As we move through February, we are proudly continuing our celebration of Black History Month. This past week was particularly special, as our campus was treated to a series of powerful performances that moved and inspired us all. We were honored to witness the incredible energy of the MAC Knight Steppers, a beautiful and soul-stirring rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Paityn Jones, and a captivating performance by world-renowned slam poet Andre Bradford.

Looking ahead, we have an exciting Black History Month Spirit Week planned starting Monday, February 23rd! We encourage all our students and staff to participate in the daily themes, including Pan-African Pride Colors Day and Black Excellence Day, as we continue to honor the history and achievements of the Black community.

School Resource Officer Appreciation Week

Next week is also School Resource Officer Appreciation Week, and we want to take a moment to recognize our very own Officer Reilly. We are incredibly grateful to work with an officer who truly cares for each of our students and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep our campus safe. Thank you, Officer Reilly, for your dedication and for taking such great care of the McCallum community!

Looking Ahead: Extended Weekend & Schedule Notes

I hope all of our students enjoy the extended weekend! As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, February 16th or Tuesday, February 17th. When we return on Wednesday, please note that we will go straight into our FIT schedule, which means there will be no Advisory time next week. We look forward to seeing everyone back on campus refreshed and ready to go!

Calendar Highlights.

• Monday, February 16th - Student Holiday - School offices open on an adjusted schedule.
• Tuesday, February 17th - Parent Conference Day/Student Holiday

• Monday, March 2nd - CAC meeting at 5:30 pm followed by PTSA at 6:30 pm. Both meetings are held in the library. Attendees may enter through the blue double doors.

• Tuesday, March 3rd - SAT Day for current Juniors
• Monday, March 16th - Friday, March 20th - Spring Break

McCallum General Information

• AB Calendar

• Bell Schedule (Updated on 8/28/25)

• McCallum Campus Map

• AISD Personal Device Policy

• McCallum Personal Device Protocols

Here are a few other items that came across my desk this week.

If a staff member has made a meaningful impact on your or your student’s life recently, please consider letting the district know! You can submit a nomination through the AISD RAVE link. It only takes a moment and is a wonderful way to show your appreciation for our community.

Check your closets and figure out what you are going to wear because the McCallum Fashion Show is almost here!

This year's theme is Living Paintings: Meeting The Muse. The directors, designers and models have been working hard to bring you a show inspired by art and artists, so grab your tickets before they sell out!

The Cinematic Arts Program is hosting the show in the MAC theater on March 7 at 7pm and March 8 at 2pm. 

You can get your tickets here: https://maccinematicarts.ludus.com/200511700

Because we love our kids, our school, our teachers and staff, it is time to GIVE BACK TO MAC. This is our school's annual hassle-free fundraising effort that allows the PTSA to enrich the McCallum experience for our entire community.

Click here to donate: 

https://givebutter.com/givebacktomac26

This once-annual fundraising campaign helps supplement the AISD budget provided to McCallum, which only covers the minimal needs of our school. Our PTSA seeks additional funds because we strive to go above and beyond to provide exceptional support for our students and staff. This year we have had a lot of needs, so we need quick charitable action so we can adequately fund all of our commitments. We do a lot, and with your help, we can continue to do good things for our school. Some of Mac PTSA’s completed and ongoing projects are:

Gifted each teacher $100 to prepare their classroom so they don't have to spend their own money.

Provided holiday bonuses for custodians

Revamped the teachers' lounge to provide a relaxing, comfortable, useful communal space for our teachers and staff. 

Host quarterly staff appreciation luncheons for over 100 teachers, staff and administrators. 

Provide volunteers in the school and at the homecoming dance to lend an extra helping hand.

Support families, teachers, and staff in our vertical during times of hardship and need through Mac Cares

Offer McCallum Scholarship opportunities to seniors who wish to apply for money for college or trade school. 

Create a forum for parents and caregivers to come together and address important issues and challenges within the school.

Donate funds to ensure a successful Homecoming Dance for all and Project Graduation for seniors.

Your generosity makes a huge difference to our beloved school and donations at every level count! If everyone participates, we will exceed our $26,000 goal. Additionally, if offered by your employer, we encourage seeking matching donations. Every bit counts!

Thank you for including Give Back to Mac in your charitable giving this year. We appreciate you!

The Blue Brigade spent last Saturday at Seguin High School for their first contest of the season and it was a huge success!

The following are the awards they came home with!

Team Awards:

- Best in class for Team Pom and Team Jazz routines

- 1st Runner Up for Team Contemporary

- High point winner and Crowd Pleasers Award for their Team Jazz

- They were 1st Runner up overall in the XL Classic Division

Officer Awards:

- Best in Class for all 3 of their routines

- Grand Champion Officers in the XL Classic Division 

- Overall Grand Champion for the Classic Division

Other Awards:

- Chloe Seckar-Martinez - 7th Runner up in the Senior Soloist Category

- Chloe Seckar-Martinez & Olivia Pittman - 2nd runner up for their duet

- Our Ensemble won Highest Score in the Contemporary division

- Academic Excellence Award for overall GPA for the team!

The MAC PTSA Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 school year are now officially open! This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to get support for their future endeavors. Please see the MAC PTSA 2025-26 Scholarship Flyer below for more information on the application process and requirements.  

Attention 11th-grade students and families! The SAT School Day is approaching on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. This is a key opportunity for all juniors to demonstrate their college and career readiness right here on campus.

Important Information

Digital Readiness Check: February 25th during FIT (Students must bring their Chromebooks to complete the exam setup.)

Test Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Location: McCallum High School

Testing Group: 11th Grade Students (students are automatically registered)

Time: Students should arrive on time and be prepared to begin testing at 9:05.

What to Bring: A fully charged Chromebook and a charger. (Unfortunately, we do not have any extra chargers available)

Testing Locations will be posted in the hallway.

To help your student prepare, we recommend the following resources:

Khan Academy SAT Prep (Free, personalized practice) – https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

College Board SAT Practice Tests – https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice/practice-tests

Official Practice SAT-Suite: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice

SAT Student Guide 

Please mark your calendars for our Spring Parent-Teacher Conference Day on Tuesday, February 17th.

As a reminder, these conferences are now a formal requirement under Senate Bill 12, which mandates two official conference days per school year. While we value the opportunity to connect with all our families, we are focusing our initial outreach on specific priority areas to ensure support is provided where it is most needed.

Priority Outreach

For this spring session, we are prioritizing scheduling appointments for families of students who fall into the following categories:

Academic Support Needed: Students scoring below a 75 in any core class (ELA, Math, Science, or Social Studies) or below an 85 in most electives.

Attendance Concerns: Students who are chronically absent (missing 2+ periods this year) or are tardy at least once per week.

Behavioral/Conduct Changes: Students showing new behavior concerns or noticeable shifts in conduct.

Additional Outreach

If priority appointments have been scheduled and time slots remain available, we will also be reaching out to families regarding:

Academic Decline: Students who may not be below a 75 yet but are showing a noticeable downward trend in their grades.

Social/Emotional Concerns: Students who may benefit from a check-in regarding their overall well-being or social adjustment.

Note on Accessibility

Please remember that all families have the right to request a conference, regardless of their student’s current academic or behavioral performance. To ensure we are meeting the needs of our entire community, our teachers will work directly with you to accommodate conference requests that may fall outside of this designated day.

We look forward to collaborating with you to support your student's success!

FEB 19-22; FEB 26-Mar 1 | MCCALLUM ARTS CENTER

Mistaken identities, unlikely romances, and plenty of tap shoes collide aboard a transatlantic ocean liner! Anything Goes, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, is a classic good-time musical with music, mayhem, and a whole lot of style!

When stowaway Billy Crocker boards the S.S. American to pursue the woman he loves, he finds himself tangled up with a nightclub singer, a lovestruck heiress, a public enemy, and a ship full of eccentrics. 

Don’t miss this rollicking good time on the high seas with the cast and crew of MacTheatre. 

2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission

Recommended for ages 10+

Buy your tickets now and save! There is an additional $2 charge for tickets bought at door, except at the student rate.

Check out our Instagram or Facebook pages for a sneak peek at rehearsals!

Thank you to all our parents, students, and staff for taking the time to read this week’s edition of the Weekend Update. I appreciate your continued support and partnership in making McCallum a great place to learn and grow.

It’s important you know your student’s support team - their Assistant Principal and Counselor. We have a few changes to our team this year.  

Principal of McCallum - Andy Baxa: andy.baxa@austinisd.org

Students not in the Fine Arts Academy - List of Assistant Principals

Last Names A - GO Gabriel Adame (Assistant Principal): gabriel.adame@austinisd.org 

Last Names GP - PA Larry Featherstone (Assistant Principal): larry.featherstone@austinisd.org 

Last Names PE - Z Lavonda Loney (Assistant Principal): lavonda.loney@austinisd.org 

Students not in the Fine Arts Academy - List of Counselors

Last Names (A-E) Loren Croom: loren.croom@austinisd.org 

Last Names (F-LH) Nicollette Muller: nicollette.muller@austinisd.org 

Last Names (LI-RN) Cristela Garcia: cristela.garcia@austinisd.org

Last Names (RO-Z) Marc Garcia: marc.garcia@austinisd.org

All Students in the Fine Arts Academy:

Teri Kirby (Associate Principal): teri.kirby@austinisd.org

Shelley Goldstein (Counselor): shelley.goldstein@austinisd.org

Additional Supports:

• 504 Coordinator - Jennifer Padron - jennifer.padron@austinisd.org 

• College and Career Counselor - Jodi Denyszyn - jodi.denyszyn@austinisd.org

• AP/PSAT Coordinator - Lisa Gorzell - lisa.gorzell@austinisd.org

• Principal’s Admin Assistant - Bonnie Baker - bonnie.baker@austinisd.org 

• Guidance Secretary - Tonya Moore  - tonya.moore@austinisd.org

Congratulations to our McCallum visual art students for an outstanding showing at the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!

McCallum earned the most honors in the region with 31 Honorable Mentions, 16 Silver Keys, and 17 Gold Keys.

A special congratulations to our American Vision Nominees — an elite recognition given to only five students in Central Texas. McCallum proudly earned three of those five spots:
Paulina Chandler, Eloise Darnall, and Mira Patel.

Gold Key artwork now advances to national judging in New York City, with national medalists honored at Carnegie Hall this June. Updates to come this spring!

LINK TO ONLINE ART GALLERY

Mira Patel, A Thousand Saffron Threads (oil painting with mixed media)

Hello from your new College and Career Counselor!

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who I have not met yet. As I jump in mid-year, I also want to thank you for your patience in my first few weeks at MAC. With that said, please do not hesitate to swing by
Room 130 for college and career help. And I know it gets busy in the College & Career Center.

If you would like to sign up for an individual appointment, please request an appointment here:
Appointment request.

Midyear transcripts & midyear reports
Seniors, all documents were sent to the Common App colleges you applied to.

Important
As a graduation requirement, seniors need to provide Dr. D with evidence showing completion
of a FAFSA. Or, seniors can complete an ‘opt out’ document for FAFSA. To ‘opt out’, click on this
form: FAFSA Opt Out form. You will need to print the document and sign it, then give the
paperwork to Dr. Denyszyn.

If seniors have already emailed proof to Ms. Nix, Dr. Denyszyn does not have access to
Ms. Nix’s email account and needs FAFSA evidence as a graduation requirement. Please
submit or resubmit FAFSA evidence here: FAFSA completion.

Interested in attending Austin Community College after graduation?
Are you a current senior interested in attending ACC after graduating from MAC? Or, are you a
current senior who is unsure of what’s next and is curious about attending ACC after
graduation? Please let Dr. D know by completing this short form and interested seniors will be
invited to attend a workshop with an ACC recruiter in Room 130. ACC Day for Seniors.

Scholarships
Please use this link Updated SCHOLARSHIP DATABASE. to get more information about
scholarship opportunities. Dr. D updates this document weekly. Be sure to let Dr. Denyszyn
know what scholarships you were awarded so we can celebrate you at graduation! Document
awards here: Class of 2026 Scholarship Awards

Below is an example of what the screenshot of a completed FAFSA looks like and this is what Dr.
D needs as proof. Your name and the completion date need to appear below the hot air
balloons.

The Scheduling Process

Over the next month, our counseling team will visit English and History classes to introduce the Universal Choice Sheet. These sessions are designed to help students understand how different electives align with their specific graduation plans.

Students are encouraged to discuss the presented materials and course options with their families. Once a student has decided on their selections, they will complete a Campus Course Request Form provided by the counseling team. Please keep the following timeline in mind for these classroom visits:

Juniors (Class of 2027): January 26th – January 30th

Sophomores (Class of 2028): February 2nd – February 6th

Freshmen (Class of 2029): February 9th – February 13th

Once choices are finalized, the next step will be for students to enter their selections into our data management system. We will facilitate this process by grade level starting on February 18th.

Parent U is back this spring! This districtwide initiative is designed to support families as they help guide their students through their postsecondary journey. With over 100 families attending each session, Parent U continues to be a valuable resource for our community.

Upcoming sessions will focus on college entrance exams, first-year college transitions, college exploration opportunities, and student mental wellness. We’ve partnered with organizations like Advise Texas and Breakthrough Central Texas, and we’re excited to welcome the College Board for our January session.

When: First Wednesday of each month
Time: 6–7 p.m.
Where: Virtual

Remaining 2025–2026 Sessions:

Jan. 7, 2026: Testing for College — SAT, ACT, TSIA2 & AP Explained

Feb. 4, 2026: What Comes Next? First-Year College Prep for Families

Mar. 4, 2026: College Bound: Don’t Miss These Exploration Events

Apr. 1, 2026: Thriving Through Transitions: Mental Health & School Changes

Register here: https://bit.ly/AustinISDParentU

SIGNS ARE IN:

All signs have arrived!!!!!!  Please stop by at your earliest convenience to pick up your sign!   Address for pick up is 3208 Sunny Lane!

If you missed ordering, we do still have a few generic signs available for purchase.  Please email me if you would like to purchase one! 

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS

Thank you to our business sponsors!  We are so grateful for your support!!!

PALOMA EFRON Design & Interiors https://www.palomaefrondesign.com/

Harper Phinn Jewelry https://harperphinn.com/

The Gravette Family

If you have a business or know of someone who does please contact Valerie Foohey @ valeriedromero@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities!

SPONSOR A SENIOR

We are up to 82 out of 485 Seniors Sponsorships, so we still have a long way to go!  

If you have not already contributed to Supporting a Senior, please donate here macprojectgrad.square.site/

SENIOR 2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Friday, May 22nd 8am - SENIOR BREAKFAST

Wednesday, May 27th 1:30pm - 4pm - SENIOR CARNIVAL

Friday, May 29th @ 4pm - GRADUATION

Please reach out with any questions or if you would like to volunteer!

Bria Cirkiel (bria@parksideprojects.com or 512-565-7412)

The simplest way to check your student out of school is to send a written note to the front office before the school day begins.

The note must include:

• Student's full name

• Student ID number

• Date and time of early dismissal

• Parent/guardian name and phone number

• Parent/guardian signature

Your student should bring the note to the office before school. They’ll receive a pass to leave class at the designated time and can head straight out—no waiting required.

With ongoing construction, limited parking, and our large campus, this method is the most efficient option.

No note? A parent/guardian (or someone listed on the student’s pickup list) must come to the office with ID to check out the student. Please allow extra time for the student to be called from class.

Returning the same day? Students must check back in at the front office.

Reminder: Pickup notes do not excuse absences. For full attendance information, visit:
https://mccallum.austinschools.org/department/attendance

The School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) is a school board appointed advisory group of individuals who represent different segments of the community. By law, a majority of the members must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in the district and who are not employed by the district. The AISD SHAC is made up of parents, community members, students, and school staff working together to improve the health of all students and families through coordinated school health programs. Texas law requires all school districts to have a SHAC. The SHAC holds monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of every month with the exception of December and July. The meetings are from 6:00PM to 7:30PM. The meetings are held either on the 2nd floor of the AISD Headquarters Building located at 4000 S. I-H 35 Frontage Rd. Austin, TX 78704 or virtually.  

SHAC Meeting Dates and Locations

Mental Health Consent Form- https://forms.gle/2zngVCjz5wjac3nk9 

Club Consent Form - https://forms.gle/iWNj24Er5PfsmLiu7

Physical Health Consent Form - https://forms.gle/3kgQb5NQkReLUyT56

Elevate your high school experience by becoming a part of our Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA). As a member, you'll empower students with enriched programs and resources, advocate for their needs, build a supportive community, and stay informed. Join us to make a direct impact on education, foster connections, and shape a brighter future for our students – your involvement truly matters!

Click here to join today!