Belle Ortiz’s Impact on Mariachi in Music Education

Our SAISD and extended community came together to remember the legacy of Mariachi Educator, Belle Ortiz. Known as the "Mother of Mariachi," Ortiz established the first mariachi education program in San Antonio and in Texas, leading to generations of mariachi artists in our schools, community, and nationwide. She would later co-establish Mariachi Campanas de America furthering the practice of the art. We were honored to share her impact on generations as one of our 2018 Inspire Awards Honorees. We will always remember Belle through our students who practice and promote this art. View the SAISD Lanier Mariachi Memorial performance dedicated to Ortiz along with comments from Superintendent Dr. Jamie Aquino. 

Third Annual Dorm Room Giveaway

This month, we gave away bedding, towels, luggage and more to students who plan to live on campus. We are honored by individual, organization and alumni donors that supported this event through monetary and in-kind donations. Event sponsors Joe A. Gamez Law Firm and Brooks Gives Back clearly understand how important it is for college-bound students to get a strong start. Thank you for supporting recent SAISD grads and our newest alumni in transitioning to their next adventure - dorm life living! The cherry on top came from the Whataburger food truck and operational team who fed every student and their families. They truly are "Feeding Students Success." Thank you to KENS5 for capturing our event! 

Book Buddies Delivers Over 100K Books to SAISD Students 

Since the 2020 school year, we have delivered 138,633 books to 38,794 students in San Antonio’s urban core through our Book Buddies program! This includes providing 12,000 books to PK-8th graders throughout the 22-23 school year, which exceeded our goals. Learn more in our highlight report. Looking ahead, we are excited to be working to launch the Book Buddies Bus which will help us reach even more readers in new and creative ways! Of course, this would not be possible without support from our donors and community partners like Kohl’s. 

Kohl's employees started volunteering at our Book Buddies warehouse in March 2022 and are now volunteering monthly. For every volunteer hour tracked, Kohl’s makes a $25 donation. In July, Kohl’s doubled the donation to $50 per hour, and 17 employees from our local call center gave their time at Book Buddies totaling $1,700 in one volunteer shift! If you have a work based program and want to get involved reach out to csmith@saisd.net.

Volunteers Needed for New Teacher Shopping Day and the

Alumni Profession Network

Join us to welcome all new teachers to SAISD participating in the SAISD New Teacher Orientation with a $100 grant from the SAISD Foundation to spend on items needed for their classrooms. Last year we set a new high with 333 new teachers shopping. Volunteers are needed for our “New Teacher Shopping Day” at Target Balcones Heights Crossroads, McCreless Market H‑E‑B plus! and Learning Zone. This year's event will be held on Friday, August 4, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm. You can sign up for a two-hour slot or stay for the day! SAISD Foundation staff will be present at each event and instructions will be sent prior. Interested? Sign up to volunteer! 

We are recruiting the 2nd class of our Alumni Professional Network this August and are currently encouraging alumni to learn more and consider applying. Our goal is to bring in a dynamic new class who want to support today’s students and young alumni. We are looking for at least two alumni from each high school and representation of a variety of industries/careers. As a part of APN, you will learn about what’s happening in SAISD, participate in networking events, serve as a career speaker and find creative means to engage in the schools where you built your foundation! Program kick off is August 31, 2023 so don’t delay! Learn more and apply here 

2nd Annual Recycling Competition Registration Open

For the second year, the SAISD Foundation is partnering with Unilever and H-E-B to offer a recycling competition on our elementary campuses. This competition is intended to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and its positive effects on the environment. An opportunity to win funds for campuses is available with school grants awarded expected to total $50,000. Please note, the program has no cost to the campus. Interested campus representatives should register their schools using our form linked here. We look forward to diverting recyclables away from landfills and raising awareness of the importance of recycling!

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