The Mata Memo
January 25, 2022
Principal's Message
Mata Family!
We have been given the privilege to mold and guide our new generation... your children. There is a verse that states, "To whom much is given, much is required." As educators, we embrace the moral obligation to provide your children with the best education possible. It is not an easy job and it has become more challenging due to the pandemic. These most difficult times will prepare us and your children for the future.
We appreciate your daily commitment to your children and to our community. You understand how to partner with us to support your children's academic growth.
We appreciate you! Use the time this week to leverage your partnerships with your teachers to continue to help our children grow. We all want the best for your child and your communication with us matters.
Thank you for your support on this journey of excellence for students.
Have an excellent week!
Tomeka Middleton Williams
Principal
P.S. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MontessoriMata
Please read the memo carefully for information regarding:
- Calendar at a Glance
- The Middle School Broadcast
- The 100th Day of School
- The Great Kindness Challenge
- Mata Poetry Slam Winners
- Mata PTA Meeting
- Mata Middle School Information Session
- Covid 19 Testing
- Core 4 Shout Outs
- 4th-5th Grade Living Museum
- Yearbook pictures
- January Dress Pass
- Dallas ISD Special Services Meeting
- YMCA Spring Sports - Sign up
- Mata's PTA Walking Group
- Mata's Federal Report Card
- Tutoring Waiver
- Campus Visitor Procedures
- Dallas ISD Safety Protocols
- Mata Positive Staff Referrals
- and, much much more!
Calendar at A Glance
Week of Jan. 24th - Parent Conferences
Jan. 25th - General PTA Meeting 6:00 PM
Week of Jan 24th - 6th Grade Shadows Middle School
Week of Jan 24th- Living Museum Performances
January 26th - 100th Day of School!
January 28th - Dress Pass Friday
Jan 31st - Choose Dallas ISD Application Window Closes
Jan. 31st - Middle School Information Session
Feb. 14th - Sweetheart Read
Feb. 17th - New Date for CICC Meeting
Feb 17-18th - International Festival
The Mata Middle School Broadcast! - Enjoy!
January 26th is the 100th Day of School!
Great Kindness Week Challenge!
This week is The Great Kindness Challenge. What is it? It is just that - taking the opportunity to be kind to others! Attached you will find a checklist in English and Spanish on ways students can show kindness to others. There is also a Junior Version of the checklists. There are many more opportunities that our students participate in already. Feel free to have them add these to the back of their checklist.
Kindness: the quality of being friendly, generous, or considerate
Synonyms: care, goodwill, grace, neighborly, thoughtful, understanding
Quote: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop
Mata's Poetry Slam Winners!
We had 5 students to participate in the 5th grade Poetry Slam!
Parker Whitney
Brooklyn Kennet
Xander Olivo
Gia Luna
Cousteau Bell
All the poems were really great! These students worked hard to think and write a poem based on the theme "Be the change". They did a great job presenting their poems out loud. It was hard for us to choose a winner but Brooklyn Kennet's poem really stood out to us! She won first place and will be advancing to the district slam next month to represent Mata!
Core 4
Parents, students, and community members can shout out a teacher, staff member, or Dallas ISD employee by visiting https://www.dallasisd.org/shoutout
Some of the top shoutouts will be spotlighted on social media, the Core 4 webpage, and in a monthly e-newsletter!
4th and 5th Grade Living Museum Performance in Theatre!
4th and 5th grade Living Museum Performance in Theatre:
Parents, Your students have been working on a self-written biography speech in theatre. Please encourage them to practice their speech at home!
The following groups are performing in class on the following days:
Group 4: Monday, Jan. 24th
Group 4 / 5: Thursday, Jan 27th
Group 5: Monday, Jan 31st
They are allowed and encouraged to bring a costume or a prop the day of their performance, that is school appropriate.
We will not be able to have parents up to campus to view the performance due to safety measures. We will take pictures/videos but no official recording will be distributed this year. Please ask your student to perform for you at home to see!
Representación del Museo Vivo de 4 y 5 grado en Teatro:
Padres, Sus estudiantes han estado trabajando en un discurso biográfico escrito por ellos mismos en el teatro. ¡Anímelos a practicar su discurso en casa!
Los siguientes grupos se presentarán en clase los siguientes días:
Grupo 4: lunes 24 de enero
Grupo 4 / 5: jueves 27 de enero
Grupo 5: lunes 31 de enero
Se les permite y anima a traer un disfraz o un accesorio el día de su actuación, que sea apropiado para la escuela.
No podremos tener padres en el campus para ver la presentación debido a medidas de seguridad. Tomaremos fotos/videos pero no se distribuirá ninguna grabación oficial este año. ¡Pídale a su estudiante que actúe para usted en casa para verlo!
Thank you!
Mackie Bailey
Mata Montessori General PTA Meeting - January 25th
Passcode: MATAPTA
Come hear about what's happening with PTA, and a from our Special Guest Dr. Lopez. He will be speaking about High School Options for 8th Graders!
January Dress Pass!
January 28th - It's time to sign up and sponsor a class for this month's Dress Pass. Let’s work together to make sure that no class/student gets left out!
Dress Pass Rules
No open toe shoes, flip-flops, or heels
All shirts, dresses, and shorts must be at least fingertip length
No spaghetti straps, spandex, PJ's, or jeans with holes or rips.
You May Sign up to sponsor a class Dress Pass Here:
https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1126981283021842059/false#/invitation
Mata Middle School Information Session
Yearbook Candid Pictures Please!
The yearbook staff needs your help! If you have photos of your student on the first day of school, Red Ribbon Week, or pajama day, please email them to anmacias@dallasisd.org. These could be published in the 21-22 yearbook.
Tutoring Ratio Waver - Please complete
SEL PRACTICES FROM MORNING TO NIGHT
Focus on your child’s strengths.
A focus on accomplishment can build self-efficacy and help children persist when things get difficult. Watch Dr. Robert Brooks, Ph.D., Therapist & Author, as he shares advice for parents on how Identifying your child's strengths helps them succeed and build confidence. (Kids in the House)
Mata's PTA Walking Group!
Please tell us your preferences here! https://forms.gle/xR4niqi8N9hfsFfeA
Covid Quarantine, Isolation, and Testing Updates! - Please Read
Please do not send your child to school sick. Symptoms of Covid include headache, sore throat, runny nose, cough, congestion, and fever. Many are reporting cold and allergy-like symptoms. If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms please do not send them to school and call your healthcare provider. If your child has been tested for Covid-19 and results are pending, do not send your child to school until a negative result is received.
Rapid antigen testing is available on campus! To help keep Mata a safe learning environment, Nurse Nikki is able to test students in the school clinic. At this time tests will only be offered for Mata students on campus who are symptomatic. Written and verbal consent from a parent or guardian must be acquired prior to administering a test. If you would like to provide consent for your Mata student for rapid antigen testing on our campus, please fill out the consent form here: http://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent. Our campus access code is EDMATA. We encourage you to provide consent for your student in advance to streamline the testing process. Each consent is valid for the remainder of the school year.
This link is only valid to provide consent for minors under 18 years old. The district will not be testing parents, siblings of students, or other community members. Each DISD campus has a unique access code, so if you have other DISD students, please contact their campus nurse for an access code.
If your student has been exposed to a positive person and/or is experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms, please keep him or her at home and call the clinic for the next steps. Again, please do not send your child to school sick. It is imperative that parents assist us in maintaining the health and safety of those on campus. If you have any questions regarding Covid-19 testing or exposure policies, please call the clinic at 972-749-7519.
UPDATES!!!!
New quarantine and isolation policy changes have been announced from DISD to reflect recent CDC guidance. As of January 10th, students who test positive for Covid-19 must isolate for five calendar days from the start of symptoms or from the positive test day if asymptomatic. A positive student may return to campus on day 6 if symptoms have improved, and must continue wearing a mask at all times during days 6-10. Please do not send your child back to campus on day 6 if symptoms have not improved.
Students placed in quarantine due to an unvaccinated status and close contact with a positive individual must quarantine at home for five calendar days from the date of exposure. They may return to campus on day 6 after exposure only if they are symptom-free. Testing on day 5 is recommended by DISD but a negative test is not required to return.
If your student is currently in quarantine and you have questions about their return date, please call the clinic at 972-749-7519. If you need to report a positive test or exposure for your student, please call the clinic.
Mata's Federal Report Card
Attached you will find a copy of the State of Texas 2019–20 School Report Card for Eduardo Mata Montessori School. This report is required by the Texas Legislature and prepared by the Texas Education Agency. It is to be sent to the parent or guardian of every child enrolled in a Texas public school. The report provides information concerning student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR® ), as well as information on student enrollment, class size averages, and financial expenditures. Due to COVID-19, STAAR® assessments were cancelled for the 2019–20 school year. Therefore, several data points have not been updated, including STAAR® and academic growth data.
The information contained in the School Report Card is required by state law and is briefly described in the enclosed “2019–20 School Report Card Definitions.” The report for our school may or may not have all the information described because the information presented depends on whether the school is an elementary, middle, or high school.
State law requires that the School Report Card display information about the state, the district, and the school. Where possible, the information must be reported by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status of the students and must include at least two years of results. The School Report Cards can be found online at https://tea.texas.gov/Student_Testing_and_Accountability/Accountability/State_Account ability/Performance_Reporting/School_Report_Cards
A more complete report about Eduardo Mata Montessori School, the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), is available by contacting my office or can be accessed online at https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport/tapr/index.html
Please contact me if you have any questions concerning this report card. Thank you for your continued support of Eduardo Mata Montessori School.
Sincerely,
Tomeka Middleton-Williams, Principal
Eduardo Mata Montessori School
Join PTA
Check out their webpage at https://matamontessori.com/
Sign up for the PTA newsletter: Click Here
Dallas ISD Updates for Campus Visitors
While Dallas County is in Level Red, campus visitors and volunteers will not be allowed. We will use virtual meeting options to limit campus visitors. All visitors who enter the building will be required to wear a face covering and those who proceed beyond the reception area will follow specific guidelines for visitors.
Visitor Screening/PPE Requirements
Please self- screen before entering any Dallas ISD facility. If visitors have COVID-19 symptoms, or are lab confirmed with COVID-19, they must notify the campus and remain off campus until they meet the criteria for re-entry.
All individuals entering the building will be required to wear face masks.
Visitors will stand behind the shield guard installed at reception desks or recommended 6 feet distance.
Any individuals permitted to proceed beyond the reception area must follow all safety and campus protocols.
Parent curbside pick up of students and materials
Dallas ISD School Safety Protocols
Mata Montessori School's Vision and Mission
Vision Statement: To provide an academic foundation which allows our students to be successful life-long learners.
Mission Statement: To provide an authentic Montessori education by focusing on educating the whole child academically, socially, and emotionally for all children.
Mata Montessori School's Key Actions
- Maintain a climate and culture that fosters academic excellence.
- Improve quality of instruction and student achievement through an aligned Montessori curriculum.
- Actively engage parents in education in meaningful and relevant ways.
The Mata Memo
Eduardo Mata Montessori School
Email: matamontessori@dallasisd.org
Website: http://www.dallasisd.org/Page/2376
Location: 7420 La Vista Drive, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: (972)749-7500
Twitter: @MontessoriMata