ESD and Greenhill students experienced a very inspiring message about finding their life’s calling and answering that call after watching a presentation titled “At the Table with Dr. King.”

In honor of Black History Month, the program explored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement though integrating live music, period-based audio and video clips, monologues, and historical narratives.

People Newspaper editor Dan Koller and I watched the presentation with a group of ESD students and after it was over, we left pretty excited to change the world.

At a round table after their performance, cast members told us that the program was meant to inspire students to be agents of positive change in their community. Some of the Upper School students at ESD and Greenhill were interviewed by cast members and all had positive reactions to the message.

A couple of student leaders from ESD said they are planning a many other events for Black History Month including charity projects and talent shows.

In collaboration with DADYO, a student diversity organization including ESD, Jesuit, Ursuline, St. Mark’s, Hockaday, Parish Episcopal, and Greenhill, the schools and students have a busy month ahead of them recognizing Black History Month.

Today: Tonight is opening night for St. Marks and Hockaday students participating in  Fiddler On The Roof. Curtain call is 7:30 and is hosted at the Hockaday Fine Arts Center. There is also a Saturday night performance and Sunday matinee if you miss tonights.

Saturday: Brent Kollock will be speaking about his latest work “Painting as a Metaphor,” during a reception hosted by the Norwood Flynn Gallery. The reception is from 6-8 p.m. and is open to the public.

Sunday: Parish Episcopal’s rendition of Thoroughly Modern Millie closes after their Sunday matinee. Produced by the Upper School, the show will be held in the schools Black Box Theatre, and tickets can be purchased here.

“Teaching children and their families how to stay heart-healthy is an important component of our physical education and science curriculum,” said Kris Brockhagen, lower school physical education coordinator in a press release. “It is fabulous to see the support not only of our students, but our families and faculty, as well. There were over 400 participants at ESD event. This program can literally save lives.”

In fact, those schools will have only one new team each in their districts for the next two school years. Jesuit and W.T. White will remain in the current District 9-5A with Skyline, Sunset, Richardson, Berkner, and Lake Highlands. The district will lose Samuell and pick up Pearce, which should make things a whole lot easier for Richardson ISD athletic officials. Pearce moved up from Class 4A.

Meanwhile, Samuell moves over to the current District 12-4A to make it an eight-team league. The Spartans will join Hillcrest, Thomas Jefferson, Bryan Adams, Conrad, Lincoln, Spruce, and Woodrow Wilson.

Five Ursuline seniors will sleep well tonight knowing that their college search is over and paid for. Today, the student athletes received scholarships and signed letters of intent.

Elizabeth Balido will play basketball at Trinity University, Candace Johnson will play soccer at the University of Missouri, Caitlin Jancuska will play soccer at the University of Tulsa, Jana Jeffrey will play soccer at Boston College, and Courtney Taylor will play lacrosse at William and Mary.

Burns is the designated AVID teacher at the school, an elective students in the “academic middle”  can take which raises the bar for learning and prepares them for high school and college. During his five year tenure at Franklin, Burns has also served as the debate coach and is in charge of the school store.

William Harris was also recognized by the school and received ”Best Teacher Assistant Award.” Harris works in the special education department and gives one-on-one attention to special needs students.

“He’s wonderful, patient, and calm with the children,” said the office secretary at Franklin. “He’s been here for three years and the teachers and staff really appreciate what he does.”

Humor me for a moment as I put on my gossip columnist hat and entertain a little rumor. It’s not often that I get a phone call where someone dishes out dirt — that’s the kind of stuff I generally have to dig up myself.

Most commonly, phone calls and emails come flooding in about games won, galas well danced, and other joyous occasions. But yesterday, I got a call about the Junior Symphony Ball that included such memorable and visceral descriptions as “walking through vomit in cowboy boots,” “drunk fest,” and “complete orgy.” The caller, whose daughter attended the Jan. 28 ball, said chaperones turn a blind eye to alcohol and drug use, and that the event has been declining in decorum for years.

This all falls in stark contrast to the JSB that Michelle Duncan, co-chair of the event, attended.

“The things she’s attesting to are really not correct,” Duncan said.

Duncan (and plenty of people whose glowing emails she forwarded to me) considers the ball a grand success. Sure, there was a bloody nose here and there, at least one kid bent over a trashcan, and another mouthy one cuffed by police, but Duncan isn’t losing any sleep over it.

“It’s like going to a concert,” she said. “Unfortunate things happen. You can only control it so much.”

The ball drew more than 2,000 students and had around 200 parent chaperones. With all those hormones packed into the Palladium, something is bound to go down. But Duncan maintains it was far from “a complete orgy.”

“I did see one little couple kissing in the ballroom,” she said. “But it wasn’t a deep, heavy, intense thing. It was kind of like, ‘Oh, that’s sweet.’ ”

Duncan, who said this was the first official complaint in the JSB’s 53-year history, diplomatically offered to refund the caller’s ticket price.

“Nobody turned a blind eye,” she said. “Now with that many kids, could we have missed some stuff? Of course, but we tried our best.”

Did your kids go to the JSB? Do you agree with anonymous caller No. 1 or Duncan?

Comments are on, for now …

The Kurz Group, a property tax consulting firm based in Preston Center, turns 25 this month, and Samantha Kurz, spokesperson for the firm, says they are gearing up for the upcoming tax season.

The group, managed by brothers Rick and Jeff Kurz, currently represents approximately 6,000 properties, and is one of the oldest property tax consulting firms in the neighborhood. With a May tax deadline for commercial property owners, Preston Hollow residents are encouraged to contact the group at kurzgroup.com for consulting help.

Southlake Carroll’s Sabian Holmes was the other first-team receiver. Spring Dekaney running back Trey Williams was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while Carroll’s Will Davis was the Defensive Player of the Year.

Oliver finished the season with 108 catches for 1,637 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Rangers went 8-3 (6-1) under first-year head coach Brandon Hickman last season.

The winning team will advance to the state championship in March.