February 16, 2025
Dear Austin High Community,
As we wrap up another week and prepare for a new one, I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting highlights from our students and school events.
Important Reminder: Due to the student holiday, school will be closed tomorrow, Monday, 2/17/2025. I hope everyone has a chance to rest and recharge.
Congratulations to our Students!
Patrick Gentile, Matt Green, and Paige Solka made it to the final round of the state UIL Film competition with their documentary, "The Legacy of The Paramount Theater." The final screening will be held at UT on February 27, and we wish them all the best!
Austin High Maroon Choir Achievements:
On Saturday, February 8th, our students shone brightly at the Region 18 UIL Solo & Ensemble competition at Hays HS. All eight soloists received "Superior" ratings, and our Madrigal Ensemble also earned a "Superior" rating. Please join me in congratulating:
Antonella Alfonzo Silva
Jacob Baird
Zoe Baird
Audrey Byrwa
Autumn Eaves Marin
Haley Leugers
Juno McQueen
Lola Romero
Levi Tostado
Lady Maroons Basketball:
Despite a tough loss to Vista Ridge Rangers this past Monday, we are incredibly proud of our Lady Maroons for giving it their all. We appreciate their dedication and sportsmanship!
PTSA Appreciation:
The Austin High PTSA celebrated our staff's hard work at their 50th annual Valentine's Breakfast. A huge "thank you" to all the volunteers who made this event possible and to everyone who attended to show your appreciation for our staff. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our community. Your kindness and encouragement make a significant impact on our students and staff.
Thank you for being an integral part of the Austin High community!
Loyal Forever!
Dr. Bedford
February 2, 2025
Dear Austin High School Family,
I hope this message finds you all well and energized for another successful week ahead! I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work our students have been doing; their commitment truly does not go unnoticed.
We had the honor of celebrating our National Honor Society Ceremony last week, and I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the newly inducted members. We are incredibly proud of you and your families!
A special shout-out goes to our AHS Varsity Cheer Team for their outstanding performance at the UIL Spirit State Championship in Fort Worth last Saturday! They represented Austin High with Great Spirit, showcasing their skills in crowd leading, fight songs, and band chants. Way to go, Maroons!
Congratulations to all our Austin High Orchestra musicians on their fantastic performances at UIL Solo & Ensemble! Their hard work and dedication have paid off; we are very proud of you. Here's how our students performed:
46 musicians achieved Superior Ratings
30 musicians achieved Excellent Ratings
A special shoutout to the 16-student advancing to the State Level:
Violin: Syon Bhatt, Merjon Cimrin, Jade Garcia, Olivia Horn, Edward Lee
Viola: Eli Celestino, Alex Dettmer, Noah Facundo, Donovan Fox, Isaac Guajardo, Miles Leifeste, Graceson Lobb
Cello: Gabriel Guajardo, Gideon Head, Kate Nguyen, Kendra Tseng
Once again, congratulations to All, and Best of wishes to those headed to State!
The Austin Symphony had two performances at Austin High on Friday, January 31st, in their Beyond the Notes Concert Series. The Austin High Students were a magnificent audience, and our 11 students representing Austin High on the side-by-side performance were fantastic.
Aidan Herrera-Flute
Gwyn Shackelford -Bassoon
Sebastian Blanco-Bb Clarinet
Elizabeth Herrera, Cello
Eliud Bozos-French Horn
Everson Smith, Percussion
Jack Hebert-Trumpet
Stella Smits, Violin
Edward Lee, Violin
Noah Facundo, Viola
Isaac Guajardo, Viola
Congratulations on a job well done!
We also have some fantastic news to share about our Visual Arts Students. Congratulations to the following recipients of the 2025 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards:
Gold Key Winners:
Lucy Cotera; "Break the Cycle"
Kayla Goyette; "Rebirth: Viewing Loss as Life"
Sora Jenkins; "What Remains Will Grow"
Honorable Mentions:
Lucy Cotera; "Play Dead"
Kayla Goyette; "Dog Tooth"
Dory McClaren; "Birds"
Maya Neale; "Judith"
From Teacher Wallach:
Gold Key: Keira Bertelsen; "Remember," Luci Wolfschlag; "With Them I Wander"
Silver Key: Keira Bertelsen; "Simplified Insanity," Josie Wilson; "Cat Nap"
Honorable Mentions: Annabel Endresen; "Let Down," Morgan Taylor; "Killers of the Flower Moon"
And let's not forget to congratulate our Business Professionals of America (BPA) students who competed at the Regional Conference at Pflugerville Weiss High School. They worked tremendously hard and brought home several awards, including:
First Place: Financial Analyst - Carter Cochran, Miles Nguyen, Huey Choo, and Evan Gonin
Second Place: Financial Analyst - Coco Alan, Connor Tanski; Integrated Office - Miles Nguyen
Third Place: Financial Analyst - William Gray, Max Koransky, James Yates
Fourth Place: Intermediate Word - William Gray
Our AHS Choir has also shown remarkable talent! A special congratulations to:
Junior Ellie Butterworth (9th Chair Soprano 1)
Freshman Zoe Baird (7th Chair Soprano 2, first alternate to the TMEA All-State Treble Choir)
Junior Jacob Baird (1st Chair Tenor 2, representing AHS in the TMEA All-State Mixed Choir)
This is the fourth consecutive year Austin High has been represented in a TMEA All-State choral ensemble—what an incredible accomplishment!
Lastly, let’s give a round of applause to our Model UN team for their achievements in San Antonio. Competing against over 1000 delegates, they brought home several awards, including:
Jojo Burns – Best Delegate
Sam Dominguez – Best Delegate
Maksim Eckhart – Honorable Delegate
Madeleine Griebel & Jackson McKay – Distinguished Delegates
Moses Sternberg – Best Delegate
Joaquin Torres – Honorable Delegate
Your preparation and professionalism shone brightly, and we are proud to have you represent our school.
Let’s keep the momentum going, Maroons! Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Have a wonderful week ahead!
