Kiker Comments September 28, 2021

• Upcoming Events
• Attendance Notes
• Picture Day
• AISD Events
• PTA News: Membership, Volunteers, APEX Fun Run, Reflections, Spooky Game Night
• Announcements
• Library Update
• Around the Community: Hunter 5K
• 5th Grade Family News
• October Staff Birthdays
  
• Get to Know the Staff
• Repeated Information (from previous newsletters)
• Library Book of the Month
• Quarantine and Ill Person Requirements for Return
• After School Programs
• All the Links to Everything You Need

October

4 - CAC Meeting

11 - Parent / Teacher Conference Day

12 - APEX Fun Run Student Kick Off

13 - Picture Day - Virtual students will be contacted to come too

14 - Fun Run Day - all classes during Essential Areas

16 - PTA Fall Clean Up Day

18 - PTA Exec Board Meeting

20 - 5th Grade Middle School Visit via Zoom

22 - Deadline for PTA Reflections Art Program

28 - Read for the Record

29 - PTA Spooky Game Night

Please send all attendance notes to the front office or email to amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org.

Austin ISD will celebrate the National Hispanic Heritage Month with the 2021 Virtual Talent

Show “Proud to be Hispanic”. Please inform your teachers, staff and families about this

opportunity! Students can submit their videos or pictures. More than $2,000 in prizes will be

awarded in a virtual ceremony on October 27.

This virtual talent show allows our students to participate safely from home and with the

support of their family. Fine Arts teachers are great motivators to encourage students to

participate. Teachers and staff can also participate as honorary guests.

What: 2021 Virtual Talent Show “Proud to be Hispanic”

Categories: Singing, Music, Dancing and Art (drawing or painting) Pictures and videos with

the highest number of positive reactions in each category will win desktop computers and gift cards!

When: Submission period from September 15 to October 15 via bit.ly/TalentoAISD21

Where: Accepted submissions will be posted on facebook.com/EducaAustin

AND THE WINNING POP CLASSES ARE…

1. Ms. Bredl (Kindergarten)

2. Ms. Hunt (2nd grade)

3. Ms. Markwalter (Pre-K)

4. (TIE) Ms. Toman (1st grade) and Ms. Raymond (1st grade)

For having the highest percent of the class “part of PTA,” these classes win their choice of water balloon games with Ms. Matheny, a teacher vs. principal balloon and shaving cream competition, or a teacher vs. principal pop quiz.

Not all classes placed in the top five, but we are all PoP Membership Campaign winners!

Committee Volunteers Needed

No experience needed; just a desire to serve our Kiker community! Email kikervolunteers@gmail.com to volunteer!

We are looking for:

• Kiker PTA Scholarship Committee Chairperson - be part of the selection committee this year, with expectation of serving as chairperson in future years. For more information about the Kiker PTA Scholarship, click here: https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/dr_schneider...

• Kiker Beautification Committee Coordinator - organize and facilitate landscape and groundskeeping volunteer efforts. Knowledge of landscaping is a plus!

How to Enter:

1. Download the entry form here in English or Spanish.

2. Submit entries in this Google Form.

Deadline to submit entries is Friday, October 22, 2021.

Student's family must be a member of the Kiker PTA by October 31, 2021, to participate in Reflections.

All Comets (Pre-K to 5th grade) are encouraged to participate. Students participate in the appropriate division for their grade:

• Primary (Pre-K - Grade 2)

• Intermediate (Grades 3-5)

Spooky Game Night

Save the date for spooky fun and game on October 29!

Since school started, we've already have had 5,207 books circulated. This is AMAZING. Keep up the reading, Kiker Comets! 🙂

Want to donate a book to the library and have your child selected for Book of the Month Club? Click HERE for more info.

About the Hunter 5K

Join us on October 30, 2021 for the third annual Hunter 5K Halloween Fun Run!

The Hunter 5K was created to honor and celebrate the fast and free spirit of four-year-old Hunter Henderson, who tragically passed away in December of 2018. Hunter loved Halloween and dressed up in costume throughout the year. Held on Halloween weekend, race participants are strongly encouraged to dress in their most creative Halloween costumes in his memory. The Hunter 5K is the inspiration of Chance Henderson, Hunter’s father. An avid runner, he was moved to create a fun and inclusive event that Hunter would be proud of.

Funds raised from the event benefit the Dell Children’s Medical Center who helped the Henderson family immensely during Hunter’s stay.

Register today at https://thehunter5k.com/!

Updates to this year's applications for choice middle schools:

• Families will complete one common application (School Common Application) to apply to the various school choice programs in AISD.

• The application will remain open from September 13, 2021 - January 7, 2022.

Our campus has signed up for the 5th grade students to attend a Zoom meeting with the magnet schools on October 20. More information to come.

1 - Donna Kilpatrick

3 - Chris Bryson

4 - Raven Jeffrey

5- Ashley Cross

11 - Veronica Taylor

19 - Nicole Kruszona

20 - Anmarie Bochey

26 - Paige Hariharan

31 - Kim Reiman

Each week we will feature a few staff members. This week we will feature our front office staff.

Quarantine:

Day 0 is the last date of exposure.

Day 1 is the first day without exposure.

Day 5-7 the testing can occur.

Day 8 the student can return if a negative test result is provided.

At this time, for someone who is quarantined, we can accept a rapid test OR a PCR test from any testing facility that provides a paper document or email copy of the results. At home tests are not accepted.

Symptomatic / Ill students or staff:

For a student/staff member who was symptomatic (sent home from school sick or self-reported sick), a negative PCR or a doctor's note is required to return.

Staff or students who are symptomatic may request a rapid test on campus. However, rapid tests are not available for asymptomatic individuals at this time. With 760 students and almost 100 staff members, our one nurse is not able to provide peace of mind testing while still meeting the safety needs of those currently on campus daily. Our priority is to have our nurse available for those staff and students with an immediate need in the building.

After School Enrichment

Did you know our Comets have a variety of after school activities in which to participate? This fall, after school activities will include coding, art, cooking, Spanish, piano, and more. For a full listing, please visit the after school enrichment page on our website to learn more and see the wonderful variety of classes and programs offered!

https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/afterschoolenrichment

At AISD Food Service, our top priority is to ensure all students have access to healthy, tasty meals. The country is dealing with a nationwide food service worker shortage, directly impacting AISD; we currently have over 100 open positions, in addition to managing COVID-19 protocols. Because of this, changes in school meal operations and menus may occur. Please note, any menu changes will not be reflected on www.SchoolCafe.com or on printed menus.

Cory Matheny - Principal

Alma Chapa Moore - Assistant Principal

Kelly Meyer - 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