2022-2023

Menchaca Staff Get CPR Certified

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CPR can be the difference between life and death. With a half-million cardiac arrests each year, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can help save a life if a person’s breathing or heart stops. It’s not just for healthcare workers and emergency responders. In fact, CPR can double or triple the chance of survival when bystanders take action. Menchaca Nurse Heather Siebert trains staff safely, effectively, and confidently, so they’re prepared for the minutes that matter the most. Nurse Siebert provided a comprehensive training on CPR and use of the AED machines on campus for both children and adults. Refresher materials were provided to help staff stay updated on their skills.

 

Cardinal Spotlight 11/6

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Cassandra Aguilar

Ms. Aguilar is a PK-3 paraprofessional acting as lead teacher and teaching a monolingual class. During a recent walkthrough by district staff, her strong teaching practices, routines, and classroom engagement was on exhibit like a seasoned teacher. Ms. Aguilar was a product of Southside ISD, completed her student teaching in Southside, and is not on the path to being a certified teacher! We are so lucky to have Ms. Aguilar at MECC and appreciate the strong relationships she builds with students and families.

James Rodriguez

James is very kind and sweet to all his classmates. He helps his friends during clean up time and reminds them to play safe.

November Message from the Principal

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November is upon us and as we prepare for a change in season, our hope is that our families enjoyed the end of October with our first-ever Trunk-or-Treat and our campus Storybook Character Parade.  It was great to see students dressed in costumes and our families enjoying both of our events.  A big thank you goes out to our teachers and staff who worked hard to help provide a fun environment for our students and families. 

This is such a wonderful time of the year. I love celebrating holidays and seeing the excitement and energy in our students and staff. It’s hard to imagine that we are close to our winter season. Already our days are shorter and the cooler weather is thinking about settling in. I want to remind all families to dress for the weather. Please remember to label your student’s belongings with their names so that they are located and returned when misplaced. 

We have a lot to be grateful for here at Menchaca Early Childhood Center. We have a wonderful, caring staff from our child nutrition department, our custodians, our paraprofessionals, our office staff, and all of our fantastic teachers. I know I am grateful every day for the opportunity to work with all of them and I know your little ones are in good hands. 

We have a supportive community with wonderful and giving parents, to which we all say thank you for all that you do! Finally, we have incredible students, who challenge themselves every day to learn and be engaged. They are why we are here every day!

You make my role as the principal a joy through your commitment to your children and our school. I wish you a wonderful month of November and a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Sincerely, 

Tanya Mares

Principal, Menchaca Early Childhood Center

MECC’s Adopted Calf Is Born! Meet Jasmine

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intro to calf

A perfect way to introduce our adopted calf to our students was by joining American Dairy Association Mideast for a virtual tour to learn all about calf care from birth to adolescence on. Calves grow up to become the cows that produce milk, so farmers are committed to getting them off to a healthy start. Students saw firsthand where the calves live, what they eat, and how farmers keep them healthy. During the tour, our students were able to send questions to farmer Mackenzie to be answered live.

How Parents, Teachers, and Kids Can Take Action to Prevent Bullying (part 2)

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This is a two part series for Bullying Prevention Month. Part one was released Wednesday the 19th.

Children might not always speak up when they are being bullied. Ripped clothing, reluctance to go to school, a reduction in food, nightmares, sobbing, or general despair and anxiety are all warning signs. Do not tell your child to “let it go” or “suck it up” if you find out they are being bullied. Instead, engage in open-ended discussions to find out what is actually happening at school so that you may take the necessary action to make things right. Above all else, let your youngster know you’ll be there for them and that they should strive not to strike back.

Work together with your child to help them deal with bullying without succumbing to it or losing hope until something can be done on an administrative level. Practice bullying scenarios with your kid at home to help them learn to ignore bullies and/or to use assertive coping mechanisms. If your kid is concerned about being bullied, help them find teachers and friends who can support them.

Teach your children not to react to or forward dangerous emails and educate yourself and your kids on cyberbullying. Add your youngster as a “friend” on Facebook and other social networking sites, and install appropriate computer filters. Make the family computer the sole computer available to kids, and keep it in a prominent, public area of the house where it can be seen. Think twice before letting your youngster use the camera feature of a cell phone if you decide to give them one. Tell them you’ll be keeping an eye on their text messages. To stop midnight bullying and improper messages, as a parent, you may mandate that phones be put away in a common location, like the kitchen, by a specific time at night.

Inform your kids about bullying. It’s conceivable that your youngster struggles to interpret social cues and is unaware of how their behavior is unpleasant. Remind your youngster that harassing others may result in legal repercussions.

Parents teach their children how to behave. Children are more likely to harass at school when they are exposed to violent conduct or an extremely tight atmosphere at home. Parents and caregivers should provide a good example for their children in how you interact with others and with them.

Bullying is frequently used by kids who lack self-esteem to boost their self-esteem. Even kids who appear liked and popular might have cruel inclinations. Parents should address and reprimand their children’s harsh behavior.

Bullying victims may endure stress, depression, or anxiety. A mental health specialist, such as a psychologist, can assist your kid in building resilience and confidence if bullying is causing them problems at school or with friends. Your child will be better equipped to succeed socially and intellectually as a result.

*adapted from APA article at https://www.apa.org/topics/bullying/prevent

Cardinal Spotlight 10/23

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Leilani Valdespino

Leilani is a great leader in the classroom. She leads by example and is courteous and thoughtful. We love having her in our class.

 

Ms. Victoria Marsh

Ms. Marsh always goes above and beyond for the students at Menchaca ECC. She has held different roles in our district but we are grateful  that she has chosen to work with Menchaca. Ms. Marsh has flourished in her new role of teaching our littlest cardinals on the campus this year. MECC thanks you, Ms. Marsh for everything that you do!