Clifton Community Newsletter

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Clifton Career Development School! We are excited to see our returning students and to welcome a new group of students to Clifton.

This is year 21 as principal of Clifton, and I'm so happy to be part of your student's journey toward post-secondary success. At Clifton, we focus on hands-on learning, employability skills, and individualized transition planning. Our goal is to make sure that every student has a plan for after the yellow school bus stops coming to the house.

One of the highest indicators of being employed after high school is having work experience while still in school. Part-time jobs, internships, and other work-based learning help students get a better sense of strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. It also allows us to help students overcome barriers before they leave us.

We're excited to partner with you this year to support our students. Please reach out with any questions.

Tony Dishner

Principal

Email: sachi.edson@austinisd.org
Website: https://cliftoncds.austinschools.org/
Location: 1519 Coronado Hills Drive, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: (512) 414-3614
Facebook: facebook.com/CliftonCDSAustin
Twitter: @cliftoncds

If you are receiving this email, it means that your high school student is scheduled (or expected to be scheduled) into a Clifton course this year. If you are unsure what that means, have questions, or want to learn more about your specific student's schedule and program, feel free to reach out to us (see contact information above).

CLASSES START MONDAY, AUGUST 14:

Clifton classes start on Monday, just like other classes across Austin ISD. We understand that students are still receiving their schedules and trying to navigate the building, so we may not see all students on the first day, but we're here for them.

SCHEDULES:

All students attend Clifton for a double block (two periods). We follow the high school A/B calendar, which is linked below.

Not all schedules are finalized on home campuses. Your student's section may change as counselors work to fit in core credits and other graduation requirements. If you have Clifton-specific scheduling questions, please contact our Assistant Principal, Sachi Edson (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 other program 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. They will leave 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 (i.e., 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