Author: Newsletter

Two things dominated this PFLASA meeting. First, the 25-26 PFLASA Board was elected! Terms start July 1st, but say thank you to all the people stepping us to run PFLASA. The new board:

• Anna Land, President
• Angela Graveline, Vice President
• Diana Hubbard, Treasurer
• Lara Wilcox, Asst. Treasurer
• Elisabeth Belile, Secretary
• Amy Casto, Assistant Secretary
• Sarah Grubert, Grants Committee Co-chair
• Marianne Reat, Grants Committee Vice Chair

As important as electing and celebrating next year’s officers is, most of the meeting (and afterward in our discussion with Principal Crescenzi) was about the changes to magnet transportation. Next year AISD is switching to a hub system. This means a switch away from the LASA bus stop being at your local elementary and to your local middle or high school. Yes, this is unlikely to be a walkable distance from your home. Yes, I realize this is unpopular, but you will be shocked to find out that I am not in charge of this decision. Realistically with the avalanche of budget cuts ahead, AISD has no good choices. (May I suggest you channel your anger and go the lasaptsa.org to find out how to advocate for school funding?). The reality is the hub system is going to happen and now is our opportunity to pro-actively anticipate problems. To that end, PFLASA has created a transportation survey to use the collective power of our knowledge to bring those problems to light. With this information LASA can go to the AISD transportation department and try to get things resolved. I understand this is very upsetting to many if not most of you. I understand this may decrease economic diversity at LASA. I also understand the need to vent. But I have no ability to change or revert the new system. Telling PFLASA these things in our survey isn’t helpful. What is helpful is telling us of known dangerous areas, huge traffic problems, or any other problem you can foresee. PFLASA is putting the survey out through every communication channel we have BUT we have very limited ways to contact incoming parents of rising Raptors. If you know one of those families, please send the survey to them! For information on the new system including how to determine your hub go: https://www.austinisd.org/transportation/bus-hub-faqs

On that grim note, I turn to happier news. The format change to the New Parent Coffee (during the elective fair on Choice Sheet Day) was a success and we plan to switch to that model next year. We still having a master class available AND Geeta Suggs (LASA Parent Alum) will be returning to do an “Intro to Naviance” as a free class!!

And finally, I am asking for help for next year. We need help feeding teachers! PFLASA holds four meal events during the year to support teachers, staff, and administration. Our current hospitality chair is graduating, and we need 4-6 people who want to take these events on. With a committee that size, one person could be in charge or every event could be hosted by a different member—it will be up to the committee. Most importantly, the last meal of the year is coming up soon (the End of School Year Luncheon), which is an amazing opportunity to shadow and learn the ropes before next year. And if you are interested in feeding students, we also need a shadow for AP Breakfast this year to chair it for next year. Want to volunteer, have questions, want to tell me how much the new transportation system sucks? Email me at president@pflasa.org

Next meeting is April 25th at 8:15 in the PFLASA Portable (NOT on Good Friday which is an AISD holiday).

Trying to help but of very limited power,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

Happy April! This week’s meeting had a couple reminders but centered on two things. Quick reminder that we have two more Master Classes in April geared towards Junior Parents. And we have a new Freshman parent Happy Hour. You can purchase tickets in the PFLASA store.

First, there was much discussion of the New Parent Coffee. For those of you who are new here, the Coffee has changed quite a bit over the last few years. It used to be an event where parents of accepted students came and asked Raptor parents questions trying to decide if LASA was a good fit for their child. But between ice storms and advent of ranked choice in applications that is no longer true. To help parents decide if LASA is a good fit and to explain LASA’s requirements, PFLASA now has the Find Your Fit Parent Panels during the testing sessions. This year with additional compression of the schedule, the Coffee was hosted with Choice Sheet Day. Parents came to the library to ask questions which are now much more logistics or schedule related. Accepted students went to the elective fair. I’m currently gathering information from staff, volunteers, and attendees (if any of you were there) on whether this is the model for next year. Regardless of whether that is the case, we need shadows for the New Parent Coffee and the Find Your Fit Panels next year.

These are two different positions, but they are both low time commitments that make a huge difference in welcoming our incoming Raptor parents and building community. Both events will have Senior parent Chairs so we need to keep that institutional knowledge. Yes, I’m recruiting for an events in January and for (probably) next March but life is busy here. The Coffee requires part of one Saturday and the Find Your Fit event requires two Saturdays. Reach out for more details.

Second, we discussed that the Tutoring Committee also needs help. We have a chair and a shadow, but this massive undertaking could use several more parents to help. A few more parents would alleviate a lot of work on a few people and make the program sustainable. There are positions where you never need to come to the school. The Committee is composed of two different roles and they both need help. First, there’s a lot high-level planning in creating schedules and availability surveys, recruiting tutors, and updating communication. This would largely be by email or phone and does not require being at the school or a strict schedule. But we also need people who can send emails quickly. When a tutor cancels, we need to get the word out as quickly as possible to avoid frustrated students but again no need to go to the school. If you are a parent who’s around after school Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. A few minutes a week could really help! I hear over and over that the Study Groups are one of the best things PFLASA does but this program can’t work without volunteers.

I know I spend a lot of time asking for help (just wait until AP sign ups are out) but I truly believe that any parent who wants to volunteer can find a role. There are small tasks that are enormous help to PFLASA and by extension to LASA. My goal this year was to be more transparent and to bring opportunities to any parents/guardians/grandparents wants to help.

After the meeting we got some updates from Principal Crescenzi including admissions and EOC tests. If you don’t know what an EOC is it stands for ‘End of Course” exams AND you should search your email for very important information regarding upcoming testing. If you have a 9th, 10th or 11th grader this email applies to your kid. I know tests are never fun, but these tests really affect LASA and its grade in ridiculous but also big and important ways. Please encourage your student to take this testing seriously and follow your normal pre-test protocols (sleep, snacks, bribes, whatever your tradition is).

Finally, we have another PFLASA meeting this Friday, April 4th at 8:15 in the portable. We only have four more meetings this year and big things are coming including officer elections and budget presentations. And if you know some newly accepted Raptors who are dying to get more LASA information, there is a delay in joining the Google and FB groups, but they can sign up for the Raptor Report now! As always if you have questions or want to help us email me at president@pflasa.org

Hoping for rain and the energy to get to the next three-day weekend,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President