This Week ... May 21

The Perez Elementary School PTA was chosen as PTA of the Year at the APIE Celebrate Awards and was recognized by the Austin Council of PTAs (ACPTA). Pictured: Far Left - Dr. David Kauffman, Principal of Perez ES; Far Right - ACPTA President Monica Sanchez and incoming president Jennifer Carson.

Ongoing Professional Development

In addition to learning opportunities available within Austin ISD through our Human Capital Platform, there are outstanding learning opportunities being offered outside the district.  While no District funding is available for these opportunities, AISD staff should know of other opportunities.  Please visit newly created page on our Educator Quality/Professional Development web site.  I hope you and your staff find this helpful.

Got to:

www.austinisd.org/pd/external

Other Profession Development Opportunities

• PTA Convention, June 19-22, Austin, Tx

• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) - Summer Learning Opportunities

PARENT SUPPORT SPECIALISTs Portfolio Samples Available for review

Short samples of the work portfolios of AISD Parent Support Specialists (PSS) for 2013-14 are available for review.

The portfolio samples are presented in "flipbook" style, ready for downloading and sharing. Each highlights some of the parent engagement work at each campus (with a PSS). Full hard-copy portfolios are available for review by request from each Parent Support Specialist.

Click here to download and review the portfolio samples.

Juneteenth Parade:

get Your Schools involved!

All AISD schools are cordially invited participate in the Annual Juneteeth Parade sponsored by the Greater East Austin Youth Association on Saturday, June 14,2014 at 8:30 AM. Paraders will meet at MLK and IH-35. 

Please join in representing AISD at this important community event.

To confirm your attendance or for more info, please contact with Terry Louie Russell at terry.russell@austinisd.org or 512-414-0052 as soon as possible.

Operation School Bell:

Limited Shirt Color Support for Uniform Schools

The Assistance League of Austin operates Operation School Bell which provides clothes for over 3,400 needy AISD students each year.

For school year 2014-15, Operation School Bell’s support for schools with standardized dress (i.e. uniforms) will be limited to fewer shirt colors: White, Navy, Light Blue, Royal Blue, Gray and Gold for elementary schools; and White, Black, Gray, Dark Green and Navy for middle schools.

While schools may choose other colors, Operation School Bell will not be able to support those schools in providing clothes.

Click here to see the Operation School Bell letter on shirt colors.

Please contact the AISD Parent Engagement & Support Office at 512-414-3189 if you have any questions.

PTA SUMMER LEADERSHIP SEMINAR

School principals, administrators and PSS staff are eligible to register for FREE to attend the Summer Leadership Seminar through Texas PTA, after a regular member registers. Registration begins April 22. In the meantime, everyone can view this page for more information: http://www.txpta.org/events/sls/

Summer Leadership Seminar, or SLS, offers a wide assortment of PTA related workshops on leadership, parenting, financials, advocacy, and more. It is a three-day conference full of activities and mingling with PTA leaders throughout the state. There is also an opportunity to request financial assistance to attend this conference with a link posted to the website with more information. This year's conference is in Houston.

There is also a National PTA conference in Austin this summer which I had previously mentioned to you. National PTA is offering one free registration to each local PTA to attend the Emerging Minority Leaders Conference from June 19-22 at the Austin Convention Center. People can register for that conference here 2014 Emerging Minority Leaders Conference - For Members - National PTA and the discount code is 729365. 

Growing Roots - SUpport classeS for parents of children with special needs.

Join Growing Roots for hands-on information, resources and support.
Growing Roots provides:

• Courses for parents, offered September through May
• Monthly Support Groups
• Supportive Case Management
• 6 Family Fun Days each year

All at no cost to families, with childcare!
Call 512-850-8281 to get started!

Click here for the flyer.

This Week ... May 7

Austin ISD Parent Support Specialists Mycah Arellano from Walnut Creek Elementary School and Bernardo Martinez from Wooten Elementary School celebrate at Celebrate! 

APIE & AISD "Celebrate" Parents & Volunteers

Over 100 "Parent Ambassadors" from Austin schools were among those recognized at "Celebrate!", Austin Partners in Education's (APIE) and Austin ISD's celebration of school parents and volunteers.

Recognized as "School Champion" was Mycah Arellano, Parent Support Specialist at Walnut Creek Elementary School and Founder/Host of the Eagle Talk Show, Austin ISD's television program about school parent involvement.

Perez Elementary School's PTA was chosen as "PTA of the Year", having fostered that school's community through the devastating Halloween flood of 2013.

Also recognized as finalists for "APIE Coordinator of the Year" were Parent Support Specialists Claudio Cruz of Pickle Elementary School and Lydia Hernandez of Webb Primary School.

Click here for the complete story and photos from the Celebrate event.

Many thanks to APIE for their continued support of Austin' schools and families.

Parent Support Specialist Focus - Inside AISD TV:
Allison Elementary & Steve Morris

Inside AISD is the school district' television program highlighting the good news of Austin schools. The latest episode includes Allison Elementary's STEMulate program. Parent Support Specialist Steve Morris takes you through the event and highlights STEM.

This episode also features Wooten Elementary School Parent Support Specialist Bernardo Martinez.

Inside AISD airs on AISD TV Ch 22 every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m.

Click o the clip above to see Steve Morris. You can see the whole episode on AISD TV's blog page at aisdtv/blogspot.com.

Summer Professional Learning Opportunity

Check out the link below for summer professional learning opportunities.

Contact Angela Ward at 512-414-9591 for mroe information.

Click here for the flyer.

Parent Support Specialist End-of-Year Reports Available

The end-of-year reports for the work of AISD Parent Support Specialists (PSS) are available for review. The reports from staff at 72 schools outline the parent engagement and support activities of the PSSs: parent workshops, PTA events, home visits and numbers of engaged parents and families.

The reports are half of the reporting system for PSSs. Portfolios serve as backup evidence and snapshots of parent programs and engagement at the schools. Individual PSS Portfolios are available for review upon request at the schools.

Click here to see the PSS end-of-year reports.

Austin ISD Community Budget Meetings

The Austin Independent School District invites you to attend the last of three community meetings on the district’s proposed 2014-15 budget. Learn about the preliminary budget:

• Strategic investment in priorities
• Projected shortfalls
• Long-range financial planning

Thursday, May 15, at Baker Center located at 3908 Avenue B at 12:00 noon.

Lunch and interpretation services will be provided. 

Click here for the flyer.

For more information, please contact the community engagement team at (512) 414-9706.

PTA Summer Leadership Seminar

School principals, administrators and PSS staff are eligible to register for FREE to attend the Summer Leadership Seminar through Texas PTA, after a regular member registers. Registration begins April 22. In the meantime, everyone can view this page for more information: http://www.txpta.org/events/sls/

Summer Leadership Seminar, or SLS, offers a wide assortment of PTA related workshops on leadership, parenting, financials, advocacy, and more. It is a three-day conference full of activities and mingling with PTA leaders throughout the state. There is also an opportunity to request financial assistance to attend this conference with a link posted to the website with more information. This year's conference is in Houston.

There is also a National PTA conference in Austin this summer which I had previously mentioned to you. National PTA is offering one free registration to each local PTA to attend the Emerging Minority Leaders Conference from June 19-22 at the Austin Convention Center. People can register for that conference here 2014 Emerging Minority Leaders Conference - For Members - National PTA and the discount code is 729365. 

Manos de Cristo - Summer Classes for Adults

Please find attached the new summer class schedule for Manos de Cristo

.

Registration for ESL, Computer Literacy, Spanish Literacy and Citizenship preparation will be May 13 and 14 for 8 weeks of classes that will begin May 19.

Please note the collaboration with Cooking Up English. Manos de Cristo will be offering 5 classes on Monday evenings to help people learn English through cooking. Students get to eat what they make and take home leftovers.

Click here for the class schedule.

Make a Movie, Make a Difference

The Austin Film Festival and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office invite you, your family and friends to attend the screening of the 8^th Annual “Make A movie, Make A Difference” film submissions. We will be announcing the winning films at the screening.

It is a FREE community event, so please spread the word and we look forward to seeing you there!

Click here for the flyer.

This Week ... May 1

Parent Support Specialist
End-of-Year Reports Available

The end-of-year reports for the work of AISD Parent Support Specialists (PSS) are available for review. The reports from staff at 72 schools outline the parent engagement and support activities of the PSS: parent workshops, PTA events, home visits and numbers of engaged parents and families.

The reports are half of the reporting system for PSSs. Portfolios serve as backup evidence and snapshots of parent programs and engagement at the schools. Individual PSS Portfolios are available for review upon request at the schools.

Click here to see the PSS end-of-year reports.

Resource for You:A Quarterly Parent Involvement Newsletter!

The Region 13 Educational Service Center produces a quarterly the Parental Involvement Connection, a parent involvement newsletter in English and Spanish: http://www.esc16.net/preview.aspx?name=title1swi.3_newsletter

The newsletter can be printed and distributed;

It can be placed on a district or school website and made available through a link;

Districts and schools can add their own material to the newsletter but they cannot delete articles from the newsletter, it must be used in its entirety.

Use this resource as you see fit in your school's newsletter, emails or social media efforts.

Click here for the newsletter.

Latino Leaders / Hispanic Futures Summer Program - June 16-19

We need your help to promote a new summer opportunity being offered to 9th grade students at all AISD high schools through a partnership between the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium (HSC) and the District's Hispanic Futures Program. HSC and Hispanic Futures are launching the Latino Leaders Program, a four-day, district-wide program focused on nurturing the skills students need to succeed in our rapidly-changing world. Program activities are centered around the following themes: leadership, service & integrity, academic success & college readiness, identity & wellness and career exploration. The first 3-days are in a "conference" format and the final day involves a college visit.

Four students (two male and two female students) will be selected from every AISD high school. We are asking for your help by nominating four current 9^th grade students and/or recruiting students from your school to apply/register online. Two male students and two female students will be selected from each AISD high school (with the exception of the Ann Richards School that can nominate four female students).

Attached is a letter of invitation from the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium and an informational flyer that you can share with students.

Your assistance with informing students about this opportunity is greatly appreciated.

Click here for the flyer and info.

AISD Facilities Master Plan
Survey

The AISD Department of Facilities has developed a survey that will help guide us as we move toward completion of the Facility Master Plan.

We are asking AISD staff, parents and community stakeholders to take a few minutes to help us identify FMP alternatives on issues such as overcrowding and under-enrollment, as well as to identify the needs at campuses and other AISD facilities.

Your input is vital to this process. Please take the time to complete the anonymous survey below. Also, feel free to forward the survey links below, provided in both English and Spanish, to parents and other stakeholders.

If there are groups of high school students, such as government classes or student councils, who could provide input, feel free to provide the links to them, as long as doing so would not interfere with end-of-year testing.
English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2014-Facilities
Spanish: https://es.surveymonkey.com/s/Instalaciones_2014

PTA Summer Leadership Seminar

School principals, administrators and PSS staff are eligible to register for FREE to attend the Summer Leadership Seminar through Texas PTA, after a regular member registers. Registration begins April 22. In the meantime, everyone can view this page for more information: http://www.txpta.org/events/sls/

Summer Leadership Seminar, or SLS, offers a wide assortment of PTA related workshops on leadership, parenting, financials, advocacy, and more. It is a three-day conference full of activities and mingling with PTA leaders throughout the state. There is also an opportunity to request financial assistance to attend this conference with a link posted to the website with more information. This year's conference is in Houston.

There is also a National PTA conference in Austin this summer which I had previously mentioned to you. National PTA is offering one free registration to each local PTA to attend the Emerging Minority Leaders Conference from June 19-22 at the Austin Convention Center. People can register for that conference here 2014 Emerging Minority Leaders Conference - For Members - National PTA and the discount code is 729365. 

Univision Parent Pledge Program

Univision wanted to inform you on their education campaign, Pequeños y Valiosos.  They are asking for parents to sign a petition stating that they will spend at least 15 minutes interacting with their child each day.  They need to sign and provide an email.  The email is to send them tips on how to interact with their child. Their goal is to get 500 signatures.  

Click here for the flyer.

Palm Square Resource Fair

Friday, May 02, 2014

10am-2pm

Doris Miller Auditorium, 2300 Rosewood Ave.

Call 512.854.4120 for more information. 

Click here for the flyer.