MREC Parent Meeting Notes
Virtual Meeting Held 9/14/22
Agenda/Notes
1. Thank you for sharing your children with us! We are so grateful!
2. Carpool/Walker Updates -
a. Reserved parking spots are for special programs (both sides of parking lot)
b. Morning carpool closes at 7:30 because school starts at 7:30
c. Phone use is not permitted in carpool or along Cardinal Drive
d. Staff are using phones to input numbers, not texting/etc.
e. Be mindful that there are children and parents/families walking the parking lot and along the road. Keep your speed at an acceptable rate.
f. STAY in your vehicle. We walk your child to the vehicle.
g. Please do NOT video at carpool/walker. There are other children and staff present, and they or their parents may not wish for them to be in videos or pictures.
3. How to Drop Off Your Child –
a. Please have your child sit on the driver’s side
b. Students should be able to unbuckle and exit the car independently
c. If your child is not able to unbuckle/buckle or open the door, please practice this at home. This is a skill needed for Kindergarten drop off and pick up.
d. Child exits the vehicle and walks to the cafeteria.
e. No parents should exit the car in carpool
f. Parking spots near carpool are NOT for parking. If you are walking your child to PK, you MUST park at Cardinal Stadium or on the street in the Villages neighborhood.
4. How to Pick Up Your Child –
a. STAY in your vehicle
b. Staff will escort your child to the car and assist with opening the door.
c. Child enters the vehicle and buckles self.
d. If your child is not able to unbuckle/buckle or open the door, please practice this at home.
e. Walker Parents - MUST park at Cardinal Stadium or on the street in the Villages neighborhood.
5. How to Report an Absence –
a. Please provide a parent note or doctor’s note if your child is absent/leaves early. Otherwise, your child will have an unexcused absence.
b. Parents are permitted three parent notes (excluding COVID).
c. You may report an absence one of the following ways. You only need to choose one.
i. Complete the Report an Absence Report
1. Visit https://www.melissaisd.org/o/mrec
2. Choose “Menu” in top right of screen
3. Under “Procedures, Forms, and Expectations” choose “Report Student Absence”
ii. Call the campus at (214) 386-2416
iii. Email to Brittny Borders at brittnyborders@melissaisd.org
6. Potty Training – We cannot exclude children who are not fully potty trained; however, we do not offer potty training services or assistance with changing of clothes/cleaning. We do not have restrooms in classrooms. Students need to tell adults when they need to use restroom. Students are expected to walk to the restroom and come back by themselves.
7. Independence - eating, toileting, etc. – Children are expected to be able to do many things independently, unless they have a personal care plan as part of their Individualized Education Plan. For example, they are expected to be eating, toileting, unpacking and packing backpacks, dressing oneself, etc. independently.
a. We will not feed your child, nor can we force them to eat. We encourage them to finish their lunch.
b. Begin working on buckling and unbuckling self, we will move to this procedure in carpool at the semester. The sooner the better, and it will make carpool run more smoothly.
8. Food –
a. Lunch – please send healthy options (not junk and candy)
b. Snack – ONE snack per day –one item only (no candy or junk food)
c. Pack lunch and snack separately
d. We don’t share snacks and food – please remind your child of this, as well.
e. We will not serve your child food, other than what is served by school or provided by you
f. Water ONLY at snack
9. Lunch visitors – Please adhere to our general lunch guidelines:
a. NO electronics during lunch time.
b. Students sit on seats (not in laps)
c. Students feed themselves.
d. Students leave with their class.
10. Label ALL Items – Please label all items (backpack, jacket, water bottle, lunch box, etc.).
11. Attendance -
a. Consistent attendance is vital for the growth of our students. It is important that students come to school every day that they are able to do so.
b. We will be reviewing attendance frequently throughout the year, and you are likely to receive emails if your child is over the allotted absences (found in student handbook).
c. Students are going to get sick. We understand. Keep your child home if he/she has a fever or is throwing up/diarrhea or is otherwise in poor health.
12. Water bottles – WATER ONLY in water bottles. Please provide a spill proof cup – not bottles with screw on lids
13. Communication -
a. Messages from MREC with weekly MREC Messenger
b. Teacher is your first line of contact
c. Room parents will keep you connected with classroom activities.
d. Volunteering – watch the MREC Messenger for volunteer opportunities.
14. PTO – We do not have a PTO at MREC. If you are interested in serving as the lead room parent for your child’s class, please email your child’s teacher.
15. Rest time is not optional - We have a very long day, and they need time to reset. They are not required to sleep, but they are required to rest. They must stay quietly on their mat. We only allow ONE blanket, NO pillows or stuffed animals are permitted. Blanket MUST fit in backpack.
16. Homecoming & Red Ribbon Week – October 24 – 28 – Dress up days coming soon. Watch the MREC Messenger for details.
17. Redirects - If you need to change your child’s mode of dismissal, email Brittny Borders at brittnyborders@melissaisd.org BEFORE 2:00 pm.
18. Prevention Education for Student Safety – This form needs to be completed for all PK students. This form was sent via email from Melissa ISD.
19. Site-Based Committees
a. These committees are our way of involving parents and stakeholders in our decision making process.
b. Parent Representative - If you would like to serve in this role, please email me at jnally@melissaisd.org by 10:00 AM Thursday, 9/15. I will send a voting form via our messaging system on Thursday at noon. Voting will close at 5:00 pm on Friday, 9/16.
c. MREC will send more information about who will serve as parent reps on these committees after voting. These are parent representatives. You may contact your representative or myself, if you have any concerns/issues/questions that need to be discussed at the site based committee meetings.
20.From the Melissa Education Foundation (MEF): Are you "Crazy for Cardinals"? We are too! Donate $25 to receive your "Crazy for Cards" yard sign today! Proceeds go to MEF student scholarships and teacher grants. Donate more and receive a car sticker and meal tickets to the MEF Community Tailgate and Corn Hole Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 5. We can’t wait to see you display your "Crazy for Cards" yard sign! Learn more at melissaeducationfoundation.com.
21. We are so very lucky to have our AMAZING staff. Your children are being provided an excellent educational opportunity by loving and nurturing staff members, who care and are committed to the growth of your student.
22. We are GRATEFUL for the opportunity to work with your child. Thank you for sharing him/her with us each day. We cannot wait to see how much they grow this year!!