May 23, 2022

Happy last week of the school year!

KIPP Texas Families,

It’s the final week of the 2021-2022 school year! We’re just five days away from the start of summer for our Little KIPPsters, and we want to see them every day this week before summer break begins. It is such a fun time of year, and we don’t want them to miss a second of making memories and joyful academic learning.

As a friendly reminder, during your Little KIPPsters last week, we will collect all of their KIPP-issued technology, regardless of the condition. We will begin collecting your Little KIPPsters’ tech on Monday, May 23rd, and finish on Saturday, May 28th. Please have your Little KIPPster bring their Chromebook, laptop, Mifi (hotspot) and chargers – to school on their school’s designated collection day. If your Little KIPPster will attend summer learning, they will be issued a different Chromebook at the start of Summer School. If your student misses the collection window, please email Tech.Collect@kipptexas.org to coordinate a drop-off.

COVID-19 Boosters Now Available for Ages 5-11

We believe the best way to protect our KIPPsters from COVID-19 and its variants is by getting vaccinated and boosted. On Thursday, May 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a statement recommending COVID-19 vaccine boosters for children ages 5 -11, five months after their primary Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. Click on the following links to find more information and find a vaccination clinic near you:

If you would like assistance in finding a location near you to get vaccinated or boosted, please send an email to covid.response@kipptexas.org with the best contact number and a member of the KIPP Texas COVID Response Team will reach out to you.

KIPP Steminists and Archytas Lead at Robotics Competition

The KIPP Austin Collegiate robotics team competed in an off-season Robotics Rodeo competition in Corpus Christi, Texas this month, and although it was the Archytas founding year, they made it into the semi-finals! The KIPP Steminists won an award for gracious professionalism and took home a $350 prize. Check out the Team Manager, Daniel Perez, who represented KIPP Austin in a news story.

As the Robotics team takes the summer off to reboot, I am eager to see them brilliantly shine and take a byte out of the competition in the upcoming school year.

KIPP Texas Students Announced as Inaugural Ruth and Norman Rales Scholars

The scholarships keep rolling in for our brilliant Little KIPPsters! With the KIPP promise of supporting students through college come scholarship opportunities, including the Amplify Scholars Program and the Goldberg Scholarship Program. And now, created in partnership with the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation, the inaugural Ruth and Norman Rales Scholars Program announced their 38 KIPP scholars from 12 regions, with 15 students from KIPP Texas!

Olushola Adesakin – KIPP Academy Middle School
Karen Blanco – KIPP Generations Collegiate
Jasmine Chapa – KIPP Intrepid Preparatory School
Diego Corbella – KIPP University Prep High School
Jaslynn Devora – KIPP Northeast College Preparatory
Krishna Gautam – KIPP Austin Brave
Marisa Hernandez – KIPP Generations Collegiate
Yoel Izaguirre – KIPP Sharpstown College Prep
Abigail Jaquez – KIPP Austin Brave High School
Favour Kowe – KIPP Academy Middle School
Erika Ngo – KIPP Houston High School
Kathleen Nguyen – KIPP Connect High School
Derek Reid – KIPP Houston High School
Ricardo Trevizo – KIPP Houston High School
Ashley Villafranco Valle – KIPP University Prep High School

These students were nominated for outstanding leadership skills and will receive mentorship, career support, and up to $60,000 in financial aid! Read more about the Ruth and Norman Rales Scholars Program here.

Congratulations, Class of 2022!

This Saturday is the kickoff to our 2022 commencement season! With over 4,200 college acceptance letters and more than $51,500,000 in college scholarships and grants, and other students ready to join the military or start their careers post-graduation, I am so proud of our Little KIPPsters. They have Persisted with Purpose these last 13-15 years in school and are on the cusp of seeing their dedication come to fruition! Some students have been with us since their pre-K and now they are moving forward, representing KIPP Texas in meaningful ways. Our seniors will be the leaders in our communities, leading the change we want to see in our world. I am so proud of them!

While our graduates will break boundaries and create a more just world, our Little KIPPsters will always remain part of our KIPP family. We are committed to seeing them, not only to graduation but through their path of choosing – college, career, and beyond. For the Big KIPPsters and families walking alongside our students through their life journey, thank you for your constant support.

To our KIPP alumni also graduating from college this month, we celebrate you! Congratulations, and may your path to career be joyful. Continue Chasing Excellence, KIPPsters.

Regional COVID Levels

Each week we will share an update on where each of our KIPP region’s current COVID threat levels according to the CDC Community Levels tool. As of 6 a.m. on Monday, May 23, the levels are as follows:

Austin: LOW – Masks are strongly recommended but not required in KIPP schools or offices. Masks are still required in healthcare areas.

Dallas: LOW – Masks are strongly recommended but not required in KIPP schools or offices. Masks are still required in healthcare areas.

Houston: LOW – Masks are strongly recommended but not required in KIPP schools or offices. Masks are still required in healthcare areas.

San Antonio: LOW – Masks are strongly recommended but not required in KIPP schools or offices. Masks are still required in healthcare areas.

Please follow our Health & Safety Guidelines found here according to the level in your region.

Please follow our COVID Protocols found here according to the level in your region.

If COVID-19 Community Levels change mid-week in counties where our schools are located, we will not change our Health & Safety Guidelines until the following week unless the update involves a high (orange) threat level. In this instance, we will share same-day communication with regional staff and families, and the appropriate KIPP Texas COVID Policies will go into effect immediately.

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Next Monday, May 30, will be my last note for the 2021-22 school year. There will be a temporary summer hiatus while many of our KIPPsters are on break, and I will resume with bi-weekly messages in August.

Let’s make it a joyful last week of school!

With gratitude,

Sehba Ali