It has been a busy winter at KIPP Austin and with Spring Break behind us, we are preparing for additional TAKS testing and our MAP benchmark testing.  Last Saturday, our juniors took the SAT after months of preparation.  We are also hearing good news from our Class of 2011 as they receive college acceptance letters.  I am looking forward to our Pennant Ceremony in May and seeing each of them proudly hold up the pennant from the college they plan to attend next fall.

From my office window I can see the constant signs of progress at KIPP Austin.  Thanks to the generosity of the St. David's Community Health Foundation, we just opened our new commercial kitchen and cafeteria that will ultimately serve 2,500 students on this campus. In addition, work is being done on several buildings to accommodate the 500 students who will be joining us in the fall as our growing schools add grades and we open our fifth school and welcome another class of Kindergarteners.

We have such a vibrant community and its spirit was on full display last month at the Charter School Parent Rally at the Capitol.  Our families take such pride in advocating for KIPP and their children's future.  There is a great deal at stake during this legislative session.  We are facing a cut in state funding between 10-15%.  This is no small matter particularly considering that charter schools already receive less state funding than our ISD peers.  Together with other charter schools across the state, we are working to raise awareness of this inequity among decision-makers.  One proposal under consideration that will help us a great deal would give charter schools access to the Permanent School Fund bond guaranty, which currently helps traditional school districts issue AAA rated bonds and significantly lower their cost of borrowing for capital projects. 

As the legislature makes unprecedented budget cuts in education across the state, we will be prepared and our mission and vision will not change.  I am working closely with my staff and the board on managing costs and creating efficiencies, and we know we will come out of this process the better for it.

Finally, I can't talk about life at KIPP Austin today without mentioning Jan Hughes.  Simply put, our hearts are broken.  I know I speak for all of us when I say that we are comforted by the fact that her fingerprints are everywhere on this campus.  The growth and progress I see all around is largely a result of her commitment and passion for our students and their futures.  At KIPP our motto is "Work Hard.  Be Nice."  Jan was 100% a KIPPster!

Love,

Jill

When Justin Scott, school leader at KIPP Austin Comunidad, opened our first elementary school in August, he envisioned a school where parents and families worked together with teachers and staff to create an optimal learning environment. He has been tenacious in fostering this environment and nothing has done more to help achieve his vision than Family Saturday School.  Saturday School is a staple at all of our schools, and Mr. Scott has leveraged these sessions to empower elementary school families and invite shared learning. 

Family Saturday School at KIPP Austin Comunidad has created myriad community building opportunities, including:

• As a team, families led, planned and executed the school's first Fall Festival. The outcome was a festival event that had families working together to celebrate the opening of KIPP Austin Comunidad.
• Families and students rotated through classrooms in January to learn more about Kinder English and Spanish literacy. Families left with six new ways to support literacy at home.
• Spring workshops to learn and share ways to support wellness at home and at school. The workshop program includes collaborating with community networks to learn about dental care for growing children, the importance of vaccinations, how to advocate for reasonably priced healthy foods locally, and a Q&A about the vision for KIPP Austin's health and wellness program.

All Family Saturday Schools end with a delicious potluck and occasionally some live Salsa music.  Family Saturday School has created an informed family community that works together with teachers, a growing parent support network, low attrition, good attendance, and empowered parent leaders.  Viva Comunidad!

Leslie Tufino first came to KIPP Austin in 5^th grade because she saw the positive impact KIPP Austin made in her older brother's life.  She knew if she wanted to go to college, KIPP Austin was the way to do it.  An 8^th grader, Leslie is a strong student, well respected by her peers and teachers, and a role model for other KIPPsters.

Leslie is a member of the KIPP Ambassadors program.  KIPP Ambassadors are chosen to represent the student body in the community.  Leslie says she enjoys being a part of the program because she gets to meet people and talk about the school she loves.

Last summer Leslie was one of only 40 students from across KIPP's national network selected to attend the KIPP STEP (Success Through Enrichment Program) Summer Program at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Out of hundreds of applications from KIPP regions across the country, KIPP STEP participants are chosen based on more than just test scores and grade point averages, but on teacher recommendations, personal evaluations, and personal essays.

The curriculum for the three-week session is led by both KIPP and Deerfield teachers.  Students engage in intensive lab work and experimental research in both biology and chemistry.  They also focus on English Language Arts, where they are challenged to develop advanced writing skills, and to read for greater depth and meaning.

Leslie enjoyed her experience living in the dorms at Deerfield so much that she has decided to follow in her brother's footsteps and applied to several boarding schools for high school and has been accepted to St. Stephen's Episcopal School.  Leslie's older brother, who is a KIPP alum, graduated from the Cate School in Santa Barbara and is now a freshman at California State University.  He has been a great role model to Leslie, who is excited about the independence and extra responsibility attending a boarding school brings.

As Leslie looks to her future, right now she is interested in attending a liberal arts college in the Boston area.

KIPP Austin recently lost one of our truest friends and greatest champions - Jan Hughes.

Jan first started working with KIPP Austin in the summer of 2004.  A fundraising consultant, she was the first development professional we ever worked with.  Lucky for us, she stayed with us for many years as a "one man band" of  sorts.  Jan was a senior advisor, cheerleader-in-chief, hostess extraordinaire, a coach and a mentor.  Jan was a constant presence on campus, leading tours around our schools and grandly introducing first-time visitors to the amazing work we do at KIPP every day.

With Jan it is all about family and so naturally she inspired her passion for KIPP into her own.  Jan's husband, David, has been a tremendous advocate for KIPP in the community. Her son-in-law, Thomas Queen, was one of the very first directors on our Board, serving as secretary for six years before stepping off last fall.  Thomas's contributions to the school are numerous and invaluable, including helping us successfully negotiate a long-term lease with our current landlords.

In the fall of 2008, Jan's daughter and Thomas's wife, Sarah Queen, joined Jan as a partner in her consulting firm.  Sarah has worked tirelessly for KIPP Austin helping us secure major gifts from donors and craft our overall expansion campaign. 

The contributions from Jan and her entire family are incredible.  Simply put, we would not be the organization today had it not been for Jan and her family.