Kiker Comments: November 15, 2022

November

15 - Final Call for Art Fundraiser Orders

16 - Bailey Middle School PTA Speaker Event--Re: Fentanyl

17 - Cafe Menu - Thanksgiving meal

17 - Third Grade Musical at 6:30 pm

18 - Deadline for HSR Opt In Permission Form (Permission Forms Below)

18 - Flu Clinic 3:00-4:00; See Below

21 - 25 Thanksgiving Break - No school!

28 - DEI Committee Meeting at 6:00 in Library

December

5- CAC

8 - Kiker Gives Back

21 - Last Day for Students; End of 2nd Nine Week Grading Period

January

9 - Staff Development, Student Holiday

10 - First Day Back for Students After Break

Please help our students and teachers start the day off right by arriving on time for school. We are seeing a large trend in students arriving late, and it interrupts the flow of our morning instruction. Our teachers greatly appreciate your effort to arrive by 7:35, so students are in their classrooms by 7:40.

It's not too late!

Hello, Kiker Families!

The due date for the Original Works orders is approaching quickly! Final orders are due on:

Tuesday - November 15th - Midnight

The late order window is 11/16-12/2.

Orders placed during this time will arrive after the Winter Break.

The Original Works Program is designed to celebrate your child's creativity, support the Kiker Art Department and offer personalized gifts and keepsakes featuring your child's artwork.

If you still need to place your order, now is the time to do so! Follow the instructions provided on the brochure that was recently sent home.

If you have lost your form, Ms. Swint can help you!

We hope you'll be able to take advantage of this unique program. For questions or additional information, please contact:

danielle.swint@austinisd.org

Thank you for supporting our fundraiser

with Original Works!

The Bailey Middle School PTA has extended the invitation to their guest speaker event to all schools in the area.

What you need to know about the Fentanyl crisis and how to protect those you love will be held at BMS on November 16 at 6:00 pm.

With many Austin ISD students living in food-insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed. Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for the fall break November 21-25:

• Central Texas Food Bank

• United Way for Greater Austin - ConnectATX

• Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

There has been an abundance of Strep and Flu running through Austin ISD. If your child says that they aren’t feeling well, be sure to take their temperature before sending them to school.

Also be aware that the policy for AISD is that a child must be fever free for 24 hours without a fever reducing medication before sending them back to school.

However, many doctors are currently recommending that they be fever free for 48 hours in order to be sure that students are no longer contagious.

Please help us keep our Kiker kids healthy and well by adhering to the recommendations.

Sincerely,

Your School Murse,

LTC Tarren Kingsley, RN

A group of parents, caregivers, and staff are in the process of forming a Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Kiker. All are welcome to join! The first meeting was held on Oct. 24 at 6 pm in the Kiker library. Our next meeting will be on Monday, November 28. If you'd like more information or want to be involved, please email Kristin Finan at kristinfinan@yahoo.com.

Every two years Kiker hosts International Night, a proud celebration of all of the nationalities, countries and cultures represented in our Kiker family. The event will start with an assembly with special greetings and a parade of nations, and culminates with a big night of food, entertainment, and a tour of nations. International Night is so very special because our community comes together to make it happen.We are working towards forming a committee and we need 10-12 people onboard to help us make it a successful night! If you are interested or need more info please fill out the form below with your name and email and we will contact you. For more questions please reach out to Prerna Kedia @ prernakedia17@gmail.com - Thank you !

https://forms.gle/unaH5zyiAAgEw7MD7

Dr. Mays, our Interim Superintendent, is challenging our school community to read one million minutes this school year. The reading challenge is open now and runs through April 30, 2023, across all AISD campuses. Students will log their minutes read on this Google form, so you might want to bookmark it or record by going to the Library Blend Course and clicking on the Million Minutes icon.

For ease, you may want to record in the form once a week by adding up your child's minutes read at home on a weekly basis. All reading counts!

Interested in how we're doing compared to other schools? Check us out HERE.

Good luck, Kiker Readers! Let's show this city how much we read over at Kiker.

Kiker Elementary will be hosting a Staff & Student Fall Flu Clinic on Friday, November 18, 3:00pm - 4:00pm. All Austin ISD staff and students with insurance can receive a Flu shot at the Fall Flu Clinic at no cost. The cost for flu shots is $40 without insurance.

Appointments will be taken from 3:30pm - 4:00 pm, walk-ins will be accepted whenever possible. Sign up for your flu shot by clicking here: FLU SHOT REGISTRATION

If you are unable to attend Kiker's Flu Clinic, please help us fight the Flu and get your Flu shot with one of these local resources found here: https://www.austinisd.org/student-health/flu-clinics

Flu Clinic Reminders:

• Please double check the reminder email you receive the day prior to our event for your exact arrival time for your appointment.

• (Some appointments may vary by a few minutes to aid in social distancing).

• Please bring your insurance card and photo ID

• Remember to wear a short sleeve shirt

• Please come at your allotted time to help with social distancing

• Please wear a mask or face covering for your entire visit.

• We will conduct a touchless-thermometer temperature check prior to vaccine administration

• You must have a temp of 100.4 or less at the time of service

Contact health@austinisd.org for any questions

We have created the comprehensive document below to outline everything you might want to know. Please take some time to review this and complete one form per child. All lessons are 'opt-in' so anyone who doesn't complete a form will be considered an 'opt-out.' However, it would greatly help our record keeping if you would fill out the form either way so we have a documented record of your request.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED/WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HUMAN SEXUALITY AND RESPONSIBILITY LESSONS

Shortcut to forms: HSR Permission Forms are due November 18!

Kiker HSR Permission Form-Kindergarten

Kiker HSR Permission Form-1st Grade

Kiker HSR Permission Form-2nd Grade

Kiker HSR Permission Form-3rd Grade

Kiker HSR Permission Form-4th Grade

Kiker HSR Permission Form-5th Grade

This year Gorzycki Middle School is trying a virtual meet up on Google Meet in hopes to be more accessible to more caregivers. This meet-up is coming soon, Wednesday, November 30, 6-7pm! The link is on both the pdf and digital flyer.

Please limit attendance to current 5th grade families only.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFMr8V9fA0/EX6zNmcLaaHF1Fu6IQbsbw/view?utm_content=DAFMr8V9fA0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

If your student is applying to a middle school using the common app, here are the directions. Students do NOT need to complete the common app if you are in the Kiker attendance zone and plan to attend Gorzycki Middle School. As a neighborhood school, students do not need to apply. If you are attending Kiker on a transfer, you will need to apply for a new transfer for middle school if you hope to attend Gorzycki.

The Allison Elementary Wish Drive is here! This year we're thrilled to be fulfilling holiday wishes for students at our sister school & their families! Gifts may be brought to Kiker Gives Back or turned in to the Allison donation bin (located outside the front doors near intercom) by December 12th. Please see the sign-up for additional details. Allison's families are so appreciative of this much-needed support during the holidays!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E054BAAA92AAAF85-allison

Kiker PTA thanks our November Coffee Lounge sponsor, Babysitting Connection. Owned by Kiker Mom Beth Heyer, Babysitting Connection has sitters across the state from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio & Houston. Each sitter is interviewed, background and driving record checked, CPR Certified, and 18+ with a valid driver's license. Simply select the membership package that works best for you, select the day and time that you need care, and pick the best sitter for your family. To their many Kiker members, Babysitting Connection offers a thank you for the continued support! If you are ready to join, use code TENOFF to save $10 off your first month of membership. www.babysittingconnection.com

Austin ISD special education department will conduct monthly power hour meetings for parents and community members.

Next Parent Power Hour will be Nov 30, 2022 via Zoom

This month’s topics include: Organizational Strategies; Executive Functioning

Please see attached flier in both English and Spanish for information on the November Parent Power Hour.

In the event that your child will be missing school, please follow these steps:

1) Email both your child's teacher and Ms. Amy McGovern, our registrar. Amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org

2) Please include your child's first and last name

3) Please provide the reason for the absence so we can code it correctly in our attendance system.

In Austin ISD, staff can be recognized with a RAVE award - Recognizing All Valuable Employees. Anyone can submit a RAVE award to any staff member, just use the link at the bottom of this S'more to send a positive note to a staff member.

This week we receive a RAVE for:

Cathy Garcia

Raven Jeffrey

Ashely Cross

Pooja Mulgaonker

Mary Elizabeth Hunt

November

25 - Candance Cotten

25 - Suzanne Hoelzel

25 - Danielle Swint

This year we are encouraging 4th and 5th grade students to sign up for safety patrol for a two week block of time during the school year. Thank you for being a campus leader!

Students will drop backpack off in the front foyer/vestibule, sign in, grab a vest, and head out front. We need help waving cars to the front of the line, opening doors, and welcoming each child with a warm greeting or sending students off at the end of the day.

SIgn Up Genius Link

How To Video - This is the Training Video for Safety Patrol

Cory Matheny - Principal

Alma Chapa Moore - Assistant Principal

Kelly Zilem - Assistant Principal

Email: cory.matheny@austinisd.org
Website: https://kikerelementary.org/
Location: 5913 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2584
Facebook: facebook.com/CMathenyPrincipal
Twitter: @KikerComets