director of Leadership for Dallas ISD. I will be working with principals and campuses to improve student outcomes."
Q: What advice do you have for Law Magnet students?
A: "Be the change you wish to see in the world!"
Q: What's your proudest moment in life?
A: "When my six year old son scored his first goal in soccer. Better than anything I have ever done in life and it wasn’t even close!"
Q: We heard that you owned a salon. What made you decide to open one?
A: "My wife is a hair stylist. It was the next logical step."
Q: Have you ever given someone a haircut?
A: "Oddly enough, yes! When I was in high school I used to shave my best friend’s head with clippers. Does that count?"
Q: What were you like as a teacher?
A: "Tough. Uncompromising. BUT my kids always knew that I cared deeply about them and they would always rise to the occasion for me!"
Q: What is your “WHY”?
A: "Impact - I want what is best for kids, period."
Q: Tell me about your family?
A: "I have been married to Lacey for ten years. We have two children; Luke (boy) 6 and Kaya (girl) 2."
Q: How do you deal with stress?
A: "Cardio - I try to do an hour a day on the Elliptical."
Q: How do you stay organized?
A: "Use of a calendar. Use of data trackers. Try to write down important ideas and revisit them."
Q: I heard you like investments. What's your best advice for students looking to invest?
A: "Google “Roth IRA” and max it out as soon as you can. You will be a millionaire before you know it!"
Q: What are your thoughts on the World Cup?
A: "The US lost, so I lost interest."
Q: Which team do you think will win the Super Bowl?
A: "Would prefer the Cowboys win because it improves the mood of the city!"
Q: What's your favorite thing about your office?
A: "The Bob Marley quote just outside my door - “Money can’t buy life!”
Want to see the full video? Check out our Instagram or scan the QR code!
Link: https://youtu.be/GhcGTQ9ONAw
LEGAL
LEGENDS - ALUMNI
We reached out to some of our older alumni, who have achieved a career and got the best out of the Law Magnet. Here's what they have to say!
Written by: Leslie Orozco
AADAM WHITESIDE '06
Assistant DA in Appellate Division
C
““Get and listen to mentors' advice! It's worth more than gold. From my law magnet teachers to college professors to internships, I have people I know I can talk to and who I know can give me incredible advice on just about anything. What I’ve learned from my successes and my failures is this. Work hard like your life depends on it, because it might. Have a healthy fear of death, but not life. Life is short! I’m in my mid-thirties and I was your age yesterday –you’ll be my age tomorrow. Like flight safety instructions: Put your own oxygen mask on before you help your neighbor with theirs - If you can, avoid financial/family obligations until you are stable on your own two feet. Put some thought into who and what you dedicate your time to, because those 24 hours define you. Find what you love and give it 110%. We stand on the shoulders of giants. We believe in you!”
CARLOS LOPEZ '04
Managing Litigation Attorney Queenan Law Firm, P.C.
“The best advice I can give any student is to keep your eye on the prize and do not let anything distract you, big or small. Everyone at the Law Magnet from your principal to your teachers, and even your classmates want to see you succeed. Success, however, isn’t easy. So always keep in mind that although it always seems classes are longer than they need to be, teachers expect more work from you than there is time for, projects are always a big deal, and the years of schooling ahead of you are neverending, if you stick it out, focus, and put in the time, you WILL accomplish your dreams. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Do take advantage of your time in school to have some fun, make lifelong friends, and find a career you love so it never seems like “work.” Most importantly though, do not let graduating from high school, even if it is the Law Magnet, or even college, be the biggest accomplishment of your life.”
LEGAL
BRIEF
- MENTAL HEALTH
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Imposter Syndrome is the psychological effect in which the high achiever doubts their skill, talents, and achievements.
What can Imposter Syndrome feel like?
Imposter Syndrome is commonly associated with social anxiety.
Imposter Syndrome at times can look like wanting to overachieve when enough has been done. Doing an excessive amount of clubs or sports can be a great example of this.
Self-doubting about our successes can affect a person’s confidence in doing activities. By coping with this feeling, we can talk to a trusted adult (Our amazing counselors or Faculty and Staff), Spending less time on social media can change our attitudes and mindset, Focusing less on ourselves and more on what life has to offer.
Want to read more? Check out the links above!
Mental Health Reminder: Acceptance is the seed, freedom is the plant.
Created by: Ashley Hernandez
LEGAL BRIEF - COMMUNITY SERVICE
It’s the beginning of a new year, and the start of the second semester. By now, you should have at least 18 hrs of community service completed. If you are behind or want to move forward, here are some community opportunities to start off the year!
Written By: Gloria Espinoza
Townview Peace Pantry Food Drive
10 items: 6 hours 15 items: 10 hours
REMINDER:
Law Magnet students can only receive up to 6 hours through donations, while the rest have to be hands on. The Law Magnet requires students to do at least 36 hours every school year. All hours should be uploaded to X2VOL to receive the credited hours.
X2VOL: https://www.x2vol.com/index.html
Townview’s food pantry is accepting donations of food and toiletries in exchange for volunteer hours. All donations must be given to Ms. Rojas. She can be found in room 206 (the courtroom). ALL schools are welcome to participate! Contact Ms. Rojas for the list of items needed!
SPCA of Texas Pet Food Pantry
Are you interested in making sure pets get all the support they need? Volunteers are needed to join the Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center for their drive-thru pet food drive. Volunteers will help with crowd control, registration, & transporting bags of food to customers. Anyone 15 and under must join with a legal guardian.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/59hsfhvf
Volunteer in a local senior home! (Glamourgals Foundation Inc)
Do you enjoy hanging out and helping elders? Earn Service hours and connect with local senior residents. Volunteers provide companionship, conversation, and signature beauty makeovers to those senior residents on an ongoing (monthly) basis.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/5672me5d
Community Service Excel Sheet
Are you having a hard time finding hands-on community service opportunities? The Law Magnet has the perfect resource for you. A google sheet that is monthly updated with new opportunities available for students!
Link: https://tinyurl.com/mr3kvkra
LEGAL BRIEF - COLLEGE CORNER
Education is Freedom is a non-profit organization that assists all students with College, Career and Military Readiness located in room 249. The Law Magnet along with ESSM and TAG, selected EIF Advisors - Ms.Cabrera, Ms.De La Fuente, and Ms.Richman - to enable, equip, and empower all students, grades 9-12.
What does EIF do?
On campus, EIF provides College/Career Advising, assistance with College Applications, SAT/ACT Prep, Financial Aid, Career Development Workshops and Internships.
EIF shares weekly updates to students via Remind and SchooLinks. Parents can join SchooLinks and receive notifications weekly to learn about the college admissions process, community service opportunities, scholarships, and more!
If interested, follow these steps below:
1. Visit http://app.schoolinks.com/claim-student and click "Create Guardian Account." 2. From Guardian, Alumni, and Professional Users tab, log-in to Schoolinks and proceed to Claiming Your Student. 3. Start working with your Student in Schoolinks.
Both students, and parents, are welcome to meet to discuss “Life after High School”, or anything else, Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Alternative hours are provided on a case-by-case basis.
You can also follow @EIFTownview on Twitter and Instagram as well as Education is Freedom (@eifdotorg) for additional information on scholarships, industry trends, internships, and community service opportunities.
Written by: Leslie Orozco
How do I learn more about our EIF Advisors and make an appointment? Go to: https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/19738 to see their bios and contact information.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PTSA
Happy New Year Law Magnet Family,
On behalf of the PTSA Executive Board, we hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. We thought it would be a good time to reflect on all the accomplishments the PTSA have achieved since the beginning of the school year and our mission for the future. Our main mission is to help strengthen our law community by bridging the gap between our families, administrators, teachers, and students. As you know, communication is the key to success in all aspects of your student’s school year.
The school year started with the newly elected PTSA Executive Board being allowed on campus for the first time in two years. I have the pleasure of working with 5 incredible ladies who volunteer endless hours of their personal time to help strengthen our community. We continue to try and figure out how best to serve the law magnet community and welcome anyone who would like to be a part of the solution. Contact us if you would like to get involved.
We have made some great improvements this school year. The PTSA meetings will continue to be held in the morning and evening to try to accommodate our families. Our PTSA membership has doubled this year. Current membership is 95. Please consider joining. We have started a Parent University program to try and provide informational sessions about topics that help parents and students navigate the high school years on campus and at home. The first presentation is available online until January 30th. Included is the prerecorded message link and password for SAFE! Issues Affecting Today’s Youth and How You Can Help. https://www.granthalliburton.org/safe-disd Password: SAFE2022
The PTSA is pleased to sponsor the new monthly online newsletter, “The Legal Pad”. If you want to be in the know, look no farther than “The Legal Pad”. It is available in english and spanish every month. Our ability to give back to the school relies solely on volunteering, fundraising and donations. Thank you to our Law Magnet families for your continued support. We can not do it without you. Thank you to everyone who was able to donate your time for movie night, fall festival, and our two student appreciation events.
Thank you to everyone who was able to donate to Pies for Teachers. We were able to provide every staff member with a pie to take home for the Thanksgiving break.
Thank you to everyone who was able to make a donation to the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet during NT Giving day. This event determines our budget for the year.
Last, but not least, the PTSA Executive board would like to thank Principal Garet Feimster for his commitment and leadership to the Law Magnet for the past 6 ½ years. We are sorry to see him go, but wish him much success as the ED of leadership for the W.T. White Vertical Team. His support has been instrumental in the growth of the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet.
We look forward to working with our new principal and the new and exciting possibilities that 2023 has to offer.
PTSA AND LAW MAGNET RESOURCES
Want a volunteer opportunity to help PTSA? Visit: https://forms.gle/6VyjV81Ph8TgrzQo6
Want some Law Magnet Spirit Wear?
Visit: https://lawmagnetptsa.cheddarup.com
How to Apply
https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/26556
Law Magnet Teachers https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/17776
Townview Directory Links https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/82838
Education is Freedom https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/19738
Townview Wide Club List https://tinyurl.com/2w57vjs4 Link Tree https://lawlinkcrewresources.carrd.co
School Website: dallasisd.org/lawmagnet
Instagram: @thelawlegalpad
Twitter: @LawMag214
Email: thelawlegalpad@gmail.com