Category: PFLASA

I’ve been trying to explain some of our LASA traditions to those who are new. But today I want to briefly discuss something not unique to LASA but incredibly important.

Statistics show that graduation night is the most dangerous night of a high school senior’s life. Drugs, alcohol, and impaired drivers are a recipe for disaster. In the late 70’s, a community in Maine after losing multiple new graduates decided to fight this problem. They created what is now called “Project Graduation,” a nationwide effort to provide an alternative and safe haven to protect our kids and our larger communities.

LASA’s Project Graduation is a drug- and alcohol-free lock-in party held at the East Communities YMCA on the eve of graduation. The Senior Class safely commemorate their achievements with activities, food, and entertainment until the sun comes up.

Now as you can imagine such a party isn’t cheap. Senior Parents fundraise to support Project Graduation through the auction. The Auction starts this Sunday, November 3rd and will be promoted through all our channels. Bidding is not limited to the LASA community except for certain LASA experiences. Please look for the auction link in Sunday’s Principal’s Message and consider bidding on any item of interest. If you happen to see something that you think a friend, family member, or acquaintance you just met at Starbucks would like then please LET THEM KNOW!

Pay it forward underclasses your time is coming. But also consider this a donation to keeping our seniors and our entire community safe. If you know a family whose life was tragically changed by a drunk driver, then you know what I’m talking about.

Gratefully, Ellen Stewart-Klein, PFLASA President

Going not in order but in importance: First, our Appreciation Chairs reported on the Bus Driver Appreciation Event. Volunteers handed out goody bags both morning and afternoon. Apparently, the bus drivers were so grateful to be recognized that at least two drivers got out to personally thank our volunteers. This is the kind of thing that we get to do thanks to all the generous donations that I don’t think happens at many other high schools. Thank you all for making it happen!

Second, another call-out for mentoring volunteers. The training session dates are Monday, November 11, 11:30am, in person (PFLASA Portable); Tuesday, November 12, 6pm, ZOOM; Wednesday, November 13, 8:15am, in person (PFLASA Portable). There are roles for volunteers who have time to go mentor kids in person every week and roles for someone who can spare a Saturday or two in January.

Want to show appreciation for all our hardworking staff including teachers, admins, bus drivers and janitorial staff? The Thanksgiving Pie Event is coming up! What is it? PFLASA asks for donations of pies (any kind that doesn’t need refrigeration), store-bought or homemade, any size. And then on one of the last days before Thanksgiving break, we ask for volunteers to stock our pie giveaway room and staff come by to pick out their pie. Sign ups will be out soon!

Next, our Raising Healthy Raptors Chair gave an update about forming issue-based groups for parents. Check out the amazing resources we have on the site for you.

Finally, do you know what the “LASA letters are?” They are the large white, lighted, letters that are often displayed at LASA events like Showcase but are also used by a variety of school and booster groups. PFLASA acquired them several years ago. The letters are very cool, but it has been hard on the Board to manage the sharing and maintenance of the letters. We only use them once a year for Senior Salute. So PFLASA is donating the letters to LASA and they can now be kept in the school and managed by staff. Why should you care? Well now your group will need to plan with the school to use the Letters. PFLASA owns another set of letters (blue, wooden ones, now with stands), that are undergoing maintenance but will be available for check out. These letters may not be as cool, but they are much easier to transport and do not require replacing watch batteries.

Thanks for reading,
Ellen Stewart-Klein, PFLASA President

The PFLASA Application Mentoring program is gearing up for the upcoming application window and we need many volunteers. Please consider joining our team.

We provide students with access to adults who have the understanding of the application process and can help edit essay questions and discuss the COGAT. We go to Title 1 middle schools in AISD at various weekly times. Your commitment would be weekly from late-November until early Feb when applications are turned in. We will also need mentors for two Saturday Zoom sessions in January that are open to students city-wide.

There will be training offered in early November. If you are interested, please fill out this form.

Any questions, contact Emily Robson at mentoring@pflasa.org.

No meeting to recap but PFLASA is always busy. On PSAT day PFLASA stepped up to provide coffee and bagels for the teachers. Special shout out to Jenna Martin for making this happen! This week our Appreciation Chairs and volunteers gave out thank you gifts to our bus drivers. Mentoring is ramping up with dates for training sessions out. Plus, we will soon be helping LASA at recruiting events. And the Auction is coming!! I’ll have more on this later.

Our next meeting is this Friday, October 25th at 8:15am in the PFLASA portable. Please note there are only three more PFLASA meetings this calendar year. Due to calendar constraints, PFLASA will only have one meeting in November & December.

Finally, please go vote. Early voting started Monday and goes through November 1st (a day off so you can drag your student to watch democracy in action). And this weekend is the only weekend to vote.

Regards,
Ellen Stewart-Klein, PFLASA President

PFLASA’s Raising Healthy Raptors Committee is so excited to announce the creation of a variety of support groups for adult parents and caregivers in the LASA community. Members in each topic group will arrange support meetings in the best ways that work for them through a dedicated email group.

Please Note: These groups will NOT be led by professional counselors. The current groups are listed below. If you would like to be added or would like to suggest an additional support group please reach out to wellness@pflasa.org.

• Supporting Teens with Social Anxiety
• Supporting Teens with Panic Disorder
• Supporting Teens Struggling Academically
• Supporting Neurodivergent Teens
• Supporting Teens with ADHD
• Supporting Teens with Learning Differences
• Supporting Teens with Screen Addiction
• Supporting Teens with Substance Use/Experimentation
• Supporting Teens with Depression
• Supporting Teens who Self-Injure
• Supporting Teens with Suicidal Ideation/Attempts

This is a bit of a long shot but the Debate Team could really use a case to house their beautiful and many trophies. Perhaps you happen to have one of these around and have been looking to get rid of it? Perhaps your hobby is making trophy cases and you would love to donate one? Before we look at spending money even for a repurposed one, I thought I would ask. Please email me at president@pflasa.org if you have any leads?

Thanks-Ellen Stewart-Klein, PFLASA President

Last Friday was a busy day in the PFLASA Portable but the actual PFLASA meeting was very short. I believe we clocked in under ten minutes. We approved minutes from our last four in-person meetings! We had a quick treasurer’s report. We are calling for volunteers for the Bus Driver Appreciation Event (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4FADA62CA1F94-52156341-busdriver#/).

And we desperately need volunteers for our application mentoring team. Not every child has the benefit of support figure that can help them figure out how to apply to LASA. To increase our diversity including economic status, LASA sends volunteers to various Title 1 middle schools. LASA also provides a couple of days on Zoom when anyone can get help. But to volunteer you need to be trained. If this sounds like something you can help with please email me at president@pflasa.org and I will get you connected with the Mentoring Chair.

After our speedy meeting, it was PTSA’s turn. PTSA is still in need of members. Please pay the minimal fee and join as a family. The size of our PTSA factors into our advocacy efforts: https://www.lasaptsa.org/

Then we got down to business with an informational presentation on Prop A from two trustees: Ofelia Zapata (District 2) and Lynn Boswell (District 5). AISD’s Prop A is a measure to increase the school system’s share of property taxes to the maximum percentage allowed by state law: https://www.lasaptsa.org/prop-a

I’m not here to tell you how to vote but as a Texas-Ex Government Major and as a current lawyer/constitutional law geek I am begging you to vote! If you care about education in AISD which includes LASA, please educate yourself on Prop A. It’s also important to know that AISD’s Prop A will be at the bottom of the ballot AND just to make things extra confusing Travis County also has a “Prop A” on the ballot.

And speaking of voting, LASA will be hosting an AISD Trustee Forum this Sunday, October 20th at 3 pm in the LASA Library. This event is a fantastic opportunity to hear and see (most) of the candidates. Again, I’m not advising anyone who to vote for but please come to the forum and then VOTE!! https://www.lasaptsa.org/trustee-forum

Next PFLASA Meeting 10/25 at 8:15am in the PFLASA Portable!

Regards,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

Without a meeting to recap or a massive fundraiser to stress over (thank you everyone for meeting our goal and not making me stress out all year!), I’m at a bit of loss of what to discuss. I thought about not posting this week but then I thought about how rare it is to have the space to share something that’s personally meaningful to me.

Just a couple of years ago, with a freshman and no prior LASA experience, I knew I needed to meet other parents. I just had a kid graduate from Anderson and I saw how intense senior year was. And all the parents I knew at Anderson were either from back in day of elementary & middle school or were tied to my kid’s activities. But my LASA kid is not one to join things. And despite coming from Kealing, between the pandemic and the needs of the elder one, I didn’t really know other parents. So first I started going to PFLASA meetings where I met other parents but more importantly, I learned about LASA and its traditions. I was already familiar and supportive of Project Graduation, but I didn’t know about Senior Salute. And I didn’t know about the various ways PFLASA supports the community at LASA.

One of those traditions was the various parent coffees. Yes, we hosted one at the beginning of the year, but anyone can do this! We will help any parent “host” informal parent coffees. How do these work?

1. Decide what group you would like to invite (all of LASA, Freshman parents, etc)
2. Pick a date (typically a weekday or weekend morning)
3. Decide on location (we tend to do Central Market North)
4. Create a SignUpGenius to get an idea of headcount
5. Send it to us to publicize (it helps to have some lead time here)
6. Show up (LASA gear makes it easier to find you) and meet parents

That’s it. You don’t have to pay for anything or anyone.

But my favorite LASA tradition that builds community are the “Great Gatherings” formerly known as “Happy Hours.” With the help of an experienced LASA parent, who answered my many questions (no, you don’t need a meal or a bartender), I got on the calendar for a Fall night ready to meet other freshman parents. Then of course the nerves hit. What if no one comes? But my class was excited to party, and we quickly sold out! Then I hosted a party where I only knew my husband and my co-host. Was it nerve racking (a little) but it was also so much fun! In fact, it was so much fun that at sophomore BTS night multiple people asked if I was going to do it again. So, I did.

Hosting a party for strangers is a leap of faith. But in my experience, it is a well-worth it. Trust me when I say I don’t have the biggest most glamorous house. But we had yummy cocktails, wine, beer, and assortment of bites. More importantly, we had that desire to meet and welcome people. That energy goes a long way and attracts the same. If you are on the fence, get off and go for it. Not up to hosting alone then find a co-host. These events are completely customizable. Check out the info here.

Regards,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President