Keeping Up with Comm Arts
~ December 11, 2023 ~
Hello Comm Arts Family and Friends!
We've made it to the last week of the fall semester. Winter break is just around the corner; here are a few reminders.
Students, good luck with your midterm exams. We know you will do wonderfully! Eat a great breakfast and study. Parents, please review the half days due to exams on the schedule. If you need your child to go home in an alternate manner, please write a note and have your child bring it to the Comm Arts office by Tuesday, December 12th. For instance, if you are allowing him to be picked up by an uncle who is not on the normal list, please provide his name so we can verify the release of your child. Also, when it is time for lunch (6th period), your child does not need to come to school during that time (unless they ride the bus and cannot get here otherwise). If you have any questions, please let us know.
If you have friends, family, or neighbors who would love to join the Comm Arts family, please invite them to visit tonight's Magnet Fair from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Paul Taylor Field House (Monday, December 11th). Magnet school applications are open.
Grades & Semester Exams
Students, please keep checking your grades and attendance. Report Cards will be available via HAC on January 10th.
Comm Arts Grade Guarantee Day
To encourage timely completion of student work and to try to prevent our teachers from being swamped with late work turned in on the last day of the marking period, Comm Arts implemented a Grade Guarantee Day for each of the first three marking periods of the year. Last Friday, December 8th, was the Grade Guarantee Day.
Students can still turn in missing assignments, but a teacher may not have enough time to grade those late submitted assignments for them to be reflected on the report card. After grade submission, teachers will grade these assignments and submit grade changes for those students. However, please note that the student's report card will reflect a failing grade, affecting UIL eligibility. Grade changes do not restore that eligibility. Students would regain eligibility if passing at the next 3-week grade check.
Final exams for the fall semester will be December 12th-15th. Attendance is mandatory. There are no semester exam exemptions. Please see the schedule below.
Campus Highlights
Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica
Comm Arts seniors Melina Reyna and Jedrek Rivera won a Spanish national contest sponsored by the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica. The theme was "fashion and style." Both students' work is featured in the magazine Albricias. Congratulations!
Writer's Notebook
Theme Projects
Freshman students in Advanced ELA read novels and depicted various themes in their novels through collages and artwork. Through this activity, they can fully comprehend the function of a theme in a fiction work.
Poetry Reading
Freshmen also created and read their poetry aloud to students and staff. Ms. V is proud of their courageous public speaking, beautiful words, and poetry analysis skills!
Campus Announcements
Festive Wear
Attendance
Students are allotted seven absences for the fall semester. Students must attend AR to earn back course credits for additional absences. Juniors and seniors, if you would like to remain eligible for off-campus lunch, all AR must be taken care of by December 15th. If you are unsure about attendance, reach out to Ms. Lewis (elizabeth.lewis@nisd.net)
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.
2024 CAM Student Film Festival
Contemporary Art Month (CAM) is excited to continue our student film festival in 2024, providing an opportunity for young artists to show their work. The goal of this film project is to support the talents of young artists in our community. Apply by December 20, 2023, at 11:59pm CST
Eligibility
Open to all San Antonio area High School students!
Screening Information
The selected video work will be screened at galleries and venues around San Antonio as a part of Contemporary Art Month! Locations will be announced in March.
Curated by Sarah Lasley
CAM Board Member Sarah Lasley is an artist and filmmaker from Louisville, Kentucky and currently Assistant Professor of Film at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her films have screened internationally at film festivals and universities, notably the Cannes Art Film Festival in France and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
Complete this Google Form to apply.
Tutoring Bus
This is an excellent opportunity for students who need to stay after school for tutoring. All Comm Arts and Taft teachers have access to the tutoring bus passes. Please note that there are only six elementary schools and one middle school as drop-off locations. Plan accordingly.
Attendance Recovery Opportunities
Counselors' Corner
Wise Words with Mrs. Skidmore & Dr. Rosales
College Application Information
No one will be available to process college applications or transcript requests over the winter break. Please plan accordingly.
Go Center
Yearbooks
Yearbook 2023-2024
College Board
AP Exams
Payment:
Students will sign up for the exams during their AP course(s). Northside ISD does cover the majority of the cost of the exam. Exam fees are $98, but NISD students only pay $40 per exam. For those who qualify for Free/Reduced Meals, AP exams are $10/exam. Parents/guardians need to re-apply each school year. See the pdf below for more details of payment.
The deadline to pay for exam(s) was Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. You can still pay.
Freshmen/Sophomores - $40
Juniors - $80
Seniors - $120
**AP Spanish 4 - Students will take the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam on Thursday, May 16th, 2024.**
All other exams will be processed through Taft HS.
Calendar
December 2023
January 2024
Important Links & Documents
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
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