Main Office Phone: (210) 882-1610

Office Hours: 6:50 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Principal: Tanya Mares

https://southsideisd.org/mecc/

Dear Menchaca Families,

Did you know that Menchaca ECC is the 2nd largest campus in Southside ISD, with a student enrollment of over 800 students? It truly takes a village to ensure the safety and success of all our students, and each of our staff members plays a critical role in making that happen. From our custodians to our teachers and everyone in between, every staff member contributes to creating a nurturing environment. They make sure our students start the day with a nutritious breakfast, receive quality instruction, and leave with smiles on their faces at the end of the day. We are incredibly thankful for their dedication.

Next week, we are excited to host the Scholastic Book Fair in our library! Reading to your child has many proven benefits, such as improving language skills, expanding their imagination, and fostering a lifelong love of learning. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to explore new books with your children and spark their curiosity.

We will also be hosting a special parent/student shopping night at the book fair on Wednesday, September 25th from 3:30 - 5:30 P.M. This is a great chance to pick up some new books for your home library and share in the joy of reading with your child.

Finally, we hope you’ve marked your calendars for our Fall Festival on October 17th. This fun event will feature music, games, snacks, costumes, and trunk-or-treating. It’s sure to be a fantastic evening of community spirit, and we can’t wait to see you all there!

Thank you for your continued support.

Regards,

MECC Leadership Team

September 23rd

• SPANISH - Parenting Workshop 9AM

September 25th

• College, Career, & Military Day (Students are encouraged to wear a college, military, or career/trade shirt to promote the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in life!)

• Student & Parent Shopping Night at the Book Fair 3:30 - 5:30 PM

September 30th

• Parenting Workshop 9AM

October 2nd

• College, Career, & Military Day (Students are encouraged to wear a college, military, or career/trade shirt to promote the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in life!)

October 4th

• National Taco Day (Wear something with a taco on it!)

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open throughout the school day for STUDENTS ONLY. Money can be sent with a student or added to an eWallet (see link below for more info.)

Come shop the Scholastic Book Fair with your child on Wednesday, September 25th from 3:30 - 5:30 P.M. in the Menchaca Library.

We'd like to say thank you to all of our Menchaca teachers and staff for all of their hard work. To show our appreciation, we need YOUR help to stock our lounge with drinks and snacks.

Donations will be collected at our morning drop-off area and the front office all next week. When dropping off items, be sure to let us know that they are specifically for the staff appreciation.

Anything and everything is greatly appreciated. Thanks for showing us the love!

Be sure to mark your calendars for a bigger and better Fall Festival! Look for more information to be sent home next week.

Schools would literally fall apart if it weren’t for the custodial staff. They keep your school running every single day, giving students clean and tidy spaces to learn and grow.

Building social-emotional skills at home for early childhood students is of paramount importance as it lays the foundation for their lifelong emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. These formative years are a critical period for children to develop skills like empathy, self-regulation, and effective communication, which are essential for success in school and later in life. Parents and caregivers play a pivotal role in fostering these skills by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to express their emotions, learn how to manage them, and understand the feelings of others. By focusing on social-emotional development at home, children not only gain the tools they need to navigate the complexities of human interaction, but they also develop resilience and a strong sense of self, ultimately leading to healthier and more fulfilling lives as they grow and mature. Check out some of these home activities to build social emotional skills!

If you any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Early Childhood Counselors at:

celena.hernandez@southsideisd.org or melanie.morgan@southsideisd.org

A Cardinal VIP is like every very important person, they demonstrate excellent behavior and amazing manners. Every month students will be nominated by their peers and administration and these VIPs will be honored at a Board Meeting with a certificate, Cardinal VIP polo shirt, and a goodie bag. Way to go Cardinal VIP’s!

Our Cardinal VIP for September is Carmela Bender who has grown so much and is making great choices every day! She is kind to her friends, listens well, and always tries her best. We are so proud of the way she is learning to be a good citizen and helping others around her!

We are going to say BOO to the flu at MECC this fall with free vaccines for our students with Medicaid or are un(der)insured. UHS will be bringing out their mobile clinic to provide this service for us. If your child has private insurance, they accept many insurance plans; we only ask that you check for your in-network status from UHS.

Parents do not need to be present if we have a signed consent form.
This clinic will be held from 9am- 12pm on Wednesday, October 23

For a consent form or more information, contact Nurse Heather at heather.siebert@southsideisd.org

Visit the mass vaccine clinic to get this year’s flu shot and help prevent serious illness!

As a parent, you have the greatest impact on whether or not your child will attend school properly. Show your child that education is important....their future depends on it!

Tips and Suggestions

• Monitor your child's attendance

• View tardies as unacceptable behavior

• Schedule appointments after school when possible

• Provide plenty of time in the morning to get ready

• Be your child's best supporter-- Set high expectations, while offering encouragement and praise

• Be involved-- Talk with teachers and counselors

Don't forget, when a student is absent from school, the student must bring a note signed by the parent/guardian that describes the reason for the absence from school.

For questions regarding your child's attendance, please contact our PEIMS/Attendance Clerks:

lupita.cabrera@southsideisd.org or meranda.zapata@southsideisd.org

Pre-Kindergarten

• Sepulveda
• M. Ramos
• Solano

Kindergarten

• Farias
• Combee
• Guerra
• Rodriguez
• J. Ramos
• V. Perez

Harley is off to an impressive start in her first year of school! She has quickly grasped the concepts of horizontal and vertical graphing, showcasing a strong aptitude for her new academic challenges. Beyond her academic achievements, Harley has seamlessly adapted to our Cardinal Culture, embodying the values and behaviors we cherish. Her calm demeanor, kindness, and commitment to safety and organization shine through both in and out of the classroom. Harley is truly thriving as a thoughtful and conscientious student, and we’re excited to see her continue to grow and excel.

Mr. Mendoza, the Academic Dean, has made a remarkable impact on the school’s recreational environment through his dedicated efforts in grant writing. By securing the necessary funding, Mr. Mendoza has successfully expanded the school's outdoor recess areas, equipping them with tricycles, oversized games like checkers and cornhole, and various targets. These additions not only provide students with diverse and engaging ways to strengthen their gross motor skills but also enhance safety by allowing for more spacious and organized play. Mr. Mendoza's initiative exemplifies the Cardinal Way, and we extend a huge thank you for his commitment to creating a vibrant and secure learning environment for our students.

1. Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:

cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground
new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash
literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant

2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.

3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.

4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.

5. Make time for play.
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.

6. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.

7. Play outside.
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighborhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.

8. Play is a child’s context for learning.
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.