Pony Express

.As we move into the final stretch of February, our campus is buzzing with exciting events and important milestones.

From playoff games and Pre-UIL performances to our annual African American Heritage Celebration, there are plenty of opportunities to support and celebrate our students.

This is also a critical time for planning ahead—6th and 7th graders will be selecting their courses for next year, and our Mustang Strength Club, track, and tennis seasons are getting underway.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support in making O. Henry a place where students thrive. Be sure to check out all the updates, reminders, and opportunities to get involved in this week's newsletter!

Let’s make it a great week to be an O. Henry Mustang!

☮️, ❤️, and 🐴’s,

Marlo Malott

Monday, 2/24 C DAY

• Boys Basketball Playoffs-
• 6:00 7th A team vs Gorzycki
• 7:00 8th A team vs. Bailey
• 7:30 Soccer A Team vs. Lamar (rescheduled from Saturday) at Ann Richards

Tuesday, 2/25 C D

• 6th Grade Students enter choice sheets in Self-Serve
• 9:20 Secure Drill
• 6:00 Pre UIL Band Concert for Symphonic and Wind Ensemble (see details below) at AHS

Wednesday, 2/26 A Day

Support AVID- Wear a College or Military Shirt

• Symphonic and Wind Ensemble at PAC
• 6:00 EF Italy Trip Meeting in Library (see info below)
• 6:00 African American Heritage Celebration at PAC

Thursday, 2/27 B Day

• 7:30 Student Led FCA in Big Gym
• 7th Grade Students enter choice sheets in Self-Serve
• TBD Girls Soccer Finals
• TBD Boys Basketball Finals

Friday, 2/28 C Day

• 7th Grade Students enter choice sheets in Self-Serve
• 6:00 7th and 8th Grade Band Social at Blazer Tag
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Saturday, 3/1

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 6:30 pm

The African American Heritage Celebration program started in 1983 under the leadership of former Austin ISD Associate Superintendent William Charles Akins. This is the 42nd Annual African American Heritage Celebration, and it is an opportunity for Austin ISD to celebrate the academic achievements of our students, the dedication and leadership of staff members, and the commitment of our community partners. We honor over two hundred students, Austin ISD staff members, and various community leaders. The chosen host school this year is Akins Early College High School and the theme is "Unity in Diversity: Celebrating Trailblazers in the Community."

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Austin ISD Performing Arts Center
1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.

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

Sign up Sheet:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScryuWFRqvK6PaU7olr__o8HrREZRnHxlpH_izcywVwhfyerA/viewform?usp=dialog

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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

Welcome to the Mustang Strength Club! Strength Club will meet every Thursday morning from 7:15-8:00 in the O. Henry weight room, starting February 13th. We will be lifting weights
(bench press and squats) and doing simple movements: box jumps, jump rope, pull ups, push ups, etc. Athletes will also have access to the small gym to do various fitness activities.

Who: open to 6th grade girls who are serious about improving their strength and fitness

When: Thursday mornings, 7:15-8:00

Where: O. Henry Weight Room, drop off your athlete on Exposition, athlete will enter through gym doors

Sponsor: Coach Crystal Gaffney (7th grade vball/bball coach)

We will also have parent volunteers leading workouts. Parent volunteers are key to this club's success.

If you are interested in volunteering your time once or more a month, please reach out to Coach Gaffney.

crystal.gaffney@austinisd.org

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

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Everyone is invited to join the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble as we perform our last “tune-up” concert before UIL. Our Vertical Team Pre-UIL Band Concert will take place at the Austin High School PAC. The Austin High band directors will be on hand to serve as our judges for the evening. The concert will begin promptly at 6:15 PM. However, Students need to arrive at Austin HS at 5:30 PM for warm-up in formal uniform with their instrument, music, accessories, etc. We have reserved a one-way bus for students who need transportation after school from OHMS to AHS. Students staying after school will need to bring (or wear) their formal uniform to school on Tuesday morning. Both OHMS bands will be done by 6:45 PM. All students should be picked up from Austin HS by 7 PM.

All 7th and 8th grade Symphonic and Wind Ensemble members are invited to join us for a fun night of laser tag and arcade games. On Friday, Feb. 28, we will be serving pizza in the band hall immediately after school from 4 – 5:00 PM. At 5:15 we will board an AISD bus and travel from OHMS to Blazer Tag Adventure Center (1701 W. Ben White Blvd) from 6:00 - 7:45 PM. The cost is $25 per student.

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

February 25 - Mustang Council (CAC) Meeting

March 14 - Student Holiday

March 17-21 - SPRING BREAK

Wanting to be involved but can't make a long-term time commitment? Consider joining the OHMS PTA Nominating Committee!

The PTA is recruiting a nominating committee, which will meet 2-3 times over the next two months. No leadership experience required -- in fact, we encourage new members to jump in! This committee has the privilege of slating qualified candidates for O. Henry's PTA leadership roles. With just a couple of meetings and a big impact, this is a meaningful way to support the school without a big or long-term time commitment. We are looking for interested parents and caregivers who would be willing to help between February and April of this year. If you are interested in more information, please contact Laura Lee Daigle at lauraleedaigle@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting the OHMS PTA!

MANY THANKS TO: Anne Marie Gonin for honor roll assemblies, Whitney Fraser for treats for staff recognition, Sara Trantham and Meg Rein for breakfast bites for the teachers, Laura Cross and Lynn Kasten for dinner for teachers and staff, and Anna Smith for coordinating Staff Secret Pals! OHMS is a better place because of all of you! Your hard work is much appreciated!

It's the time of year when we begin thinking about leadership for the upcoming school year! The PTA is recruiting a nominating committee, which has the responsibility of helping find qualified candidates for O. Henry's PTA leadership roles.

With just a couple of meetings and a big impact, this is a great way to support the school without a big or long term time commitment.

We are looking for interested parents and caregivers who would be willing to help between February and April of this year. If you are interested in more information, please contact Laura Lee Daigle at lauraleedaigle@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting the OHMS PTA!

SUBJECT: Your student is invited — please RSVP

Dear families,

We’re going to Venice, Florence & Rome in Summer 2027, and you’re invited!

We’re excited to tell you more about the trip we’re planning with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for this info session to be considered for this opportunity: https://rsvp.eftours.com/s8e8azv

RSVP | EF Education First

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

In this info session, we’ll talk about:

• How this opportunity will benefit your student
• What we’ll see and do on our trip
• Everything that’s included in this experience
• How your child can earn academic credit
• How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
• How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Thanks,
Jenny Parker

Please note this is a non-school sponsored trip.

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:

Band Aid School of Music is cranking up the volume and hunting for Austin’s next big thing in U18 Music! 🎤🎸

We’re calling on ALL young musicians (18 & under) to step up, plug in, and battle for the crown at the Band Aid Battle of the Bands! This is your school’s chance to show off its rising stars, and I need your help to spread the word.

Can you blast this to your listservs, music teachers, and talented kids who need to be on that stage?

I’ve attached a poster—print it, share it, throw it up on the walls! If you need some delivered, hit reply, and we’ll hook you up.

Now, let’s talk ROCK & GLORY:

Think you’ve got what it takes? 🎸
Step up and claim your place in Austin’s music history at the legendary Stubb’s stage. This is THE event for young musicians to get seen, get heard, and get their shot at greatness.

Here’s the breakdown:

🔥 Age: 18 and under

🎸Bands = 2 musicians or more 🎤

📅 Sun, Mar 2 – Video Audition Deadline
🎥 Upload a 3-song performance (at least one original track—show us what you’ve got!)

📅 Sun, Mar 9 – Live Auditions @ Band Aid (South Location)
👀 The best bands will play live for industry pros who know what it takes to make it. Get feedback, fine-tune your performance, and level up.

📅 Sat, Apr 5 – The Final Battle @ Stubb’s
🎶 Throw down in an electrifying live showdown for ultimate bragging rights and sweet prizes!

Click here to register and claim your spot!

What’s in it for you?
🏆 Recording session at Band Aid Studio for the winners
🎸 Top 8 bands score FREE access to the How to Play in a Band Master Course (35+ years of industry secrets inside!)
🎤 Bragging rights for a full year (because, let’s be real, that’s priceless)
🎁 Plus, more surprises coming show day!

👉 Ready to own the stage? Register NOW—Deadline: Mar 2!
📌 Click here to register and secure your spot!

This is your shot to:
✅ Compete against the best young bands in Austin
✅ Rock the Stubb’s stage like the legends before you
✅ Score huge prizes & once-in-a-lifetime experiences
✅ Feel the adrenaline rush of live competition
✅ Have an absolute blast making music!

Let’s make this THE event Austin’s music scene will never forget. Who’s in?

Click here to register and claim your spot!

After creating and producing teen band events for over 20 years, I can tell you this is the coolest thing in town for young musicians to be seen and heard. If you are a Rising Star in Austin, come show us what you’ve got. We are here to boost you to the next level. We want to be part of your success and the success of live music in ATX.

Rock on,

James

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

HG Tryouts

PROMO CODE: SCHOOLPROMO