Kiker Comments: May 7, 2024

April

15 - PreK Circle PM CLI Window Opens (through 5/10)

While most of us probably won’t receive a Hollywood Star, we can be memorialized in the best place of all - our school! For just $40, you can purchase a custom brick paver to celebrate a student, honor a teacher or staff member, or give a gift to a graduating 5th grader! Pavers will be installed around the granite star at the entrance to Kiker. Please note, installation will happen over the summer. Purchase through the online Spirit Store (link below) now through Sunday, May 19!

https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/product/PAVER2024

Register for the 2024-2025 School Year

Enroll Austin, our new unified enrollment system is up and running. All registration for the 24-25 school year will occur through the new platform. ALL students must register for next school year. The system is open NOW for general registration .Don't get stuck waiting to confirm your spot at Kiker.

Why are we registering every year?

- It helps us secure our staff for next year! Help us keep our teachers!

- It secures our budget for next year!

- It is faster and easier than ever before!

- Your school is asking for your help! This is an easy way to support Kiker.

- Schools get recognized for the highest levels of registration. Help Kiker get recognized by AISD for being awesome!

https://www.austinisd.org/enroll

Book Fair is coming and we'd love your help! Want to volunteer? Sign up HERE.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0845A5AF2EA4F5CF8-49050480-kiker#/

Students are requested to bring a large bag on the day their artwork is coming home. See the note for Swint's 3rd-5th graders - a small box may be helpful for student's clay work.

Kiker Elementary PTA’s Dr. Lori Schneider Scholarship for High School Graduates honors our former principal who valued education and left a legacy of kindness, dignity and respect (KDR) during her 14 year tenure at principal of the school. It also celebrates high school graduates who are committed to education and who embody KDR. Applicants must have attended Kiker Elementary School.

Congratulations to the 2024 winners!

Click Here to view GT projects from across AISD that were selected for the GT Showcase.

GT students were invited to submit a virtual student project (individual, partner, or group) that connected with the 2023 theme: Find the Good, which comes from a Jesse Owens quote: "Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it." We received hundreds of student submissions from across the district, and we are excited to share the chosen GT student projects with you. While not every campus is represented below, every campus supports GT students and their accomplishments throughout the year.

The 5 Book Dive program encourages students to read any five books that they choose during the summer. The website provides lists of books which have been curated by AISD librarians to engage and encourage students to read; the new lists for Summer 2024 are now available on the website. (These lists are not presented as nor intended to be “required” reading; the selection of summer reading material is up to individual students and their parents/guardians.)

Program information and resources are available at https://sites.google.com/austinisd.org/5-book-dive/. The website provides:

• Lists of recommended books for summer reading by level: PK-2 English, PK-2 Spanish, 3-5 English, 3-5 Spanish, Middle School, and High School.

• Printable bookmarks which can serve as reading logs.

• Campuses may choose to recognize students who bring their summer reading logs to school in the fall; some simple and low/no-cost suggestions for doing this are available on the website.

• Some local bookstores are also offering incentives; see the website for details.

• Additional resources for students, parents, and educators.

Kiker PTA, according to our established bylaws, appointed a Bylaw Review Committee to look at amendments to accurately reflect the current functions of the Executive Board. Proposed amendments are indicated in green font color. These amendments to the Bylaws and Standing Rules will be voted on at the General Membership Meeting on Monday, May 20 at 8 AM in the cafeteria.

It’s our last Allison Elementary donation drive of the year! We're sending Allison students reusable water bottles to help them stay cool as temps get hotter. Allison Elementary kids will be able to use these all summer long and next school year! Two ways to donate: 1. Thanks to the help of a former Kiker family, we’ll be able to place a bulk order of awesome flip-straw water bottles for only $3 per bottle. Venmo @ErinKretschmar to contribute to the bulk order. 2. New reusable water bottles can be dropped off to the Allison donation bin at Kiker anytime before May 10th. We’d love to provide all 450 Allison Elementary students with a new reusable water bottle to take home! Thank you for supporting Kiker’s sister school!

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI). This month honors and celebrates the rich history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the US. If you are interested in learning more we encourage you to complete activities with your kiddo by visiting this website. Additionally, while this month’s books do not cover this topic, it is still important to note the harmful role that the “model minority myth” plays in AAPI lives. To learn more about the “model minority myth” with your child, you can visit website.

The books listed below can be found at the Kiker Library, Austin Public Library, and online through AISD MackinVIA audio app. Read Alouds can also be found on YouTube or at the Austin Public Library. Books for Grades 3-5 can also be found in Ms. Amanda’s Counseling office.

Kindergarten - Second Grade Book List

Friends are Friends, Forever:Dane Liu (Author), Lynn Scurfield (Illustrator)

I am Golden: Eva Chen (Author), Sophie Diao (Illustrator)

Ohana Means Family: Ilima Loomis (Author), Kenard Pak (illustrator)

Namaste is a Greeting: Suma Subramaniam (Author), Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)

Reflection Questions:

1. Talk with your grownup about one thing you each learned in your book. Ask your grownup to help you find the country on the map that was represented in your book.

2. Culture is the traditions and beliefs that a group of people practice in their daily lives. Culture can consist of many things: food, religion, art, clothing, literature, etc.. What is one aspect of your culture? What is one aspect of your book character's culture? How are they the same/different?

3. In Friends are Friends Forever, Dandan moves from China to America. What are some feeling words that describe how Dandan felt before she left China and when she came to America? What helped Dandan feel more welcome in America? How can we be more welcoming to others who may be new to our community/country?

Third - Fifth Grade Book List

Kapaemahu: Hianoleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson (Authors), Daniel Sousa (Illustrator)

Chef Roy Choi: June Jo Lee (Author), Jacqueline Briggs Martin (Illustrator)

Finding Papa: Angela Pham Krans (Author), Thi Bui (Illustrator)

My Bindi: Gita Varadarajan (Author), Archana Sreenivasan (Illustrator)

Reflection Questions:

1. Identify 5 countries on the map that are inclusive of AAPI heritage month. Which country was represented in the book you read?

2. Hawaii, currently a US state, is a Polynesian Island with Native Hawaiians as the indigenous population. What is the lesson learned in Kapaemahu? Why is it important to continue to understand the history of a people by sharing the language, traditions, knowledge and spiritual healing/gifts of their ancestors? Discuss with your grown up where your ancestors originate from and how that is similar/different to other loved ones in your life.

3. Asian American and Pacific Islanders have contributed to our nation’s history in so many profound ways. From civil rights to infrastructure, like the trans-continental railroad, food, culture, and sports, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are an integral part of our American culture. With your grown up, look up some examples of AAPI history and discuss.

Track Progress: Students who read every month will be acknowledged and celebrated at the end of the semester and year. To track your student’s progress please complete this form.

Want more?! Here are some additional books to read:

We are Here: Noami Hirahara (Author), Illianette Fernandez (Illustrator)

Alone Like Me: Rebecca Evans (Author/Illustrator)

Thao: Thao Lam (Author)

Dim Sum Palace: X.Fang

My Name: Supriya Kelkar (Author), Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)

Spicy Spicy, Hot!: Lenny Went (Author)

Last Flight: Kristen Mai Giang (Author), Dow Phymiruk (Illustrator)

Dim Sum, Here we Come!: Maple Lam (Author)

My Grandfather’s Song: Phung Nguyen Quang ( Author), Huynh Kim Lien (Illustrator)

We are seeing a significant number of interruptions to daily learning due to the presence of these devices.

We are asking for your support as our teachers direct students to place their personal devices in their backpacks during the instructional day. Students can access them again at dismissal time.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Kiker does not tolerate racism, hate speech, or acts of discrimination. It takes all of us working together to eradicate hate, and we thank you for helping us work to ensure that ALL students and staff are safe to showcase and celebrate their identities without fear of discrimination.

Please send all absence notes to Amy McGovern at amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org Reminder: All notes must contain student's first name, last name, teacher name and student ID.

If you have a change in pickup plans, please notify both the teacher and Ms. Amy McGovern so we can ensure that we have the communication in the front office as well as with the teacher.

Thank you

Join us for a collective learning experience! The SEL and CP&I Symposium brings educators, community leaders, and families together to share their creativity, experiences and promising practices around social and emotional learning and cultural proficiency and inclusiveness.

Reserve a Spot / Tickets @: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-sel-and-cpi-symposium-collective-growth-rooted-in-sharing-brilliance-tickets-867744024737

2 - Emily Moranski

3 - Jennifer Jones

9 - Andrea Norman

13 - Laura Davis

13 - Denise Tharp

14 - Tracy Cardenas

14 - Carolyn McKaskle

30 - Emilee Coleman

June

3 - Carol Markwalter

7 - Christine Johnson

7 - Amanda Kerley

26 - Jennifer Blake

28 - Maria Cuchillo

28 - Jackie Mylius

30 - Emmy Hunt

July

8 - Lisa Youngblood

12 - Dani Dinderman

13 - Stephanie Toman

17 - Camille Hudson

25 - Julie Bown -Anderson

26 - Ginny Monger

28 - Shawn Whitehouse

Did someone at Kiker do something awesome? Why not send them a RAVE?

Look Who Got A RAVE in April:

Emmy Hunt X 2

Amanda Prickett

Lauren Ribelin

Edward Swan

Alondra Rocha

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

After school enrichment - NEW and UPDATED as of 4/30/24

Keep checking the website for the most up to date information.

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

If your student is going to be absent from an after-school enrichment program, please correspond directly with the program so their instructors will know.

KSAC Registration 2024 - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mItTaUDx1uNroVpWi_SxAeDYxeArXZV4A_BjKrc6Iq4/edit?usp=sharing

or

Kiker Summer Art Classes

Watch this video all about Kiker Art Camp: https://youtu.be/Y2RXmgKU4Bs

Thank you for supporting Kiker Summer Art Classes!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL Bowie High School Summer Camps

ATX Ballers: https://www.atxballers.com/holidaycamps

Community Arts: Power of Me Summer Camp: https://www.communityarttherapy.com/items

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 off backpacks 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

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

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

Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful.

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
Twitter: @KikerComets