Week of August 12

Greetings Mahanay families, welcome back to another inspiring school year at Mahanay! I look forward to welcoming our students to another exciting school year. Together, we have created an amazing environment for our children, and I can’t express how grateful I am for your unwavering support and involvement in our school community.

Before we get into the details of this year’s initiatives, let’s take a moment to embrace our theme for the year: "TEAM Mahanay – Together Everyone Achieves More." This isn’t simply a catchy motto; it’s a foundational belief that propels everything we do and shapes everything we strive for.

What does TEAM Mahanay stand for? It embodies the essence of collaboration, of trust, and of shared aspirations. Just like the most successful teams in sports or business, our greatest strength comes from unity, a shared commitment, and a fun-loving spirit that reminds us we’re in this together.

This year, we welcome our students back with open arms and an enthusiastic spirit, ready to nurture not just academic excellence but also their emotional, social, and developmental needs. We believe that every child is a valuable member of TEAM Mahanay. Whether they are just starting their journey in our kindergarten classes or preparing for new adventures in high school, we are dedicated to fostering their growth. Alongside their teachers, the staff, and of course, you – their devoted parents – we aim to ensure that every single student feels valued, inspired, and equipped to reach their goals.

Parents, I urge you to be proactive participants this year. Your involvement is the heartbeat of TEAM Mahanay. When you volunteer, attend events, or engage in our communication platforms, you not only support your child but fortify the whole team. Each interaction with school staff, each meeting attended, and each question asked is a thread that weaves our team closer together.

Imagine the magic we can unleash when we pull together as one cohesive TEAM Mahanay. A vibrant community where information flows seamlessly, where students know their families and their school are rooting for them, can create an environment that allows for immense personal and collective growth.

So, let’s embrace this school year with hearts full of hope, determination, and team spirit. Thank you for being here, thank you for supporting the heart of our team—our students—and thank you for being the amazing community that is TEAM Mahanay! Let’s make 2024 exceptional!

Doors will open at 7:15 a.m. Families will be able to walk their child to his/her class on Monday, August 12th and Tuesday, August 13th. Beginning August 14th, students will walk themselves to class. Staff members are on duty to ensure they arrive to their designated areas.

Elementary School Hours

7:55 a.m.- 3:20 pm.

Daily Schedule

• 7:15 Building Opens
• 7:15-7:50 Breakfast is served for students in K-4
• 7:55 Tardy bell rings
• 3:20 Dismissal

Additional items may be requested by your child's teacher.

• Any solid color collared shirts
• Pants or knee-length shorts (khaki, navy, or blue jeans)
• Leggings may not be worn unless they are worn under a skirt or dress.
• Dresses and skirts must be knee-length (Khaki or navy)
• Fridays are college shirt day! Wear the college shirt of your choice!
• Mahanay School Shirts can be worn any day of the week.
• Jeans may be worn with a Mahanay School Shirt any day of the week.
• Shoes: Close-toed shoes- No Crocs

Students

• Breakfast - Universal Free Breakfast
• Lunch Meal Price

Paid- $1.00

Adult/Visitor

• Breakfast - $3.30

• Lunch - $5.00

Alief ISD is launching a new way for parents to pay for field trips, yearbooks, spirit wear, athletic fees, and other school-related goods and services. Register today using the QR code.

Car Riders

Please display your blue car rider tag on your dashboard when picking up your child. Please leave it in place until after you have picked up your child. If you need another car rider tag, please come to the front office to pick up a replacement. Please do not park and get out of your car to pick up your child. Students will be released to parents in the car rider line.

Early Pickups:

Students picked up prior to dismissal are considered as being absent for part of the school day, similar to a morning tardy, unless the school receives a doctor’s note within three school days. Early Pickups MUST be made prior to 2:30 p.m.

Dismissal Changes:

If you need to change your child's method of dismissal, please send a note in writing to your child's teacher or bring it to the front office. Changes may not be made by phone. Make sure your child knows to give it to the teacher first thing in the morning. Transportation changes must be made prior to 2:30 p.m.

All students will be assigned 2 SMART tags at the start of each year.

• One tag must remain attached to the student’s backpack. Bus riders use these tags to scan on and off the bus using an iPad. Using specialized software, the district can then track which students are on the busses and ensure that drivers know each child’s appropriate bus stop. Parents may sign up to receive text messages regarding bus stop arrival times. SMART tags on backpacks are also used by all students as a breakfast meal tag. More information on bus stops, SMART tags, and kindergarten bus procedures is available on the district website at www.aliefisd.net/o/aisd/page/transportation.

• The second SMART tag will be used in school as your child’s picture ID. Students are expected to wear these tags daily. They are used for book checkout in the library and for scanning in during lunch. Badges increase safety and allow all adults, including substitutes, to be able to call children by their names.

If either of your child’s SMART tags is lost or damaged, a $5.00 replacement fee is required.

Things to remember about attendance procedures at our school:

1) School starts at 7:55 a.m.—students who are not in class at this time are considered tardy. Students who are 30 or more minutes tardy, will be considered as a “POD30”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.

2) The official attendance time to determine if a student is absent or present for the day is 10:00 a.m., students must be on campus at this time.

3) Dismissal is at 3:20 p.m.—students may not be released after 2:35 p.m. because dismissal procedures will have already started.

4) Students who are picked up before dismissal time will be considered as an “early leave”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.

5) Excuse notes for absences must be returned no later than 3 days after returning to school.

6) Only 10 parent excuse notes will be allowed per year, without extenuating circumstances.

7) Only 10 doctor/clinic/nurse excuse notes will be allowed per year, without a medical need documented by your doctor and verified by the school nurse.

Families who would like to celebrate their child’s birthday at school may bring cupcakes purchased from a store or bakery to share with the whole class. Cupcakes will be shared and eaten immediately after your child's lunch, which is their designated recess time. Please contact the teacher to determine the number of children in your child’s class. Pizza, snacks, drinks, party favors, balloons, flowers, and/or other gifts are not permitted.