Kiker Comments: August 23, 2022

August

25 - Back to School Night (K-1) at 5:30

30 - Spirit Day - Wear Kiker Shirts and/or the color blue

30 -9/9 - Window for Map Growth Testing Kinder - 5th

September

1- Back to School Night for 2nd and 3rd at 5:30 / 4th and 5th at 6:30

5 - No School: Labor Day

7 - Principal Coffee Talk / Volunteer Expo

19 - Gifted and Talented nomination window opens (closes 10/7)

22- Gifted and Talented Information Session via Zoom 5:30 pm

28 -29 Evening Times Available for Parent Teacher Conferences

If you are picking your kid(s) up for an appointment it is helpful to notify the teacher in advance, including the approximate time you will be arriving. It helps things go smoother if students are ready to go and prepared with belongings if they are at recess or essential areas. We don't pull students out of class until the parent/guardian arrives, but we are happy to help get backpacks ready in advance.

Please arrive before 2:30 for an early pickup. The front office staff is preparing for dismissal beginning at 2:30 and it is very challenging to get students out of class between 2:30 and 3:00.

Be sure to bring your Driver License with you to the front office for an early pickup.

Thank you.

In the event that your child will be missing school, please follow these steps:

1) Email both your child's teacher and Ms. Amy McGovern, our registrar. Amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org

2) Please include your child's first and last name

3) Please provide the reason for the absence so we can code it correctly in our attendance system.

While we understand that parking is limited for morning drop off and afternoon pick up, students should not be dropped off in the staff parking lot.

All students and families driving or walking to school should use the front entrance where we are staffed and ready to receive children. Street parking is available on La Crosse and Dahlgreen for our families.

Students now have PE and recess everyday in Kindergarten through 5th grade and our Pre-K students get two recess times. Staying physically active is important for young bodies and wearing appropriate shoes is critical for safety. Please help your child select shoes that support daily physical activity.

Join the Kiker Campus Advisory Council (CAC) for 2022-2023

Kiker's Campus Advisory Council is a committee of teachers, administration, parents, business and community representatives, and other campus staff. The mission of CACs is to promote excellence in education for all students through broad-based representation. Kiker’s CAC is in need of new members for the upcoming school year.

CACs provide valuable input to principals, who ultimately have decision-making responsibility for their campuses. Specific functions of CACs include providing review and comment on:

· Campus Educational Program

· Campus Performance

· Campus Improvement Plan

· Campus Staff Development Plan

· Campus-Level Waiver Requests to the State

· Campus Budget

If you are interested, please email Christina Haschke at christina.haschke@austinisd.org

Kiker's Book of the Month Club

Purchase a book from our special collection of new books. Be the first to read it and donate it to the Bernice Kiker Library!

Formerly known as Birthday Books, our librarian, Ashley Cross, will present your child with the book they’ve selected, and your child will have time to enjoy the book before sending it back for everyone else to check out.

Each book is $15. A special name plate will be placed in the book showing your child’s donation to the Kiker Library. In addition, your child’s picture with their chosen book will be displayed in the hallway. You can sign your child up for as many months as you’d like (each month is an additional $15).

Ready to join?

To join the Book of the Month Club, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM and pay by check or austinisd.schoolcashonline.com. Your child will be called from class to choose a book and parents will be notified when this takes place. Your child will be recognized on the bulletin board outside of the library for the month.

Thank you for participating!

Ashley Cross, Bernice Kiker Librarian

Want to know what's happening in the library? Follow the Bernice Kiker Library on Instagram @kikerlibrary

Austin ISD uses the RAVE platform to Recognize All Valuable Employees. To send someone a RAVE, use the link/button at the bottom of this newsletter.

RAVES received:

Amy McGovern

Lisa Youngblood

Kristi Samon

Rhonda Vasquez

Abbey Raymond

Yes, we are still dealing with the virus and we still need to be vigilant to help our community.

If district protocols change, I will inform you through the Kiker Comments. Here are the district plans as of today.

Precautions on campus:

-Air purifiers in all classrooms

-Masks available for any student or staff member who would like one

-Sanitizer and wipes are available for all staff to clean heavy traffic areas in their classrooms

What we are not doing:

-Individually screen/temperature check each person entering the building.

-Mandate masks for students or staff

-Contact tracing

What to do if your student tests positive: Please email cory.matheny@austinisd.org with your child’s name, ID number, date of positive test and test type. Although not required, we encourage you to reach out to the families/students with whom your child was with most regularly in contact just prior to testing positive.

What happens next: Your student may return to campus and begin participating in extracurricular events five days after testing positive if they are feeling well and symptoms have subsided. The day of the test is day 0. So, for example, if your student isn’t feeling well Wednesday after school, and you give them a home test Thursday morning AND the test is positive, then Thursday becomes day 0. Your student is required to stay home for five days. In this example, your student may return to school on Wednesday of the following week. Please note that it is the day of the positive test, not the day symptoms started that counts as day 0.

What to expect from us when we have a positive case on campus:

Everyone will receive a district provided form letter via email letting you know we had a positive case (or the quantity if multiple cases) on campus. It isn’t meant to give you details, just a general heads-up. Classrooms/grade levels are not identified in the letter.

The first Taco Tuesday & Wear Your Blues Day of this school year is Tuesday, August 30! Visit Torchy's Tacos on Slaughter Lane and mention you are there for Kiker Spirit Night. Our school will receive 15% of the proceeds. Dine in or take out.

Don't forget to dress in your Kiker blue for a class spirit competition at school on Tuesday.

Join Kiker PTA! Kiker PTA's mission is to support Kiker Elementary by organizing volunteers, funding special events, programs, and classroom needs, as well as coordinating many important yearly initiatives. Kiker PTA’s impact is made possible thanks to our dedicated Kiker Community and strong participation in our annual fundraising events: School Spirit Shirts, Love Your School Fall Fundraiser, Pavers Sale, and the online Pre-order School Supplies. While you might be wondering how we will do it all this year, please know we can't do it without your annual membership and support. Complete your membership by scanning the QR code or visit https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/our_pta

Happy new school year from Kiker PTA! We welcomed our wonderful teachers and staff back with plenty of drinks and snacks in the break room. It's going to be a great year!

August

6- Isabelle Martin

7 - Nicole Dean

12 - Jenny Bock

28 - Lucy Rodriguez

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 backpack off 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

Cory Matheny - Principal

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
Facebook: facebook.com/CMathenyPrincipal
Twitter: @KikerComets