2022-2023

Tanya Mares Named Principal of Menchaca Early Childhood Center

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We are excited to announce that Mrs. Tanya Mares was named Principal of Menchaca Early Childhood Center at Wednesday’s School Board meeting. Mrs. Mares had been in the position of Assistant Principal at MECC prior to her selection. Additionally, she has 5 years as Assistant Principal at Pearce Elementary and 2 years at Losoya Middle School. She has been with Southside ISD since 2005 and has a passion for the Southside community like no other! Most importantly, Mrs. Mares believes in providing a safe and caring environment where all students are capable of high levels of learning. We are excited to have Mrs. Mares lead our campus and serve as a role model to our scholars!

Cardinal Spotlight 9/25

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Sethe Faz

Sethe Faz is in Mrs. Combee’s kindergarten class and he is an outstanding young scholar! He is kind and helpful to his peers, and enjoys team work! Sethe is caring, has empathy and compassion for others, considerate, patient, and is very generous. Sethe loves to practice forming letters and numbers with Play-Doh and listening to stories. He has a real love for learning. Sethe is a wonderful young man and a great leader! Way to go Sethe for displaying the Pillars of Character.

Victoria Rubio

Mrs. Rubio is one of the exceptional paraeducators who teaches PK-3. This is Mrs. Rubio’s 2nd year with MECC. She is dedicated, knowledgeable, and she gladly pours all of her expertise for the better education of children. Mrs. Rubio is also a member of our Southside community.

The Power of Play in Early Childhood Development at MECC

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When it comes to a child’s health and development, play is more than just a chance to have fun. The various forms of play, such as hide-and-seek, dramatic play, and centers, have a significant positive impact on a child’s brain, body, and quality of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) clinical report, The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, explains how and why playing with parents and peers is essential to developing healthy bodies, brains, and social connections—all things that are crucial in today’s society. According to research, play can help kids become more organized, plan ahead, get along with others, and control their emotions. Play also improves language, numeracy, social abilities, and even helps kids deal with stress.

Statistics reveal that, in spite of its many advantages, children’s playtime has been decreasing for decades. One explanation is that there are less safe places to play, more parents are working outside the home, family and school routines are rigidly organized, and media use and screen time are on the rise. Our STEAM lab has many stations set up one of which is a dramatic play area with a store, kitchen, and more. They role play which helps with oral language skills, cooperate, and have fun all while learning! Just check out these kindergarteners hard at work AND play!

MECC Hosts a Scholastic Book Fair

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Book fair flyers were sent home with students and you can set-up your child’s e-wallet so you don’t send cash with them.
9/22 – Thursday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.
9/23 – Friday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.
9/26 – Monday: 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.
9/27 – Tuesday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m. and 4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.
9/28 – Wednesday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.
9/29 – Thursday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.
9/30 – Friday 9:00a.m.-1:45p.m.

Menchaca ECC Joined Over 22 Million Globally for International Dot Day!

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Menchaca Early Childhood Center has joined over 22 million children and adults around the globe in 197 countries to celebrate International Dot Day – a grassroots “creativity and courage” movement, started in 2009 by a teacher in Iowa. Inspired by New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ classic storybook for all ages The Dot, International Dot Day inspires young and old to embrace the power of personal creativity to help make their mark on the world, and move it to a better place. 

Menchaca Early Childhood Center is planning to celebrated Dot Day by wearing polka dots, reading the book The Dot, learning The Dot song with motions, and displaying their creativity! “The reason why Menchaca Early Childhood Center participated is because we want students to explore and embrace their individuality and creativity,” said Dr. Melanie Morgan, Pre-Kindergarten School Counselor.

International Dot Day began when Iowa teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Reynolds’ book, and noticed the original publishing date of The Dot was Sept. 15, 2003. Shay and his students decided to celebrate the book’s birthday – and, little did they know, launched what would become a worldwide celebration of creativity and courage to “make your mark.” 

“The Dot, is an invitation to students to be creative, and experience a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, said Shay, a public school teacher for over two decades “Every great teacher works for those transformational moments.”  

Exploring the themes of creativity, bravery, and self-expression, The Dot is a story of a perceptive and caring teacher who reaches a reluctant student who thinks she can’t draw by encouraging her to be brave enough to “just make a mark and see where it takes you.”  The Dot has been translated into many languages and the animated film of The Dot earned the Carnegie Medal of Excellence. 

After launching in 2009, International Dot Day garnered increasing attention, simply through word of mouth, in schools, libraries, and communities around the globe. By 2011, registrations had reached 17,500 participants in several states. Noticing the phenomenon, The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, & Creativity (ReynoldsTLC.org), Reynolds’ nonprofit educational R&D and creative learning support center, helped provide program support for the worldwide Dot Day event. The organization built and manages the International Dot Day website (www.internationaldotday.org), which provides free registration for the event, along with many free resources, including downloadable Dot Day Educator’s Handbook, multilingual posters, and an official participation certificate. With the Reynolds Center’s help, participation soared past the 850,000 mark in 2012 – and, by 2013 involvement grew to 1.3 million participants in 84 countries. The count now stands at nearly 22 million in 197 countries. 

Shay can’t quite believe how Dot Day has caught on, “The success of International Dot Day is owed to many people who believed in a more creative and connected world and made it happen.” 

Indeed, Dot Day celebrations now take many forms; from short art workshops where students make dots and sign them to animating dot-inspired art/stories on the computer, from weeklong school-wide celebrations to a year-long theme for a school district. Teachers are also celebrating Dot Day by using online video streaming to “connect the dots” with other classrooms around the globe. 

A copy of The Dot book was even rocketed into space, and read by Canadian Astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield serving as Commander aboard the International Space Station. The Dot’s author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds explains, “Commander Hadfield snapped a few photos of The Dot book floating in the cupola of the space station. On his last day of his recent Boston visit, he handed me my book, which he had signed, noting that this copy…had made 2,500 trips around the big blue dot – planet Earth.”

For more information about International Dot Day, visit www.internationaldotday.org. For official Dot Day Twitter feed, follow @DotClubConnect. Find International Dot Day on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalDotDay.