Tuesday, November 4, 2008 is a holiday for students in all schools in Klein Independent School District. It is a (make up) staff development day for district employees.

On Tuesday, November 11, veterans are honored by the Klein Independent School District. At Alternative Classes, three teachers who have served in the armed forces are honored: James Blankenship, Steven Combs and John Fink. Go to "About Us" to read a little about their military experience.

Tuesday, November 18, is the cut-off date for any student who was qualified for the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Program at the end of the 2007–08 school year, but has not yet submitted a new application for the program.

Thansgiving hoidays for students and staff have remained the same - holidays are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, November 26, 27 and 28, 2008.

Winter/Christmas holidays also remain the same - winter/Christmas holidays are December 22, 2008 through January 2, 2009. School resumes on Monday, January 5, 2009

KLEIN ISD CALENDAR – (REVISED October 1, 2008) for School Year 2008-2009

August 18 through 22 Staff Development Days
August 23 SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, 2008
August 25 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
September 1 Labor Day Holiday
*November 4 Staff Development Day/Student Holiday
November 26 through 28 Thanksgiving Holidays
December 22 through January 2 Christmas/Winter Holiday
January 5 Classes Resume
January 19 Martin Luther King Holiday
January 23 END OF FIRST SEMESTER
January 24 Staff Development Day
January 26 SECOND SEMESTER BEGINS
March 9 through March 13 Spring Break
April 10 Easter Break
May 25 Memorial Day Holiday
June 4 LAST DAY OF CLASSES
June 5 Staff Development Day
June 6 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
June 8 Staff Development Day
June 9 Staff Development Day
**June 10 Staff Development Day
August 22 SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, 2009

INCLEMENT WEATHER MAKE-UP DAY FOR STUDENTS (if needed): June 5, 2009

*Instructional day for Metzler Elementary
**Staff Development Day for Metzler Elementary

Four days have been designated inclement weather makeup school days as a result of school closures following Hurricane Ike. The makeup school days are:

Monday, October 13, 2008

Friday, January 16, 2009

Monday, February 16, 2009

Monday, April 13, 2009

School buses will run as usual. Faculty and staff are prepared to instruct students on these makeup days. Your student's attendance is important to us.

K. E. Kaufman is the director of KISD's disciplinary alternative education program. Mr. Kaufman opened Alternative Classes in January 1994 with a staff of 10 that included Speech Communications teacher Claudette Hunt and school secretary Mary McVeigh. Kevin Wood is associate principal. Counselor Colleth Punch joined the administrative staff in 2005. Counselor Marcy Wilson joined the administrative staff in August 2008, transferring from Klein Intermediate.

Twenty one teachers instruct students in the core academic areas of English Language Arts (English and Reading), Math, Science and Social Studies, as well as electives in the areas of Art, Computer Science, Health, Physical Education, Spanish, and Speech Communications.

A standardized dress code for students assigned to Alternative Classes was approved by Klein ISD Board of Trustees and adopted in 2004-2005. The dress code will remain effective 2008-2009 and will be enforced from the time students board the bus for transit to school until the student de-boards the bus at their assigned stop. Alternative Classes dress code for both girls and boys includes beige khaki pants worn at the waist (no shorts, Capri pant, skirt, or dress), a solid color black, brown or white belt with a small belt buckle, a white shirt with a collar (no logo or writing) that is long enough to tuck neatly into pants at the waist (a white or light gray undershirt may be worn under the white collared shirt), and white or black shoes with corresponding colored shoelaces and a white or light gray sweatshirt (no hood, no logo or writing) for classroom appropriate outer wear. Shirts must be tucked into pants with the belt showing and pants must be worn at the waist on arrival to school. If a belt is not worn or a belt is loose, twist ties may be used to keep the pants at the waist. The dress code will be strictly enforced – campus isolated instruction or out of school suspension could be assigned on the first dress code violation.

On arrival to school, students must have shirts tucked in at the waist and belts on and fastened. As students enter the Annex building each day, they should be prepared to remove their belt, turn out all pockets from pants, and remove any metal objects that would cause alert from a metal detector. Metal objects should be turned over to designated Alternative Classes staff who supervise transit through the metal detector. Students must pass through the metal detector with palms up.

Students assigned to Alternative Classes are enrolled in the district's immediate response information system ("IRIS") through their home campus. District campuses utilize IRIS to get information to parents as soon as possible. Klein ISD partnered with the rapid communication system called IRIS two years ago. The system delivers emergency messages to parents individually by the communication method(s) of personal choosing. Should schools need to close early due to weather, for example, this system would notify you by your choice of home phone, cell phone, or email. In addition, schools may use the IRIS system to keep you up to date on important school wide information or changes relating to groups in which your child participates.

All students will be automatically entered into the IRIS system prior to and during the first month of school from the Klein student information system. Once the information is in the IRIS system, a test message will be sent. You will then be able to go to the IRIS website and change your information in the system or the way you wish to receive messages so it fits your preferences. You may also choose to remove yourself entirely from receiving emergency and informational messages from the system. Your Username will be kleinisd followed by your student’s ID number and your password is your student’s date of birth. You can find the student ID number on your student’s schedule. Examples for logon information are below.

Username: kleinisd41503
Password: 08261985

Parents can find out more information about IRIS by viewing the website, www.useiris.com. Contact information is available on this website should you have questions regarding the system or you can reach them by calling 281 263-6300.