Wishing the entire LaGuardia community happy holidays! This will be our last newsletter for 2023. The first SNN of 2024 will be published on January 7th. 

Marcee Smith & Rebecca Sherman
Rising Stars Parent Coordinators
risingstars@laguardiahspa.org 

An amazing show filled with Broadway worthy performances!

The LaGuardia High School Parents Association is excited to present Rising Stars 2024 - an amazing show with Broadway worthy performances! Rising Stars is an all-school variety show to showcase our amazing students from ALL studios and ALL grades. There will be dozens of acts and an amazing finale. While we have some professionals guiding the show, it’s all about the LaGuardia students. In years past, Dancers were singing, Tech students rapping, Fine Arts students dancing and instrumentalists working backstage - who knows what 2024 will bring us! The one thing you can count non is that Laguardia students will always show their true artistic joy and creativity. 

Rising Stars is also a major fundraiser for the LaGuardia Parents Association. Even penny we raise goes back to funding programs and services for our students. 

We are selling ads for our program as well as sponsorships. We hope families will purchase ads to cheer on their kids (and their friends). Also, if you know any local businesses or companies that would like to purchase an ad, it's a great way to publicize to thousands of LaGuardia families at an excellent price. 

Big Dipper ($5,000) = This sponsorship includes a full-page ad in the program, 6 premium tickets to the show, sponsorship acknowledgments on our PA website, Instagram, Sunday Night News, and a listing on our sponsor banner at the show. You will also receive a SWAG bag with assorted Rising Stars and PA Merchandise. 

Orion ($2,500) = This sponsorship includes a full-page ad in the program, 4 premium tickets to the show, sponsorship acknowledgments on our PA website, Instagram, Sunday Night News, and a listing on our sponsor banner at the show. You will also receive a SWAG bag with assorted Rising Stars Merchandise. 

Perseus ($1,000) = This sponsorship includes a full-page ad in the program, 2 premium tickets to the show, sponsorship acknowledgments on our PA website, Instagram, Sunday Night News, and a listing on our sponsor banner at the show. You will also receive a Rising Stars tote bag. 

To purchase a sponsorship or ad, please click HERE. 

Please email camera-ready ad artwork to risingstars@laguardiahspa.org.
We have a designer who can help with your ads if necessary.  

Sponsorship and ad deadline: January 7, 2024

Thank you to all the studios, parent volunteers and students who came out for the School Spirit Sale. We sold a lot of LaG swag and made money for the school. Have a wonderful break and we’ll see you in the new year. 

Carmen, VP Hospitality and Engagement

Thank you for fully funding 3 projects this week:

• Mr. Steffa will now receive sports equipment to help students prepare for the 2024-25 soccer season
• Ms. Sheikh will now receive lab equipment to help students learn forces and motionMr.
• Mr. Domench will now receive basic drawing and painting materials for studio practice classes

Help Ms. Fischer give her students basic supplies for Health and Math classes. Only $91 to go!

Ms. VanSoy and Ms. Kompanal's projects will expire in less than a month. Together we can help move their projects closer to completion.

There are currently 12 teachers' projects on our DonorsChoose page. Please review all of the projects and share the links with your networks, family and friends. Anyone can donate, and all donations are tax deductible. Your generosity and support is greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to the boys basketball team on their recent win against the High School of Art and Design with a final score 59 - 44. This is their first win in two years. The team has been working really hard, training, and developing chemistry. We are looking forward to their next win! 

Please email Erica Blum at eblum2@schools.nyc.gov for more information about college rep visits. College visits are over for the winter. We will resume in the spring. 

Senior families: NEW FAFSA opens up on 12/31 for seniors. All contributors can create an account to get their FSA ID on StudentAid.gov now, but must wait until 12/31 to start to fill out the FAFSA for this current graduating class. The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is open now and can be filled out separately from the FAFSA. TAP can be filled out earlier than the FAFSA, and will be processed once you fill out the FAFSA. Click HERE for TAP. 

Please attend upcoming webinars below:

HESC WEBINARS

Start Here Get There. No sign up needed. Just click the link on the day and time before the event begins or during the event. If you do not see the correct date, just click on the same day of the week and it will let you in. If you attend a live event, you can ask questions and they will answer. Click link to see dates and times. They are updated weekly. If you are unable to attend live, please see the video library link below.

HESC On-Demand Video Library

UASPIRE

uAspire hosts free virtual events to walk students and families through the financial aid process and applications, provide resources and guidance, and answer questions. Sign up today! Each session is one hour. Even if you cannot attend live, they may send you information so please sign up. See more events and sign up HERE.

Next uAspire workshop is the FAFSA Walkthrough: 

Get an overview of the FAFSA for 2024-25 

Monday, December 18 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT 

Tuesday January 9 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT 

Dear Families:

Please review the Math Guiding Teams document created by Assistant Principal Justin Mackey. It's an overview of developments that have been taking place in the math department in response to the feedback shared by the LaGuardia community. The document has several links, including math & course level grading policies with an outline of additional teacher supports, as well as Zoom recordings from recent Guiding Team meetings. 

MATH GUIDING TEAMS

FUNDRAISING! The Drama Studio has an incredible Matching Gift Opportunity! Click HERE to learn how to double your donation. Every dollar counts!

NEXT PODS MEETING
When: Wednesday 12/20 @ 7 p.m.
Where: Register for Zoom MeetingHERE
Why: More info on fundraising, and summer programs Ghoslight and Wingspan will present.

You can view the November meeting HERE.

Thank you to all who have donated time, money, and resources so far. We genuinely appreciate it! It's never too late to get involved. The Parent Meetup was a success! It was fun to meet so many of our fabulous families! We look forward to hosting more!

If you're not receiving emails from the Drama Studio reps, please create an account HERE.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

The Wrap-up!

Join the Music Studio for our final general meeting of  2023!

When: Monday, December 18 at 7:30pm

Where: Zoom (click HERE)

Meeting ID: 815 9125 1799

Passcode: 594495

Please note that Music Studio Karaoke has been rescheduled for January 7, 2024.

Bravo to our tech kids and their team of teachers on the fabulous All School Musical! The show was absolutely SPOOKTACULAR & CREEPTASTIC because of your behind-the-scenes efforts! 

A huge brava and thank you to our own tech parent, Julie Kerwin, for leading the All School Musical Committee! Thank you also to all of the tech parents who stepped up to volunteer - we so appreciate each and every one of you!

Please support our Tech Studio in honor of our incredible kids. Give now before the end of the year to get your tax 2023 deduction! There are MANY projects coming up the tech pike, and we need to help pay for them.

Check out our Tech Studio webpage, you'll find so much useful information!

The POTS meeting scheduled for 12/20 has been canceled, we will reconvene on Wednesday, January 31.

If you are a parent/guardian of a student with an IEP or 504 at LaGuardia, please join our WhatsApp chat group. The purpose is to support each other regarding questions/concerns related to our student's IEP or 504 at LaGuardia.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/EmBGFw7VnNZJ98GJZIaQFS**

It is recommended to take the time to regularly review and bookmark the LaGuardia Special Education section of the website HERE. There is updated and pertinent information there from the Special Education Department. 

For general Special Education questions, please carefully review the NYC DOE regulations for Special Education services for 504s and IEPs:

NYC DOE IEP Information
NYC DOE 504 Information

NYU Grad Short Film casting call for a 6-12 years old boy preferably Lebanese or Middle Eastern and speaks Arabic, but can be of any ethnicity. Ramzi is a spirited and imaginative boy raised by his single mother in a conservative Christian household. He confronts the world with lively and mischievous energy, displaying a hint of rebellion, especially when it comes to expressing his suppressed femininity. Filming is 3-4 days between January 12-18. 

Rehearsals two or three sessions, dates TBD.

Unpaid, but travel & meals covered, movie will be submitted to festivals worldwide and footage can be used in your reels.

Please send Oriana (casting) oriana.ng@nyu.edu your full name, where you're based, your availability, a picture, a reel (optional), and a short introduction. Untrained actors welcome. We look forward to hearing from you!

NYO Jazz invites young musicians to audition for its summer 2023 season. Outstanding young musicians from across the US showcase the legacy and bright future of American jazz in a free rigorous training residency with world-class jazz masters. Apply by 1/19/24.

Ocean Awareness Contest invites students to share your personal climate story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. Creatively express your personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about our changing climate reality. Apply by 6/10/24.

Believe and Inspire After School Programs offer interactive virtual after-school programs that aim to empower underserved youth to become successful leaders. Participants learn practical life skills to help accomplish their life goals. Ongoing. 

NYU Youth Leadership Councils are a network of youth focused on policy, practice, and advocacy to make real change happen in their school, neighborhood, or community. Students join peers and adult allies to act on issues that matter the most to you. YLCs are in all five boroughs and need students to make NYC a better place.

2025 WhatsApp Chat**

2026 WhatsApp Chat**

2027 WhatsApp Chat**

Yellow Sheet

2023-2024 Bell Schedule

LaG Faculty & Staff Directory

2023-2024 LaGuardia Performance & Exhibition Calendar

School Year 2023-24 Calendar

NYC Schools Account (NYCSA): track your child's progress

DOE Student Accounts: access all student learning platforms

Parent University

Multilingual Learners

Office of Language Access

For questions about, and/or to submit content for consideration in the Sunday Night News, please email: snn@laguardiahspa.org. 

*DISCLAIMER: The LaGuardia High School Parents Association Inc (LAGHSPA) and its officers and elected members do not endorse third-party content shared in our communications, nor do they profit from third-party promotions featured in our communications.

**DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in listed WhatsApp chats and Facebook groups are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Parents Association or school administrators. 

LAGHSPA Photo/Video Disclaimer