Joe Straus III Newsletter
June 2, 2021
Campus Updates
Thank you to our parents and students for coming out to join us last weekend for a wonderful Straus Parent Meet and Greet! It was so good to get a chance to talk to our parents and students! I am looking forward to seeing you all this summer for our campus tours in July.
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit the campus with our Namesake, Superintendent and School Board Members. We were all so impressed with the beautiful building. Please take some time to look at our social media pages or the NISD Facebook page to see the amazing pictures of the campus!
We are currently having a Fancloth fundraiser for the campus. Please see the information below and order some awesome Straus gear! The last day for the fundraiser is June 11th.
As we move forward with hiring for our campus, we would like to take the time to introduce you to some very important staff members:
Counselor, Mrs. Haby
Dance Director, Ms. Iruegas
Choir Director, Mrs. Abbott
They all come to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience and will do an amazing job serving our Straus community! #MEETTHEMAVERICKS
Lastly, while this is the last week of school, I will continue to send campus updates via this newsletter through the summer. We will be busy all Summer getting Straus ready and we look forward to seeing you all very soon.
Show your Maverick Pride!
Meet Mrs. Haby
My name is Amber Haby and I am so excited to join the Maverick family as a Straus Counselor! I am a graduate of Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. I received my Master Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Texas A&M San Antonio. I recently obtained my license as a Licensed Professional Counselor for the state of Texas.
My goal is to empower every student to achieve at their highest potential by supporting and guiding students as they develop the skills they need to be successful in all aspects of their lives whether it’s social, emotional, or academic. I am an available resource for students through classroom guidance, group counseling and individual counseling.
I look forward to working with you and your child next year!
Meet Mrs. Abbott
My name is Jazmin Abbott and I am honored to share my passion in music with the Straus community as the Choir Director.
Born and raised in San Antonio, I am a proud product of Northside ISD. I am blessed to recount my time in grades K-12 with such pride. The relationships I built with my educators then is what influences my teaching style now. In fact, while attending Jack C. Jordan middle school, I discovered my passion for choral singing. My Choir Director shared her wealth of knowledge with such zeal it became infectious, thus leading to me to pursue my teaching career. I continued my education, as a Rowdy Roadrunner, at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I hold a Music Studies degree as well as a Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. I have spent the latter six years as an elementary Music Specialist in the district and am ready to take on middle school!
My passion is guiding young people in their life journeys while exploring their skills, talents, and gifts. The gift of song communicates every point on the spectrum of emotion and I am ready to be a part of that discovery for our Mavericks. As Straus’ Choir Director, I look forward to building a program where students are confident in sharing their voice with pride in song and in their community. Be on the lookout as our Mavericks make musical moves throughout the community inspiring others one song at a time. With strong voices and a bright future, Straus is bound to embark on greatness!
Meet Ms. Iruegas
Hello Mavericks! My name is Cristina Iruegas and it is my honor to be the dance teacher for Straus Middle School!
I am originally from Laredo, Texas and moved to San Marcos to attend Texas State University where I received my degree in Dance Education. I then moved to wonderful San Antonio and established one of the first middle school dance programs in SAISD. Guided by opportunity, I am delighted to create a new legacy at Straus!
I am motivated to help students gain a well-rounded education in which he/she can become a knowledgeable dancer, a successful student and an overall good person. I enthusiastically look forward to becoming part of Northside and creating a dance program at Straus that will inspire and make the community proud.
State Assessment
Families will be able to access their child’s spring 2021 state assessment scores along with tailored resources by mid-summer. Score history can be viewed 24/7 by logging into NISD’s Home Access Center (HAC) and choosing the Texas Test Scores tab. This connects to the Texas Assessment Student Portal for families.
As always, the results will include detailed information in each subject, including areas of strength and gaps in learning, actual test questions, and tailored resources parents can use at home to support learning.
If you do not currently have a HAC account, you may follow the instructions here to create one.
Once the account has been created, parents may view their child’s state assessment score history by following these steps attached:
Parent Q&A
Parent Q & A Questions and Responses
Will you have sports for 7th and 8th Grade? Absolutely! Information regarding athletics was sent to all students and we will be sending out additional information soon.
When will schedules be ready? Student schedules will be ready in the middle of August.
Registration Reminders
- AVID applications can be sent to the current campus counseling department (to be forwarded to me) or directly to the campus at straus@nisd.net. Once the AVID position is filled, the staff will reach out to families.
- If you have any course registration questions you can contact Straus at 210-398-2550 or email leigh.davis@nisd.net or Amber.haby@nisd.net .
2021-2022 NISD Official Calendar Approved
The Board of Trustees approved the District calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. Northside ISD traditionally approves school calendars two years ahead to provide parents and students ample lead time. Given the COVID disruption along with significant changes to instructional delivery necessitated changing the current year calendar, therefore, the typical two-year lead time couldn't be accomplished. Multiple options for the calendar were shared and discussed with Cabinet, the Northside Educational Improvement Council (NEIC), and the Academics Committee of the Board.
Teacher planning dates/early dismissal dates will be added later. Click here to view the calendar.
What is Happening at JSMS?
- The campus is moving along quickly!
- We have a new Twitter and Instagram for Straus, please follow us @ NISDStraus!
- We are ordering instructional materials for the campus.
- We just ordered the furniture for our cafeteria, library (check out the pic below) and our offices.
Joe Straus III MS
Email: straus@nisd.net
Website: https://www.nisd.net/straus
Phone: 210-398-2550