MUSTANG PARENT ALERT

T. L. MARSALIS ELEMENTARY STEAM ACADEMY

February 2024 Monthly Parent Newsletter

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Hello Mustang Families!

February has arrived and we are gearing up for an exciting month of academic and extracurricular activities. We will be recognizing both Black History Month as well as Kindness Month with our students. You will find in this newsletter links to our campus activities for both events. It's going to be a fun and informative month for our students.

Our scholars have now completed our district-sponsored Middle of the Year assessments including the CIRCLE readiness assessment for our PK3-4 students, Reading fluency for K-2 students and our Grade K-5 students also took the national MAP assessment in reading, math and science. Therefore, we have acquired really good data for our students which will allow us to pinpoint specific needs as we plan for quality instruction and intensive intervention & enrichment for our students. I am pleased to announce that over 75% of our students have already met their growth goals at the midpoint, so we know they will only continue to rise!

Communication is key! Parents, please make sure that you stay in touch with your child's teacher regarding any academic concerns and ways that you help your child stay on track! Our teachers have great resources that they can provide to help you support learning at home. Our campus goal is GROWTH at all levels and we are confident that with your partnership and support, it can happen!

As a reminder, our campus is a uniform campus. ALL students are to be in the correct school uniform each day. Khaki bottoms are our only allowed bottoms, not blue or black. Jeans are not allowed on Fridays unless an announcement is made for a special dress day event. We are looking forward to another great month at Marsalis! Please let us know if you have any questions.

TESTING DATES:

STAAR Field Testing for Grades 3-5 - Week of February 5-9, 2024

TAG Testing for Kindergarten & Second Opportunity begins February 5, 2024

Statewide TELPAS testing for ELL students - Begins February 20, 2024

SCHOOL EVENTS:

Fall Semester Awards - February 1-2, 2024 (Various Times - Flyer will be posted to Class DoJo)

National School Counseling Week - February 5-8, 2024

South Oak Cliff Cluster FAM JAM! - February 24, 2024 @ Carter HS; 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Annual Marsalis Oratorical Contest - March 1, 2024 (Times TBD)

CLUB COMPETITION DATES:

Destination Imagination Regionals - February 3, 2024 @ Skyline HS

DISD Elementary Cheer Showcase - February 10, 2024 @ Jefferson HS

** Check with club sponsors for specific times and instructions**

FIELD TRIPS SCHEDULED:

February 22, 2024 - African American Read In Event (Selected grades)

February 23, 2024 - Rhythm and Soul of a People hosted by TBAAL Event (Selected students)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH DISTRICT AND CAMPUS EVENTS

Meet our counselor, Ms. Telisa Ingram. Visit her counseling website at

https://sites.google.com/dallasisd.org/thecounselorscorner

One of our STEAM Academy commitments is to the social and emotional learning of our students. Each morning our students participate in a "SEL MEET UP" with their homeroom teachers and fellow classmates. This daily activity is the building block for our classroom communities. Our SEL focus for February will focus on: KINDNESS. February is the official Kindness Month Observance and we will be using resources and lessons from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to continue to foster an engaging and inclusive environment on our campus. I am including February's kindness calendar as well. https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

Our monthly parent workshop will continue and flyers/announcements will be provided when our dates/speakers are finalized. We'd love to see you if you are able to attend.

DREAM "STEAM" TEAMS!!

Congratulations to our K-3 and 4-5 Robotics Teams! Our K-3 team had an outstanding showing at the FLL Explorers Festival last month and our 4-5 Team "Ctrl-Alt-Elite" has been invited to the North Texas Regional qualifying round for a change to reach the Texas State Championship!

Sponsors:

Ms. Hollinger and Ms. Sellers (K-3 Team)

Mr. Wiseman and Ms. Perry (4-5 Team)

EARLY ENROLLMENT FOR ALL PK4 TO KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION

Thank you for choosing Marsalis for PreKindergarten! Even though it may feel early to do so, it is time to think about where your student will enroll for Kindergarten. If your student’s home address does not fall within our school’s attendance boundaries, he/she will not be automatically enrolled at our school next year. By default, all Dallas ISD Kindergarten students are enrolled at their neighborhood (“zoned”) school.

If you would like your student to continue at Marsalis for Kindergarten in the 2024-2025 school year, you must submit a Choose Dallas ISD application. The online application can be completed using a smartphone, computer, or tablet so visit www.dallasisd.org/choosedallasisd to start the application process.

If you plan to enroll your student at his/her neighborhood (“zoned”) school for Kindergarten, no action is necessary from you at this time. He/she will be automatically be enrolled there and you will receive information later in the spring about registration for the 2024-2025 school year.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office staff if you have any questions about the PreK to Kindergarten transition or the Choose Dallas ISD application process. We are here to help!

MARSALIS ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL REMINDERS

Arrival Reminders

- Our school opens at 7:30 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 8:00 a.m. and a student is tardy at 8:15 a.m. Recording of tardies will begin this week and can affect your child's overall attendance.

- Students begin picking up breakfast from the cafeteria with their teachers at 7:45 a.m. and eat in their classrooms. Breakfast concludes at 8:15 a.m. All students who arrive after this time will miss the breakfast period.

Dismissal Reminders

- Dismissal begins at 3:20 p.m. If you would like to pick your child up early, they will need to be picked up prior to 3:00 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.

STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER(S)

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- Make sure to download the Class DoJo app to your phones or other technology devices and join your child's class to receive real-time communication and alerts with your child's teachers.

- Our Marsalis grade level Google sites are officially live now. Check out our school website (www.dallasisd.org/marsalis) for access. 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.

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BUS SAFETY REMINDERS

Parents,

Please share with your child(ren) the importance of bus safety. Students are to wear seatbelts, if applicable, obey the bus drivers' directives, keep their hands and belongings to themselves and most importantly, stay seated while on the bus. Parents, also remember to be at the appropriate bus pickup locations on time. Our bus drivers routes do not service Marsalis only and must stay on schedule.