Category: PFLASA

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

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

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.

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