Kiker Comments January 19, 2022

• Upcoming Events
• Attendance Notes
• No Name Calling Week
• Counselor's Corner
• Culture Celebrations
• After School Programs
• 5th Grade Family News
• Drop Off and Pick Up Reminders
• PTA News
• Allison Elementary Donation Recap
• Get to Know the Staff
• January Staff Birthdays
• AISD News -Recruiting Substitutes and Crossing Guards
• Repeated Information (from previous newsletters)
• Covid Updates
• Covid Positive and Close Contact Scenarios Explained
• Covid Testing Hub Information
• All the Links to Everything You Need
  
• Lunch Menu

January 2022

10-21 - Map Growth Testing for Grades K-5th Students

21 - Drills - evacuation drill postponed due to weather

18-21 - No Name Calling Week - Dress Up Days Below

25 - Class Pictures AND Individual RETAKES from the Fall

28 - 5th Grade Field Trip to GMS for Tour and Choice Sheets

February

1 - Lockdown Drill

3 - NAEP Testing for Select 4th Graders * note date updated from previous Kiker Comments

21 - Parent Teacher Conference Day - No School for Students

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

Hello, Kiker families! Hopefully, you were able to relax and enjoy the MLK Holiday. Mr. Macias went trout fishing in the Guadalupe River, and Ms. Salinas went back home to the Houston area to see her family.

This week at Kiker is No Name Calling Week! Each day students can dress up according to the dates above. This week is a great reminder that being a being kind and respectful to others regardless of their differences, are great attributes of a good friend.

Mindfulness Meditation: Why is it important?

​​​Our kids' brains are tired, and children of all ages really need opportunities where they can take time out each day "unplugged" to relax and focus. Meditation offers this break and helps kids function more effectively and clearly. Children today also have reportedly high stress levels.

This short video explains the scientific benefits of mindfulness and meditation Click Here to Watch!

Breathing Exercises are an amazing way to calm big feelings, but so is meditation. This next YouTube link will bring up a video that will teach students how to meditate and focus on themselves. This is not just for kids! Adults can join in too, making it a family activity that everyone can benefit from.

Mindfulness Meditation YouTube Video

Have an amazing week! Please do not hesitate to reach out to the counselors Mr. Macias or Ms. Salinas with any questions or concerns.

Jennifer Wendtland-Salinas

jennifer.salinas2@austinisd.org

(512) 841-3582

Vicente Macias

vicente.macias@austinisd.org

(512) 841 - 3582

Did you know that our campus announcements and videos highlight significant cultural events around the world? As a campus that celebrates the cultural diversity we have in our community, we love to feature how our Comets celebrate and what these events look like in real life.

Is there a special event for your culture coming up in the next month or two? Would you be willing to share how your family celebrates?

Please reach out to Cory Matheny if your family would be interested in putting together a 1-3 minute video to talk about any of these events (or others that we may have accidentally missed- list source: Nationaltoday.com) coming up in January and February:

January

Mahayana New Year

Indian Republic Day

Australia Day

February

Black History Month

Korean New Year

Chinese New Year

African American Heritage Month

Makha Bucha

Lantern Festival

Valentine's Day

Shivaji Jayanti

Carnival

After School Enrichment

Did you know our Comets have a variety of after school activities in which to participate? This spring, after school activities will include coding, art, cooking, Spanish, 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

What's New?

Register now for...

Mighty Kids Chess Club

Coding for Kids

Wicked Workshop Youth Architecture Program

Each year, all 5th grade students, whether they plan to attend Gorzycki Middle School or not, take a field trip to GMS for a tour and to work on their choice sheets (signing up for the classes for next year).

This year, a bus will be provided on January 28 for our 5th graders to head over for a short visit.

Please see the graphic below for more information.

Please follow these procedures to help us run our drop off and pick up more efficiently. We appreciate your help.

• Refrain from parking in the staff lot on Dahlgreen. This is for buses and staff only.
• To the greatest extent possible, stay in your car if you are in the drop off circle drive. Staff are available to help your child exit the car. When parents/caregivers exit the car, it can cause significant delays in our line. If you need additional time to exit, consider parking on LaCrosse and walking up.
• Use crosswalks any time you are crossing the street. Little eyes are watching and learning by example.
• When turning from LaCrosse into the circle drive, alternate one car from the eastbound side, one car from the westbound side.

Each week will will feature a few staff members.

1- Danilo Bigornia

9 - Stephanie Toman

16 - Marcelina Ibanez

21 - Kaitlynn Perch Youins

22 - Jan Squyres

All across the country schools are experiencing a shortage of substitutes. This is true for the schools in AISD, including Kiker. If you have the time and inclination, we encourage parents/guardians/grandparents to sign up with AISD to be a substitute. You can work every day or you can choose the days that work best for you. You can go to many different campuses or you can only work when assignments come up at particular campuses. You can even decide the content areas/grade level where you are willing to pick up jobs. If you or someone you know is interested you can apply at https://www.austinisd.org/hc/careers/substitutes

As we shared previously, we are so appreciative of the efforts of our community to stay home when symptomatic or while waiting for COVID test results.

While our goal is to keep you updated in real time, the information we must gather for each case takes time to collect, and, with the increased volume in cases, it takes longer to stay caught up. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this.

To help us expedite the process, we have included the information needed for each positive case:

• Date symptoms began or why tested
• What symptoms and severity
• Date of Covid test and results
• Vaccination status of your child with the date of most recent vaccination (if applicable)
• Other than the students they sit with in class, any other students we should notify for close contact

The expectations for staff/students who test positive and the expectations/choices for those who are considered a close contact individual are included below. We read through AISD protocols regularly, so feel free to contact the front office or admin with any questions.

AISD recently updated its Covid protocol again.

1) A Kiker Comet (staff/student) tests positive:

- Notify the front office or admin team and provide the answers to the questions above (or we will call you to collect that information).

- Stay home and isolate from people in the home to the best of your ability.

- Stay home for five days, if the Comet is asymptomatic or markedly improved symptoms on Day 6 (Day of positive result = Day 0) without the use of fever reducing medication, he/she may return to school.

-Comets must be home for at least 5 days AND have markedly improved symptoms for 24 hours to return to school.

2) A Kiker Comet (staff/student), regardless of vaccination status, is a close contact

AND has symptoms. The following is necessary to return to school:

-Option 1 - Negative PCR test AND improved symptoms

-Option 2 - Note from a physician with an alternate diagnosis

-Option 3 - 5 day isolation and asymptomatic to return

3) A Kiker Comet (staff/student) is a close contact AND is fully vaccinated (2 weeks past the 2nd shot) AND is asymptomatic:

-Monitor symptoms.

-Test if you develop any symptoms or choose peace of mind testing.

-Staying home is not required, fully vaccinated and asymptomatic Comets may attend school daily

4) A Kiker Comet (staff /student) is a close contact AND is either not vaccinated or partially vaccinated AND is asymptomatic. (Day of close contact = Day 0.)

There are 3 options.

- Option 1 - Quarantine for 5 days and return on Day 6 if asymptomatic.

- Option 2 - Quarantine for 4 days and test on day 5 if asymptomatic, if negative, attend school, if positive, go home and see positive section above.

- Option 3 (called Test to Stay) - Continue attending school/work and required to test on Day 5 by AISD staff or testing partner. If negative on Day 5, Comet will continue as usual. If positive on Day 5, Comet required to start the 5 day isolation at that time.

5) A Kiker Comet (staff/student) is a close contact in the home and is NOT able to isolate in the home AND is asymptomatic

-Comet will quarantine for 5 days from the date of the family member’s positive test result. (Day of positive result = Day 0)

-In the event that an additional family member becomes positive, the date of the new test result will reset the 5 day quarantine period.

Starting Nov. 1, students and staff will have access to a free rapid antigen testing program through a new partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo. Kiker is a hub and has Concentric Staff on site in Portable 6B daily. (FYI - there is no classroom on the 6A side of the portable.). The direct line is 512-841-7857, appointments are not accepted. This is a first come, first served process or, until they run out of tests for the day.

Why it matters: Research shows that the more people get tested, the safer everyone is from the spread of COVID-19. You’ll be able to access rapid antigen or PCR tests (when available) at 11 sites across Austin.

• Students and staff can get a test at will for any reason, whether you’ve been exposed or are just looking for peace of mind.
• Sites include: Travis, Northeast Akins, Norman-Sims, Pillow, Kiker, Eastside, Cunningham, Navarro, Blazier, McCallum .

• Testing will run 8 a.m. -2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Yes, but: Only students with completed consent forms can get a test. Consent form via QR code above.

• This is an opt-in program, so no one will participate if they don’t want to.

Completing the consent form takes about five minutes on a computer or smartphone.

• When completing the consent form, use this code: AISDTEST
• If you have more than one child, please complete the form for each one.

Dive deeper: For more information, visit Concentric by Ginkgo’s website, reach out to our Let’s Talk portal or send a text to 512-886-6434.

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