Success Story Archives
2.2.2010 - KIPPSters Eat Organic!
 KIPP Austin is now offering a selection of locally and organically grown produce in our school meals! As part of our relationship with the Sustainable Food Center, they have connected us with Austin and Central Texas organic farmers to make organic produce available to students. And to make the reach further, our own cater is working with us to purchase fruits, vegetables and herbs as often as possible from these farmers.
At KIPP Austin, we have many students to feed, twice a day, every day, so if we can get even one local, organic item per week we will still be miles ahead of most of the school food service departments in the country. And the benefits of eating locally are many! The money we spend on our exceptional school food is now even more valuable in that more of it will filter back in to our local economy. Additionally, food that doesn’t travel thousands of miles in refrigerated trucks, planes and cargo ships means that the food is left in the ground, on the vine or limb longer, thereby maintaining more of its valuable nutrients. And when food doesn’t travel far, there are fewer emissions and less fuel is used.
And, most important for our work at KIPP Austin, our students can begin to have a better understanding of and a stronger connection to their food and where it comes from. They can begin to taste for themselves the delicious difference between fresh food in its natural state and processed food that comes wrapped in a package. They can develop a respect for the incredibly challenging work of being a farmer.
A special thanks to our Child Nutrition Manager, Melissa Laurel, and the Sustainable Food Center for making this possible!
1.11.2010 - KIPPster Explore the Wonderful World of Art
 KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters fifth graders are back to school after a well deserved winter break and are excited to get back into the classroom, especially the art classroom. In their first semester students were introduced to art discussing questions like “What is Art?” and "Who is an Artist?”. They then delved right into the good stuff with lessons about Color Theory as they learned how to mix 36 colors from the primary colors, black and white. The art teacher, Wilhelmina Peragine, says now the students love to point out the color choices of various artists and works.
Students then explored lines, learning a variety of strategies to communicate feeling and create realistic representations of what we actually see. Students enjoyed learning about Leonardo Da Vinci and mimicking drawings he made in his sketchbook using their line strategies. Lead by Ms. Peragine, students ended the first semester moving from 2D to 3D by first learning about shape and then form. Colored chalk was the favorite media of many as students drew O’Keefe-like vegetables with organic shapes and brilliant color.
Now that students are back and ready for more, they are beginning a unit on landscape and will soon be painting the oak grove outside the art room, Plein Air (aka, painting outside)! Other units this semester include: “Nature as Inspiration” where student will explore pattern, balance and variety, “Who are You?” where students will complete self portraits, and “Masterful Musings” a final project where students will emulate artists works.
Also, as part of the schools partnership with the Austin Museum of Art’s program, Seeing Special Things, 50 students have Still Life drawings on display. Students will also take part in six more field lessons to the museum this semester, an experience they relish, to participate in guided tours as well as “hands-on” time in the family lab.
12.18.2009 - Check out the KIPP Austin Holiday Shows!
 In the final weeks before winter break, KIPPsters have been dazzling teachers, parents, and friends in their holiday school performances. The KIPP Austin Collegiate Dance Crew and the KIPP Austin Collegiate Band put on a great show at the high school. KIPP Austin College Prep fans watched a play inspired by Dr. Suess’ book, The Lorax and a song interpreted through sign language by the fifth graders. KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters students treated guests to a gallery of the artwork they completed over the semester and a performance by the Glee Club.
All students did a spectacular job! Check out our Facebook page for more pictures!
12.11.2009 - High School Students Participate in Activities outside of the Classroom
 In the four days leading up to Thanksgiving, KIPP Austin Collegiate students participated in their second annual fall intersession. Principal Carrie Donovan started intersession at the high school last year to give students an opportunity to participate in a series of programs and field lessons outside the normal academic and elective offerings. It gives students a great opportunity to experience different fields of study that could develop into future degree paths in college as well as time to complete service learning projects with various community-oriented organizations in Austin.
This year’s opportunities were kicked off November 19th with ninth grade students designing two wall murals, landscaping, gardening, and creating a campus recycling station. The tenth graders provided community service at the Hands of the Earth Farm with Urban Roots. They also began one of many art projects by painting a 6 yard x 83” canvas to represent their Cardinal Pride which will later be posted in the high school gymnasium. The next day, the freshmen visited St. Edward’s University while the sophomores traveled to Waco, TX to visit Baylor University.
As Intersession continued, freshmen worked with volunteers from Junior Achievement, an organization that teaches youth about production, marketing, and capital investment while competing online with a fictional product. In addition, Austin LifeGuard conducted a sex education workshop to empower students with accurate information to help them make healthy decisions in life. On the last day, sophomores learned to playlacrosse from Southwestern University lacrosse players and competed in a Cardinal tournament. Then motivational speaker, Kesha Dirkson, was on campus that afternoon to lead a workshop on public speaking. This workshop worked to prepare our college bound students for oral presentations and college/employment interviews.
Students will participate in another intercession in the days leading up to spring break in March 2010. What a great opportunity for these KIPPsters!
12.3.2009 - First KIPP Austin Alumni Accepted into College!
 Recently, school history was made at KIPP as a member of our first class of KIPPsters, the class of 2010, received their first college acceptance letter! Edward H., who began at KIPP Austin in 2002 as a 5th grader, was accepted to The University of Texas at San Antonio and Sam Houston State University. This is a huge accomplishment for Edward and invaluable to us at KIPP Austin to show all the current KIPPsters that their continued hard work and perseverance does pay off.
Getting underserved students to and through college is KIPP Austin’s core mission and the main reason KIPP Austin was established. Our students, teachers, and staff spend every minute of every day striving to accomplish that mission and are so excited to see our students reaching their goals.
We know that this is just the beginning and many more letters of acceptance will be coming in for the class of 2010 and those after, but I know we will all remember this first letter and Edward as he continues his journey through college and beyond.
11.13.2009 - Check out our 2008-09 Annual Report! .jpg) Thanks to Sherry Matthews Advocacy Marketing, designer Gretchen Hicks, and photographer Kirk Tuck for producing our report again this year! Click here to learn all about KIPP Austin!
Come volunteer and support the efforts of UpLift Austin to make KIPP Austin Collegiate a greener and healthier school! The ninth grade students will be implementing four sustainability projects on campus, and we are seeking volunteers to work alongside students. Projects include: Campus Organic Garden, Xeriscape Landscaped Recreation Area, KIPP Mural, Campus Wide Recycling Program Detailed Info: Thursday, November 19, 9am - 5pm AND Monday, November 23, 11am - 5pm Type of labor: General labor (i.e., good exercise) - building, drilling, sawing, shoveling, lifting, painting, planting, gardening, etc. Suitable for: Anyone! No special degrees or skills required.... although if you have a special talent for gardening, landscape design, carpentry, fence building, and/or art, please do bring it along! (Children under age 13 must have an adult guardian present.) Volunteers are welcome to come either or both days, in any time frame that suits your schedule! Please let us know when you're able to work alongside the students and other community members! If interested please email the UpLift Campus Coordinator, Adrienne Clements, at adrienne@upliftaustin.org. 11.6.2009 - We Have Some Brave KIPPsters!
 One vital part of KIPP Austin Public Schools is participation in field lessons, allowing students to participate in fun, educational, character building activities outside of the classroom. Typical field lessons include, trips to local parks for community service, team building hikes to Enchanted Rock, or week long end-of-year field lessons where students visit colleges and experience other parts of the United States. Recently, KIPP Austin College Prep students participated in an all-school evening field lesson that is a favorite among many students and teachers each year. There is a certain buzz around school the day of and the air is filled with anxious anticipation of the evening’s events. This field lesson is a trip to the House of Torment. The House of Torment is a local haunted house that boasts to be the scariest in Austin (and even the nation). They actually have two different houses, each taking about 20 minutes for participants to pass through. Our KIPPsters were up to the challenge as they displayed immense courage throughout both houses. Even standing in line at this place is daunting! They also displayed great community during the event as they supported one another through the houses. Students who were nervous themselves were calming down other students and encouraging them to keep going.
The House of Torment field lesson is definitely fun and gives students a way to release some pent up Halloween energy, but the trip also gives students a chance to support one another and build camaraderie at the school. We are very proud of every brave KIPPster that participated!
Also, check out our Facebook page to see all our Halloween enthusiasts in their creative costumes. 10.30.2009- Students Build Robot, KIPP In the News
 KIPP Austin College Prep’s first-ever robotics team entered their first competition this past Saturday, and while they may not have won any awards, their tenacity and positive attitudes have set them up for success in the future. The team, consisting of 8th students, spent many hours preparing their robot for the Capital B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) competition. The event was held at Westlake High School where almost all of the other competitors were high school teams that had been a part of the event for many years. The KIPP Austin team faced many challenged as their robot’s wheels would not stay on the axles, making it impossible for them to move around the field. But the KIPPsters did not give up – after each of the eight rounds they continued to work tirelessly to improve their robot for the next round. The students were lead by 8 th grade science teacher, Eddie Rice, who says the real success of building the robot came in the six weeks leading up to the event. He says students went through the design process of understanding the problem, brainstorming, creating models, and then constructing the robot. Words like friction, tension, pressure, and torque were the norm. Many learned how to use a screwdriver or a hand-saw for the first time, in addition to learning how to connect batteries and wires to a mini-computer. We are very proud of our robotics team and know they will be back to compete again.
KIPP In the News
On Tuesday, November 3rd FOX News featured a story on the work the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) does in schools, and our amazing Food & Garden Club has made such a wonderful impression on our new partners that we were selected to be part of the story. Check out the segment here! To learn more about our partnership with the SFC, check out our story archives page.10.23.2009- KIPP Austin Student Speaks at Marathon Kids Event
 Each year KIPP Austin College Prep fifth graders participate in a fitness and nutrition program, Marathon Kids, which works to encourage students to be more active and to live a healthier life. The students are challenged to run or walk 26.2 miles over six months. They are given a Marathon Kids running log where they are able to color in each 1/4 mile they complete. Along with increasing fitness, the program encourages children to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day for at least 26.2 days of each month. KIPP Austin students really enjoy participating in the program, especially when they all come together to run the final mile and complete their marathon, even receiving a finishers medal. One KIPP Austin student, Emily Catalan who participated in the program last year as a fifth grader, was chosen to speak about her experience at a recent Marathon Kids Fundraiser. She represented all marathon kids as she told her story about completing the 26.2 miles and how she inspired other family members and friends to become more active.
Thanks to Marathon Kids for creating such a wonderful program that puts our students and many others on a path to better overall health and fitness.
10.16.2009- Sixth Grade Students Participate in National KIPP Student Leadership Retreat
 Last Friday, two KIPP Austin sixth graders joined KIPPsters from around the country to participate in a KIPP national Student Leadership Retreat. The annual retreat was held in Occidental, California and provided an opportunity for two exemplary middle school students as well as two high school students from each KIPP school from around the country to participate in a weekend of activities designed to further develop leadership and teamwork skills. KIPP Austin was represented by sixth graders Emily C and Francisco G, who were accompanied by math teacher Candice Pippin. They were chosen for the trip based on their ability to speak publicly to their teachers and classmates in a very mature and thoughtful way as well as their ability to do the right thing, and influence their teammates to do the right thing, even when no one is looking.
At the retreat, Emily and Francisco worked individually as well as in small groups to complete leadership tasks and challenges. On the first day, the students discussed what qualities they thought a good leader needed to have in order to be effective. Some of the qualities which Francisco and Emily talked most about were integrity, honesty, respect, community, and courage. In the afternoon and the following day they worked to set personal goals and goals for their group and completed a series of leadership challenges and ropes courses. Both showed a lot of courage on a personal level and were also very encouraging to their teammates from other KIPP schools to not give up and push themselves in the high ropes challenges.
Way to go Emily and Francisco!
10.9.2009 -KIPP Austin Partner with Uplift Austin; KIPP Austin High School Student Selected as Intern for Urban Roots
 KIPP Austin is proud to announce a new partnership with an extraordinary community organization, Uplift Austin. Uplift Austin is an innovative, multi-disciplinary program offered as a daytime course in Austin high schools. They work to match teams of design professionals and college students representing the fields of landscape design, interior design, green building and public art with a high school committed to improving its campus. These dedicated professionals will introduce students to sustainable design while completing colorful and environmentally friendly renovations to the school.
Uplift Austin will be working closely with our high school, KIPP Austin Collegiate, and will teach four different classes throughout the school day. Students who participate will graduate from the program with a high school credit, a sustainable design certificate or completion and the opportunity to take an internship in a design field. What a great opportunity for our students to learn more about environmental design and make a different in their campus!
If you are interested in getting involved with this program at KIPP Austin, please contact Uplift Austin for more information. They are looking for community members to work hands-on with the students to create transformational campus projects, as well as needs related to the projects, such as materials acquisition, community volunteer day coordination and/or participation.
KIPP Austin is also involved with Urban Roots, a youth development program run through YouthLaunch, that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of young people and increase the access of healthy food in Austin. One of our high school students, Gabby G, participated in the program last year as a Farm Intern. Her friendly attitude and thoughtful comments quickly won the respect of her fellow Farm Interns. Because of her passion for Urban Roots and her ability to relate to others she has been chosen to be an Assistant Crew Leader in 2010. Great job, Gabby!
10.2.2009 - KIPP on NBC
 This past Monday, a national TV story about KIPP aired on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. KIPP was featured as part of the NBC series “What Works” which highlights programs that are helping communities across the country.
In a unique twist, NBC gave video cameras to two KIPP students, Gabriel Gomez, a seventh grader at KIPP Infinity in NYC and Erin Chapman, an eighth grader at KIPP Academy of Opportunity in LA, so they could film a ‘day in the life of a KIPPster.’ Check it out here. 9.25.2009 - Announcing KIPP Austin's First-ever Open House!
The KIPP Austin Breakfast of Champions
Friday, October 2nd
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
KIPP Austin College Prep Cafeteria
Come join the leaders, students, and educators of KIPP Austin for a casual breakfast at KIPP Austin College Prep! The Breakfast of Champions also includes a tour of KIPP Austin classrooms and information about our exciting growth plans. Please RSVP to Tess Williford, Annual Fund Manager, at (512) 501-3643 x204 or twilliford@kippaustin.org. We hope to see you there!
9.18.2009 - KIPP Austin Collegiate on MSNBC!
 KIPP Austin Collegiate, our brand-new high school, was featured this past weekend on MSNBC as part of a special hosted by Bill Cosby titled “About Our Children”. The piece was a live town hall meeting at Howard University focusing on the issues of education, parenting, and health care in America today. KIPP Austin Collegiate was one of three high performing schools selected from around the country to be featured in the special, check out the segment here.
Also, in local news news
KIPP Austin College Prep, our founding middle school, has been ranked in the top ten of schools in Central Texas! Check out the Austin American-Statesman article about Central Texas school here.
9.11.09 - KIPP Austin students visit UT Band Members
On Tuesday, September 8th, a few teachers and students from KIPP Austin College Prep visited the University of Texas School of Music to give a presentation about KIPP Austin’s music program. The presentation was the start of an exciting partnership between UT’s college band members and our music program. KIPP Austin College Prep Band Director, Brian Klenzendorf and Vice Principal Katie Hayes were joined by 8th grade band students Romario Q. and Jorge M. to talk with the UT students about what music means to them. Romario and Jorge spoke in front of approximately 100 members of the service fraternity and sorority Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma talking all about KIPP Austin and about the impact the music program has made on them.
This year members of KKY and TBS will be aiding KIPP Austin Public School’s music program by mentoring students, playing concerts, providing support, and helping with fundraising. In return, KIPP music students will help KKY and TBS with one of their largest fundraisers of the year. It’s a great partnership that we know will greatly benefit music students at KIPP Austin.
9.4.09 -
KIPP Austin Partners with the Sustainable Food Center
 Nutrition and overall student wellness have been a long time priority for KIPP Austin, but this year we are proud to team with one of Austin’s most prominent champions of eating locally to make this the healthiest year yet. The Sustainable Food Center (SFC) is a local program that creates opportunities for individuals to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant local food system. Through organic food gardening, relationships with area farmers, interactive cooking classes and nutrition education, children and adults have increased access to locally grown food and are empowered to improve the long-term health of Central Texans and our environment. Our founding middle school will be implementing SFC's Sprouting Healthy Kids program, which will affect three different areas of student life.
The first area occurs in the cafeteria as a member of the SFC team, Andrew Smiley and our Child Nutrition Manager, Melissa Laurel will work together to include locally grown, seasonal, organic produce on the menu. Occasionally, students will even get the opportunity to meet face to face with the farmer that grew some of their food to learn more about what happens before the food is on their plate. The second part will take place in the classroom, where several teachers will implement Sprouting Healthy Kids lessons to support current curriculum. Lessons include topics like, how eating locally can benefit your communities economy; how eating locally can benefit the environment; and lessons simply on the food system...something the SFC calls "Grow, Share, Prepare." The third aspect of the program will take place after school where SFC will partner with our KIPP Austin Food and Garden Club to work together in the our garden to further students knowledge on food systems and growing their own food at home.
We can’t wait to get started with SFC and with their help, the Food and Garden Club will soon be hosting garden work days with students, parents and volunteers. So keep checking back on how you can get involved with our garden or contact Melissa Laurel for information on this program.
8.28.09 - KIPP Video Shows What KIPP Means to Students and Teachers
Check out this video created by the KIPP Foundation featuring KIPPsters across the country defining what KIPP is to them – lots of KIPPsters both big and little from Austin make an appearance! Click here.
8.21.09 - Back to School and Michael and Susan Dell Recognized
 Monday, August 24th marks the first day of the 2009-10 school year at KIPP Austin Public Schools. Approximately 635 students will ascend on the KIPP Austin campus as we kick off another great school year. After completing summer sessions earlier this summer, students will be ready to hit the ground running and get straight to work achieving their academic and cultural goals.
If last year’s results are any indication of what’s to come this year, students are positioned for success as the 2008-09 TAKS results were recently released and students and teachers have much to be proud of. We are pleased to announce that in just its first year, KIPP Austin Collegiate received an exemplary rating – an honor they share with only one other high school in Austin (congrats LASA High School!). In all of Texas, less than 10% of high schools received an Exemplary rating. Our pioneer middle school, KIPP Austin College Prep, also scored high marks and received a Recognized rating for the second year in a row. Last year, KACP was the only middle school in the Austin area to receive a Recognized rating. This year, KACP shares its honor with only two other middle schools in the Austin area (props to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and Harmony Science, two other amazing charter schools!). Great job KIPPsters!
Our high school is also ready to welcome students thanks to volunteers from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, who helped our high school get ready by renovating the biology lab. Through a room makeover, they turned a standard classroom into an inspiring place for students to conduct experiments and broaden scientific knowledge. Check out the ‘after’ picture on the left to see their great work.
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation was also honored recently by the national KIPP Foundation for its support of KIPPsters all across the country. They received this award during KIPP School Summit in Orlando in early August to commemorate their ongoing support. KIPP Austin would not be where it is today without their commitment, so we are thrilled they received this much deserved recognition.
8.14.09- A KIPP Shout-Out from the International Space Station!
KIPP Austin Collegiate Students Talk to Astronaut in Space; KAC sophomore introduces Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst; astronauts adopt KIPP’s motto: “
Work Hard. Be Nice”.
On August 12th, KIPP Austin Collegiate freshmen attended a NASA-sponsored uplink to the International Space Station and got the chance to speak live with NASA astronaut – and Austin native – Army Colonel Timothy Kopra.
Held at the Bob Bullock Museum, the event not only featured many KIPP Austin students asking questions of Colonel Kopra, but also provided an opportunity for one KAC sophomore to demonstrate amazing courage and leadership. Zeke Reyes, a KIPP Austin Collegiate sophomore, introduced Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at the event. Reyes made his classmates and teachers incredibly proud with his poise as he talked about he and his classmates’ experience this summer in Geometry Camp launching rockets from launch pads and measuring speed, distance, and velocity.
Colonel Kopra must be a big fan of KIPP as he had a KIPP t-shirt with him in space, emblazoned with the KIPP mantra: “Work Hard. Be Nice”. The shirt floated beside him for most of the downlink – while only the words “Work Hard” were visible, KIPPsters knew exactly what they were looking at! Colonel Kopra gave KIPP a “shout-out” from space, saying that the motto is one that all of the astronauts in the International Space Station have adopted.
Check out KUT Radio’s report on the event here. To see the KIPP t-shirt in space, check out KVUE’s feature on the event! The Daily Texan also covered the event, and has a great picture of the Colonel Kopra with the KIPP t-shirt. This event marks the second experience KIPPsters have had with NASA this summer – in June, the Science Club visited the NASA Space Center in Houston. Read all about their trip and the lessons they learned in our Success Story Archives (scroll to the bottom).
Big congratulations on a great job to our freshmen, to Zeke Reyes, and to the teachers and leaders at KIPP Austin Collegiate!
7.31.09- KIPP In the News!
 The Knowledge is Power Program continues to get positive press all across the nation. Check out what is being said about KIPP Schools.
The Economist - “A Special Report on Texas - Work Hard. Be Nice”
“…KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) started in 1994 with a simple philosophy, encapsulated in its main motto, “Work hard. Be nice.” It stresses personal responsibility and hard work (even the youngest students can expect a couple of hours of homework a night, and teachers must be available on their mobile phones to help with it) and tells its pupils that “there are no short cuts.” Read more…
The New York Times - “48 of 48”
“… I met Shanequa High some years ago when she was a sixth-grader at a middle school that was still in the embryonic stage (there were only two grades) in rural Gaston, N.C. The Gaston College Preparatory School was part of the KIPP network of charter schools, and the early word was that it was showing great promise.” Read more…
USA Today - “Kids Reap Benefits of Long School Year”
“… KIPP Philadelphia Charter School CEO Marc Mannella says he instituted a longer school year because students were coming to KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) behind by two to three grade levels.” Read more…
Charter School Examiner – “Hall of Fame- Knowledge is Power Program”
“Three names were added to the education hall of fame through the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools during the 2009 charter schools conference in Washington, DC. Knowledge Is Power Program was one of three honorees.” Read more…
7.24.09 - Local company gets our high school in top shape!
 We are all set to welcome 100 ninth graders to campus next week thanks to a hard working group that dedicated an afternoon of their time to help get our campus ready. ProspX, a local technology company, brought out 15 employees to do some major work at our high school, KIPP Austin Collegiate. The high school is expanding one grade level this fall and needed some dedicated volunteers to get in it shape for student orientation the first week of August. The volunteers moved and assembled student tables, hung white boards, tore down and hauled off worn out shelving units and even gave our gym bleachers some much needed TLC. Community involvement in this way is so important to our schools and we are so appreciative for their support. We teach our students that it is not enough to be academically prepared; they must also be well-rounded people with strong character. So we are always grateful when visitors lead by example and demonstrate community service and leadership to our students. Thank you ProspX, for all your support and the positive example you are setting for our students.
7.17.09 - KIPP Austin Joins Facebook!
.png) KIPP Austin Public Schools is now on Facebook. Check out our page to learn more about our schools, find out about events, and browse through photos of our dedicated students in action. Become a fan today!
7.10.09 - KIPP Austin Academy of Arts and Letters Opens!
 On Monday, July 6th we celebrated the opening of our third school, KIPP Austin Academy of Arts & Letters, and welcomed 100 new fifth graders to the ranks of KIPP Austin Public Schools. They will complete a three week summer session then resume classes for the regular academic year on August 24th.
During summer session, students receive an introduction to the school, teachers, the expectations at KIPP, and what it means climb the mountain to college. KIPPsters learn the tools they need to be successful, and start looking at their future as they begin talking about college and its importance in their lives.
Another priority during summer session is learning what it means to live out the KIPP Austin values of quality, community, tenacity, courage, and honor – values that will permeate every aspect of their lives at KIPP. They also learn about their 5th grade motto: “Be Heroic”, and have begun working on a self-reflective book in art class identifying what it means to be heroic and how they can infuse that in their daily lives.
When asked about her first week, 5th grader Sandra said, “I really like it so far. I feel supported and helped by the principal.” She also mentioned that her favorite part of summer school so far is learning the chants and is excited for the competition at the end of summer school. We are very proud of all of our new KIPPsters and know that they are already working hard to climb the mountain to college!
7.3.09 - KIPP Austin Alumni in the Community
 This summer our current KIPPsters are hard at work during summer school, but we can’t forget about our KIPP Austin College Prep alumni, the class of 2010 and 2011, who are attending various high schools throughout Austin and the United States. KIPP Austin Alumni Counselors keep in close contact with these students and stay involved with them through our Alumni Services Program. This program provides academic and personal support, high school and college placement, counseling, internship opportunities, career services, and social and cultural enrichment activities. The Alumni Counselors’ core responsibility is to track, support, and empower all alumni to fulfill their potential for success.
This summer, some of the KIPP Austin alumni are demonstrating their leadership in the community by teaming up with the nonprofit Space 12 to host a weekly summer movie event they have named Showdown. The mission of the Showdown series is to bring people of all ages to Space 12 to recognize its purpose as an open community space and provide a positive weekly activity for the community. The students have taken the lead with this program, organizing every aspect from choosing the films shown to scheduling and marketing. If you would like to know more about this program, please contact Alumni Counselor Laura Chrisco for information.Join us for the next event on Wednesday, July 8 at 7:00 pm. Bring the whole family out for a showing of the animated movie Wall-E!
6.26.09 - Inspirational Instr
uction
 KIPP Austin Public Schools works every day to empower its students on the path to and through college. This mission simply could not be accomplished without the dedication and hard work of our teachers. They work long days and are always thinking about new ways to engage and connect with their students. One such inspirational teacher is Ms. Katie Shapiro, who just completed her first year at KIPP Austin College Prep as the sixth grade reading teacher, and next year will teach 5th grade reading and be the grade level chair. In her first year with the school, Ms. Shapiro was incredible to watch in the classroom; she created comfort and trust with her students while continuously pushing for academic achievement. She jokes that teaching is in her blood as both her parents are teachers and she easily remembers leading high school study groups and college seminars.
In 2005, Ms. Shapiro joined Teach For America because she felt aligned with their mission of working to end educational inequality. In 2008, she decided to join KIPP Austin College Prep for many of the same reasons, wanting to work in a place where she believed every single teacher, administrator and staff member was also dedicated to ending educational inequality and working to get underserved students to college. When asked what she likes most about KIPP Ms. Shapiro responded, “First and foremost, it’s the students. They are intelligent, fun, and inquisitive. Each day, I’m excited to see them, observe their intellectual curiosity, and see their intelligence grow. Also, it’s the feel of this place. Walking around campus, stepping into rooms, you feel the energy and academic rigor. You see the dedicated teachers. You observe the intellectual curiosity. It’s something very special and is not found in many places.”
We are very grateful to have dedicated teachers like Ms. Shapiro and know that our students’ futures are positively impacted every day.
6.19.09- Science Club Goes to NASA!
 Our fifth grade Science Club recently got the chance to visit the Space Center in Houston where they spent many hours exploring all things space. Eager students were able to see a space shuttle mock up training lab and a real rocket that was once launched and retrieved from the ocean. Students also learned a great lesson that embodies KIPP’s mission while watching a video detailing the tragic Challenger explosion. In the video they saw President Regan’s strong reaction to the explosion saying that NASA’s top engineers would dedicate themselves to making space flight safe, stating that FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. Student saw this motto all over Space Center, on t-shirts, magazines, pencils, and post cards and rubber wristbands. Never wanting to miss an opportunity, Ms. Eaglin the club sponsor, starting asking students how this could be applied to all the hard work they were doing back at school. Fifth grader Daniela Llamas sums it up very well, “It represents how hard it might be for us to get to college, but that failing is not something that we will do. We will be persistent no matter what gets in our way.”
Students attending the trip received a rubber wristband stating the motto they learned, “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION”, to remind them everyday that they will meet challenges and setbacks, but to persevere through. We are very proud of our insightful fifth graders and all their hard work throughout the year in the Science Club!
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