Kiker Comments February 15, 2022

• Upcoming Events
• Menu Change for 2/17
• Random Acts of Kindness Week
• Attendance Notes
• 5th Grade Girls Health Screening
• Dads on Duty
• PTA News - General Membership Meeting, Volunteers, Yearbooks
• February Staff Birthdays
• AISD News: Amplify Austin, Recruiting Substitutes and Crossing Guards
• Repeated Information (from previous newsletters)
• Culture Celebrations
• Covid Flow Chart
• Covid Testing Hub Information
  
• Drop off and Pick up
• All the Links to Everything You Need
  
• Lunch Menu

February

11 - No School for Staff or Students

14-18 Random Acts of Kindness Week

21 - Parent Teacher Conference Day - No School for Students

22 - It is TWOs-Day, 2/22/22 - Dress in 2's (Again!)

March

4 - No School for Staff or Students

14-18 Spring Break

Instead of Chicken Lo Mein and Vegetable Lo Mein, we will be serving Chicken Bites served with a Whole Wheat Dinner Roll and Vegan Lentil-Chili Frito Pie.

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

Kiker will do spinal screenings for 5th-grade girls before Spring Break.

State law states that schools must screen students for spinal problems. Girls are screened at 10 and 12 years old and boys are screened at 13 or 14 years old. Trained screeners will check your child for signs of spinal problems like scoliosis.

Catching a spinal problem early can make the treatment much easier. Not treating spinal problems can lead to serious health problems. The screening is simple. Screeners will look at your child's back while he or she stands and bends forward.

Important reminders:

*Students should bring shorts to school for the exam.

*Girls should wear a thin t-shirt or a sports bra or a two-piece swimsuit top underneath their shirt. It is recommended they remove their shirt for the screening.

*Boys and girls will be screened separately and one at a time.

The school will send you a letter if your child does not pass the screening. The letter will tell you how to follow up with a doctor.

This screening is not a medical exam. Your child still needs to see a doctor for checkups.

If you do not wish to have your child screened for religious reasons, you must submit an exemption to the school no later than 2/28/22.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Kiker's Health Room Team

512-414-5859

Calling all Dads: Dads on Duty is finally back, and we couldn't be more excited! But, we need YOU to make it work.

What is Dads on Duty?

Dad's On Duty is a great opportunity for dads to run fun games and activities on the Kiker blacktop for the kids during their lunch period. The Dads on Duty committee already has all the games and activities, so we just need YOU to come play! There will be a short virtual info meeting prior to the event.

Why is it important?

Involved parents (including dads) have a direct impact on the future of their children and this involvement is linked to better outcomes in nearly every measure of child wellbeing. Plus, its a ton of fun, and the kids look forward to it every year! We were unable to have it last year so this year it is even more important to provide this opportunity to be involved at school.

When is Dads on Duty ?

There will be 2, 45 minute shifts each day. You can sign up for the shift that includes the last 20 minutes of your kiddo's lunch time, or sign up to stay for both shifts.

4th and 5th Grade - March 29

2nd and 3rd Grade - March 30

Kinder and 1st Grade - March 31

How to sign-up?

Dads on Duty Sign-up

Thank you to everyone who came to our general membership meeting yesterday. We had cookies, chatted with friends, and spread a little Valentine’s Day love. PTA members voted to confirm next year’s nominating committee and heard more about some exciting purchases for the school using money raised during the APEX Fun Run. Many of these projects are coming soon and some equipment and curriculum are already on the playground and in the classroom!

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events and projects!

Looking to be involved on campus?

We have an opportunity for you in the teacher workroom!

You'll be making copies, laminating, and helping with classroom projects.

The first opportunity for training will be Friday at 9 am, so sign up now!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094badaf2da3f85-spring

Last chance to buy a yearbook! Be sure to remember to order by February 18th to guarantee your yearbook this school year. Order your 2022 yearbook at www.jostens.com.

11 - Tori Peterson

23 - Alanis Stamey

25 - Alberto Vasquez

Austin Ed Fund will participate in Amplify Austin Day 2022 – the most impactful day of giving in Central Texas. All gifts will directly impact Austin ISD students and teachers by supporting Austin Ed Fund’s teacher grant programs, as well as strategic district-wide initiatives.

Amplify Austin Day: Wednesday, March 2 at 6:00 pm to Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 pm

Campaign URL: bit.ly/AmplifyAustinEdFund2022

Fundraising Goal: $65,000

How can you get involved and impact Austin ISD?

1. Donate to Austin Ed Fund – Make a donation today by clicking the “Donate” button on Austin Ed Fund’s Amplify Campaign . Please enter the name of your campus or department in the donation message box.

2. Become a Fundraising Champion – Create a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) fundraising page on behalf of Austin Ed Fund. This will help you appeal to donors within your own network and share your personal story. All donations made to P2P pages will support Austin Ed Fund’s mission. Here’s how to get started.

• Go to Austin Ed Fund’s Amplify Campaign and click the “Fundraise” button to create and customize a fundraising page with your story. Learn more about Peer to Peer Fundraising here. We encourage colleagues to team up to create one page and then work collaboratively to promote it within your networks.

• Check out Austin Ed Fund’s Amplify Toolkit for tips on promoting your page.

• P2P fundraisers that raise at least $100 will receive an Austin Ed Fund t-shirt! See additional prizes below.

Spread the word – Share Austin Ed Fund’s Amplify Campaign and Toolkit with family, friends, colleagues, and social networks.

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

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 February:

February

Black History Month

Korean New Year

Chinese New Year

African American Heritage Month

Makha Bucha

Lantern Festival

Valentine's Day

Shivaji Jayanti

Carnival

Kiker is a testing hub 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.

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