Kiker Comments: March 7, 2023

March

1-31 GT Showcase Submissions

1-10 Window for 3rd and above to opt out of the student climate survey

6-10 Book Fair

9 - Kiker Keynotes Concert

10 - Spirit Night at Epic Fun 3:15 - 8:00

13 - 17 Spring Break

20 - 24 Career Week

20 - 24 - AISD Pride Week

20 - 31 Map Growth testing window for Reading and Math K-5

24 - International Night

31 - Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day - No School

April

3 - CAC Meeting, Library 3:30

3 - 14 - Window for Kindergarten Map Growth Fluency Screeners

5 - Early Learning Registration Day (for rising PreK4 and rising Kindergarten families)

14 - Field Day

15 - AISD Career Fair - Help Recruit Future Kiker Teachers and Staff

18 - STAAR Testing - Language Arts - 3rd, 4th, 5th

19 - STAAR Testing - Language Arts make up day

20 - PTA STEAM / Art Night

21 - Student Council Movie Night (not a drop off event)

25 - STAAR Testing - Science - 5th grade only

26 - STAAR Testing - Science - make up day

May

1 - CAC

2 - STAAR Testing - Math - 3rd, 4th, 5th

3 - STAAR Testing - Math - make up day

23 - PTA Meeting and Principal Coffee Talk

24- Senior Walk afternoon time TBD

25 - Last Day for Students

With many Austin ISD students living in food-insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed. Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for Spring Break:

• Central Texas Food Bank (www.centraltexasfoodbank.org)

• United Way for Greater Austin - ConnectATX (www.connectatx.org)

• Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

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.

Next Steps:

The district will send information/instructions to parents on how to opt-out their child through the family newsletters. Student surveys are only for 3rd grade and up. Opting out is not done at the campus level, please do not email the Kiker admin team to opt out.

Opting out for STUDENTS: Student Climate Survey Opt Out Form

Complete this form if you don't want your student taking the Student Climate Survey.
If you have more than one child, complete the form once per child.

Survey Administration Timeline:

Staff, Student, and Family Climate Surveys

Student Opt-out Window: Feb 27 - March 10

Open survey window: March 20

Close survey window: April 14

AISD Student, Staff, and Family climate surveys will go live on Monday, March 20th. The survey window will remain open through Friday, April 14th. Surveys will be available online and can easily be accessed by computer, phone, and screen readers.

Survey note:

The questions have a range of 5 choices. Please be aware, the two 'positive' scores are joined together to create the 'positive' percentage. The middle as well as the three 'negative' scores are all joined together to create the 'negative' percentage. All neutral responses will count in the 'negative' score category for our campus.

The 2023 GT Student Showcase Theme is "Find the Good" which comes from a Jesse Owens quote:

"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it."

Please share this information with your teachers and families to ensure GT and TE students have an opportunity to participate if they choose to do so. While we encourage the projects are completed at school a student may also submit a project they complete at home.

Note: We will only accept ONE link for each project submission. If students have multiple links, they need to find a way to organize/collect them into one link... for example they can create a Google Slide Deck or website and include all their links.

Austin ISD GT Student Showcase Website

Monday, March 6: STUDENT PREVIEW DAY, doors open to public for shopping from 3:20-5:00

Tuesday, March 7: 7:20-4:30

Wednesday, March 8: 7:20-3:10, 4pm-7pm for FAMILY NIGHT.

Thursday, March 9: 7:20-4:30

Friday, March 10: 7:20-3:30

*Parents may NOT pull their children from class to come shop the fair during school day hours

*Credit cards & cash accepted.

Family Night: March 8, 4-7pm

We’ll have Jim-Jim’s on the deck serving up yummy treats. Hope to see you there!

Families and Friends can shop the fair online and at the BookPeople store from March 6-12! Simply use the code KIKER at checkout-- 20% of sales go to the Kiker Library.

We will be hosting Career Week March 20-24th! Wednesday, March 22nd from 8:15am to 10:15am we will be having a Career Fair for 3rd-5th grade students. If you would like to be a part of this event, please fill out this google form! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

*If selected to present, presenters will have a station in the gym/cafeteria for students to rotate through. Presenters may bring any tools, examples, photographs or any other helpful materials to give a complete picture of your work.

To increase Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment and support families with registration, elementary campuses will host a districtwide Early Learning Day on April 5. Please save this date and share with your families and spread the word in the community.

On this day, families of rising PreK4 students and rising Kindergarteners will have the opportunity to:

• Take campus and classroom tours that highlight culture and student experience

• Complete online registration

• Complete the Pre-K screener

• Meet the principal and/or other administrative staff and teachers

Pre-K families please complete online registration now at https://www.austinisd.org/enroll and sign up for Pre-K updates.

High School Graduation Class of 2023 Scholarship

Do you know a graduating senior who attended Kiker? Please share this information with anyone you know who might be eligible.

Kiker Elementary PTA’s Dr. Lori Schneider Scholarship for High School Graduates honors one of Kiker's former principals who valued education and left a legacy of kindness, dignity and respect (KDR) during her 14-year tenure as principal of the school. The scholarship also celebrates high school graduates who are committed to education and who embody KDR.

Applicants must have attended Kiker Elementary School. Application window opens March 1, 2023. Please see link for more details.

https://kikerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/dr_schneider_scholarship

Kiker International Night is just around the corner! It’s time to start thinking about FOOD!

This year, in addition to asking families to bring a dish that comes from their culture/heritage/background to share with families for sampling, we are also inviting three food vendors from our international community to participate in the event. These food vendors will be available for preorder/pre purchase ONLY, which means you will have to order between 48hr to 10 days in advance (depending on the food vendor). This means that for Asahi for example, orders must be placed by next Wednesday March 15th at 9am which falls in the middle of spring break! Don’t miss it!!

So be thinking about:

1. What food you would like to bring to share for other families to try.

2. Since the event is between 5:30-7:30 what full meals would you like to order from our vendors? Some of our food stars of the show will be- onigiri & bento boxes from Asahi, thali plates & kids plates from Indian Pearl Kitchen, and Filipino specialties such as lumpia and pancit from Seas to Shells.

Here’s the link for both ordering food and signing up to bring dishes. Signing up is encouraged but of course all last minute additions will be welcomed to the sampling potluck.

https://sites.google.com/view/kiker-international-night/food

Everything you want to know about International Night

PTA thanks The Cookie Plant ATX for sponsoring the Coffee Lounge for the month of March.

The Cookie Plant ATX is a cottage industry bakery located right here in Circle C and owned by proud Kiker mom, Susan Anderson. The Cookie Plant ATX specializes in custom decorated sugar cookies, logo cookies, luxury custom cookie gifts, and gourmet drop cookies. Its never to early to book for your special occasions whether it be graduation, birthday party, baby shower, retirement, or just showing some one a little special love. Get in touch: 512-522-3529, hello@cookieplantatx or on social media @cookieplantatx

There is a $10 fee to help cover the cost of snacks and a Gorzycki tee shirt for your camper. You will see the link after you click “submit” on the online registration form.

CLICK HERE to register.

If the link doesn’t work, cut and paste this address: https://forms.gle/VFMwmP11jfG3oJbC8

Questions? Please contact Emily Mazac - Tiger Camp Coordinator, 6th grade ELA teacher

Emily.Mazac@austinisd.org 512-841-8681

(best way to contact me!)

Families, community members, and staff are invited to attend the upcoming Power Hour learning opportunities hosted by the Austin ISD Special Education Department.

Dan St. Romain, a national education consultant with roots in special education support and development, will be presenting virtually on goal setting and positive behavior supports. These are two different sessions in February and March, which are repeated with lunchtime and evening virtual offerings. Interpretation services will be provided. Please share information with families and with staff.

Date: March 30, 2023

Time: 12-1 pm, 6-7 pm

Zoom link: Zoom Link

Topic and Flyer: Avoiding Power Struggles

• English / Spanish Flyers

RSVP Link: RSVP Link

For questions about these meetings, please email us at budget@austinisd.org or visit https://www.austinisd.org/budget for more information.

ALL CURRENT STUDENTS RETURNING TO AISD FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR MUST COMPLETE ONLINE REGISTRATION.

PRE-K4 Registration will open in April. More information to come.

Please follow the link below to sign into your Parent Portal to complete this process.

1. Enrollment landing page: https://www.austinisd.org/enroll

2. Important dates and deadlines: https://www.austinisd.org/transfer/dates-deadlines

3. For questions, please contact Let’s Talk https://www.austinisd.org/letstalk and click on “Student Services: Enrollment, Records, & Transfers."

Megan Escalante

Edward Swan

Zoey Franz

Alondra Rocha

Carolyn McKaskle

Amanda Prickett

Raven Jeffrey

Paige Hariharan

Nicole Kruszona

March

3- Kristi Samon

4 - Tiffany Cortez Machado

9 - Alondra Rocha

15 - Pooja Mulgaonker

16- Rhonda Vasquez

17- Abby Shoppa

18 - Abbey Raymond

24 - Elizabeth Billman

25 - Joanna Hamme

29 - Cory Matheny

We have been working with various businesses and clubs to get new sessions for the spring. Check out the new and updated options.

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

Here is the Camp CREW flyer! And here is the link to register!

https://thechilddevelopmentcenter.org/summer-camps/

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