Sunday, April 1, 2018

Dear Advanced Learning Academy Families,

On Monday, April 2nd  and Tuesday, April 3rd, our K-3 students will visit the wax museum as part of their Wax Museum PBL about influential figures.  Students will be creating their own wax museum to educate community members during a May exhibition. We wish our students a great learning experience!

Ms. Scharf, ALA at Fox Tech counselor, has begun working with students on selecting classes for next year, starting with the high school upperclassmen.  Please check with your 8th, 10th, or 11th grade student if they have a choice sheet with them for you to review, finalize, and sign. The forms are due as soon as possible. Also, Dual Credit Parent Consent Forms (linked) were sent home with rising 9th-12th graders who will be taking Spanish 2, 3, or 4 next year.  These students are eligible to earn concurrent high school and college Spanish credit through our partnership with San Antonio College.  Please return these dual credit forms to Ms. Scharf or an ALA Spanish teacher no later than Friday, April 6th. High school students interested in taking dual credit Spanish 2, 3, or 4 for next year have filled out their applyTexas document for college enrollment.  Additionally, they have been given a parent permission form that is due Wednesday, April 11th.

On Friday, Dina Toland will be traveling to Bedford, Texas with an ALA 5th grader, one of only five in city, for the Texas State Geography Bee! We are very proud to have a state finalist in only our 2nd year.  Many thanks to Dina Toland for sponsoring this club and competition for students!

Next Saturday, April 7th, is the 6th Annual San Antonio Book Festival at the Central Library from 9 am-5 pm.  Free parking will be available to ALA and all SAISD families at the Fox Tech Campus.  We hope to see many of you there as we build and strengthen a reading culture at our school and throughout our city!

Congratulations to two of our high school ALA theatre design crew members.  Their costume designs have advanced to state for the final round of competition.  Their art work and the awards ceremony will be held at the Raymond E. Hartfield Performing Arts Center on April 23rd -26th.  Not only will their work be part of the gallery event during the state meet, these students will attend the awards ceremony and also be able to participate in a master class/design workshop with career professional theatre designers.  The project designs by all of the ALA tech students are on display for one more week in the theatre building if you would like to come by and see their amazing art.

On Saturday, April 7th, the 8th, 9th and 10th/11th grade teams will be hosting a  Saturday School ahead of the upcoming STAAR and AP testing. All students are encouraged to attend.  Please see the ALA Community Calendar for times.

Sincerely,

Kathy Bieser

Sunday, March25, 2018

Dear Dear Advanced Learning Academy Families,

On Friday, March 23,  ALA sent home detailed instructions on how to complete the online registration process for the 2018-2019 school year. This year, families will be able to re-enroll students completely online, using a computer, smartphone or tablet. Should you need assistance or access to a computer for online registration, ALA will have computers available for returning families in the office at ALA @ Euclid and ALA @ Fox Tech. Families may also contact the SAISD Office of Access and Enrollment for assistance. Parents are invited to come in person to the Pickett Parent Center, located at 1931 E. Houston St., or contact the office by telephone at (210) 554-2660, by text message at (210) 309-3259, or by email at enroll@saisd.net. We ask that families complete the online registration no later than Friday, April 20.  If you can not locate the registration form sent home, you may pick up a copy in the ALA office.  

We have many ALA students to congratulate this week! First, all nine of our middle school UIL participants placed in the top three in their events bringing home medals.  In the high school competition, an ALA student won in social studies, and will be advancing to the 

regional competition at UTSA in April. Second, we learned this week that two  ALA students are State Qualifier for the UIL Theatrical Design Contest in Costume Design. (If you would like to see the costume and set design work of the 8th-11th grade ALA students, it is on exhibit in the theatre all week.) Many thanks to Nathan Dupont, Laura Sisson, Deana Schattel, Pete Kohrs, Galen McQuillen, Deana Beltran, and Amy Stengel for helping to prepare students and accompanying them to competitions.   

Beginning on Wednesday, March 28, ALA 6th and 7th grade is once again partnering with Gemini Ink to offer students the opportunity to work with a resident writer after school from 4:15-5:15pm. The poetry workshop runs weekly through May 16th, and a few seats are still available. Interested families may reach out to Dina Toland at dtoland1@saisd.net for more information.

As a reminder, Friday, March 30, is a student and staff holiday.  School will resume on Monday, April 2.

Sincerely,

Kathy Bieser

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Dear Advanced Learning Academy Families,

On Thursday, March 22, we will  host a 4th-11th Report Card and Exhibition Night on our Fox Tech campus from 5pm-6:30pm to distribute report cards and celebrate student learning. A food truck will also be on site for any families wishing to purchase dinner. After picking up the report card and viewing the student exhibitions, the community is invited to attend a performance of Gathering Blue from 7:00-7:45pm in the ALA theatre.  All families are invited to attend! Report cards for our Euclid campus will be sent home with students.

On Friday, March 23,  ALA will also send home detailed instructions on how to complete the online registration process for the 2018-2019 school year. This year, families will be able to re-enroll students completely online, using a computer, smartphone or tablet. Should you need assistance or access to a computer for online registration, ALA will have computers available for returning families in the office at ALA @ Euclid and ALA @ Fox Tech. Families may also contact the SAISD Office of Access and Enrollment for assistance. Parents are invited to come in person to the Pickett Parent Center, located at 1931 E. Houston St., or contact the office by telephone at (210) 554-2660, by text message at (210) 309-3259, or by email at enroll@saisd.net. We ask that families complete the online registration no later than Friday, April 20.  

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Kathy Bieser

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Dear Advanced Learning Academy Families,

It is hard to believe that with the end of the 3rd nine-weeks this Friday, we will officially be three-fourths of the way through the 17-18 school year.  After our March 12th-16th spring break, we will host a 4th-11th Report Card and Exhibition Night on our Fox Tech campus from 5pm-6:30pm to distribute report cards and celebrate student learning.  Report cards for our Euclid campus will be sent home with students.

As we head into the last five days before spring break, we want to remind our Euclid families that parking along Euclid in the afternoons is not permitted. Please park in one of the parking lots or along Marshall making sure to leave the bus lane open. Parking along Euclid in the afternoon hinders the dismissal process and causes congestion for families who are picking up.

At both the Euclid and Fox Tech campus, this is the last week to check the lost and found for jackets, coats, and any other items that you might be missing. Any items still remaining on Friday, March 9th will be donated. We ask that you write your child’s name on coats, jackets, sweaters, water bottles and lunch boxes so that we may return items to them in the event the item is misplaced.

Finally, we want to share these resources from Region 20 including free workshops and summer programs for students.

Please look for the next update on Sunday, March 19th.

Sincerely,

Kathy Bieser