Greetings, Booker T. family! Thank you to all who joined us for the first PTSA meeting of the year on January 16! Due to inclement weather that led to school closures, the meeting was virtual. A big THANK YOU to Booker T. Production Coordinator, Vonda Klimaszewski, and Student Success Coordinator, Ben Doan-Stevens, for all your help in hosting us on the school's online meeting platform. Visit the membership toolkit to access the presentation.

We're so excited to announce the Regional awards for the Reflections program are in! The Arts in Education Committee will present these awards at the Creations show in April! Congratulations to all our student participants! Three of our students have advanced to State! Congratulations, Sabrina Daly, Diyaa Dossani, and Viviana Rivera Santiago! Best wishes on advancing to Nationals! Read more about it in the Arts in Education article below!

The 'S' in PTSA stands for Students, and we are proud to advocate for our scholar artists! One new way the PTSA supports students this year is by helping fund student activities at Booker T. Each student activity is guided by a faculty sponsor who supports their effort. Once a month, the PTSA Executive Board will select one student activity to award up to $500 to help fund specific needs. We will highlight their activity in the newsletters to share their goals and challenges. Students and their faculty sponsor will provide reports at our membership meetings to inform the membership about what they were able to achieve. For eligibility, please review the application process and form. A big THANK YOU to our Vice President of Community + Programs, Aaron Moore, for leading this meaningful initiative.

It's that time of the year! Time to select the 2024 All School Musical! I am excited to announce the PTSA members are invited to contribute to the all-school musical selection process! Members can submit up to three choices for consideration. Please submit your suggestion by January 28 through the Membership Toolkit by filling out this form. We look forward to announcing the musical selection this spring!

Have you heard about the PTSA online auction? Save the date! The online auction is January 29 - February 2! Auction items are for students to enjoy special privileges, unique experiences and fun adventures with our legendary faculty! The auction will be open for all grade levels to participate and most bids start at $10. All proceeds will support the Class of 2024 activities, including the junior/senior prom.

Donations are appreciated! If you would like to donate auction experiences such as tickets to concerts, shows, sports or gift cards for dining, movies or spas (for mani/pedis), please sign up online by January 24. Items can be dropped off at the front desk. Please label the items "PTSA Auction." Thank you in advance for your support! Contact Class of 2024 Committee Chair Rachel Winton with questions.

Thank you to our faculty who have signed up to participate in the auction. The faculty sign up is open through today, January 20. Please help us make this auction fun and meaningful by signing up to participate through this form on Membership Toolkit.

The results are in! The Regional awards will be presented at the Creations show on April 13!

Congratulations to the following three students that have advanced to State! 

• Sabrina Daly, Music Composition, "Hold Your Hand At Night"
• Diyaa Dossani, Film Production, "Pocket of Sunshine"
• Viviana Rivera Santiago, Literature, "Letter of Hope"

Way to go, Pegasi! Congratulations and best wishes on advancing to Nationals!

The National PTA invites all members to attend the annual Reflections Student Arts Showcase on YouTube! The presentation features a selection of artists from across the country and honors over 200 national awardees from the 2022-23 Reflections program including Booker T. student, Nia McKnight, the 2023-23 National Reflections winner for dance choreography. Join the celebration! RSVP your attendance today!

The BTWHSPVA annual African American Heritage Festival celebrates Black History Month! This year's festival title is "THE BEAT!" The featured show in the MAT is "A Rhyme Deferred," which will include interludes from all conservatories. Student artwork and performances will be held in the Montgomery Arts Theatre on Thursday and Friday, February 22-23, with a student preview on Wednesday, February 21. Save the dates! More details to come! 

The PTSA is seeking the following types of businesses to support the show: 

• Caterers and bakers to feed the kids and provide concession beverages and sweets
• Decorators for the MAT lobby

Email our VP of Fundraising, Leah Mora, at btwhspva.fundraising@gmail.com for sponsor and production partner opportunities.

ATTENTION CAST, BAND + CREW: All conservatory students participating in the African American Heritage Festival should sign up for the main school Remind account by texting @BTWAA24 to 81010. Important information will be shared through this account for students to prepare for the festival, reserve a meal during the show dates, share dietary restrictions and much more.

SOPHOMORE PARENTS + STUDENTS: The sophomores support the African American Heritage Festival by feeding the kids, hosting a cast party, decorating the MAT lobby, and selling merchandise and concessions during the shows. Proceeds from the concessions will support the sophomore class to build up its class funds, which will be used to create a one-of-a-kind senior year experience. Sign ups for concession donations and volunteer opportunities will be announced in February. In the meantime, sign up to be part of the Class of 2026 PTSA committee, led by Amy Marcuis. As a committee member, you'll be able to share ideas and support grade level fundraisers and socials. Email Amy and sign up to help today!

ATTENTION STUDENTS: Have you ever wanted to design show artwork? The deadline to submit student artwork for the African American Heritage Festival is Sunday, January 21! The student's winning artwork will be featured on the Playbill, posters, websites and social media. Visit the PTSA Membership Toolkit to review all specifications and submission instructions. Email btwhspvaptsa@gmail.com with any issues or questions.

A successful election is essential to a smooth transition for the PTSA from year to year. All members are invited and encouraged to get involved in this important process. Nominating Committee members are elected from the membership during the general membership meeting in February. Nominations for this committee will come from the floor. 

Are you interested in serving as a PTSA officer? Please fill out the PTSA Officer Interest form by March 1 to be considered by the Nominating Committee. Elections for the 2024-25 PTSA year are held at the general membership meeting in April.

The PTSA is hosting the first Senior Surprise of the year on Thursday, January 25, during lunch in the senior cafeteria! Seniors will enjoy hot cocoa and cookies! The senior activities committee is asking for donations to host a hot chocolate bar. Please sign up to donate supplies. Donations are accepted at the front desk through January 24. Please label all supplies with "PTSA Senior Surprise." 

What are the senior traditions at Booker T.? The STUCO Senior Council, PTSA and the guilds will host traditional Booker T. senior activities including a student/faculty volleyball tournament, senior breakfast, senior dinners and award presentations. Several activities will be held during the last two weeks of school. Read all about it on the PTSA's Class of 2024 page! 

ATTENTION PARENTS: Did you know the dual credit program at Dallas College offers high school students an opportunity to earn college credit while completing high school requirements? Booker T. Counselor and Dual Credit Coordinator Yoko Goto will host a virtual dual credit meeting through Microsoft Teams for parents at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, January 22. Information on taking dual credit courses over the summer will be provided. There will be a recording of the session available for those unable to attend. Questions? Contact Ms. Goto at YGoto@dallasisd.org.

• Join the virtual meeting on January 22
• Meeting ID: 261 583 249 940
• Passcode: ibvVaA

ATTENTION SENIORS: Get money smart! Join the Financial Literacy Fridays class during Flex every Friday from January 12 - April 26. This series of Zoom meetings is sponsored by the PTSA and conducted by a program advisor of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). To participate, students should request the Zoom link from their senior mentor (Flex teacher). Log in from a personal device (and use headphones) or watch it on the Promethean board during Flex. Refer to the Class of 2024 page on the PTSA site for more details on the program.

ATTENTION SENIORS: Do you need assistance with FAFSA/TASFA? Parents/guardians can stop by College Advisor Alexandra Clayton's room (208) for FAFSA/TASFA Days on January 30-31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This application is a state graduation requirement. Once students upload their application confirmation in Google Classroom, they will be cleared of this graduation step. Read more from Ms. Clayton in the senior parent letter.

ATTENTION STUDENTS: Would you like to practice for the SATs? The Academic Success Program of DISD offers free SAT prep courses at Booker T. and various campus locations throughout the city. Students can register for these sessions through School Links.

BOOKER T. SAT PREP DATES: January 23, February 23, March 5, April 2, April 23. Session time: 4:45 - 5:30 p.m. in room 208.

DISD SAT PREP DATES: January 27 at Bryan Adams, February 10 at Townview, March 2 at W.T. White, April 13 at Sunset. Session time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Do you know someone who wants to be a Pegasus? Due to inclement weather, the magnet audition workshop was rescheduled for Monday, January 22 from 5-8 p.m. Audition applications for BTWHSPVA are accepted through January 31, 2024. Auditions are scheduled for January 27 and February 3. For more information, visit the school website.

• Monday, January 22: Dual credit parent meeting (virtual), 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, January 22: Magnet audition workshop (for rising students)
• Monday, January 22: Summer dual credit parent webinar
• Wednesday, January 24: A Midsummer Night's Dream, MAT, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, January 24: Deadline for online auction sign-ups and donations
• Thursday, January 25: Visual Arts Super Nova Senior Show #1 reception, 5-7 p.m.
• Thursday, January 25: Senior Projects 1, Zero Floor Dance Studio, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, January 25: A Midsummer Night's Dream, MAT, 7 p.m.
• Friday, January 26: A Midsummer Night's Dream, MAT, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, January 26: Senior Projects 2, Zero Floor Dance Studio, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, January 26: Final day to order BTWHSPVA yearbooks
• Saturday, January 27: Magnet auditions (for rising students)
• Sunday, January 28: Last day to submit All-School Musical show ideas
• Wednesday, January 31: Grand Concert, MAT, 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 31: Semester One survey closes
• See the full calendar

The contribution of the PTSA Sustaining Sponsors help cultivate the future of the performing and visual arts and enables the PTSA to provide school-wide productions, programs, resources and event support. Please review the benefits of becoming a sponsor and make your contribution today!

Booker T. Washington PTSA | 2501 Flora St. | Dallas TX 75201
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