Community Update for August 13
Dear ISA Families,
It was amazing to see everyone who attended ISA’s Hot Diggity Doo Dah celebration yesterday! The community is special because of the ways everyone steps up, and jumps in to make community events at a small school like ISA a Big Deal! We want to send a HUGE thank you to the ISA faculty, staff, and Trinity MAT teaching interns who worked hard to reconnect with families during grade level meetings and conversations in the cafeteria. Another HUGE thank you to the ISA Amigos who stepped in to organize food donations, cook hot dogs and feed a fun meal to all. Also, THANK YOU to every family who was able to donate to the potluck!
Families who were not able to attend Hot Diggity can view presentations shared at each grade level meeting below:
Yesterday, some teams discussed chaperoning opportunities for ISA’s grade level travel experiences. Any adults interested in traveling or volunteering to support ISA must complete NEISD’s online Volunteer Criminal History Check Form before volunteering or traveling with ISA.
We also want to share that we are aware of and apologize for any confusion in the School Cash Online postings for grade-level travel experiences. We will work to correct any existing issues this week and share updates when corrections are made.
Special ISA events like Hot Diggity Doo Dah are not possible without the support from the ISA Amigos! The ISA Amigos is our school’s booster organization. The sole mission of the ISA Amigos is supporting enriching learning experiences for ISA students including grade level travel, local field trips, and teacher support! When ISA travels with students each year, our goal is to remove any financial barriers for students. To ensure this goal, the ISA Amigos organize fundraising initiatives and accept tax deductible donations! ISA families can support the mission of the ISA Amigos by contributing to the 2023 Globie Fund on the ISA Amigos Square Site or at this URL: https://isa-amigos.square.site/. Families can learn more about the Amigos by joining the Amigos Board this Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in ISA room S-103 for our first ISA Amigos Board Meeting. The ISA Amigos hosts another great source of information on the parent Facebook groups. You can find class specific links below:
ISA-NEISD Class of 2024 https://www.facebook.com/groups/2597000003683228
ISA-NEISD Class of 2025 https://www.facebook.com/groups/399279524645550
ISA-NEISD Class of 2026 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1594131457612291
ISA-NEISD Class of 2027
https://www.facebook.com/groups/959328298404765/
On Monday, August 14, 2023, we will officially open the 2023-2024 academic year! We are excited to see and hear students in the ISA hallways, and want to share important information about the first days of school with the ISA Community! This week’s update is a bit lengthy, and contains a great deal of information about the beginning of school. Please read the entire message!
Before Monday, we recommend students access their class schedule through Skyward: Student Access, and instructions about where to find schedules are linked HERE. On Monday, students will report to their 1st period class, and ISA staff will be available to help students locate their 1st period classes. Students will rotate to all of their classes on Monday. This campus MAP can also provide assistance. Students riding shuttle buses from other NEISD high schools can view this year’s schedule below:
Additionally, all students who have classes at CTEC or iCSI should report to the PERC during these periods on the first day of school. During these periods students will meet their teachers and learn about daily shuttle transportation.
Students will attend CTEC and iCSI classes on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Below are pick-up drop-off bus schedules:
Schedules:
When students access their schedules, they may have questions. Students will receive a form during the 2nd period on Monday to request a meeting about their schedule. Students can also pick up a meeting request form in the ISA Counseling Office. Our counselors have worked hard to craft the best possible schedule for students and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to make necessary changes.
Monday’s bell schedule will be slightly altered due to first day attendance procedures, but beginning Tuesday, August 15, 2023, the campus will follow this year’s regular bell schedule. Please note that school runs from 8:50 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. each day with some exceptions one Tuesday each month for teacher professional development.
With schools opening across NEISD on Monday we would also like to remind drivers that school zone speed limits will be in effect across our districts. Additionally, we would like to offer other information about pick-up and drop-off:
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MORNING DROP OFF – will be in the drive lane between the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and JROTC buildings. Student drop-off will not be allowed in the front parking lot. All doors will remain locked and students will be asked to enter through the parking lot off of Montview Road in front of the PAC.
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AFTERNOON PICK-UP - Students will be picked up in the same location as drop-off. Please do not park in the front of the school for student pick-up. We need to keep the parking lot clear for visitors.
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BUS RIDERS - All bus riders, including CTEC and iCSI buses, will be dropped off and picked up behind the cafeteria along the bus lanes next to the football field.
Some additional reminders:
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Food Share Drop Off- Students will not be allowed to use food share companies such as UberEats to deliver food to campus. Any food delivered from these types of companies will be held in the main office until the end of the school day. We want to ensure that our students are safe, and we will not allow unauthorized individuals on campus.
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BREAKFAST/LUNCH - During the 2023-2024 school year, the LEE/ISA/NESA/STEM community will continue to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. Families do not need to sign up for this program. It will automatically apply for every student enrolled at school on our campus.
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NEW STATE LAW (HB 114) - as referred to in last week’s update and discussed in grade level meetings, please discuss the health and disciplinary implications of e-cigarette/vape products at school. Below are resources that can help:
On Thursday, August 17, 2023, ISA will host our traditional Opening Ceremony during our weekly Advisory/Flex period. We have limited seating available in the LEE Auditorium for parents/guardians. All interested guests will be required to RSVP HERE so that a visitors badge can be printed. The RSVP form will close at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 16, and guests who will be admitted with visitor’s badge will be notified by email on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to limited space, not all RSVPs will be able to be accommodated.
Finally, Ms. Carraway asked me to share information about the Texas First Diploma Program. Click HERE for the Spanish Language flier and HERE for the English Language flier. Specifically for ISA senior families, please read this notice about the FAFSA graduation requirement.
We look forward to seeing all of our students in the ISA hallways tomorrow and hope everyone has a great first week!
Sincerely,
Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty
