Mathews Weekly
March 23, 2020
From Grace
Good afternoon, Wonderful Mathews Community! It is my wish that this message finds each of you well and happy. While this spring break was nothing like most of us had been anticipating (who knew the excitement a city-wide hunt for toilet paper could bring to your break?!), I hope you found some time for fun and rest.
Staying connected to others while practicing social distancing can be difficult and I am so happy to see the pen pal connections and Zoom meetings that have already been taking place within our community. The staff and I are excited about working together this upcoming week to find ways to keep the connections going and to make remote learning a reality for our students. Just as we face a new uncertainty in our day to day lives, what school is going to look like for the near future is also a bit unknown. I know there are many questions about curriculum, access, grades, and more. I will ask for your patience and understanding as we work through these questions and more and plan for learning opportunities that are meaningful.
One of the new realities we face is the limit on the number of people who can gather in a space together. The no more than 10 person limit is in place until May 1st which means that, even if we are able to come back to school before then, large gatherings will not take place. This means, unfortunately, that we are having to cancel International Festival, assemblies, meetings, etc... until further notice. While my heart breaks at the thought, I would rather us miss out on an event this year than to put any of our community at unnecessary risk for illness. We'll have to continue to lift each other up virtually and plan for ways to make future events safe and amazing, true to our Mathews spirit of honoring and celebrating all.
Taking care of both physical and mental heath is important, especially during difficult times. With that in mind, I want to share some links with you that you may find helpful:
The Vida Clinic:
Austin ISD's school-based mental health partner, Vida Clinic, is now offering teletherapy services to the entire Austin ISD community. These services will allow adults and students to access quality mental health services right from their own homes. To schedule an appointment, visit vidaclinic.org/virtualvida or contact our Vida Clinic Care Team at 512-518-2209 or by email at vidacare@vidaclinic.org.
El centro de salud mental en la escuela de Austin ISD, Vida Clinic, ofrecerá servicios de teleterapia a toda la comunidad de Austin ISD. Estos servicios permitirán a adultos y estudiantes acceder a servicios de salud mental con alta calidad desde sus propios hogares. Para programar una cita, visite vidaclinic.org/virtualvidaesp o comuníquese con nuestro Equipo de atención de Vida Clinic al 512-518-2209 o por correo electrónico a vidacare@vidaclinic.org.
A Guide to Well-Being:
As many of you know, I appreciate the work of Greater Good from the University of California, Berkeley. They've put together a resource for families and educators during the COVID-19 outbreak: A Guide For Well-Being I'm also including a handout from the National Association of School Psychologists on talking with children about COVID-19 directly below this section.
Austin ISD's Learning from Home Site:
While schools work to formalize distance learning, the district has provided some enrichment activities for every grade level (yay!). Please find more at this link:
https://sites.google.com/austinisd.org/aisd-learning-at-home
Meals During School Closure:
If your children or children you know need food during school closures, please use this link to find information about where to get meals for students and their caregivers: https://www.austinisd.org/coronavirus/meals
Austin ISD's Coronavirus Update Site:
For all district information regarding the coronavirus, please use this link: https://www.austinisd.org/coronavirus
Please stay tuned for more information from us and from the district. I'll continue to share updates as I get them. We are going to miss seeing our students stream back into the building tomorrow and wish all well. Please follow the CDC guidelines and stay safe and healthy! Lots of love to all.
*If you happen to know of a family who isn't getting these weekly email messages, please let them know they can opt in to messages on LivingTree.
Important Information
It's Registration Time!
Please go online to my.austinisd.org and register your child(ren) today. If you have any questions please contact the office. If you need assistance with registration, call the parent helpline at (512)414-9187.
Positivity Project - P2
Camp Zilla Registration is Now Open! - May be subject to cancellation!
Wednesday Folders
Every Wednesday, we'll update our Electronic Wednesday Folder on the school website.
You can find uploaded information on our fantastic website here: https://www.mathews360.com/wednesday-folder/
Easy Way to Support our School with Amazon
Did you know that you can support Mathews while you shop on Amazon?
The Week at a Glance
March 23rd - April 3rd, 2020
- Classes cancelled - No School for Students
Please note that all remaining events are subject to cancellation/change.
- April 6th - Current return to school
- April 14th - Kinder Round-Up and School Tour
- April 16th - Book Fair Begins
- April 20th - CAC Meeting
- April 30th - PTA Meeting
- May 14th - SALUTE!
- May 18th - Human Sexuality Curriculum Week
- May 18th - CAC Meeting
- May 28th - 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony
- May 28th - Last Day of School!
About Us
Website: mathews360.com
Location: 906 West Lynn Street, Austin, TX, United States
Phone: 512-414-4406
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathews360/
Twitter: @mathews360