Dear LaGuardia Community:

I’m writing to tell you about our school’s budget crisis and how you can help. Various factors have contributed to this budget crisis, but the most significant are: 

• Exponential salary cost increases between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
• An accountability charge of nearly $1 million for not meeting the projected 2023-24 enrollment.
• A funding formula that inadequately supports our essential arts programs, resulting in a shortfall of approximately $3 million.

While LaGuardia administrators and the Parents Association are working to find long term solutions to these funding problems, we desperately need to raise money for this current school year. The good news is that you, LaGuardia parents, are legendary for your generosity. Presently, we have raised $44,000. But we need to raise between $750,000-$1,000,000. If not, there is a real chance some spring performances and events might not happen.

In this time of crisis, I am asking that you live up to the legend and donate to the General PA Annual Appeal immediately. My initial ask of $750 per family at the beginning of the year was based on a normal budget year. It is clear now that substantially more is needed from as many families as possible. We are asking families that can to please give $2,000 to the General PA. This amount will get us further faster in meeting the funding shortfall at LaGuardia. We would love 100% participation with whatever amount you are comfortable with. 

Donors that give $2,000 or more to the General PA will receive an exclusive gift…a totebag commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the opening of The Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and becoming one of the most respected performing arts high schools in the country.  

It may even be possible to double your donation through an employer matching contribution. After donating to the General PA, please contact your human resources department to find out if your employer will match your donation. 

Your donation to the General PA benefits the ENTIRE student body by funding per session costs for studio performances, club advisors, athletics, technology, lab equipment, teacher supplies, graduation, college resources as well as new initiatives that parents have been pushing for such as extra tutoring and making our bathrooms safe and healthy.  

Our students and our school are worth it! 

Thank You In Advance,

Tracy

Donation Methods

Credit Card - click https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LPZW642VJRDL2

Zelle - laghspa@laguardiahspa.org (Please write in the note section who the donation is from and your child’s name)

Mail - Make checks payable to “LaGuardia High School Parents Association.” Mail to LaGuardia High School Parents Association, Attn: Treasurer, 100 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

Matching Gift Program - Many companies offer a matching gift program. Contact your human resources department for more information.

Unfortunately, our VP of Communications had to resign. We are looking for someone to fill this position. We will be taking nominations from the floor at our next general PA meeting on October 15^th. If you are interested in finding out more about the position, please reach out to Tracy at president@laguardiahspa.org

VP Communications Position Description

• responsible for overseeing the weekly Sunday Night Newsletter
• chairs the communications and website committees.
• assists the President in conducting the business of the PA, assume the duties of the Co-Presidents in their absence, and may attend meetings or school functions to represent the PA.
• assists the President with special projects and initiatives, liaise as needed with the school, and perform other duties that may arise.
• attends meetings of the Manhattan Presidents' Council and other meetings as a Presidents' designee whenevernecessary.
• attends monthly Executive Board meetings and General PA meetings.

School Leadership Team (SLT) Meeting

Tuesday, October 14th, 4:30pm-6:00pm

Location: LaGuardia, 2nd Floor Principal’s Conference Room

Observers Welcome!

If you are concerned about your teen's substance use, please join this free virtual information to learn about a group offering support and skills to parents of NYC high school students who may be struggling with substance use. 

When: Tuesday, 10/15 @ 7:30 PM

Where: Virtual 

Click HERE to register for this virtual session. 

For more information, please contact Alex Falk, LaGuardia's Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialist: AFalk@schools.nyc.gov. 

Carmen Lamar Gonzalez (Senior Tech)
Jen Hill (Freshman Tech)
Taji Martin (Senior Vocals)
Stacey McArdle (Freshman Drama)
Rebecca Sherman (Freshman Tech, Senior Instrumental)
musical@laguardiahspa.org

Someone is on your side. No one is alone. ~Stephen Sondheim

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this year’s All School Musical Into the Woods with two amazing casts. We’re thrilled to have Broadway director and LaGuardia alumnus Michael Herwitz (class of 2014) directing and working with our amazing students who will bring a magical show to the stage in December. 

To ensure the quality of productions remains high we need donations and sponsors. This week be on the lookout for an opportunity to purchase shoutouts and ads in the Playbill. If you know anyone who would like to advertise in our program, please have them contact musical@laguardiahspa.org. 

We also need donations to support the students in every way: costumes, set design, props, lunches & dinners, sound equipment and so much more. All amounts are welcome. Please click HERE to donate. Every donor will be listed in the program. 

Thank you! 

The dates for Rising Stars has changed. The new dates are February 7th-9th (4 shows). So mark your calendars!

New audition dates have opened up on Tuesday, October 22nd. They fill up quickly!  Every act auditioning must complete this GOOGLE FORM

If audition slots are full, please upload a video of your act. You can attach your video to the google form. Deadline to submit video auditions is Monday, October 21st, 10:00pm. If you signed up for an audition and no longer plan to participate, PLEASE cancel your audition on sign-up genius to free up slots for others. 

Jane Berk, Senior Parent
Jake Daehler, Senior Parent
Limor Nesher, Junior Parent
Erica Schohn, Senior Parent

academicforum@laguardiahspa.org

The Academic Forum will hold its first meeting for parents on Wednesday, October 16th at 6:30 via Zoom. Please mark this date on your calendars with the following information:

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 889 2845 5436
Passcode: 749047

Though we don’t endorse any one SAT/ACT College Prep company, the AF will be arranging extensive discounts for courses with Academic Approach for  students who will be taking these tests in 2025.  In the meantime. Academic Approach has provided a free Algebra Mastery Quiz which includes a range of engaging problems to challenge and assess your students’ skills.

Click HERE to access the free mastery quiz: 

Please contact academicforum@laguardiahspa.org with questions for the Academic Forum. 

We’ll see you on 10/16! 

Jane, Erica, Limor, & Jake

Ms. McGoey needs help giving her students a 2-day psychology literacy masterclass with world-renowned artist Victor Stabin. 

Ms. Kingham wants to give students access to a wonderful current events magaizine that supports content for Regents exams. 

Mr. Lotherstein is raising funds for basic classroom supplies as well as US Constitution and Declaration of Independence booklets.  

Click HERE to see all the projects that need your support! 

Post Secondary Counselor, Suzette Persaud
spersaud@schools.nyc.gov

Contact Ms. Persaud with college application questions. All college representative visits are listed in Maia Learning under Events. 

Visits on Tuesday, 10/15

University at Buffalo, University of Toronto, The College of Wooster, Lafayette College, Savannah College of Art & Design, University of Miami, Goldsmiths (University of London), Barnard College, New York University, Emerson College, Muhlenberg College

Visits on Thursday, 10/17

The Julliard School, University of Southern California, University of Vermont, SUNY at Purchase College, University of Chicago, Bennington College, Duke University, Pace University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Pleases register in the Events section of MaiaLearning. 

SUNY'S  Free App Weeks are October 21st through November 3rd. 

Save money by applying to up to five SUNY schools with no application fee. Get more details HERE. 

Our Annual Costume Sale is this week!
Tuesday, October 15th from 2:30pm-6:30pm in the back lobby. 
Please sign up HERE to volunteer.

The next October POTS Meeting is also this week!
Wednesday, October 16th @ 7:30pm
Eli, our AP of Career and Technical Education will discuss Smart Pass and we will vote on whether or not to fund this tool for the Tech Studio.
Join Zoom Meeting

Save the Date for Tech Open Studio on October 25th and 26th. Eli will send a sign up sheet so look out for it in your inbox!

If your child has signed up to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on 10/22 payment of $10 per ticket can be made HERE.

Check out Bonfire for the newest designs in Tech. Click the image below for Bonfire and have items shipped directly to you.

A special thank you to all the Music Studio family members that attended our first in-person meeting on October 8th. We had over 120 people in the library that enjoyed a performance by the LaGuardia brass chamber trio of Tehya Ali, Lev Estevez and Diogo Feldman. Plus vocal entertainment by Bea Huppert and Rabbit Hinds.

In addition, our assistant principal Ben Schott spoke about the studio and answered questions from the crowd and the vocal and instrumental SGO reps shared a lot of information with our families. It was a great evening.

“I suppose the best advice I ever got came from my uncle who told me to go to drama school and study acting instead of taking a job, because the job would always be there.” - Elizabeth Banks

Hope you’re having a super Sunday, PODS!

Beating a Dead Horse and Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth at the Same Time! Sorry for repeating ourselves, but…  our fundraising goals are real, even if they seem unrealistic. So please… give what you can. Maybe even a little extra. Because…hey…it’s for the kids! Click HERE to donate.

Nothing in Life is Free – Except the Occasional Swag! Quid Pro Quo isn’t just the most memorable line of Silence of the Lambs (Turns out, it was “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti”)… it also means, scratch our backs and we’ll give you the shirt off of ours… meaning, if you donate $250 or more to the Drama Studio, you’ll earn yourself this smart, stylish 3/4-sleeve t-shirt. And bragging rights.

Money Isn’t Everything!

There are many ways to “invest” in your child’s future. You could spend time, for instance, not money. Or both… Either way, we’re looking for any help we can get. Sweat or equity! In this case, we’re seeking volunteers of all kinds. Whether you choose to help with merch, fundraising, emotional support… we have needs. Please fill out this Volunteer Questionnaire, and help your favorite studio achieve even greater greatness than it already has. Which is already pretty great. Click HERE to tell us how you can help out!  

Please join us for our first Dance PA Meeting this Wednesday, October 16, at 7:30pm. The meeting will be conducted over zoom, and the link is here: 

Join Zoom Meeting

We will be going over this year's dance budget and sharing how you can help support our community. Very much hope to see you there!

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.

For questions, please contact Michele Brandt, Parent Association VP for Special Education, specialeducation@laguardiahspa.org. 

A pilot program initiated by the LaGuardia Parents Association and the Community Engagement Office of LaGuardia High School to connect families who want to make independent travel plans with each other to and from school. If you are interested, please click this link to complete the form https://forms.gle/h4VbyCV5D95HZ9Za8. You will be contacted by Jerrianna Phenix (jphenix2@schools.nyc.gov) our Community Engagement Manager/Parent Coordinator, who will provide you with information of other participating families that live in your borough.

If you need a comprehensive list of who to contact at the school for various questions, click HERE. 

Parent Association Instagram: Laguardia_pa
Parent Association Facebook: LaG Families and Friends

Sophiyaa Naya, NYU film grad student is casting for "Pretend", a short film about a child's struggle to create the perfect final image of his mother in order to let her go. 

Chintu, South Asian boy, under 14 years old

Shooting dates: Saturday, October 26th and Sunday October 27th

Location: Queens

Compensation: Meals/Copy/Credit

Please email Nayar.sophiyaa@gmail.com if you are interested. 

Raja Khuri and Maissa Lihedheb, NYU film grad students are casting for  3 roles in the short film "Centripetate": In the back seat of their mom’s car, three siblings invent a game out of boredom. After their play gets out of hand and their mom gets into an accident, the siblings are left alone, wondering whether they caused it.

Aida, 13 year old Arab-American
Munir, 10 year old Arab-American
Yara, 7 year old Arab-American

Shooting dates between 12/5 and 12/10. 

Send headshots, resume and availability for callbacks to ml8154@nyu.edu. 

NYU Film graduate student Savin Shakib is casting for their short  film "Trust the Process". Film is all onscreen action, no dialogue. Dorsa and Saba are best friends in surburban New York who are making a potion to cast a love spell on the boy across the street. Casting for the following roles:

Saba 14/15 year old girl, all ethnicities

Dorsa 14/15 year old girl,  all ethnicities

Sam 16/17 year old boy, all ethnicities

Shoots October 26th and 27th. 

Send headshot, video introducing self and a fund fact about self, and acting reel (if available). Meals and snacks provided. No pay. Will receive copy of final film. 

Questions: Sarvin at 917-302-3982

(EXTRA)ORDINARY TEEN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS Starts October 5th. Program that guides teen photographers to build a personal photographic portfolio of images, learn new technical lighting and photography techniques, develop visual literacy and critical thinking, and engage in community building exercises and public speaking skills. Fall session starts October 5th.  Discount code for LaGuardia students is FALL24. Sign up HERE. 

Alex Falk is LaGuardia's Substance Abuse Prevention & Intervention Specialist: AFalk@schools.nyc.gov

The NYC DOE Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists (SAPIS) program provides a range of prevention and intervention services in grades K-12. The goals of the program are to:

• Reduce the prevalence of substance abuse among youth
• Delay the initiation of substance abuse behavior among youth
• Decrease the negative health, social, and educational consequences associated with substance abuse
• Prevent the escalation of substance abuse behaviors to levels requiring treatment

Coffee and Donuts is a monthly event designed for parents and administrators to come together, collaborate, and work together as a team.  Community concerns are aired and addressed in a professional warm environment. 

Yellow Sheet 10/12/2024

Bell Schedule

School Year 2024-25 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