Celebrating Girl Power!

KIPP Texas Families, 

Happy first day of Spring! I hope your break was full of love and joy! I spent time soaking up lots of puppy kisses from our new little puppy, Stanford! I returned to work today fully rested and renewed, ready to pour into our KIPPsters as we spring into the next couple of months and finish the school year strong. 

KIPP Texas Celebrates Girl Power! 

We’re continuing to celebrate Women’s Her-story Month, and what it means to have girl power at KIPP Texas. We celebrate the trailblazers, the history makers, the women and girls who are changing the world to be better and more just in our communities and in our schools! For me, girl power is leading with love! Check out this video as our KIPPsters share what girl power means to them.

KIPP Voyage Academy Little KIPPsters were scientists-in-training!

At our only all-girls KIPP Texas school, KIPP Voyage, our Little KIPPsters are part of the next generation of women leaders. Led by School Leader and KIPP alumnae Fabeah Adu-Oppong Newton, our KIPP Voyage students are the future her-story makers, Chasing Excellence! Read more from teachers Ambur Duron and Robynn Slater as they share how they teach their future her-story makers about Women’s History! 

We are a majority-woman organization with ~3,335 (76.17%) Big KIPPsters who identify as women. I celebrate each of you. Take some time this month to write a comment to a woman who inspires and impacts your life in a beautiful way. Send them a private note or let us all know on Facebook so we can celebrate them with you! 

Ramadan Mubarak

 

The holy month of Ramadan, a month for reflection, prayer, and community, begins this Wednesday, March 23. It is common for our Muslim friends, myself included, throughout the month to stay up past midnight in prayer and to wake up before the sun rises to eat and pray. Many Muslims, including some members of our KIPP Texas Team and Family, fast from sunrise to sunset daily during the month. We will be mindful and keep an eye on our KIPPsters that may be tired at school by checking in with them for what they may need. To all who celebrate, including my family, Ramadan Mubarak!

Student Lottery 

On March 6, we sent more than 8,000 student offer letters to join the KIPP Texas Team and Family following our student lottery! I am so excited to welcome our new Little KIPPsters into our joyful classrooms in the 2023-24 school year! Our teams will be busy helping our new families to accept their offers and register for the new year. I am so thankful for the support offered to our new-to-KIPP families through this transition time. Our schools are also holding registration support and family onboarding events to make their experience the best possible. Thank you!  Although the student lottery has ended, limited seats remain open across our network, we are still accepting student applications. Have a family friend apply today!

KIPP Texas Cares

As of March 1, the (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) SNAP Emergency Allotments ended for many families across the nation. Families receiving SNAP benefits, will no longer receive the extra emergency allotments each month. As a reminder, breakfast and lunch are free for ALL students each day our KIPPsters are in school. At a time when inflation is at its highest for food, we provide FREE nutritious and healthy meals for our Little KIPPsters to thrive. Also, the KIPP Texas community resource page shares the most current information where families can receive support for food assistance, health, and basic needs. Our KIPP Texas teams gathered March food drive and SNAP information here.

Legislative Corner

The pace at the Texas Legislature is picking up, and hearings on hundreds of proposed education bills have officially begun at the committee level. In order to become law, a bill must be approved first by a House or Senate committee, then by the full House of Representatives or Senate, and then go through that same process in the opposite chamber. This article provides some helpful details about how it all works.

I am so proud to see some of our KIPP Texas alumni have been selected for this year’s Federal Policy Fellow program.  Check out these remarkable young adults – I hope they inspire all of us to be active participants in our public life!

One great opportunity to raise your voice and share your story is coming up through our April 13 KIPP Texas Day at the Capitol – the deadline to register is March 27. KIPP Texas has a long history of participating in the legislative process prior to COVID-related travel restrictions, and we are so excited to bring this tradition back! Space is limited, so sign up early to guarantee your spot!

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Today is also International Day of Happiness, and as we are springing into STAAR and  Advance Placement (AP) testing and finishing our TELPAS testing, we will not forget to Bring Joy to our Little KIPPsters every day as we celebrate them as they let their brilliance continue to shine.

 

With gratitude,

Sehba Ali

CEO of KIPP Texas