Hornet Herald

Great evening fantastic families,

We are now in the final week of our first term which also indicates we are about a quarter of the way through the 2021-2022 School year! I can’t believe how fast time is flying and how much fun we are having at Kealing while learning. There will be no school for scholars on Monday as our teachers take time to grow professionally. Please take the time to assure all assignments are completed and do something fun as a family. We also have our Short Cycle Assessments this week on Tuesday 10/12 & Wednesday 10/13, it is very important scholars take these exams seriously. It gives us the best insight on scholar mastery on critical standards that will be on the STAAR exam at the end of year. Intervention plans are derived from the success of these exams. We still aim to be an A campus and standards mastery is a big part of that.

We also plan to send home House Bill 4545 letters this week to families whose students qualify for Accelerated Instruction. We want to assure that our students in need acquire at least 30 hours of targeted instruction to fill in any instructional gaps that may have arisen as a result of the COVID 19 Pandemic. We will no longer communicate “holds” on campus. The hold is utilized to maintain privacy and allow EMS to access the building to take an individual to the hospital if necessary. When a “hold” is initiated there is no immediate threat as these are situations in most cases where an individual’s medical circumstance is known and at that time has occured. We only call the “hold” to stop movement in the building, there is no threat of danger at that time. We will still communicate any situations where the safety of our scholars and staff are in question.

Please join us Wednesday at House Park as our Hornet football team takes on the Martin Eagles at House Park. We will start at 6p. Thank you all for choosing Austin ISD and Kealing Middle School. We are honored to have your family be a part of ours.

#BEGREATmentality

#ProgressNotPerfection

Instructional Initiatives

1.) Daily Formative Assessment

2.) Literacy in Every Classroom

3.) Standards Aligned Instruction

4.) Progress Monitoring

Academic Goal

Utilizing an array of assessments (MAP- Measure of Academic Progress, SCA - AISD Short Course Assessment, and STAAR - State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness), the percentage of each demographic/special group of students performing at the meets level in Math & English will increase by at least 5% - 10% from August 17th, 2021 to May 27th,2022.

Social Goal

- TBA (we are still working on this but planning to look at the types of counseling visits our students are requesting)

All Day

Mask wearing is mandatory

Before School

All staff, students, and visitors are encouraged to self screen for COVID 19 symptoms before entering into a campus or other Austin ISD Facilities each day

Arrival

- We will maintain outdoor markers to social distance

Transition

- we will encourage moving halls where students are encourage to not stop while transitioning to classes

Classrooms

- We are space seating/desks at least 3 feet apart when feasible

- Each classroom will have a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration unit

- Personal Protective Equipment will be available in each room

- Plexiglass dividers available

Breakfast & Lunch

- Assigned seating

- Students are allowed to eat lunch both inside the cafeteria and outside in the courtyard

- Plexiglass accordian dividers.

Dismissal

- we will have staggered dismissal where scholars will be dismissed by areas of the building to reduce traffic.

Monday - OCTOBER 11-

No School- Staff Development

Indengious People Day

Tuesday - OCTOBER 12 - A Day

Principal TEA- 5:30pm Zoom Meeting-link to be published Tuesday morning.

KEALING WALKING GROUP- 7:30am Join Ms. Perez for laps around the track! All are welcome.

Wednesday - OCTOBER 13- B Day

HORNET FOOTBALL vs. MARTIN MS @ HOUSE PARK 6pm

KEALING WALKING GROUP- 7:30am Join Ms. Perez for laps around the track! All are welcome.

SOCCER TRY- OUTS

Thursday - OCTOBER 14- A Day

Ultimate Frisbee Practice

Lady Hornet Volleyball vs TBA- ( A TEAM ONLY)

SOCCER TRY-OUTS

Friday - OCT 15- B Day

PSS FOOD PANTRY FRIDAY Distribution Day. Please contact Ms. Perez directly if your family is in need of pantry supplements. 512-414-6700

Each October, National Principals Month recognizes the essential role that principals play in making a school great.

Principals are among the hardest working, yet often least recognized individuals in education. Principals set the academic tone for their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and determination that provide the mobilizing force for achieving student success. Each October, NASSP, NAESP, and AFSA seek to honor these unsung heroes for their tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence in education.

National Principals Month is a widely recognized celebration of the principalship, marked by national and state resolutions supporting the event, as well as acknowledgements from U.S. Senators and Representatives, and top government officials. However, the most important National Principals Month celebrations are the ones that take place in schools and communities across the country.

Ghisallo Cycling Initiative is back with a second round of Wheelie Good Snack Pack Deliveries. Last Spring, we delivered healthy snack packs by bike to households in East Austin for 10 weeks.
With the support of St. David's Foundation, Ghisallo will be delivering weekly Snack Packs by bike to families in the 78702 and 78721 area in October and November. Your Wheelie Good Snack Pack will include treats such as an apple, orange, granola bars, as well as helpful information related to bicycling, walking, bussing, and driving in Austin and possibly some fun activities. Snack Packs are free!
We will be biking the Snack Packs to your doorstep as part of a no-contact drop-off between 12pm and 2pm on Fridays. We ask that you please be home during this time, although if you are not home we can leave the packs at your doorstep. Deliveries will begin Friday, October 8th and will be on a weekly basis until Friday, November 19th.
Would you like your household to be included on our delivery route? Please respond by filling out the google form below by Sunday, October 3rd. We will confirm your pack supply and household location by Wednesday, October 6th.
*Wheelie Good Snack Pack will involve contactless delivery. We encourage you to wave to us from a distance as we drop off your snacks! If you have any feedback or ways to improve our process, please let us know!
Sign-up form:

https://forms.gle/7X4im5rSyJe2ukSN8

The Food for Thought elective class is celebrating World Food Day by collecting nonperishable food to donate to the Central Texas Food Bank and the Kealing Food Pantry. World Food Day and Food for Thought are promoting awareness and action to help end hunger and food insecurity. Please donate to room 515 the entire month of October. Most requested items are peanut butter, canned chicken breast or tuna, canned low sodium vegetables, canned fruit in its own juices, dried pinto beans, brown rice, non-fat dry milk powder, and 100% whole grain cereal. But any nonperishable items will be appreciated. Thank you!

Please join our Parent Support Specialist, Ms. Dianna Perez, for our newly formed "Walk and Chat" Group. Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun. The group will start at 7:30am (weather permitting) at the track on various day that will be posted weekly. This is group is being formed to encourage and support family engagement for all families of KEALING Middle School.

Kealing Boys' Soccer Season is Beginning! Tryouts will be held Wednesday, October 13th and Thursday, October 14th!

Interested? Complete the Google Form linked below! Got questions? Email Ms. Kinsman or stop by Room 512

https://forms.gle/trkJZ4mRFxXTkHuU9

We have begun our "FallBall" gatherings and wish to invite Kealing Students to join us. There is no cost to participate and we provide equipment, insurance, league fees, and coaching. Check out the website for more information.

https://newhorizonslacrosse.org/

The Parent Engagement Support Office within the Student Enrollment and Advocacy Department created an online resource guide to support AISD families, students, educators, or partners looking for resources for their student, family, or school.

Our community can use this online guide to find and explore community and AISD resources: food, housing, legal, financial, transportation, after-school programs, community centers, and learning resources including ESL and GED services, computer literacy, cultural enrichment, and family literacy.

We ask for your support in promoting it within your community and consider adding a link on your school’s website page.

For additional information, please contact the AISD Parent Engagement Support Office at

512-414-0726.

Healing Kealing Families,

We are very excited to announce our new Angel Network! This group's mission is to help Kealing students and their families in situations facing unforeseen challenges with safety or shelter. For example, a family may need space heaters if their central heat goes out or modest assistance with rent, etc. for a month. We will be working in conjunction with our parent support specialist on campus.

If you would like to be a part of this very important and impactful network, or are interested in donating funds as the needs arise, please email us at angel@kealingpta.org. Thank you, we look forward to helping each other.

The Kealing PTA No-Hassle Fundraiser is happening now!

What does a no-hassle fundraiser mean? Rather than spending time and money raising PTA funds through food and goods sales, galas, walkathons, other -athons, etc., this is a quick, no-stress fundraiser.

"I do not want to bake. It’s too hot and I don’t need any more cookies around here. Here is the money I would have spent on ingredients and on baked goods at the sale."

"I still have rolls and rolls of gift wrap. Who uses gift wrap anymore when there are gift bags? No, I don’t want to sell it or buy anymore. Here’s my money to save the trees!"

"Volunteer? I want to but I just don’t have the time. I don’t want to feel guilty anymore. Please take my money."

Simply donate and you're done. Your dollars help provide and purchase high priority teacher wish-list items, ELA books, food for community building and teacher appreciation events, microscopes for science, outdoor eating areas, and more.

For more info and to donate visit:

No Hassle Fundraiser Link

And if joining PTA is still on your to-do list, that can be done on your donation form too.

Questions? Email vpfundraising@kealingpta.org.

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/KealingMS/

Hornet Herald - http://www.kealingmiddleschool.org/parents/hornet-herald

Twitter - @KTXHornets

Webpage - https://kealing.austinschools.org/

Thank you to those that attended our first coffee! Principal Wilson and Ms. Perez were happy to share stories and hear from parents and family members about their middle school experiences. We look forward to our next coffee 10/19/2021 in the library (in person).