May 15, 2020

Getting Back on Track – Virtual Meeting Attendance
We are getting back into the swing of things, with regular meetings with your studio mates and teaching artists! Though we still have to stay physically apart at this time we ARE continuing our program work and want you to do the same. This means we are now starting to take attendance to find out which students are showing up and who we still haven’t heard from. For now, lack of attendance will not be counted against your placement in SAY Sí’s programsHowever, if you are able, we do expect you to be part of our virtual meetings and communicate if there’s a reason you cannot be. Your energy and voice are super important as we begin to make more programming decisions and roll out more SAY Sí goodness.

Regular Virtual Meeting Schedule
Meeting Links Shared on Trello & Through Text Remind

WAM Middle School Studios:
WAM All Studio Meeting – Saturdays at 12 pm

High School Studios: 
All High School Student Meeting – Mondays at 5 pm
ALAS Studio Meeting –  Mondays at 5:30 pm right after All HS Student Meeting
HIVE Studio Meeting –  Mondays at 5:30 pm right after All HS Student Meeting
Media Arts Studio Meeting –  Tuesdays at 5 pm
Visual Arts Studio Meeting –  Thursdays at 5 pm

Creative Care Kit News!
NEW kits will be distributed EVERY OTHER SATURDAY moving forward. 

As we shift our programming online, your Creative Care Kits will be important to how you continue your SAY Sí’s programs while at home. 

YES each care kit has different art supplies and activities.
YES you should pick up a new one every time. 

May Pickup times for ALL PROGRAMS: 

Saturday, May 16th: 9:30 – 11:30 AM & 1 – 3 PM
Saturday, May 30th: 9:30 – 11:30 AM & 1 – 3 PMWe will be determining our ability for home deliveries for those most in need – if you are unable to pick up your kit please contact us.

How to Pick Up Your Kit: 
– For the safety of yourself and others – we are advising all visitors to follow city ordinances by wearing face masks.
– Creative Care Kits can be picked up in the front parking lot of SAY Sí by the handicap/reserved spaces.
– Tables will be marked based on each program, with hand sanitizer available. 
– When you arrive, there will be two pick up options:
Option 1: A SAY Sí staff member will bring your packet to you. Simply have your trunk or back seat open for contactless delivery.
Option 2: An adult may exit the vehicle and pick up their student’s kit. Everyone else should remain in the vehicle. 

 ¡Noticias sobre los Paquetes de Cuidado Creativo!
De ahora en adelante, NUEVOS Paquetes serán distribuidos SÁBADO DE POR MEDIO. 

A medida que vayamos cambiando nuestros programas a enseñanza a distancia, sus Paquetes  de Cuidado Creativo serán el primer paso para reconectar con los programas de SAY Sí. 

Sí cada paquete  de cuidado contiene artículos de arte y actividades diferentes. 
 deben de recoger uno nuevo cada día de entrega. 

Horario de recogida para TODOS LOS PROGRAMAS en mayo: 
Sábado, 16 de mayo: 9:30 – 11:30 AM & 1 – 3 PM
Sábado, 30 de mayo: 9:30 – 11:30 AM & 1 – 3 PM

Estaremos determinando entregas a domicilio para los que tengan más necesidad– si usted no puede recoger su kits por favor comuníquese con nosotros

Cómo Recoger Su Paquete:
– Por su seguridad y la de los demás — estamos asesorando que todos los visitantes sigan las ordenanzas de la ciudad y usen mascarilla.  
– Los Paquetes de Cuidado Creativo pueden ser recogidos en el estacionamiento del frente de SAY Sí cerca de los espacios para discapacitados/ espacios reservados.
– Cuando lleguen, habrá dos opciones de recogida:
Opción 1: Un miembro de SAY Sí le traerá su paquete. Simplemente tenga la cajuela o la puerta trasera de su vehículo abierta para entrega sin contacto. 
Opción 2: Un adulto puede salir de su vehículo y recoger el kit de su estudiante. Todos los demás deben permanecer en el vehículo.  

April 24, 2020

To Our Community, 
We are so excited to announce that we will be providing our students with Creative Care Kits that include colored pencils, water colors and journals. We hope these kits will bring a bit of SAY Sí inspiration at home.

Creative Care Kits:
Starting this Saturday, you can pick up a Creative Care Kit at SAY Sí with art supplies and activities from your teaching artists. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Pickup Days: 
Saturday, April 25, 2020: Middle School 9:30 – 11:30 AM, High School 1 – 3 PM
Monday, April 27, 2020: All Programs 3 – 5 PM

If you are unable to pick up your creative care kit on these days, we will be scheduling additional pickup times. We will be determining our ability for home deliveries for those most in need – if you are unable to pick up your kit please contact us.

How to Pick Up Your Kit: 
– For the safety of yourself and others – we are advising all visitors to follow city ordinances by wearing face masks.
– Creative Care Kits can be picked up in the front parking lot of SAY Sí by the handicap/reserved spaces.
– Tables will be marked based on each program, with hand sanitizer available. When you arrive, there will be two pick up options:
Option 1: A SAY Sí staff member will bring your packet to you. Simply have your trunk or back seat open for contact-less delivery.
Option 2: An adult may exit the vehicle and pick up their student’s kit. Everyone else should remain in the vehicle. 

A Message from SAY Sí’s Artistic & Executive Director
As we all continue to do what’s best for the health and safety of our community, let’s also remember to share hope. “Hope” is something we can all use, and we want to share more of it with our San Antonio community.

Students, we encourage you to create artwork that captures the theme of “Hope” and share it with us on our Trello Board or by sending your work to nicole@saysi.org or stephen@saysi.org. Let’s remind our community why hope is important and how art is a powerful way to share it. 

In Community,
Jon Hinojosa
SAY Sí Artistic & Executive Director

April 17, 2020

To Our Community, This week we were able to do a video chat with some students.We were so happy to check in and hear from you. Students, you can stay up to date with SAY Sí updates, creative challenges and connections with your studios in the SAY Sí Student Trello Board.

Right now we are looking at how we can continue to connect with students and parents during these times of social distancing, and the best way you can help us with that is filling out our quick 4-question survey below. Right now 25% of students and parents have filled this out – we would love to see 50% participation! 

If you’re looking for some inspiration today, our friends Agarita have been sharing their past concerts every Friday, and this week they are featuring their 2019 Muertitos Fest collaboration with our ALAS Youth Theatre Company! The performance is a collaboration of many elements including spoken word, movement, varied music works selected by Agarita, and more. Visit Agarita.org/media to view.Seniors: Check your emails and texts for a doodle for a digital senior meeting. Fill Out SAY Sí COVID-19 Check-In Survey
Resources for You: 
What we’ve learned from the check-in survey so far is that the issues most on the minds of our SAY Sí family are: Mental Health and Education. We’ve compiled a list of resources below specific to these areas. Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor

Local Mental Health Resources:
– Local Mental Health Resource Guide PDF
– Organization – Clarity Child Guidance Center
– Organization – JOVEN
– 1 In 5 Minds – Resource Website
Mental Health at Home – Practices & Activities
– Make a Schedule/Routine for Yourself
– What is Meditation? Learn about it Here
Why is Meditation Good For You? See Meditation Benefits and Stories
– A Guide to Eating Healthy
– Sleep tips during isolation: Supporting the body clock
– 9 Practices To Help Maintain Mental Health During The Coronavirus Lockdown
– 8 Breathing Exercises for Anxiety
– Video – Calm Breath Bubble Breathing Exercise
District Specific Websites/Info:
– SAISD
– NEISD
– NISD
– NISD device request
– HISD
Digital Devices & Wifi
– Charter Communications Free k-12/college student wifi
– Spectrum Free Wifi Hotspots
– VIA Digital Access Location Map 
– VIA Digital Access Info
Working at Home
– Video – How to Combat Distractions While You Work From Home

A Note from SAY Sí: There are things that you can control and things that you cannot. Try not to stress about those things out of your control. Don’t forget to breathe, and focus on the things in your life that bring you joy and positivity, like art!

April 10, 2020

To OUR Community, 

SAY Sí says HI! We love and miss you, but we are grateful for moments when we can connect like this. We encourage you to be creative during these difficult times and share your work on social media (tag us) or on the SAY Sí student Trello Board.

Have you taken our quick 4-question survey yet? If you haven’t, click on the button below to fill it out.Your responses will give us information about ways that we can help and connect before we are able to reopen. 

What we’ve learned from your responses so far is that the issues most on the minds of our SAY Sí family are: Employment/Income, Education, Mental Health, and Physical Health. 

For students participating in the Trello Board, we have posted resources related to these concerns there and will continue to share more by email and social media in the coming weeks. If you have any resources or tips you would like to share on these topics, please let us know! We want our community to stay informed and safe. 

If you are an 8th grader or mentor, please check your inbox for more emails from SAY Sí. We have some additional details for you related to your program. 
Fill Out SAY Sí COVID-19 Check-In Survey

April 3, 2020

SAY Sí Students & Parents, 

Things may be different with SAY Sí and in other areas of your life, but we want you to know that your community still loves and cares for you deeply. We think about you every day. 

We are taking this one day at a time, and are committed to reopening as soon as we can. 

If you haven’t done so yet, please fill out our Check-In Survey below. Your responses will give us information about how you’re doing and helps us identify anything we (and our funders) can do to help during this period of transition. This will also help guide us as we consider the next steps about how to engage with students.

If you are in need of immediate community resources, check out this COVID-19 Resource Page from our friends at SA2020. We have also listed at-home creative projects and activities in our “Creative Care Package” Google Doc.

CLICK HERE FOR FORM

For SAY Sí Students – Keep Creating!
Remember, making art is a great way to de-stress and decompress. If you’re going through a hard time right now, try journaling or sketching your feelings out. If you’re not up for it, try checking out artworks from other artists around the world. Times are tough, but art can help.

If you’re making stuff, be sure to share it on our Trello Board, where you can stay connected with your fellow studio mates and teaching artists. 

March 26, 2020

SAY Sí Students & Parents, 

All of us at SAY Sí wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that we are thinking of each of you.

While school district closures and gathering restrictions look like they will continue well into April, we look forward to reopening when circumstances allow. 

For now, you can still check out at-home creative projects and resources in this Google Doc or our “Creative Care Package” Trello Board

At this time, we are thinking about different ways to connect with you. To guide our work moving forward (as well as let our funders know how they can help), we need your voice and answers. How are you? What are some things that are on your mind right now? Can you spend a little time filling out the form below to share a little bit about where you are and how we and our partners can be there for you?

CLICK HERE FOR FORM

March 25, 2020

To Our Community, 

For the first time in our 26-year history, we have had to close our doors to our students, staff and community. Our everyday may look different than it did a few weeks ago, but we are committed to staying true to our mission.

How Are We Being Impacted by COVID-19? 

  • With SAY Sí closed, approximately 200 students that we serve from all over our city will not have access to their community of support.
  • Our community-based partnerships that serve 3,000 youth annually are also on pause, leaving 9 part-time teaching artists without work. Our 10 long-term teaching artists are also not working. While we have committed to pay our staff as long as we can, we do not have the funds to support prolonged closure with pay.
  • The most catastrophic impact of COVID-19 will be in our fundraising efforts. With the postponement of fundraising events and uncertain timelines for upcoming SAY Sí exhibitions, membership socials, and our largest annual fundraiser, we may face losses well over $100,000. We also anticipate a negative impact on our recently launched Capital Campaign and general donations for our organization.

If you are in a place where you can support, we encourage you to do so. Every dollar donated to SAY Sí right now will ensure that after this is all over, we can continue to employ our staff, maintain healthy operations and serve our community. Give or share at https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/say-si

March 17, 2020

To Our Community, 

With school district closures being extended, SAY Sí is now closed until further notice. We will continue to keep track of updates from our local school districts and follow guidelines set out by local government, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.  

We look forward to reopening to students as circumstances allow. 

Community Resources: 

Until we reopen, we remain dedicated to our core values of community and equity and would like to share resources available to you during this difficult time.

Let’s Stay Connected!: 

We know how important staying connected is to our community. Below is a list of ways we are staying connected:

  • saysi.org
  • Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
  • The Text Remind App
  • For all: Check out at-home creative projects and resources in this Google Doc 
  • For SAY Sí students only: Your teaching artists have created a new “Creative Care Package” Trello Board so y’all can check-in, connect and even work on projects together. 

March 13, 2020

To our community,

Following closure announcements made by local school districts, we are following suit and will be closed for all student programs until further notice.  

We will continue to follow precautions and practices laid out by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Districtthe Center for Disease Control (CDC), and local educational institutions.

You can find the most up-to-date information about SAY Sí programs in regard to COVID-19 on our website at http://saysi.org/news/say-si-covid-19-updates/

March 12, 2020

The health, safety, and security of our community are our highest priority. 

As with any other major event, we will be following the lead of our local school districts when making decisions about SAY Sí programs. This means that if school districts remain open, SAY Sí will also be open. Currently, no SAY Sí student events or programs have been canceled.

We are continuing to follow precautions suggested by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Districtthe Center for Disease Control (CDC), and local educational institutions.

Any members of our community should stay home if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms. Students and families need not worry about studio-hour requirements for the time being. 

Updates will continue to be posted on our website and will be sent via email or, for students/parents, using the text Remind system. 

We encourage everyone to combat the spread of the coronavirus by making informed decisions about your daily practices, as suggested by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the City of San Antonio

March 6, 2020

As news of the coronavirus hits closer to home, we want you to know that the health and safety of SAY Sí youth is a top priority. 

As with any other major event, we will be monitoring local school/business closures when making decisions about SAY Sí programming. 

Any updates will be posted on our website and will be sent via email or using the text Remind system.

We encourage everyone, especially those who are elderly or immunosuppressed, to read more about the coronavirus and make informed decisions about your daily practices. 

Please review these recommendations to help keep your community safe: 

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • Stay home when you are sick.

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