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Volume 25 | Number 7 | November 1, 2024

The area under Interstate 35 near Houston Street got a little bit brighter thanks to a group of more than 30 committed National Art Honor Society students from the Young Women’s Leadership Academy. They were chosen to participate in the Youth Revival Paint Jam Oct. 19 in partnership with City Problem Solvers which aimed to add value to the neighborhood by painting vibrant murals on the expressway support columns underneath I-35. The students learned about patience and collaboration as they created lasting art on the 18-foot pillars.

In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Office of Information Technology and the SAISD Foundation have teamed for the fourth annual cybersecurity art contest. Students had the opportunity to create original works of art that conveyed themes in cybersecurity. In each grade level category (K-5, 6-8, 9-12), first and second place winners were named, receiving prizes funded by the SAISD Foundation of $50 and $25, respectively. Several honorable mentions were also named for each category, and all recognized pieces rotated through as lock screens on district devices last month. Pictured is Jude at Japhet Elementary, who received his prize this week.

There’s a new engineering team at Ogden Elementary this year. About a dozen committed third, fourth and fifth graders, led by third grade teacher Ralph Gomez, are using STEM to have a lot of fun while they master skills students normally encounter in middle school or high school. The group gathers Mondays and Wednesdays after school. They are currently building and programming competition robots using Lego robotics kits. Before the year is out, they will also build rockets and solar cars, thanks to a grant from the SAISD Foundation. 

Though yesterday officially ended National Principals Month, our appreciation for our school leaders continues daily. We know they work tirelessly for their campus communities to help support teaching and learning. Over the month, we have spotlighted several leaders across the district’s wide geography. Today, we conclude our Principals Month Series with the story of Greg Rivers, head of school at Jefferson High School, the largest comprehensive high school in the district.

For Rivers, who has worked in education for 32 years, coming to serve as the leader of Jefferson has been a full-circle moment. He has experienced the school as a parent, a curriculum coach, and now school leader.

“It’s meant a lot to be here,” Rivers said. “It’s my neighborhood. My children went here.”

Read more about Mr. Rivers and some of our other campus leaders at the link below.

El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is traditionally celebrated throughout the Americas on Nov. 1-2, allowing the living to remember their departed friends and family members. In our campuses across the district, students brought in photos to help create community altars, or ofrendas, to honor the loved ones they have lost. Carvajal Elementary honored those gone before us at their Día de los Muertos parade this afternoon. Students carried shoebox ofrendas as they marched around the school.

The district launched a friendly competition among schools to encourage student attendance. The top-performing schools in five categories (elementary, middle, high, academies, and non-traditional high schools) are recognized. Weekly winners are highlighted on the district employee portal. Monthly winners are announced on social media. Quarterly winners are awarded a fence banner with a visit from the attendance prize patrol. At the end of the year, the overall winner in each category will be presented with an etched traveling trophy for the year. Winners for the first nine weeks were: Wilson Elementary (Elementary), CAST Imagine (Middle School), Twain Dual Language Academy (Academy) Young Women’s Leadership Academy (Non-Traditional High School), and Brackenridge High School (High School). Congratulations to all the winners from the first nine weeks. Keep up the great attendance because when you miss school, you miss out!

The 2025-2026 SAISD Choice Schools application opens Nov. 6! Learn about our Choice Schools today at saisdchoice.com or join the SAISD Familia at our fifth grade Family Night on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Alamo Convocation Center, 110 Tuleta Drive, 78212. 

Help us build our SAISD Archives! The district is curating an online museum and image repository that celebrates our 125-year history and historical treasures! We’re starting with stories and memories behind the schools that were closed as part of the 2023 rightsizing decision. Did you or a family member attend or work at a now-closed SAISD school? We want to hear your stories and see your treasured artifacts. Help us preserve these memories!

Though Cybersecurity Month is coming to a close, it is always a good time to remember that safe use of technology helps protect everyone’s information. In SAISD, we ask all our community members with access to district technology to use strong passwords, keep devices and software updated, be aware of phishing and suspicious emails, and always report suspicious activity. Together we can keep everyone’s data safe, so we can focus on teaching and learning. Click the movie above to learn more about how you can make a difference in your daily technology use.

Our San Antonio ISD police hosted their annual Trunk or Treat event at Sarah King Elementary yesterday, sharing sweet treats with hungry ghosts, goblins and superheroes. "Our officers love joining the community to ensure a safe trick-or-treating experience for families," Lt. Christina Houston said. This year's event had the additional attraction of a pumpkin decorating station for neighborhood children to enjoy. "Our officers were talking about not being able to carve pumpkins when they were young ghosts and goblins and how they discovered how much fun it could be," Houston added. "Not wanting our SAISD families to miss out, several local vendors such as River City Produce, Chicho Boys and even Burbank Agriculture donated pumpkins for kids and parents to paint and carve. It ended up being a hit!" We are grateful to our police officers who spent their evening bringing holiday cheer to the community, and to all who donated candy and pumpkins for this annual event.

We are grateful to the SAISD Foundation for sponsoring reading tool kits for 198 teachers who recently completed advanced training in the Science of Teaching Reading. Sixty-two of the 198 teachers are currently enrolled in the HB3 Reading Academy training at Region 20. This comprehensive training includes in-person sessions and self-paced modules along with six coaching sessions during which a cohort leader visits classrooms to help implement the evidence-based reading strategies. "The Elementary Reading-Language Arts department is thrilled to partner with the SAISD Foundation to provide each participant enrolled in the HB3 Reading Academies a TEKS-aligned toolkit that is jam-packed with multi-sensory resources to support the seamless transfer of their learning from theory to practice,” Veronica Hellamns, Director of Elementary Reading-Language Arts, said. We are so grateful to the Foundation for empowering our teachers with hands-on tools to help bring their lessons and learning to life for students and support our board’s goals in literacy. 

Reimagine our SAISD Spaces! All members of the community are invited to participate in a survey about repurposing SAISD's former school buildings. Together, we can reimagine how these buildings can bring new life to our communities. Help create positive change by taking our survey. Share Your Voice! 

The district's United Way campaign has been extended through Nov. 15. When our SAISD Familia gives back to our community we make San Antonio a better place to live and work. Employees can give online via a link in the employee portal. If you choose to give, you are able to designate your gift to more than 80 eligible organizations in the area, including the SAISD Foundation (8031). Remember, any amount, when added to the cumulative effort of our SAISD United Way campaign, makes a difference. 

October was Disability Awareness Month, and our Special Education team had several events to celebrate all our students who learn differently and our staff who support them on their academic journeys. Special Olympics bowling took over Bandera Bowl for three days. Students with disabilities and their families were recognized home football games at Alamo Stadium and the Sports Complex as we continued to celebrate the strengths of individuals with learning disabilities. These events both showcase the bond students have with their teachers and coaches, and part of the commitment SAISD has to providing the best services to the members of our Familia who receive Special Education services. The month ended with a family Dyslexia Awareness Night, where more than 100 students and families came to learn about tools to make literacy fun, and everyone got free books.

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