We’ve made it to the last week of the fall semester—how exciting! Winter break is almost here. Please take a moment to read the important info about semester exams below. Let’s finish strong together!

Parents/Guardians - We will be administering midterms soon. The last couple of days are half days. Buses will run before school starts at the regular time and again at midday (after students have a quick moment to grab a sack lunch if needed). On Thursday, December 19, students will be taking their 3rd and 4th period exams. This is also a half day with all students being dismissed at 1:00 PM. Since 4th period is our lunch period, students with transportation can be dismissed after third period which ends that day at 10:57. Students without transportation will need to report to the cafeteria until normal dismissal at 1:00 PM when bus transportation will be available to those who normally ride the bus. Attendance is mandatory for all exams. See the calendar section for the semester exam schedule. There are no semester exam exemptions.

Comm Arts is hosting Attendance Recovery in the LGI December 19th and 20th from 1-4 pm. Students, please bring something productive to do, like a book to read.

Students, please keep checking your grades and attendance. Report Cards will be available via HAC on January 14th.

Magnet school applications are open! If you have family members, friends, or neighbors who would would be a great fit of Comm Arts, please share our application. Thank you!

Application link HERE

Hi Commies! For December, our Book Club will be hosting a book donation drive. You can donate any new or used books that you no longer read. All donations can be left in the box in the front foyer. These donations will all be given to local charities collecting books to give to people in need for the holiday season. We appreciate all donations!!!

Graduation dates were announced last week. Comm Arts/Taft High School graduation is June 3rd at 9:30 am. For more information, click HERE.

Make sure you order in a timely manner. Graduation items will be ready for pick up on April 25, 2025. Our cap and gown are white. For those who just want to order the cap and gown, click here.

Students, you can find a new tutoring support system in your NISD portal.

Varsity Tutoring offers:

• 24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring (including AP courses)
• On-Demand Essay Review
• Live Enrichment Classes
• Test Prep Classes (ACT, SAT, GED, etc), Academic Classes (study halls, algebra bootcamps, etc) and Enrichment Classes (languages, robotics, chess, etc)

Don't forget to check it out!

A student enrolled in courses earning high school credit (full-year or semester) may be exempt from the spring semester exam if the following criteria are met:

1. For the Spring semester, the student has three or fewer absences, excluding school business absences; (Spring semester begins January 7, 2025)
2. The student’s final average for the spring semester is 80 or higher;
3. The student’s conduct grade in that class is satisfactory or better; and
4. The student is in attendance during the scheduled exam time.

A student who is eligible for exemption may take the exam if desired.

Exam Weight: The two graded quarters of each semester shall weigh 90 percent of the semester grade, and the semester exam shall weigh 10 percent of the semester grade. If a student is exempt from the semester exam, the semester grade shall be calculated using only the two grade quarters of the semester.

Adobe Creative Suite Software at Home for Personal Devices

ComArts CTE students, please remember that you can download and install Adobe Creative Suite software onto your personal laptops and computers (not Chromebooks) for FREE using your NISD student login credentials. Use the attached instructions for guidance. Keep in mind that the Adobe software version installed at home will be a newer version than what is available at school. Please get in touch with your Communications teacher (Cleveland, Villarreal, Sabogal, or Flores) if you have questions.

House Bill 121 requires school districts in Texas to implement a dating violence policy that includes awareness education for students. As a result, counselors visited students in their Health courses to enrich a lesson about Healthy Relationships. The objective was to teach students about Healthy vs. Unhealthy characteristics in a relationship, emphasizing how to handle and exit unhealthy relationships. Students were captivated and engaged in different discussions and activities that solidified their understanding of healthy relationships.

Continuing Reminders:

Seniors, please continue to focus on meeting those college application deadlines. This is a friendly reminder that no one will be available to write letters of recommendation or process college applications or transcript requests over the winter break. Please plan accordingly.

Students, semester exams are around the corner. For some, it may be a stressful or highly anxious time, so prepare yourself ahead of time to reduce any test-taking anxieties. Here are a few things you can do:

• Create a study plan.
• Revisit your notes.
• Create or join study groups, and/or talk to your teacher about any concepts you may still need clarification on or help with.

Here’s a short video to help you be at your best:

Teens: My Self-Care

Tips for Good Mental Health

You may also find the following helpful:

How to Study for Finals and Midterm Exams

11th to 12th-grade registration:

January 10th (Friday)

• Counselors will meet with 11th graders through Ms. Barrera's classes to review the courses and course selection. 12th-grade planning guides will go home so students and parents can review and participate in the course selection decision-making process.

January 13-17th (Monday-Friday)

• Counselors will meet outside Mr. Rosser's classroom to distribute Rank and GPA and register 11th graders for their senior year courses one-on-one.

Current Seniors

January 27th-31st (Monday-Friday)

• Counselors will meet outside of Daverns's classes to distribute final Rank, GPA, and graduation audits with seniors.

10th to 11th grade registration:

February 7th (Friday)

• Counselors will meet with 10th graders through Mr. Polinard's classes to review the course selection. 11th-grade planning guides will go home so students and parents can review and participate in the course selection decision-making process.

February 10th-14th (Monday-Friday)

• Counselors will meet outside Mr. Harris's classroom to distribute Rank and GPA and register 11th graders for their senior year courses one-on-one.

9th to 10th grade registration:

February 14th (Friday)

• Counselors will meet with 9th graders through Mr. Hernandez's classes to review the course selection. 10th-grade planning guides will go home so students and parents can review and participate in the course selection decision-making process.

February 18th-21st (Tuesday-Friday)

• Counselors will meet outside Ms. Velasquez's classroom to distribute Rank and GPA and register 9th graders for their 10th-grade year courses one-on-one.

The Dual Credit Program allows eligible students, grades 9-12, to take college-level courses at no cost and earn college credit through Northwest Vista College while concurrently enrolled in the equivalent high school course. Students can earn up to 42 college credits that may be transferred to Texas public colleges and universities and some private and out-of-state universities.

All students interested in the Dual Credit Program for the FIRST time next school year must complete the Dual Credit Interest Google form. Completing this Google form does NOT qualify a student for dual credit enrollment but simply indicates an interest.

Attend BigFuture® Scholarships Week to learn the best strategies to plan for life after high school—and to hear the inside scoop on qualifying for monthly scholarship drawings.

Students can request a fee waiver directly from College Board. Eligible students can receive SAT fee waiver benefits by logging in to their College Board account and submitting a request. Learn more on the College Board website.

If you wish to sign up for an exam, there is an additional $40 late fee. Each exam cost $40. Those with free & reduced, exam costs are $10.

Reminder: All My School Bucks School Store products will be disabled during NISD's Winter Break and Spring Break

Click HERE to order your pictures online. Use either your student ID or picture Day ID: EVT4KQVBF

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

Our Verification of Enrollment (VOE) is available digitally. The VOE form is used for driver's permits and licenses. Use the Google Form to request a copy.

Mission: Our school promotes curiosity while providing rigorous academics in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Vision: Communications Arts H.S. students will be confident, capable, communicative leaders.

Email: cahs@nisd.net

Attendance Email: CAHS.attendance@nisd.net
Website: https://www.nisd.net/communicationsarts
Location: 11600 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78253, USA
Phone: (210) 397-6043
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunicationsArtsHighSchool/
X: @NISDComArts