The Mata Memo
October 4, 2022
Principal's Message
Dear Mata family,
Our campus and community are busy learning, achieving, and growing! It's beautiful to see how engaged in learning the students are. The students are focused and learning. They are also showing kindness and gratitude toward each other in many ways. It's very rewarding to ask a child how they are doing, and in return, they ask, how are you? They are concerned about others.
There is so much to look forward to this fall! Be sure to read the full newsletter so you won't miss out on any of the fun and learning!
Tomeka Williams
Principal
Calendar at A Glance
District Wide Calendar - Click Here
Oct. 5-13th- Book Fair!
Oct. 7th - Fair Day- No School
Oct. 11th- Parent University "How to Speak to your Children about Dangerous Situations"
Oct. 12th- National Walk and Roll to School Day
Oct. 12th - National Take your Parent to Lunch Day
Oct. 13th- SBDM Meeting (Virtual)
Oct. 14th - Professional Development Day - No School
Oct. 19th- PSAT - 8th Grade
Oct. 22nd - Trunk or Treat
Book Fair!
A Message from Nurse Nikki
We love birthdays, celebrations of life, and snacks at Mata, but please be mindful of the snacks you send with your student to school. We have students with severe, life-threatening food allergies and we discourage sharing personal snacks and lunch items so everyone stays safe. Snacks that will be shared with the classroom for celebrations should be individually pre-packaged (homemade and bakery items are not permitted) and healthy. Items like pizza, cupcakes, donuts, chips, and sodas are discouraged and will be returned home.
The Mata Closet needs your help! We are in need of new toddler boys and girls' underwear in sizes 3T, 4T, and 5T. We also need gently used (or new) boys' and girls' pants, shorts, and skirts in sizes 12 and up. Please make sure your donations are free from rips, stains or missing zippers/buttons. Donations can be dropped off at the front desk. Thank you, parents!
Thank you so much!
Nikki Taggart, BSN, RN
Theatre Needs!
Parent University! Come out Oct. 11th!
Attention 8th Grade Parents - PSAT
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Eduardo Mata Montessori will administer the PSAT 8/9 on October 19, 2022 to students in the 8th grade.
This test is only offered on-campus in-person with no virtual option. The PSAT 8/9 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10—in a way that makes sense for eighth graders. It measures what they’re already learning, shows them whether they’re on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. That means students have time to tackle these areas long before they take the SAT. The following are other key benefits of the PSAT 8/9.
· It helps establish a baseline for students as they enter high school and begin preparing for college and career readiness.
· It will identify areas where students excel and may want to consider taking higher-level courses, as well as areas they should focus on to improve academically.
Please note that PSAT 8/9 scores are not sent to colleges.
Thank you!
Trunk or Treat!
The Trunk or Treat Committee needs YOU! Please help us make this year’s Trunk or Treat a huge success for our Mata students and staff by signing up to donate items. Visit https://matamontessoripta.membershiptoolkit.com/ to sign up. (You will need to create a free membership toolkit account to do so.)
Pumpkin decorating Each class will decorate a pumpkin the week before Trunk or Treat. Please consider donating arts & crafts supplies (paint, paint brushes, googly eyes, etc.) by Thursday Oct. 13th. These supplies will also be needed for our free mini pumpkin decorating at Trunk or Treat.
Cake walk Please consider donating a small cake or cupcakes on October 21st.
Decorations If you have any Halloween decorations or pop up tents to lend us please contact us for more information.
¡El comité Trunk or Treat te necesita a TI! Ayúdenos a hacer que Trunk or Treat de este año sea un gran éxito para nuestros estudiantes y personal de Mata registrándose para donar artículos. Visite https://matamontessoripta.membershiptoolkit.com/ para registrarse. (Deberá crear una cuenta de Membership Toolkit gratuita para hacerlo).
Decorations If you have any Halloween decorations or pop up tents to lend us please contact us for more information.
Decoración de calabazas. Cada clase decorará una calabaza la semana del evento. Considere donar materiales para artes y manualidades (pintura, pinceles, ojos saltones, etc.) antes del jueves 13 de octubre. Estos suministros también serán necesarios para nuestro evento gratuito de decoración de mini calabazas el día de.
Paseo de pasteles Considere donar un pastel pequeño o pastelitos el 21 de octubre.
Decoraciones Si tiene decoraciones de Halloween o carpas emergentes para prestarnos, contáctenos para obtener más información.
Battle of the Middle School DJ and Calling Middle School Zombies
We are looking for a Middle School DJ! Battle of the DJ ! Name, parent info, and clean playlist must be submitted by 10/07 for consideration. Two DJ's will be picked for different time slots, the playlist will be approved by us before the event.
Calling all creatures of the night! We are looking for middle school zombies that would like to participate in the haunted house and/or zombie red light green light game. Name and parent info submitted by 10/07.
Please sign up here:
Pumpkin Showcase!
2nd Grade Musical Theatre Fieldtrip to Dallas Children’s Theatre!
Mrs. Vallejo and Mrs. Bailey need chaperones for the 2nd grade field trip on Friday, November 4th to Dallas Children’s Theatre. If you are interested in chaperoning, please fill out and submit this Google form by Thursday, October 13th: https://forms.gle/FpoyZouu4SThujHz8. Mrs. Vallejo and Mrs. Bailey will reach out to parents as needed. You MUST be registered in VOLY by Thursday, October 13th to be considered for a chaperone. Also, if you have more than one child at Mata, please fill out the form again for each additional child.
All 2nd grade students received a permission slip on Tuesday, September 27th for the field trip. Please sign and return to Mrs. Vallejo or Mrs. Bailey before Thursday, October 6th. If you need another copy, you can get one in the main office.
Super Parent Academy - Special Services - Link Below
National Take your Parents to Lunch - Oct. 12th
Please call the Main Office, 972-749-7500, to RSVP. by Monday, Oct. 10th.
Dyslexia Screener Letter - Attention Kinder, 1st, 2nd, and 7th Grade Parents
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!
In 1988, Congress designated the entire month of September 15th through October 15th as Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM). Dallas ISD provides a series of highly engaging programs and activities this month centered around celebrating, empowering, remembering, and appreciating our students' cultural heritage.
The Racial Equity Office (REO) encourages schools to use these resources to augment lessons and spark discussions year-round.
What can be worn to PE?
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
May wear: a t-shirt/sweatshirt, athletic shorts (at least fingertip length when worn at appropriate place on waist, and arms are extended downward), sweatpants, or joggers. Students need to carry their clothes in a small bag, such as a Walmart bag or a string bag, inside their backpacks.
May not wear: cut-off t-shirts, crop or tank tops, leggings/tights, short shorts, items with holes, tight clothing, or anything out of dress code.
PRIMARY, LOWER ELEMENTARY, UPPER ELEMENTARY:
May wear dress code appropriate school clothing and athletic shoes. Suggested: leggings or shorts underneath all skirts or dresses, leggings underneath skirts with built in shorts.
What's Happening Around Mata Montessori?
8th Grade Students talk to El Paso ISD
MR. COLLUM WORKS ONE-ON-ONE WITH A STUDENT!
MS. MANSKE PRESENTS THE ADJECTIVE LESSON
MS. HARRIS ROCKS OUT WITH STUDENTS!
MS. SCOTT'S PRIMARY SINGS THE SONG OF "SEPTEMBER"
Show Up! Attendance Day! Book Character/ Celebrity Day!
Theatre Shirts for Sale! Money is Due This Week!
National Walk & Roll to School Day
Save the date for National Walk & Roll to School Day on October 12! Join us as we walk, bike, and roll down the Santa Fe Trail after school to celebrate in Lindsley park. Water and a healthy snack will be provided by Mata PTA.
¡Reserva la fecha para el Día Nacional de Caminar y Rodar a la Escuela el 12 de octubre! Únete a nosotros mientras caminamos, andamos en bicicleta y rodamos por el sendero de Santa Fe después de la escuela para celebrar, en el parque Lindsley. El PTA de Mata proporcionará agua y un aperitivo saludable.
Message from PTA
The PTA has a new Google Calendar
Check out on our website: https://matamontessoripta.membershiptoolkit.com/calendar
You can Synchronize to your calendar app using this link:
https://calendar.google.com/.../mata.../public/basic.icsSync
Recess Volunteers Needed!
https://matamontessoripta.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/96994
Buy your spirit wear from the Eagle Wagon!
Spirit wear may be worn with jeans on Fridays
Thank you for your patience while we organize our current on hand inventory.
For new shirts, more colors, expanded sizing and embroidered options plus delivery to your home see our PTA’s online fundraising store https://matamontessori.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Join PTA!
Check out your PTA membership perks and if you’re not a member you can join online:
Need Uniform Assistance: See below!
You may request one free uniform per student if needed.
Ecollect Forms are accessed from your PowerSchool account. No separate login is necessary. Forms are tied to your child’s record and can be accessed from the Forms link in the left navigation column. To access the forms, you will need a PowerSchool Parent Account with all your students added to it.
GETTING STARTED
- Go to https://dallasisd.powerschool.com/public/home.html to log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account.
- Once logged in:
- select a student from the tab on the top left then,
- Click on the Forms tab on the left side
- f the page.
3. You will then see what forms you have for that student.
NOTE: You can only look at the set of forms under one student at a time. If you have more than one student in the district, you will have to go to each student tab to complete forms for each student.
4. When you begin, all your forms will have a status of Empty. Once the form is filled out, press the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Your form will be submitted and reloaded.
Students with a banner that shows Eligible for Uniform proceed to fill out the form.
- If the form submission was successful, a pop-up window will appear thanking you for the submission.
6. Once you are done with a form and submit it, that status will change to Submitted when you go to Forms.
Please reach out to Ms. Gunter or Dr. Lopez if you need assistance.
Action for Happiness Calendar
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: @montessorimata