Hornet Herald

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful weekend, even with the warmer weather. My weekend was busy but full of fun. My daughter, now a high school freshman, had her first halftime performance this past Friday night. I used to think football was the main draw for Friday Night Lights, but as a new band parent, I’m quickly learning that the band steals the show!

After the game, my family and I hit the road to Oklahoma for my son’s football game on Saturday. They played hard and he came away with a few tackles Beyond the game, it was a great chance to spend time with our son and some of his friends.

This week, our students will wrap up MAP testing as they take the Reading assessment. They did a tremendous job on the Math assessment, and I’m confident they’ll excel in Reading as well. Our administration team will also continue visiting classrooms, and we’ve been impressed by the engaging, hands-on lessons we’ve observed so far. We look forward to seeing even more great learning experiences this week.

I'm also excited to announce that we will begin hosting a Principal’s Coffee each month. This is a new initiative for our campus, and I look forward to engaging in meaningful conversations with our community. It’s a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and strengthen our partnership in supporting our students. Our first meeting will occur on Friday, September 27th at 7:45am in the Library.

Let’s make this week another great one for our students and staff!

Mr. Estes

• September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month
• September 16 - Austin ISD Band Jamboree
• September 16 - Football vs. Lamar
• September 19 - Volleyball vs. Lively
• September 19 - CAC Meeting
• September 21 - Cross Country McNeil Invitational
• September 23 - Football vs. Marshall (7th grade only)
• September 23 - Kealing Connects Parent Orientation
• September 25 - EF Tours Informational Night
• September 26 - Volleyball vs. Small
• September 27 - Principal's Coffee
• September 27 - PokeWorks Spirit Night
• September 30 - Football vs. Bailey

Each week, we will recognize our fellow Hornets who exemplify our campus-wide values and who have been MEETING and EXCEEDING our campus-wide expectations. We are ALL working hard each day to show each other and our school community kindness, respect, loyalty and safety. Here are this week's salutes.

From Ms. Thomas: Maya Al Hallaq is a leader in the making! She is assertive, and she brings enthusiasm and positivity to Girl Power. Maya is also aware of issues facing women and girls today, both locally and globally.

From Ms. Tasneem: I want to give a big shoutout to Ibrahim Haqi Ismael! He consistently shows respect every day in science class – respecting the space, his classmates, and me as his teacher. Ibrahim's positive attitude and thoughtful behavior set a great example for everyone. Keep up the amazing work, Ibrahim!

From Kristin Wilson (Parent): Coach Taylor is such a great role model! This week she coached the volleyball teams to only use positive cheers and chants at the games rather than putting down the opponent, which can be so common in the sport. She told the team that when they lift each other up, they lift up everyone and that that is the goal. Thanks for being a great influence on these kids!

Congratulations to this week's Stinger Salute recipients!

I had the pleasure of catching up with some of our students again this week to hear about their standout moments. Here’s what they had to share:

"I have enjoyed volleyball this week. Just being around my teammates and working to get better has been fun" - Prentiss Reaves - 7th Grade Student

"We have been learning about hurricanes in Ms. Taylor's class. Tracking Hurricane Francine this week was my highlight" Fatima Kefayati - 6th Grade Student

"Learning a new language in Ms. Smith's Spanish class." Noah Dominick - 7th Grade Student

"My highlight of the week was the Mango Habanero chicken wings we had for lunch. Those wings were bussin' Mr. Estes." Nate Zamora - 6th Grade Student (Pictured thanking Ms. Crouch, Kitchen Manager)

"I love water colors and introduced this concept to students this week. I always get a little nervous when students start working with water colors but they have done a wonderful job this week." Teacher Almor - Art Teacher

Think Tank has officially started and is available Tuesday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. It's the perfect spot for students to work on assignments after their club, Office Hours, or practice. Remember, to join Think Tank, students need to have participated in an after-school activity and will need a pass from their teacher, coach, or sponsor.

If you haven't already done so, please complete this year's Income Verification Form (IVF) through Enroll Austin. If your family is new to the district, you should have already completed the form. Our returning families will need to finish your annual registration forms. This information will determine if Kealing is eligible for additional funding for the 2025-26 school year. All Economic Income Verification Forms must be submitted on or before October 25, 2024.

The Gifted and Talented Nomination window has opened and will be open until Monday, October 7, 2024.

• Does your child ask questions about the world around them?

• Does your child create new things with the learnings that they have inquired about?

• Does your child tend to have a great interest in adult social topics and tends to provide you with their opinions?

Then you should nominate your child for the Gifted and Talented Program. You have until Monday, October 7th to nominate your child and complete the Parent/Caregiver GT Observation Form, CLICK HERE to access the form.

1. Please complete the form then after submitting the form there will be a Thank you at the top of your screen;

2. Please scroll down to complete the Parent/Caregiver GT Observation smartsheet. It will take less than 10 minutes to complete both parts;

If you are uncertain if your child is identified as Gifted and Talented in the next few weeks Ms. Williams will be sending out a welcome letter to let you know that your child will continue to receive advanced academic services at Kealing Middle School. If your child was identified as Gifted and Talented in elementary school then that will continue in middle and high school so there is no need to nominate your child again.

Please see this informational LINK for the district guided Virtual Information Session that will take place on September 24 at 6:00 PM or September 25 at 12:00 PM.

For more information or questions regarding the Gifted and Talented program at Kealing Middle School please contact RoLanda Hood Williams at rolanda.williams@austinisd.org.

Our Stinger Store will open for the 2024-25 school year on Friday, September 20th. We need volunteers to help run the store during A, B, and C lunch (11:00-1:00pm). The Hornet store is the reward portion of our Positive Based Intervention System (PBIS). Students receive a Hornet Token for following our school-wide expectations (as well as classroom expectations). Then, on Fridays, they can use their tokens as cash to purchase various store items. Our students are anxiously awaiting the opening of Hornet store!

Please email Assistant Principal Mantequilla Green (mantequilla.green@austinisd.org) if you are interested in volunteering throughout the school year. Come join us in the excitement!

Kealing Connects is a community engagement initiative, created by teachers, administrators, and the PTA to provide positive support for Kealing students. The goal is to continue to promote a culture of respect and increase well-being on campus. We are seeking volunteers to care, connect and have a consistent and positive presence on campus.

After we gather interest, we will match your availability and coordinate shifts. Volunteers are also required to complete a background check through voly.org and attend a one-hour orientation session with Kealing staff (offered monthly).

Please fill out THIS SURVEY so we can take the next steps to prepare you for your time at school.

If you are a returning volunteer, please let us know your availability for this year! You WILL NOT need to attend the orientation again. You WILL need to register and complete a background check through Voly.

Interested in learning more about international travel opportunities for your student? Join us for our EF Tours Travel Night on Wednesday, September 25th from 6:30-7:30pm. We have tours going to Italy & Germany and the Galapagos Islands in 2025, and tours to Japan and Greece in 2026. You must RSVP to attend this event using the links below!

RSVP for Italy & Germany: https://bit.ly/3ASl2M4

RSVP for Greece (and to learn about reserving one of the final spots for our 2025 Galapagos trip): https://bit.ly/4eebmKj

RSVP for Japan: https://bit.ly/4elw1fH

The MathCounts Contest is an annual nationwide middle school competition. The goal of the MathCounts Club is to expand and sharpen your mathematical abilities and problem solving skills. It also helps to prepare for the upcoming School and Travis Chapter MathCounts contest in December and February respectively.

Meets every Thursday in the fall semester from 3pm - 4pm in room 201.

On October 30th Ms. Hill will be hosting the Annual Mathworks Math Contest (MMC) at Kealing, after school from 3:15pm - 5:15pm. The MMC is a free and challenging math contest. It consists of 15 high-level problems. Students interesting in participating must complete this form.

https://forms.gle/P6vwqPK7h3CygamC7 by October 15th.

It was another strong performance by our Cross Country team and Run Club.

The Boys Cross Country team finished 3rd out of 23 lead by Peter Gallimore, 6th overall, and Kai Kwolek, 7th. Our 6th grade run club member Rye Anderson finished 11th followed by fellow 6th grader Nathan Hildrum, in 12th.

Our Girls Cross Country team finished 5th out of 22 teams. The top Kealing runner was Cadence Virostko (running for her club team) finished third overall in the high school 2 mile. The Kealing Team was lead by Charissa Higgs, finished in 12th and 6th grader Lydia Higgs finished 24th overall (second Hornet on the day).

Great job again to all of our Cross Country and Run Club athletes.

It was a tough week for Kealing volleyball as we fell to O.Henry but we are really proud of how hard our teams played.

This week, we look to bounce back by tacking down Lively Middle School. Our 7th grades teams will be home while 8th grade teams will travel to Lively.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???? Kealing football will be in action on Monday night for our first game of the season. We'll take on Lamar Middle School at House Park.

Come out and cheer on our football teams.

Livio Wang was recently named one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), a program of Society for Science. The title of his project was Effects of Electroculture on Lycopersicon lycopersicum. This honor places Livio among a select group of 300 middle school science and engineering projects in the United States from 1,862 entrants.

The next step for Livio and the Thermo Fisher JIC takes place on September 18, when 30 finalists will be announced from the Top 300 Junior Innovators. These students will be invited to Finals Week of the competition, held in Washington, DC, from October 25th – 30th.

Congratulations and Good Luck, Livio

Enjoy a delicious Hawaiian meal and support Kealing at the same time.

Join us at Pokeworks (Anderson Lane location only) on Friday, Sept. 27th between 11am - 9pm.

Let them know you're dining in support of Kealing when you order. With every order, Pokeworks will donate 25% back to Kealing.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize, honor and celebrate Hispanic Americans’ contributions to our history and culture. At Austin ISD, we’re taking time to embrace the vibrant and rich Hispanic culture.

This week's theme is Lenguaje sin Limite Limitless Language - Untold Stories of Language

It is time to JOIN THE FIESTA!

We invite all students and staff to participate in the 2024 Join the Fiesta! Talent Show. Submissions are due by September 30. We have nearly $4,000 in prizes to distribute amongst the winners. The awards ceremony will take place at the Performing Arts Center on October 12.

Interested in performing. Here's the submission form.

Hello! My name is Sydney Jones and I am a senior at LASA High School. I attended Kealing from 2018-2021. Kealing was an essential part of my learning experience so I want to share this project. I am youth ambassadors for the World Literacy Foundation, a global nonprofit with a mission to lift youth literacy rates. I believe in the power of reducing poverty through literacy and the importance of education. Without fundamental skills such as reading and writing, people around the world are placed at a disadvantage. Currently, 750 million people worldwide are illiterate, and 258 million children are out of school. These individuals face economic, social, and health impacts that frame their quality of life. With the proper access to books and education, there are new doors opened to brighter futures with limitless opportunities. Our goal is to raise awareness to these issues at the communal level. Any money donated will go directly to the World Literacy Foundation to support their outreach programs. Donate to help us achieve our goal!

For more information, visit our website HERE

To donate, click HERE