2026 PROJECT GRADUATION TICKET SALE IS LIVE

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Senior Parents! Project Graduation is set for Mon 6/1 10:30pm to 6/2 5:30am at the East Communities YMCA.

  • Every senior must buy a ticket to attend, tickets are $10. All attendees must be LASA Seniors.
  • The senior AND a parent must sign a contract together that says student will not drive/drink/do drugs at said event; parent will drop off at East Communities YMCA and pick up at LASA in the morning (students will be shuttled by bus to LASA). Seniors will not be allowed to drive home after the event.
  • BOOKMARK YOUR TICKET to remember you’ve purchased it! The ticket is a unique QR code that the student will need to present on the day of.
  • Buy your ticket early, this helps us plan food!
  • Parents/Students who do not purchase their ticket and sign the contract ahead of time will BOTH need to be present at 10pm on the day of.

BUY TICKET HERE. Contracts are attached to the ticket order.

Let the fun begin!!!

College Application: How to Level Up Every Piece of the Puzzle

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Wednesday, February 25, 2026
7-8pm

In her 15 years as a college counselor at LASA, Jamie Kocian learned almost everything there is to know about the college admissions process for high-achieving students. In her 24+ years in the college admissions/college counseling field, she now has decided opinions on leveling up (in a genuine way) nearly every piece of the application puzzle and helping students discover more about themselves in the process.

Jamie will touch on all manner of topics, including the college list, standardized testing, essays, recommendation letters, interviews, and scholarships. Join us for some stories (some interesting, some just stories), a little chat on “Where did all the hobbies go?”, and reflections on lessons learned, feeling confident, and cutting through all the noise.

Get your tickets at the PFLASA Store: https://pflasa.org/store/how-to-level-up-every-piece-of-the-college-application-puzzle-2-25-26/

The Admissions X-Factor: Unlocking the Power of Passion Projects

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Thursday, February 12, 2026
6-7pm

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of strategic ways to turn interests into impact for top-tier colleges.
Also they will learn how admissions offices review applications, what activities and profiles stand out, how to approach SAT/ACT planning, and how to optimize opportunities for scholarships and financial aid.

Tickets available at PFLASA Store: https://pflasa.org/store/the-admissions-x-factor-unlocking-the-power-of-passion-projects-2-12-26/

PFLASA zoom: Feb. 10th, 6:30-7:30pm – Naviance for Parents

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Naviance for Parents: A How-To with Cristina Torres, LASA academic counselor

Mark your calendars. Another timely and topical PFLASA evening zoom meeting is coming up. We’ll have an informative presentation from Cristina Torres, one of LASA’s amazing academic counselors, on how LASA parents can utilize Naviance. Join us Tuesday, February 10th. Bring your questions. Get answers. The zoom link will be in next week’s Principal’s Message.

Raising Healthy Raptors: Helping Your Child Learn to Manage Their Anxiety

by Newsletter Comment Closed

At the last PFLASA meeting, there was a discussion about student stress and anxiety, especially since returning from winter break. While anxiety is often not a pleasant emotion, it is most certainly a normal emotion which serves a purpose. Here are some resources that can help us support our teens to learn life skills to manage their anxiety. Remember, anxiety itself is normal and anxiety disorders are treatable.

1. Does Anxiety Serve a Purpose?

2. Tons of Free Resources for Executive Functioning Ideas

3. Managing the Anxiety Waves and Addressing Anxiety in Yourself and Your Student (both presentations)

4. Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Teens

2026 Project Graduation Call for Volunteers

by Newsletter Comment Closed

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

by Newsletter Comment Closed

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!

College Planning for 9th/10th Graders

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Thursday, January 22nd
6:30-7:30pm

Research shows that understanding the college admissions process early helps students build the confidence and skills they will need by the time they apply to colleges during their Senior year. Families often have questions about when to start and how to support their student without adding pressure if they start earlier in high school.

Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, is a national college counseling leader with more than twenty years of experience and has over a decade of experience supporting LASA students and families. In this session, she will walk families through the steps they can take in 9th and 10th grade to help students learn more about themselves and align coursework and activities with their personal interests and college goals.

The event will end with a Q&A for the audience to ask questions directly.

Tickets available at pflasa.org/store

Reminder: Ways to get connected and Stay in the know

by Newsletter Comment Closed

Here’s a quick reminder on various ways that you can access useful information about LASA!

Join the PFLASA Facebook Group:
Make sure to answer ALL security questions AND agree to the group rules!
The PFLASA facebook group is a great place to ask questions, find posts about school-related events, and connect with other LASA parents and guardians asynchronously. For security reasons, we require several automated security questions in the joining process. You must answer all security questions and agree to the group rules in order to join the Facebook group. If you tried to join and were rejected, it is not because we don’t love you. We do love you and would love to have you join us. Try again, and remember to answer all security questions and agree to the group rules. (HINT: This is best done on a computer, so that none of the required bits fall off the screen.)

Other ways to get connected:
If you haven’t already done so, here are some other great ways that you can get “in the know” about what’s going on at LASA. The Grade Level Google Groups will become more important as college applications and graduation approaches, but they are also used to communicate about upcoming events and opportunities from freshman year onward.

Subscribe to the Raptor Report: https://pflasa.org/news/subscribe/
Join your Grade Level Google Group by sending a blank email to one of the following that corresponds to your graduation year:
lasa2029+subscribe@googlegroups.com
lasa2028+subscribe@googlegroups.com
lasa2027+subscribe@googlegroups.com
lasa2026+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Check out the PFLASA website for lots of great info including a list of upcoming meeting dates, volunteer signups, committee and event descriptions, teacher resources, and the storefront where you can purchase tickets for great gatherings and masterclasses.

You can find more detailed information about all of the various ways to stay in the loop here: https://lasa.austinschools.org/parents/stay-connected