Community Update for August 20
Dear ISA Families,
We had an amazing first week of school at ISA! It has been a joy having students back in our hallways again. This week, students and teachers began introducing themselves and forging the relationships that will make project-based collaboration, interdisciplinary investigation, and travel experiences successful. Students re-oriented themselves in the ISA hallways, reconnected with prior year teachers, and worked with our counselors to craft the best possible schedule for themselves. Our annual Opening Ceremony celebrated the beginning of school, welcomed the Class of 2027, and heard from members of each grade level about their excitement for this year! Conversations about summer assignments, the introduction of content learning, and even some grumblings about homework wrapped up our first week! School is back in session!
A reminder to all families, again this year, ISA is a CEP eligibility campus. This means that all students are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch at school daily. In the coming days and weeks, ISA families will receive a CEP Survey form. Please take time to complete and return this form to the ISA Main Office!
As we adjust to the return to school, this is a great time to ensure that ISA families remain connected to the campus, and we encourage families to login to Skyward: Family Access to update contact phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact information for individuals who may pick up students from school!
When navigating in Skyward: Family Access, you will see a set of tiles with green banners titled “New”. NEISD’s Management Information Services posts items for families to review and acknowledge.
Below is the list of tiles families should review:
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Acceptable Use Policy
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Library Book OPT
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Media Release/Privacy
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Paperless Options
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Student Handbook Acknowledgement
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Title IX
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Emergency Contact Updates
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Update Primary Guardian
We will also continue the safety and security procedures implemented last year, and we invite families to plan ahead when you know you will be picking your student up for appointments. One way we hope to help make the process easier is by completing the ISA student SIGN OUT FORM. This form is also linked on the ISA webpage and will notify the ISA Main Office upon submission. This will allow us to prepare for your student’s departure needs.
At Hot Diggity Doo Dah last weekend, families may have stopped by the ISA International Travel Experience Table with Mr. Castillo. ISA is planning a travel experience to Frankfurt, Germany during Spring Break (March 5 - 16, 2024), and we are working to coordinate a travel experience to Takayama, Japan in June 2024. Traditionally, these experiences offer ISA students a two-way homestay exchange opportunity. While not a requirement to participate, we encourage families to consider the possibility of hosting a student during our sister schools’ visits to ISA. If your student or family is interested, click the links below:
Exchange Hosting Interest Form
In last week’s update, we also shared information about the ISA Amigos efforts to support innovative teaching and learning for our students. HERE is a letter of greeting from ISA Amigos President, Carrie Jowers, who will lead our fearless little Booster organization this year!
On Thursday, August 24, 2023, NEISD will host a virtual meeting discussing ways to support gifted learners. The meeting is open to all families. HERE is a flier for the meeting with more information!
This Saturday, August 26, 2023, the LEE High School football program will open their 2023-2024 season. As the team prepares for the season, they are joining the Peanut Butter Bowl, a community outreach initiative benefitting the San Antonio Food Bank. ISA invites our community to participate by donating jars of peanut butter or by making an online donation at the link in the previous sentence. Donations can be made or received in the athletics building.
Looking ahead, next Tuesday, August 29th is the first early release day of the school year.We remind families that school will be released at 2:00 p.m. on August 29th!
On Wednesday, August 30, Lifetouch will be on campus to take pictures for all four grade levels. Families will be able to order photos for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders using the school code: EVTSXG7N6, and seniors will receive their school ID using this photograph.
Finally, we are pleased to share that we have set the date for ISA’s Annual 9th grade Garage Sale for Saturday, September 30, 2023! We will be sharing information about receiving donations soon, so now is the time to consider any items you may wish to donate to this fundraiser that benefits our 9th grade travel experience.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty and Staff
