Why I Support PFLASA and the NHF

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I have a LASA kid. I also have another very not LASA kid so believe when I say I know the difference. I have a kid I was terrified of putting back in public school because her undiagnosed dyslexia made her hate first grade. Who hates first grade? But the magnet experience both at Kealing and LASA made me believe in public education again.

It was extremely painful to admit my child was not a fit for our local elementary. I come from a background of public education and service in education. My mother was a PTA president, and my full-time IBM executive father served on our county school board. But that belief in public education was tested severely with a child who was bright and anxious with a learning difference. A child that needs to be challenged but seen and understood. At LASA, I found a place for my child. Teachers who believe in her and will work with her because my child is not unique in these qualities. At LASA, my child has peers who are like her—kids who want to be in school and who want to learn. Kids who will purposely get lunch detention so they will be forced to study. Kids who are quirky or “different.” I’m betting you have one of these kids too which is why you are at LASA.

But LASA can’t be all that it can be without PFLASA. And PFLASA can’t help LASA without funding. Whether you know it or not PFLASA has directly touched your experience here at LASA. Did you go to an Info Night or Showcase where you were greeted by a smiling volunteer? Maybe you came to one of our new “Find Your Fit” parent panels to aid you in your ranked choice application. Did your student attend the New Student Orientation when they came to LASA? Or perhaps your kid cuddled a hedgehog during our Fall Stressbuster. And even if somehow none of that applies, every teacher at LASA gets funds from PFLASA, dinner on Back to School Night, and all the support we can offer. Finally, in these days of declining education funds, PFLASA has contributed funds for staffing for the past four years and we pay for after school tutoring in multiple science classes.

I “ask not what PFLASA can do for you but what you can do for PFLASA.” Please donate what you can to our No Hassle Fundraiser.

Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

September PFLASA Meetings Zoom and In Person

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This Friday, 9/6 at 8:15 am PFLASA will meet in the Portable (the only trailer on campus, next to the tennis courts). Please join us for committee updates, an exciting announcement, and LASA stickers!

PFLASA will also host the once-a-semester Zoom meeting on Monday 9/9 at 6pm. The link to register for the zoom meeting will be pushed out through a Raptor Special Edition and posted on Facebook the day of the meeting. Registration is required.

Can’t make either of those meetings? Don’t worry PFLASA is also scheduled to meet Friday 9/20 at 8:15 in the portable. This is after BYPTS (Bring Your Parent to School) days on 9/18-9/19.

PFLASA Parenting Connection Corner: Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Teens

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Whether your kid is new to LASA, adjusting to new teachers and new expectations, or in the thick of college applications, there are lots of reasons that their anxiety may be spiking right now. Please check out this Google slide presentation, “Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Teens,” which was put together by the PFLASA Raising Healthy Raptors Committee (formerly PFLASA Health and Wellness Committee). In it, you will learn strategies to help your teen manage the physical and mental manifestations of anxiety (including panic attacks) and what you can do if you suspect your teen’s anxiety may have progressed into an anxiety disorder. Raising Healthy Raptors is a group of LASA parents with lived experience with a variety of mental and physical health struggles that seeks to support other parents, end stigma, and decrease isolation. To connect with other families, reach out to Kristi at wellness@pflasa.org.

Earn Service Hours Supporting the LASA Band!

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The LASA Band is hosting and performing in the Capital City Marching Festival at Burger Center on Saturday, September 28th. Cap City is a fundraiser for the LASA Band and needs volunteers! The festival is completely volunteer organized and a great opportunity to earn service hours. Enjoy some amazing band performances as well! Those interested in volunteering can sign up here

https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/23471694097#/invitation

LASA Robotics New and Returning Family Events

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RoboEnthusiasts and the RoboCurious,

If R2D2 is your child’s favorite Star Wars character or they spend their weekends watching Battle Bots reruns, we’d like you to nudge them towards joining the many, the proud, the LASA Robotics team. LASA Robotics is a great way to explore creative problem solving in a hands-on environment with a group of fellow robot enthusiasts.

For new students, we will have a welcome Cookie Social 8/29 at 11:30am in Room 710. This will be a great way to meet eveyone and learn what LASA Robotics is all about.

Our first meeting of the year for new and returning students will be 9/3 at 4pm in Room 710 with a new and returning families meeting at 6pm to learn about what LASA Robotics offers, tour the shop, and meet fellow families.

Click to view map marking the rough location on the west side of the school.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to admin@lasarobotics.org.

Get Ready for the Peanut Butter Bowl THIS Friday! 🏈🥜

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The LASA Raptors Football team is thrilled to be part of this year’s Peanut Butter Bowl! We’re going head-to-head with Manor New Tech in a friendly competition to see who can collect the most peanut butter for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Bring in your unopened jars of peanut butter and hand them to any player or coach, or drop them off in the athletic wing this week. Let’s show them what the Raptors can do!

Join us this Friday
Our first official game of the season is here! Come out to support the Raptor Football team as we take on Manor New Tech. Bring your energy, your school spirit, and your loudest cheers—it’s going to be a fun night.

  • Date: This Friday, August 30
  • Time: 7:30pm
  • Location: Manor New Tech High School (10323 US-290, Manor, TX 78653)

GO RAPTORS!

PFLASA 8/23 Meeting Recap

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PFLASA hosted its first meeting of the year and there was a lot to discuss.

First, we explained for new parents what PFLASA is and does. For anyone who doesn’t know we are our non-profit group that exists solely to support LASA. LASA has two parent organizations PTSA (advocacy outside of the school) join them at https://www.lasaptsa.org/ and PFLASA which concentrates on supporting the needs of LASA. We like to focus on the three “C’s”:  Community, Communication and Cash. Every LASA parent/guardian, teacher and staff member is automatically a member of PFLASA (no dues or application necessary). PFLASA works hard to support our community not just with supplies and appreciation for teachers but also events for students and parents. In this vein, we held our first community coffee at Central Market North for parents to informally gather and meet each other. There will be more of these so keep checking the Raptor Report (subscribe here to receive our weekly newsletter if you haven’t already).

As for communication, this new tool, the Raptor Report, is our primary one but we also support the zip code and class Google groups, the Facebook page, and Instagram account. We have a few requests to post our meeting minutes and while we can’t do that, I will be providing these recaps for those who can’t make it to meetings. I also highly encourage you to attend a meeting if you can. You can come to any meeting the whole schedule is posted and we have our first evening Zoom meeting coming up on September 9th. I have never attended a meeting where I didn’t learn something important. Our next in person meeting is September 6th at 8:15am in the portable and we will have an update frm our PFLASA Health and Wellness Committee Chair (not to be confused with the LASA Wellness counselors) and much more.

We also had updates from our unofficial fourth “C”, the committees. We are currently trying to fill several vacant chair positions. See our updated graphic (below) but most of our committees are looking for help including appreciations and tutoring. Our first update was from one of the BYPTS (Bring Your Parent to School) Chairs. Mark your calendars for September 18th & 19th and look for information to come about parking, registration, and volunteering.

We also heard from our Master Class chair. Master Classes are online classes sold by PFLASA for fundraising on a variety of topics. If you have an idea for a class or think you could teach one please reach out to us. And keep your eyes peeled for announcements of classes including one on executive functioning.

Great Gatherings are the newly renamed former Happy Hours which is where a parent throws a party or class or activity. These events are in person and in the past were largely grade level based but have opened up to include whatever people dream up. This is another fundraising vehicle that traditionally supports Senior Salute with the ticket sales to these Great Gatherings. Again please reach out about hosting one if you are interested. And look for those to go on sale later in September so that you can mix and mingle with other awesome LASA parents.

And our past president Nicole Trueluck and current Senior Auction Chair spoke about senior fundraising. Nicole oversees the mini-auction and the auction which both raise funds for Project Graduation. Project Graduation is the all-night, drug and alcohol-free lock-in that many schools host on graduation night for their seniors. Graduation night can be the deadliest night of the year for celebrating high school grads and so the US Department of Transportation gives grants to support these events. The grant is a small part of the overall cost to ensure the safety of our community and support our LASA grads. The auction is an online event with classes, gift cards, and items that are sold. But because some events occur before the auction, Project Graduation hosts the mini-auction which is traditionally tickets to UT football games and ACL passes. If you have these items or any other tickets to events that you won’t use please reach out to donate them!

We also had updates from our Grants committee, the PTSA, and Tutoring but please forgive me for not making this recap even longer.

Which leads us to the final “C” – cash. PFLASA strives to support the school and community in numerous ways but to do that we need funds. While we have some creative fundraising events, the bulk of our budget comes from our biggest fundraiser the NHF (the no-hassle fundraiser). And yes, we have lots of acronyms (sorry). This is where PFLASA asks for donations of any amount directly from parents and friends. The NHF will launch on Labor Day with the PM but for now anyone who works for an employer that matches funds we implore you to figure that out now. Also an important reminder from our Treasurer be sure you have selected PFLASA and not LASA high school. Donating the funds to LASA creates red-tape nightmares for the poor LASA bookkeeper.

Regards,

Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

We want your seat! your wristbands! your tickets!

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Support the CLASS OF 2025 PROJECT GRADUATION AUCTION.

We want your seats, wristbands, or tickets! Do you have tickets to an event that you can’t go to now? Rather than let your tickets go unused, donate them to the 2025 Project Graduation Auction! We are looking for ACL tickets, UT Football, Austin FC, Broadway shows, Zach Scott, ANY TICKETS TO ANYTHING!