MUSTANG PARENT ALERT
T. L. Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy
A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
September 1, 2021
Hello Mustang Families!
September is officially here and we have begun our third week of academic instruction. Your scholar will receive their first 3-week progress report next Tuesday. You will also be able to view your child's grades by registering for a Parent Portal account. While Parent Portal is no longer used for enrollment, it is still used for reviewing student grades, assignments and attendance in real-time. I have included a link in this month's newsletter with directions on how to set up an account.
September also begins our first round of beginning of the year assessments for all PK3 through Grade 5 students next week. The schedule is provided below. All tests are given 3 times a year and all results will be shared/discussed with parents. These assessments allow our school specific data regarding where your child is academically so that the best plan can be made for his/her education.
As a reminder, masks are required for students and staff on this campus. Please ensure that your child is entering our building with a mask and keeping up with their mask at dismissal. Our morning arrival staff have reported that we have several students who are continuing to come to the entrydoors without a mask. As COVID cases continue to rise in Dallas County, we ask that you do your part to help us keep your child and others safe. We are looking forward to another great month at Marsalis! Please let us know if you have any questions.
WOODS' WORDS OF WISDOM
Mustang Parents:
September is Attendance Awareness Month and our focus is to make sure that our Marsalis community learns about the effects attendance can have on academic performance and success. School attendance is essential to academic success and frequent absences, excused or unexcused, can add up to academic trouble.
Please help us ensure that our scholars have every opportunity to be successful by making sure they are at school everyday. In the event that your child has to be absent, please contact the teacher for missed assignments.
Also, as more students have returned to campus, please remind your child the importance of kindness, courtesy and personal space. Help them to remember to keep their hands and feet to themselves, as well as refrain from making unkind comments to their fellow classmates.
Your Assistant Principal,
Wendell Woods
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL REMINDERS
- Our school opens at 7:20 a.m. Only bus riders and PK3 students need to enter at the Scottsboro (bus lane) door. All other students must enter at the front entrance.
- School begins at 7:45 a.m. and a student is tardy at 8:05 a.m. Recording of student tardies has begun and can affect your child's overall attendance.
- Students begin picking up breakfast from the cafeteria with their teachers at 7:40 a.m. and eat in their classrooms. Breakfast concludes in the cafeteria at 8:00 a.m. All students who arrive after this time will miss the breakfast period.
DISMISSAL REMINDERS
- Our school day ends at 3:15 p.m. and dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m. If you would like to pick your child up early, they will need to be picked up prior to 2:45 p.m. Please understand that your child will be missing valuable instruction and parent conferences will be held for students who have frequent early releases.
- If your child is a bus rider or is being picked up by a daycare facility, please be sure to notify your child's teacher.
PARENT PICKUP PROCEDURES
- All persons picking up students will need to have photo ID ready to show. Our scholars will only be released to the persons listed on their enrollment history. If you need to update this information, please contact Mrs. Garcia, CRC, at 972-749-3512.
GETTING PREPARED FOR HIGH-QUALITY LEARNING
- Help your child be ready for learning each day by ensuring their mornings are calm and full of positive conversations about how amazing their day will be.
- Ensure they have their school tools: pencils, paper, journal (if needed), technology device, and their face masks for safety.
- Be sure to ask your child what they learned everyday and review the teacher's Google site for more information. Communicate with your child's teachers regarding any questions you may have about assignments.
- Keep the learning going at home!
TESTING SCHEDULES FOR SEPTEMBER 7 - 17
- CIRCLE Assessment (PK-3)
- TX-KEA Assessment (Kindergarten)
- MAP Testing (Grades 1-5) - All students will need their technology devices
TECHNOLOGY DEVICES UPDATES AND REMINDERS
- All returning DISD students will need to bring their devices to campus. This includes all DISD students, not just returning Marsalis students. Our students engage in both hands-on and interactive instruction and will need their devices.
- We are awaiting our scheduled technology deployment of IPads for PK3 - Grade 2 students who have never received a district IPad. In the meantime, we are working hard to accommodate our students to ensure they have access to digital tools in the classroom until they get their device.
- All grades 3-5 students who are new to Dallas ISD have received their Chromebooks this week during our technology swap/rollout. Third grade students who were issued an IPAD last year must return this device in order to receive a Chromebook.
- Dallas ISD will not be replacing any laptop or IPAD chargers that students have lost or misplaced. Please assist your child with their technology needs by purchasing a replacement charger for their device.
Please be reminded of our district's COVID protocols and general rules for student health and wellness:
- If your child is not feeling well or is running a fever, do not bring them to school.
- If you or your child has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been identified as a close contact, please keep your child at home and notify me at 972-749-3506 or at KEdmond@dallasisd.org. Your child will need to quarantine at home.
- The recommendation is that the student be tested 5 to 7 calendar days after exposure. If the student tests negative and is symptom free, they can return to school on day eight (8).
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Nurse Shoemaker
STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER(S)
- Check out our school website (www.dallasisd.org/marsalis) for our teachers' Google site. These sites will provide you with specific information and resources for your child's specific grade level. Click on our "Academics" tab and select "Grade Level Classes" to locate the teachers' pages.
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
A Good Night's Sleep is Crucial for Learning
When children don't get enough sleep, it's hard for them to learn. That's because sleep affects students' ability to:
- Solve problems
- Control mood and behavior
- Focus and pay attention
- Retain information
To help your child get the recommended nine to 12 hours of sleep he/she needs each night:
- Stick to a schedule and enforce a regular bedtime
- Set a technology curfew. Make sure your child "powers down" at least one hour before bedtime and try to charge digital devices in a different location than their rooms.
- Establish a bedtime routine so he/she is relaxed and ready for sleep
Your school counselor,
Ms. Telisa Ingram
WE PROVIDE AN ON-CAMPUS AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy
Email: KR2404@dallasisd.org
Website: dallasisd.org/marsalis
Location: 5640 South Marsalis Avenue, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 972-749-3500
Twitter: @marsalis_l