Kiker Comments: May 16, 2023

A Joint Newsletter from the Bernice Kiker Admin Team and PTA

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

18 - Volunteer Breakfast at Drop Off

23 - PTA Meeting and Principal Coffee Talk

24 - Senior Walk

25 - Last Day for Students

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 are Thankful for Our Volunteers

If you have volunteered this year at Kiker, thank you! Join us for a small taste of our appreciation with a walk up breakfast on Thursday morning.

Safety Patrol-THIRD GRADERS Can Join For the Month of May

For the month of May, 3rd graders can join safety patrol and get ready to be our leaders for next year!

We are encouraging 3rd, 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

Call for Campus Advisory Council Members

Kiker's Campus Advisory Council (CAC) 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

Deadline for applications is Friday, May 19, 2022

Applications can be found here. Email applications to KikerCAC@gmail.com by May 19, 2023. Kiker's CAC meets the first Monday of each month at 3:30pm.

Email Marissa Streyle & Carolyn McKaskle at KikerCAC@gmail.com with any questions.

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!

Register for the 2023-2024 School Year

We met our first registration goal - THANK YOU! Keep the Registrations Coming

We passed our 80% goal, now let's aim for 90%.

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."

Brick Paver Sale

While most of us probably won’t receive a Hollywood Star, we can be memorialized in the best place of all - our school! For just $40, you can purchase a custom brick paver to celebrate a student, honor a teacher or staff member, or gift to a graduating 5th grader! Pavers will be installed around the granite star at the entrance to Kiker. Purchase through the online Spirit Store (link below) now through Friday May 19! https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/product/PAVER2023

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!