Dear ISA Families,

Beginning Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10, 2024, we celebrate teacher appreciation week, and Tuesday, May 7th, is National Teacher Appreciation Day! In honor of the week ahead, it is a pleasure to share that 10th grade social studies teacher, Aaron Perk, represents ISA this year as our NEISD Teacher of the Year nominee, and 11th grade English teacher, Eric Cruz, represents ISA as our nominee for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching. The ISA faculty honors each of these two colleagues for their commitment to students. We are proud of the work Mr. Perk and Mr. Cruz do on behalf of our Globies everyday! 

Last week, we shared that ISA has once again been recognized as one of the top schools in the United States and the San Antonio Area. Our students’ growth, and the richness of our learning community persist year-in and year-out because of the commitment ISA teachers make to their learning success each day. This week as we celebrate teachers, I invite you to send words of appreciation and thanks to our entire ISA faculty and/or any other teacher who has profoundly impacted your life in any way! Believe me, it means a lot! A great way to send a quick message is available for our community through NEISD Teacher Shoutouts! Click the link in the previous sentence to send your shoutout to our teachers!

On Monday, May 6th, the Senior team invites ISA Seniors and their families to Senior Honors! Join us on campus in the PAC Auditorium to celebrate our memories of our graduating class’ four years at ISA and to celebrate their accomplishments beginning at 6:00 p.m.

On Thursday, May 9th, the ISA Amigos will hold their final meeting for the 2023-2024 school year at 6:00 p.m. in the ISA Flex Space (S-103). These meetings are open to all ISA parents and guardians, and we encourage you to attend. The ISA Amigos Nominating Committee will submit a slate of CANDIDATES for officers in the 2024-25 school year. Elections for Board Officer positions will occur on Thursday. Please join us and be part of the planning for next year.

Before the 2023-2024 school year officially ends and the curtains finally close, LEE Dance invites our community to come out to the annual end of the year LEE-ETTE Spring Show! Rubies, Darlings, Cheer, Pep and the LEE-ETTE Senior Class of 2024 proudly present “The Final Farewell.”  The LEE-ETTE spring show will take place on Friday, May 10th, at 7:00 p.m. in the PAC Auditorium. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and sales begin on Monday, May 6th and may be purchased in the front office beginning from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and all audience members must present the pre-paid ticket at the door. There is no reserved seating. See the attached show flier for more information and we will see you at the show!

Beginning on Monday, May 6th and continuing through Friday, May 17th, students will sit for AP Exams! On Friday, May 3rd, our campus CCMR Coordinator, Carin Schramm, sent a message to the community with information about times and locations for this week’s exams. Below are highlights about what students who are registered for an exam this year can expect:

• The U.S. History, World History, English Language, and English Literature exams will be administered online and students need to be able to access their College Board account from memory. Please help your student(s) taking these tests to remember and practice their login information.

• Registered students can login to their College Board accounts to confirm test registration and check administration dates.

• Students must arrive 30 minutes prior to their exam administration! Students who do not arrive on time, or at all, will have their test marked as unused with no refunds issued and students will be charged a $40 cancelation fee per exam.

The Second Semester Exam Exemptions window will open on Monday, May 13th, at 7:00 a.m. through Wednesday, May 15th, at 4:30 p.m. Students will be able to access the Exam Exemption Application through Skyward: Student Access. Students are invited to review THIS handout to assist in completing the exemption application process. 

The NEISD Exam Exemption Policy contains key eligibility information. A few highlights include:

• Extenuating Circumstances “X” attendance codes will not count toward determining eligibility for an exemption, and

• There will not be an appeal process for this year’s exemption submissions.

HERE is the Spring Semester Exam Schedule. If you have questions about exemptions for the semester exam schedule, please contact Steve Magadance at smagad@neisd.net or Delia Gauna at dgauna@neisd.net if you have any questions.

On Tuesday, May 14th, students and families interested in athletics next year are invited to “Meet the Coaches” at 6:00 p.m. in the LEE Main Gymnasium! Football and Volleyball players are also invited to attend a parent meeting following the event! 

Also on Tuesday, May 14th, ISA seniors will present their final portfolio presentation of their ISA career! Our seniors, their families, and our entire community is invited for this evening of reflection!

On Tuesday, May 21st, ISA 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will host their annual student-led conferences. Families are invited to sit with their students to learn about how their students grew as global citizens this year!

Relatedly, the ISA Sophomore Team would like to invite 10th grade families to SIGN-UP for a presentation slot on May 21st! There are 35 slots for each 30-minute session available. If, for some reason, you and your student are unable to attend the conferences on the evening of the 21st, there are a few additional dates and times available on the sign-up sheet. This is an exciting opportunity to hear from your student what their most valuable (or favorite) learning experiences from this year have been. After the student-led conference, there will be a chalk-talk debrief and some light snacks in the library MPR.

On May 28, 2024, the Class of 2024 will celebrate their commencement ceremonies at Laurie Auditorium!

On May 30, 2024, the Class of 2025 will acknowledge their official transition into their senior year during the Junior Rite of Passage!

Finally, in preparation for resolving obligations, we have been working hard to notify ISA families who may still have outstanding balances for an ISA Travel Experience. We encourage families to review email notifications related to any balances and make arrangements to satisfy these balances before the end of the school year. Please contact Steve Magadance (smagad@neisd.net) or Cristina Beach (abeach@neisd.net) with questions! 

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty