This Saturday you’re all invited to “Join the Fiesta” as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an engaging display of talent from our students and families.
Our officers in blue need you! They’re looking for volunteers to help manage tables, booths, and give out candy during the 5th Annual Austin ISD Police Department Trunk-or-Treat. The deadline to sign up to volunteeris Friday, Oct. 11.
A few reminders: Monday, Oct. 14 is a Student Holiday and Elementary Parent Conferences. Oct. 14 is also Indigenous People’s Day.
Now, let's get started…
Sparks of Joy in Austin ISD
Highlighting Tiona Bell at Blackshear Elementary
We’re celebrating Principal Appreciation Week at Austin ISD and in this installment of “Sparks of Joy” we introduce you to Tiona Bell, principal of Blackshear Elementary School. As the leader of the Blackshear Yellowjackets, Bell brings joy and wisdom to her community.
What inspired your journey into education?
I struggled in school and received a lot of support, especially in elementary school, because of my dyslexia and ADHD. Now I get to make that impact on students. Even though I have a degree in business, I switched careers in 2010 and have loved working with students and teaching.
Can you share a defining moment in your career that brought you joy and affirmed your decision to lead a school?
Student growth will always be my joy. As a teacher, you only see the student for one year, but as a principal, you can see students grow for four or five years. It’s amazing to see their development!
How do you cultivate a sense of joy and positivity within your school community?
I am very intentional about my words and actions. I strive to bring positivity into the classroom and school and ultimately, I am here to serve our students and staff. We want Blackshear to be a space where students can learn academically, but also grow in their social-emotional skills.
What moments do you look forward to each year that unite your school?
The first day of school is an incredible day every year when we welcome our families into our school and the learning begins! Any other time during the year when we can get our community together brings an immense amount of joy, especially Little EAST when our students get to show off their artistic talents.
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Austin ISD students shine at ACL Fest Immersion Day
Entrepreneurial students from two Austin ISD high schools joined the inaugural ACL Fest Immersion Day to put their learning to the test by creating their own festival.
Why it matters: Going to school in Austin ISD gives student incredible opportunities like this to learn from businesses and partners in the capital city.
How it works: Thanks to a partnership between Austin Ed Fund, Austin ISD and C3 Presents, students from Austin High School and Crockett Early College High School got an exclusive peek into the magic of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Students explored the ACL grounds, learned from experts and then channeled their creativity to design their own dream festival.
In groups, they brainstormed festival ideas and pitched their concepts to C3 Presents Chief Operating Officer Emmett Beliveau, Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura and other Austin ISD leaders.
The winning group scored upgraded ACL tickets for the festival’s second weekend.
“The goal is to introduce young people to the festival industry and to show them that they don’t have to be on stage to be part of the festival production,” C3 Presents Community Engagement Manager Louisa Wyatt said.
The winning team
What’s next: The students will see ACL in action this weekend with free three-day passes!
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re highlighting ways staff can do their part to protect our computer systems, networks and sensitive information.
Why it matters: Our data and digital devices are more vulnerable than ever to cybercrime due to the vast amount of sensitive information stored not just digitally but on networked systems and connected devices
By adopting some key cybersecurity practices, staff can dramatically reduce that risk.
Win a queso party! Campuses with the highest completion of the required License to Tech course in HCP and the RUP Staff Acknowledgement, will be entered to win a chips and queso party at their campus.
Introducing the newest member of the Austin ISD family…Alvan the Book Van!
Austin ISD Librarians
New Book Van "Alvan"
Assistance League of Austin gifts Book Van to Austin ISD
The details: Thanks to the generous donation from The Assistance League of Austin, the mobile library will bring exciting summer reading options to students in Title I schools and areas of east Austin where access to reading materials is limited.
What they’re saying: “We believe that every child deserves access to books, and this initiative is a step toward closing the reading gap that disproportionately affects students from different income levels,” ALA President Linda Noy said.
Austin ISD Special Education Transition Fair on Saturday Oct. 12
Is anyone else wondering where Fall is? I’m ready for cooler temps. Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to ACL for the first time. If you have the chance to go at least once, I recommend you go! Despite the weather being hot, I still had a great time. I love living in a city where an event like this is in our backyard. If you go for weekend two, have a great time and be safe!
For questions or comments you may email me at jorge.maldonado@austinisd.org
This document has been translated using an AI-powered machine translation tool. As a result, it may contain errors or inconsistencies that do not reflect the original content accurately. Please email translation@austinisd.org if you are in need of clarification. To change your preferred correspondence language, contact your school's front office.
