Pony Express

Thank you for a fantastic first semester! Our sports teams have enjoyed winning seasons, and with the continued growth in Fine Arts enrollments, more Mustangs than ever are exploring and excelling in enrichment electives. We're proud to share that our overall attendance rates have increased, which aligns with positive trends in student performance, MAP growth, and a decrease in discipline data.

Here are some important updates for the week:

• End of Semester Grade Posting
  Teachers will finalize and post grades on Tuesday, December 19th.

• Special End-of-Semester Schedule
  On Friday, December 20th, we will celebrate the semester with two exciting events:

1. Student Performances – Mustangs will showcase their talents for their peers.

2. Student vs. Staff Volleyball Game – A fun-filled playoff challenge between Mustangs and staff.
   Parents and caregivers are welcome to join us for these events. The schedule is provided below.

• Winter Holiday Break
  Winter Break begins on Saturday, December 21st, and runs through Monday, January 6th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 7th.

As we close the semester, we want to express our gratitude for your continued support and partnership. We wish you a joyful, restful, and safe holiday season. Let’s come back in January refreshed and ready to make the spring semester even more successful!

Happy Holidays!

☮️, ❤️, and 🐴’s,

Marlo Malott

7:15 -- Jazz Band

5th period STIR time- always have a book with you

ACES Schedule- Mario Cart, Door Decorating Contest, Outside Time

6:00 Choir and Guitar Winter Concert

Girls Basketball Playoff Games

• 6:00 7A Girls Basketball vs. Gorzycki @ GMS
• 7:00 8A Girls Basketball vs. Small @Smalt

Tuesday, 12/17-B Day

ACES Schedule- Mario Cart, Door Decorating Contest, Outside Time

Wednesday, 12/18 -A day

ACES Schedule- Mario Cart, Door Decorating Contest, Outside Time

Thursday, 12/19- B Day

7:30 Student FCA in Big Gym

ACES Schedule- Mario Cart, Door Decorating Contest, Outside Time

TBD-- Girls Basketball Championship Games

Friday, 12/20- - SPECIAL ACES DAY

See the Schedule Below

WE are excited to announce that we have decided to open up the O. Henry NJHS chapter to 7th graders (and eligible 8th graders) this year. We are going to have a mid-year application process for interested students.

NEW NJHS Applicants-- check out the Link about NJHS and the application OR Students can self-enroll in the Blend course Application at this URL: https://aisdblend.instructure.com/enroll/D9EBFT

SAVE THE DATE

NJHS induction ceremony will be Thursday, Jan 30th at 6:00pm

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. White - Becky.White@austinisd.org.

January 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th

4:00 pm - 5:15 pm

Mustang Families, we are planning to host a grief and loss group for O. Henry students beginning on Friday, December 6th. If you would like your student to be part of this group, or would like more information, please email ivy.claflin@austinisd.org (OHMS counselor).

Meet our Mustangs- You will have a chance each week to meet two members of our Mustang Family.

🌟Parent involvement is what makes a school GREAT!

Office Volunteers: The staff would love any amount of time you are able to help out! SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER IN THE OFFICE or email Brooke Salman (brookesalman@gmail.com ) with any questions.

Mustang Mall Volunteers: Mustang Mall sells OHMS supplies and swag in the cafeteria during lunch and needs volunteers. If you are interested, please email jennasilvers@me.com.

MANY thanks to the parents who have helped with the campus tours:

Holly Lanham, Jennifer Pac, Meg Rein, Brooke Salman, Pam Roberts, Jarod Neece

• December 17 - Mustang Council (CAC) Meeting - 4pm - AISD implementation supervisor to speak at the meeting. Future plans and changes for our building will be discussed. All are welcome.
• December 23 - January 6 - NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK
• January 15 - Course Fair Night 5:30 - 7pm - Any prospective and interested students and families are invited to this come and go event. Students will preview course sheets and be able to talk to teachers and students enrolled in courses. Mustang Mall will be selling swag, PTA will have a membership and info table. Refreshments and treats will be provided.
• January 20 - NO SCHOOL - MLK
• January 28 - Mustang Council (CAC) Meeting - 4pm
• January 29 - STUDENT HOLIDAY

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We hope your child has had a fantastic year so far at O. Henry! We appreciate your partnership this year and are thrilled to begin preparing for the upcoming year.

We wanted to announce that our annual registration process is now open. To ensure your child is all set for next year, you will need to register your child using the AISD Portal by mid-May.

Registering online will only take a few minutes and ensures your child has a smooth transition into the following year. This process allows us to make sure all of your information is up to date.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please call 512-414-7328 or our front office at 512-414-3229.

Lizbeth Rodriguez-Loza

Registrar/ PEIMS Clerk

**90% rule what does it mean?**

If a student drops below 90% in a course, an "NC" is entered instead of a grade. The grade may be passing – but the student did not attend at least 90% of the time. Please contact your student’s Assistant Principal to see what corrective steps must be taken.

Notices are going out to families this week whose students are dropping below 90% attendance and we will be required to attend "Attendance Matters" workshop:

• Austin ISD now directly manages all volunteers through the Voly platform, including running background checks.

School-Based Volunteer
School-based volunteers help address campus needs throughout the school year. From field trip chaperones to volunteering to organize a school-wide event, numerous opportunities exist to help Austin ISD schools achieve their goals.

Interested in volunteering at an Austin ISD campus? Visit our volunteer management platform to get started with your background check.

Salute is Austin ISD’s annual celebration to recognize some of the district’s outstanding team members for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools.

Nominations for 2025 Salute Awards are now open!

District staff, families, and the community are invited to submit a nomination for a campus staff member they believe represents the very best of Austin ISD.

The Salute Awards recognizes campus-based staff members in TEN categories. The winners will be celebrated at our Salute Awards ceremony, where we will also honor Teachers of Promise and Teachers of the Year.

Nominations will close January 15 at 5pm.

All Austin ISD staff, students, family, and community members are invited to nominate Austin ISD staff members in the following categories:

• Campus Clerical/Office Support Staff of the Year
• Teaching Assistant of the Year
• Custodial/Facilities Maintenance Staff of the Year
• Transportation Staff of the Year
• Food Service/Warehouse Staff of the Year
• Campus Safety and Security Staff of the Year
• Librarian of the Year
• Counselor of the Year
• Assistant Principal of the Year (Includes Academy Directors & Academic Deans)
• Principal of the Year

Click here to submit your nominations!

Check out last year's Salute Winners and Finalists below!

Salute | Austin ISD