| Greetings!
We are quickly nearing the end of another successful school year! Our students are focused on finishing the year strong as they prepare to showcase a year of hard work on the upcoming TAKS tests and embark on exciting end-of-year field lessons.
We are also preparing for the opening of our third school in the KIPP Austin Public Schools system. KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters will open this summer with 100 fifth graders eager to start their journey to and through college.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have visited KIPP Austin, or lent your support to us this school year. Our value of Community is exemplified by your commitment; it is pivotal to ensuring our students climb the mountain to college. |
| Expansion Plans |
KIPP Austin Public Schools is well on its way to establishing ten high-achieving, college preparatory schools in Austin, serving over 5,000 students. Our first school, KIPP Austin College Prep, was started in 2002 and serves fifth through eighth grades. KIPP Austin Collegiate opened its doors this past fall to 90 ninth graders and will continue to grow by adding tenth grade in the fall of 2009.
We are extremely excited to announce the opening of our third school, and second middle school, KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters. 100 fifth graders will begin their journey to college on July 6th by participating in a three-week summer school program before the regular school year begins in August. This school will be led by our current KIPP Fisher Fellow, Kevin Newman, who has taught with KIPP Austin for four years. Mr. Newman looks forward to July 6th when his students start their first day and the now empty desks and chairs are filled by students eager to learn and seize the opportunity for a college preparatory education. One important aspect of KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters will be its focus on arts. Research has shown that students who have a rigorous art education curriculum perform higher on tests and develop a higher value of themselves. Each year, students will focus on a different art path, including visual arts, theatre arts, dance, and media. Congratulations to Mr. Newman on opening the next KIPP Austin middle school!
To learn more about Mr. Newman and KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters, visit our web site. |
| Superior Student Achievements |
We are thrilled to announce that two KIPP Austin College Prep students were accepted into the prestigious Deerfield Academy KIPP-STEP program this summer. Deerfield Academy is a competitive boarding school that runs a summer program for KIPP students from around the nation. Only 36 students were chosen, including seventh graders Brandon Hendershot and Laura Morales from KIPP Austin College Prep. They will join other KIPPsters for three weeks in Massachusetts studying biology, chemistry, and English with Deerfield and KIPP teachers. What a great way to spend the summer!
 KIPP Austin Collegiate students have also earned many accolades recently. Ninth grader Daniele Gardner placed second in the Smart Kids Essay Contest, winning a scholarship for $2,500. Junior Achievement and Financial Fitness of Greater Austin have put together a campaign designed to promote education and greater awareness of personal finances. A part of this program specifically geared towards sixth through twelfth grade students is the "$mart Kid" Essay contest. The "$mart Kid" Essay Contest is aimed at helping students develop knowledge of economic and personal finance concepts, understand budgets and the importance of financial planning, and become better prepared for their future roles as consumers, investors, and workers. We are very proud of Daniele for her award-winning essay and her dedication to extending her talents beyond the classroom.
Other KIPP Austin Collegiate students shined during their participation in the Junior Achievement's Titan Program, a web-based program that prepares students for the business world by simulating a new business launch. It puts participating students at the helm of a manufacturing company as Company President, Production Manager, Marketing Manager, and Accounting Manager. A team consisting of three KIPP Austin Collegiate freshmen, Keyla Morales, Adalia Martinez, and Maria Perez competed against four other teams of all seniors and finished in third place. Well done, freshmen! |
| Teacher Spotlight- Sarah Rosenbaum |
Sarah Rosenbaum - Ninth Grade Spanish
This past fall we were excited to open our first KIPP Austin high school, KIPP Austin Collegiate, and open more doors of opportunity to our students. One such opportunity was foreign language classes offered for the first time to our students, and we were thrilled to bring on an amazing ninth grade Spanish teacher, Sarah Rosenbaum, to take on the task. Ms. Rosenbaum is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned her BA in Spanish and Psychology. Through the Teach For America program, she taught Spanish at a public school in Washington, D.C. Before moving to Austin and starting at KIPP, Ms. Rosenbaum also earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching from American University.
Currently, native-speaking ninth graders in Ms. Rosenbaum's class are beginning to read their first novel in Spanish, Cuando era puertorriqueña or When I was Puerto Rican. The students are working in independent reading groups to discuss the effects and the process of assimilation in relation to the life of the main character, Esmeralda. Students in the non-native Spanish speakers class will be completing a culminating project about their community which will incorporate grammar and vocabulary they have learned over the past year.
When not in the classroom, Ms. Rosenbaum enjoys spending time outdoors, especially in the sunny Austin weather where she is able to swim and hike more often. She also loves to travel and is looking forward to traveling to Mexico over the summer.
Thanks for all your dedicated work with our ninth graders this year, Ms. Rosenbaum!
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Sincerely,
KIPP Austin Public Schools
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle |
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| KIPP Austin is Seeking Talented Individuals to Join Our Staff! |
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With the opening of our second middle school, KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters, as well as the addition of a tenth grade at KIPP Austin Collegiate, we are currently seeking over 20 new staff positions to teach our students, lead our staff, and build our network of schools. 2010 will also bring an increased need for talented kindergarten teachers as we will open our first elementary school led by new KIPP Fisher Fellow Justin Scott.
Please consider making a referral of great candidates to Lynnae Hill, Director of Human Talent, at lhill@kippaustin.org. We take referrals very seriously and will follow up immediately.
We'd also like to highlight the following available positions:
Middle School-
Special Education Coordinator
Reading Teacher
Science Teacher
High School-
Science Teacher
Math Teacher
Spanish Teacher
Assistant Principal
Shared Services Team-
Math Curriculum Specialist
Science Curriculum Specialist
Director of Human Resources
Interested candidates may apply directly at www.kippaustin.org and click on the TEACH tab. Additionally, please review this brochure for more information on pathways to leadership at KIPP Austin Public Schools.
Finally, we will be opening our second elementary school in 2011; we encourage applicants interested in a future opportunity as a founding principal to apply for an academic position with us for this year, including teacher, assistant principal, or curriculum specialist. |
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