Hornet Herald

It was another strong showing from our Hornets this past week. Students are quickly acclimating themselves to campus, the locations of their classes, and our campus' expectations. Staff will continue being present in the hallways to remind students of these expectations and encouraging them to get to class on time. Teachers will begin counting students tardy if they arrive after the tardy bell, this week. Please encourage your student to Keep to the right, Move with purpose, and Show respect when walking through the hallways.

Administrators have been intentional about spending time in classrooms observing lessons and student engagement. We are proud of the work of our teachers in shifting their lessons to make up for students not having access to chromebooks but still creating engaging activities. Thanks to Ms. Williams, our librarian, we were able to distribute chromebooks earlier than we anticipated. If your student was absent this past Friday or they did not receive their district assigned chromebook, please have them visit Ms. Williams in the library.

This last week of August will be busy at the HIVE. We have our Fall pictures on Wednesday and Thursday, a volleyball match Thursday evening, and Back to School night Wednesday evening. We hope you all are able to attend, to engage with your student's teachers, and learn more about what they will learn this school year. More information about these and other events are below.

Happy Reading,

Mr. Estes

• August 30 - Back to School Night - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
• August 30 - Picture Day
• August 31 - Volleyball vs. Murchison
• August 31 - Picture Day
• September 4 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
• September 6 - Football vs. Small
• September 7 - Volleyball vs. Gorzycki
• September 12 - Football vs. Murchison
• September 14 - Volleyball vs. Lamar
• October 3 - Band Concert @ Huston-Tillotson

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. Morgan: A Stinger Salute to……Nico Canizares has shown remarkable respect by addressing sensitive topics with mature and amazing insight.

From Ms. Morgan & Ms. Payan: Elise Castano is incredibly loyal to her educational pursuits and shares her passion for reading and writing to help inspire others.

From Ms. Payan: Nick Rinehart consistently shows up to class ready to learn and adds insight and thoughtfulness to class conversations.

From Ms. Randolph: Avan Bollich is deserving of a Stinger Salute for constantly modeling expectations for peers, working hard every class, for being polite and helpful to teachers and peers, and for having a great attitude and positive energy!

From Ms. Tasneem: A Stinger Salute to Hannah Kestner for consistenly showing up with a smile on the volleyball court and in the classroom. She has a great attitude, positive energy, and motivates us to "Thrive in the Hive"

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

We invite all of our families to our Back to School Night this Wednesday, August 30 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your student's teachers and hear about the fun, engaging, and academically enriching activities your students will participate in this school year. Students will bring a copy of their schedule and campus map home for families to follow.

Recently, we have seen an uptick in students not feeling well and testing positive for COVID-19. Here is AISD's COVID-19 protocol for individuals who have tested positive.

IF YOUR STUDENT TESTS POSITIVE

Those who test positive will need to stay home and report their case by calling the school’s front office and asking for the COVID-19 designee.

RETURNING TO SCHOOL

After testing positive, you need to wait five days before returning to school (the day you tested positive is Day 0). Anyone who tested positive will need markedly improved symptoms and to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning.

Students or staff who return to campus on the sixth day after a positive result will be required to mask for five more calendar day.

Attention all families who drop their student(s) off on Pennsylvania Ave. Please drive past the orange cones and the cross walk, where Officer Melton directs traffic, to drop off your student. There have been a few close encounters of students getting out of their car and crossing in front of a moving bus.

AISD's MAP testing window in Math and Reading opens this week and runs through September 15th. Kealing's schedule for administering the MAP assessment is:

• MATH - August 30 - September 7
• Reading - September 8 - September 15

Data from this assessment will allow teachers and staff to determine what supports students could benefit from, ensure students are properly placed, and measure the growth our Hornets make this academic year. Please make sure your student is present to participate in the Beginning of the Year MAP assessment.

Last year’s free or reduced-price status will expire on September 26 and students will return to a full paid status unless their families either complete a meal application or they are approved for state funded meal benefits. We ask that you apply for benefits for this school year as soon as possible so there is not an interruption to your student's lunch status.

• Families may apply for state funded benefits, such as SNAP, at www.yourtexasbenefits.com.
• Families may apply for district level meal benefits at www.SchoolCafe.com/AustinISD or by submitting a paper application.

Scheduling Update: All elective change requests that can be honored will be completed by the end of day, Tuesday, August 30th. If you do not receive an updated schedule by then, it means the class you wanted to add was full or the class you asked to drop was on your choice sheet. All eligible TA requests were processed last week.

All Kealing teachers are available once a week for after school office hours. Students are encouraged to attend if they have questions, missed class, or just need a quiet place to work. You do not have to be enrolled in a teacher's class to attend their office hours.

Campus Advisory Councils are committees of parents, students, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff. 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

Interested in serving on this council? Complete the application below.

LPAC parent needed: Attention parents of English Language Learners

• We need parent volunteers to be willing to be on a committee where we will determine the best educational choices for our students

• You can participate via Zoom or over the phone.

Please reach out to Ms. Ronda Jones for more information, ronda.jones@austinisd.org

Culinary Arts

In last week's Hornet Herald we shared some of the meals Chef Gloria and her Culinary Arts class were preparing. Students made buttermilk biscuits, flour tortillas, and Gordon Ramsey's scrambled eggs with mushrooms and vinegar tomatoes and with sourdough bread.

I can't eat eggs, but I must say, the tortillas were scrumptious.

Fall pictures will take place on August 30 & 31, during science class. If your student has science on "A" days, their scheduled day is Wednesday, August 30th. If they have science on "B" days, they will take their photo on Thursday, August 31st.

This year, we will have a green screen that allows you to choose the background for your student. Please make sure your student does not wear green as it will disappear in the background.

You can preview, personalize, and pay by visiting jostenspix.com

Kealing Connects is a community engagement initiative, created by teachers, administrators, and the PTA to provide positive support for Kealing students. The goal is to continue to promote a culture of respect and increase well-being on campus. We are seeking volunteers to care, connect and have a consistent and positive presence at Kealing Middle School.

Some of the ways you can support the school community, as a volunteer, are:

• Greeting and getting to know students in the hall
• Encouraging students to arrive to class on time
• Monitoring the courtyard and cafeteria during lunches
• Tutoring in small groups
• Engaging in one-on-one mentoring
• Playing games/sports together and participating in other positive relationship-building interactions

After we gather interest, we will match your availability and coordinate shifts. Volunteers are also required to complete a background check through Austin Partners in Education and attend a one-hour orientation session with Kealing staff (offered monthly).

Please fill out the survey below so we can take the next steps to prepare you for your time at Kealing Middle School. Our first orientation session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 29th at 8am.

If you are a returning volunteer, please let us know your availability for this year! You will not need to attend the orientation again.

A SHAC is a school board appointed advisory group of individuals who represent different segments of the community. By law, a majority of the members must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in the district and who are not employed by the district.

The AISD SHAC is made up of parents, community members, students, and school staff working together to improve the health of all students and families through coordinated school health programs. Texas law requires all school districts to have a SHAC. Learn more about SHAC Bylaws.

The AISD School Health Advisory Council meets on a Wednesday of every month, with the exception of July and August, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held on September 20, 2023, and the focus will be on Food Services & Nutrition.

The Austin ISD Student Success Guide (Student Code of Conduct) is now available on the Austin ISD District website for students, parents, and guardians to review. One important legislative update is that ALL e-cigarettes (THC and Tobacco) are prohibited. House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the District Alternative Education Program (DAEP) if the student possesses, uses, is under the influence, sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette (new) while on campus, within 300 feet of school property, or at a school-related event. Under Austin ISD guidelines, this is a 20-day DAEP placement. Parents and guardians are strongly urged to talk to their students about this new policy and review the Student Success Guide to help keep our schools safe for students and staff. For resources to use when talking with your student about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes visit https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/.

Just a reminder that all students, new and returning, must complete their immunization requirements for school. Our campus nurse, Nurse Navarro, will contact families of students who are missing immunizations.

More information on immunizations requirements and/or exemption forms can be found by visiting AISD's Health Services and Nursing website.

Great showing by Lady Hornets volleyball teams last week against Small Middle School. Although we did not end up winning the games, we are proud of the hard work and fight our teams demonstrated.

Good luck this week against Murchison

From August 1 to September 1, we have a fantastic opportunity to show appreciation for our Kealing educators! The Holdsworth Center is accepting nominations for 120 teachers to attend a weekend retreat at its beautiful Campus on Lake Austin, from October 27 to 29. Help us celebrate our exceptional teachers and recognize their dedication!

To nominate one of our outstanding teachers or learn more about this exciting opportunity, please visit the Holdsworth Center website.

Austin ISD Advanced Academics Department is offering free family virtual workshop next week, on Raising Critical Thinkers. Soon you will have the opportunity to nominate your student for the GT program.

I am your GT Coordinator so please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, RoLanda Williams, rolanda.williams@austinisd.org.

August 29, 6:00 PM: Virtual Family Workshop – Raising Critical Thinkers, hosted by ThinkLaw and AustinISD Advanced Academics (Option 1)

August 30, 12:00 PM: Virtual Family Workshop – Raising Critical Thinkers, hosted by ThinkLaw and AustinISD Advanced Academics (Option 2)

This workshop is recommended for ALL families, not just families of GT learners.

Each week, we would like to highlight our Hornets who are excelling in and out of the classroom. If you would like us to spotlight your student, please complete this Google Form informing us of what your student has done along with a picture.

Meet Anshu. Anshu is a sixth-grade student who has been playing racquetball for 3 years now. This past June, he represented Texas at the Junior National Racquetball tournament held in Pleasanton California. Anshu placed 4th in his age group at the national tournament.

Anshu is a dedicated young man working hard to excel in academics and in the sports he loves.

Last week, we introduced you to our Instructional Coaches, Mr. Kent (ELA & SS) and Ms. Walker (Math & Science). Here is their newsletter that provides families an inside look at classroom instruction. We hope to showcase our outstanding teachers and highlight all of the amazing things your students are doing inside the classrooms.

Online Kealing Sprit Wear orders can be placed HERE. Our first on-campus sales days will be the first Thursday and Friday of the month - September 7 & 8 in the cafeteria during all lunch periods. All online orders can be picked up by students at that time. We also offer delivery to door for $5 and free adult pickup for online orders. See the order form for details.