Great evening fantastic families,

Only four weeks remaining in the 2021-2022 school year. I want to start this principal's message by thanking my administrative team. Mrs. Pfeiffer and Mrs. Jones have been everywhere on campus helping and supporting our scholars in every way imaginable. I'd also like to thank Mr. Estes for his efforts with continuing the 504 process and stepping up with the master schedule operations for next year. Last but certainly not least, I'd like to thank Ms. De La Croix for stepping in as the Magnet Director and for also taking on the role of CTC (Campus Testing Coordinator). Her and Mr. Estes have worked together to assure our scholars will have everything they need for a successful testing administration this week.

Last week we had a great showing at the zone track meet. Kealing enjoyed many individual wins from both the boys and girls teams. We also had a very successful service day event Saturday morning. This week we look forward to a week of celebrating our amazing teachers, a successful week of STAAR Testing, and a walk through of room 108 to help determine the best use of the space. There have been some questions of safety in our halls during transitions, so below I have shared some of our interventions (both new and old) in the next section. Thank you for choosing Kealing Middle School and Austin ISD, feel free to reach out to me directly for any reason at all: jerald.wilson@austinisd.org

• Frequent announcements & reminders prior to transitions

• Strategic placement of Security Guards

• Teachers at their doors

• One minute warning before tardy bell

• Dividers in tight door quarters( This was not discussed on this day but has been implemented to decrease bottlenecks on campus where pushing occurs)

• reduction of hall passes, more structured sign out routines in classrooms (to monitor who went in restrooms to decrease threats)

• Counselors and front office workers strategically placed in halls to help with supervision

• Floating administrators and other campus leaders to provide more supervision in halls

This Past Week

• 4/29 Biweekly Campus Survey (Will go out Monday 5/2 instead)
• More campus improvement conversations with Special Education Teacher's Assistants, classified staff and Teachers

This Upcoming Week

• Review Biweekly Climate Survey Results

• Principals Coffee

Hornet Parents,

https://forms.gle/X1JM3Q6EEXn3d4Tt5Thanks!
The Kealing PTA

Before School

All staff, students, and visitors are encouraged to self screen for COVID 19 symptoms before entering into a campus or other Austin ISD Facilities each day

Arrival

- We will maintain outdoor markers to social distance

Transition

- we will encourage moving halls where students are encourage to not stop while transitioning to classes

- Hornet Passes are available for students with anxiety about being in large groups

Classrooms

- We are seating/desks at least 3 feet apart when feasible

- Each classroom has a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration unit

- Personal Protective Equipment will be available in each room

- Plexiglass dividers available

- Additional outdoor seating (2 outdoor classrooms & the courtyard if teachers plan to use)

Breakfast & Lunch

- Students are allowed to eat lunch both inside the cafeteria and outside in the courtyard

- Dividers are available if a student prefers to use at lunch (we are taking down the plexiglass dividers)

- The courtyard comfortably seats 4 classes, which is from 25% - 100% of the lunch capacity for each lunch period.

Dismissal

- we will have staggered dismissal where scholars will be dismissed by areas of the building to reduce traffic.

Changes

- Masks are optional

- assigned seating for lunches is a discontinued practice

- We are no longer using the staggered transitions

- no more assigned seating during lunches

- we no longer use the accordian plexiglass dividers (student may use a divider if the student prefers)

Teacher and Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week

Monday -May 2nd - A Day (1st - 4th Periods)

Tuesday - May 3rd -B Day (5th - 8th Periods)

National Teacher Day

Principal's Coffee, 8a - 9a

Beginning Band Rehearsal 3:05p - 4:35p

Wednesday - May 3rd- A Day (1st - 4th Periods)

National School Nurse Day

STAAR Algebra I EOC

Thursday - May 4th B Day (5th - 8th Periods)

STAAR Algebra I EOC

STAAR 8th Grade Science

Friday - May 5th-A Day (1st - 4th Periods)

STAAR Algebra I EOC

STAAR 8th Grade Social Studies

Saturday May 6th

5/10 - 6th - 8th Math STAAR retest

5/11 - 6th - 8th Reading STAAR retest

5/12 - Orchestra Final Concert & Awards

Hello Amazing Hornet Parents and Families!

It's that time of year again; the school year is coming to an end! As we slowly move into summer, you may find some extra school supplies such as notebooks and pencils laying around the house. If you have any of these supplies, please donate to our school supply drive.

The School Supply Drive was created by a committee of seven 8th grade NJHS members. In this drive, we are collecting school supplies to distribute to incoming KMS students *next year* that need school supplies.

We would appreciate gently used notebooks, rulers, folders/binders, pencil pouches, scissors, and more. We would also like to receive new or unopened packs of pencils, pens, markers, erasers, colored pencils, etc.

Parents can donate these school supplies at the front of the school, where they will then be dropped off at Ms. Chambers' room (116). We really appreciate all that you all have done for the community and we are hopeful for more donations!

Sincerely,

NJHS School Supply Committee

Calling all 6th graders who aspire to become the first in their family to graduate from college! Breakthrough is a free program that supports students to do something amazing - to blaze a trail for themselves and their family by graduating from college.
Breakthrough is an exciting and fun journey that starts the summer before sixth grade with a summer program at the University of Texas. Students also get to join in fun programs and events throughout the school year and even get their own advisor who supports them all year long. The best part is that Breakthrough helps students through high school, supporting with college applications and finding money to afford to go to college. Even after starting your college journey after high school, Breakthrough continues its support until you cross the graduation stage.
Do you want extra support and have fun with other students during the summer and school year? We are accepting applications now for this completely free and amazing program! To apply visit our website at breakthroughctx.org/students/apply/ or contact Grecia Lopez at (512) 276-4944.

Kealing Science Olympiad team competed in Texas State Science Olympiad championship on April 22nd and 23rd.
Thirty teams competed in the competition. Kealing team finished 3rd overall.
Team won One Gold, Three Silver and Seven bronze medals across 23 events.
Congratulations to the current year science Olympiad team:
Isabel Liu,Kevin Li,Aadhya Chagarlamudi,Izna Ladhani, Ishant Yenamandra
Mahir Vallabhaneni,Aarush Bhardwaj, Pragya Bhaskaran,Eesha Hariharan
Priyanka Dhuliphala,Varun Gadiparti,Archith Venkatagiri, Emma Dhupar
Aditya Adapa,Prhalad Prithivathi, Gargi Pandey, Purvi Arekooty

Science Olympiad club will have a new student and parent information session for next year on Saturday, May 14th at 11am
Location – Capital One Café Domain(11801 Domain Blvd. Suite 160, Austin, TX, 78758)

Time - 6p

Location - Eastside Memorial Early College High School

If you would like to assist contact Keri Jaworski (keri.jaworski@austinisd.org)

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/KealingMS/

Hornet Herald - https://kealing.austinschools.org/parents/archive

Twitter - @KTXHornets

Webpage - https://kealing.austinschools.org/