Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we wrap up the first official month of the school year, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and cooperation. Your involvement and dedication have truly made a difference in our students' daily routines and overall experience.
First and foremost, we sincerely appreciate your active participation in our recent Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your presence and engagement in discussing your child's progress are invaluable, and it’s evident that you are committed to their education and success.
We also want to thank you for your enthusiasm in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with us. Your children's participation in the festivities beautifully reflected the vibrant diversity that makes our school community so unique. We are excited to continue fostering an inclusive and culturally rich environment as we transition smoothly into October.
With the new month upon us, we are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming events:
- Fall Scholastic Book Fair (October 7-11): We encourage you to explore the world of books with your children during our Fall Scholastic Book Fair. This is a wonderful opportunity to nurture their love for reading and expand their imaginations. More details will be shared soon.
- Family Frida Night (October 11): Join us as we conclude Hispanic Heritage Month with a special Family Dinner Celebration on October 11th. This promises to be a memorable evening filled with cultural experiences and delicious food. Stay tuned for further information.
- End of 1st Quarter (October 18): Please mark your calendars as the school year's first quarter concludes on October 18th. This is a significant milestone in our academic calendar, and we are excited to continue the journey of learning and growth with your children.
Additionally, we value your input and invite you to participate in our family surveys. Your feedback is crucial in helping us understand your needs and improving our school community. Look out for survey invitations in your email inbox.
Once again, we extend our most sincere appreciation for your ongoing partnership. Your involvement in your child’s education is paramount, and together, we are creating a nurturing and enriching environment for them to thrive. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events and hearing your valuable feedback through our family surveys.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further information about the events mentioned above.
Thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education!
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we would like to take this opportunity to salute, honor, and highlight our staff who make such huge contributions to the success of our school:
- Jessica Garcia, Kindergarten Teacher
- Zoraida Muhammad, Kindergarten Teacher
- Marisa Vega, Community Outreach Coordinator
- Hollie Vela, Teacher Aide
- Karen Arteaga, 3rd Grade Teacher
- Maria Aguilera, Elementary EL Teacher
- Diana Gamboa, 2nd Grade Teacher
- Maricruz Diaz, Outreach Assistant
- Rosa Salas, Maintenance Staff
- Eddie Flores, Robotics Mentor
- Cecilia Garcia, Spanish Teacher
- Kharishma Castrejon, 1st Grade Teacher
- Nancy Audelo, Maintenance Staff
- Juanita Camacho, School Counselor
- Nancy Audelo, Maintenance Staff
- Juanita Camacho, School Counselor
- Christina Wrobel, 1st Grade Teacher
- Yavette Esparza, EL Teacher
- Mario Palos, Reading Specialist
- Sandra Torres, 5th Grade Teacher
- Gabriela Villa, Kindergarten Aide
- Jose Magana, Maintenance
- Humberto Galan, Security
- Alberto Orozco, Maintenance
- Renee Villarreal, Maintenance
- Bryanna Moreno, 3rd Grade Teacher Aide
- Rosa Salas, Maintenance
- Maria Sanchez, Lunchroom Aide
- Vianty Gonzalez, Spanish Teacher
- Tiffany Martinez, Lunchroom Aide
- Vianey Garcia, Front Office
- Samuel Johnson, HS Social Studies
Thank you so much for all that you do for our students!
We appreciate you all so much!
We had the honor of hosting the faculty from Beijing National Day School. Our amazing School Ambassadors led them on an inspiring tour, showcasing our school’s vibrant learning environment and programs.
A special shout out to Mr. Oz and our Robotics teams for an impressive presentation of our Robotics Program! Our visitors were thoroughly engaged and left with a great impression of the innovative work our students are doing.
Thank you to our guests for joining us today, and we look forward to future opportunities to share our school community with international visitors!
High School Fair
A Busy Season for Our School Ambassadors!
It’s been an exciting and busy time for our School Ambassadors as they teamed up with the Community Outreach Department to represent our school at various high school fairs in neighborhood elementary schools.
Our ambassadors did a fantastic job highlighting all the exceptional programs and opportunities we have in place for our students.
We are so proud of their efforts and commitment to showcasing our school’s strengths to the community. Keep an eye out for more amazing projects and events led by our dedicated School Ambassadors!
Have You Signed Up for a Home Visit?
Home visits are what make our school so unique! They provide an incredible opportunity to strengthen our partnership with families and build strong connections within our community. We love visiting our families, sharing good news, and celebrating the achievements of our #1 school!
We're excited to announce that we’re now passing out awesome yard signs to our families. Displaying these signs helps spread the word to neighbors and friends about the amazing things happening at our school.
Have you received yours yet? If not, let us know and we’ll make sure to get one to you. Thank you for being part of what makes our school great!
Door to Door Canvasing
We are excited to share the success of our recent door-to-door canvassing outreach in the 11th Ward. It was a fantastic morning, and our dedicated staff did an outstanding job connecting with the Bridgeport community and showcasing why we are the number one school in the area!
Our team had the opportunity to speak with families, share information about our academic programs, and highlight the unique opportunities available to students at our school. We are proud of our staff's commitment to spreading the word about our vibrant school community and engaging directly with families in our neighborhood.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making this outreach event a success. We look forward to welcoming new families to our school and continuing to build strong connections with our community!
11th Ward New to the Block Party
We were thrilled to return to the 11th Ward for our recent block party, where we showcased our programs and engaged with the community. It was a fun-filled day with perfect weather, and we are grateful to everyone who joined us!
Our Robotics team, school band, athletics, and PTO were all present, sharing in-depth information about what makes our school special. From interactive demonstrations to performances, the event highlighted the diverse opportunities available to our students and fostered a sense of community pride.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this event. We look forward to continuing to build strong connections with our community neighbors!
Parent Teacher Conferences | Thank you to our families who signed up for our first Parent Teacher Conferences of the school year. We were extremely happy to use the easy Meet the Teacher appointment setter! These conferences are always during progress report time so that our families are well informed before final quarter grades hit the report card. | |
We want to extend our sincere thanks to all of our community partners who joined us for our Community Resource Fair. We are thrilled to have hosted this event in conjunction with our Parent-Teacher Conferences, allowing our families to maximize their time and access valuable resources in one place.
Our goal is always to connect our parents with the services and support available in our community to help meet their families' needs.
Thank you for your partnership and dedication in making this event a success!
Band Spaghetti Night Success |
A huge thank you and shout out to Mr. Phillips, our talented band students, and the amazing Band Parents for producing a flawless Spaghetti Night dinner! This annual band fundraiser was once again a tremendous success, thanks to the fantastic support of our families who joined us during Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Our school band not only served up a night full of delicious food but also entertained us with fabulous music. They are continuing to raise funds to achieve their goal of taking our band students on an unforgettable trip to Nashville!
Please feel free to share their GoFundMe link and help us reach this exciting goal.
Thank you to everyone who showed their support! Together, we’re making dreams happen.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us for our first PTO meeting of the school year!
We are excited to introduce our new task force and look forward to hosting our annual events with the help of our dedicated parent volunteers.
Stay tuned for more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities. Your involvement is key to making our events a success, and we’re eager to work together to create memorable experiences for our students and community.
If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Thank you for your continued support!
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents who attended our first meeting of the Bilingual Parent Advisory Council (BPAc). Your support and engagement truly set the tone for a successful year ahead!
Our Multilingual (ML) team was thrilled to kick off the new year with such an enthusiastic group of parents, sharing valuable information and discussing how we can continue working together to make this school year a success. We look forward to more collaborative opportunities as we build a strong partnership to support our students!
Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month | |
We were so excited to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with all of our students! We began the celebrations with our annual dress-down day and a special lunchtime treat: churros!
Throughout the entire month, we will continue celebrating and honoring Hispanic culture with our students. Recently, we hosted a wonderful K-5 assembly featuring our talented HSA students.
The event included traditional dances, poems, and live music from our school band. We were honored to have State Representative Theresa Mah join us as a special guest, and we took the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our dedicated Hispanic staff members.
We look forward to continuing this month of celebration with more events that showcase the rich cultural heritage of our community and hope to see HSA families join us for our Family Frida Night happening on October 11th!
Meet the College and Career Department
We are thrilled to introduce Ms. Imamovic and Ms. Fortman, the dynamic team dedicated to supporting our students' post-secondary goals. They have already kicked off the school year with two successful college visits to Northwestern University and North Central College.
Ms. Imamovic and Ms. Fortman are passionate about guiding our students through the college and career planning process. They are committed to ensuring that each student receives the support and resources needed to achieve their dreams.
The team is also excited to invite all Class of 2025 parents to the Senior Parent Informational Meeting on October 17th at 5 PM. This meeting will provide valuable information on college applications, financial aid, and other important topics for our senior families.
Alumni Spotlight: Edward Flores |
Hello, my name is Edward Flores, and I am excited to share my journey as an alumnus of HSA McKinley Park. I currently serve as a mentor for the High School Robotics Team, FIRST 5125 Hawks on the Horizon. My role involves teaching students how to use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and managing the 3D printing of any parts the team may need. Additionally, I am the lead mentor for the drive team, where I coach students on-field and assist in determining our strategy for each match.
I have been involved in HSA McKinley Park’s Robotics Program for 12 years, dating back to the school’s inception. My passion for robotics began when I joined the FTC 7030 Robominds as a 6th grader and continued through high school when I became a member of FIRST 5125 Hawks on the Horizon. After graduating, I always knew I wanted to return to HSA and give back to the team that shaped me. My current mentor, Mr. Sravan, encouraged me to one day become a mentor myself. Now, I’m thrilled to work alongside him to guide the next generation of robotics enthusiasts.
Outside of mentoring, I volunteer at Lego Robotics events and serve as a Judge Advisor for the HSA McKinley Park Lego Robotics competitions. I have a degree in Computer Science and am currently pursuing a second degree in Mechanical Engineering. My future aspiration is to work in the robotics industry while continuing to support FIRST 5125 Hawks on the Horizon as a mentor.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a program that has been a cornerstone of my education and career development. Being able to teach and inspire new students in the same way I was inspired motivates me every day. I look forward to seeing our team continue to thrive and achieve new heights!
- October 2nd: Townhall Meeting in the 11th Ward
- October 3rd: CYSP Parent Informational Night
- October 4th: Picture Day
- October 7th-21st: PTO Affy Tapple Fundraiser
- October 7th-11th: Fall Book Fair
- October 9th: Junior Parent Informational Night
- October 11th: Family Frida Night
- October 14th: NO SCHOOL in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day
- October 15th-18th: High School Homecoming Spirit Week
- October 16th: ACT Test day for 12th Grade/ E-Learning for 9th-11th
- October 17th: Pre ACT Test Day for 9th-11th/ E-Learning day for 12th
- October 17th: Senior Parent Night
- October 18th: End of 1st Quarter
- October 18th: HS Pep Rally & Homecoming Dance
- October 22nd: STEM NIGHT
- October 26th: Governing Board Meeting
- October 27th: Trunk or Treat
- October 28-November 1st: K-5 Fall Spirit Week
- October 30th: Early Release Day Dismissal at 11:48am
- October 30th: Phantom of the Opera Performance
- October 31st: K-4 Halloween Parade
At HSA McKinley Park, our top priority is the health and safety of students and staff, should you have any questions or concerns, please email us at:
Mr. Seat Vedziovski
Mrs. Marisa Vega
Community Outreach Coordinator:
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