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Originally delivered on 9/14/2025 8:26 pm

SUBJECT: SNN 9/14, PA meeting this Tuesday, Rising Stars details, and more!

Issue 3, September 14, 2025
FIRST PA MEETING - This Tuesday!
September 16, 2025 at 6:00pm

Join us for the first Parent Association meeting of the 2025-26 school year! Thought just your kids had a crew? This is your crew. Come meet fellow parents and learn about all the things we do and, better yet, join the Executive Board! See below for open positions.

Meeting will take place in person at the Little Flower Theatre of our awesome school. We only do TWO in-person meetings per year, so you really don't want to miss this one.

See you there!


Open Positions & Responsibilities:


2nd Vice President - Engagement & Hospitality 

  • Engages the parent body on matters of interest to LaGuardia High School families, encouraging participation in PA activities, and offering volunteer opportunities.
  • Chairs the Hospitality and Volunteer committee(s) and recruits the heads of these committees from the general PA. 
  • Supports student clubs and athletic teams.


4th Vice President - Special Education

  • Must be a parent or guardian of a student with a disability (IEP or 504).
  • Helps the LaGuardia community better understand the special education services entitled to students and helps to advocate for them.
  • Gathers concerns from families with students with disabilities and shares this information with school administration.
  • Sets up workshops/webinars related to special education and once a month to give updates related to special education at the Executive and General board meetings.
  • Organizes Special Education Committee meetings once a month for families in LaGuardia's special education community.
  • Communicates with the leaders of the SGO and serves as a liaison with guidance staff on ways to help students with 504/IEPs and their families with the college admissions process.


Freshman Class Representative

  • Serves to represent the interests and concerns of parents of students in 9th grade to the school.
  • Communicates information relevant to each specific grade from the school to parents, and vice versa. In addition, the Class Representatives may host events that promote interaction among members of their grade in order to promote better communication among parents and between the school and parents.


Freshman SLT Member

Read description of SLT role HERE.


Non-Board position

Our school could really benefit from a parent to assist with grant research and writing. If this is your skill and interest, please let us know!

Updated Conference Schedule

Please note that the conference schedule included in the Yellow Sheet of last Friday has been corrected. You can view the updated and correct schedule HERE.


On these days, Period 1 begins at 9:35 AM instead of the usual 8:05 AM.


Relatedly, we share this article HERE titled Schools shift as evidence mounts that later start times improve teens’ learning and well-being.

Accessing Jupiter

Hello LaGuardia Families!

Any student or parent/guardian who had not logged in since July 10, 2025 - including incoming 9th Grade families - was sent login links on Monday, September 8. Links will be sent out again this Monday, September 15, at 7:30am. 

Students' logins are sent to their nycstudents account. Parent/guardian logins are sent to the email on file with JupiterGrades. 


Because there can be errors in the NYSchools database, sometimes email addresses are incorrect or missing, and an update needs to take place on JupiterGrades.


Your email on NYSCA must match with the email used for JupiterGrades. Please make sure you have done the following before completing this Gform:

1. Logged on to your NYCSA account.

2. Checked that the email information there is correct.

3. If the email or phone number is incorrect, please update it on NYCSA. A PDF 'How To' can be found HERE.

If you cannot access your NYCSA account and need an access code or help with NYCSA, please reach out to Ms. Javier in Pupil Accounting at jjavier2@schools.nyc.gov.


Email updates via this form will take place throughout next week. Login information for families who have updated their emails will be sent on Wednesday 9/17 before 12noon and again on Friday 9/19 before 12noon. If you are waiting for a login, but do not see it in your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder for a no-reply email from notify@jupitered.com.

Please note: The data imported from the NYSchools servers also includes emergency contact information, address, and phone number information. It may be the case that that information needs to be updated on JupiterGrades as well.

Phone numbers may be updated on NYCSA by you. Address/emergency contact information must be updated through our Pupil Accounting Office. You may contact Ms. Javier (jjavier2@schools.nyc.gov) and/or Ms. Coraci (kcoraci@schools.nyc.gov) to update that information on NYCSA before reaching out to have it corrected on JupiterGrades.

You should complete the home address update section of this form only if the home address information on JupiterGrades needs to mirror the information you have on NYCSA.

Once you have logged in to JupiterGrades, please make sure you check your notification settings. If you opt-in, JupiterGrades can send you your student's grade updates and missing work information via email and text. To review how to change those settings, please see this How To: https://tinyurl.com/yswcksyr

One last thing: Although a student's entire schedule is on JupiterGrades, only classes using JupiterGrades will have specific information such as grades/assignments. Also, teachers may periodically 'take down' gradebooks to complete grades. If a previously visible class 'disappears,' it is not an error. That teacher is just making changes before reopening their gradebook.


Thank you for taking the time to read this and update your information. If you have a question about JupiterGrades access, you may message E. Branman via the JupiterGrades Message function or email me at ebranman@schools.nyc.gov. When emailing, please place your student's name and OSIS in the Subject line. I do my very best to respond to emails Monday-Friday within 48 hours. 

All the best for a strong 2025-2026 School Year!

E.K. Branman
Teacher: AP Comparative Government

JupiterGrades Data and Development Lead

Department of Social Studies

🎉 Drumroll, please... 🎉
We’re excited to announce the theme for this year’s Rising Stars:
“Get On Your Feet!”

LaGuardia’s very own variety show is back!


Auditions will take place on October 24, 25, and 27 — exact times will be announced soon.

Please encourage your students to start preparing their acts now — it's never too early to rehearse and get performance-ready!  Group acts are encouraged, if your student is looking to find collaborators, be on the lookout for a sign-up genius coming soon.  Tell them to follow lagrisingstarsofficial on IG for most updated info.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at risingstars@laguardiahspa.org.

ACADEMIC FORUM

Karen Gillen
Nathifa Lewis
Kathy Pence
Jonathan Wynne

academicforum@laguardiahspa.org

Beginning mid-September, the school's Guidance team might visit classrooms to speak to students about academic expectations and grade-specific post-secondary planning. There may also be Guidance invitations for all Parent Association members to attend similar information sessions (don't worry if you can't attend; the Guidance team will also publish their presentations after those meetings). See Guidance team's section below.


Here are some additional, publicly available, resources about (mostly) post-secondary planning for each grade. These are provided as useful free content and not as an endorsement for the companies that publish the content.


  • All grades: link HERE
  • Freshmen: link HERE   
  • Sophomores and Juniors: link HERE 
  • Juniors: link HERE    
  • Seniors: link HERE 
  • or if your senior is not planning on going to college: link HERE
COLLEGE RESOURCES

Shelliann Roach
Assistant Principal, Counseling Support
sroach2@schools.nyc.gov

Monday - Friday 8:15am - 4:15pm
Room 243
212-496-0700, ext. 2206


Click HERE to read the latest (September) Counseling Support Team newsletter.

CLASS NEWS
Class of 2026

Senior Class Representative, Limor Nesher
seniorrep@laguardiahspa.org 

Dear senior families,

Hope all are well and enjoying this important last year of high school! We have some important things for all of you to keep in mind:

  • Read every and all communications from the guidance team regarding senior year.
  • Be sure to sign up and mark you calendars for picture day - both for yearbook and graduation.
    • Taking place from September 15th - 19th at LaGuardia in the Art Gallery on the 2nd floor. As in previous years, you will have several options for attire that will be provided by the portrait studio, including the tuxedo, drape, white button-down shirt, or black button-down shirt. Additionally, you will be able to take a picture in your own clothing.
    • Students, please schedule your appointments HERE.
  • Make sure you have completed the tasks on the list for September HERE.
  • Mark your calendars:
    • September 25th - Senior Parents college information session with guidance team via zoom (link and survey will be sent before to pick up main concerns and topics)
    • September 28th - Big Apple College Fair, 1:00pm-4:00pm, Jacob Javitz Center. More information HERE.
    • June 18th - Senior Prom at City Winery!
  • Sign up HERE for the senior class WhatsApp group. It is not an official PA group or otherwise school-affiliated, but it is a way for many parents to share thoughts, concerns, and resources.


If anyone has any issues ideas and concerns, please reach out to Senior Class Representative, Limor Nesher, at email address above.

Class of 2027

Junior Class Representative, Yvette Frith-Raymond
juniorrep@laguardiahspa.org 

Class of 2028

Sophomore Class Representative, Rasheedah Brown-Harris
sophomorerep@laguardiahspa.org 

Class of 2029

Freshman Class Representative, To be elected
freshmanrep@laguardiahspa.org

STUDIO CONTACTS & NEWS

Shira Eisenberg

tech@laguardiahspa.org



TECH: The small studio with a huge impact.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

It was great "seeing" so many of you at the first POTS Zoom meeting of '25-'26.

For anyone who couldn't make it, the meeting notes and link to the recording are available HERE.

And a big thank you to Miha Mahr for handling our scissor sharpening errand this week!


COUTURE COSTUMES

The Tech Costume Sale will be back soon! Costumes, accessories, jewelry and shoes from past LaG shows will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to the studio. 

Have your student come with their Halloween costume wish list, or just to do some truly unique thrifting. Date TBA. 


TECH x ASM

Parent volunteer slots are now open for selling Tech merch, as well as concessions, hall monitors, basket collection, snack pick up, and General PA merch sales, during the run of this year's All School Musical (ASM) West Side Story. 

Each performance has its own sign-up tab by date at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Feel free to sign up anytime you're ready between now and December HERE.


Many thanks in advance!

Jennifer Dumlao
Vanessa Enri
quez

Marlene Smoot
Diane Vasquez

music@laguardiahspa.org

Hello Music Studio Families!


We are eager to meet you all in our First Music Studio PA Meeting later this week.


REMINDER:

First Music Studio PA Meeting on September 18th at 8:00pm! 🎵


Join Zoom Meeting HERE.

Meeting ID: 871 1886 7177

Passcode: 448585


We’ll give an overview of the Music Studio PA, our 2025-26 plans, and how you can get involved to support our students and studio teachers. Plus we’ll touch on MTK for those who need help.

MUSIC SHOWCASE AUDITION DEADLINE IS EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 9!

Audition Submission Deadline: Thursday 10/9 @ 11:59pm

Submit Video Auditions HERE.


The Music Studio Showcase is a PA event with auditions open to any Music Studio student to perform whatever they want!


  • All grades eligible in the Music Studio

  • Solo, Duet, Group, Band

  • Instrumental, A capella, Mixed, even non-Musical acts

  • Originals, covers, you name it!


The event will take place Sunday, November 9 at 2:00pm at Hill Country Barbecue Market and is to benefit the Music Studio PA. (This is not an official LaGuardia event.)

If you have any ideas, questions, comments or concerns then please always feel free to email us at: music@laguardiahspa.org.


See you this week!

Jennifer Dumlao, Vanessa Enriquez, Marlene Smoot & Diane Vasquez

Music Studio Co-Reps

Mindy Greenberg
Jamie Ganey

drama@laguardiahspa.org


“I went to a performing arts high school, we learned Shakespeare, I did 'Fences.' When you train, you can do anything.”

-       Marlon Wayans

FIRST PODS meeting of the year

Monday September 29 at 7:30pm

Join HERE.

 

ATTENTION SENIOR FAMILIES

Please have your student sign up HERE for senior headshots (THIS IS different from senior yearbook portraits) ASAP! The date is September 20th. This is this Saturday! There’s a makeup (not retake) on October 13th only for students who absolutely can’t make September 20th. The sign up for October 13th will be made available soon.

 

HELP NEEDED

Brooklyn Volunteer Opportunity! we need a few parents to help out during the senior headshots on Saturday, September 20th! Sign up HERE.

 

WE HAVE THE CURE FOR FOMO

Communication! Don’t miss out on news, announcements, or cries for volunteer help! We want to ensure you receive correspondence from the Parents Association and the Drama Studio. If you have not yet created an account, please follow the steps HERE.


PODS NEEDS YOU! (ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE A JUNIOR PODS)

The Drama Board is not quite whole yet. We still need one or two Junior class adults to step up for the role of Class Parent. We also have open Merchandising Coordinator positions under the leadership of our Swag Superstar™ Merch Director, L. Scott. We are on the hunt for one Spring Drama Festival (SDF) Co-Rep and one Fundraising Co-Rep and Grant Specialist. Wondering what these roles entail? Want to join our board? What’s the best recipe for bouillabaisse? Reach out to us with these or any other questions or interests at drama@laguardiahspa.org. Elections will be held at our first PODS meeting.

Katie Miller
Barbette Leonard

dance@laguardiahspa.org

Dear Dance Families,

We are so excited for see everyone at our LaGuardia Dance Curriculum Night and Meet & Greet with Teachers on Tuesday in room 857! The meeting will start promptly at 4:30pm but we will be selling gear starting at 4pm so come early to say hi and buy some merch! Want to help set up, sell, or clean up? Sign up HERE


If you cannot make it in person please join us by zoom HERE.

Meeting ID: 851 3523 8414

Passcode: 374049

But please try to come! Our teachers are staying late to meet you! 
We hope you will make a night of it! First our meeting, then the PA General Meeting in the Little Flower Theater at 6:30pm, then drinks at Morty’s Wine and Beer Bar at 15 West End Ave. directly following. If you would like to join us for drinks please indicate your interest HERE


And while you’re in the building why not drop off some supplies? Please bring in the following supplies to help support our amazing dance students: Band Aids (9th grade families); Quart Ziplock Bags (10th grade families); box of tissues (11th grade families); roll of paper towels (12th grade families); ream of printer paper (all families). We would also love donations of lightly used or new tights and leotards to keep in the dance office for students who need them. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

A couple more reminders and asks: 
Please email dance@laguardiahspa.org if you would like to be added to our informal dance chat. Please include your name, your child’s name, and a contact number and we will get you looped in. Please also email if you would like to volunteer in some capacity to support the dance department. You would be most welcome! 


Please consider donating to support our dance studio HERE. We need your support to maintain all of our amazing programming. Please and thank you!


Warmly,Katie and Barbette

Kristin Leigh

Cindy Wolf

art@laguardiahspa.org


SAVE THE DATE!

Our first Art Studio PA meeting of the year will be on Monday, October 6th at 7:00pm via Zoom (link will be sent closer to the date). We’ll hear from Mr. Stehle, who will share an overview and updates about the Art Studio! Mr. Stehle has been stepping in while AP O'Connell Polacik is on leave, and we are excited to have him join us! Hope to see you there!


While you are marking your calendar, be sure to include the first Art Show of the year! Stay tuned for more information about the Faculty Art Show, scheduled for October 24th!


In addition to supporting art studio events and enrichment programs, the Art Studio PA provides extensive support for our students and teachers through the purchase of art supplies and materials for the school year. As we get deeper into the start of the year, donations to the Art Studio PA are greatly needed and appreciated. Every bit will help our students have the best year possible. Please make your donations HERE today! A big thank you to those families who already contributed!


To keep up with Art PA news throughout the year, sign up for the Art PA Newsletter HERE.

 

If you have questions, ideas, or just want to say hello, please feel free to email us at anytime at: art@laguardiahspa.org.

 

Have a great week ahead!

Kristin Leigh & Cindy Wolf

Art Studio Co-Reps

NYCFC Soccer Captains Night
Special Ticket Offer for LAG community!

Celebrate our girls' soccer team and their captains (three of our seniors!) on Saturday September 20th at Captains Day! Purchase your discounted tickets HERE to a thrilling matchup between NYCFC and watch our team captains honored on the field during halftime!


🏟️ Event Details


Match: NYCFC vs. Charlotte FC

Date: September 20th, 12:00 PM

Location: Yankee Stadium, New York City

OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES
Teen Circle (FREE!) Membership

Be sure to take advantage of the FREE Teen Circle membership. It allows LaGuardia teens to bring their families to the Guggenheim for free! How to sign up? See below!


Stop by FREE Teen Tuesdays at the Guggenheim Museum this Fall and Sign Up for the FREE Teen Circle Membership!

Drop in for FREE Teen Tuesdays at the Guggenheim Museum, a monthly hangout where teens come together through art, culture, and community! During our fall Teen Tuesday series (September 16, October 21, November 4, and December 2), you can connect with other teen artists, catch live performances, and level up your creative skills. Free museum admission, MetroCards, snacks, and art materials will be provided. Drop in or RSVP to save your spot for one or more sessions. This program is part of the Guggenheim’s FREE Teen Circle Membership.

 

10/3 FREE Teen Fest at the Guggenheim Museum— Celebrate the Fall as Part of the Teen Circle Membership

Join us at the Guggenheim Museum for Teen Fest on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 4-6pm! This event is FREE, plus MetroCards and snacks (ice cream!) will be provided. Experience our new exhibitions through teen-led art activations and performances, plus you can sign up for a FREE Teen Circle membership! Be sure to RSVP here to enter a giveaway to win art supplies, exhibition catalogues, gift cards, and other prizes. Come solo or bring your friends!


Apply for the Teen Collaborative at the Guggenheim Museum to Earn a Stipend as You Learn About Museums    

The Guggenheim Museum’s Teen Collaborative is a free program to amplify local teen voices at the museum and beyond! From November to May, the annual cohort will learn about museum operations across a variety of departments and from a variety of perspectives and help produce experiences for fellow teens! There are no prerequisites for this program and all teens are encouraged to apply! Upon successful completion of the program students will receive a stipend, plus snacks and MetroCards provided for all in-person meetings. Apply here!

Earn Community Service Hours

DOROT offers opportunities for high school students to get involved and earn service hours.


GENuine Connections welcomes high school students and older adults (65+) to meet weekly over Zoom in small groups for meaningful conversations and fun activities to bridge generational divides. Workshop activities range from chess, art, current events and so much more, leading to the discovery of new and shared perspectives. View upcoming program schedule HERE.

 

Applications are open and can be found HERE for the Fall Semester with new workshops starting the week of October 20thNew teen volunteers will be asked to attend an orientation prior to participation.

Casting opportunity

Casting for a short film, “The Sleeping Boy”, directed by Nelson Hume and produced by Tom Mangan. 


Nelson directed the film Sunburn starring Cillian Murphy and recently shot the Whitney Houston biopic, Whitney. Tom Mangan is an NYU grad film professor who has produced Tumbleweeds, The Jack Bull, and Hold Onto Me.


Looking for BOYS aged 8-13 for the leading and supporting roles, and a GIRL aged 5-10 for a day player role. See flyer below for role descriptions.


Great opportunity for kids to discover what it’s like to be on a film set and gain a first professional credit. It’s also a PAID opportunity.

DONORS CHOOSE: SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS

Thank you to all who contributed to fully funding Ms. Park's project to replace the printer for the Studio Practice 3 Introduction to Design Class.


Mr. Rahman is looking to obtain an iPad to use as a tool that can help students visualize complex chemical reactions, run virtual labs when they don’t have the materials, and access interactive simulations that bring abstract concepts to life. Just $50 to go!


Ms. Petrungaro is looking to get a class set of calculators to ensure every student has access during lessons, practice, and exams.


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

IEP/504 NEWS

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

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

SCHOOL CONTACT LIST

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

LAG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION & INTERVENTION

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
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
USEFUL LINKS
Explore the LaGuardia PA Website

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

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