The Mata Memo
April 6, 2021
Principal's Message
Dear Mata families,
This week marks the start of STAAR testing. Some of our 4th and 7th-grade students began with paper-based assessments. Next week 4th and 7th grades will take STAAR writing online. We are asking that those students return to campus to test. This year will be a unique testing season with paper-based testing, online testing, and extended weeks. Administering STAAR this year serves as both a challenge and an opportunity. Please be on the lookout for correspondence from your teacher.
We know that change can be hard to digest, but we are ensuring that our children have the best possible testing environment possible. We will keep you posted on what's to come. Please join us for a Virtual Coffee with the Principals. We would like you to submit questions that you would like us to address in this form. https://forms.gle/DetpvgKLJ5LkKBRu9
We know that our hard work this year will pay off. Thanks for the work you've done in collaboration with the school! We hope you have a fantastic week!
Please read the memo carefully for information regarding:
- Calendar at a Glance
- Virtual Coffee with the Principals
- Dallas ISD's Cultural Intelligence Meeting
- Dallas ISD's Spring Survey
- Spring STAAR Information
- Covid Updates
- And much, much more!
We look forward to another great week of teaching and learning!
Tomeka Williams
Principal
Calendar at A Glance
April 5-9 - Assistant Principal's Appreciation Week
April 6th- Librarian Appreciation Day
April 6th (paper based) and 13th (online) - 4th and 7th Grade - STAAR Writing
April 9th - End of Grading Period
April 16th - Virtual Coffee with the Principals 8:30 AM
April 21 Administrative Assistants Day
April 22 and 23- "Dear Edwina" Online Musical presented by Drama Club 7:00 PM
April 27 PTA Elections
April 30 Dress Pass Friday
Mata's Middle School Broadcast
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QbQu66lyHP4Y2F7E1n80K9FjZH7WKAAR/view
Coffee with the Principals
Using Cultural Intelligence to Create an Anti-Racist School Community
Dallas ISD will host its third session in the CQ Webinar & Townhall Series, "Using Cultural Intelligence to Create an Anti-Racist School Community," on April 12, 2021 from 5pm — 6pm CST.
The Town Hall will be the third in a series of live conversations aimed at engaging the Dallas ISD community around how to create an antiracist school community that is free of bias and racism and grounded in equity. It will feature an update on the district's commitment to equity and include an audience Q&A session on this and related topics. Community members can visit the Racial Equity Office webpage to download resources for family and community conversations about combating racism and promoting equity.
The Town Hall will be held via Zoom in English and Facebook in Spanish. Pre-registration is required to receive a link to attend. Visit the Upcoming Events section of the Racial Equity Office web page at wvm.dallasisd.orq/racialequitv to register. Flyers in English and Spanish are below.
2021 Dallas ISD Parent Survey
The annual Parent Survey opened on April 5, 2021 . This survey will obtain feedback to help us improve schools in our district. The attached flyer provides the QR code and link.
The survey will be sent via email to parents for whom addresses are available in PowerSchool. The link and QR code will also be shared through the district's social media channels and publications, such as The Hub and The Beat, and a banner will be displayed on the district's home page, linking parents to the survey.
To ensure fidelity, parents, please enter your child's seven-digit ID number. You will complete a survey for each campus in which you have children enrolled. If more than one child is at a campus, you will submit the ID number of the oldest child at each campus. The survey will be available in English, Spanish, Burmese, French, Arabic and Swahili.
If you have any questions about how their feedback will be used, they may contact the Dallas ISD Office of Family and Community Engagement by calling 972.925.3913. If you experience technical difficulties with the survey, you may contact the Evaluation and Assessment survey team at suweyresearch@dallasisd.org.
Spring STAAR Assessment information
Happy National Assistant Principal's Week!
Please give them a huge thank you this week!
Librarian Appreciation Day is April 6th!
The safety of our students and staff remains our first priority. Contact tracing occurs and if anyone is identified as close contact, they will be notified by the school and required to quarantine. To learn about the positive cases at Mata or in the district, you may visit the dashboard which is updated daily at 5 PM. COVID Dashboard Please see the most updated picture below.
We remain committed to following extensive safety protocols, which include social distancing in classrooms, hallways, offices, and elevators; masks are required for every staff member and student throughout the day; hand washing practices are regular parts of everyone’s day; thorough cleanings are scheduled, and contact tracing measures are in place and being followed.
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.
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MataMontessori/?fref=ts
Twitter: @mata_school