Keeping Up with Comm Arts

What an incredible evening we had at our Comm Arts Banquet on Saturday! StuCo did a fantastic job hosting the event. It was great to see our students who attended. Many even dressed to impress with the 'The Great Gatsby' theme.

Looking ahead, on Wednesday, April 1st, all our 11th-grade NISD students will tackle the SAT/TSIA2. Juniors, fuel up with a hearty breakfast and come ready to shine. Please remember to charge your NISD Chromebook overnight and bring it to school with your charger. College Board's Student Study Guide -https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/sat-school-day-student-guide.pdf

Thursday, April 2nd, is a Professional Learning Time for teachers. They will be in a meeting before school and unavailable for tutoring.

Friday, April 3rd, and Monday, April 6th, are student and staff holidays. Our campus will be closed. Enjoy your four-day weekend! Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 7th.

Grades for progress reports are due on Tuesday, April 7th. Progress reports will be available on HAC on Monday, April 13th.

Last Thursday, March 26th, NISD proudly celebrated our campus Educators of the Year. Congratulations to Mrs. Tacey Derby and Mr. Ethan Hernandez! They embody the spirit of excellence in education and show a genuine care for our students. We are deeply appreciative of all their efforts to make Communications Arts an inspiring place.

Want to get a 3, 4, or 5 on your World History AP exam? Mr. Harris will begin his afterschool AP review sessions on Wednesday, the 25th, in the Comm Arts LGI from 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm. These review sessions will take place every Wednesday until the AP exam on May 7th.

AP Macroeconomics and AP Government exams are right around the corner in early May, and we're here to help you finish strong! (AP Gov: Tuesday May 5th, and AP Macro: Friday May 8th both at 12PM) Join us for after-school review sessions every Wednesday and Thursday in Room C215 from 4:30–5:15 PM all of April. These sessions are designed to review key concepts, tackle practice questions, and boost your confidence before test day.

The payoff is real; students who attend review sessions like these consistently see improvement in their AP exam performance. This is your chance to get extra support, ask questions, and lock in what you've learned all year. Let's put in the work now and see the results in May. We hope to see you there!

Northside ISD joined the Texas School Safety Center's public awareness campaign, "Threats Are No Joke!" aimed at educating students and parents about the serious consequences of making or sharing threats. The campaign highlights that even joking about threats can have legal repercussions and endanger safety, as shown in the PSA video linked below. Students are encouraged to report any concerning information through NISD's Safeline. We encourage everyone to watch the video at https://txssc.txstate.edu/videos/threats-are-no-joke/ to understand better the importance of keeping our schools safe. Thank you.

Get ready for the most enchanting night of the year! We are thrilled to announce that Prom 2026 will be held at the beautiful SSFCU Event Center, conveniently located at Loop 1604 and IH 10. Join us for an extraordinary evening on Saturday, May 2nd, from 7 PM to 11 PM.

Ticket Prices:

Today - April 7th: $60

April 8th - May 1st: $65

For more details about guest forms, seniors check your NISD email.

Graduation dates were released. Comm Arts/Taft High School graduation is Friday, May 29, 2026, at 2:30 pm. For more information, click HERE.

Make sure you order in a timely manner. Graduation items will be ready for pick up on April 21st, 2026. Our caps and gowns are white. Click here to order online.

Seniors, below are the elementary and middle schools that shared their information with us. As they are shared, they will be added. 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.

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 and pay for summer school courses is May 1st, 2026.

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!

2026 Summer School Information

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

2026 Summer School Information for Credit Advancement

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 1, 2026.

Parents & Students:

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 2026-2027

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

SAT Wednesday for current juniors

Juniors will take the SAT on April 1, 2026, at CAHS. Students who have previewed SAT practice tests typically score better on the actual exam. Have your child review SAT questions on the College Board account. Most universities are reverting to requiring SAT or ACT scores for admissions.

EOC Exams

End-of-Course (EOC) exams are coming soon: 9th grade will take English 1 EOC, and 10th grade will take English 2 EOC. Here are some tips for preparing to take tests. 14 Tips for Test-Taking Success

April is the month of the Military Child. During this time, we honor and recognize our military-connected students. The color purple is a combination of the colors of all the military branches: Air Force blue, Army green, Navy blue, Marine red, and Coast Guard blue.

College Career & Military Advisor - Elaine Torres (elaine.torres@nisd.net)

Exciting news! Our Comm Arts program proudly presents two standout seniors as BigFuture Ambassadors: Jessai Begay and Adrian Molina! These remarkable individuals are ready to make an impact and inspire others on their journey to success!

Here are their links:

• Jessai - BigFuture - JessaiAmbassadorLink
• Adrian - BigFuture - AdrianAmbassadorLink

You can use these links to explore post-secondary plans as well as other information related to college and scholarships.

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

AP Macro Exam

The deadline to sign up & pay for AP exams has passed. At this point, an additional $40 late fee applies. Each exam costs $40. Those with free & reduced, exam costs are $10.

Payments for AP exams can be made using MySchoolBucks or by cash/check (payable to ‘Taft High School’) handed directly to Mr. Kevin Bernardino in room A222a. Payment for spring semester only exams (AP Macro) is due in full by March 1, 2026.

Reminder: All My School Bucks School Store products will be disabled during NISD's Winter Break and Spring Break

If you are a senior and need to take the SAT, you can sign up through the College Board. Most NISD high schools are typically testing sites on weekends.

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.

Practice Builds Confidence

Take advantage of free Official SAT Practice at Khan Academy®. Take a practice test, set a target score, and feel confident on test day.

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 6th, 2026)
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.

We would like to remind everyone of our No Personal Communication Device Policy during school hours. This includes cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and similar devices. This policy was implemented to comply with Texas House Bill 1481 and to support a focused and distraction-free learning environment.

However, we understand the importance of technology in education. Therefore, students are allowed to bring and use personal laptops for classwork, note-taking, and other academic activities as directed by their teachers. Content specific technology such as an Adobe equipped iPad for an Animation course will also be allowed while in that class. Like all other devices previously mentioned, they will not be allowed during passing periods, lunch periods or in non-applicable courses and academic activities.

Please ensure that laptops are used responsibly and only for educational purposes during school hours. Misuse will result in loss of this privilege. Devices including cell phones must be powered off and kept in student's backpacks.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a productive and respectful learning environment.

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.

Summer tends to be a busy time for new drivers. Our Verification of Enrollment (VOE) is available digitally. Use the Google Form below to request a copy. The VOE will remain valid through the summer months.

The Texas Compulsory Attendance Law states that students between the ages of 6 and 19 are subject to the Texas Compulsory Attendance Laws.

Let's start with how it affects a student's academics. The Law states that a student must be in attendance 90% of the class time offered to receive credit for a course. In Northside, we have a calendar that shows 174 days of school for the 25/26 school year. This equates to 17 absences in a full-year course before attendance recovery is required or a student loses credit, regardless of their grade. For a semester course, we have 87 days in the fall, which allows for 9 absences, and 87 days in the spring, which allows 9 absences before attendance recovery is required or a student loses credit, regardless of their grade. Remember, when considering the 90% rule and its impact on gaining credit, both excused and unexcused absences count.

A student who is absent more than 75% of the class time will no longer be eligible for attendance recovery and will need to retake the course to earn the credit. This equates to 22 absences per semester.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email cahs.attendance@nisd.net.

Adobe Creative Suite Software at Home for Personal Devices

ComArts CTE students can download and install Adobe Creative Suite software onto their 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.

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