Panther News

From Principal D's Panther Den

Title I Survey - Please Complete by Feb. 7th

Dear Panther Families,

The Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) / Title I Plan Survey is a tool used by schools and districts receiving Title I funding to assess their needs, set priorities, and develop strategies to support student achievement, particularly for disadvantaged students. Please see MPA's Plan:

Title I- Hiring paraprofessionals and instructional to help students

Title II - DLI Professional Development for teachers

Title IV - Resources to provide well-rounded education (extra curriculum, art, PE supplies, etc.)

Kinder Parent Coffee Chat with Principal D

Kinder parents are welcome to join Principal D for our first annual Kinder Coffee Chat on Thursday, Feb. 20th from 8:15 am - 8:45 am. Kindly check into the main office; meeting will be held in the cafeteria. Stay tuned for more details!

Celebrating Counselor Berrios!

National School Counseling Week is a week-long celebration that takes place every year during the first full week of February. The week recognizes the important role that school counselors play in helping students succeed in school and plan for their careers.

Thank you for all you do for our Panthers! We look forward to celebrating next week.

Attendance Counts!

Dear Panther Families,

It is our goal to support student attendance and engagement. According to the U.S. department of Education, Chronic absenteeism is typically defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days, or 18 days in a year, for any reason, excused or unexcused. As of the 2021-22 school year, over 14 million students nationwide were chronically absent, missing valuable instructional time, and posing serious implications for students' overall academic success and wellbeing.

On average, we have thirty to fifty absent students on a daily basis at MPA. It is my goal to ensure that we decrease these absence rates starting now. Please reach out to myself or Counselor Berrios if you are in need of assistance in getting to school.

Every day and every minute counts.

I encourage you to watch the brief informative videos below.

Here are the direct links to each video:

English - https://youtu.be/iK9NP468zYo

Spanish - https://youtu.be/KzrldBo4qt4

Certification Update: Out of Field Teachers

Notification to Parents of Teachers Who Are Teaching Out Of Field

In accordance with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), parents have the right to know the following:

a) The information regarding the professional qualifications of your student’s classroom teachers/paraprofessional shall include the following:

If your student has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the applicable state certification requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.

Teachers may meet this requirement once all alternative certification pathway requirements or if the teacher meets the State Certification assignment rules.

Please know that our teachers at MPA have been working diligently to attain their certifications and required endorsements. I am one VERY proud principal.

If you would like to receive any additional information, please contact Mrs. DeSousa at j desousa@materpalms.com.

We Are Now Official Chapter Members of NEHS and NJHS

The National Junior Honor Society chapter of Mater Palms Academy is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a five-member principal-appointed faculty council, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each January.

Please contact abaez@materpalms.com or nberrios@materpalms.com

Congratulations! We Are Proud of You!

MPA wanted to congratulate the following groups for their recent success:

Winter Sports Teams: Girls and Boys Basketball team for winning both games this past Saturday! They did a fantastic job at the tournament. Keep up the great work. Also, thank you to all the coaches who gave their time, the students for competing, and the parents for supporting the students.

MPA now has a Track Team, thanks to Coach M. Aviles and R. Aviles! Good luck at the meet on Saturday!