Wow! Big week for NESA. Check out our grant wining teachers! Our first round of applications closed today, so the office was quite busy. And we had a big field trip today. Visit our social media sites for some good pics of our Cinema/Visual Art/ Creative Writing field trip to the McNay today where students kicked off their collaborative participation in the McNay spotlight program.

Heidi Whitus receives NEEF grant

The North East Educational Foundation has awarded Heidi Whitus, Cinema Director at NESA, with a grant for over $1500 to purchase innovative Cinema technology for student use. These include cages and rigs for cameras, as well as lighting so that they can achieve more innovative cinematography. Way to go Mrs. Whitus, raising our Cinema program to the next level!

Amie Charney- Grant recipient

Yesterday our Creative Writing Director was announced as one of the four winners of the Harlequin Creator Fund. This is a grant through Harlequin publishing that gives financial support and editorial mentorship to female writers. Mrs. Charney won for a 12 episode TV series about a writer whose novel goes viral. What an excellent mentor for our Creative Writers! Here is the link if you wish to learn more: https://feelgood.harlequin.com/harlequin-creator-fund.html

Looking to next week…

Chalk It Up!

Chalk it Up is Saturday Oct. 12^th from 10-4 on Houston Street! NESA VA will have a space there, as will our chapter of National Art Honor Society, which is run by Mrs. Gonzales and incorporates NESA, ISA, STEM, and LEE students in to one big art loving honor society! The event is free to the public, so come by, make some art, eat some food, groove to some tunes and say Hi!

Magnet Night

Magnet Night is at Blossom Athletic Center on Thursday Oct. 10^th from 5:30-7:30. We are asking for a few student and parent helpers if you are interested in helping us find the next generation of talent for NESA!

Early Release

Early Release on Oct. 11^th so everyone gets out at 2:15!

Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples Day Holiday

No school for the students on Oct. 14^th

Tickets for Mamma Mia go on sale next week!

The general public can buy tickets to Mamma Mia! starting Friday morning October 11^th. Get them while they’re hot! We are hoping to sell this one out!

College Calling- This week is all about AP Testing Info

All students should have received their join code for their AP tests if they are in any AP classes. Please make sure all students have joined and signed up to test. If your student is in an AP class they should DEFINITELY take the test! The test gives college credit and in the world of college credit that means free money.

For example, at UTSA a course is about $2,000, so passing the class with a 3 (and sometimes even a 2 for some foreign languages) is like getting 2K! Even if a student attempts a test, but does not pass, college admission officers like to see a student follow a course through to the end.

The district deadline is October 24^th for any AP students to pay for tests; cash or credit card.
Cash ONLY Payments will be taken in the LEE counseling conference room the following dates:

October 17th – All lunches

October 18th – 7:30-8:45 a.m.

October 21-23rd – All lunches

Students may make credit card payments online through their skyward account if they registered prior to October 3rd.

 

Parking Shuttle Changes

Effective Monday, September 30, 2019, the shuttle service will start at 7 am for trip to the LEE campus from the parking lot on Blanco Road. The service will end at 10:45 am and reconvene at 1:45 pm through 6:30 pm. For students who park in that lot and need access to their vehicle between 10:45 am and 1:45 pm, they will need to report to the main office so that we can arrange for transportation to that lot. Based on the data collected with the service shuttle this year, there is no need to continue the mid-day shuttle system. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

 

Have a great weekend!

Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

What a show last night! The VA show and the IM show combined to be one of the most energetic shows we have had here! I have received phone calls this morning with people raving about how impressed and entertained they were. If you missed it, put the next one on your to do list. It’s not till January, so I will remind you all!

Ads for Dance and MT

Just a reminder that if you are interested in placing an AD in the playbill for Mamma Mia, Carrie and Merchant of Venice. The due date is in one week. The Dance program has a little more time. Both order forms are attached. Feel free to reach out to me at spagon@neisd.net with any questions you might have.
ad form MT      advertising form- NESA Dance

AP Exams

Students who will take Advanced Placement Exams in May 2020 will pay for the exams from October 7 – October 24. Keep an eye out for info from the LEE counselors or from your student’s teacher.

College Calling!

Here is an article I found on US News and Reports with some tips on how college applicants can stand out from the crowd. Some start early and some are just plain good life advise, like check your social media!

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2018-09-12/6-tips-from-college-admissions-pros-on-standing-out

 

Additionally, I just want to highlight a few things this week from the Principal’s newsletter that goes out because I think they are extra important!

From Principal Crowe’s parent letter:

Homecoming Information

For those students who are requesting to bring a guest to the Homecoming Dance that is not a LEE or ISA student, forms will be available in the main office starting September 23. The deadline to submit forms for approval is October 18 by 4:30 pm in the main office.

College Advisor Information

Please see below for Ms. Estrella’s contact information. Feel free to reach out to her with any questions about college. Cindy Estrella, College Adviser at LEE High School Trinity University College Advising Corps Office: 210.356.0857 Email: c-estrel@neisd.net “My mission is to foster a college-going culture on the campus while delivering personalized guidance on college admission, transition, enrollment, and financial aid assistance.”

 

Have a great weekend!

Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

Remember we have a speaker coming in this Wednesday during 7th and 8th from the SA Behavioral Heath Center to talk to everyone about stress relief, self care and other issues relating to socio-emotional health.  All NESA students are expected to attend.

Also, Thursday, Dance is offering a class open to all NESA students who are interested in ballet. No experience necessary.

Think. Create. NESA.

VA show and IM Concert coming up this week!

Join us for the first Instrumental Music Concert of the year this coming Thursday, Sept. 26^th at 7pm. Show up early to catch the Visual Artists lobby show starting at 5pm. Both events are entirely free and concessions will be sold at the events. Also, not a huge amount of out of major performances this nine weeks for students, so this is a good opportunity! See you there!

College Calling!

Did you know the San Antonio Library has a whole compendium of resources for College Board students and parents? You can check out test prep books, there is a whole list of online resources and much more! https://guides.mysapl.org/collegeprep#s-lg-box-10248424

 

Thank you!

A big Thank You to all the students and parents who came to help with our Open House for prospective students on Thursday evening. We had over 60 families sign in and the place was busy all evening. The future of our school hinges on recruitment so I really appreciate everyone helping to share the awesomeness that is NESA!

 

Have a fantastic weekend!

Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

Happy Friday the 13^th! And a full harvest moon. They say this won’t happen again until 2049, so enjoy your evening. We look forward to seeing everyone next week here at NESA!

Greenback Night

Greenback Night is coming up this week! The parent event is Tuesday, Sept. 17^th starting at 6pm, unless your student is Math or English GT, then you meet in the library at 5:30. Come follow your student’s schedule, meet their teachers, and see if you can get from class A to class B in under 5 minutes! See you there!

Open House

Open house Thursday, Sept. 19^th – This is NESA’s first prospective student/parent night for the year. This event is a for families to ask questions about the school, get a feel for what a wonderful community we have and go through the application process. That being said, we could use a few parents and students for each major that night to help talk to families, direct traffic, and be a welcome wagon! Please contact your teacher if you are interested in helping.

Panoramic Pictures

Panoramic pictures will be Sept. 18^th (Wednesday). Seniors’ photo is at 8 (so plan to be at school earlier than usual that day Seniors!) and NESA is at 11:30.

Ushering Open for IM show Sept. 26^th

New procedure! Students should sign up to usher using Sign Up Genius. Here is the link to usher the upcoming IM show: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A48A9A62BA5FF2-usher

Teachers have it posted this info as well. We are trial running this procedure but are hoping it makes things easier for everyone!

College Calling

 We have had a lot of parents and students asking for help in the college process. Well a couple of our NESA News team showed me a website they use that is just fantastic. I am going to be finding little gems like this and sending them out to everyone periodically throughout the year in the new College Corner segment. Enjoy!

Big Future from College Board is a webpage, college search tool, organizational tool, a step by step guide, and more. Plus, its FREE! https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

Ads to support this season’s Theatrical productions

Deadline to purchase ads in the playbills of Mamma Mia, Carrie, and Merchant of Venice is Oct. 4^th, which is coming sooner than you think! See this form for ordering details. ad form MT

Ad on every ticket to our 2019-2020 Season!

We have a new ticketing system coming out this year and we have the opportunity to place a Supporter of the Arts Ad on every ticket sold. The tickets will be primarily digital this year and the ad will show on the e-tickets and the printed tickets for all tickets NESA sells this season. The Supporter of the Arts Ad space is available for $2500. As a bonus, if you are the person who secures a client for the ad, you get free NESA merch, as does the client! If you are interested or know of someone interested, please contact me at spagon@neisd.net. Deadline is October 4^th.

pARtners

This week we had a great first pARtners parent meeting, with many attendees! We have about 45% of our NESA families as members, but I know the goal is 75%. Can you help them meet that goal??? In doing so you would directly provide funding for activities and items that go straight to your student. Be it masterclasses, ipads, meals, even tuned pianos are brought to you by our pARtners organization. You can join today at www.nesapartners.net

Have a fantastic weekend!

Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

 

September sails in with a mixture of energies and emotions. It is the month we start settling into routines, some new, some already familiar. I, for one, feel that this is going to be the best year yet at NESA! We start our 2019-2020 shows and performances tonight and we can’t wait to see you! (Check out the Season Card attached for all our major dates season card).

First Friday tonight!

Texas summer nights will soon be coming to a close so get out and take a walk tonight through SouthTown and BlueStar Art complex, check out the local art and of course the highlight, our NESA Visual Artists’ show at Hi’jole Gallery!

pARTners meeting

Date change: due to senior parent night at LEE falling on Tuesday, Sept. 10^th, we will we rescheduling pARTners meeting. New meeting is:  Wednesday, Sept. 11^th 7:00pm in the PERC

This organization is for ANYONE with a NESA student. If you do not know where the PERC is located, it is the building between the fine art building and the theater.

LEE Senior Parent meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10^th at 6pm in the PERC College admission overview

NESA Dance @ Pep Rally

Friday the 13^th NESA Dance will perform at the LEE Pep rally. Students and parents are of course welcome! Parents attending the 8am pep rally will need to park on the band lot “event parking area.” See attached map.

You will not need to check in with the office, but you will need to leave as soon as the pep rally is over.

Paperless Progress Reports

Additionally, as the three weeks draws to a close the first progress reports of the year will soon go out. This year NEISD is going paperless. Progress Reports will be available electronically through family access and student access. You will get more information and instructions next week from the LEE campus but this is a great time to check on your Skyward Family access account. Make sure you can get in and make sure all your contact information is accurate.

 

A note from NESA pARtners

NESA pARTNERS Information:

1st General Meeting of the school year: Wednesday, September 11th at 7pm 

PERC (next to cafeteria)

Membership:

NESA Parents! We have only touched the surface of Memberships this year. Please remember that your membership dues allow us to provide classroom support items, student scholarships, master classes, senior scholarships and teacher needs. Without the membership dues that provide to our operating budget something will not be covered. Your donation is tax deductible and goes entirely back to your students classroom. 

Please sign up at https://www.nesapartners.net/membership

Thank you to those that have already signed up! Your support is valued and what we do for your students and our school would not be possible without it! #bettertogether

Sincerely,

Catherine Stephens 

NESA pARTners President 

 

Have a great weekend!

-Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

Labor Day weekend is here! So remember Monday is a school holiday. Enjoy a little R&R. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!

First major NESA event of the year next weekend!

Come see our Visual Artists display their work! They have been busy art making all summer and would love to have you attend their first show. You can find them on First Friday, Sept. 6 @ Hijole! Gallery in the Blue Star Art complex.

Reminder

This is a good segway to remind everyone that ALL NESA students are required to attend one out of major event per nine weeks and usher an event once per semester. Each teacher has their own way of tracking the student attendance, so make sure that everyone knows what to do to get credit.

Ads for MT and Dance Playbills

Ads sales for both Dance and MT season Playbills are available for sale now! For a low cost your ads can reach thousands of dedicated fans! Plus, it supports our school and our art programs directly! Please see the attachments if you are interested!
ad form MT advertising

form- NESA Dance

Ad on every ticket to our 2019-2020 Season!

We have a new ticketing system coming out this year and we have the opportunity to place a Supporter of the Arts Ad on every ticket sold. The tickets will be primarily digital this year and the ad will show on the e-tickets and the printed tickets for all tickets NESA sells this season. The Supporter of the Arts Ad space is available for $2500. As a bonus, if you are the person who secures a client for the ad, you get free NESA merch, as does the client! If you are interested or know of someone interested, please contact me at spagon@neisd.net.

Sign up for email contact- Repeat (but do it!)

I am going to be moving my weekly emails and general information emails/reminders to a different platform due to high numbers of email errors. My goal is to reach every single parent and student at NESA! However, to use the new system I need to voluntarily collect emails. Please visit this link and fill out the short google form so we can add you to the new system! https://forms.gle/N9oyfYgEuogW9QEA9

All contact information will be completely confidential and will never be shared with anyone. You will still need accurate information in Skyward for contact from teachers and other school officials regarding individual students.

 

Sometimes I pass on workshops and other opportunities that I come across to the NESA community. In no way is this an endorsement of these events, nor are these events affiliated with NESA. This is for information sharing purposes only.

Low Cost workshops at the Public Theater

Add flyer.

The Public Theater in partnership with Las Casas is offering Broadway Connection Master Classes, led by actors coming through San Antonio on tours at the Majestic.  The cost is $25.00 for the 2 hour class. Additionally, they are offering limited scholarships for each class. The first workshop, is September 21 with actors from the Les Miserables tour. Teacher-Ad-Flyer

Here is a link to the scholarship application –  https://goo.gl/ZoWCgi

 

Rock The Plaza

On Saturday, Sept. 8 from 12-4 pm the San Antonio Public Library is hosting Rock The Plaza, a teen music event.  They are looking for musicians and volunteer helpers. Here is the link to apply or just get more info! Also, see the flyer for attendance details.

https://guides.mysapl.org/RockThePlaza

RockThePlazaPoster2019

 

NEISD Community Education College prep classes

SAT prep, Scholarship workshops and study skills classes are available through NEISD’s Community Education division. Click here to see the flyer with more info.   fall 2019 flyer

 

Follow us on social media

Facebook @NorthEastSchoolOfTheArts

Twitter @NESA_NEISD

Instagram @northeastschoolofthearts

 

Have a great weekend!

-Sarah Pagona, Director of the North East School of the Arts

 

I find it hard to believe that we have only been in school a week, but that must mean it was a very successful first week back. We are already into the swing of things here at NESA. It was great to see all the parents last night. The strong relationship between parents, teachers, student and administration here at NESA is a key element to the success of our school. If you were not able to make it out last night, I encourage you to attend the pARTners meeting on Sept. 10^th at 7pm in the library. This is a good place to get information, volunteers, voice concerns, and more. I am at all meetings as are our NRF student representatives!

Senior fees

Senior fee forms are now available for pick up at the NESA office so that seniors may pay their NESA senior dues. Dues can be dropped off at the NESA office as well, to either Mrs. Pagona or Mrs. Crews. The dues are $35. More information can be found in the attached slide show from the parent meeting last night.

Info from Mandatory Parent Meeting

Mandatory Parent Meeting 19-20 PDF of the PowerPoint we reviewed last night at the parent meeting.

 

Sign up for email contact

I am going to be moving my weekly emails and general information emails/reminders to a different platform due to high numbers of email errors. My goal is to reach every single parent and student at NESA! However, to use the new system I need to voluntarily collect emails. Please visit this link and fill out the short google form so we can add you to the new system! https://forms.gle/N9oyfYgEuogW9QEA9

Please sign up, even if you are receiving my emails currently!

All contact information will be completely confidential and will never be shared with anyone. You will still need accurate information in Skyward for contact from teachers and other school officials regarding individual students.

Parking update

After a week of data intake and many meetings, the LEE/ISA/STEM/NESA leadership team has decided to open up some more on campus parking spaces for students. There is no possible way to open up enough spaces for everyone to park, so not all problems will be solved with this move, but we are hoping it will help.
One aspect of this is going to be a few NESA only spaces that we will use for a student self-shuttle/carpool system.  I still have some logistics to work out about this, but let me lay out what this basically looks like. We will have a between 3-6 parking spaces in the lot that will be temporarily assigned to NESA students that drive and stay for after school extracurricular rehearsal. The students that receive these spaces will be designated as the ‘carpool drivers’. The others students will park in the shuttle lot and then ride to and from the shuttle lot to the LEE lot with the ‘carpool driver.’ This will help move students safely, as a group to and from the shuttle lot when the shuttle is not running or when the shuttle might be prohibitive due to time constraints. All students driving or riding will have to have parent consent signed on file in my office in order to do so. The travel consent that you sign in most majors will suffice. We will begin this process on Monday, so look out for those forms.

There may be additional spaces opened still for other students, but that is currently under review.

I encourage ALL students who can to park in the shuttle lot. The shuttle lot is a patrolled and well traveled area, where other students are doing the same activity (parking) at generally the same time. It is less than a mile from campus, and less than two blocks from Nimitz Middle School on high traffic high visibility roads. There is safety in numbers. We would like to avoid students wondering around the neighborhoods for miles alone.

We will continue to monitor the parking situation and tweak our systems to be the best we can make them under the circumstances. This issue will continue to evolve as the year progresses. We appreciate your patience.

 

Yearbooks on Sale now!

Yearbooks are on sale for a discounted price for a limited time! An early-bird special pre-order price of $55 will only be available until Sept 1, after which the price will increase in increments over the course of the year. The Balfour online ordering portal should be open in a couple of days, definitely by Monday. You also may bring an order form and payment to room 300A. early bird order form yearbook

 

Contact me!

I have had a few people try to reply to the weekly e-blast, and I wanted everyone to note that it is a do-not-reply address. If you need to email me my email is spagon@neisd.net and the NESA office line is 210-356-1033.

Have a great weekend. Stay cool!

 

Sarah Pagona

Director of the North East School of the Arts

NESA parent meeting 6:30-8:30 tonight!

We look forward to seeing everyone tonight!

3,2,1, school!

First Day of school is Monday! School bell rings at 8:55. I would advise students to arrive early so that they can comfortably park and ride shuttle if needed, find their homeroom classrooms, etc. Having ample time will significantly reduce stress!

Upon arrival to school, students will report to homeroom class. Students can find out which homeroom class they report to on Monday morning by looking at the lists posted on walls throughout the school.

Please remember- clear backpacks only! If you bring a regular backpack it will be confiscated, so don’t do it!

Magnet Bus Shuttle

If you are shuttling there and back again from another high school please see the attached Magnet Shuttle Schedule, which can also be found on the transportation web page. Give yourself a little extra time on the first day to figure out where the LEE/NESA/ STEM bus is located on the other campus. 19-20 LEE ISA NESA STEM shuttle schedule

Upcoming Dates to know:

NESA Mandatory Parent Meeting Thursday, Aug 22 @6:30 in the Theatre! We will have pARtners there for membership, a table for people to meet up at for carpooling opportunities, and more. Plus you get to sit in our cushy new seats!

Friday, Aug 23 7^th and 8^th period we will have our first NESA assembly with the students during school.

Sunday, Aug. 25 we will have several NESA groups doing small performances at the Tobin Center’s Open House in the afternoon.

Seniors surprise

Senior only lunch courtyard area coming this year! More details on Monday!

 

We are ready for another great school year! Enjoy your last few days of summer and stay cool!

Sarah Pagona

Director of the North East School of the Arts