Dec. 6 (Mon) — Christmas card design contest winners honored
8:30 a.m. at Lamar Elementary School, 201 Parland Place
Representatives from the school’s neighbor, O’Connell Robertson architectural engineers, will present two 5th-graders with $25 gift certificates for being selected to design the firm’s Christmas cards. The students also will receive a 25-pack of their cards to share with family and friends, while the school will get 50.

Dec. 6 (Mon) — Textbook awareness session
5 to 7 p.m. at the Burnet Center, 406 Barrera St.
Patrons are invited to review and provide input on the proposed elementary-level books that students will be using in their classrooms next school year. A session for secondary books will be held later this month.

Dec. 7 (Tues) — Holiday Dance Extravaganza
7 p.m. at Burbank High School, 1002 Edwards St.
The talents of dance teams Districtwide will be showcased.

Dec. 8 (Wed) — The Judge Andy Mireles Law Magnet Center dedication
5:30 p.m. at Fox Tech High School, 637 N. Main Ave.
The center for the school’s Law Professions Magnet program is being named in honor of the Honorable Andy Mireles, who was the Bexar County 73rd District Court Judge at the time of his death in December 2009. Mireles previously served as the SAISD District 6 Trustee between 1984 and 1989.

Dec. 9 (Thurs) — Radio Disney performance
1:30 p.m. at Neal Elementary School, 3407 Capitol Ave.
Neal is one of four SAISD elementaries earning special presentations from the popular radio network Radio Disney AM 1160 based upon the high number of parents who turned in CHIP/Medicaid applications as part of the District’s 100 Percent Campaign.

Dec. 10 (Fri) — Annual  La Tamalada 
8:45 to 10 a.m. at De Zavala Elementary School, 2311 San Luis St.
Each year the making and eating of tamales provides bilingual program kinder through 5th-graders and their parents a tasty culmination to lessons on how mathematics and science are important in cooking. Corn husks will be filled with masa and meat that morning for cooking, and the finished product enjoyed that afternoon.  

Dec. 10 (Fri) — Travis showcase 
8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Travis Early College High School, 1915 N. Main Ave.
Representatives from other early college high schools, and Texas High Schools Project leaders will tour the campus to learn about its offerings. In partnership with San Antonio College, Travis provides students an opportunity to earn an associates’ degree and/or up to 60 hours college credit toward a bachelor’s degree upon high school graduation.

Dec. 10 (Fri) — WinterFest 
6 p.m. at Margil Elementary School, 1000 Perez St.
The pre-kinder and kinder choir will perform holiday classics.

Dec. 11 (Sat) — Ninth annual ‘Visit with Santa’
9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the SAISD Police Department, 1702 N. Alamo St.
Again this year St. Nick will make an early Alamo City appearance especially for approximately 300 pre-selected SAISD 3- to 9-year-olds. Youngsters will arrive throughout the day to meet and be photographed with the jolly old elf, receive gifts and enjoy refreshments. The majority of Santa’s stash for his annual special guest appearance was provided by toy drives at the District’s middle and high school campuses facilitated by event sponsor, the SAISD Police Department.

Dec.11 (Sat) — The Met: HD Live in Schools program
11:30 a.m. at the Regal Fiesta 16 Stadium Theatre, 12631 Vance Jackson Ave.
Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlos” will be the first of four live opera broadcasts that select District middle school choir students and their directors will see through April. Performed in five acts, this grand opera is based upon on the conflicts that Carlos - a 16th-century prince of Asturias - experienced when his fiancé Elisabeth of Valois instead marries his father Philip II of Spain as part of the peace treaty to end the Italian War. For the third consecutive year SAISD has been chosen among school districts nationwide for the Met program providing opportunities to experience New York’s Metropolitan Opera performances beamed directly from the Lincoln Center. Participation is part of a comprehensive fine arts lesson including vocals, music, history, set design, costuming and theater.

Ongoing thru Jan. 3 — SAISD taking applications for Bond Citizens Oversight Committee
Anyone interested in serving on this 24-member committee being formed to ensure the effective and efficient use of bond proceeds may apply online at www.saisd.net, or weekdays during regular business hours at the Governmental & Community Relations Department, 141 Lavaca St.,78210. Completed applications are due by Monday, Jan. 3, and may be e-mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mailed or delivered to that department. The School Board voted to form this committee after voters approved the $515 million SAISD Bond 2010 to fund improvements at schools Districtwide.