Avalos Newsletter

Hello Avalos P-TECH,

October has finally arrived! Which means that fun fall events are happening. In this month's newsletter, you'll read all about fun fall festivities, info on school events, and more!

Meet some of the adopted families and their themes for this year! These senior families are excited for upcoming events and are ecstatic for future things to come.

Ms. Rodriguez is the Senior Environmental Systems teacher, and this is her third year teaching at Avalos. We asked her how she came to know the seniors she adopted. She explained, “I watched them last year in their NDT class. I adopted seven seniors because I like big families." She added that these seven students are especially meaningful to her.

We then spoke with some of the students she adopted to see how they felt when they found out who their mentor was. Virginia Mar said, “I was very happy and grateful to Ms. Rodriguez.” Emely Diaz shared, “I was beyond grateful because I got the teacher I actually wanted.” Nick Reyes said, “I was happy because I got the teacher I wanted to choose me.”

Finally, we asked if this experience made their senior year more special. All three students agreed, saying, “Yes, because we know there are fun things to come, and we hope to build a better connection with Ms. Rodriguez.”

Ms. Hinojosa is our front desk clerk and the mother of two alumni, Jayden and Jordan Hinojosa. She has been at Avalos for three years.

We asked her how she knew the seniors she adopted. She replied, “I would see the students in the mornings and afternoons when they came into school.” When asked how many students she adopted and why, she said, “I adopted five students because they asked me, and I couldn’t say no to them.” We also spoke with some of her students about how they felt when they found out Mrs. Hinojosa was their senior mom. Yesenia Espinoza said, “I felt happy when I realized it was Mrs. Hinojosa and the people I was adopted with.” Jennifer Alvarado shared, “I felt relieved when I got picked and was happy that Mrs. Hinojosa was my senior mom.” Nicole Aguilera added, “I was very happy because she is someone I could get closer to during my senior year.”

Finally, we asked if this experience made their senior year more special. All of them agreed, stating, “Yes, because we are able to create more memories with our senior adopted parent.”

This month, our school went all out in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Every Friday since the 19th, we’ve had a new event to honor the occasion, starting with a celebration in the cafeteria featuring several performances.

First, Simmy Corre Corteas, a member of the University of Houston Mariachi Pumas, gave an amazing performance. We also enjoyed seeing Simona, Naileah, and Lesley, who showed off their beautiful outfits. They weren’t the only ones to perform that day—members of JayJayz Dance Productions, Richard, Kevin, and Uriel, performed a lively Huapango, a traditional dance often seen at quinceañeras.

To wrap up the month, we had Hispanic Heritage Spirit Week, where many students showed their pride by dressing up and participating in themed days. We’re so glad we were able to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month together!

Our school’s very own Ms. Watkins brought the magic of opera to life once again this year. This special event showcased the incredible talent and passion that we, as students, are lucky to witness. I had the chance to ask Ms. Watkins a few questions about the opera show and her plans for the future, and here’s what she shared.

The opera show took place at the Houston Grand Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess on October 26 during the 2 p.m. matinee, with tickets priced at $25 each. Ms. Watkins shared, “I am excited because this will be only my second American opera. I’ve only seen one other American opera, which was by Philip Glass; all others were European. I also love having the opportunity to introduce students to opera.”

She explained that she enjoys going to the opera because she loves seeing artists at the top of their craft collaborating on a masterwork. In opera, the orchestra, singers, and set designers all come together to create something truly exciting. Ms. Watkins specifically chose Porgy and Bess because she had heard several of its songs before but hadn’t realized they came from an opera.

The show is considered an American classic, and students were excited to attend—especially those returning after last year’s performance. When asked about continuing the opera trips in the future, Ms. Watkins said, “I will. Personally, Mozart and Wagner are some of my favorites, but I will plan whatever the teachers and students are most excited about. The Houston Grand Opera usually releases the program for each year in the spring, so we’ll see what the 2026–27 season will bring.”

On October 23, seniors wore mums to promote homecoming and Phoenix spirit.

From the autumn crisp air to the sound of laughter filling the hallways, we know fall is here, and so is our school’s annual fall fest. Avalos P-Tech was opened in 2017, and since then, many traditions have been made.

One of these traditions is the school’s fall festival, which was free and open to the community. Everyone was welcome to come and enjoy a variety of food and games, as well as pumpkin painting, a car show, and trunk-or-treat. The event took place on October 24 for our 3rd annual Fall Fest. Everyone got into the Halloween spirit and wore their costumes!

See why Phoenixes had a blast at Fall Fest and why you should attend next year!

Fall is one of the most popular seasons. However, people enjoy it for different reasons. We asked around, and this is why Phoenixes love the fall.

Breaks are important to students because they help them let go of stress from school and give their brains a chance to rest. These breaks give students the time off they need to relax and stop overthinking schoolwork for a while.

Recently, Aldine added a Fall Break to the school calendar. Students and teachers enjoyed a week off from October 6-10.

We interviewed several students, including Larry Vargas, who said that the break helped him get his thoughts back together and allowed his brain to relax without worrying about how much work he had to do. Sergio Ramirez shared that breaks from time to time help students relieve stress. For example, he mentioned that before this fall break, he had been feeling very stressed about school. Denis Gutierrez added that breaks help students catch up on work at their own pace, so they don’t have to rush and make mistakes.

However, some students think that breaks can also have downsides because people sometimes come back to school feeling tired from sleeping in and may forget what they were learning before the break.

Overall, taking breaks gives students the balance they need to return to school refreshed, focused, and ready to learn.

Do you recognize your fellow Phoenix's from past Halloweens? Read the newsletter to the end to find who they are!

Halloween is here, and we want to know what gives our students the biggest chills! From spooky movies to creepy costumes, everyone has something that makes them scream. Check out our poll results to see what YOU find the scariest this Halloween!

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! This summer, Ms. Palmer has organized an exciting

once-in-a-lifetime trip to JAPAN, and you absolutely won’t want to miss your chance to explore

this incredible country.

Possible Trip Dates: July 15th to July 23rd, 2026

This nine-day trip is packed with cultural and unforgettable experiences. We will explore

multiple iconic locations like:

The bullet train- fastest train(200 miles per hr), known for being incredibly smooth and quiet.

Tokyo National Museum- oldest and largest museum in Japan, filled with over 120,000 artifacts.

We will also visit multiple Japanese arcades, food stands, and Tokyo.

The trip price covers:

• Round-trip airfare and all transportation

• Comfortable, secure hotel

• Regional daily meals

• All entrance fees to all destinations

Secure Your Spot! Spaces for this incredible experience are limited and fill up quickly. Don’t delay in finding out more.

For more information, including prices or any clarifications, feel free to contact Ms. Palmer at mlpalmer@aldineisd.org. You can also visit eftours.com/2792621DM for more details.

This year’s trip will be to Japan—get ready for sushi, ramen, and meeting new people! Ms. Palmer chose Japan because students last year expressed a strong interest in visiting. She is especially looking forward to riding the bullet train, the fastest train in the world.

Ms. Palmer always selects international trips, and over the years, students have traveled to Europe, including Paris, London, and Rome. She has noticed that students learn many things on these trips, such as international culture and different religions. She also believes that students will enjoy the food and shopping opportunities. Additionally, traveling allows students to see things from a different perspective because they experience what it’s like to be an outsider.

Don’t miss your chance to explore Japan!

November is just around the corner, and what a fantastic October we've had!

We proudly celebrated Hispanic Heritage with vibrant performances, exciting announcements, and a spirited week that truly showcased our community.

On October 23rd, we hosted our first-ever Homecoming Day, where students proudly displayed their custom mums. We capped off the week with our Fall Fest on the 24th, kicking off our largest fundraiser for school clubs! We had an incredible array of items for sale, from keychains and slime to delicious elote and pancakes! The fun continued with pony rides, a trunk-or-treat event, and an awesome car show!

Our school's core mission is to prepare you for incredible post-secondary opportunities, and we're making huge strides! The PSAT took place on October 24th, and we're eagerly anticipating the results. We're thrilled to announce that our current senior class is at an impressive 73% TSI readiness! To help even more students become college-ready, we have an upcoming TSI administration on November 14th, and Avalos is offering a Saturday TSI boot camp on November 8th. Don't miss out on this chance to boost your readiness!

Also happening on the 8th, get ready to cheer on our team at our first soccer scrimmage against Blanson CTE! I'm so excited to support our Avalos students both in the classroom AND on the field!

All this good news is a direct result of your hard work, Phoenixes! You are truly putting Avalos on the map. Keep up the amazing work as we head towards Thanksgiving! #PhoenixRising

A - Natalie Ortiz, B - Alessa Mendez, C - Maria Lucio, D - Heaven Solomon