CAST STEM Parent Newsletter

Dear CAST STEM Families,

Thank you to all the parents who have completed the back to school forms for this year. If you still haven't completed them, we ask that you please do so asap. To access the forms, go into the Parent Self Serve under "Registration". Here is the link to set up the Parent Self-Serve if you need it.

Just a reminder that this is a busy time for our support staff but if we have any students who need to see the counselor, social worker or CIS, please use the google form to put in a request. Students will be called in as soon as the respective staff member is available.

CAST STEM has a slightly different academic calendar than the rest of the district. Please make sure you notate the days that CAST STEM is in session since there are days that our students our in class when the other campuses are off and vice-versa, there are some days our students have off while the other campuses are in class. If you have any questions, please reach out. (Link to CAST STEM Calendar)

Please continue to help us spread the word about our amazing campus! We are still accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year!

No school on Monday, September 2 in honor of Labor Day. We'll see everyone back on campus on Tuesday, September 3.

• September 2: Labor Day Holiday - No School
• September 6: Black Student Union Meeting @ Location TBD
• September 6: 12th Grade Apply Texas Applications
• September 11: Fall 2024 Palo Alto Census Day
• September 12: Senior Headshots (12:30-1:45 pm)
• September 13: Senior Sunrise
• September 13: MAP Testing for English I & II
• September 13: 9th Grade "Three Years of Fear" Performance @ Patterson Center for Performing Arts

Our campus attendance goal is 97%.

Secondary Attendance Video

We are invited to a Free Health Clinic hosted by the Kingdom Healthcare System!

Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: 600 E Amber St, San Antonio, TX 7822

Services Offered:

• Eye Screening
• Physical Exams
• Medication Refills
• Healthy Living Advice
• Kidney Screening

This event is a wonderful opportunity to take charge of your health and receive essential services at no cost.

For more details, visit their website at www.kingdom-hcs.org.

One of the campus goals for this year is to increase parent engagement and we are needing your feedback. Please complete the linked survey if you are interested in volunteering.

Herff Jones will be on campus during the following dates:

October 4th - Senior Graduation Meeting (10:00-11:00 a.m.)

October 18th-Graduation Orders (10:00-11:00 a.m.)

For planning purposes, SWISD cap/gown/tassel/hood unit price will be $58.75. There is an option to purchase the tassel, cap and hood only if the student already has a gown from a sibling.

Here are the links that were presented to students during last week's College Connections meeting:

Program Finder

https://www.alamo.edu/academics/program-finder/

Alamo Transfer Guide

https://www.alamo.edu/experience-the-alamo-colleges/transfer-from-alamo/transfer-advising-guides/

On Friday, September 6th, we will have ALL SENIORS report to the following rooms in the San Marcos Building to do the next step in this process. We will take attendance and then walk you to the Ozuna lab so they can complete a 2 year college application. Our district and campus goal is for ALL SENIORS to complete a 2 year applications.

If any families are interested in purchasing student accident insurance, you can use this link: https://www.sas-mn.com/k12enronline/k12enronline1.php?SchoolId=2024000017

Instructions in English & Spanish can be found below.

Our CAST STEM PE shirt flash sale is now open. Your order will be delivered to school with free shipping until the flash sale ends on Sept 10th at Midnight. See attached flyer for details.

SWISD is happy to announce that they will continue to partner with the San Antonio Food Bank to provide food to our SWISD Families. The monthly food distributions will start on October 9, 2024. Registration Begins at 8:00am and the Food Distribution begins at 10:00am. Food is distributed on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last or until 12:00pm.

Below you will find the 2024-2025 distribution dates:

Wednesday, October 9th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, November 13th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, December 11th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, January 8th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, February 12th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, March 5th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, April 2nd (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

Wednesday, May 14th (10 a.m.-11 a.m.)

This year, all teachers will be using the "Rooms" to communicate with parents. Parents can find this feature on the SWISD app. Please see the attached flyer to get connected.

Parents who signed up last year do not need to sign up again. You will automatically be moved to the new teachers for this year.

All parents are encouraged to sign-up for the CAST Schools newsletter.

The following link takes you to the newsletter archive and sign up form: https://us14.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=a28c1b9e47d58c819699af840&id=ab16b6e61c

There have been a few parents inquiring about having access to their child's college records. We have confirmed that this is possible but students will need to follow the steps below.

Students will need to log into their ACES account to access the FERPA form for their parents to have access to college records. The link is below.

Palo Alto College FERPA Consent for Parents/Guardians:

1) Click on the link: https://www.alamo.edu/academics/academic-resources/student-forms/

2) Click on Palo Alto College (home campus).

3) Click on FERPA Consent.

4) Log into your ACES account.

If your child has a need to see any of our support staff (counselor, social worker, CIS), please fill out the attached Google Form (link below) and they will be called in when they are available. This will also help limit the amount of time that students are out of class and missing valuable instruction.

CAST STEM Counseling Department Request Form 24-25

Whenever a student is absent, it is extremely important that they turn in a note to excuse their absence. The following link is specifically for our campus so parents can now upload/send attendance notes. Thank you for helping us keep attendance a top priority!

CAST Attendance Note Upload

All parents are encouraged to access student grades and attendance through the Parent Self Serve. If you need help accessing the Parent Self Serve, use the link here or contact our front office.

We have a few students who were approved to continue their participation in sports and fine arts with Southwest High School and Legacy High School. These students start and/or end their day with the their peers at the other schools and while it's not always easy to navigate, we commend them for their dedication and wish them luck this season! A few of our athletes are highlighted below. Parents, please share additional pictures and schedules of your students so we can highlight them in future newsletters 😊

Email: jarodriguez@swisd.net
Website: www.caststem.swisd.net
Phone: (210) 622-4810
Facebook: www.facebook.com/swisdCASTSTEM
Twitter: @swisd_caststem

CAST STEM Office Hours: 8:00am - 5:15pm