Pony Express

Pride week is one of the many ways we highlight the district's commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all.

Why it matters: When students feel safe and can show up as their full selves at school, they’re better able to engage in learning and thrive academically.

What to expect: This year's celebration is March 24–28 and the theme is beYOUtiful. Campuses may participate in Pride-themed spirit activities outside instructional time:

• Monday - All are welcome! Post, share, or display student work, pictures, and items that represent your family, things you're proud of, and what makes you feel connected.
• Tuesday - Differences are beYOUtiful! Wacky socks day! Wear something fun that expresses your unique and awesome self.
• Wednesday - I am beYOUtiful! Wear something that makes you feel beautiful, confident, and proud of who you are.
• Thursday - Our community is beYOUtiful! Mix It Up Lunch! Take the opportunity to sit with new people and celebrate our diverse community.
• Friday - All the colors! Each grade level wears a different color or school spirit gear. Don’t forget to snap a picture of all your beYOUtiful colors!

Families should hear from their schools by March 10 about the activities they have planned. If you have any questions, please reach out to your campus principal.

What’s new? This year, pride-themed activities will take place outside instructional time such as before or after school, during lunch, morning meetings or advisory.

• This means the district will not provide a Blend course with suggested classroom activities as in years past.
• Activities will be voluntary in nature for students and staff.
• While district-purchased swag will not be provided this year, PTAs and other organizations can still fund and distribute materials to celebrate. Contact your campus if you wish to donate.

Why in March? Both National Pride Month and the Austin Pride Parade take place in the summer when students are not in school.

• Austin ISD hosts Pride Week during the school year to show support for our diverse students, staff and families.

Go deeper…with the Pride 2025 FAQs

Dear parents/guardians of O.Henry 8th graders,

The end of the year is fast approaching, and it’s time to start thinking about the 8th Grade Class Trip to Typhoon Texas on Friday, May 23. We love having the opportunity for all of our 8th graders to spend this day with their friends. The price for the trip this year is $50 which includes admission to the park, charter bus transportation to and from the park, a catered lunch, and a private pavilion in which to keep students’ belongings.

Forms: 3 Mandatory District Forms

1. Release of Liability Form

2. Private Transportation Permit

3. Field Trip Permission Slip

All 3 forms must be returned to science teacher no later than Friday, April 11th.

All money paid is non-refundable. Payment: will be ONLINE with a 3% service charge added to the $50 price of the trip. Please put student’s Full Name in the box labeled “Who are you purchasing this for?” by unclicking the “myself” box.

Please use the link provided to pay: tinyurl.com/3s23f3aa

• one-time payment of $50, due by Friday, May 2nd

• donation: sponsor other students to allow for as many 8th graders to attend as possible

• contact Ms Zardiackas (bookkeeper) if you need to do a payment plan (teresa.zardiackas@austinisd.org); you can also write a check if you do not want to pay online

Financial aid is available through the counselor. Please contact Rachel Price, Last Names A-L (rachel.price@austinisd.org) or Ivy Claflin, Last Names M-Z (ivy.claflin@austinisd.org) to see if you qualify for a scholarship.

If possible, please consider a donation to allow for as many 8th graders to attend as possible.

Please email Ms Gaffney (crystal.gaffney@austinisd.org) if you have any questions!

Families- We wanted to give you plenty of time to look ahead to the dates slated for state testing. Thank you for not planning for early pick up or appointments on these days.

ELA 6-8: Thurs 4/10, Makeup Fri 4/11

Science 8: Thursday 4/17, Makeup Thurs 4/22

No School 4/18 (Holiday)

Social Studies 8: Weds 4/16, Makeup 4/21

Math and Algebra: 4/24, Makeup 4/25

Please fill out the form below if your student athlete is interested in participating in the O. Henry Golf Club.

The club is open to any student at O. Henry regardless of skill or grade level. The season typically starts right after Spring Break and goes on until early May.

We work closely with AHS Golf and Lions to create our season schedule. More information will go out as sessions are organized.

O. Henry Golf Sign Up 2025

Check our our School Year 2025-2026 Transition Newsletter.

We will keep this updated until August 2025. Linked here are copies of Course Sheets, Course videos, and more information about O. Henry.

https://secure.smore.com/n/ref0u

Congratulations to members of our 7th/8th grade Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.

Both groups earned Sweepstakes trophies and first division (Superior) ratings at their UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluation.

All six judges were very complimentary and provided some great feedback on how we can continue our musical growth. Kudos to our amazing mustang band members for their hard work and preparation!

Each week we will feature a member of our faculty and staff. Thank you for being a part of our Mustang Family!

The PTA Nominating Committee needs to fill the following positions: President Elect, Treasurer Elect, Secretary, VP Communications, VP Support and VP Ways and Means.

We would love to have representation from as many grades and prior elementary schools/areas as possible. Serving on the PTA Board is a great way to support our teachers and administration, and serve the greater OHMS community. Please email Laura Lee Daigle, parliamentarian, at lauraleedaigle@gmail.com for more detailed leadership descriptions, questions, or to nominate yourself or a friend. Nominating Deadline: March 28th, 2025

Upcoming PTA Dates:

March 17-21 - SPRING BREAK

March 25 - Mustang Council (CAC) Meeting

March 31- Student and Staff Holiday

April 4 - General PTA Meeting - 8:30am in the library

April 18 - Student Holiday

Are you interested in going on a trip to Italy in June of 2027? If so, please contact Jenny Parker for more information about the Explore Italy trip. Some of our stops will include Venice, Florence, and Rome. jenny.parker@austinisd.org

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We hope your child has had a fantastic year so far at O. Henry! We appreciate your partnership this year and are thrilled to begin preparing for the upcoming year.

We wanted to announce that our annual registration process is now open. To ensure your child is all set for next year, you will need to register your child using the AISD Portal by mid-May.

Registering online will only take a few minutes and ensures your child has a smooth transition into the following year. This process allows us to make sure all of your information is up to date.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please call 512-414-7328 or our front office at 512-414-3229.

Lizbeth Rodriguez-Loza

Registrar/ PEIMS Clerk

**90% rule what does it mean?**

If a student drops below 90% in a course, an "NC" is entered instead of a grade. The grade may be passing – but the student did not attend at least 90% of the time. Please contact your student’s Assistant Principal to see what corrective steps must be taken.

Notices are going out to families this week whose students are dropping below 90% attendance and we will be required to attend "Attendance Matters" workshop:

Hello!

My name is Mia Ansel and I am the Undersecretary of Registration for Austin High School Model United Nations. If you are receiving this email, you have either participated in past Jr. AUSMUN Summer Camp programming, AUSMUN Fall Conference, Middle MUN, or you have caught the attention of our program as a school, group, or individual who would be a good fit for this summer experience.

On behalf of Austin High Model UN, I would like to personally invite students from your school to our fourth annual Junior AUSMUN Summer Camp for rising 7th-9th grade students, taking place this Summer from July 7-10! Junior AUSMUN Summer Camp is a four day immersive experience and preview of high school Model United Nations, designed for rising 7th through rising 9th grade students. Campers will gain critical research and writing skills, public speaking confidence, global awareness, and long-lasting friendships through participation in Junior AUSMUN Camp!

The interest form for this program has officially opened and students are encouraged to fill it out if they are at all interested! This form is not official registration; it will simply add students to our email list for further updates (and priority registration) about Junior AUSMUN Camp and provide our staff with a rough estimate of campers. Please click HERE to fill out the interest form. (https://forms.gle/wwdiTZZ3mNCZRQoF8)

If your students have not yet experienced the magic of Austin High MUN programming, we invite you to explore our Junior AUSMUN Camp website. Please visit our website for more information on who we are and the communal impact we strive to make as a program. Please share this email with them and their families!

If you or your student has already entered high school, please feel free to "unsubscribe" from our list by responding to this email. If you have any questions regarding group registration, you are also welcome to reach out and we are happy to provide more information. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions; we look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Mia Ansel

Undersecretary of Registration

REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.hoopgeneration.org/spring-2025-tryouts

PROMO CODE: SCHOOLPROMO