We are so excited about the return of our After School Clubs this month. Menchaca students have the option of participating in the Just Dance Club, Lego Club, Craft Club, Ballet Folklorico, or STEM clubs. Our clubs coordinator, Kindergarten Teacher Mrs. Peters, is instrumental in keeping the program alive! Following social distancing guidelines and all COVID precautions, our clubs will return on February 9th. What a great variety for our 4-6 year-olds to get to participate in! In the Ballet Folklorico club students are learning traditional Mexican dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics. Our Lego Club promotes fine motor skills, builds creativity, and develops problem solving as our students work to plan and build while connecting Lego pieces of different shapes and sizes helping to practice dexterity – a key skill in writing! The STEM Club allows students to learn about all of the elements of STEM: Science, Technology, Engingeering, and Math. Students will use robots, ozobots, construct using engingeering skills, and more! The Just Dance Club gets kids moving! Gross motor skills are a developmental milestone that helps our students and through dance our students gain better agility, flexibility, coordination, balance, and spatial awareness. This club increases endurance and also teaches students how to self-regulate their body. (Key for learning!) Finally, the Craft Club encourages self expression, promotes innovation and creativity, enhances decision-making skills, and develops fine motor skills. We are so happy we can offer these opportunities to students every Tuesday and Thursday after school.
Bringing Inchy the Book Vending Machine to MECC
At Menchaca we love to share our passion for reading with students. In an effort to motivate our students to be successful readers, we’re trying to bring Inchy the Book Vending Machine to MECC. Students will love having the opportunity to earn coins to buy their own books for meeting attendance goals or exhibiting positive behavior. Knowing that reading is an essential part of education and that in order to be successful in school you need to be able to read, a Donors Choose project has been posted to bring Inchy to our school. When many students in Southside ISD come from low-income families that struggle to make ends meet, buying books can be considered a luxury. We want to be able to put more books in the hands of our students. Holding a book, learning to read it from left to right, and escaping into the magic of a book can really open a world of learning for our students. Therefore, we have a project currently posted on DonorsChoose to make this possible for our students.
Our Adopted Calf: Belle
After the rough finish from last year Librarian Mrs. Lopez knew she wanted this year to be an exciting one. That opportunity came quickly when an email arrived asking if our school was interested in adopting a cow. Upon exploring their web site and how engaging their program is, she decided immediately that MECC students needed to be a part of this adventure. Our calf, Belle, was born on October 28, 2020 at 128 pounds from the Mil R Mor Farm. Mrs. Lopez held a gender reveal party for all classes and Discovery Dairy shares updated pictures. This month we will receive stories and videos of Belle’s growth. Our students will watch how she grows throughout the year. Students will go on a virtual tour of a dairy farm and learn about operating a dairy farm. Students will learn how the cows are brought to the milking sections and prepped for milking. They will see the milk coming out of the tubing which places the milk into a big canteen then how the milk needs to be cooled down before it even leaves the farm. Students will brainstorm what can be made from milk. This is also providing an opportunity for our students to learn about careers and that grown-ups like dairy farmers also have rules making sure that they are producing quality milk products. Students will then get to see how milk is pasteurized and bottled before going to the store.
Cardinal Spotlight Week of February 1st: Menchaca Early Childhood Center
Lydia Lopez Pena
Ms. Pena is an amazing paraprofessional in our ECSE PreK classroom! Her dedication to her students is evident. She has such a calming, peaceful demeanor. The children gravitate towards her. She is excellent at differentiating and creating materials that assist in the education and well-being of our children here at Menchaca. Ms. Pena is always willing to assist and is very flexible. Ms. Pena is a valued member of our Menchaca family!
Dionysus Garcia
Es un placer tener a Dionysus en nuestro salón de DOBLE SENDERO. Dionysus ha estado aprendiendo mucho español . Es un alumno respetuoso porque es muy atento y amable con sus maestras y sus compañeros. Ha demostrado ser un alumno responsable porque siempre llega a tiempo y preparado para aprovechar sus horas en la escuela para aprender. Dionysus ya puede nombrar casi todas las letras del abecedario! Gracias al apoyo que recibe en casa! También observa los hábitos saludables porque usa su cubrebocas, su protector facial/careta, y se lava las manos sin tener que recordarle. ¡Felicidades, Dionysus!