PFLASA’s Raising Healthy Raptors: Parent Book Club Interest Form

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Greetings, LASA community!

My name is Mandy Menzer and I am a fellow LASA parent as well as a clinical psychologist. I wanted to see if there would be any interest in possibly having a parenting book club. I have found this particular book, Getting to Calm: Cool Headed Strategies for Parenting Teens and Tweens, to be based on solid psychological research as well as easy to read and apply in my own parenting dilemmas.

More information can be found in this Google form, which will help me to both gauge interest and to get contact info for those who would like to receive updates about it. Feel free to email mmh20cornell@yahoo.com with any questions.

Congratulations to our Reflections Artists of 2025

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We are pleased to congratulate the artists that participated in the PTA Reflections 2025-2026 themed “I Belong!” art competition. The judging should be completed soon to find out who moves on to ACPTA reflections. We hope to have a reception for all of our participants very soon. We would like to recognize these esteemed artists who contributed to Reflections this year:

  • Akwaeno Udosen
  • Alex Catterson
  • Amelia Ratcliffgardy
  • Ananth Pakanati
  • Ariana Rodriguez
  • Chloe Billhardt
  • Elise Foster
  • Gargi Pandey
  • Gordon Streber
  • Grant Ratcliffgardy
  • Knox Meley
  • Liam Harris
  • Maeve Mohundro
  • Paxton Tidrick
  • Piper Meley
  • Ryan Wu
  • Sadie Sarrat
  • Sahana Vijay
  • Stella Thomaz
  • Tiernan O’Keefe
  • Zaara Zaidi
  • Zixuan (Camille) Mei

We will be announcing the artists that move forward to the Austin Council PTA (ACPTA) level next week and will be planning a Reflections Recognition Celebration during lunch soon as well.

Great Job! LASA Reflections

Join PFLASA for an evening zoom meeting, Thursday, Dec 4th 6:30-8pm!

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Come join us for the first PFLASA evening zoom meeting of the year! We will briefly discuss PFLASA general business, then follow that up with a special guest presenter and a topic that we hope will be especially useful as the semester nears its end. This meeting was originally scheduled for November 18th, but due to a scheduling conflict, we had to move it to the first week of December.

Date: Thursday, December 4th, 2025
Time: 6:30-8pm
Location: Zoom (link TBA)
Special Topic: Frontline/Blend for parents: How and when to use Frontline and Blend for productive parenting interactions

Reflections entries for Raptors at an All Time High, Thanks!

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Congratulations to all of the amazing artists who contributed to this year’s Reflections competition themed “I Belong”!!! This year we received the most entries at the new LASA location and they are truly wonderful as well.

The list of participants will be announced next Raptor Report and these participants are cordially invited to a Reflections Recognition Celebration (hopefully in December).

Have a great week and holiday to everyone!!!
LASA Reflections

Teacher Talent and Dance Winter Show

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LASA Dance invites you to our annual Teacher Talent Show along with LASA Dance on Friday, December 5th. Doors open at 4:15p with showtime at 5:00p in the LASA Theatre.

In lieu of a ticket, choose either or both charities to donate to. QR codes/links available at our show with CREDIT CARD offered only.

  • Charity 1: Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) – provides hunger relief to our community. ALL of our JustGiving funds will go directly to CTFB.
    *Food/ Supplies Drive: We will also accept non-perishable food & hygiene items. Please check their site for their most needed items!
  • Charity 2: Luv Michael – Employs & advocates for adults on the autism spectrum. 50% of the Luv Michael drive will support LASA Dance.

CONCESSIONS & EXTRA SHOW FUN
Enjoy authentic Mexican snacks for sale by Munch Mex! 15% of their sales will support LASA Dance. Snag some swag, info, & put-put with Popstroke!

Don’t miss this opportunity to see our LASA staff shine!

THIS Friday, November 21st: Bring Pies and Gratitude Cards for Teachers and Staff!!!

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This Friday, November 21st, is Giving Thanks Pie Day!!! Please take part in sharing your gratitude for the amazing LASA teachers and staff by donating a no-refrigeration-needed pie, writing a gratitude card, and/or volunteering to collect or distribute the pies. Donations may be dropped off at any school entrance on Friday (11/21) morning.

Sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E4CA4AA2BA0F58-52849282-lasas#/

List Happens: How to Build a Smart College List

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This interactive masterclass will share a collection of reference materials, steps, spreadsheets, and lessons learned, all with the goal of helping you and your child create a balanced college application list that actually fits your child’s needs. With approximately 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the United States, narrowing it down to a select few can seem daunting. However, I’ve amassed a collection of resources and tools that can make the research process fun, less stressful, and informative.

When: Dec 9 7-8pm (purchase tickets $10 students/$25 adults, only one purchase per family necessary)

Parent Support Guides from PFLASA’s Raising Healthy Raptors Committee

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A few months ago, my children lost a peer. Inevitably, there were questions that no one could answer. Even though they were not very close, the death of this fellow young person still affected my children deeply. Here are some resources to support our teens grieving a death for any reason, as well as specifically after suicide or a substance related death. In addition, here are resources on both suicide prevention and on substance use/abuse in teens. Feel free to reach out at wellness@pflasa.org.

Masterclass – The Breath Advantage

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Nov 16th 4p-5pm

Students are under more pressure than ever – juggling school, extracurriculars, college prep, and constant digital noise. The Breath Advantage offers high school students simple yet powerful tools to manage stress, boost focus, and build emotional resilience – starting with something they already have: their breath.

Led by Varsha Choudhary, a former tech executive at Meta and Visa and now with TLEX (Transformational Leadership for Excellence), this course introduces science-backed breathwork techniques to help students:
– Reduce anxiety and improve mental clarity
– Prepare with confidence for exams, interviews, and presentations
– Build self-awareness and emotional regulation
– Cultivate calm and focus, even in high-pressure moments

Through guided practices, interactive discussions, and real-life applications, students will walk away with skills they can use every day.

Register at pflasa.org/store.

Junior Year College Planning

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Nov 18th 6:30-7:30pm

The Junior year of high school is a pivotal point in the college planning timeline. Students using this year to their advantage can increase both confidence and preparedness for their Senior year. Join Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, a national leader in the college counseling and admissions field, for a frank conversation around information that students and families should be aware of to make for a less stressful and more successful Senior year. This session will also include a Q&A session at the end to answer any questions from parents and students.

Purchase tickets at pflasa.org/store. $10 students/$25 adults. Only one purchase per family necessary.