Comet Connections
Kiker Elementary Newsletter
September 3, 2024
Message from the Principal
Kiker Families and Caretakers,
I hope that you all enjoyed your long weekend! As we gear up for week three of school we can tell that routines and systems are settling into place. In an effort to help things be even more effective and efficient we would like to ask your help with the following:
🥤If your student has forgotten an item, please fill out a sticker and place the item on the blue shelf outside of the front door. We will deliver/or call for a student pick up at 9:00 and 11:00. Of course, glasses and hearing aids will be delivered right away.
🍕Parents coming for lunch. Please remember that you must have an ID to sign in and let your student's teacher know you will be joining for lunch so they can send their student to meet their parent in the office at lunchtime.
🚗We are working on our systems in the AM car rider line with the goal of moving you through "circle drive" as efficiently and safe as possible. We appreciate your help in moving all the way forward whenever possible.
⚠️Please use the crosswalks to walk and drop your students off safely.
⏰Reminders:
Doors Open: 7:15AM
Tardies Start @ 7:41AM
Thank you for your continued support,
Mrs. Abrams, M.Ed.
Principal
Upcoming Dates/Events
September 10: 2nd & 3rd Grade Back to School Night (5:30-6:30)
September 11: 4th & 5th Grade Back to School Night (5:30-6:30)
September 26: Fall Picture Day!
October 3: Student Holiday/ No School
October 3: Student Holiday/No School
October 14: Parent Conference Day/No School
While I have only been at Kiker for less than two months I have already heard countless stories from many of you about staff members at our school who have had a positive, and sometimes life changing impact on your child. If that's the case...we want to share your story and AISD has a platform to do just that!
Download Today!
Click HERE to learn about all the updates you can receive with the NEW district app!
From AISD:
Austin ISD is excited to announce the launch of the Austin ISD Mobile App-the one place to get real-time district news, individual campus notifications, parent and student resources, district calendars and much more.
The app will allow all AISD students, staff and families to receive notifications from the district and campuses for which they wish to subscribe. Other helpful tools include COVID-19 Screen and Go, an efficient self-screening process for users to complete before coming into contact with others or before leaving home for work or school. The screening feature is available to students, staff and visitors. The app also allows for quick access and links to:
Parent Cloud
Parent Self Serve
WheresTheBus
School Café
School Directory
AISD holds a variety of sessions to share information and connect families of students who receive Special Education and 504 services. Click the title above to learn more!
Throughout the month of September our students in Kinder - 5th Grade will be completing a MAP Growth Assessment. This will be completed two additional times throughout the school year. While the teachers will utilize this data as one point of information to guide small group time, we work to ensure that the students are simply asked to do their best.
If you'd like to read a little more about the MAP Growth assessment, you can find some of those details at the link below:
Gifted and Talented Nominations
The Gifted and Talented (GT) referral window is now open and will remain open until October 7. To learn more about GT services and to submit a referral, click here for the English link. Additional languages can be found here.
Book of the Month Club!
It's Back!! The Kiker Book of the Month Club is up and running!
Kiker Elementary collaborates with outside vendors to bring a variety of experiences to our after school program. They are all individual businesses. For that reason, specific questions about clubs, schedules, etc. should be directed towards them before contacting Kiker staff as they will have the most detailed information. You can click on the title or the graphic to the right to find out all of the details!
*A link to this document will also stay in "Popular Links" at the end of this newsletter throughout the year.
News/Information/Updates
⏰School Arrival/Dismissal
Doors Open - 7:15AM
Tardy Marked - 7:41AM
Dismissal Begins - 3:10PM
🥪Lunch Information
All of our families are welcome to join their student for lunch. Due to our cafeteria capacity we kindly ask you to eat outside at any of the available picnic tables at the front of the school.
Would you like to see the menu or put money into your child's lunch account? Visit SchoolCafe.Com. If you are a new student to Kiker, your account will take up to 48 hours to activate. Please continue to check the system and let us know if you are still having issues. You can also send cash with your child until the accounts are up and running if you prefer.
Submitting An Absence Note
Please visit the Austin ISD website's Attendance FAQs or contact the Kiker front office if you have additional questions.
- You will need your student's first and last name, student ID#, date of absence(s), reason for absence and parent/guardian name to ensure proper documentation.
- If one note covers MULTIPLE DATES, please make sure documentation specifies date range. You're not required to fill out the form multiple times.
- This form can be used to submit documentation note or picture of a note with appropriate information, signature, etc.
- Please allow 72 hours (3 business days) for attendance to be corrected. Thank you!
Kiker Keynotes - 5th Grade!
Counselor's Corner
PTA Membership Drive
Now that the school year has officially begun, our membership drive is ON and our Class Challenge is underway! Which classes will reign supreme? If you haven’t joined yet, now is the perfect time! Signing up is quick and easy. Create an account and purchase your membership HERE. Let’s show our Comet pride!
PTA Membership Drive
PTA Membership Drive
Congrats to our current leaderboard classes! The competition is on fire as memberships continued to roll in over the weekend. Have you signed up yet? Make sure you do before the Sept 15th deadline. PTA is tons of fun and does tons of good for our school!
THIS FRIDAY = Kiker Spirit Day!
Kiker Spirit Day THIS Friday!
We're excited to kick off our first Spirit Friday of the school year, flooding the hallways in our favorite Kiker Blue! This year, we're bringing even more spirit and energy to the campus with all new pennants awarded monthly to the top class from each grade level PK to 5th!
Instead of just one spirit winner each month, we'll have a winner from each grade level (PK to 5th) plus our amazing staff, all competing for those coveted bragging rights. With any challenge, there's fine print - see the details of our Spirit Friday challenges HERE.
Be sure your Comet wears their best Kiker Blue this Friday, and don’t be tardy!
PTA - Spirit Sales 2024-2025
Our 2024-2025 Kiker spirit shirts are on sale now in our online store. Make sure you get yours before our first School Spirit Day on Friday, Sept 6th!
Purchase this year’s shirt and shop for deals on prior years’ tees, long sleeves, sweatshirts, and hats- those are limited quantities so grab them before they’re gone! All items will be available for porch pick up. Specific details will be communicated with your order. Any questions, contact your spirit wear team at kikerspiritstore@gmail.com
PTA - Volunteer Expo
Volunteer Expo
When adults volunteer, all students benefit! There are many opportunities for parents and community members to get involved- we'd love your help! Please fill out our Interest Form HERE or join us at our Volunteer Expo on Sept 12th during morning drop off.
September Coffee Sponsor
A brush of thanks to Kiker's September Staff Lounge Coffee Sponsor: Ignite your child's imagination with Art + Academy! Our expert instructors are dedicated to nurturing young artists in a fun and supportive environment. Visit our website to learn more and see how we can inspire your child’s artistic journey! https://artclassesaustin.com/
Around AISD
Staff Birthdays! 🎂
Happy Birthday!
September 1 = Erin Thomas
September 8 = Zoey Franz
September 22 = Amanda Prickett
October 5 = Ashley Cross
October 11 = Veronica Taylor
October 19 = Nicole Kruszona
October 20 = Anmarie Bochey
October 23 = Patrick Kasch
October 26 = Paige Hariharan