This Friday, May 2nd is a student and staff holiday. Our campus will be closed. Enjoy the three day weekend.

AP Testing is almost 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 8th - 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). They will eat lunch during our 4th period in the cafeteria. There will be no off-campus lunch for seniors on these days. Students need to report to their testing room by 12:30 pm. 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 12:10 pm.

All other AP exams will be proctored at Taft.

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, there will be limited seating in our Comm Arts LGI, or 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.

Applications are located on your Social Studies and English Schoology sites. Complete the application by Friday, May 2nd, to run for one of the following positions:

• President- Assists in all duties, works closely with teacher sponsors
• Vice President- Works closely with president and teacher sponsors
• Secretary- Helps with organization, taking notes at meetings, help plan volunteer opportunities, etc.
• Treasurer- Helps with money, including dues, fundraising, t-shirt sales, etc.
• Historian- Helps with social media accounts, induction ceremony, etc.

Please consider that you cannot hold more than one officer position at CAHS. So you can't be an STUCO officer and a class officer.

You may immediately 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.

You will only get an approval email if you can meet and commit to the following criteria:

• Officers must maintain an overall average of 75 or higher in all classes throughout the school year.
• Officers missing more than two scheduled meetings will be placed on probation. Missing a third meeting will result in removal from office.

If any officer fails to meet the above criteria, the student will be on probation for six weeks. If there is a second probationary period, it will result in removal from office for the remainder of the school year.

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.

AP World History

Want to get a 3, 4, or 5 on your World History AP exam? Join Mr. Harris for his Cram Sessions on Wednesdays in the LGI from 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm. These Cram Sessions will occur every Wednesday until the AP exam day on May 8th.

AP Government & Politics

Join every Wednesday afternoon through the week of April 28th. It will run from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Mr. Trevino will review the required content and writing skills needed to earn college credit on the AP Exam. (remember we have not been in AP Gov since the fall semester, and statistics show that students who show up to cram sessions perform higher on the AP Exams in May)

Registration is now open!

Parents and students, please refer to the Summer School link in this newsletter for more detailed information about courses offered, dates, tuition, and deadlines. 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.

The deadline to register for summer school courses is May 1st, 2025.

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.

The DOD STEM initiative aims to spark youth interest in technology, showcasing current innovations to inspire future advancements. Early exposure to engaging environments allows students to identify and pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). By introducing activities like building, fixing, computer use, analysis, and mathematical problem-solving, we can guide them toward STEM-related careers.

The focus this summer is Information Technology which exposes students to certification content such as:

Tech+ (Information Technology Fundamentals)

A+ Computer Hardware

Network+

Linux+

Security+ (Information Security)

They also offer Introduction to Computing and Introduction to Linux for students who have little to no experience with computing.

Summer session daily schedule:

Light breakfast snack will be avail 8:30am - 8:55am

Session begins at 9:00am

Lunch/Break Time 11:30am - 12:30pm

Session ends at 2:30

Parent Pickup 2:30pm-2:40pm

Parents can choose to register their students for one or both summer sessions. The same material will be covered in both sessions. Please note that while they focus on exam objectives, it is simply an introduction as there will not be enough time to cover all the certification exam material in such a short period, but we will cover as much as possible. For students who have already covered these topics in dual credit programs, this is a great opportunity to refresh some of the material before taking the industry certification exam.

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 get in touch with 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.

EOC Exams

End-of-course (EOC) exams continue next week with US History EOC for 11th grade, Biology 1 EOC for 9th grade, and a select few 9th-grade students for Algebra 1 EOC. Here are some tips on how to prepare for taking tests. 14 Tips for Test Taking Success

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 Exams are almost here. All testing will take place during the first two full weeks of May. Click HERE for specific exam dates. Students must be on campus and in their testing room by 7:30 am. Testing will begin promptly at 8 am. Students who ride the bus will need to make alternative transportation plans.

This year, almost all History and English exams are digital. The Science and Math exams will be hybrid. All testers will need to bring their school-issued Chromebooks and chargers on testing day. Students, see Ms. Lewis if you have questions about digital exams or your device.

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