DALLAS — Like most of her students, Shanitra Beck has never been to Paris, but that hasn’t stopped her from bringing Paris to her students.

“You’re no longer in Dallas. We’re going to Paris. Oh, la, la,” said Beck, Cedar Crest Elementary School 4th Grade Reading Teacher.

She transformed her classroom into a little slice of Paris, bringing the city’s charm and magic to Cedar Crest Elementary’s theme this year: “A Journey of Excellence.” Every hallway and classroom resembled places around the world.

“We want kiddos to walk in and be like, ‘Wow,’ and know this is going to be an experience for you,” said Beck.

Past experiences have been challenging.

“When I first came, we were a D rating campus,” said Beck.

At the time, that “D” rating was progress because in the 2019-2020 school year,

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