| Greetings!
Hope you are enjoying a happy and healthy 2008! It has been a busy few months at KIPP Austin College Prep. Our students have been working hard on benchmark tests in preparation for the TAKS tests beginning next month, as well as getting ready for the end-of-year field lessons.
Our staff and teachers are working tirelessly preparing for the opening of KIPP Austin Collegiate, our first high school opening this fall and even looking ahead to the first elementary and second middle school set for 2009. |
| Gym Floor Fundraiser |
We want to extend a very special thank you to Chris Perry, Matt Lutz and Andy Thomas for organizing a wonderful event for KIPP Austin this past Friday at the beautiful Laguna Gloria.
It was a great time had by all of the 210 guests in attendance. The event was held to raise money for gym facilities in the new high school opening this fall. At the end of the night, approximately $14,000 was raised toward a new gym floor! Thanks to these efforts the 90 new ninth graders will be more adequately equipped to get fit and better participate in KIPP Austin's outstanding health and fitness program.
This event could not have been so successful without the amazing sponsors, Perry Foundation, Jahn Construction, Thompson & Knight, Kampfe de Stijl, HPI Real Estate Services, Aquila Commercial and Burt-Watts. Thank you so much for your support and generosity.
To Chris, Matt and Andy as well as everyone who attended this event, thank you for your continued support, empowering our students to create better lives for themselves. |
| Garden Market |
Thanks to Ms. Wilbanks and the all KIPPsters that participated to make our Garden Markets a huge success!
Last year as a part of the Nutrition component of our Health and Fitness for Life program, students broke ground on our very own organic garden. Along with teaching responsibility and learning about nutrition, this gave our students the opportunity to give back by selling what they have grown during a Garden Market and donating the profits to purchase a heifer for a family living in poverty through the organization Heifer International. At the market, parents and teachers could choose from many tasty goodies including broccoli, rosemary, onions and three varieties of lettuce.
Our first Garden Market donations totaled $111.05 and Ms. Wilbanks was generous enough to match earnings up to $100. Then, graciously, Ms. Kolasinski and her family matched again with $100! The second Garden Market earned $60 bringing the grand total to ... $371.05! A total of $500 is needed to purchase a heifer, so our KIPPsters are well on the way to helping a family in need! We all look forward to when the next items are ready for harvest. |
| Black History Month |
Songfest to celebrate Black History Month
This past Friday, an exciting event was held at KIPP Austin as our students participated in a songfest celebrating Black History Month.
All the students joined together in the cafeteria to learn about African culture and observe some great performances. The event began with some very well-spoken students presenting facts about African culture. Misael Cortinas explained, "Dance and music play an important part in the lives of African people. Dance and music are performed to worship gods and their ancestors, to make hard work easier and to celebrate important events in the community, marriages, funerals, births, deaths and to celebrate the harvest".
Next up was Ms. Vallejo with some incredible sixth and seventh graders who performed a West African Harvest dance. The dancing was complemented by fellow students playing traditional African instruments, among them a hand drum called a d'jembe and wooden percussion shakers made with beads or shells. All the KIPPsters did a fantastic job!
Thank you to Ms. Moehlig, Ms. Vallejo and Ms. Wilbanks for organizing this event and to all the students who participated! |
| Teacher Spotlight |
Marie Kunthara
Our spotlight teacher this season is Marie Kunthara, our fifth grade level chair and reading teacher. Ms. Kunthara is a graduate of the University of Texas with a degree in History. She completed two years in Miami with the Teach For America program before joining us at KIPP Austin where she is now in her third year. She says she loves working at KIPP Austin because everyone here is working toward a common goal, putting the student first, taking extra steps and giving extra effort to ensure the success of each student.
Now is a very exciting time for our fifth graders as they are getting geared up for the fifth grade field lesson. This year the fifth graders are going to explore a new field lesson, with a tour of Texas, allowing students to gain a better knowledge and appreciation of their home state. They will start in Bastrop for some hiking and camping at the state park. Afterward, the group is on to College Station for a tour of Texas A&M University, followed by the Blue Bell Factory in Brenham, the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, and then finally through San Antonio to visit their local KIPP school, KIPP Aspire. We will keep you posted on how it goes!
Our fifth graders are also studying hard for the upcoming TAKS tests in reading, science and math, occurring in the next few months. Good Luck!
Ms. Kunthara believes students can meet and oftentimes surpass goals and expectations in ways you never thought they would if you just give them the chance. We are very proud to have Ms. Kunthara with us! |
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Thank you for your continued support.
KIPP Austin Staff | |
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| Recruitment Season has Begun! |
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It's that time of year again, and preparations for the 2008-09 and even the 2009-10 school years are underway!
We are actively seeking dedicated educators to serve as the principals of our second middle school and first elementary school, to open in 2009.
We're also currently taking applications for teachers for our middle school (grades 5 to 8) and the opening year of our high school (9th grade).
In addition, parents may get more information about registering their children by calling 512-637-6870 or by visiting our website.
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