November 3, 2025

Dear AHISD Families-

I love November! This month highlights the importance of practicing gratitude, and I
certainly have much to be grateful for- In addition to the blessings of my incredible family, I
get to serve in this school district that is home to the most talented teachers and
staff as well as the most outstanding students. When I visit our campuses or attend our
school community events, I’m reminded of the magic that our teachers share in their
classrooms every day. I see the way our sponsors and coaches share their talent and heart
with our kids. I see the way our bus drivers greet our students in the morning and bid them
farewell at the end of the day. I see the way care is provided by our custodians, grounds crew, secretarial staff and nurses. AHISD is truly unique - and I feel blessed to lead here!


Veterans Day

In AHISD, we celebrate our veterans in a big way across all of our campuses and events will
take place all throughout the day on Monday, November 11. You’ll find more information at
the bottom of this message.

My family has military roots as my father served as a Marine during Vietnam and both of my grandfathers served in World War II (one in the Marines and one in the Navy). I am incredibly proud of how our campuses come together to honor these brave men and women who have served our nation. Their courage, dedication, and sacrifice protect the freedoms we hold dear, and it is a privilege to recognize them through our Veterans Day events. I encourage you to participate in the special events at your child’s campus that day.

On Location

I am so grateful for the overwhelming support of our community for our bond program. It’s exciting to see each new construction project begin but it’s also pretty exciting to see the finished results. In this edition of On Location, I’m showing you the new Visitors Bleachers Complex at Orem Stadium with two tour guides- Coach Rittimann and Coach Fox. The new facility has been welcoming visitors at all of our home games this year.

Generosity of the AHISD Community - Holiday Giving Support

Finally, I’m filled with gratitude for the generosity of the Alamo Heights ISD community. This time of year, I’m always so proud to see the community come together to support each other and those who may be struggling as we approach the holidays. Our PTOs and counseling teams work to ensure that everyone who needs assistance receives it. Reach out if you’d like to help out- there are so many ways to share your generosity with families in need this season.

As we look ahead to the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to wish all of our families a wonderful celebration filled with quality family time, good food and happy memories. May this time bring opportunities to rest, recharge, and enjoy special moments with loved ones. I count the AHISD community as one of my greatest blessings!

With gratitude,



Dr. Dana Bashara

Photo of the Month:


The annual Swing for the Cure girls golf tournament brought together some of the top girls golfers from across the state to play for a cause- educators battling cancer. At the opening ceremony, organizer and Head Girls Golf Coach Brent McCuiston asked all competitors to write the initials of someone they knew who battled cancer on their golf balls. The group of almost 100 golfers also heard words of appreciation from educators and coaches who have received funds from the tournament, including Howard Interventionist Carly Leech.

“Yes, this is a highly competitive event,” McCuiston wrote in a letter to participating teams and coaches. “However, we want you to play for something much bigger than yourself, your teams, and this great sport. Play with the best attitude you have ever played with, play with energy and enthusiasm, play with the people fighting cancer in your hearts and know that their struggles and challenges are much larger than the less than perfect moments you will inevitably face in the 54 holes you are going to play.”


Reminders:

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.

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
Tuesday, November 4 - Carnival of the Animals Children Concerts - 9:30-10:30 AM - Location: Barbara and Alan Dreeben Auditorium Foyer, Alamo Heights High School
Thursday, November 6 - WE 2nd Grade Music Performance: Welcome to The Jungle - 10:00-10:50 AM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Friday, November 7 - Elementary & Secondary Progress Reports Distributed
Monday, November 10 - CE Move with the Military - 7:15-8:00 AM - Field, Cambridge Elementary
Wednesday, November 12 - G&P Committee Meetings - 7:00AM - Location: Boardroom, Central Office
Wednesday, November 12 - District Early Release/Staff Development
Howard Early Childhood Center:11:45 AM
Cambridge and Woodridge Elementary: 12:15 PM
Alamo Heights Junior School & High School: 12:45 PM
Thursday, November 13 - World Kindness Day
Thursday, November 13 - CE Family Play Night With Coaches - 5:30-6:30 PM - Field, Cambridge Elementary
Monday, November 17 - AHHS Guitar Fall Recital - 4:00-7:00 PM - Location: Auditorium, Alamo Heights High School
Tuesday, November 18 - AHHS Piano Recitals - 6:00-8:30 PM - Location: Auditorium, Alamo Heights High School
Wednesday, November 19 - Education Support Professionals Day
Wednesday, November 19 - Regular Board Meeting - 6:00 PM - Location: Boardroom, Central Office
Friday, November 21 - Substitute Educators Day
Monday, November 24 - Friday, November 28 - Thanksgiving Break - No School


Veteran’s Day Celebrations
Tuesday, November 11 - HECC Veterans Day Celebration - 9:00 AM - Location: Gym, Howard Early Childhood Center
Tuesday, November 11 - CE Veterans Day Celebration - 9:00 AM (2nd & 5th Grades) - Location: Evelyn Phillips Auditorium, Cambridge Elementary
Tuesday, November 11 - CE Veterans Day Celebration - 10:15 AM (4th, 3rd, and 1st Grades) - Location: Evelyn Phillips Auditorium, Cambridge Elementary
Tuesday, November 11 - WE Veterans Day Celebration - 2:00 PM AM (1st & 2nd Grades) - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Tuesday, November 11 - WE Veterans Day Celebration - 2:45 PM (3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades) - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Tuesday, November 11 - AHHS Veterans Day Celebration - 12:00-1:30 PM - Location: Fieldhouse Multipurpose Room, Alamo Heights High School
Wednesday, November 12 - AHJS Veterans Day Celebration - 8:40 AM (6th Grade) Location: Auditorium, Alamo Heights Junior School
Wednesday, November 12 - AHJS Veterans Day Celebration - 9:15 AM (7th Grade) Location: Auditorium, Alamo Heights Junior School
Wednesday, November 12 - AHJS Veterans Day Celebration -9:50 AM (8th Grade) Location: Auditorium, Alamo Heights Junior School

General PTO Meetings
Wednesday, November 19 - CE PTO General Meeting - 12:00-1:00 PM - Location: Evelyn Phillips Auditorium, Cambridge Elementary
Thursday, November 13 - WE PTO General Meeting - 12:00-1:00 PM - Location: The Suzanne & Jimmy Goudge Auditorium, Woodridge Elementary
Wednesday, November 18 - AHJS PTO General Meeting - 12:00-1:00 PM - Location: Library, Alamo Heights Junior School

Thanksgiving Lunches
Tuesday, November 18 - HECC Thanksgiving Feast - Schedule will be posted in Monday Mail
Thursday, November 20 - CE Thanksgiving Feasts - 10:30 AM- 1:30 PM - Location: Cafeteria, Outside and Evelyn Phillips Auditorium, Cambridge Elementary