WELCOME

Welcome to Kiker Elementary School where “Kiker Comets Soar to Success.” Students, staff, parents and members of the community work together to implement the Kiker Elementary School Mission:

To educate every child every day.

We believe:

• Everyone has the potential to learn.
• A fair and safe, enriched environment empowers students to become well-rounded, confident individuals.
• Personal integrity and responsibility are important to face challenges with resilience.
• Intrinsic motivation and positive attitudes occur when students engage in connected meaningful experiences.

Parents are a key ingredient for the success of Kiker students. You can be a part of the Kiker school community in the following ways:
1)  JOIN AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN PTA. Many parents who work inside and outside of the home find creative ways to share their time with children at Kiker. PTA membership can help to facilitate participation.
2)  VISIT THE CAMPUS OFTEN. You are always WELCOME! Whenever possible, please make an appointment at least one day in advance with your child’s teacher, to avoid scheduling conflicts, especially when extended visits are planned. Classroom visits are limited to thirty minutes per visit.  Longer visits may cause disruptions to learning. If you desire a conference with your child’s teacher, please call or send a note in advance to schedule the conference. A planned conference with the teacher is a positive and productive experience. Always sign in at the office before going to the classroom.
3)  HAVE LUNCH WITH YOUR CHILD. Adults are welcome in our cafeteria. Check your child’s lunch schedule and sign in at the office before joining your child in the cafeteria for lunch. Please meet the class at the cafeteria, not in the classroom.
4)  READ ALL KIKER NEWSLETTERS. Every Friday watch for the “Kiker Comments” newsletters coming home with your child. They contain important articles to keep you informed about events, routines, and fun at Kiker Elementary.

The Kiker School schedule includes:
7:20     Doors open for student arrival
7:35     Morning assembly for all
            students in cafeteria
7:45     Classes begin
2:45     Classes are dismissed. Please be punctual when picking up your children.

Help your child build the valuable behaviors of..

PUNCTUALITY & REGULAR ATTENDANCE

Outstanding Punctuality–When arriving at school, students go directly to the cafeteria, find their class row, and are seated. Students should read, study, write or draw until time for the school-wide assembly that begins promptly at 7:35. Please try to have your students here by that time. Students are not permitted to wait outside the classroom while morning assembly is going on. Please instruct your children to go to morning assembly. Morning assembly is our opportunity to build our school community, make important announcements and celebrate our successes. Children arriving after 7:45 are tardy and should check in at the office.
Outstanding Attendance–Regular attendance is a valuable life practice and helps students maintain good academic performance. Striving for high attendance is a goal at Kiker.
Perfect Attendance/Absences–Students who earn perfect attendance will be rewarded each nine weeks and at the end of the school year. Perfect attendance is a goal all of us strive for in our business and school careers. However, when students are running a fever and ill, it is important that they stay home to rest and get regular doses of medication. A fever is a temperature of 100.4 or higher.  If your child has a fever they should not return to school until they are fever free for 24 hours with NO medication.  Please check your child’s temperature the night before and the morning of the day they return to school to be sure there is no fever.  Please help your child’s recovery and keep other students well by keeping your sick children at home.
Absence–When a student must be out because of illness or family business, please send a note stating the reason for the absence the day your child returns or the absence will be considered unexcused. In case of illness, work missed will be provided. Teachers need at least 24 hours notice to prepare assignments for students who are absent. Leaving early constitutes a part of a day absence.
Religious Holy Days–The State Board of Education has specified that students shall be excused from attending school for the purpose of observing religious holy days when it is a tenet of their faith that they must be absent from school during such time, provided a written request is sent in advance by the parent or guardian. Students are not counted in attendance and will be given the opportunity to make-up work.
Trips/Vacations – Many families take vacation throughout the school year.  Be advised these absences are unexcused absences and will not be approved as “excused” by the Principal.

SAFETY

The safety and security of each student and adult in the Kiker School community is of paramount importance. Students should not bring items to school that are dangerous, expensive, or distracting to themselves or other students. To assist us in the daily safe operation of the school, please be aware of the following guidelines:

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

The circle drive in front of the school is for car pick-up and drop-off. There are limited visitor parking spaces available. Please park in designated spaces or on the street, not along the fire lane. Cars parked in fire lanes or no parking areas are subject to ticketing and towing.
All students are to go directly to the cafeteria in the morning for assembly. The rear entrance to the main building is for PPCD, bus and daycare van pick-up and drop-off only. Students should not be dropped off in the bus area or by the portable buildings. They are unsupervised and at risk of injury from traffic.  Students who walk, ride scooters, skateboards or bikes should be aware of car and bus traffic. Stay on sidewalks or in bike lanes at all times. Please walk bikes on campus. At all times, scooter, skateboard and bike riders should wear helmets to protect themselves from injury. Students should cross streets only in marked crosswalks. Please DO NOT let your child cross between cars.

VISITORS/GUESTS

All visitors are required to sign-in at the office and obtain a “Guest” sticker. Kiker staff will be happy to assist you when signing in as you arrive. This identifies you and keeps students safe. Outside doors and gates will be locked from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

EARLY DISMISSAL

When it is necessary to check your child out of school prior to 2:45, please sign the student out in the office. Office personnel will call the classroom and have the student sent to meet you in the office or office staff will issue you a release pass to be given to the teacher. Please be prepared to show your identification in the office. Teachers will not dismiss students without a pass or call from the office. Students must remain in the classroom until they are checked out in the office.

EMERGENCY CARE INFORMATION

It is essential that the school office have current home, work, and emergency numbers for each child. If a child is sick or hurt, we need to be able to contact a parent immediately. These numbers must be kept up to date. Please notify the school office of any telephone or address changes as soon as possible.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Birthdays are acknowledged each Friday at the morning assembly. If you choose to send a healthy birthday treat, please send it during your child ’s lunchtime.  Please do not send invitations, party favors or balloons for distribution at school.

MEDICATION

In order for AISD staff to administer medication to a student, a parent must sign a “REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL” form. These forms are available in the school office. All medication MUST be in the ORIGINAL container and clearly show the student’s name and dosage to be given. Students should come to the office to take medication when needed. If your student needs to be reminded, please write a note to the teacher. Teachers may not administer medications except in the case of field trips.

DISCIPLINE

Everyone at Kiker will be respectful and responsible.

• Make good choices!
• Do your best!
• Cooperate with others!

Being a good citizen and productive member of the Kiker School community is a daily goal for everyone. Appropriate behavior is taught and positively reinforced. We believe developing self-discipline is a school and family responsibility and process.

BUS BEHAVIOR

Children are responsible for their behavior on the bus. Students should wait at the assigned bus stop. Students must remain in their seats while on the bus. All school rules apply on the bus as well. In hazardous weather, listen to local radio and television stations for school closings and bus information.

HAT AND DRESS POLICIES

Kiker follows the AISD dress code set forth by the Board of Trustees with one exception: Kiker students MUST WEAR closed toe shoes daily. Examples of inappropriate dress are:

• Improperly fitting clothing: baggy pants, oversized shirts, elongated armholes, overly tight garments, and clothes that improperly expose body parts;
• Tops that are strapless or backless, spaghetti straps, or have low cut necklines;
• Shorts or skirts that are short enough to be distracting;
• Makeup and artificial nails;
• Gang associated clothing or colors;
• Hats or caps worn inside the building (except for religious requirements)

Students violating the AISD dress code will be asked to call parents. Parents will bring appropriate attire or the child will be given appropriate clothes to wear.

CAFETERIA

Providing good nutrition in a courteous atmosphere is our goal. Breakfast is available before 7:40 a.m at a cost of $1.25. Student lunch is available for $2.10 and $3.00 for adults. Each child has a personal identification number (PIN) for a cafeteria account. Please send cash only in an envelope with your child’s name, grade, teacher, and amount enclosed. You may purchase several meals in advance to avoid sending money daily or you may prepay & track your child’s lunch account using credit or debit cards through www.mylunchmoney.com. Check your child’s account balance periodically to avoid owing money. Milk, juice and desserts items may also be purchased. Please make lunches from home nutritious. Soft drinks and gum should not be sent in the child’s lunch.
Cafeteria Behavior: Lunch is part of the social development of children. General expectations include:

• Students will walk in the cafeteria at all times
• Students will use quiet voices & good manners
• Students will stay in their seats and raise hands to get help
• Students will keep hands, feet and belongings to themselves
• Students will clean up after themselves

TEXT AND LIBRARY BOOKS

It is the responsibility of the school to issue, collect, care and account for all state adopted textbooks. The school furnishes book covers. All textbooks must be covered as required by law. Text and library books that are lost, damaged, or destroyed by a student must be paid for at the cost established by the State Board of Education.

• Stop at crosswalks.
• Park in marked parking spaces in front or on the street.
• Follow the traffic signs.
• Model safety.

In order to provide safe arrival and departure of Kiker students, the following traffic patterns have been established for the front drop-off and pick-up of students before and after school.

• Cars are to stay in line in the right hand lane only.
• Safety Patrol members will be stationed along the right curb to open doors for students entering or exiting cars.
• Please do not pull out from the curb around the cars in front of you until you are past the crosswalk.
• Everyone should stay in a single-file line as you pull through the drive. This will leave the left hand lane for parked cars to back out of the parking spaces in front of the school, and to exit safely.
• Please put your child’s name, grade level and teacher’s name in right front window to better assist dismissal and traffic flow.

Staying in a single-file line should allow a safe, smooth flow of traffic. You should not pull around other cars in line, but exit after the car in front of you pulls forward. Vehicles waiting for a student may pull into a parking space, park in the street, or circle through the line of traffic again while you wait for your student to come out of the building. Please do not block the flow of traffic by waiting in line for a late arriving child. Encourage your child to watch for their vehicle and quickly enter it.
Do not leave vehicles unattended along the right hand curb area. This is a fire lane and unattended cars parked here cause a safety hazard. If you need to come into the school, please park in a visitor parking place or on the street.

Safe transit for both students and parents is
important to all of us. The Kiker staff and
parents appreciate your assistance in providing
a safe environment for all children.