Principal's Message to Hornet Families for the week of November 29th, 2021
Great evening fantastic families,
I hope you all had a chance to connect with your scholars and families to enjoy the holidays. Families please be on the lookout for progress reports as we enter our final 3 week stretch of the first semester. We will have a Basketball game on campus this Thursday December 2nd, Principal's Coffee(8a - 9a) & PTA meeting(9a - 10a) next Tuesday December 7th, and our December service day Saturday December 11th. Thank you for choosing Kealing Middle School and Austin ISD as your child’s primary educator. It is truly my honor to serve the Kealing Community.
#BEGREATmentality
#ProgressNotPerfection
2021-2022 Initiatives and Goals
1.) Daily Formative Assessment
2.) Literacy in Every Classroom
3.) Standards Aligned Instruction
4.) Progress Monitoring
Academic Goal
Utilizing an array of assessments (MAP- Measure of Academic Progress, SCA - AISD Short Course Assessment, and STAAR - State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness), the percentage of each demographic/special group of students performing at the meets level in Math & English will increase by at least 5% - 10% from August 17th, 2021 to May 27th,2022.
Social Goal
- TBA (we are still working on this but planning to look at the types of counseling visits our students are requesting)
KMS Safety Protocols as of 11/28/2021
All Day
Mask wearing is mandatory
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
Classrooms
- We are space seating/desks at least 3 feet apart when feasible
- Each classroom will have a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration unit
- Personal Protective Equipment will be available in each room
- Plexiglass dividers available
- Additional outdoor seating
-Volunteer lunch monitors
Breakfast & Lunch
- Assigned seating
- Students are allowed to eat lunch both inside the cafeteria and outside in the courtyard
- Plexiglass accordian dividers.
Dismissal
- we will have staggered dismissal where scholars will be dismissed by areas of the building to reduce traffic.
High School Credit Class Semester Exams/Semester Exams Bell Schedule
It is important that our Hornets participating in high school credit classes, perform well on their semester exams, as they will count towards a percentage of their semester grades. To help prepare, please have your student attend teachers' Office Hours. Reach out to you student's teachers or Program Directors if you have any questions.
It is almost MAROON AND WHITE NIGHT TIME!
Plan to attend the highly engaging Maroon and White Showcase Night at Austin High on December 2nd! This one-of-a kind event will allow future Maroons to explore all of the amazing programs that Austin High has to offer. Tour the Culinary Arts Kitchen, our Film Studio, or learn more about the exciting opportunities in Project Lead the Way. Visit with teachers and students about our Academies and learn about their signature experiences. The event will begin at 6:30pm in the Austin High Performing Arts Center, with a special performance featuring the many award-winning programs that Austin High has to offer. Families will then have time to visit with teachers and students representing all aspects of Austin High academics, electives, sports, and clubs. Mark your calendars for this exciting night!
Location - Austin High School, West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX, USA
UT Research Study on Parental Perspectives
The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin is conducting a research study about parental and family attitudes on topics in education. Parents and guardians are requested to complete the 8-minute online survey by December 10, 2021. Participation is completely voluntary, and all answers will be anonymous. If you are interested in participating, please click on the link for the survey and additional information: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WCiUjAuVOeVZoW
Research results will be shared during the 2022-23 school year. If you have any questions, please contact heather.vaughn@austin.utexas.edu.
Thank you for your participation.
HEATHER VAUGHN, Ed.S., Sr. Educational Outreach Coordinator, Lecturer
The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life
Moody College of Communication | The University of Texas at Austin
Estudio de investigación de UT sobre las perspectivas de los padres
El Instituto Annette Strauss para la Vida Cívica de la Universidad de Texas en Austin está llevando a cabo un estudio de investigación sobre las actitudes de los padres y la familia sobre temas de educación. Se solicita a los padres y tutores que completen la encuesta en línea de 8 minutos antes del 10 de diciembre de 2021. La participación es completamente voluntaria y todas las respuestas serán anónimas. Si está interesado en participar, haga clic en el enlace de la encuesta e información adicional: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WCiUjAuVOeVZoW
Los resultados de la investigación se compartirán durante el año escolar 2022-23. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con heather.vaughn@austin.utexas.edu.
Gracias por su participación.
HEATHER VAUGHN, Ed.S., Sr. Educational Outreach Coordinator, Lecturer
The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life
Moody College of Communication | The University of Texas at Austin
Nature Rocks Austin - Community Updates
Greetings Nature Lovers!
This week we have a selection of job openings, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming summits/conferences to share. Read to the end for some fun family tips on having a more eco-friendly holiday season!
OPPORTUNITIES
2022 Growing School Gardens Summit Scholarships: scholarship applications are now open for the 2022 Growing School Gardens Summit in Denver. Starting at $450, awards vary based on registration, lodging, and meal needs. Applications due Nov 30th.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Center for Health & Nature Virtual Symposium: on December 8th Houston Methodist, Texan by Nature, and Texas A&M will be hosting a symposium with panel discussions focused on nature and personal health, business practices for healthier communities, and planning for healthier communities. Please register in advance for this virtual event.2021 Lead | Unite | Connect | Adapt | Share - Programs Conference: educational and enrichment session proposals are now open for the 2021 Programs Conference. Running from Dec 13-15, the Programs Conference is an opportunity to learn best practices within and outside the City of Austin's Department of Centralized Programs.
INSPIRATION
How to Have a Green Holiday Season: from our friends at the Office of Sustainability, learn how you and yours can have a more ecologically friendly holiday experience.
Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!
Julia Hill (she/her)
Program Coordinator – Cities Connecting Children to Nature
City of Austin | Parks & Recreation Department | Park Planning Division
+1 512-974-9466 | julia.hill@austintexas.gov
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