LASA Students’ Blanket Drive A Smashing Success

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On January 23, 2026, Augustus McCormack and Ibrahim Abdulazeez successfully organized a blanket and emergency supply drive as part of their FBLA Community Service Project. The drive was aimed at supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in our local community, especially during colder weather. Through donations and community support, they raised $300, which was used to purchase blankets and essential emergency supplies that were distributed directly to those in need. This project shows the impact of student-led service initiatives and reflects LASA’s mission of leadership, service, and community involvement.

Mardi Gras Great Gathering Open to ALL CLASSES

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Do wait and miss your chance to dig out that costume and have fun at the upcoming Mardi Gras Great Gathering, open to all classes, on Friday, Feb 13th!! No bad luck there, just some good partying and mingling!

Grab your tickets today!

If you would like to submit a Great Gathering, there’s still plenty of time! You can submit it here: tinyurl.com/ggatherings
Great Gatherings is an amazing community builder – you will find the peeps you want by your side, especially during senior year!! Question? Email greatgatherings@pflasa.org.

2026 Project Graduation Call for Volunteers

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We hope you will consider volunteering at the 2026 Project Graduation all night lock-in at the East YMCA on June 1-2. We are asking for adult volunteers across all grade levels to help by volunteering for a shift (or all night) during the event. It is a fun event and the volunteers have a great time!

Location: East Communities YMCA
Starts: Monday, June 1, 2025 at 10pm
Ends: Tuesday, June 2, 2025 at 5:30am
Sign up now!

Feel free to reach out with any questions/comments at projectgraduation@pflasa.org.
We will set up a couple of Zoom calls closer to, to explain the flow of the night and our needs.

Thank you for your kind consideration!
Manue Reynolds and Maya Gamble
2026 Project Graduation Co-Chairs

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Planning

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Wednesday, February 4th
7-8pm

Colleges are very interested in what students are choosing to do outside of the classroom, and for LASA students, summer is the ideal time to dig into your serious activities. They are looking for meaningful work, which can show up in different ways (i.e. internships, pre-college academic programs, shadowing, etc.) Colleges are looking at community impact, intellectual curiosity, and what matters to a student (and how they are choosing to address that). We’ll talk about how to think creatively about where to look for opportunities, the timeline, potential application process, and how students can set themselves apart with their activities.

Purchase your ticket to join us!

Finding Your Personal College Fit Options

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Wednesday, January 28th
7:00-8:00pm

Join this webinar to learn a practical approach to discovering college options that fit your student’s academic, social, and financial needs. Go beyond the academic rankings and football results so that you can research colleges that align with your student’s values and goals.

About Karen: As an Independent Educational Consultant and a parent of two LASA alumni, Karen wants to simplify an otherwise overwhelming process by teaching families how to approach the college search strategically. Her experience as a former college professor and longtime coach forged a skill set perfect for mentoring and motivating students.

Reflections Austin Council PTA (ACPTA) Reflections Competition Winners

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Congratulations to these LASA Students who have now advanced to the Texas State PTA level of the National PTA Reflections Competition.

After participating in the LASA round (LASA PTSA), then advancing to and competing in the Austin Council PTA (ACPTA) Reflections Competition using the theme “I Belong”, several LASA Students have now been advanced to the state-level competition for the entire state of Texas.

Here are the amazing artists who have been advanced to TXPTA Reflections 25-26:

(Camille) Mei Zixuan – Visual Arts
Piper Meley – Photography
Ananth Pakanati – Literature
Grant Ratcliffgardy – Music Composition
Sadie Sarrat – Dance Choreography

We wish these talented individuals the best of luck in this next round of the National PTA Reflections Competition! Results will be posted March 15th.

Add Dance to Your Choice Sheet to Gain PE &/or Fine Arts Credit!

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Dance Class: All levels welcome & no auditions! No homework or time commitments with performance opportunities each semester. Experience many genres of dance, history, & wellness. Benefits: flexibility, strength, rhythm, confidence, community, & dance knowledge! Select either Lifetime Fitness & Dance: PE /Athletics or Dance I-IV: Fine Arts (weighted year 3 & 4) on your course sheet.

Dance/Drill Team: All levels welcome! Mandatory audition meeting March 9 at 6:30P. Audition March 30 – April 2. Year round commitment with focus on various genres of dance. Benefits: artistry, athleticism, team work, monthly performances, leadership, & community! Side effects may include endorphins & school spirit. Must consult your doctor to participate. Select Velocity & Dynasty JV Dance Team Fine Arts & PE/Athletics (weighted year 3 & 4) on your course sheet.

Email: Paige.Gomez@austinisd.org

Informal Parent Coffee at CM on Jan 15

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Hi, PFLASA Peeps!

Come grab a coffee and do some chatting this Thursday morning, Jan 15. 

Location: Central Market (North Lamar).
Date & Time: Jan 15, from 8:15 on

We hope to see you there! Please RSVP below just to get an idea of how many tables to put together. ⬇️

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4DAFA92DA3FB6-61590988-informal

SAT/ACT Webinar with Michael Cancella of Bee Tutored

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Join Bee Tutored’s SAT/ACT expert, Michael Cancella to learn all you need to know about SAT vs ACT, when to begin prep and how to navigate the new digital exam. Junior SAT is coming up in the spring, so this is a good opportunity to learn now how to best prepare. Learn more here.

When: January 13, 2026 @ 7pm

Purchase your SAT/ACT Webinar Masterclass
$10 students/$25 adults (only one purchase per family necessary)

Announcing the Reflections 2025-2026 Advancing Artists

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Congratulations to the artists who participated in the 2025-2026 National PTA Reflections. We had a wonderful Artist Recognition Celebration for everyone who entered last week and it was a great time! We would like to announce the Artists that are moving from the LASA level to the ACPTA (Austin Council PTA) Level.

With a theme of “I Belong!” For The Categories of:

  • Literature: Ananth Pakanati and Ariana Rodrigue
  • Photography: Piper Meley, Liam Harris and Ananth Pakanati
  • Visual Arts: Camille Mei, Tiernan O’Keefe and Zaara Zaidi
  • Music Composition: Chloe Billhardt and Grant Ratcliffgardy
  • Dance Choreography: Amelia Ratcliffgardy and Sadie Sarrat

We were pleased to have increased the number of artists and entries this year and hope that even more will participate in the LASA PTSA Reflections program next year. The Reflections theme for 2026-2027 is “What My Culture Means to Me”.

Congrats Again, LASA Reflections