May 1, 2024

Dear AHISD Families-

It’s hard to believe that we find ourselves in May with just a little over three weeks left in our 2023-2024 school year. This year has certainly been a banner year for our district as we look back on so many academic and extracurricular accomplishments. Included in those celebrations is the news we received last week that AHHS was named a US News Best High School by US News and World Report based on graduation rates, AP Scores and STAAR scores! Included in this notification was acknowledgement that AHHS AP Scores are at the top 8% of all US High Schools.


The latest edition of our School Views publication was recently delivered to Alamo Heights residents. We also have an electronic version available on our website. Within this edition, you can find updated information about our progress with Bond 2023 planning, information about the challenges of our budget, as well as updated recognitions for so many outstanding programs and student outcomes.


End of Year Academic Planning
The end of the year also includes end-of-year assessments to evaluate the academic progress of all students. The month of May is busy with state STAAR assessments, secondary course final exams, and Advanced Placement exams at the High School. The specific schedules for AP and STAAR Exams are below.


AP Exam Calendar
AHISD STAAR Exam Calendar
AHHS Exam Schedule


As a result of action research on the evolving college admissions process, AHISD Trustees worked diligently the past two months in a series of special called meetings to update our class rank policy. At competitive schools like AHHS, it’s possible for students with strong GPAs to have lower class rankings than peers from less competitive schools who may have similar or lesser academic achievements. To address this, AHISD will now only rank the top 10% of students, a practice already adopted by other high-performing districts. Additionally, AHISD is reinstating a three-tiered multiplier system for course categories, with weights of 1.0, 1.1, or 1.13, to better reflect the rigor and challenge of the courses. Full details about these changes can be found on the AHISD Class Rank Website. I’m grateful for the commitment of our Trustees, and administrative leaders to work for meaningful policy change to best support our AHISD students.

Looking Ahead. . .

Next week, May 6-10, is Teacher Appreciation Week. I encourage you to take time with your student to share a note of gratitude with our AH-mazing AHISD teachers. We are so fortunate they choose to make a home in AHISD and impact the lives of our students every day and your kind words will mean the world to them. Every day, I am in awe of their dedication, expertise, and the love of learning they inspire in our classrooms.


There are many special events planned during this next month to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2024. We look forward to congratulating all of our seniors at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 23, at 8 p.m. that will be held for the first time at the renovated Harry B. Orem Stadium. Our seniors will always have a home with us in AHISD -- Once a Mule, Always a Mule!
 

Mules up!



Dr. Dana Bashara

Photo of the Month:



Generations of Mules took A Walk Down Memory Lane as we prepare to embark on construction at Alamo Heights HS this summer. At this special event in early April, community members were able to walk the halls, take pictures, look at yearbooks and class photos, reunite with classmates and teachers, and share their favorite memories.

Pictured left to right are: Carter Schimpff, Class of 2005; Reagan Schimpff, Class of 2042; Addie Schimpff; Class of 2038; Clarita Sommers Johnson; Class of 1952, Rita Rozelle Schimpff, Class of 1972; and Skip Schimpff, Class of 1968.

Visit our Facebook page for an album of pictures from A Walk Down Memory Lane.


Reminders:

Attendance Matters! Every day a student is absent it has a cost to learning, to the school environment, and to the district. In Texas, school funding is tied to student attendance, not enrollment. The more students are on campus each day, the more funding a district retains. When students are not in school- whether the absence is excused or not- it negatively impacts our funding. We created a resource to explain the impact of student attendance on AHISD funding, what parents need to know, and how to help.

As you make plans for trips and appointments in the coming months, please take note of the 2024-25 school year calendar.

Opt-In for School Text Messages: AHISD utilizes the School Messenger system to communicate important information to families through email, text, and/or phone calls. If any contact information has changed over the summer, like phone numbers or email addresses, families should contact their campus office to update in our student information system. In order to receive text messages, which the district sends only in emergencies, families must opt in to this service. Here's how to sign up for text messages. Those who have previously opted in do not have to complete again.

Kindergarten Registration: Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year is open. To introduce parents and children to the school, Howard Early Childhood Center is hosting Kinder Preview events. Visit our website for the schedule and to register to attend a Kinder Preview. Please share with your family, friends, and neighbors who will have five-year-olds next year.

If you see something, say something! We ask all AHISD families to commit to having ongoing conversations with students about safety and security and to encourage the reporting of any concerns to a trusted adult on campus. Families can also report safety concerns on our website by clicking Students / Parents and then Safety Concerns.


Please stay connected with all things AHISD by visiting Heights Happenings and also following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Upcoming Events

Athletic Events

Visit Rank One for all sporting events.

Master Calendar Events

Wednesday, May 1 - School Principals Day
Friday, May 3 - School Lunch Hero Day
Friday, May 3 - Celebracion Dia del Nino - 1:45-3:00 PM - Location: Woodridge Elementary
Friday, May 3 - Cambridge PTO Stay and Play - 3:30-4:30 PM - Cambridge Elementary
Monday, May 6 - 10 - National Teacher Appreciation Week
Monday, May 6 - Junior School PTO Meeting - 12:00-1:00 PM - Location: Junior School Library
Monday, May 6 - Library Night - 4:30-6:00 PM - Location: Library, Cambridge Elementary
Tuesday, May 7 - Woodridge PTO Meeting - 12:00-1:00 PM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Wednesday, May 8 - National School Nurse Day
Wednesday, May 8 - G&P/Committee Meetings - 7:00 -9:00 AM, Location: Central Office Boardroom
Thursday, May 9 - Family Art Night - 5:00-7:00 PM - Location: Cambridge Elementary
Wednesday, May 15 - Regular Board Meeting - 6:00 PM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Thursday, May 16 - Woodridge 4th Grade Strings Concert - 10:15-11:15 AM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Thursday, May 16 - Woodridge 5th Grade Strings Concert - 6:00-7:00 PM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Friday, May 17 - Kinder Splash Day - Location: Howard Field
Monday, May 20 - PreK 4 Splash Day - Location: Howard Field
Monday, May 20 - Cambridge 4th Grade Strings Concert - 1:15-2:15 PM - Location: Cambridge Elementary
Monday, May 20 - Cambridge 5th Grade Strings Concert - 6:00-7:00 PM - Location: Cambridge Elementary
Tuesday, May 21 - Kinder Completion Ceremony, Team 3 - 9:30 AM - Location: Howard Gym
Tuesday, May 21 - Kinder Completion Ceremony, Team 2 - 1:00 PM - Location: Howard Gym
Wednesday, May 22 - Kinder Completion Ceremony, Team 1 - 9:30 AM - Location: Howard Gym
Wednesday, May 22 - Kinder Completion Ceremony, Team 4 - 1:00 PM - Location: Howard Gym
Wednesday, May 22 - Senior Send Off - 4:00 - 5:00 PM - Location: Fine Arts Foyer, Woodridge Elementary
Wednesday, May 22 - Senior Send Off - 4:00 - 5:00 PM - Location: Fine Arts Building, Cambridge Elementary
Thursday, May 23 - PreK3 Splash Day - Location: Howard Field
Thursday, May 23 - Cambridge 5th Grade Graduation - 9:30-11:30 AM - Location: Cambridge Elementary
Thursday, May 23 - Woodridge 5th Grade Promotion - 9:00-10:30 AM - Location: Woodridge Elementary
Thursday, May 23 - Secondary Early Release -
Junior School: 12:45 PM
High School: 12:45 PM
Thursday, May 23 - Last Day of School
Thursday, May 23 - Alamo Heights High School Graduation - 8:00 PM - Location: Harry B. Orem Stadium