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KIPP Texas Families,
Congratulations Texas! Our Houston Astros won the World Series! What a great way to start the week as Champions! I hope everyone enjoyed a great weekend.
Election day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8, and over 60 KIPP Somos Collegiate seniors in San Antonio will cast their first vote together as a Team and Family! Congratulations! We have have made this year’s election day an intentional uninterrupted half day for Little and Big KIPPsters because having time and taking time to vote matters! For our early voters who have already visited the polls, rest and enjoy the afternoon.
November is my favorite time of the year because it marks the start of our KIPP Texas Season of Gratitude initiative! Showing our Little and Big KIPPsters how much we love and care for them is why this season is so meaningful. This holiday season, students and staff will be shown gratitude through generous support! I am so incredibly thankful to the KIPP Texas Community Partnerships team for leading this work this season. I am excited to see the joyful smiles on our KIPPsters this holiday season.
Native American Heritage Month also began November 1, and I want to acknowledge the beautiful and diverse cultures of our indigenous Native people. I honor and celebrate all who identify as Native people.
Our KIPP Texas Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team will celebrate Native American Heritage Month in a virtual staff Cultural Connections event this month. To learn more about the affinity month, check out this website.
November 8 is not just election day but also National STEM Day! How amazing that our KIPP Austin Collegiate STEMinists were invited to Austin’s Formula 1 races at the Circuit of the Americas! They visited the Mercedes paddock and garage area and met the one and only Lewis Hamilton! This was part of a fun-filled four-day event that included a STEM presentation on how to expand the world of STEM to students of color at Huston-Tillotson University and to end the weekend with an Ed Sheeran concert. Our KIPPsters made me incredibly proud once again as they Champion Equity by creating a culture of STEM positivity and making it their North Star to change perspectives of STEM careers with people of color.
Our Little KIPPsters are making huge strides toward their pathway to college, career, and beyond! For one KIPP Houston High School senior, she was rewarded with a $40,000 scholarship from the College Board just by taking those steps of planning for college. Britney Perez completed the online steps of building a college list and practicing for the SAT, which entered her into a monthly scholarship drawing. In October, she was one of the two students selected for the $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship, and the College Board came to school to surprise her with the announcement! Britney Persists with Purpose as a first-generation college student and is on a mission to make her parents proud. She has already exceeded that by miles. I am so proud of Brittany; I know she will do incredible things to create a more just world! Congratulations!
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As a reminder, there is no school during the week of Thanksgiving from Monday, November 21, through Friday, November 25. View academic calendars here. I hope everyone takes this time to enjoy laughs and good food with friends and family. Rest and Renewal, Little KIPPsters. You have worked hard and deserve the moment to pause and reflect. Winter Break is also around the corner; Monday, December 19, 2022, through Wednesday, January 4, 2023. It’s hard to believe that the first semester is almost over. Thank you ALL for Persisting with Purpose and Chasing Excellence each day! I am grateful for our KIPP families!
With gratitude,
Sehba Ali
CEO de KIPP Texas
