ALA Community Update

STUDENT & STAFF HOLIDAY

As a reminder, Monday, January 6th & Tuesday, January 7th are student holidays for ALA. These days provide the ALA faculty with valuable time for professional learning. We look forward to seeing all students back on Wednesday, January 8th! Looking ahead, Monday, January 20th will also be a student and staff holiday. The overview of school holidays can always be found on our 2024-2025 Instructional Calendar for ALA Euclid and ALA Tech.

The Little Mermaid Opening Weekend and Performance Information

Our 4th-12th grade students have been working on bringing our production of The Little Mermaid to life since September, and we can’t wait to show you the result of all of their hard work next weekend! January 10th is our Opening Night!!!!

Our amazing student leaders worked creatively and collaboratively to design the set, costumes, lights, sound, and more. Our incredible performers are ready to share the story of everyone’s favorite mermaid princess with our community. Show dates are January 10th at 7pm, the 11th at 2pm and 7pm, the 16th, 17th, and 18th at 7pm in the ALA and Cast Tech theatre! Please note that seats will be capped this year in order to ensure seating for all ticket-holders, so please plan to buy your tickets ASAP for all shows to get a seat. This show is appropriate for all ages! Purchase tickets HERE!

CAST Student Advisory Travels to Mexico Jan. 8-11

This upcoming week, the CAST Student Advisory will be traveling to Monterrey Mexico, along with members of the CAST leadership team, as part of the CAST focus on global leadership. Three ALA students will be going on the trip, which provides these student leaders with the opportunity to participate in a cultural and business/civic experience with the US-Mexico Foundation and immerse themselves in a range of academic, historical, and cultural experiences. Each CAST Network School designates 5 students to participate in the CAST Student Advisory each year. These students meet regularly to provide valuable insight and perspective. We wish our students safe travels and look forward to hearing about the leadership experience they will gain!

Learn More About High School at ALA

Families of current ALA students, future ALA families and families interested in learning more about ALA are all invited to attend an Studios/Elective Fair on Thursday, January 23rd. Families will have an opportunity to engage with our Studio teachers and learn about the range of programs offered on our campus. Campus administrators and counselors will also provide a small presentation about the high school experience at ALA. If you know of families who are interested in learning more about high school at ALA, please invite them to attend! The event will run from 4:30-6:30pm and will occur on the same evening as our ALA Tech Middle of Year Student Led Conferences.

PreK CIRCLE Assessment

Our middle-of-the-year CIRCLE assessment begins this week. Our prek teachers will assess our prek students individually for a few minutes at a time. Similar to the beginning-of-year, this assessment is used to measure a variety of developmental areas in pre-K students and assess how our students are progressing towards the goals and responding to instruction. The middle-of-year assessment will be completed by February 6th and the results will be shared with families.

End of the 2nd 9 Weeks

The end of the second 9 weeks was Thursday, December 19th. Report cards will be sent home by the January 10th and teachers will share a message through Seesaw when they are going home in backpacks so families are aware.

Save the Date for Student Led Conferences

Save the Date of Thursday, January 23rd for our Annual Middle of Year Student Led Conferences! Student Led Conferences (SLCs) are an important foundational aspect of ALA. These 4th-12th grade presentations of learning provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their first semester and present work to their family members. They will be held from 4:30-6:30pm on 1/23. Information regarding sign-up will be sent out by grade-level teams and will also be shared in next week’s update. We look forward to seeing you there!

End of 2nd 9 Weeks Grading Period

Thursday, December 19th, marked the end of our 2nd Nine Weeks of Grading. Families are encouraged to review their child’s academic progress through Seesaw (4th/5th), Canvas (6th-7th) & Frontline (8th-12th) throughout this week. You will be able to see your child's grade online by Thursday, January 9th. Printed copies will be available and distributed by Friday January 10th, 2025. If you are having trouble viewing your child’s report card, please follow directions here to help with logging into the parent frontline portal. Please contact your child’s teacher(s) for additional information about their academic progress in class.

Picture Day Retakes on 1/17

Picture Retake Day will be on Friday, Dec. 17th. Retakes are open to any 4th-12th grade student who missed picture day. The 17th will also be the time for any of our ALA seniors who need to retake their cap & gown photos.

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.