Martin Newsletter
Spring
Welcome back Mustangs! We hope you had a restful and relaxing Spring Break. We are happy to see all of our students back at school and ready to work. As we approach the last grading period, please keep in mind that communication with your child’s teacher is very important. If you have not had a chance to visit with your child’s teacher this semester, please call the front office and make an appointment to do so. It is crucial that we work together to emphasize a strong finish to the end of the year.
As always, please continue to work with your child daily, reading and questioning for comprehension, counting and doing arithmetic problems, and exploring learning opportunities through cooking, trips, and discussions.
Thank you for your resilience and flexibility during this challenging and unprecedented year.
Thank you,
Martin Administrators
Dr. Sha and Ms. Boykin
Atlanta Tragedy
Please take time to read this letter from the district regarding the recent tragedy in Atlanta.
Alief Family U Conference
The Family and Community Engagement Program is excited to announce our eleventh annual Alief Family U Conference – NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES scheduled for today, Thursday March 25th and tomorrow Friday, March 26 from 6:00 PM-8:15 PM via zoom. These exciting days include engaging sessions in English and Spanish for parents and staff. Enjoy student performances, comments from our Superintendent and Alief School Board and prizes. We can’t wait to see you! Please click the link below for more information.
Alief Rental Assistance
Alief is partnering with other organizations to provide FREE legal aid and assistance in applying for Rent Relief. Our families are in need of many of these resources. By having students in the Free Lunch Program they automatically qualify and please inform them the following:
Evidence of legal status is not required. The funding Texas received for rent relief is part of the Coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress and because it is emergency assistance, documentation of household residency status is not required and there are no restrictions on who can apply as long as they meet income and other economic hardship eligibility requirements. For more information, please click on the flyer of your preferred language below.
Student Residency Questionnaire
Gifted and Talented Showcase
Gifted and Talented Parents,
Gifted and Talented students have been working hard alongside their GT instructors through their pull-out instruction. Our students in the Primary Enrichment Program (grades K-2) were learning about basic financial literacy. Our 3rd grade students are learning about exploring natural disasters. Fourth grade has been exploring the world of journalism by learning about different journalistic roles, tools, and data bases by creating a newsletter.
March 25- March 30 we will have our asynchronous GT Showcase. You will be able to view child's project within their Gifted and Talented Schoology course. You can access your child's work in the GT Showcase folder. Take a moment to look at our Gifted and Talented student projects. Please don't forget to fill out our parent sign in form. Thank you for all the support for our GT program.
MC^2 Virtual Parent Night Meeting #3
Brighter Bites
There will be NO Brighter Bites this Week! Brighter Bites will resume on next Thursday, April 1st!
For more information, please view the attached flyer in both English and Spanish or visit the website https://brighterbites.org/
Character Trait of the Month- April Cooperation
Counselor's Corner
Greetings from the Counselor! Our Mustangs continue to push forward with resiliency and determination. As we begin the last nine weeks, I encourage everyone to do their best in all their subjects and come to school each day either in person or online. Many Martin families have experienced hardships that may have discouraged us or made us sad. If you are having difficulties with schoolwork, friends, family, etc. I am always here to listen and help you through whatever you are facing. You are not alone! Let your teacher know you want to speak with Mrs. Sepulveda.
Make sure you are getting plenty of rest and eating healthy food so your energy levels are high as we prepare for the end of the school year. This is very important, especially for our 3rd and 4th grade students who will be taking STAAR tests. Parents, be on the lookout for a Google form indicating your child’s participation in STAAR.
Upcoming Events:
- 4th Grade Writing STAAR (April 6-23)
- 3rd and 4th Grade STAAR Math and Reading (May 11-28)
- Virtual Career Day (May 6): Dress up as your dream job or career
In Math, students are learning about length, weight, and capacity. Students will learn different forms of measurement and explore the customary and metric conversions. In Science, we will discover different adaptations that plants and animals have in order to survive in their natural environment. The students will work on creating their own animal with special functions that will help them survive in an environment of their choice. In Reading and Writing, our students are reviewing previously taught content to prepare for the STAAR. Specifically, they will focus mainly on inferencing to deepen their understanding of given texts. To celebrate women’s appreciation month, our students will spend time during Social Studies to learn about female leaders and their powerful impact in our society.
In Math, we are learning about area and perimeter and will start conversions of measurement and data . In Science, we are learning about adaptations and life cycles, and we will begin learning about genetic traits. In Social Studies, we are closing out the chapter over booming Texas industries and now beginning to learn about Women's history. In Reading, students have just finished learning about Tricksters and Tall Talls in module 7. Now we will be begin focusing on a variety of STAAR like texts, concentrating on different reading strategies to better prepare us for STAAR. In Writing, we have been practicing writing compositions and revising/editing passages. We are continuing our Writing BLITZ to prepare for STAAR.
Block Classes
Over the next two weeks, students will be working on dribbling, kicking, and striking skills. 3rd and 4th-grade students will be conducting their annual FitnessGram testing. In May, students will begin preparing for our annual Field Day festivities.
Music
Martin Musicians K-4 have been learning all about singing techniques, musical storytelling, and world music cultures. As we approach the end of the school year grades K-3 will be learning more about instruments and performance, with special focus on instruments from the Percussion Family. Musicians in 4th grade will be preparing for and participating in the AMMO competition, which will be held during their regular Music rotation time both virtually and in-person. They will also explore the world of Band, Orchestra, and Choir as they prepare to make elective selections for Intermediate School. Nice work this year, Martin Musicians!
Health Tech
In Health/Tech we have had a great time making and sharing recipes, creating excel sheets for a “Night at the Movies with a Friend,” and exploring the digitals tools available in Microsoft 365. As we move into the 4th nine weeks, Health/Tech students will focus on safety and healthy habits and continue to integrate technology to enhance our learning and critical thinking skills. Martin's students are on a great pathway for setting themselves up for future success by refining their use of PowerPoint, Excel, and Word programs.
Art
We have had a wonderful time learning how to paint with markers, create art that was inspired by music and learn about Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. This next nine weeks, we will create relief prints, connect science to art and create art that connects to spring and summer. We will also make sculptures out of model magic and make puppets. I am looking forward to a great last nine weeks!
Library Happenings
Please take a moment and sign-up for the Martin Literacy Club! Students will meet with our wonderful Librarian, Trina Jones every Wednesday at 4pm. The Literacy Club gives students an opportunity to read new and exciting books and participate in a discussion about them. Please click the link below for more information and to sign-up!
Important Dates
March 30: Science DCA Test 2nd & 3rd Grade
March 31: Science DCA Test 4th Grade
April
April 1: Wear green for Cooperation
April 1: Brighter Bites
Aril 2: No School
April 6: STAAR Testing for all face to face students
April 8: Pre-K/Kinder Round Up Meeting
April 13: STAAR Testing for 4th Grade (Escobar, Long, Varo, Gomez)
April 13: MC^2 Parent Meeting Night #3
April 15: Brighter Bites
April 20: STAAR Testing for 4th Grade (Garcia, Zendejas, Brobbey, Lopez)
April 21: Secretary's Day
April 26: No School
April 29: Brighter Bites
May
May 3-7: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5: Science CCA Test Kinder&1st grade
May 5: Virtual Career Day, Students may dress up as their favorite career
May 6: Progress Reports Go Home
May 6: Nurse's Day
May 11: Math STAAR 3rd&4th grade
May 11: STAAR Math Test for face to face student
May 12: STAAR Reading Test for face to face student
May 13: Brighter Bites
May 17: STAAR Math Test for Remote 4th Grade Students (Escobar, Long, Varo, Gomez)
May 18: STAAR Math Test for Remote 4th Grade Students (Garcia, Zendejas, Lopez, Brobbey)
May 18: Math DCA Test 2nd grade
May 19: STAAR Math Test for Remote 3rd Grade Students (Le, Camargo, Tran, Grant)
May 19: Reading DCA Test Kinder.1st, 2nd grade
May 19: Reading DCA Test Kinder.1st, 2nd grade
May 20: STAAR Math Test for Remote 3rd Grade Students (Flores, Vargas, Vazquez, Baltierrez)
May 24: STAAR Reading Test for Remote 4th Grade Students (Escobar, Long, Varo, Gomez)
May 25: STAAR Reading Test for Remote 4th Grade Students (Garcia, Zendejas, Lopez, Brobbey)
May 26: STAAR Test Reading for Remote 3rd Grade Students (Le, Camargo, Tran, Grant)
May 27: STAAR Reading Test for Remote 3rd Grade Students (Flores, Vargas, Vazquez, Baltierrez)
May 27: Brighter Bites
May 31: No School
June
June 3: 4th Grade Awards Assembly
June 4: Last Day of School
Martin Elementary
Email: Martincontact@aliefisd.net
Website: aliefisd.net/Martin
Location: 11718 Hendon Lane, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 281-983-8363
Twitter: @Martin_Mustangs