ALA Community Update

February 17th Holiday

As a reminder, Monday, February 17th is a district-wide holiday for all students and staff. The overview of all of our school holidays can always be found on our 2024-2025 Instructional Calendar for ALA Euclid and ALA Tech.

Registration for 25-26 School Year

Registration for the 25-26 school opens on Monday, February 24th. Make sure your student is registered by using the following steps:

• Got to saisd.net/enroll

• Select “returning student”

• Login using your previous credentials

• If you are having issues logging in, select “Account Lookup”

• If you do not have access to Avela or are having issues logging in, please reach out to your Campus Clerk:

• Euclid: Ce’nese Wooten (cwooten1@saisd.net)

• Tech: Brenda Cantu (bcantu2@saisd.net)

Please note: It is crucial to fill out the registration form completely and accurately. Please ensure all information is up-to-date.

9th Grade South Texas Travel Experience

Our 9th graders will be traveling to South Texas on Tuesday morning as part of their annual travel experience. Field trips and travel experiences continue to be a core component of an ALA education, and we could not offer these enriching opportunities without the support of our teachers, families, SAISD and the CAST Network. We wish all our students and teachers a wonderful learning experience in South Texas this week and look forward to their return this upcoming Friday!

SAISD Food Bank Distribution:

• Date: February 20th

• Time: 11:00 am until food runs out

• Location: Margil Elementary School

SAISD Family Survey

ALA is excited to invite you to participate in this year’s Family Survey! This survey gives you the opportunity to tell us about your child’s school experiences and your experiences with the school as a parent. All survey responses are confidential and will not be linked back to you. Please visit www.saisd.net/familysurvey to complete the survey from February 3 - March 21.

SAISD Parent Field Trip

FACE is planning a special field trip to Austin on Thursday, February 27, 2025, where parents will learn how state decisions impact our schools and students. This is a great opportunity to see the legislative process in action!

Trip Details:

📅 Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025

🕗 Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

📍 Meet at: SAISD Central Office – Quincy Building (514 W. Quincy)

🚌 Departure: 8:00 a.m. | Return: 4:30 p.m.

How to Sign Up:

✅ RSVP by Friday, February 21 using this link:

🔗 RSVP Here

Want to Learn More?

We’ll go over trip details and a quick overview of the legislation at our next DPAC Zoom meeting on Wednesday, February 26, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. We encourage all attendees to join!

Reach out to Chris Escobar, cescobar1@saisd.net, 210-554-2205, with any questions.

ALA PTSA

ALA-PTSA would like to invite you to their monthly coffee talk on Wednesday, Feb 19th, from 8:00-9:00am at Extra Fine - Monte Vista, located at 138 E Mistletoe. ALA-PTSA's General Meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb 20th, at 5:00pm at the BibliotechEDU, located at 626 N. Flores. Please arrive early as the parking lot might be under construction; there is parking across the street on Flores or at Central Library.

Miles for Smiles

Miles for Smile will be here on Wednesday, February 19th. Please contact Nurse Jacqui for any questions.

Pre-K Forever Pet Shop

Our Pre-K students will be exploring a local pet shop this week for their PBL. Students will be leaving campus around 9:30 and returning by 11:30, they will eat lunch at their normal time on campus. Each class will attend on a different day.

• Tuesday 2/18 - Mrs. Tegeler’s Class

• Wednesday 2/19 - Miss Cristina’s Class

• Thursday 2/20- Mrs. Morales’ Class

Pre-K Pet Shop Family Night

Pre-K families are invited to visit our classrooms on Thursday, 2/20, from 4:30-6pm. Each classroom will have a “pet shop” theme that will serve as research for our current PBL. This event will help adults actively engage your child in conversation, stimulate

your child’s creativity and promote deeper thinking by requiring more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

TELPAS Testing

Our Emergent Bilingual 2nd and 3rd grade parents have been invited to learn more about the TELPAS test during an information session held at the Euclid campus this week. This is a great opportunity to learn about what the test measures, how to help our students prepare and learn about the benefits of the exam. Our TELPAS test is fast approaching for our Emergent Bilingual students at ALA Euclid; please reach out to Mrs. Cantu with any questions at acantu2@saisd.net.

Village A and Village B PBL Field Trips

Due to the weather this past week, our PBL field trip for Village A and Village B were postponed and have now been rescheduled. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher through seesaw or email Ms. Alanna at apikla1@saisd.net .

Rising 8th graders (current 7th graders for 24-25)

Start your Spanish camino early and sign up for Spanish 1 your 8th grade year (25-26). If your student speaks and/or understands Spanish, we can give them a placement test in August 2025 to place them in the correct level. ALA offers dual credit (earning HS & college credit) starting 9th grade year. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Passant at cpassant1@saisd.net.

4th/5th grade PBL Cosmic Exhibition

Join us on Thursday, February 27th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM @ ALA Tech, behind the learning staircase, for an exciting showcase of creativity, discovery, and hard work!

• Hear student narratives as they share their thrilling survival stories on the planets they’ve researched.

• Explore student research folders and journals, filled with fascinating details about outer space, planetary conditions, and discoveries.

• Witness their epic skills and dedication as they unveil the planets they’ve designed and built from the ground up!

This stellar event promises to be an unforgettable journey through the cosmos—don't miss the chance to see our young explorers bring their worlds to life!

5th Grade Fundraiser

Sweeten Your Week & Support Our 5th Graders! During the week of February 24th, our amazing 5th graders will be selling delicious lollipops to raise money for their annual bowling field trip and 5th-grade celebration! These tasty treats come from OLD FASHION CANDY CO., INC., so you know they’re a classic favorite! Lollipops are just $1 and $2 each! Buy a lollipop (or a few!) and help make unforgettable memories for our 5th graders!

Current 8th Graders: Looking for Future Swimmers!

Any 8th Grade students who would like to join the Tech High School Swim Team or Water Polo Team in the 25/26 school year should contact Coach Willing @ lwillling1@saisd.net

Yearbook News

The ALA Fox Tech Yearbook is in development. If your child uses a different first name than what is listed in Frontline, please complete this form to indicate the preferred name for the yearbook. Don't forget to order a copy at this link! Order before April to get two extra customizable pages! Be sure to change the year to 24-25 if you have ordered in the past. If you have questions about the yearbook, reach out to Laura Sisson at lsisson@saisd.net.

Nest Curriculum

ALA Counselors will be implementing the Nest Child Safety Basics/SB9 Curriculum for grades 4-12. This program is designed to educate students about personal safety, boundaries, and how to seek help from trusted adults. These lessons are developmentally appropriate and aim to empower students with skills to protect themselves in various situations. This program aligns with Texas Senate Bill 9, which requires schools to offer education on child safety and prevention of abuse, family violence, and human trafficking. To see the curriculum overview, please click the link. Curriculum Overview

If you prefer for your child not to participate, you may opt them out of the lessons. To opt your child out of the Nest Child Safety Basics/SB9 Curriculum, please fill out the google form linked here or complete the Opt-out Letter linked HERE and return it to the front office by February 24, 2025. Students who do not participate will be provided with an alternative educational activity during the lesson time.

Black History Month Celebrations for 4th-12th Grade

The ALA Black Student Union is excited to celebrate Black History Month throughout February! The students have organized a variety of events that highlight Black history, culture, and provide opportunities for community building across our campus. Our ALA Tech students have dedicated significant time and effort to curating this month-long celebration.

Here is the calendar that outlines all of our events for February. On February 25, we will be hosting our biggest event of the month—a celebration that will highlight the creativity, talent, and hard work of our students! More details will be sent out in the coming weeks.

We look forward to seeing all students participate in these exciting and meaningful events!

Junior/Senior Corner

Check out this week’s Junior/Senior Corner Update here. This will be the weekly communication hub for all upcoming events and notifications for our 11th and 12th grade families. Reach out to Ryan Maney (rmaney1@saisd.net) with any questions.

• MS Cross Country
• Congratulations to our MS Cross Country teams on their wins at Saturday's ASL Zone Meet
• Girls- First Place
• Boys- Second Place
• Both teams have qualified to attend the District Meet where they will compete against the 1st and 2nd place teams from each zone (six in total). Thank you Coach Procelle for all your planning and dedication to our ALA athletes.

• Cross Country (Co-Ed.):
• Saturday, Feb. 22 @ 8:00 am; MS Cross Country District Meet: Conception Park 600 Theo Pkwy SATX 78210
• Contact Coach Proscelle @ bproscelle1@saisd.net




The next Middle School (7th & 8th) sports seasons will begin Feb. 28th. If your athlete has not completed the Rank One Forms or Physical, please submit to Coach Birmingham by Feb. 28@ jbirmingham@saisd.net.

• Girls Basketball Coach Brown @ tbrown8@saisd.net
• Boys Soccer Coach Sanchez @ ssanchez5@saisd.net

ALA Tech Theatre Updates & Celebrations

Our ALA theatre department has been very busy, and we have A LOT of great news to share today! First of all, last weekend, our middle school theatre troupe performed for the district contest and won several awards: First Place Play, 2 Best Performers, 1 All Star Cast and 1 Best Tech. We are so proud of our middle school performers and technicians, and we hope that you attend their community performance on March 6th (more info next week on this event).

Our high school performers also attended a One Act Play clinic and festival in Wimberley Texas. Two of our actors won All Star Cast and 1 won an Honorable Mention All Star Cast Award! Additionally, we have 9 students going to Nationals for their design and performance work! Students won in the areas of Playwriting, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Hair and Makeup Design, Dramatic Monologues and Solo Musical awards. We are VERY excited about attending nationals in the summer. We will showcase these events at our Senior Banquet in May (more info on this later too!).

Our ALA/Cast Tech Theatre Department is hosting a Pet Supply Drive! Boxes will be in the ALA office and the Theatre throughout February and until Spring Break! We would love your help in gathering pet food and snacks, gently used or new pet toys, pet blankets and beds. Please send these items as soon as you can!

Gifted and Talented Testing

Students may be referred to the Gifted and Talented program between Tuesday, February 18, 2025 and Friday, February 28, 2025. Students that are referred will be tested between March 18, 2025 and March 28, 2025. Please click on the link to view the GT Referral Process flyer. Any parent or guardian can refer their student for the GT program by clicking on this LINK. The gifted and talented Universal Screener CogAT Test for 4th and 5th grade students that are new to ALA will also take place in March. Contact Ms. Irasema Martinez with questions regarding the Gifted and Talented program for your ALA @ Tech student (4th-12th grade) at imartinez6@saisd.net.

ALA @ Euclid

A gifted and talented screener for all 1st grade students will occur in March. The assessments will be administered between March 18, 2025 to March 28, 2025 for 1st graders. If you do not want your child to be assessed, please complete the electronic form using THIS LINK. by February

28, 2025 or Contact Ms. Natalie Walker with questions regarding the GT program for your ALA Euclid student (Kinder-3rd grade). Independent from these screeners, any parent or guardian can refer their student for the GT program by clicking on this LINK.

Each link below has a drop down at the top to select the menu view (either breakfast or lunch). Dinner is offered but not pictured in either menu.

ECE = PreK menu

Academy = Kinder - 8th grade menu

Special Campus = High School menu (9th-12th grade only)

If an ALA family is not receiving the Community Update, please ensure they have not unsubscribed to School Messenger (the SAISD communication platform used to send out messages and emails) and also check their junk email. Families are also welcome to email their campus Operations Clerk for additional assistance, Brenda Cantu (bcantu2@saisd.net) at ALA Tech or Ce’nese Wooten (cwooten1@saisd.net) at ALA Euclid.