XOXO, Your PTSA Needs You!

Show Your PTSA Some Love & Help Earn the XOXO Award!

February is the perfect time to share the love—and what better way than supporting your PTSA? Help us earn the XOXO Award by joining our PTSA today. We need to recruit 14 new members during the month of February to qualify for this award. Students, Teachers, Parents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Friends, and Community Members are all welcome to join our PTSA.

Already joined? We still need about 25 facility memberships! Please consider showing some love to your facility by donating a membership! To donate, add adult faculty membership (s) to your cart and put donation in the name and email fields.

https://www.lasaptsa.org/

Texas PTA Rally Day is Approaching!

Texas PTA Rally Day is Monday, February 24th and we want you there!

Rally Day is a day spent at the Capitol talking about Public Education and meeting with Legislators about supporting Public Education. We usually have a large contingent from LASA  and we’d love for you to join us! If you can’t make it, please consider donating to or joining our PTSA. We will be providing lunches to the students attending through the LASA PTSA legislative program and your membership helps amplify our voice when talking to legislators.

Join or donate: www.lasaptsa.org

The Austin Council of PTA’s has been preparing our communities for the 89th Texas Legislative session, where they debate big issues (like school funding, school security, accountability, support for our LGBTQ+ youth, etc).

More info: www.austincouncilpta.org/advocacy

If you are planning to attend, you email Sarah Romo de Vivar at president@lasaptsa.org so we can meet up.

PFLASA 2/7 Meeting Recap, AP Exams, & Special Upcoming Meeting!

First, I want everyone to know that the next PFLASA meeting (2/21) with be a joint meeting with PTSA AND afterwards volunteers are needed to help stuff LASA Admission Acceptance Letters. PTSA is bringing in two AISD Board Trustees including newly elected District 2 Trustee LaRessa Quintana. LASA is in District 2. Also Trustee and former LASA parent, Lynn Boswell, will be there. This is an excellent time to ask questions about the budget and the process as AISD seeks to cut millions of dollars from the budget. These decisions will affect every student in AISD so this in an excellent forum to become more informed.

Second, in one of the most fun PFLASA activities of the year, volunteers will stick around after the meeting (so save an extra 30 minutes or so) to stuff acceptance letters. You might remember getting that special envelope with confetti and an invitation to the New Parent Coffee (set for 3/29—signups coming shortly). This is your chance to prep those letters for next year’s freshman class. And no this will not give you inside information on who is admitted because the acceptance letters are not personalized, they will be addressed by LASA staff. The sign up will be out soon but I want everyone to have the chance to participate if they want.

Next, the PFLASA meeting was kind of fun with a lot of parent questions and answers. We know there are a lot of acronyms (WHAP, IEP), confusing requirements, things to do over the summer (PE camp, Garza Health online) and PFLASA meetings are an excellent forum to get some answers. We also heard about new and upcoming Master Classes, a new event from the Raising Health Raptors committee, the upcoming Meditation Great Gathering (for all classes) (details on or to come to our website pflasa.org). And PFLASA considers Great Gatherings to be community building more than fundraising events. The money and the motivation are nice, but we really want people to interact. If that appeals to you, then fill out this form.

After we concluded our meeting, we had a presentation from Ms. Cherry on AP exams. This year LASA is set to administer over 4000 AP Tests! That’s a lot. And the mechanics of administering that many tests, finding the number of rooms, having enough proctors and monitors, is also a lot. Here are three really, really, really important things to know about AP exams.

  1. AP Exams start at 8am (school starts at 8:15), every year students get locked out of test.
  2. Many kids have two exams on the same day and with testing periods running over sometimes those kids don’t have time for lunch. PFLASA provides breakfast every morning and grab & go snacks, so these kids (and all the stressed out kids) have something to eat.
  3. PFLASA subsidizes tests for those who need and ask for it. This is one of the things I’m proud that PFLASA does, and no student or financial information is ever given to PFLASA. LASA Admin oversees this, so it is confidential. The tests are very expensive especially if taking multiple tests. Please ask for help if you need it.

This is the part where I ask for help but I’m going to highlight a variety of tasks and events that need volunteers. As mentioned above, the New Parent Coffee is March 29th. We need lots of parents to answer the questions from the parents of “baby Raptors.” You might think you don’t know enough about LASA to answer questions, but you know so much more than those incoming parents. Also if your student has an interest (math) or activity (band), you know about that. I promise its also okay to not know and to tell them to call the counselors or talk to another parent. Sometimes new parents need the “permission” to contact the school. It’s a fun time and is so helpful for our Raptor Community.

Finally, I’m going to highlight an open chair position. We need two co-chairs for the Appreciations Committee for next year. This is a fun and flexible job where you get to show teachers, staff, bus drivers, everyone who works for LASA how much they are appreciated. The good news is that the former chairs will be here next year for advice. Please write me at president@pflasa.org for more information.

Happy Valentines and Three-Day Weekend,
Ellen Stewart-Klein
PFLASA President

Upcoming Master Classes and Notice of Date Changes

Join us tonight for How Do I Know if I Should Hire a College Consultant at 6pm.

UPCOMING CLASSES

  • 2/18: Financial Literacy for Students
    Understanding the cost of money and the impacts of our daily life choices.
  • 2/25: The Science of You: Exploring Strengths and Drives with Psychometrics
    Gain profound insights into your strengths, drives, and potential in just one hour!

MASTER CLASS DATE CHANGES

  • Leveling Up Your Activities is now THURSDAY, MARCH 6
    Learn how your student can stand out through their activities.
  • NEW: Help Build A Successful College Application Story is now TUESDAY, March 11
    How to identify what truly matters and provide meaningful support in the lead-up to college admission.
  • Laws of Inspired Leadership is now TUESDAY, MARCH 25
    Inspire People and You Can Lead Them

Purchase tickets here!

Questions? nicole.truelock@gmail.com

NEW Master Class: Help Build a Successful College Application Story

We have a new Master Class to offer. Join Laurie Filipelli and Irena Smith for Help Build A Successful College Application Story on Tuesday, March 11 at 7pm.

Class Description:
In our comparison-driven culture, applying to college can be overwhelming. As parents and guides, we can ease the pressure by reframing the narrative and helping our students shine on their own terms. Through this interactive presentation, we’ll help families cut through the frenzy—How many APs? Which extracurricular activities are the best? Should my child get a summer internship?—as well as identify their own core values and support their students in becoming their best, most authentic selves. Come find useful advice, practical application tips, and a broader view of success.

LASA Dance 2025-26 Team Audition Meeting

LASA Dance Team Audition Meeting

  • Where: LASA Dance Room
  • When: February 24, 2025 | 6:00 PM
  • Details: Learn more about the LASA Dance program and the 2025-2026 team auditions. This meeting is mandatory for all current 8th-11th grade prospective or current LASA students that would like to join either Velocity or Dynasty Dance Team. *A zoom link can be shared upon request.
  • Learn more via: tinyurl.com/LASADance or emailing paige.edwards@austinisd.org

Raptor Book Fair

The Raptor Library Book Fair is starting this week! Students can shop a huge selection of books plus other fun stuff like journals and pens ON CAMPUS all week; the fair is hosted by BookPeople. The fair will be open from 7am until 4:30pm M-Th and then 7am-1pm on Friday the 7th. Students can pay with cash/check/credit card/ApplePay (NO BookPeople gift cards). You can also shop in store from Saturday Feb. 1st through Sunday Feb. 9th. This is the library’s only fundraiser and we receive up to 20% of sales.

Senior Moments

Save the Date: 2025 Parent Mix and Mingle

Come celebrate being a POTCO2025 (Parent Of The Class Of 2025!). We are all in this together, so let’s gather outside on the patio and celebrate our lovely little birds preparing to leave the nest!

There is plenty of parking. Non-alcoholic beverages and food available on site. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, March 30 from 2-4pm
The Draught House
4112 Medical Pkwy, Austin, TX 78756


Decisions, Decisions….

Your senior has until May 1st to declare their college intentions, but if they are already set and have made a match, you can share their decision on the @2025lasadecisions Instagram page. You can find a HOW TO instruction link for submitting your entry. Looking forward to seeing where all these talented kiddos will be heading next fall!


Senior Salute

Senior Salute will be held on the evening of Sunday, June 1, 2025 at Austin Ridge Bible Church. All seniors and their immediate families are invited to attend this 3 hour event. In true LASA-esque fashion, seniors will emcee, audition and perform musical acts and also write/perform in the annual skit, where they “roast” LASA faculty and staff. We will be looking for students to perform, audition to be an emcee and/or be involved in the skit, with more information to come. Sign-ups coming soon for senior parents to help plan the event. Junior parent volunteers actually run the event that night, so we can all sit back and enjoy the show!


Project Graduation Update

LASA High School 2025 Project Graduation is June 3, 2025, 10pm – June 4, 2025, 5:30am (approx) at the East Communities YMCA. This LASA Senior-only event is an all-night lock-in supported by PFLASA to provide a fun, healthy environment for the graduated Seniors to safely celebrate on what is sadly, one of the most dangerous nights for high-schoolers. We will have the entire space for this event. It will be a fun-filled evening with live entertainment, casino games, poker table and dealers, a pool, sports courts, games, movies, karaoke, quiet spaces, creative spaces and food for all. There is literally something for everyone. Ticket purchase and volunteer details to come.