Keeping Up with Comm Arts
~ April 15, 2024 ~
Hello Comm Arts Family and Friends!
Juniors are taking their SAT on campus this Wednesday, April 17th. SAT is now administered online using our district Chromebooks. Remember to charge your device the night before and bring your charger just in case. Calculators will be provided, too. Juniors, this is allowed if you would like to use an external mouse for testing.
Use your PSAT/NMSQT results to create your free personalized SAT prep. For more information, click here: Offical SAT Practice or Unlock your personalized SAT study plan. There are several practice SATs on Bluebook. Just log into the Bluebook app using your College Board account.
Our LGI will have guest speakers on campus on Tuesday, April 16th, during the 6th lunch period. Grab your lunch and learn all about the Space Lab at Texas State. A former Comm Arts student, Elise Owen, will be among the presenters. Our Earth Day celebration will be during 6th period lunch this Thursday, April 18th. Student organizations will sell items, so students bring money to purchase goodies. StuCo will be hosting an environmentally friendly (recycled materials) fashion show. If you are interested in participating, see Mr. Harris or Mr. Trevino. Cap & gown deliveries are this Friday, April 19th, during lunch. Seniors, remember to grab your graduation items. Film Club will also have a movie showing after school on Friday at 5 pm. This is a Comm Arts-only event.
This week, we are also honoring students with parents/guardians in the military. Please join us by following the theme dress for the week.
Highlights
Winterguard Campionships
Guest Speaker & Review Sessions
On April 15th, we had special reviews for juniors during the second period (an SAT review with Dr. Baker and Mr. Alicea) and seniors during the third period (an AP Macro review with Ms. Lewis, a previous AP Eco teacher, and Mr. Trevino) in our LGI. In the meantime, Taft had a speaker (Damon West).
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica
The 2024 induction ceremony for Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica was an incredible success. Students were recognized for their outstanding performance in their Spanish language classes.
The guest speaker was Taft Alumni and San Antonio Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda. She stressed the importance of speaking the Spanish language and bringing awareness of its culture to those around us.
Congratulations and welcome to all the new SNHS members!
Spanish Classes
In honor of last week's solar eclipse, Spanish classes learned vocabulary about solar eclipses and completed a diagram.
They also learned about the legends and beliefs in Latin America and demonstrated their knowledge in writing and images.
Announcements
STAAR Tests
Social Studies Review Sessions
9th grade - APHUG has completed the required curriculum, and students review and prepare for the exam each day in class.
10th grade - Mr. Harris's cram sessions in the LGI will be on Wednesdays after school from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. If you want to purchase a great study guide for your student, the book attached to this link works very well.
11th grade - US History EOC review will be held after school every day from April 11-18th. Times are 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
12th grade - Mr. Trevino’s annual after-school CRAM SESSIONS will be in room C215 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. We will meet every Thursday after school leading up to exam day. Please encourage your child to attend. This guide works very well if you want to purchase a great study guide for your student.
Attendance Recovery
Attendance Matters
Seniors
Prom Tickets
Just a friendly reminder that tickets sales will increase this week from $65 to $70. Please see ticket info below.
To purchase prom ticket(s), you will need to download the MORP app. It is available on the Google Play Store and IOS App Store. It is important to turn on notifications to get all the latest information regarding prom. Register as the Taft High School class of 2024.
Students can add a credit card/debit card to their account for prom ticket purchase. A student's credit/debit card is not charged until they are approved to purchase their ticket. You will get one of the following messages: *Students can be approved to be part of the school but not approved to purchase tickets, for various reasons. Approval can take up to 24 hours*
- Approved : The student joins the guest list and receives a QR code digital ticket. The student's card is charged. The student gets a notification of the approval.
- Denied : The student's card is not charged and will remain in the student list. You will get a notification of the denial and why.
- Come See Me : The student's transaction remains on hold in the pending approvals list. The student is notified that he/she needs to come see the admin prior to approval.
*Student Purchasing Options
- Buy a single ticket. The student purchases a single ticket for themselves.
- Buy a ticket for themselves and a date who attends the same school. The student selects the name of his/her date from the student list. You will need their contact info and student ID number.
- Buy a ticket for themselves and a date who does not attend the same school. The student fills out this google form that will go into "Pending Status" awaiting administrative approval. GUEST ID MUST BE UPLOADED, If guest ID is not uploaded then the form will automatically be denied! 2024 Taft/Comm Arts Prom Guest Request
Ineligibility: If a student has excessive absences or has outstanding fines/fees due.
Ticket Sales will be as follows: ID will be required to enter prom.
April 1st - April 10th ~ FLASH SALE OF $65
April 11th - April 24th ~ Ticket price will increase to $70
April 25th - May 8th ~ Ticket price will increase to $80
*Last day to purchase a ticket will be May 8th*
Send your AP Scores for Free
Beginning on April 10th, students signing in to My AP will see a pop-up window prompting them to choose a college, university, or scholarship organization to receive their AP scores for free. Seniors will have to make a selection to access AP Classroom and their course resources and assignments. Students have until June 20, 2024, to change their free score send selection.
Senior Walks
Seniors, below are the elementary schools that shared their information with us. If you don't see your school below, you can contact your elementary school directly for senior walk details.
Leon Springs ES
May 15th
Fields ES
May 23rd
Linton ES
May 24th
Summer Programs
Summer School
Official summer school information is now available. June 17 - June 27 (holiday: June 19)
and Session 2 is July 1 - July 11 (holiday: July 4). For more course information and costs, click the link below. Please keep in mind, due to campus requirements; Comm Arts students cannot register for the Social Studies and English courses. Registration opens April 10th and ends Friday, May 17th.
Counselors' Corner
Wise Words with Dr. Rosales & Ms. Skidmore
Summer Registration is now open!
Refer to the Summer School flyer in this newsletter for more detailed information.
To register, email your child’s respective counselor and let the counselor know which course you would like your child to take over the summer.
Grades
Please check HAC with your child to review their grades. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teachers.
Courses for the 2024-2025
Parents and students can review the courses your child selected for the coming school year in HAC.
SAT Wednesday for current juniors
Students who have previewed SAT practice tests typically score better on the actual exam. Have your child review SAT questions in the college board account. Most universities are reverting to requiring SAT or ACT scores for admissions.
Go Center
AP Exams
AP Exams are almost here. All testing will take place during the first two full weeks of May. See our May calendar for exam dates. Students must be on campus and in their testing room by 7:45 am. Testing will begin promptly at 8 am. Students who ride the bus will need to make alternative transportation plans.
All Comm Arts students are registered for the AP exam assigned to them in their Comm Arts AP course. For unpaid AP exams, please make payment as soon as possible. There are three methods to pay. See the PDF below for instructions. If you need a new invoice, please email Ms. Lewis. (elizabeth.lewis@nisd.net)
This year, the AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP English Language & Composition, and AP English Literature & Composition exams are digital. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors must bring their school-issued Chromebooks and chargers on testing day. Students, see Ms. Lewis if you have questions about digital exams or your device.
Free Resources to Prepare for AP Exams
Is this your first time taking an AP exam? If so, here is a good read for you! - Click here to read
Here is a good read on building your confidence for taking an AP exam. - Click here to read
New AP Daily Practice Sessions - Starting April 17th, a new video series will be available on AP Classroom and Youtube. Experienced AP teachers will provide practice on free-response and multiple-choice questions.
AP Daily Videos - On AP Classroom, there are short videos led by experienced AP teachers that you can review at your speed.
AP Daily: Live Review Recordings - Last year's recordings are also available on AP Classroom.
Other AP Classroom Resources - Topic Questions, Progress Checks, My Reports, and Additional Tips are all available.
Other Free Resources - Use the About the Exam tab to learn more about the exams. Also, your teacher has provided many resources throughout the year that can be used to review. Don't forget that you can form study groups to review together.
For more information, click here: Prepare for AP Exams.
AP reviews coming soon
AP Exams
Payment:
- $40 per exam
- Free/Reduced Meals $10/exam - parents/guardians need to re-apply each school year.
- See the pdf below for more details of payment
All other exams will be processed through Taft HS.
Calendar
Important Links & Documents
Spring Semester Exam Exemptions
A student enrolled in courses earning high school credit (full-year or semester) may be exempt from the spring semester exam if the following criteria are met:
- For the Spring semester, the student has three or fewer absences, excluding school business absences; (Spring semester begins January 3, 2024)
- The student’s final average for the spring semester is 80 or higher;
- The student’s conduct grade in that class is satisfactory or better; and
- The student is in attendance during the scheduled exam time.
A student who is eligible for exemption may take the exam if desired.
Exam Weight: The two graded quarters of each semester shall weigh 90 percent of the semester grade, and the semester exam shall weigh 10 percent of the semester grade. If a student is exempt from the semester exam, the semester grade shall be calculated using only the two grade quarters of the semester.
Adobe Access
Adobe Creative Suite Software at Home for Personal Devices
ComArts CTE students, please remember you can download and install Adobe Creative Suite software onto your personal laptops and computer (not Chromebooks) for FREE using your NISD student login credentials. Use the attached instructions for guidance. Keep in mind the Adobe software version installed at home will be a newer version than what is available at school. Please contact your Communications teacher (Cleveland, Barton, Sabogal, or Flores) if you have questions.
Communications Arts High School
Mission: Our school promotes curiosity while providing rigorous academics in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Vision: Communications Arts H.S. students will be confident, capable, communicative leaders.
Email: cahs@nisd.net
Attendance Email: CAHS.attendance@nisd.net
Website: https://www.nisd.net/communicationsarts
Location: 11600 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78253, USA
Phone: (210) 397-6043
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunicationsArtsHighSchool/
Twitter: @NISDComArts