College Planning for 9th/10th Graders

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

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

PFLASA meeting this Friday (Jan. 23rd) at 8:15 am.

Join us for the first PFLASA (Parents and Friends of LASA) meeting of 2026 … this Friday, January 23rd, at 8:15am in the portable building by the tennis courts. Come hear about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and social/networking opportunities. Come meet other parents and ask questions. You might even get some answers! We’d love to see you there!

What: PFLASA (nearly) bi-weekly meeting
When: Friday, January 23rd, at 8:15am
Where: The portable building near the tennis courts

Class of 2029 parents: Stop by after drop-off for a special 15-minute power meetup before the PFLASA meeting, from 7:55-8:10. Feel free to stay afterwards for the PFLASA meeting or not, it’s up to you. Parents of other classes are welcome too, especially 2028.

Finding Your Personal College Fit Options

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

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.

Informal Parent Coffee at CM on Jan 15

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

Testing Accommodations Parent Panel on Jan 21 (Zoom)

Join us Wednesday,  Jan 21 at 6:30 pm via Zoom for the Testing Accommodations Parent Panel hosted by PFLASA. In case you didn’t know, students with existing testing accommodations must apply through College Board (accommodations.collegeboard.org) to receive similar accommodations on tests such as AP exams, the PSAT or the SAT.

Requesting accommodations through the College Board requires significant lead time and planning, and can be time consuming, particularly if you don’t get everything you want on the first request, which isn’t uncommon.

LASA Principal Stacia Crescenzi, LASA Counselor Carole McPherson and several LASA parents who have experience with testing accommodations will be on hand to answer your questions about the process.

To get an email reminder with the Zoom link from PFLASA, please fill out this short form interest form: https://forms.gle/j4rfmvrW5jQCRkZq9

Raising Healthy Raptors: “Getting to Calm” Parenting Book Club Part 2

Raising Healthy Raptors: “Getting to Calm” Parenting Book Club Part 2

When: Sun Feb 1, 1:15- 2:45 pm
Where: Austin library – Ruiz branch; 1600 Grove Blvd

We will be discussing chapters 6-9. All are welcome, whether or not you attended Part 1, but we still have a room limits so we need everyone who is planning to attend to fill out the RSVP form.

Contact Mandy Menzer at mmh20cornell@yahoo.com with any questions.

Raising Healthy Raptors: First Getting to Calm Parent Book Club This Weekend

For those who are interested in the LASA parenting book club, we will be discussing the book Getting to Calm: Cool Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens very soon! We will be breaking the book into three parts over the next few months.

Our January meeting will take place on Saturday, January 10, 12:45pm – 2:15 pm at the Pleasant Hill Branch of the Austin library, which is located at 211 E. William Cannon Dr. For this first meeting, we will be discussing the introduction and chapters 1-5. Because the room has a limit of 25 people, we need you to RSVP to attend.

Please contact Mandy Menzer at mmh20cornell@yahoo.com with any questions.

SAT/ACT Webinar with Michael Cancella of Bee Tutored

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)