SAISD SPOTLIGHT: Brackenridge High School Paella team heading to New York City

For Brackenridge High School culinary arts instructor Rafael Gonzalez, it’s become an annual tradition. For five of his Eagle culinary arts students, it will be their first time.

“It” is a prize trip to New York City the week after graduation for taking one of the top two spots at the local Paella Challenge. The annual springtime competition is hosted by Chef Johnny Hernandez. This is the third time in four years Gonzalez will be making the New York trip. The Brackenridge students that are going, Iszabella Cantu, Melissa Carreon, Xavier De La Garza, Haylie Riojas and Emmanuel Valdez, have been cooking together for years. Starting with learning the basics like knife skills, food safety and hygiene, to recipe development and competition plating.

While in New York, they will spend two days in the Culinary Institute of America and two days touring other locations connected to food and education. The group is still raising funds for the second part of their trip. On Saturday, May 24 the crew will be at Folklores Coffee at 106 Michigan Ave. selling Philly Cheesesteak plates for $15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Calendar items

May 16 (Fri) – Cotton Academy celebrates 100 years
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Cotton Academy, 1616 Blanco Road, 78212
Cotton Academy invites the community to come celebrate 100 years of learning on campus. Cotton alumni will be highlighted throughout the event.  A Dragon hunt, student presentations, choir performances, plus food and games makes this a fun event for all.

May 16 (Fri) – Woodlawn Academy celebrates 100 years
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Woodlawn Academy, 1717 W. Magnolia Ave., 78201
The community is invited to join in the celebration of 100 years at Woodlawn Academy. There will be performances and a student work gallery plus music, food and fun for all!

May 17 (Sat) – 2025 SAISD Mariachi Showcase
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., UTSA Main Campus Recital Hall, 1 UTSA Circle, 78249
The SAISD Mariachi Showcase is an annual event that showcases all district mariachi programs. The event is free and open to the public. All SAISD mariachi programs will be performing. Middle school performances begin at 9 a.m. and high school performances begin at 1 p.m.

May 17 (Sat) – Trinity Community Investment with SAISD Graduates First Cohort
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Laurie Auditorium, 1 Trinity Place, 78212
Trinity University, in partnership with SAISD, will graduate its first cohort of students under the Trinity Community Investment (TCI) program. The bold initiative that launched in 2020 is now a milestone moment for seven remarkable SAISD alumni who will cross the graduation stage at Trinity University. The momentum of the Trinity/SAISD partnership continues to grow. It now enrolls nearly 20 TCI students each year, when historically, it enrolled between 0-2 students per year from the school district. Beginning next fall, more than 70 total SAISD alumni will be fully integrated into the Trinity community as students.

May 19 (Mon) – Maverick Elementary Senior Walk
2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Maverick Elementary, 107 Raleigh Place, 78201
The Senior Walk event offers a powerful and inspiring experience for young elementary students. Seeing former Maverick students returning in their caps and gowns provides the current Dragon students with a tangible example of perseverance, goal setting and success. It helps students visualize their future and reinforces the importance of education. The opportunity to hear directly from these soon-to-be-graduates further motivates elementary students to stay focused on their learning journey and dream big about their own futures.

May 21 (Wed) – St. Philip’s Early College High School juniors awarded direct admission to UTSA
11 a.m. to noon, St. Philip’s Early College High School, 1801 Martin Luther King Drive, 78203
The top 25% in the St. Philip’s Early College High School Class of 2026 will be rewarded for their hard work with direct admission to UTSA. Through a unique direct admissions program facilitated by UP Partnership, these students will join 95 SAISD students who are enrolled in the UTSA-SAISD program’s first cohort. The program provides high-achieving SAISD students ranked in the top 25% of their graduating class with guaranteed admission to UTSA before they reach their senior year of high school.

May 21 (Wed) – Irving Dual Language Academy Bond 2020 Ribbon Cutting
4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Irving Dual Language Academy, 1300 Delgado St., 78207
The community is invited to a Bond 2020 ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of new campus upgrades at Irving Dual Language Academy. From a brand-new gymnasium and weight room to upgraded locker rooms, athletic facilities, and a refreshed secondary gym, these enhancements are transforming the student experience at Irving Dual Language Academy. After the ceremony, guests are welcome to take a tour of the new spaces.

May 22 (Thurs) – IDRA Vision Coders End of Year Showcase
9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., St. Mary’s University, 1 Camino Santa Maria, 78228
The Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) VisionCoders will hold their End-of-Year Showcase. In their “gallery walk,” about 100 Vision Coders students will present coding projects they created throughout the school year. St. Mary’s will lead STEM tours for students and their families, including an admissions/college prep workshop in the afternoon. In addition to students from SAISD’s Hot Wells Academy and Crockett Academy, there are students from Edgewood, Harlandale, and South San Antonio ISDs participating.