Welcome back from the three day weekend!

AP Testing is here! Parents and students, morning AP exams begin promptly at 8 am. Students need to be on campus for their exam by 7:30 am. Students who usually ride the bus will need to arrange for alternative transportation.

Morning exams are:

• Tuesday, May 6th - AP Human Geography (9th grade)
• Wednesday, May 7th - AP English Literature (12th grade)
• Friday, May 9th - AP US History (11th grade)
• Wednesday, May 14th - AP English Language (11th grade)

Seniors have two-afternoon exams: Tuesday, May 6th (AP Government) and Friday, May 9th (AP Macro). There will be no off-campus lunch for seniors on these days. Read your email from Ms. Lewis for lunch and report times.

Sophomores have an afternoon exam on Thursday, May 8th (AP World History). They will eat lunch during 3rd period and need to report to their testing room by 11:50 pm.

The start time is a College Board requirement. Any student arriving late after the start time will be charged an additional $40 late exam fee. Email Ms. Lewis (elizabeth.lewis@nisd.net) with any follow-up questions.

Due to AP testing, students cannot hang out in the Comm Arts building before school on May 6, 7, 9, and 14th. Non-testing students can enter the building at 8:50 am and quietly move to their classroom. Before school, students can hang out in the cafeteria at Taft.

Exams are digital this year. Please charge your device the night before and bring your charger with you. If you have a mouse, you may use it during your exam. Please double-check your login before the morning. Also, please restart your Chromebook and log into the Bluebook app. This will allow for the needed updates. Also, know your login information. You will need to call the College Board if you need to reset your password on the morning of your exam.

For those planning ahead, semester exams will be May 23rd and 27-29th. Exempt students will still need to be present to remain eligible.

Last week, Wednesday was Principal's Day. Dr. Baker, you are an inspirational campus leader! You are a true pillar of support to the students and staff. We appreciate you.

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! We have incredible teachers here at Comm Arts! They make an impact and truly care about our students. Teachers, thank you for all you do to make Comm Arts a wonderful place!

Tuesday, May 6th, is School Nurse Appreciation. Nurse Flores and Nurse Pettigrew, we are grateful for the kindness and care you show our Comm Arts students every day. Your patience, understanding, and comforting presence make a world of difference. Thank you.

BSU attended the St. Philips College Open House and CultureFest last week. Thank you, Ms. Cody and Mrs. Lee, for providing this amazing opportunity.

Several Comm Arts seniors gave their final ISM presentations last week. Everyone did a fantastic job! Our freshmen enjoyed learning new things and watching our expert presenters.

SNHS members had the opportunity to visit Market Square, where students explored Centro de Artes de San Antonio and viewed two exhibitions.

"Borders, Bleeds, Margins and Gutters"
This exhibition celebrates the work of eight contemporary comic artists whose pieces explore the concept of boundaries as markers of space and identity. Many of the works address themes related to contemporary Latinx identity and border politics.

"A Thousand Words: The Power of Pictures in Books"
This exhibit highlights picture book illustrations by 17 of the most beloved Latinx artists in the publishing world today.

Students also enjoyed pan dulce from Mi Tierra Bakery, sipped on aguas frescas, shopped at El Mercado, and savored flautas and more from local vendors.

Thank you, Ms. Navarro for providing this great experince!

You may begin campaigning on Monday, May 5th, upon receiving an approval email from Mr. Harris. Please campaign in a positive manner on @commstuco = Twitter and Instagram. You can also hang 2 (but not more than 2) posters in the stairwell area. 1 poster per stairwell. If any campaigning is considered "negative," Mr. Harris or Mr. Trevino will NOT allow you to run for office.

Campaign reminders - Only two posters per candidate. Before you can hang them in the hallway, they must be pre-approved in the Comm Arts front office. No pizza, stickers, or other items can be used—only your two posters.

Elections will be held on Monday, May 19th, and Tuesday, May 20th, via Google Form voting. Look for a form on May 19th in your Social Studies teacher's Schoology. Voting ends May 20th at 4:20 pm, and winners are announced on May 21st.

Summer program for students in grades 7-12. Parents can register their child for this 3-week program, running Monday-Thursday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Introduction to Computing (any grade)

Introduction to Linux (any grade)

Cybersecurity Basics (any grade)

Fundamentals of Networking* (11th - 12th)

Cybersecurity* (10th - 12th)

*Students with letters of recommendation will be considered as priority for placement. A letter of recommendation from the student's instructor will be accepted for all students.

For more information and to register, please visit:

Registration Link https://alamonvc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QjUJR30EPaAOPA

The Taft/Comm Arts 2025-2026 Summer Choir Camp is scheduled for July 14-17, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 in the Taft Choir Room (A211). Choir Camp is free and optional for choir members. Still, it is highly encouraged for all incoming and veteran choir students! They will sing, play team-building games, build their choral community, welcome new choir members to their choir family, and introduce our new choir officers for the 2025-2026 school year!

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 2025-2026

Parents and students can review the courses your child selected for the coming school year in HAC.

Counselors will be visiting with 9th grade students one last time before the end of the school year through their English courses on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The topic of managing different emotions, such as stress, will highlight the discussion.

Our seniors were celebrated last week with the annual Senior College Parade. Thank you to those who worked hard to put this event together.

If you attended Vale Middle School, their PTA is launching a new program for graduating seniors. They are awarding three $200 scholarships.

Seniors, below are the elementary and middle schools that shared their information with us. If you don't see your school below, you can contact your school directly for senior walk details.

Please be aware that this is an unexcused absence if you miss a class. If you bring in a note, this will be an excused absence. Plan accordingly for semester exam exemptions.

Graduation dates are here. Comm Arts/Taft High School graduation is June 3rd at 9:30 am. For more information, click HERE.

Students can request a fee waiver directly from College Board. Eligible students can receive SAT fee waiver benefits by logging in to their College Board account and submitting a request. Learn more on the College Board website.

AP Daily: Practice Sessions are available to help students prepare. These 15-minute, teacher-led videos are designed to familiarize students with the types of questions they’ll encounter on the exam in an engaging visual format.

Teachers and students can access these videos and prior-year practice sessions for other subjects in AP Classroom.

Starting on April 7th, when students sign in to My AP, they'll see a pop-up window prompting them to choose a college, university, or scholarship organization to receive their AP scores for free before they reach their dashboard. Seniors must choose a score-send recipient to access AP Classroom and their course resources and assignments.

As a reminder, students get one free score sent each year they take an AP Exam, and their score report will include their AP scores from this year and any previous years. If applicable, colleges and universities use official score reports to determine credit or placement. Colleges, universities, and scholarship programs that receive scores may also use a student's information and official score report to contact them about admissions, educational, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. Students must change their free score-send selection by June 20th, 2025.

Their official score report will be sent in July, including scores for the AP Exams they take this year and any past AP Exam scores.

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

1. AP Daily Practice Sessions - This video series is available on AP Classroom and YouTube. Experienced AP teachers will provide practice on free-response and multiple-choice questions.
2. AP Daily Videos - In the AP Classroom, there are short videos led by experienced AP teachers that you can review at your speed.
3. AP Daily: Live Review Recordings - Last year's recordings are also available on AP Classroom.
4. Other AP Classroom Resources - Topic Questions, Progress Checks, My Reports, and Additional Tips are all available.
5. 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.

Our very own Destanee Lindner is a Big Future Ambassador! Here are some resources she has to share.

10th and 11th graders can qualify for $500 and $40,000 scholarships from BigFuture®! The scholarships are open to all students, with no GPA, test score, essay, income, or citizenship requirements. Every month, BigFuture will award $500 and $40,000 to students who take steps toward their career and the education they need to reach it.

For more information: BigFuture Scholarships

WOW! Thank you, parents and students, for purchasing a yearbook! Our organization appreciates all of the support and love. As of today, we have 60 yearbooks left to sell. The school year is coming to an end, so please make sure to purchase one before they run out. Also, the LAST DAY to purchase a student ad is Thursday, May 1st.

Link for the yearbook

• https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productDetail/1033119/COMMUNICATIONS-ARTS-HIGH-SCHOOL/Yearbook/2024071704203610055/CATALOG_SHOP/Yearbook/2024071704203611355#design/0

Link to purchase ads

• https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/ybAdDesigner/1033119/COMMUNICATIONS-ARTS-HIGH-SCHOOL/2024071618151849081/CATALOG_SHOP/

Click HERE to order your pictures online. Use either your student ID or picture Day ID: EVT4KQVBF

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

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:

1. For the Spring semester, the student has three or fewer absences, excluding school business absences; (Spring semester begins January 7, 2025)
2. The student’s final average for the spring semester is 80 or higher;
3. The student’s conduct grade in that class is satisfactory or better; and
4. 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.

Students, you can find a new tutoring support system in your NISD portal.

Varsity Tutoring offers:

• 24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring (including AP courses)
• On-Demand Essay Review
• Live Enrichment Classes
• Test Prep Classes (ACT, SAT, GED, etc), Academic Classes (study halls, algebra bootcamps, etc) and Enrichment Classes (languages, robotics, chess, etc)

Don't forget to check it out!

Adobe Creative Suite Software at Home for Personal Devices

ComArts CTE students, please remember that you can download and install Adobe Creative Suite software onto your personal laptops and computers (not Chromebooks) for FREE using your NISD student login credentials. Use the attached instructions for guidance. Keep in mind that the Adobe software version installed at home will be a newer version than what is available at school. Please get in touch with your Communications teacher (Cleveland, Villarreal, Sabogal, or Flores) if you have questions.

Our Verification of Enrollment (VOE) is available digitally. The VOE form is used for driver's permits and licenses. Use the Google Form to request a copy.

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/
X: @NISDComArts