Keeping Up with Comm Arts

Welcome back to another exciting school year! It was wonderful to have students back in the halls of Comm Arts. Here's to a year filled with learning, laughter, and memorable experiences. Let's make this year remarkable together.

For those who already have your student ID, please continue to wear it. If you don't have one, stop by the Comm Arts front office and let us know.

We have student assemblies this week. All Comm Arts students must report to the Comm Arts LGI for their assigned assembly time and date.

• Tuesday, August 19th-2nd Period 9th grade boys
• Tuesday, August 19th- 3rd period 9th grade girls
• Wednesday, August 20th- 2nd Period all 10th grade students
• Wednesday, August 20th- 3rd Period all 11th grade students
• Friday, August 22nd- 2nd Period all 12th grade students

Students will also watch the Run, Hide, Fight video to review lockdown drill procedures. Parents, if you would like to view the video, click on the link: Run, Hide, Fight.

¡Hola! Do you speak Spanish at home? Our campus is offering the Spanish Placement Test to help determine which level of Spanish class your student can take in NISD. It’s free and available on our campus but only for a limited time. Contact Sra. Navarro to sign up at wanda.navarrorivera@nisd.net.

Please Note: The placement exam will be available on specific dates only. The final deadline to take the exam is August 19 at 4:00 PM. Unfortunately, no exceptions can be made after this time.

Si su estudiante habla español en casa y le gustaría tomar el curso de español en Northside, su estudiante debe tomar una prueba de nivel de español para determinar su nivel de curso de acuerdo con su habilidad. Esta prueba se ofrecerá de forma gratuita en su campus. Para obtener más información y registrar a su estudiante, comuníquese con la Sra. Navarro a wanda.navarrorivera@nisd.net.

Aviso: El examen de ubicación estará disponible únicamente en fechas específicas. La fecha límite para tomar el examen es el 19 de agosto a las 4:00 p. m. Lamentablemente, no se podrán hacer excepciones después de ese momento.

Freshmen enjoyed our Week of Welcome! Students played games, sang karaoke, and learned about the clubs at Comm Arts.

Upperclassmen, we didn't forget about you. Your turn for karaoke is coming up on Friday, August 22nd. Dr. Baker will be waiting for you in the LGI during lunch. Get ready to show off your singing skills and have a great time.

Before School

Student access to the building will begin at 8:00 am. If students arrive earlier, they are to report to the Taft cafeteria. Students can stay in the cafeteria or come to Comm Arts until the first period begins. Students should not be waiting outside the building.

Buses

There are two bus drop-off/pickup points for Comm Arts students. One location is the driveway between Comm Arts and Taft (mainly Comm Arts students who live outside the Taft attendance zone) and the Taft bus loop, which is on the right side of the campus if looking at Taft from Culebra (this location is mainly for students who attend Comm Arts and live in the Taft attendance zone). Students, please remember that the bus will pick you up after school, where the bus drops you off in the morning.

Doors

Students will use the front doors for arrival and dismissal. The side doors are used during passing periods.

Off Campus Lunch

Juniors and seniors with off-campus lunch, don't forget that you need to check out with a Comm Arts adult (show your student ID with the off campus sticker) before you leave for lunch. Report to the cafeteria if you return to campus before passing period.

At Northside ISD, we are committed to proactively ensuring the safety of our students on school-provided devices and accounts. In line with this commitment, NISD utilizes Bark for Schools, a student safety monitoring application. Bark is an additional proactive measure to protect our students' online activity at school and home.

What is Bark for Schools and How Does it Work?

Installed as an extension of Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Chat, Bark for Schools is a content monitoring tool that leverages powerful artificial intelligence technology to help detect potentially dangerous or inappropriate situations that students may be facing both in and out of school.

Alert Process

When potential digital concerns arise on school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools sends specialized school representatives specialized alerts to ensure we can promptly address the situation. These alerts are important because they provide insight that could help us continue promoting the well-being and safety of the entire student body. Finally, it is important to understand that NISD and Bark are strongly committed to protecting student privacy. It is worth noting that this student safety application will only act as a resource to flag or identify if/when any of the above situations take place. The District will not utilize this tool to monitor communications other than what is flagged in the previously mentioned categories with the intention of student safety in mind.

For more information on the Bark for Schools software solution, please visit their website at https://bark.us or nisd.net/safety to learn more.

Thank you for helping us to keep our students safer online and in real life.

Similar to previous years, Comm Arts students will have limited access to their devices this school year. Students will not have access to their phones, smart watches, earbuds, tablets, and other personal devices during class time, passing periods, and lunch. Student phones will need to be turned off and put away. Parents, if an emergency occurs and you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our front office.

As back-to-school shopping begins, please keep the NISD district dress code in mind. Students with dress code violations will be required to change.

1. Shorts of mid-thigh length may be worn at all school levels. Suggestive and/or indecent shorts will be prohibited.
2. Mid-thigh length skirts, skorts, and dresses may be worn at all levels. There should not be a cut or slit in the clothing that extends above the mid-thigh. Suggestive and/or indecent styles will be prohibited. These requirements also apply to school uniforms.
3. Appropriate footwear must be worn; footwear which has toes reinforced with steel, hard plastics or similar materials are specifically prohibited.
4. Hair must be neat and clean. Unconventional hairstyles that distract from teaching and learning will be prohibited.
5. Any clothes that are suggestive or indecent or which cause a distraction will be prohibited. Specifically, oversized clothing, tank tops, muscle shirts, halter/crop tops, spaghetti straps, exposed backs or midriffs, and see-through garments are prohibited.
6. Indecent/inappropriate patches, writings, or drawings on clothing are prohibited. Undergarments must not be visible.
7. All pants are to be worn at the waist (no "sagging") Tight fitting pants (e.g. tights, spandex, bicycle pants, etc.) are also prohibited. Frays or holes above the knees are prohibited.
8. Body piercing jewelry is prohibited except for rings, studs or other traditional jewelry. Any piercing that distracts the teaching and learning environment will be prohibited.

Because fads in dress and grooming are subject to sudden, and sometimes radical change, a basic rule to remember is that student dress and grooming should not be suggestive or indecent, or so bizarre and unusual as to detract from the classroom environment.

All students attending Communications Arts HS are expected to adhere to the standardized attire requirement.

Attention CAHS students, Student Council is selling cute Comm Arts socks for just $10. Bring $10 (cash only) to select your favorite style and size.

See Mr. Trevino or Mr. Harris for an order form. Stuco Officers will also be circulating the hallways each morning to see who is ready to make their sock purchase. Sale ends on Friday, August 22nd.

We are excited to see you back on campus, and to all our new Comm Arts students, we welcome you. We hope you will have a remarkable school year full of successful experiences.

Please know that CAHS Counselors cannot make any schedule changes unless there is a missing core class or a missing class period. Student schedule changes will be considered on a case by case basis and will depend on the count of students sitting in classrooms so as to not overflow a classroom. If you have any schedule concerns, we encourage you to please reach out to your respective CAHS counselor.

Yvonne.Martinez@nisd.net Last Names A-K

Minerva.Rosales@nisd.net Last Names L-Z

Students, please know that it is important to complete the lunch application every school year because if you qualify for free or reduced lunch, it can result in substantial savings. PSAT fees, AP exam fees, college application fees, and transcript request fees are impacted by lunch status. Your previous lunch year's status does not roll over to this new school year, so please fill out your lunch application soon.

If you want to get a head start on preparing yourself for college and scholarship information, contact our College and Career Readiness contact, Elaine.Torres@nisd.net. It is never too early to start planning for your future. This school year, Ms. Torres will be available to all CAHS students not only at the Taft Counseling Office but also at Comm Arts in Room C202, every Tuesday.

We hope all students, but especially our Freshmen, have a smooth transition into High School from summer vacation. Here are some Tips for 1st Day and the first Week of High School

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

NISD Council of PTAs offers a $1,000 scholarship to one high school senior from each Northside ISD high school PTSA, who will be enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university or a technical institute in the summer or fall semester immediately following applicant’s high school graduation.

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.

Northside 10th and 11th graders can take the College Board Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test, or PSAT, on Wednesday, October 15th.

Registration is required and available at www.totalregistration.net/PSAT/446271, August 18th to September 24th. A $5 late sign-up fee will be applied after September 17th.

All 11th-grade students will be able to participate at no cost since results are connected to scholarship opportunities. 10th-grade students who choose to participate are also required to register in advance and pay a $20 testing fee. There is a reduced fee of $10 for students who receive free or reduced lunch.

For 11th-grade students, the PSAT/NMSQT is the entry route to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Requirements for participation, steps in the competition, and awards offered are explained in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide and on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's website at www.nationalmerit.org.

Don't wait! Register now for this opportunity!

• Preparation for the SAT, where scores can help students get into honors college programs and college pathways (college within a college)
• Connects students to colleges and universities
• Scholarship opportunities for Grade 11 students
• Scores can be used to qualify for dual credit courses.
• Results will include resources about local two-year colleges, workforce training programs, and career options.

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

Here is the information for those who took pictures during Prep Days and want to order picture online.

https://lifetouch.com/

Picture Day ID: EVT99RR2G

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF

your order!

CODE: F2510OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2026

Redeem Now

If you missed school pictures during Prep Day, Lifetouch will be back on campus October 24th.

To appear in the 2026 section of your yearbook, you must photograph with Presitge Senior Portraits. Book your appointment ASAP. To schedule your summer studio appointment, click HERE or call 1-877-244-9873—options 2, then option 1 for assistance.

Only pictures taken with Prestige will be in the yearbook. Please keep these things in mind:

• Ensure they list you as a Communications Arts student, not Taft.
• Our yearbook pose is a cap and gown, NOT a tux and drape. Be sure that the cap and gown you are given is WHITE with a red and white tassel, and for those in NHS, our stole is blue, NOT white. The yearbook pose is cap on, and you MUST BE DRESS CODE COMPLIANT. We will NOT be Photoshopping pictures.
• Yearbook ONLY sessions are free, but we encourage you to choose a package with a variety of outfits and poses to reflect your personality and interests.
• Be sure to have your pictures taken by November so you can be included in the yearbook. The sooner, the better, so you have time to retake the pictures if you are unhappy with the first session.

They will be on campus September 8th. Students will need to sign up ahead of time to reserve their spot.

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.

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