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Community Update for November 12

Dear ISA Families,

 

By the time this update arrives in your inbox, six charter buses will be several hours into ISA’s fall travel experiences! ISA sophomores will be on their way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and ISA juniors will be headed to Birmingham, Alabama, by way of Baton Rouge, Louisiana! We have one more departure scheduled for this week. On Monday November 13th, ISA ninth graders will depart for Houston, Texas, and check-in information is below:

 

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.

ISA’s Travel Experiences have been a part of our community’s culture for nearly two decades, and these experiences help ISA students and faculty live out the pillars of the ISA Graduate Profile. Through travel, our students have opportunities to Investigate the World, Identify and weigh multiple perspectives, Develop and communicate their ideas, and--through our community developed travel curricula--Take action to address global problems. We believe that this kind of experience makes ISA truly unique in the education community and we are excited to continue this work with our students! 

 

While we travel, recruiting season continues in NEISD. On Monday, November 13th, a team of ISA Ambassadors will visit Bradley Middle School. Visit us in the cafeteria from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., or send your friends who are interested in ISA to visit and learn more about what it means to be a Globie! The Lottery Application for the ISA Class of 2028 is available HERE, and our next on-campus Shadowing Day is scheduled for November 30, 2023!

HERE is an update on upcoming initiatives and events for the LEE Campus PTSA!

Looking ahead, 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 MUNSA at Trinity University, the ISA Amigos are also preparing to support this major event by stocking and staffing the MUNSA Sponsor hospitality space! The Amigos are requesting volunteers and donations to make this a welcoming space for the teacher sponsors of each visiting delegation. Keep up with this update and ISA grade-level Facebook Groups for a sign-up!

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. 

 

This Friday, November 17, 2023, marks the end of the 6th week of the second grading quarter. Progress reports will be posted in Skyward: Family Access by the end of the week of November 27th. ISA will be closed from Monday, November 20th through November 24th, during the Thanksgiving Break. Also, this update will take a brief hiatus during Thanksgiving. The next update will arrive on Sunday, November 26, 2023!

 

Finally, I want to share a heartfelt thank you to the entire ISA Community for the trust, patience, and grace extended to the professionals in our small school. We have weathered experiences that are uncommon in our halls this semester. As a leader, colleague, and parent, I continue to be amazed by the calm and care our teachers and staff give students, and I am equally impressed with the same calm our students can demonstrate. Witnessing these behaviors in person and through the eyes of professionals gives me a great sense of gratitude for our school and for our future.

 

Have a great week and a safe, restful break!

 

Sincerely,

 

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty