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Letter from the Principal

Another school year is upon us. For me, this will be year 22 as principal of Clifton and year 37 with Austin ISD. Time sure does pass quickly. School year 2024-2025 brings quite a few changes to Clifton, with even more changes right around the corner.

This fall, we have expanded our Culinary Arts program to include a second teacher. This expansion allows us to serve more students and provide additional opportunities in the culinary field. We are excited to welcome two experienced teachers into our program: Morgan Farque and Stacey Pomerantz.

As our returning students and families know, Clifton discontinued some of our programs at the end of last year due to low student interest. While this was a difficult decision, we are looking forward to adding new programs in the future. We are very excited to hear the conversations taking place in our Campus Architectural Team (CAT) meetings related to the 2022 Bond. CAT conversations have focused on reimagining our Culinary facilities, adding additional workshop space that could be used by an HVAC program, and designing a Cosmetology lab. Although plans are subject to change, construction is currently scheduled to run between January 2025 and January 2026.

While programs may shift, our focus remains constant: preparing students for college, career, and life beyond high school. We will continue our hands-on approach to learning, incorporating internships and other work-based learning opportunities. Research shows that one of the highest indicators of being employed after high school is having work experiences while still in school.

We are so excited to be part of your student's journey. Please reach out if you have any questions about our current or upcoming programming.

In partnership,

Tony Dishner

Principal

First Week Information

CLIFTON CLASSES START WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21:

Although AISD classes start on Tuesday, Clifton's first day will be Wednesday. This gives students a chance to review their schedules and ask questions about transportation.

SCHEDULES:

All students attend Clifton for a double block (two periods). We follow the high school A/B calendar. Our Assistant Principal, Ms. Edson, has been working with counselors across the high schools to help ensure students are scheduled accurately. If you have scheduling-specific questions, please contact her at sachi.edson@austinisd.org

Reality is sometimes different from expectations. We try to find good-fit programs for all students, but if your student thinks their Clifton program is not right for them, please encourage them to speak with their teacher or Ms. Edson to help answer questions or help talk through options.

TRANSPORTATION:

Clifton schedules buses to/from all high school campuses. They are set up so that students do NOT need to get to school early or leave late in order to participate in Clifton programming.

• Morning Students: Students scheduled in 1st/2nd or 5th/6th periods will catch the bus from their home campus around 9:10am to come to Clifton. These students will be picked up from Clifton at 12:15pm to return to their home campus for lunch.
• Afternoon Students: Students scheduled in 3rd/4th or 7th/8th periods are scheduled to arrive at Clifton around 12:45pm (buses leave campuses at different times depending on distance). These students will leave Clifton at 3:45pm to return to their home campus before the end of the day.

At Clifton, we greet students at the door and help them find their classes. When students leave our campus, we check them off to ensure everyone is getting on the correct bus.

Clifton cannot tell you where the bus picks up at the home campus. Since every school is different, that is a question for your home campus staff. If there is an issue with a Clifton route, it's helpful for us to know so we can troubleshoot long term, but the fastest way to get a response in the moment (e.g., if your student is waiting for the bus and doesn't know if it already left) is to call the bus barn directly:

• Nelson Bus Terminal (Northeast): 512.414.6520
• Saegert Bus Terminal (Southwest): 512.414.6500
• Southeast Bus Terminal: 512.414.8510

MEALS:

Morning students who access breakfast at school should grab breakfast BEFORE getting on the Clifton bus. These students will eat lunch after returning to their home campuses at midday.

Afternoon students who access lunch at school should grab lunch BEFORE getting on the Clifton bus (they are welcome to eat at Clifton). This may mean leaving their 2nd or 6th period class early to meet the bus on time. Students should ask their home campus administrator and/or counselors for information about this process.