Dear ISA Families,

In less than one month, ISA 9th, 10th, 11th graders, teachers, MAT Interns, and parent chaperones will depart on ISA’s fall travel experiences to Houston, New Mexico, and Alabama! Families who were unable to attend travel meetings last Thursday, can find links to travel presentations below:

• 9th Grade Presentation

• 10th Grade Presentation

• 11th Grade Presentation

• 12th Grade Presentation

As families review the important information related to trip itineraries and drop-off information contained above, now is also a great time to finalize any outstanding travel payments for these impactful travel experiences! Payment can be made by credit card by using SchoolCash Online. Check and cash payments can also be received at school by the following team contacts: Grayson Bull (9th), Aaron Perk (10th), and Jesus Cantu (11th).

Our campus nurse, Crystal Schweers, is also preparing to ensure that students requiring medication during overnight travel are all ready to go. Nurse Schweers has prepared some reminders and procedures to help families ensure that their students get what they need while traveling in November. 

• All medications, along with the proper forms, should be turned in to the campus clinic on or before Friday, November 10, 2023.

• Special requests requiring doctor’s orders should be on file with the nurse by November 1, 2023! 

• NEISD employee chaperones will administer medication. Students may NOT carry ANY medication on their person unless they have a current doctor's order to self-carry from the school nurse for THIS school year.

• If you are not sure about the above details or have any questions, please, contact Nurse Scweers at (210) 356-0803 or by email at cschwe@neisd.net.

More detailed information about procedures--including items we CANNOT accept is outlined on THIS medical information form.

On Wednesday, October 25th, ISA Sophomores will travel on their second field trip of the semester to the San Antonio Missions! We encourage families to return the field trip permission forms to Dana Lopez, and remind sophomores that they will spend the majority of this day outside. Sophomores should plan to wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes for walking, wear sunscreen, and a hat/sunglasses. Have fun this week, Sophomores!

If you happened to walk the hallways at ISA last week, there was a good chance you would see ISA 9th graders working in small groups rehearsing for a performance. On Friday, October 27th, ISA 9th graders will travel to local elementary schools for their Storytelling Project. In collaborative teams, 9th graders have prepared scripts, costumes, and props for stories from across the world. They will debut their stories to 1st graders this Friday. This cooperative experience provides our 9th graders with an opportunity to practice the collaborative skills they will need for future work with classmates at ISA and beyond high school. Good luck to 9th graders this week!

ISA Recruiting season is in full swing! We hosted our first on-campus Shadowing Experience this past Friday, and we received a visit from a group of 8th graders last Thursday! One of the best parts about Shadowing opportunities are the ways ISA students step-up to share their experiences with prospective families. Our 9th graders take on the role of guide as they help eighth graders from class to class, answer their questions, and explain what they are seeing while on-campus. ISA 10th, 11th, and 12th graders also share their perspectives about the ISA experience with parents and guardians, answer their questions, and tour our learning spaces. Watching the pride our students have in sharing about their school helps remind us how important and special the ISA Community is for each student.

October is Dyslexia Awareness month! There are many perspectives about how living with Dyslexia impacts student learning. HERE is a presentation that shares common myths and facts about learning with Dyslexia. 

Looking ahead, the ISA Sophomore Board will host a fundraiser at Willie’s Grill & Icehouse (15801 San Pedro Ave., 78232) on Thursday, November 2, 2023. A portion of purchases between 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. will go toward travel expenses for the Class of 2026!

The payment window for AP Exams is open for three more weeks! AP Exams can be paid for by credit card through Skyward: Student Access--not Family Access. HERE are instructions about how to submit payment. The deadline for credit card payments is November 10, 2023. Cash payments for AP Exams are also acceptable. Students can submit cash payments in the LEE Counseling Office through November 10, 2023! Last week, this update shared some important details related to the AP Exam opportunity in NEISD. To learn more about the shift to online AP Exams and the subsidized fee offered to NEISD students click HERE for English and HERE for Spanish 

Mark your calendars for next Tuesday, October 31st, which is our district’s next early release day! School will dismiss at 2:00 p.m..

Finally, this past week Dr. Maika shared the FIFTH and SIXTH video in NEISD’s six part series discussing TEA’s delay in releasing accountability ratings and the changes in the school rating system. Videos ONE, TWO, THREE, and FOUR can be viewed at the links in this sentence.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty