Dear ISA Families,

This week is National School Counseling Week! We celebrate two of our most important, supportive humans on campus this week! Romelle Carraway and Natalie Stridde work daily to meet ISA student’s needs and not a day passes when students are not receiving support in the ISA counseling office. Ms. Carraway and Ms. Stridde have spent a great deal of time learning about how each of our students is unique while caring for the social and emotional needs of everyone. On behalf of the ISA community, we send our thanks and appreciation to Ms. Carraway and Ms. Stridde for the compassion and expertise that they contribute daily!

Early tomorrow morning (5:30 am check-in), ISA seniors will meet teachers and chaperones at the San Antonio Airport to kick-off their ISA travel experience as they head to Washington, D.C.! Our seniors travel to a city with deep historical and political roots that plays host to a diverse international community. Our seniors will experience D.C. first hand through the lens of a chosen public policy topic over the next week and bring their research experience back to San Antonio to finalize their public policy projects. Safe travels and great learning to our seniors this week!

Also on Monday, the ISA Lottery Application for the Class of 2028 will close at midnight! Current 8th graders interested in applying to be part of our newest Globie class must submit a complete application prior to the deadline. While the siblings of current ISA students do receive an automatic invitation to join our new 9th grade class, siblings must complete an application. Families who are drawn in the lottery will be notified on Wednesday, February 21, 2024! We look forward to welcoming our newest Globlies soon! The application is available HERE and on the ISA website.

In the fall, ISA was identified to administer a Spring Stand-alone Field test. On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, ISA sophomores will sit for an ELA II STAAR EOC field test. This administration will provide TEA with important assessment data. We ask that our sophomores get a good night’s rest on Monday and come to school ready to do their best on Tuesday!

Also on Tuesday, the window opens to submit AP Exam payment for second semester AP courses (AP Comp. Govt. and AP Psychology). The window closes on March 5th and credit card payment can be submitted through Skyward:  Student Access--not Family Access. HERE are instructions about how to submit payment. Cash payments can be submitted to Ms. Schramm in the LEE Counseling Office.

In addition to the above information, Ms. Schramm sent information on Tuesday, January 30th about upcoming events for Juniors and Seniors! Here are some highlights:

• Senior families can get support on completing the FAFSA in the Library MPR from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on February 15th, 20th, and 22nd.

• Seniors who wish to inquire about an existing TSIA requirement for their college/university can email Ms. Schramm at cshra@neisd.net. 

• Juniors are scheduled to take an in-school SAT on March 19, 2024.

Thursday this week, February 8th, the ISA Amigos Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. in the Flex Space (S-103). Attendees can park in front of the LEE Main Entryway. All are welcome!

ISA still has space available for our travel experience to Takayama, Japan this summer! We plan to travel from June 11 - 26, 2024. This international travel experience will include a homestay with families from our sister campus Takayama Nishi High School and a visit to Tokyo! Students learning Japanese or who are interested in Japanese culture will love this immersive cultural experience. The trip cost of $4,000 per student includes flights, in-country transportation, lodging, and cultural experiences. Committed families can submit THIS interest form and send a $500 cash or check deposit to the ISA Main Office to reserve your student’s spot on this once in a lifetime experience. If you have any questions please reach out to Grayson Bull at gbull@neisd.net.

ISA also plans to host students from our sister school Frankfurt, Germany! As we prepare for this two-way exchange in March, we want to thank ISA families who have committed to host an exchange student in their homes! We are also looking for one more host family for a female student. The ideal family also has no pets and is an ISA junior or senior family. If your family fits the need and is interested in hosting a student from March 20-30, 2024, please submit your information on THIS Google Form!

Yearbooks are on sale NOW! Students won’t want to miss the hard work and dedication of effort documenting 2023-2024. Reserve your copy of this year’s Legacy by viewing THIS flier!

Looking ahead, LEE Dance will be hosting a virtual tryout meeting on February 21, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Drill and Dance tryouts will be on March 19-22. Students may click HERE for a flier with more information and a QR for the virtual  meeting. Please contact Christina Alanis at calani@neisd.net with any questions.

Finally, ISA junior and senior families are invited to mark your calendar for student exhibitions on Thursday, February 29, 2024! These presentations will share student learning outcomes from our class travel experiences to Alabama and Washington, D.C.! Follow this update for more information about locations and times.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Steve Magadance and the ISA Faculty