As we head into the final days of the school year, I want to take a moment to say thank you for an amazing year. Our school is the vibrant, welcoming place it is because of the incredible community that surrounds it. Thank you for supporting our staff, cheering on our students, and helping make this school a place where everyone can grow, thrive, and pursue high levels of academic achievement. The dedication and partnership of our families play a vital role in creating an environment where excellence is expected and celebrated.

To our students: good luck on your upcoming final exams! You’ve worked hard all year, and you are well prepared—believe in yourselves and finish strong. We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished.

A quick reminder about Chromebooks:

• Students who are returning in the fall should keep their Chromebooks at home over the summer for use next school year.

• Students who are not returning in the fall must return their Chromebook to the library by the end of the day Thursday.

As we approach the long weekend, we also want to take time to honor Memorial Day. We remember and give thanks for the service members who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice allows us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Wishing everyone a safe, restful, and joyful start to the summer. Let’s finish the year strong!

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

• Huge congratulations to the combined Anderson and McCallum Ultimate Frisbee Teams for taking 1st place at this year’s Texas State High School Championship! Your hard work, teamwork, and dedication truly paid off. A special shoutout to Ben Martinez for being named to the Texas All-State Team—an incredible individual achievement! And hats off to Coach Petey Lowe, who was honored as an All-State Coach—well deserved! Way to represent and make us all proud!

• Friday, May 23rd was officially proclaimed Carol Nelson Day by Council Member Mike Siegel in honor of Ms. Nelson’s incredible dedication and impact. For the past 45 years, Ms. Nelson has led the MAC Band with passion, excellence, and unwavering commitment. We are so grateful for all she has done, and continues to do, for McCallum students. Here's to many more years of inspiring music and leadership. Thank you, Ms. Nelson!

• I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the McCallum PTSA for their unwavering support this year. From organizing events to recognizing our amazing staff, your dedication has made a lasting impact on our school community. Your efforts have helped create an environment where both students and staff can thrive, and we are so grateful for all the ways you’ve made this year special. Thank you for everything you do to support McCallum!

Calendar Highlights

• Tuesday, May 27th

  • 5th Period: 9:05 AM – 11:00 AM

  • 6th Period: 11:10 AM – 1:05 PM

• Wednesday, May 28th

  • 3rd Period: 9:05 AM – 11:00 AM

  • 4th Period: 11:10 AM – 1:05 PM

• Thursday, May 29th

  • 7th Period: 9:05 AM – 11:00 AM

  • 8th Period: 11:10 AM – 1:05 PM

• Friday, May 30th, Class of 2025 Graduation - 10 am at the Toney Burger Activity Center, doors open at 9 am.

This past week our campus received six Rave awards honoring the efforts of our amazing staff.

• Kristen Cerame - Ms. Cerame is such an inspiring and dedicated Biology teacher. My teen learned so much with her this year and her assignments were so creative and thought provoking. I really appreciated how much creativity the students were able to explore in her class. The wildflower assignment was a wonderful way for my teen to learn about the flowers and nature all around us.

• Jada Stewart -

  • (from a student) Ms. Stewart is such a sweet teacher. She's not only good at her job, but she genuinely cares about student's well-being and wants to help in a way that actually works. She is always on top of it and organized. Her classroom is always full doing lunch and FIT because that is where people feel comfortable. She takes the extra time to make sure every kid's needs are met. She is such a good teacher, especially for it being her first year.

  • Jada Stewart is a wonderful teacher! She’s super nice, does an excellent job supporting her students, and communicates very well to keep students and parents informed. Our son has flourished in her Advanced Algebra class, despite the difficult subject matter. Thank you Ms. Stewart!

• Tonya Moore - (from a student) So incredibly kind and thoughtful, is welcoming to every student and makes sure nobody feels left out. One of the most beautiful personalities I’ve ever met.

• Nicholas Martin - My son has Mr. Martin for Latin 1. This is the perfect language class for him. He doesn't have to speak (which was something he didn't like when he took French in middle school). They cover a lot of material, but it seems to be in a light hearted way. He is learning long SAT words and grammar. He has enjoyed learning about ancient civilizations. He has really enjoyed the blockbuster movie recommendations.

• Akemi Bond - Bond-Sensei has been a great teacher and example of excellent pedagogy for my first year student. She blends strong language instruction, high standards, and engaging cultural education. My kid particularly enjoyed making onigiri in class. He appreciates her sense of humor, instruction style, and responsiveness to student needs. Bond-Sensei has been a big part of my kid’s fantastic first year at McCallum.

Putting together this section of the weekend update always brings a big smile on my face. I think we can agree - we have the best staff in Austin! Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in a shout-out for one of our incredible team members. I'd still love to hear more stories about the staff members who make a difference in your child's life! AISD RAVE 

As the end of the school year comes into view, it's a natural time to pause and reflect on the experiences, challenges, and successes that have shaped our journey together. At McCallum and across AISD, we deeply value student voice and believe it plays a vital role in shaping the future of our schools.

With that in mind, we invite all students to participate in the annual Student Climate Survey. This important tool gives students an opportunity to share feedback about their experiences at school. There are two versions of the survey: one for students in grades 9–11, and a separate Senior Exit Survey for our 12th-grade students. Seniors are required to complete their survey as part of the graduation check-out process.

The survey will remain open through Tuesday, May 28. Instructions for accessing the surveys are included in the flyers below, and we will also be incorporating the survey into Advisory lessons this week to ensure all students have time and support to participate.

Thank you for helping us build an even better McCallum.

Student Climate Survey 9th - 11th grades

High School Senior Exit Survey 12th grade

Seniors, the last week of school is going to look a little different for you—and we’ve got a full lineup of events to help you wrap up your time at Mac in a meaningful (and fun!) way.

Friday, May 23 – Final Exams & Senior Breakfast
You’ll finish your final exams on this day, and we’ll celebrate with the Senior Breakfast at 7:30 AM in the Mac Library. This beloved tradition is a great way to close out exam week and kick off your last week as a Knight.

Monday, May 26 – Memorial Day (No School)

Tuesday, May 27 – Senior Checkout Day
Seniors must report to campus to complete the checkout process, which includes:

• Teacher sign-offs for course completion (done during your exams this week)

• Attendance clearance with your AP

• Chromebook return to the library

• Resolution of any outstanding obligations

• Completion of the Senior Exit Survey

• Submission of FAFSA or Opt-Out Form

• Submission of the final Transcript Request Form (sent by Ms. Nix)

• Students may download their own copy of the Checkout Form HERE or pick one up Monday, May 19th in the main office.

• Students are expected to bring the form with them to class starting Tuesday, May 20th.

Seniors with last names A-L will check out during the first exam period, 9:05 am - 11:00 am

Seniors with last name M-Z will check out during the second exam period, 11:10 am - 1:05 pm

Wednesday, May 28 – Senior Carnival
From 1:30–4:00 PM, we’ll transform the north end of campus into a full-blown carnival! Games, rides, food trucks, and prizes await! This is always a highlight of Senior Week and free for the Class of 2025!

Senior parents! Signup for the Senior Carnival is LIVE!

Come celebrate with our seniors at the Senior Breakfast (Fri. May 23, 7:30 a.m., Mac library) and the Senior Carnival (Wed. May 28, 1:30 - 4:00 at McCallum) by signing up for a volunteer slot! Slots are filling fast, so sign up today! We hope to see you there!

Senior Carnival signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C49ACA728A1F5C43-56602248-mccallum#/

Thursday, May 29 – Graduation Practice
10:00 AM in the MAC Theater. This is mandatory for all seniors who plan to walk the stage. We’ll cover everything you need to know for the big day—this meeting will last about 30 minutes.

Friday, May 30 – Graduation Day
Burger Activity Center (Indoor venue)
Seniors may arrive as early as 9:00 AM but must be there by 9:20 AM
Ceremony begins at 10:00 AM
Please remember: decorated caps are not allowed.

We’re so proud of the Class of 2025 and can’t wait to celebrate your accomplishments all week long. Let’s finish strong, seniors!

We will email a QR code to each student’s school email daily for attendance check-in. Students must complete the form each day—failure to do so may result in receiving a No Credit (NC) for a course.

Join McCallum Cheer and Blue Brigade for our annual summer kiddie clinics! Students learn cheers, dances, play games, do crafts, and much more! These camps are open to students in the community in going into grades K-8. Both camps end the week with a showoff for the students to show their parents what they learned during camp. Register by July 7th to guarantee a camp t shirt! 

• Register here for Cheer Kiddie Clinic! August 4-7, 12:30-5 PM

• Register here for Dance Kiddie Clinic! July 28-31, 1-5 PM

Parents – Looking for a Unique Summer Camp Experience? Sign your child up for the Inside Out Steelband Camp, an exciting, hands-on music camp where students learn to play steel drums, explore Caribbean rhythms, and perform in a fun end-of-week concert! No experience needed—just a love for music and a willingness to try something new! Click here to find out more.

Thank you for taking the time to read the weekend update! At McCallum, we are always striving to improve, and I truly value the input of our parents and students. If you have any concerns or suggestions on how we can make McCallum an even better place, I encourage you to reach out. (andy.baxa@austinisd.org) Your feedback is invaluable! Together, we can continue to make McCallum a place where every student thrives.

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

As part of our ongoing efforts to evaluate and improve the academic experience at McCallum, we are exploring the possibility of adjusting the way we rank our students. Specifically, we are considering a move to only rank students who fall in the top 10% of their graduating class, with students outside of that range not receiving an official class rank.

This potential shift follows the example set by four other AISD campuses—Austin High, Anderson High, LASA, and Ann Richards—that have already made the transition to an unranked system. We believe this change could provide a more equitable approach to ranking and better reflect the diverse strengths of our students.

Importantly, students who would like to know their class rank will still have access to it, regardless of whether they fall within the top 10%. This ensures that students can still apply for awards, scholarships, or other opportunities that require the disclosure of class rank.

To ensure we make an informed decision, we want to hear from you, our McCallum families. I have included the impact study completed by our staff, which outlines the potential effects of this change on our students and the overall academic culture. Please take a moment to review this information and share your thoughts.

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to complete our brief survey, and we want to thank those who have already shared their feedback. Your input is invaluable as we work together to make the best decision for our students.

Senior Parents! Donate NOW to Sponsor a Senior for Project Graduation!

The Sponsor a Senior Project Graduation Fundraiser is well under way, but we still need help to reach our goal of $25,000.00.

What is Project Graduation?

It is fully community funded and funds go to celebrate the Senior class of 2025! Things like a Senior Carnival and Breakfast, as well as providing UBER codes for a safe ride home after prom and graduation are funded through this group! The hope is that each family donates $125.00 for their senior, but ANY amount helps!  The new tally is 80 families donating so far, with donations ranging from $25 to $1,250!! If you haven't donated yet, here's the link. or you can drop off a check at the Mac office in an envelope marked "Project Graduation!" Help us reach the $20K mark this week!