Highlights and Heads Up

• National Scholastic Writing Awards

• Last Call for Early Bird Gala Tickets

• A Huge Thanks to Our Gala Sponsors
• Eggs for a Cause
• Beyond the Fence

Congratulations National Scholastic Writing Award Winners

We are proud to celebrate GSA students who received recognition in the National Scholastic Writing Awards, a national competition that receives thousands of submissions each year. Their work stood out—and that is no small accomplishment!

As Humanities teacher Dr. J shared with students, the writing produced last trimester was exceptional across the board. Writing is deeply human work: it asks students to think critically, take intellectual risks, and put their ideas into the world; knowing that interpretation and judgment are never completely objective. Participating in competitions like this requires courage, curiosity, and a willingness to engage thoughtfully with complex ideas, and we’re proud of all who submitted their work.

We’re thrilled to celebrate the students whose work received awards this year. Congratulations to the following recipients:

• Jane Canales
  Parallel Phantoms: On the Great Depression, COVID-19, and Collective Trauma
  Critical Essay — Gold Key
• Mila Weintraub
  Unapologetically Whole: Mapping the Fragments of Me
  Poem — Gold Key
• Bea Pappalardo
  Gamer’s Thumb: On the Ethics of Drone Warfare
  Critical Essay — Gold Key

• Bea Pappalardo
  Drone
  Poetry — Silver Key

• Edith Holland
  The Holocaust: Broken Stereotypes of War & Women
  Critical Essay — Silver Key
• Gwyneth Chappelow
  Feminism Isn’t Broken—It’s Evolving: Understanding the Movement Beyond the Headlines
  Critical Essay — Silver Key
• Violette Beal
  The Armed Guard Myth: The Illusion of Safety
  Critical Essay — Honorable Mention

• Aryn Orman
  The Cure in the Dark: How Movie Theaters Can Fight the Loneliness Epidemic
  Critical Essay — Honorable Mention

Congratulations to these writers—and to all of our students who continue to ask big questions, think deeply, and use their voices with purpose.

Last Call for Early Bird Gala Tickets

This is your final chance to purchase See the Future Gala tickets at Early Bird pricing—sales end February 9. After that, General Admission tickets increase to $325 per person.

More than 170 tickets have already been sold, and the night is shaping up to be a big one! Don’t miss the chance to celebrate, connect, and dance the night away with 220+ of your favorite GSA friends!

A Huge Thanks to Our Gala Sponsors

We are incredibly grateful to our Gala sponsors, whose generosity makes this evening possible. Thanks to their support, we have already surpassed last year’s number of sponsors, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Our sponsors truly make the night happen—from the experience our guests enjoy to the impact the Spring Gala has on our school. We are deeply appreciative of their commitment to GSA and to supporting our girls.

Eggs for a Cause

As part of our Third Graders’ ongoing service learning partnership with Safe in Austin Rescue Ranch, we are excited to help support their growing flock of rescued chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The ranch currently has an abundance of farm-fresh, recently laid eggs, and our students have volunteered to help get them into the hands of our community.

At next week’s Community Meeting, we will have a small table set up where families may donate to Safe in Austin in exchange for eggs. Families who wish to participate may send a direct, donation-based Venmo payment to Safe in Austin. All funds go straight to the ranch to support their animal care.

Please note that we are simply acting as facilitators for this service opportunity. The eggs come directly from Safe in Austin, and the school is not responsible should any issues arise with their use or consumption.

Beyond the Fence: Site Plan Milestone & What’s Next

On Thursday, February 5, the GSA Board of Trustees reviewed and approved the site development plan framework prepared by McKinney York Architects for submission to the City of Austin as part of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application. The Board's approval allows the school to move forward in the City review process; it does not represent approval of construction budgets, materials, or final building details. 

With this important step complete, we’re looking forward to sharing the plans with our community. GSA families will get a first look at the site plans during the Parent Salon on Wednesday, February 11. After that we’ll share the plans with our neighbors.

We’re encouraging GSA families to attend the neighborhood meeting on Monday, February 23 at 6:00 PM here at the GSA.

This meeting is an important part of our commitment to transparent, ongoing communication with the West Austin Neighborhood Association (WANG) and the broader community as we move through the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) amendment process.

We especially encourage GSA families who live in Tarrytown|78703 zip code to attend as a visible show of engagement and support. Having informed voices from our own community at the neighborhood meeting will help ensure that GSA’s plans and values—thoughtful growth, open dialogue, and being good neighbors—are clearly represented.

We hope you’ll join us as we continue this important conversation.

February 9 - 13

Book Fair at Book People

February 11

Parent Salon

February 16-17

School Holiday

March 2

Student Holiday

March 16-20

Spring Break

March 23

Classes Resume

April 3

School Holiday

April 11

See the Future Spring Gala

April 17

Talent Show

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