Kiker Comments: August 29, 2023

August

29 - AISD Advanced Academics event: Virtual Family Workshop – Raising Critical Thinkers, hosted by ThinkLaw and AustinISD Advanced Academics (Option 1) @ 6:00 PM

30 - AISD Advanced Academics event: Virtual Family Workshop – Raising Critical Thinkers, hosted by ThinkLaw and AustinISD Advanced Academics (Option 2) @ 12:00 PM

31 - Kiker Spirit Night, TCBY 3:15-8:00pm

September

1 - Kiker Spirit Day - WEAR BLUE

1 - Deadline for 5th Graders to Sign Up for Kiker Keynotes

4 - No School, Labor Day

5 - 2nd and 3rd Back to School Night 5:30

7 - 4th and 5th Back to School Night 5:30

8 - Final Day for PTA Membership Drive to Count Toward Class Prizes (You can always join!)

11 - DEI Meeting, Library 5:30

13 - PTA Meet and Greet/ Volunteer Expo 8:00 am

15 - K-5 Map Growth Window Closes

16 - Rosh Hashanah

18 - GT Nomination Window Opens for K-1, 3-5/ALL 2nd graders will be screened (through 10/6).

19 - District Virtual Family GT Information Session (Option 1) @ 6:00 PM

20 - District Virtual Family GT Information Session (Option 2) @ 12:00 PM

22 - PreK Circle PM CLI Window Closes

22 - Kinder TX KEA Window Opens (through 10/31)

23 - AISD Campus Showcase - Kiker will have a table at the event.

25 - Conference Day - No Students (Yom Kippur)

28 - Kiker's GT Parent Information Session 5:00 pm via Zoom

Save the date! THIS Thursday, August 31, is our first Kiker Spirit Night of the year! Visit our local TCBY (at Slaughter Lane) and mention you are there for Kiker Spirit Night. Our school will receive 20% of the proceeds from 3:15-8:00pm. Beat the heat and get a special TCBY treat!

We are SUPER excited to announce the start of our PTA Membership Drive! The Membership Drive will run from 8/24-9/8. The top three classes will earn a FUNTASTIC classroom experience and there may just be a few special guests joining in on the fun too. We know we can’t FLEX our strength without each of you! Be a SUPERHERO and join today!

https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/our_pta

Coffee + teachers is an A+ combination, and we need you to make it happen! Local businesses can sponsor a month of coffee in our staff lounge, and Kiker PTA will say thank you by recognizing your business! Find out details and purchase your sponsorship month at

https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/sponsors

5th Grade Kiker Keynotes

We are excited to start the Fall 2023 edition of Kiker Keynotes. This is only for 5th graders. If your child is interested in signing up for our choir, please fill out the Google Form at the following link or scan the QR code above.

The deadline to sign up is Friday, September 1st at 5 pm.

https://tinyurl.com/Keynote-Fall-23

Our goal is to create a mural in the front foyer that promotes a warm, welcoming, and inclusive community at Kiker. We want this to be the first thing our families see when they walk in the front doors. Please provide your input below to help us generate ideas for our new mural.

MURAL SURVEY - CLICK HERE

Join the admin team in the cafeteria for a brief welcome and introduction. (15 minutes)

Then we will send you out to the classrooms to learn about the school year from your classroom teachers. (45 minutes)

We will use the intercom to ensure we wrap up at 6:30 so our staff can get home to their own families.

The event is geared for adults to learn about Kiker Elementary and your child's classroom. This is the only event we host in the evenings that is not designed for children. While most families attend without their children, we never want childcare to be a reason you don't participate.

Please RSVP for Learning and Engagement Opportunities here: RSVP form 2023-2024. Virtual and in-person sessions are available. Virtual sessions can be accessed by using this link: https://austinisd-org.zoom.us/j/88661610735 and will be recorded and posted on the Austin ISD external website. For more information or assistance with registration, please contact Lisa.Saldana-Vasquez@austinisd.org. Spanish interpretation will be provided for all sessions

Full list linked HERE and in the PDF below.

All are welcome to join the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Our first meeting is 9/11 in the Kiker library at 5:30 pm.

Starting in September and throughout the school year, this series will highlight several book selections based on monthly themes that coincide with the AISD inclusion calendar. Reflection questions are provided to help Comets and their grown up read with intentionality and continue to allow space for our kids to learn and grow. "Why the Monarch Butterfly Book Series?” The Monarch Butterfly has long held great meaning for the peoples of North America as symbols of hope, renewal, and connection. As the designated ‘state butterfly of Texas’, it holds even more significance for our Kiker community. Like the monarch, each of our Comets undergoes a remarkable metamorphosis over their years of study. Likewise, each of the books in our series were selected to facilitate the continued growth of every child and family that participates. Just as the monarch’s epic, multi-generational migration has stood as a symbol of embracing transformation and embarking towards new horizons, our book series aims to help each child feel a deeper sense of connection to themselves, their families, and their community as they move forward into the world. Join us as we read to Discover, Learn, and Soar.

If you want to learn more or have any questions, email Noha at noha.mkhalifa@gmail.com or Kristin at kristinfinan@yahoo.com.

Chromebooks - 3rd, 4th, 5th

Devices were distributed last Wednesday to our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. We are still in the process of troubleshooting login issues for some students.

Encourage your student to leave their device at school (especially over the weekend) unless they have homework that requires them to use a Chromebook. These devices are meant for schoolwork only. New this year: We will not have loaner devices available and will not accept forgotten devices to deliver to classrooms. Teachers will not text parents to deliver a forgotten device. If a device is needed during a testing day, arrangements will be made at that time. Thank you for your assistance with making sure a charged Chromebook comes to school each day.

PreK, Kinder, 1st, and 2nd Grade Only

Please return all summer devices to your teacher or the front office by Friday, 9/1.

We are currently working to get classroom sets of devices out to teachers. New this year: Students will not bring home devices. Students have an assigned device from a classroom set checked out to the teacher that a student will use in class.

https://bit.ly/aisdtechexpectations (Updated 8.10.2023)

Device Care and Tips: https://bit.ly/AISDdevicecare

Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful.

Have you noticed the entryway to Kiker has a fresh coat of paint? It looks fabulous! Our AISD painters Trinidad Ortega and Raul Molina have worked tirelessly on this huge painting project in the heat and humidity. Now that it's done, it would be great if our Kiker community would RAVE (Recognizing All Valuable Employees) about Trinidad and Raul.

https://www.austinisd.org/hc/aisd-employee-experience/rave

Send an email with your student(s) name, date of absence, and reason for the absence to amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org. Please attach or forward any notes from medical providers if you have them.

Per AISD protocol, your child should be kept home from school if they have a fever at or above 100.0F, any vomiting, or 2 episodes of diarrhea. Students should be fever free for 24 hrs. without the use of fever reducing medications before returning to school.

Please report positive COVID cases to Cory Matheny at cory.matheny@austinisd.org with the answers to these questions:

- symptoms

- date symptoms started

- date of positive test

- vaccination status

- date student/staff/guest was last on campus

*Admin completes a form to submit to AISD Health Services

*AISD protocols do not allow us to notify families if a positive case is in their child's classroom or grade. We no longer send letters/campus counts.

*Admin notifies the custodial staff of the locations that require deep cleaning as soon as it is reported.

*We know there are still many unique scenarios, so for any questions, please reach out to Cory Matheny.

The policy is still 5 days at home from the date of the test. Test day = day 0, the next day is day 1, and so on. Students and staff may return on day 6.

Proper hand washing and hygiene are encouraged through out the day at school.

Masks are available at the front doors for anyone who would like one.

Please see the PDF below for more details.

The District is mandated by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) to provide written notification to all parents, teachers, and employee organizations regarding the availability of asbestos management plans for District facilities. This notification is required even if your facility does not have any asbestos-containing building materials.

The District is mandated by the Texas Structural Pest Control Act that requires chief administrators of schools, educational institutions, and daycare centers, to provide written notifications of the types of pesticides used and their scheduled application to parents or guardians of children attending the facility.

August

6 - Isabelle Martin

7 - Nicole Dean

12 - Jenny Bock

28 - Lucy Rodriguez

31 - Genna Reed

September

1 - Erin Thomas

8 - Zoey Franz

22 - Amanda Prickett

Check out our new and returning after-school enrichment programs at Kiker. Enrolling now!

https://kiker.austinschools.org/after-school-programs

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

The Austin ISD Student Success Guide (Student Code of Conduct) is now available on the Austin ISD District website for students, parents, and guardians to review. One important legislative update is that ALL e-cigarettes (THC and Tobacco) are prohibited. House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the District Alternative Education Program (DAEP) if the student possesses, uses, is under the influence, sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette (new) while on campus, within 300 feet of school property, or at a school-related event. Under Austin ISD guidelines, this is a 20-day DAEP placement. Parents and guardians are strongly urged to talk to their students about this new policy and review the Student Success Guide to help keep our schools safe for students and staff. For resources to use when talking with your student about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes visit https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/.

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