

DMA Community Connection
Giraff-E-News Week 29 March 20, 2023
Downtown Montessori Academy
Website: www.dallasisd.org/downtownmontessori
Location: 1901 Main Street, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 9727492500
School website: https://www.dallasisd.org/downtownmontessori
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DowntownIda
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownIda
Mission: Our mission is to foster the emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development of the whole child by addressing the uniqueness of each in an authentic Montessori environment within a public school diverse educational community.
Vision: Our school will provide an authentic Montessori environment in an accredited Public Montessori School to meet the needs of the child through a commitment to the principles of Montessori education and full accountability to the public education standards.
Core Values: Love You, Love Others, Love Our World
DMA Giraffes are "Making A Tall Difference Every Day with Every Child!"
Love You means; taking care of yourself so you can take care of others.
Love Others means; We are the example of what we want. We define our Excellence!
Love Our World means; Build other leaders in the spirit of Excellence, and you are cultivating a lasting legacy of LOVE to nurture our world and be kind to our world.
Principal's Message
Dear DMA Giraffe Nation,
We are back from our Spring Break Week and the Giraffes are in Full Effect! This is the last lap before we settle into the end of the school year, the countdown to STAAR and end-of-year MAP testing.
We've got this! Championships are won in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, teams rise and play the game to the highest level. Our kids will win because we have the best teachers & staff believing in them and guiding them. I believe in our work, children, and community! I am here to support and cheer each of us to the finish line as we cross it Standing Tall, all while Making A Tall Difference.
Please carefully read this memo, and check your child's weekly Wednesday Folder for flyers and handouts for upcoming events, as many great things are taking place in the land of DMA!
Parent Survey Spring 2023
We reached our goal!
Thank you parents for taking the time to give valuable feedback that will help guide DMA future. Our children will dress out in their Spring colors with appropriate Jeans on Wednesday, March 29th to celebrate our achievement
Put this on your Calendar
Upcoming Events
03.20.23 – Campus Needs & New Building Committee Meeting @ 3:30
03.21.23 – PTO @ 5:30 pm
03.23.23 – Campus Needs Assessment Committee Meeting @ 3:30
03.22.23 – 3rd & 4th Grade Parent Meeting @ 5:00 pm
03.24.23 – PTO Play Date
03.25.23 – Fam Jam @ Barack Obama
03.27.23 – SBDM Evaluation & Modification Committee Meeting @ 3:45
03.28.23 – 3rd & 4th Grade Math Common Assessment
03.28.23 – All Pro Dad’s Club Meeting @ 7:30 am
03.29.23 – DMA Report Cards for Cycle 3 go home
03.30.23 – Campus Improvement Plan Committee Meeting @ 3:30
DMA Monthly Calendar. Click on the calendar below for English & Spanish
Show UP Attendance Matters!
Every school day counts in a child's academic life... A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. Together we are all aiming for our goal - 98% Attendance!
Here are our Grade Level Attendance Averages:
🥰🦒
Way to move the needle Giraffes!
Read more about attendance and the ways families can support student success here.
HELP US HELP YOU!
Please label ALL of your student's items! We want to keep hats, mittens, coats, sweaters, water bottles, etc. out of the lost and found. It is much easier to return misplaced items when they are labeled.
Important School Information
Our Instructional start time has changed to 8:00 am. Our dismissal time will start at 3:00 pm
- Arrival/Drop off will begin @ 7:15 am
- Students will be picked up from their waiting area @ 7:50 am
- Instructional learning begins at 8:00 am
- Dismissal/Pick up will begin @ 3:00 pm
- After school care begins @ 3:00 pm
Important Resources and Information
- Always bring an ID to the office for all student pick-ups.
- Cut off time for early student pick-up is 2:30 PM.
- Parents must complete VOLY every school year in order to volunteer at our campus.
- No cupcakes or snacks high in sugar are permitted for Celebration of Life. Please bring healthy snacks the whole class can enjoy.
- No fast-food deliveries for students.
- Doors for students to enter the building every morning open at 7:15 AM.
- School starts at 8:00 AM, and tardies are distributed after this time.
- If a student arrives after 8:45 AM, this counts as a partial absence (T99).
- Always submit an excuse note anytime your student is absent.
- Please have your student adhere to the uniform policy.
Stay tuned to the City of Dallas news and upcoming events at https://www.dallascitynews.net/
Attendance Resources: Click here for Excuse Letter Parent services Attendance Matter
Click here for the Food & Child Nutrition Services Forms
Link for Voly: https://dallasisd.voly.org/
Thank you for making Every Day a Great Day at DMA!
All The Ways We Stand Tall @ DMA
Our Story Quilts from Black History Month
Breathing and Self-Calming For A Great Day
Taking A Selfie With Your School Counselor
Working With Focus & Grit On Your Practice Assessment
Counselor Corner
Checkout the news from Counselor Perryman! Click on her button below for the website and resources you need to have a successful school year.
DMA Montessori Stewardship Moment by Ms. Miner
The Great Lessons begin at DMA!
Check out the included video of the Importance of the Prepared environment for the classroom and how it can extend to your home environment. There are other videos, 2 articles, and then a book that you can purchase to help support your own family growth with our Downtown Montessori School.
Learning made fun with our Librarian, Mr. Marvin
Mr. Marvin invites you to visit his website. Click on the button below to begin a journey that has high heights!
Boys & Girls Club After School Program Information
Participating parents and stakeholders, please provide feedback to our afterschool program BGC.
School Club Survey links.
BGCD Parent & Caregiver Survey- School Campus
https://forms.office.com/r/RN6Vg3fRXg
School Administrative Partners Feedback Survey
Math Blazers Grand Prairie Sat April 22 @9 am - Reach out to Mr. Dickerson for more information
For further information, please contact Mr. Dickerson @ rdickerson@bgcdallas.org
ALL PRO DAD'S CLUB INFORMATION
Click on PTO Icon above to review the March meeting. Passcode for access to video: +3ga7GJL
Support our DMA PTO
· Downtown Montessori’s Amazon Smile Link:
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-2550090
· How to Change Your AmazonSmile Charitable Organization
To change your charitable organization:
1. Sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser.
2. From your desktop, go to Your Account, Amazon Smile, and then select the option to Change your Charity. Or, from your mobile browser, select Change your Charity from the options at the bottom of the page.
3. Select a new charitable organization to support.
Search: Ida B Wells Dallas PTO
Click on SBDM icon to review December's Meeting Video
SBDM
We Are A Uniform School At DMA
Information for our DMA Cub Scout Pack
May the seeds of kindness continue to bloom all year round!
We feel the LOVE and are thrilled to report that over 19 million students in 115 countries were part of the 2023 Great Kindness Challenge!!! What an AMAZING celebration of kindness it was!
Because of your school's participation in The Great Kindness Challenge, we are honored to acknowledge you as a Kindness Certified School.
Way to Make A Tall Difference DMA!
#GiraffeProud