I hope this message finds each of you in good health and good spirits. The 4th six weeks of school are over, and we are now beginning our fifth six weeks of the school year.

During the 5th six weeks, our teachers will be focusing on preparing our students for STAAR End of Course assessments. This year testing begins on the week of April 17. You can see the specific EOC testing dates under important dates in this newsletter. Reminder to our parents that these exams are very important, as students are required to pass them to graduate from high school. In addition, this year there will be adjustments on the EOC exams that students will be preparing for during our EOC countdown lessons. We ask that you support you child by making sure he or she is here in school every day, and in their classes every period. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about our STAAR End of Course exams and plans to support your child.

I want to conclude my letter by thanking our parents for talking to your kids about the importance of attendance and behaving in school. Our campus has seen an improvement in attendance and behavior over the last year, and we want to acknowledge everyone for contributing to this effort. Together, we will continue to improve our learning environment for our students by having a safe learning environment and quality instruction in every classroom.

Our Memorial staff is committed to supporting each student and family we serve, so please reach out to us if you need any assistance. In collaboration with our families, we ask that parents support their child by:

- Making sure your child is in school by 8:10 and remind your child to attend all classes.

- Communicating with our staff when your child will be absent.

- Having your child join a club or organization.

- Checking in on your child's academic progress and communicating with our staff if assistance is needed.

I look forward to meeting you and supporting your family throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me if you need assistance. I can be reached at 210-898-4110 x 8301 or at miguel.elizondo@eisd.net . Blessings to each of you and your families.

Respectfully,

Mr. Elizondo

The counseling department hopes everyone enjoyed Spring Break! We want to thank all of our junior parents who attended our parent conference transcript checks.

Now, it’s time to get back to work. For the next few weeks, the counselors will be working with 9th and then 10th graders to review grades, attendance, and courses needed for graduation. If you are a junior or senior parent and did not get the chance to meet with your child’s counselor, please contact the counseling department to schedule a meeting. Let’s work together to help your child graduate on time.

Carla Eads (last names A through Garces, and PTECH) Carla.Eads@eisd.net

Oralia Gomez (last names Garcia through Ochoa) Oralia.Gomez@eisd.net

Renee Michale Reyes (last names Ojeda through Z) Renee.Reyes@eisd.net

Theresa Fisher (Lead counselor and Early College High School students) tfisher@eisd.net

Kristeena Dewberry (SEL counselor) Kristeena.Dewberry@eisd.net

Gloria Borrego (Counseling Assistant) gloria.borrego@eisd.net

We want to remind students and parents that our mission is to provide exceptional support and guidance that fosters success in post-secondary employment, academic, and military readiness, along with personal/social development that prepares students for success in life. Our values statement is "We HELP without exception!"

Please reach out to us if you need any assistance. If you have any questions about your child's academic progress you can contact our counselors at 210-898-4110 x 3742, or email them to set up a conference.

Thanks,

Ms. Fisher

Lead Counselor

Thank you to the parents that attended the Tuesday Tea in February. It was a success! We look forward to our next Tuesday Tea on March 28th at 10:00am. I was fortunate to be able to work with some CTE students during our recent Health Fair by providing additional information and activities to the student’s mental health booth. Students were able to practice breathing activities and try meditation in VR. In the future, Mr. Valadez, the CIS coordinator, and myself will be providing a workshop to seniors called, “Demystifying Mental Health.” We hope to make mental health less of a barrier to new college students by explaining what a typical therapy session will look like and where to access these types of student support services on a college campus.

I want to remind students and families that I am available to provide the following support: individual and group counseling, classroom guidance lessons, and training/education to staff and caregivers on the importance of social emotional wellness for themselves and their students. Please reach out to me to if you need any assistance or have any questions about the support I offer. You can reach me by email at kristeena.dewberry@eisd.net or by calling 210-898-4110 X 3742.