May 1, 2023 | Monthly Message

Letterhead for the Superintendent with Logo

May 1, 2023

AHISD Families, Staff, and Neighbors-

It’s hard to believe but we’re already nearing the end of the 2022-2023 school year. This year we’ve embraced the theme “There’s No Place Like AHISD” and as I look back on all we have accomplished together for our students, our schools, and our district community, I know this is certainly true. In May, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week the week of May 8-12.  Please take a moment to reach out to our amazing educators and share your words of gratitude through a quick email or note.  Kind words of appreciation and recognition mean the world to our teachers. 

Our own 5th grade teacher, Lisa Barry, was recognized last night as the State winner of the HEB Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement Award! Mrs. Barry shares her amazing talents and her heart for our district with the students in her classroom at Woodridge Elementary.  She is an outstanding representative of all the remarkable educators who dedicate their work and their passion to the support and growth of our students.  I’m incredibly proud of Mrs. Barry and I’m so grateful that she is part of our AHISD team.

May is also one of the busiest months of the year and we’re looking forward to final performances, concerts, athletic playoffs, and events at all campuses. Mark your calendars for a wonderful tradition later this week - the annual Business Incubator Pitch Night is scheduled for May 4 at 5 p.m. in the Alamo Heights High School Auditorium. The event will begin with Wildcard Voting from 5-6 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6 p.m. Six teams will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges in hopes of earning thousands of dollars in seed money awarded by district partners. I was able to congratulate the finalist teams a couple of weeks ago at the finalist announcement, and I look forward to learning more about their innovative ideas on Pitch Night! 

As the parent of a graduating senior myself,  I know there are many special events planned during this next month to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2023. We look forward to congratulating all of our seniors at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 24 at Freeman Coliseum. I am so proud of all that this class has accomplished and know their future is bright. Our seniors will always have a home with us in AHISD -- Once a Mule, Always a Mule! 

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


There are significant changes to the state STAAR exam this year. There are new question types and open-ended responses to the exams themselves. Additionally, there are significant changes to the state 2023
A-F Accountability ratings for campuses and districts. Because of the changes to the state STAAR Exam, the score results will be delayed. Scores for high school STAAR End of Course exams will be available in the Parent Portal on June 30 and scores for grades 3-8 STAAR Exams will not be available in the Parent Portal until August 16. As a reminder, all parents can access the TEA Parent Portal directly through HAC under the Grades/ Texas Test Scores tab. 

Advocacy 

The Texas Legislature is nearing the end of its session. Without a significant investment of new dollars, Texas will continue to be ranked far below the majority of other states in funding public schools. The best way to improve funding is through the Basic Allotment, which has not been raised in four years. If you have not already done so, I’d encourage you to contact our state legislators and ask them to increase the Basic Allotment to minimally address the rising cost of inflation over the past years.

Another issue that is gaining attention this session, is the consideration of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that would permit public dollars to be used for private education. At our April Board Meeting, our trustees adopted a resolution in support of Texas public schools that calls for legislators to "reject any diversion of public dollars away from Texas public schools to private entities in any form." The full resolution is available on our website. 


Bond 2023 

Early Voting for the AHISD Bond Proposal ends tomorrow, on May 2, and Election Day is Saturday, May 6. A full list of dates/times/voting locations is available on our Bond website. 
Your vote is your voice, and it’s important for you to know the facts before you go vote. The Bond 2023 website provides an overview of the proposal and how it was developed; answers frequently answered questions; shares resources including a video, mailer, and slides; and details the proposed impact.

The bond referendum will appear as three separate propositions and the proposed projects would impact all students and staff at all campuses. Bond dollars aren’t subject to recapture by the state, meaning every dollar would be invested in AHISD students and facilities.

Thank you for showing up to vote! 
Mules up!

Dr. Dana Bashara

Twitter: @BasharaDana 


Photo of the Month:

Concert

We celebrated 50 years of the Strings program in Alamo Heights ISD at the annual Strings Festival, held for the first time in the MuleDome! Almost 700 musicians from Cambridge, Woodridge, the Junior School, and AHHS joined forces for an AH-mazing night of performances, capped off with the traditional finale song Ode to Joy! 

Reminders:
-Kindergarten Registration: Kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year opened on January 17, 2023. To introduce parents and children to the school, Howard Early Childhood Center is hosting Kinder Preview events these next few months. 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. 

-Check out the May WellNews: A wellness newsletter for district parents.  

Additional issues can be found on the AHISD Wellness website at this link.
-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 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 it 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. Also, I invite you to follow @WeGoPublic to support this organization that promotes the amazing benefits of our Bexar County Public Schools!

May One-Month Glance:  

Below are upcoming events, throughout the district, during the month of May. 

Athletic Events

Visit Rank One for all sporting events

Master Calendar Events 

  • Monday, May 1, 2023 - Orchestra Spring Concert - Alamo Heights High School Auditorium - 6:30-8:00 PM
  • Tuesday, May 2, 2023 - High School Band Spring Concert - Alamo Heights High School Auditorium - 6:30-8:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 4, 2023 - 2023 Pitch Night - Alamo Heights High School Auditorium - 5-8 PM
  • Friday, May 5, 2023 - Cambridge PTO Stay & Play - Cambridge Elementary - 3:45-4:45 PM
  • Saturday, May 6, 2023 - AHHS Choir Performance: Born in the USA - Alamo Heights High School - 7-8 PM
  • Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - Junior School Spring Performance - “Pied Piper of Hamelin” - Alamo Heights Junior School - Little Theatre - 7:00-8:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - G&P/Committee Meetings - Alamo Heights High School, Athletics Classroom #103 - 7:00-9:00 AM
  • Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - Junior School Pop Up Show - Alamo Heights Junior School - Auditorium - 7:00-9:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 11, 2023 - New Heights Art Showcase - Alamo Heights High School - Studio 09 - 6:30-7:30 PM
  • Thursday, May 11, 2023 - Junior School Spring Performance: The Mystery of the Missing Medallion - Alamo Heights Junior School - Little Theatre - 7:00-8:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 11, 2023 - Junior School PTO Meeting - Alamo Heights Junior School - Library - 12:00-1:00 PM
  • Monday, May 15, 2023 - Senior Awards - Alamo Heights High School Muledome - 10:00-12:00 PM
  • Monday, May 15, 2023 - 6th-8th Orchestra Concert - Auditorium - 6:30-7:30 PM
  • Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Howard Kinder Completion Ceremony,  Team 4 - Howard Gym 9:30 AM, Team 2 - Howard Gym 1:00 PM
  • Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - 6th-8th Band Spring Concert - Alamo Heights High School - 6:30-7:30 PM
  • Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - Howard Kinder Completion Ceremony, Team 3 - Howard Gym 9:30 AM, Team 1- Howard Gym 1:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - Senior Send-Off (students who attended either elementary are invited back to their campus) - Cambridge & Woodridge Elementary (Begins at Fine Arts Building at each campus) - 4:00-5:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 18, 2023 - Regular Board Meeting - Woodridge Elementary Auditorium - 6:00-9:00 PM
  • Friday, May 19, 2023 - AHHS Theatre Spring Musical - Little Shop of Horrors - Alamo Heights High School Auditorium - 7:00-10:00 PM
  • Saturday, May 20, 2023 - AHHS Theatre Spring Musical - Little Shop of Horrors - Alamo Heights High School Auditorium - 7:00-10:00 PM
  • Sunday, May 21, 2023 - Baccalaureate - Alamo Heights United Methodist Church - 4:00-6:00 PM
  • Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - Junior School 8th Grade Graduation - Muledome - 6:00-7:30 PM
  • Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - Woodridge 5th Grade Graduation - Woodridge Elementary - 9:00-10:30 AM
  • Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - Cambridge 5th Grade Graduation - Cambridge Elementary - 9:30-10:30 AM
  • Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - Alamo Heights High School Graduation - Freeman Coliseum - 6:30-9:30 PM
  • Monday, May 29, 2023 - School Holiday
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