Message from the Principal

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

October Message from the Principal

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It is an honor to have been named the new principal of Menchaca Early Childhood Center.  I am excited to continue working to provide our littlest cardinals with a safe and caring learning environment where we instill the love of learning, guide them in making new friends, and above all enjoy coming to school each and every day. I am humbled to be leading our Menchaca ECC because at our campus we have staff members who are talented, dedicated, and committed to doing what is best for all of our students. 

I have lived in the Southside ISD Community for over 25 years. My husband, Joe, is an alumnus of Southside High School and we have raised our five children here. We have three daughters, Marcella, Angelica, Jozelle, and two sons, Jake and Rocky. All of them are out of school with the exception of our youngest son, Rocky, who attends Losoya Middle School. This is my 19th year in education, and 18 years of my career have been working at Southside ISD. I completed 10 years as a Special Education and English Language Arts teacher for 7th and 8th grade at Southside Middle School and then Matthey Middle School when it opened. I began my administrative career as an Assistant Principal at Losoya Intermediate, Pearce Elementary, and finally at Menchaca ECC. 

Southside ISD holds a special place in my heart because I truly love the community that I reside in and work for. You will see my husband and me eating breakfast at local restaurants, shopping at nearby stores, and attending district extracurricular activities to show support for our students and families. If you see us around the area please do not hesitate to introduce yourself and say hello. My door is always open for you, and I sincerely welcome your input and support to make Menchaca the best early childhood center for our young scholars. I look forward to what we can accomplish as we work together so that we may celebrate our successes throughout this school year and for years to come. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with each of you,

Tanya Mares

Principal