Dear ISA Families,

This is the week for first semester final exams! The Fall Semester Exam Schedule will begin on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. Students will have finals in the following sequence:

• Tuesday, December 12th - Periods 4 and 6

• Wednesday, December 13th - Period 2 and 5

• Thursday, December 14th - Periods 1 and 7*

• Friday, December 15th - Periods 3 and 8*
  
  

*On Thursday and Friday, we will follow an early release schedule. School will end at 1:20 p.m. on each of these days and buses will be on campus at that time. Students who ride buses home should report to the bus loop immediately after school.

Although students take one or two exams per day, other class periods will be meeting each day on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, students will also attend periods 4, 5, and 6. Students should pay close attention to the daily schedule to ensure they attend the correct classes and lunch periods each day!

The ISA Amigos will meet on Monday, December 11, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the ISA Flex Space (S-103). Join us to discuss upcoming support for MUNSA and other agenda items. Please park in the visitor parking lot in front of the LEE HS Main Building. All are welcome!

Even though we are about to enter the winter break, the ISA Lottery Application remains open for prospective members for the ISA Class of 2028! When we return in January, ISA will host more on-campus shadowing experiences. We are also excited to share that we have added one more shadowing date on Friday, January 26, 2024! A sign up for our new date and a link to the lottery application can be found HERE!

Our LEE Campus College, Career, and Military Readiness Specialist, Carin Schramm sent an update this past Wednesday, December 6th. Within the email, Mrs. Schramm highlighted information about the FAFSA and TAFSA opening on December 31, 2023, and an upcoming info session about the Texas A&M Engineering Academy, as well as upcoming events from Cafe College. Click the links within this paragraph for more information!

Looking ahead, when we return in January, we look forward to MUNSA XXVIII: Unity! This year’s secretariat will welcome nearly 1,400 high school delegates to Trinity University, on January 4 and 5, 2024! The MUNSA secretariat and sponsors, Catherine Polk and Willa Rubin, have been working hard to prepare for this whole school conference, and we are excited to celebrate MUNSA’s 28th year!

The ISA Amigos will also continue their support of MUNSA by hosting the hospitality room for school sponsors attending MUNSA! We are looking for volunteers to host the hospitality room and to chaperone some student committee rooms.  If you are interested in volunteering click HERE! If you are unable to volunteer, but want to help support MUNSA through a donation click HERE! MUNSA is a whole school event, and each year we benefit from support from the entire ISA Community!!

Again this spring, we are planning to host students from our sister school in Frankfurt, Germany! Students will visit ISA from March 20, 2024 to March 30, 2024, and we are looking for families who are willing to host our guests!  If you are interested in hosting a German student, please submit our hosting form HERE!

The first semester of ISA’s 29th year has helped reaffirm that rigorous, real-world, relationship driven instructional experiences matter! Travel experiences that take our students out into their world matter. Student driven learning experiences like MUNSA, Speak-up, Speak-out, and Make-a-Difference, matter. Experiences like these and others allow students to Investigate their World, Identify and Weigh Multiple Perspectives, Communicate Ideas, and Take Action to make their world a better place.

As we close this semester and look forward to a new semester, I am deeply grateful for the work of our ISA teachers who continue to commit energy and passion daily encouraging our students to think critically about their world and care for each other. I am also deeply thankful for the honor and privilege of serving this community of families. I hope you all enjoy time with family and friends during this holiday season, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!

Finally, this Friday, December 15th, will mark the end of the first semester! This is also the final weekly update of the 2023 calendar year. The next update will be sent on Sunday, December 31, 2023! ISA offices will be closed from December 18 through January 1, 2024. Tuesday, January 2, 2024, teachers and staff will return to campus to prepare for students when classes resume at ISA on Wednesday, January 3, 2024!

Have a great week and a restful winter break!

Sincerely,

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty