Hornet Herald

As we prepare for the much-awaited spring break, we wanted to remind you that this week marks the end of the grading period. It's important for students to use this time wisely to ensure all their assignments have been submitted.

We encourage students to work with their teachers, utilizing office hours for extra help to submit any missing assignments and make necessary test corrections. Let's finish this grading period on a high note, making the most of our opportunities to learn and grow together. Wishing everyone a productive and fulfilling final week before the break!

Thank you all for your continued support of Kealing Middle School.

Have a wonderful week

Mr. Estes

• March 4 & 5 - Tennis Tryouts
• March 5 - Voting Day
• March 6-7 - Band UIL Performances
• March 7 - Track & Field Meeting
• March 8 - End of Grading Period
• March 11 - 15 - Spring Break
• March 18 - Return from Spring Break
• March 18 - 23 - AISD Pride Week
• March 22 - PTA Membership Meeting
• March 22 - CAC Meeting

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. Garcia: Willa Bieberdorf deserves recognition for her independent commitment to do her best with getting herself to my class without adult support/reminders

From Ms. Payan: Ana Castillo deserves a shout out for being LOYAL to her ELA class. She has been working so hard and showing so much dedication in Ms. Payan’s class. I am so proud of you!

From Ms. Sheeran: Cam Ortega shows her commitment to growth in ELA class by completing all of her work with excellence. She is focused, organized, and hardworking.

From Ms. Rieck: Max Ryall tries his best in class everyday and works through assignments even when they are difficult. I am so proud of him.

From Mr. Felan: Russel Johnson is always respectful, attentive, inquisitive and always wanting to learn more. During our Young Men’s Group meeting on Friday, 2/23, we had a college preparedness talk with a group of UT mentors. Russel had amazing questions and helped the group further their knowledge on college preparedness.

From Ms. Randolph: Annika Martin starts class with a positive and “can do” attitude in the Social Studies classroom. She is always willing to help others and goes above and beyond. She helps make sure others feel included and does an excellent job at staying engaged during the lesson.

From Mr. Rost: Shout out to Olive Whang-Narcise for winning Austin ISD's essay writing competition at last week's African American Heritage Ceremony.

Congratulations to this week's Stinger Salute recipients!!!

Congratulations to our 7th-grade basketball team on a fantastic season! Throughout the year, you all showcased their skills and teamwork on the court bringing pride to our school community.

The team battled to the final second in this past Thursday's consolation game against Small Middle School. You all played well and we are excited to cheer you on next year.

We are excited to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our girls' soccer team and Ms. Jaworski. Their dedication, teamwork, and passion for the game, earned them second place in the City Championship tournament. The entire school community is filled with pride at YOUR great accomplishment. WELL DONE!!!

All 7th and 8th Graders interested in joining the Kealing Track and Field Team should plan to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, March 7th at 3:00 in the cafeteria. This will be a short informational meeting, no more than 30 minutes, and will be your chance to have your questions answered about the upcoming season.

Practice will begin the week we return from Spring Break. Direct questions to Mr. Speed, brant.speed@austinisd.org

The Orchestra program performed phenomenally well at UIL last week. Kealing was the only school to take three groups, and all three received superior rating, otherwise known as sweepstakes. This is the best score an ensemble can receive at UIL. That means that every judge gave each group a "1", called a "clean sweep." CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

This means, that Mr. Gmitter must dye his beard pink this week. Although this is not an official UIL rule, but Mr. Gmitter promised his students that he'd dye his beard hot pink if every group got a clean sweep.

Tennis Tryouts (weather permitting) will take place on Monday, March 4th & Tuesday, March 5 from 3:15 - 5:00. There may be callbacks if the number of students trying out makes it necessary. Just a reminder that students must have a sports physical on file.

Cheer Tryouts for the 2024-25 school year will be held April 2-4. This is open to current 7th graders only. You must have an application, teacher recommendations, and a current physical on file to tryout. Visit http://tinyurl.com/kmscheer24-25 for more information

Our next school-wide dance is coming up on Friday, March 22nd, and we need lots of adult support to make the event fun and safe for all! Please sign up HERE to help with set up, supervision, and clean up. In addition, we need concession donations of soda, chips, and candy. These can be purchased on your own and dropped off at the main office (label 'FOR DANCE') or you can place an order to be shipped directly to the school HERE. Thank you to the community for helping us make middle school memories for the kids!

Hello! My name is Feliza Bustos, and I am the new 7th-grade science teacher at Kealing Middle School. I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on 6-8 Math and Science. For four years, I have had the privilege of teaching 7th-grade science, and I absolutely love it! To me, science is an essential part of education. Additionally, I also appreciate the arts, English, history, and math. In my classroom, I aim to incorporate my students’ interests into our lessons, allowing them to showcase their best work. I am excited to be part of the Kealing team and feel honored to teach your children. If any parents would like to meet with me, I will be available after school this Thursday.

Thank you to all of our students, families, and community members who came out to assist with our Community Garden and Grounds clean-up day. It was a beautiful day and several new projects were completed.

With many Austin ISD students living in food insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed. Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for Spring Break:

• Central Texas Food Bank (www.centraltexasfoodbank.org)

• United Way for Greater Austin - ConnectATX (www.connectatx.org)

• Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

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El acceso a los alimentos puede resultar difícil para muchas familias cuando el distrito cierra. Las familias pueden utilizar los recursos comunitarios a continuación para encontrar comidas gratuitas en su área mientras las oficinas y escuelas de Austin ISD están cerradas durante las vacaciones de primavera:

• Banco de Alimentos del Centro de Texas (www.centraltexasfoodbank.org)

• United Way for Greater Austin (www.connectatx.org)

Salud y Servicios Humanos de Texas - Llame al 2-1-1 o al (877) 541-7905 para hablar con un operador

The 2024 Latino Academic Achievement Awards ceremony will be held in person at the AISD Performing Arts Center. Please save the date for April 19, 2024 6 p.m. This event recognizes latino student accomplishments and community members who have supported AISD’s Latino students, schools or district programs while promoting Latino culture.

We are pleased to announce our Middle School Newcomer Summer School program for current 6, 7, and 8 grade newcomer students (coded ESL or Dual Language). The criteria to participate in this program is the following:

• Students enrolled in a U.S. school for 3 years or less, and;

• TELPAS reading rating of beginning or intermediate

The goal of the Middle School Newcomer Summer Program is to accelerate students’ English and literacy skills through Science, Math, and Reading project-based learning activities. The program will be held at Bedichek MS and Webb MS. Classes will run Monday through Thursday each week from June 3 - June 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eligible students will be offered transportation, breakfast, and lunch.

Summer School registration will begin on Monday, March 4, 2024 and forms will be due by Friday, April 5th, 2024.