Kiker Comments: May 23, 2023

A Joint Newsletter from the Bernice Kiker Admin Team and PTA

PLEASE BRING YOUR DRIVER LICENSE TO SIGN IN FOR ALL EVENTS

Calendar of Events

DEVICE RETURN SCHEDULE:

19 -Pre-K & 3rd Grade

22- 1st & 4th Grade

23- Kinder & 2nd Grade

24 -ECSE & 5th Grade

MAY

12 - All Library Books Due

23 - PTA Meeting and Principal Coffee Talk

24 - Senior Walk

25 - Last Day for Students

June

20 - Kiker Comments - June Edition

July

18 - Kiker Comments - July Edition (intro of new staff YTD)

2023-2024 School Year

August

9 - Class Placement Announcements via Email

10 - Meet the Teacher Event 3:30-5:30

14 - First Day of School

Doors Open at 7:15; Instruction Begins at 7:40.

How to Report a Student Absence

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.

We still have two positions available for our PTA Board!

VP Fundraising - Love local businesses and want to get them to team up with us for our Spirit Nights?!? Love coffee and supporting our hard working teachers, admins and staff at school?!? This position includes coordinating agreements with restaurants or other family friendly locations to give back a portion of sales to Kiker for planned spirit nights. Along with that, this position also includes coordinating the monthly coffee sponsorships that are purchased at the beginning of the school year.
Volunteer Coordinator - Do you love SignUp Genius and coordinating volunteer opportunities for PTA events throughout the year? Do you have a knack for helping get families more involved at school? We are looking for one more person to round out this very important two person team!

Committee Coordinators Needed

Kiker Committee Coordinators needed:

1. Kiker Annual Fundraiser (still working with Ms. Norman to get this info together)

2. Lost and Found

3. Track and Field

4. Website

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LOOKING TO GET MORE INVOLVED AT KIKER? We have several opportunities, find the right one for you!

Lost and Found Coordinator handles returning lost items to students, posting pictures of lost items to Kiker Facebook for claiming, or donating unclaimed items. Monthly time commitment 1-2 hours. Contact kikervolunteers@gmail.com for more information.

Track and Field Coordinators work with Kiker PE staff to organize events and raise funds for the PE department such as Spring Track and Field Day and other PE projects. Coordinators might organize penny wars, the prize station, event volunteers, and active/sports vendors. If you have any interest, please contact Coach Cotton (candace.cotten@austinisd.org) and kikervolunteers@gmail.com . Most time commitment concentrated around Track & Field Day in late March/early April.

Website Coordinator works with Kiker Admin to update the Kiker website with current information. The Coordinator makes updates weekly after Kiker Comments is released. Approximately 1 hr/week. Contact kikervolunteers@gmail.com for more information.

May Coffee Bar Sponsor

We wanted to take a moment to thank our last Coffee Bar Sponsor of the school year, Quiet Events Silent Disco! This is a fun idea for birthdays - plus they are offering a discount to Kiker families!

Register for the 2023-2024 School Year

We hit 90% - THANK YOU! Keep the Registrations Coming - Next goal - 95%

There are still a few of you that still need to register. Or, save this to help new neighbors moving into the Kiker area.

ALL CURRENT STUDENTS, Kindergarten through 5th grade, RETURNING TO AISD FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR MUST COMPLETE ONLINE REGISTRATION in your Parent Portal. We will begin class placements for next year soon and your student will need to be registered.

If you will not be returning to AISD please notify Amy McGovern at amy.mcgovern@austinisd.org

Pre-K and Kindergarten registration is open as well...please use the link below. Set up your Parent Portal, complete online registration, and upload your documents.

Enrollment landing page: https://www.austinisd.org/enroll
Important dates and deadlines: https://www.austinisd.org/transfer/dates-deadlines
For questions, please contact Let’s Talk https://www.austinisd.org/letstalk and click on “Student Services: Enrollment, Records, & Transfers."

ALL AISD Devices to be Turned in:

During the 2023 summer break, the Everyone:1 and Bond teams will complete a districtwide summer inventory project on Austin ISD equipment.

For this reason, ALL students must turn in any, and all, Austin ISD-provided equipment (devices, hotspots, chargers, iPad cases, etc.) to their campuses, for this year and any past years.

Exceptions: This does not affect special education specific devices that are checked out through that department. If a device is needed for a Dual Credit/ACC course, devices will be distributed to students the last week of school. Devices for on-campus summer programs will be provided.

It is essential that we collect and account for all Austin ISD equipment to ensure we have it available for students in the fall. We understand how this may affect students’ during the summer. However, if your child needs a device for summer use, we will assist you:

To request a device for summer use (including for Garza Online classes), a parent or guardian may complete an OPT-IN form via their Parent Portal account to request the pick-up of a device from the Technology Department at Gus Garcia YMLA or at the Austin ISD Central Office.

Devices will be available for pick-up on May 26, and May 30 through June 2, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.

During device pickups, fee schedule forms and accountability acknowledgments will also be provided.

Devices must be returned to the home campus at the start of the fall 2023 school year.

Important: ALL devices will be disabled as of Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 5 pm.

More information can be found on our Austin ISD website.

If any lost equipment is found over the summer, please call the Austin ISD Help Desk at 512-414-9187.

Kiker Return Schedule

Pre-K & 3rd Grade: Friday, 5/19

1st & 4th Grade: Monday, 5/22

Kinder & 2nd Grade: Tuesday, 5/23

ECSE & 5th Grade: Wednesday, 5/24

Please remove ALL stickers and labels with personal information. Students will receive a different device at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

Spread the Word to Graduating Seniors Who Attended Kiker

Free Summer Meals

Children need nutritious meals to learn, grow and thrive — even when school is out. With the Summer Meal Programs, children and teens ages 18 and younger, and enrolled students with disabilities up to 21 years old can continue to eat healthy throughout the summer at no cost at any participating meal site.

https://www.austinisd.org/nutrition-food-services/meal-programs/summer

Library News

Make sure your child is reading every day this summer! The public library is a great place to take your child in the summertime. There is so much to see and do to get your child inspired. If you need book recommendations and a challenge, have your child take the 5 Book Dive this summer. If they read 5 books from the reading list, they'll receive a $5 gift card to Book People. There is more info on the 5 Book Dive HERE. To better understand the benefits of the 5 Book Dive, check this out.

SEL and CP&I Symposium on June 15, 2023

Don't miss the ninth annual SEL and CP&I Symposium on June 15, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The 2023 SEL and CP&I Symposium: “Connected on Purpose” will be in-person at Doss Elementary School.

The SEL and CP&I Symposium brings educators, community leaders, and families together to share their creativity, experiences, and promising practices around social and emotional learning and cultural proficiency and inclusiveness. Join us for a collective learning experience!

Together, we will take a deeper dive into this important work by:

Hearing from keynote speaker Tamisha Williams who is a dynamic facilitator, transformational coach, and equity practitioner with over 10 years of experience in the field of education. Through the use of visuals and storytelling, she inspires educators to deepen their equity and racial-literacy skills. Tamisha focuses on wellness and curates affirming spaces for People of Color and LGBTQ+ community members.
Participating in a variety of relevant and interactive sessions hosted by district teachers and staff.
Engaging in sessions led by community partners and equity leaders, who are sure to inspire!

Family and Community Members: Register at tinyurl.com/sel-cpi-symposium2023

We look forward to engaging in a day of learning with you!