Belle Ortiz Building Dedication Ceremony

It was so great to be with the San Miguel and Ortiz families along with dignitaries, Lanier students and families and community members who came to celebrate at the Belle Ortiz Music Building Dedication Ceremony on February 8, 2024, at Lanier High School. Mayor Ron Nirenburg stated, “Belle was a force that guaranteed Latino heritage to be recognized and celebrated. The dedication of Lanier High School's music building is a wonderful recognition of her vision and dedication."

It all started right here in San Antonio ISD. Belle Ortiz pioneered the nation’s first high school Ballet Folklórico program at Lanier High School and introduced the first high school mariachi program at Jefferson High School. It was announced at the unveiling that through the Belle Ortiz Legacy Fund, the partnership between the SAISD Foundation and the SAISD Fine Arts Department, Ballet Folklórico will be returning to Lanier High School where it all began, starting in the 2024-2025 school year.

At the ceremony, SAISD Foundation Board Member and member of Campanas de America, Richard Carranza stated, “The legacy of Belle Ortiz cannot be a name on a building in and of itself. It must be a living legacy. So that every elementary, every middle school, and every high school in San Antonio and beyond has a program that speaks to the culture, the identity, and the heritage of who we are. That is the legacy of Belle Ortiz.”

Together with the San Miguel and Ortiz families we are doing exactly that. In partnership with the district, funds raised will allow us to invest in the programs Belle was instrumental in creating including mariachi instruments, Ballet Folklórico and mariachi uniforms, regional competitions and workshops and supporting students on their journey to higher education. For those of you who have already made a gift, we thank you. Learning more about the legacy work and fund, visit https://saisdfoundation.com/belle-ortiz-legacy-fund/.

2nd Annual Black History Month
Chess Tournament

The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Department held its Second Annual Black History Month Chess Tournament on February 10, 2024, at Sam Houston High School. San Antonio ISD Director of Gifted and Talented Education, Mirinda Coleman, shares more about what it means to have this competition take place during Black History Month. “We wanted to celebrate great African American chess players, like Maurice Ashley. We also wanted to make people aware of the history of chess in the African American community.” Since it is open to anyone in the city, any students who would like to participate, can. 

Playing in the competitions are additional opportunities for students to develop their skills in a fun way. “I have definitely seen an improvement in logical thinking, social behaviors, focus, and perseverance.” Competing in tournaments also creates a sense of ownership in the game as well. “The atmosphere of a tournament is amazing. Students take their tournament play very seriously.” Coleman continues, “Students are full of joy, pride, disappointment, drive, persistence. The experience as a whole helps to grow the students, chess is a sport after all!” 

As a partner of this initiative, we love seeing how investments made at the campus level for chess clubs can ignite a passion for the game to compete on a larger scale. Through competitions like the Black History Month Chess Tournament, students put their skills on display and fine-tune their strategies to become stronger players and build important critical thinking skills. Thank you to the GATE Department for your vision and for providing these powerful opportunities for our San Antonio ISD students! We are honored to support your work.

LSAISD Grant Visit at Beacon Hill

Members of the Leadership SAISD (LSAISD) Education Leadership Development Program, Class of 2024, helped surprise Ms. Coley at Beacon Hill Academy with a mini-grant award from the SAISD Foundation in February.

Ms. Coley’s project, Where Science and Literacy ECLIPSE!, will help provide a literacy bag for Pre-K through 4th-grade classrooms. Each bag will include a book about eclipses and a hands-on activity for students to take home and complete with their families in preparation of the exciting April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse that San Antonio has the unique opportunity to see. The literacy bags will help to alleviate the fears of younger students while providing excitement and a learning opportunity for Beacon Hill’s all-campus family solar eclipse watch party. What a great time to celebrate an event that won’t happen again until 2044.

The LSAISD cohort was able to participate in the surprise award notification and experience firsthand the talent and passion of SAISD teachers. Following the grant award, the cohort was given a tour of the school provided by Principal Felismina Martinez who helped answer questions on what’s in store for the campus next year when it joins Cotton Academy as part of the rightsizing process. We are proud to share these opportunities with LSAISD and others interested in learning more deeply about the work happening in SAISD public education. 

Recognizing Career and Technical

Education Month

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! With P-TECH programs available at five San Antonio ISD high schools and growing, we are excited to see our talented students put their skills on display through work with the San Antonio chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. 

Students from Lanier and Sam Houston High School are working to create a total of 40 beds for children who do not have one. In a one-day blitz, students worked at Sam Houston to build 20 beds. 

You can join in the efforts by donating a new twin-size bed-in-a-bag at SAISD Central Office (514 W. Quincy, 78212), Lanier High School (1514 W César E Chávez, 78207) or Sam Houston High School (4635 E Houston St, 78220) until Friday, March 1, 2024, from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. To learn more about CTE programs in SAISD, visit https://www.saisd.net/page/CTE-Home

Book Buddies Volunteer Highlight:
Michael Torres

Michael Torres, one of our newest Book Buddies volunteers, grew up in San Antonio and especially enjoyed his years as a student at Page Middle School in San Antonio ISD. Now retired and with a background as an educator, principal and a leadership consultant for Region 20, volunteering to help students strengthen their reading habits was a no-brainer. He knew he wanted to give his time back to the SAISD community which created so many wonderful memories for him as a student. 

Torres discovered an opportunity to volunteer with the SAISD Foundation’s Book Buddies program and volunteering on a Saturday was convenient and especially appealing to him. Torres shared that volunteering at Book Buddies reminded him a lot of his sister who loved to read. He said books opened up new worlds for her and he saw firsthand how her passion for reading led her to learn while enjoying her favorite stories. “It’s great to know there are endeavors like this that help students.” Torres shares that volunteering for a Saturday sorting session is a low-stakes opportunity to support students in developing their reading skills. If you are an alum interested in re-engaging with our SAISD community, or a community member who wants to help in a meaningful and important way, visit https://saisdfoundation.com/about/what-we-do/book-buddies/ to learn more.

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