Dear ISA Families,

 

By this time next weekend, six charter buses will be on the road to New Mexico and Alabama, and three additional buses will leave for Houston on Monday morning. Trip check-ins for our 10th and 11th grade travel experiences will happen in the ISA science building and the buses will be staging in the parking lot located in front of the LEE main building adjacent to Jackson-Keller. Families are encouraged to park in the administrative lot near the gym or in the student lot near the band practice pad. On Monday, for 9th graders, buses will stage in the large parking lot on the east side of the campus, and our 9th graders will check-in in the PERC! Below are more details about check-in and links to each traveling team’s presentations from October 27, 2022:

 

Saturday, November 11

 

• Junior Check-In & Big Bag Drop-Off in S-109 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (25 minute intervals based on bus assignment - Slide #4) Junior Team Travel Presentation.

  • 11:00 a.m.-11:25 a.m. Bus #1 

  • 11:25 a.m.-11:50 p.m. Bus #2 

  • 11:50 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Bus #3

The Junior team is also requesting donations of cases of bottled water for the trip.

 

• Sophomore Departure Check-In:

  • 8:45 p.m. (if your student has medication to check-in) - S-106

  • 9:30 p.m. (no medication to check-in) - Girls S-107, Boys S-109

  • 11:00 p.m. Departure!

  • Sophomore Team Travel Presentation

 

Sunday, November 12

 

• Junior Bag Check-In & Drop-Off in S-109 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. 

The Junior team is also requesting donations of cases of bottled water--and pens--for the trip.

 

Monday, November 13

 

• Freshman Check-In: Please arrive by 7:30 a.m. at the PERC! The Freshman team reminds families that check-in could take between ½ to 1 hour.

  • Freshman Team Travel Presentation

Friday, November 10, is the deadline to submit medication to our campus Nurse, Crystal Schweers! If you know your students will need access to prescribed medications during travel week, it is imperative to provide medications and medical information to our nurse! More detailed information about procedures--including items we CANNOT accept is outlined on THIS medical information form.

On Monday, November 6th, ISA seniors will have the opportunity to take senior portraits on-campus in the PERC. Seniors who have not taken a portrait or scheduled an appointment will have the opportunity during Ms. Prado’s class. This opportunity will also serve as this year’s yearbook photo. Seniors can still make portrait appointments at the Prestige Studio, and the deadline for portraits to be included in the yearbook is in January 2024.

Also on Monday, November 6th, Students of Service (SOS) will host Long Bridge to Freedom featuring former prison guard Christo Brand who will reflect on his  friendship with Nelson Mandela. Mr. Brand will also participate in a panel discussion with SOS students that will include ISA senior, Michael Frere! The Long Bridge to Freedom is FREE and OPEN to the public but ticket reservations are required. This event will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the Carver Cultural Center (226 N. Hackberry St., 78202). FREE tickets can be reserved HERE or by pasting this URL in the browser of your choice: https://givebutter.com/GKOj4g. 

 

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, NEISD will host a College & Career Expo in Expo Hall 2 at the Freeman Coliseum (3201 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78219). Click on THIS flier for more information!

 

The ISA Amigos will host their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the ISA Flex Space (S-103). Join us to discuss upcoming events for ISA students like MUNSA! Please park in the visitor parking lot in front of the main LEE Main Building. All parents of ISA students are welcome to join us! Spirit items, like sweatshirts, tee shirts and beanie caps will also be available before or after the Amigos meeting for any families needing last minute items for travel week. 

Friday, November 10th concludes the payment window for AP Exams! AP Exams can be paid for by credit card through Skyward: Student Access--not Family Access. HERE are instructions about how to submit payment. Cash payments for AP Exams are also acceptable. Students can submit cash payments in the LEE Counseling Office! 

Our Campus PTSA would like to share the following updates with the ISA Community. Click HERE to learn more!

 

ISA junior, Lorenzo Milk, would like to share information about the Great Debate, a four-day summer debate program hosted by the National Hispanic Institute (NHI). Many ISA students count themselves among NHI Alumni, and the Great Debate focuses on growing students’ public speaking skills, college readiness, and cultural awareness. Financial assistance is available for the Great Debate program applicants and Hispanic lineage is not required to apply! Interested families/students can submit THIS form, and Lorenzo is available to answer questions by contacting him at lorenzoamild8@gmail.com!

 

On Saturday, November 11th, the LEE High School Band hosts their annual BBQ Fundraiser! If you secured your BBQ plate by purchasing a ticket from the band, we will see you in the LEE cafeteria on Saturday!

Looking ahead, and during travel week, CIEE is hosting a CIEE summer 2024 Global Navigator Virtual Fair! Students and families interested in these powerful summer exchange experiences can register HERE!

When we return from the Thanksgiving Holiday, MUNSA XXVIII: Unity will be nearly one month away. As this year’s secretariat continues to prepare for this year’s conference at Trinity University, we want to share how proud we are of these student leaders and our MUNSA sponsor’s, Catherine Polk and Willa Rubin, who have guided the secretariat in planning this year’s experience. This year’s MUNSA is scheduled to be the largest attended conference in the 28 year history, and we are excited for what is in store in early January!

Upon return on Monday, November 27th, the end of the first semester will be three weeks away. As we begin to plan for the end of the semester, students and families will soon receive information about how to request semester exam exemptions. The First Semester Exam Bell Schedule can be found HERE. 

 

The NEISD Exam Exemption Policy contains important differences from previous years. Key pieces of the policy of which to be aware 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.

 

If you have questions about the information contained in the above link that also contains an FAQ, please contact us at smagad@neisd.net or dgauna@neisd.net. 

 

Finally, Tuesday, November 7, is Election Day, and again this year, a student and staff holiday! We look forward to seeing students on Monday and again on Wednesday after the election day holiday.

 

Have a great week!

 

Sincerely,

 

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty