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

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!

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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.

The 2026 Project Graduation Auction is in FULL SWING!

Project Graduation Auction 2026 is in full swing! Bid now on theater and sports tickets, restaurant gift cards, LASA exclusives, lessons, craft beer, wines, tutoring, handmade art, and more!

-All proceeds fund Project Graduation, a safe, memorable all-night celebration for LASA seniors!
Auction closes Monday, Nov. 17 at 8pm.
-Our fundraising goal is $30,000! All donations and participation is appreciated! 🙂

Not into auctions? Click the EASY BUTTON to donate cash
AND NEW this year: donate to a specific Project Graduation event like breakfast, casino, or karaoke!

Start bidding nowtinyurl.com/PG2026Auction

PFLASA Notes: Meeting recap from Friday, Nov 7th meeting

Hello LASA community! We had a great meeting this past Friday, November 7th, at the parent portable. Here’s a recap, so that those who couldn’t attend can still be in the know.

PFLASA has an evening Zoom meeting coming up! If you can’t make it to Friday morning meetings, but would like to join us, now is your chance. 😀 Originally, the evening Zoom was planned for Tuesday, November 18th, but it’s been rescheduled to an evening in the first week of December due to a scheduling conflict. Stay tuned for the exact meeting date. We will have a special guest talk about how to use Blend and Frontline, followed by a Q&A with experienced LASA parents about how to use the information from those apps to initiate productive conversations with your student(s). Keep a lookout for the exact date, we would love to see you there!

At Friday’s PFLASA meeting, we had an update from the Grants committee. PFLASA provides small stipends to teachers for classroom supplies like facial tissues, markers, and poster boards. In addition to that, we also provide grants to teachers for professional development and to purchase educational materials and equipment. One of this fall’s grants helped to pay for a new DJI Drone with Camera for the AV Department to use for making films and for filming the LASA Lip Dub. Another recent grant helped to send a foreign language teacher to the Texas Foreign Language Association Fall Conference. We love and support our LASA teachers.

The Project Graduation auction was officially kicked off at Friday’s meeting. Folks were getting pumped up to bid on their favorite items and get some holiday shopping done early. Many of the items are the type of thing that you might spend money on anyway, but if you buy it from the auction, 100% of your money will go to support Project Graduation. This senior event will keep our graduates safe on graduation night, one of the deadliest nights of the year for high school graduates. Join the bidding fun or contribute using the Easy Button.

We also heard about LASA’s upcoming recruitment events for prospective students and parents. Thursday, November 13th, 6-8pm is the LASA Showcase, our open house with music performances, academics, clubs, sports, help with applications, and a Q&A room with current LASA parents. Before the LASA Showcase, PFLASA provides a meal to teachers and staff who come in on their off time to help make the event a success. We need LASA Showcase volunteers to help! It’s a great way to get some face time with and give smiles and appreciation to our lovely teachers and staff. Wednesday, December 3rd, 6-8pm is a LASA Info Night in the theater. Get the word out about these events to anyone you know with middle school students who might be interested in applying to LASA.

We had a reminder that the Giving Thanks Pie Event is coming right up. Every year, PFLASA coordinates the collection and distribution of holiday pies to show our gratitude for our amazing teachers and staff. If you would like to contribute a pie or other holiday dessert or come help collect and set up desserts on the day-of, look for the Sign Up Genius link that will be coming out soon.

We talked about Great Gatherings, including the one that happened this past weekend and also those that are coming up soon. Great Gatherings are small social events for LASA parents to have fun and meet other LASA parents. Ticket sales go to support senior events like Senior Salute and Project Graduation. If you’d like to attend one or more of these fun events, you can purchase tickets here: https://pflasa.org/store/. Great Gatherings are all volunteer-hosted. If you have an idea for a fun event and would like to host, submit your idea.

We also have several Masterclasses coming up, including mindful breathing and meditation, college planning for junior year, and building a college list. Proceeds from Master Class ticket sales go towards funding everything that PFLASA does for our students, teachers, staff, and community. If any of these sound interesting to you, you can purchase tickets at the LASA online store: pflasa.org/store.

After the meeting, we had an update on AP testing from Ms. Cherry. Ms Cherry coordinates all of the AP testing for LASA. Thank you, Ms Cherry! It’s that time of year when AP test payments are due (Friday, Nov. 21st BY 12 NOON). PFLASA provides funding to supplement reduced-cost AP tests for students who need them. AP tests are a big deal at LASA. LASA administers more AP tests than all other AISD high schools combined. PFLASA helps make it so that everyone can participate.

Once again, be on the lookout for more information about our upcoming evening zoom meeting. We’d love to see you there!

Angela Graveline
PFLASA Vice President