Category: PFLASA

I need some help making sure the loan items from PFLASA are available to you for your end of year celebrations. PFLASA hasn’t had an inventory chair for (???) awhile. And the checkout form is broken. Last year we ran into a few problems with items not being returned by the time another group needed them. I’m not throwing shade or blame because this isn’t as unlikely as you think if one group has their banquet on Friday, there is no way to return items to the portable for a Saturday event. So to try and coordinate all of this, I’m asking you to email me at president@pflasa.org:

1. The date of your banquet.
2. The items you want to check out.
3. Contact information for one or two volunteers responsible for these items (this is especially important because it will go out to other groups allowing coordination for the items).
4. Expected check in date for items not handed off to another group.

I will be sending this information out to all the volunteers who submit it so that the groups can coordinate and work together. I have high hopes this will work better than last year! I would appreciate being in on those communications. And if you end up not taking something or grabbing a few other things please send an updated email.

Finally, there are three different sets up LASA letters! The lighted ones were donated to LASA this fall and you will need to coordinate with the office to check those out. We also have a newly painted set of wooden letters (along the hallway wall in the portable). The popular foam LASA letters are MISSING (and we think have been gone for awhile)!!! If you have them, please return them (and a heads up to me would be greatly appreciated) or if you know someone has them please encourage them to return them so that other groups can enjoy them. Feel free to email me with questions.

Thanks for your cooperation!
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

I hope everyone got a chance to enjoy a long weekend and that for those who celebrate your holiday was joyful. PFLASA did not meet on Friday, but we are meeting this Friday at 8:15am in the portable.

Since I don’t have anything to recap, I want to use this space to talk about a LASA tradition and whether it will continue. For many years LASA has served breakfast every morning for the two weeks of AP testing and stocked snacks for kids to grab before or in between exams. Several students end up with two AP exams on the same day! But new to AP test takers are also nervous and may not have brought sufficient provisions. LASA will be giving over 4,000 AP tests from May 5th-May 16th. We have breakfast covered this year, but we do not have anyone who has stepped up to shadow. Freshman and sophomore parents this should concern you because if there is no one to run this event next year then the tradition will die. It is usually easier to continue than to revive (which is especially true from a budgeting perspective). Most freshman and sophomores will only take one AP test but most juniors take five or more. If this tradition is important to you then please step to take this on. This is one of the few events that PFLASA directly interacts and supports students. Email me at president@pflasa.org.

Hoping for more lovely spring weather,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

In January, the Raising Healthy Raptors Committee put out a call for you to share your favorite books, podcasts, websites, etc. that have helped you navigate parenthood, support your adolescents, and support kids with specific challenges. I hope you take a moment to check out all the great resources that your fellow LASA families have found helpful. If you have additional suggestions please send an email to wellness@pflasa.org so the RHR Committee can share even more gems with others in our community.

Two things dominated this PFLASA meeting. First, the 25-26 PFLASA Board was elected! Terms start July 1st, but say thank you to all the people stepping us to run PFLASA. The new board:

• Anna Land, President
• Angela Graveline, Vice President
• Diana Hubbard, Treasurer
• Lara Wilcox, Asst. Treasurer
• Elisabeth Belile, Secretary
• Amy Casto, Assistant Secretary
• Sarah Grubert, Grants Committee Co-chair
• Marianne Reat, Grants Committee Vice Chair

As important as electing and celebrating next year’s officers is, most of the meeting (and afterward in our discussion with Principal Crescenzi) was about the changes to magnet transportation. Next year AISD is switching to a hub system. This means a switch away from the LASA bus stop being at your local elementary and to your local middle or high school. Yes, this is unlikely to be a walkable distance from your home. Yes, I realize this is unpopular, but you will be shocked to find out that I am not in charge of this decision. Realistically with the avalanche of budget cuts ahead, AISD has no good choices. (May I suggest you channel your anger and go the lasaptsa.org to find out how to advocate for school funding?). The reality is the hub system is going to happen and now is our opportunity to pro-actively anticipate problems. To that end, PFLASA has created a transportation survey to use the collective power of our knowledge to bring those problems to light. With this information LASA can go to the AISD transportation department and try to get things resolved. I understand this is very upsetting to many if not most of you. I understand this may decrease economic diversity at LASA. I also understand the need to vent. But I have no ability to change or revert the new system. Telling PFLASA these things in our survey isn’t helpful. What is helpful is telling us of known dangerous areas, huge traffic problems, or any other problem you can foresee. PFLASA is putting the survey out through every communication channel we have BUT we have very limited ways to contact incoming parents of rising Raptors. If you know one of those families, please send the survey to them! For information on the new system including how to determine your hub go: https://www.austinisd.org/transportation/bus-hub-faqs

On that grim note, I turn to happier news. The format change to the New Parent Coffee (during the elective fair on Choice Sheet Day) was a success and we plan to switch to that model next year. We still having a master class available AND Geeta Suggs (LASA Parent Alum) will be returning to do an “Intro to Naviance” as a free class!!

And finally, I am asking for help for next year. We need help feeding teachers! PFLASA holds four meal events during the year to support teachers, staff, and administration. Our current hospitality chair is graduating, and we need 4-6 people who want to take these events on. With a committee that size, one person could be in charge or every event could be hosted by a different member—it will be up to the committee. Most importantly, the last meal of the year is coming up soon (the End of School Year Luncheon), which is an amazing opportunity to shadow and learn the ropes before next year. And if you are interested in feeding students, we also need a shadow for AP Breakfast this year to chair it for next year. Want to volunteer, have questions, want to tell me how much the new transportation system sucks? Email me at president@pflasa.org

Next meeting is April 25th at 8:15 in the PFLASA Portable (NOT on Good Friday which is an AISD holiday).

Trying to help but of very limited power,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President