Message from the Principal

January Message from the Principal

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January 3, 2022

Happy 2022 New Year and welcome back Cardinal Family!

I hope each of you had a restful and meaningful time with your family during this winter break. The students and teachers enjoyed being back at school and catching up about all we did during the holidays. Students drew pictures and shared their stories about their activities during those two weeks. We also enjoyed meeting our new students and can say that they are making nice friendships.

As educators, at Menchaca Early Childhood Center, we are thankful for all the great opportunities we have in order to impact the young lives of our students, especially during this pandemic. Our students are the reason we’re here. As they returned to school on Monday January 3, 2022, the atmosphere was encouraging and cheerful. So as the second semester begins, the teachers and administrators have one vision for our students and we hope it closely matches yours. We want ALL of our young Cardinal scholars to become all they can be. We want them to be successful through hard work, consistent attendance, perseverance, utilizing help from our faculty, and working diligently. We want this because these traits will build good habits that will carry them profitably throughout their Cardinal path. We expect a great deal from our scholars because they are very capable of producing great results!

Therefore parents, please be aware that attendance is very important for our students. Students in grades K-12 must be present 90 percent of the time in class in order to obtain credit or a final grade. https://tea.texas.gov/ The 90 percent rule applies to all absences, including excused absences.  If your child has missed 10 or more days during the first semester you should have received a letter from our attendance office. If you have questions in regards to your child’s attendance, please contact the attendance office or myself at 210-882-1610. 

We would also like to remind you if your child is sick or shows COVID-related symptoms, to please contact your doctor and seek advice before sending them to school. We ask that you report any possible COVID close encounters and/or positive cases that you may feel may affect your child’s learning to an administrator and/or Nurse Siebert for further recommendations. 

Finally, we urge you to continue to practice all safety protocols that San Antonio Metro Health has shared on social distancing for the safety of our students and staff.  Thank you for your support and we look forward to the amazing things that will be happening this second semester.  

Warmest Regards,

Rebecca Delgado-Herrera

Principal, Menchaca Early Childhood Center

December Message from the Principal

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In his 1926 classic, “Winnie the Pooh,” A. A. Milne wrote, “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” Our little pink friend was grateful for the abundance he had in his life; great friends, a warm place to sleep, and a few tasty “haycorns” to eat.

As we conclude 2021, and break for the winter holiday, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who help make Menchaca Early Childhood Center an amazing place to be. We are a community with many gifts and talents, which we share daily with one another and most important, our students. From the classroom, to our living room and all points in-between, our collective efforts to raise the whole child are filled with passion, commitment and a willingness to make decisions that may be hard in the present, but will have a positive and lasting influence in the future for all. Parents, of course, are such a critical part of all we hope to accomplish on behalf of our MECC scholars. I am grateful to you for masterfully doing what I know firsthand is the hardest, most rewarding and joyous job of all. Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious gift. I am grateful to our wonderful, talented, creative, inquisitive, optimistic, resourceful and resilient students. Often, they make us laugh, sometimes they make us cry, but always they make us think. Most of all, they make us better.

In the spirit of this holiday season, I want to extend my thanks to all of you for everything that you do for our school. As we enjoy the upcoming holidays, it is my fervent wish that each of you receives and returns the seasonal bounty of blessings and good tidings that make these days truly special. It is also during this time that I am reminded of my own good fortune to serve as the proud principal of MECC. Indeed, my career as a public school educator has afforded me vast, varied and richly rewarding opportunities to teach and to learn from young people. Of course, I believe the faces of our children best express the true meaning of this holiday season. They radiate a sense of unbridled enthusiasm, untainted hope and unabashed joy for life and the opportunities that await them. To the parents and friends of the MECC community, please have a safe and joyous holiday season.

Respectfully,
Mrs. Rebecca Delgado-Herrera
Principal

November Message from the Principal

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And here it is… November. Thank you to the parents and guardians who joined us for the Storybook Character Parade on Friday, October 29th. The students were so excited to share about their costumes and what book their characters were from. Thank you to all staff members for their participation and leadership in the many opportunities that were available on campus and a huge thank you to our fantastic counselors, Dr. Morgan & Mrs. Hernandez, for organizing multiple spirit days this past month!

The majority of students from all ability levels are making significant gains in their learning. I have to give a huge shout out to the teachers and staff at Menchaca who work tirelessly to provide students with high expectations and clear learning targets, including the success criteria needed to produce quality work and enough feedback to know how they are doing. I also want to give a shout out to our students who engage in instruction, work hard, set goals and work to meet those goals. The art of teaching and learning is practiced daily and in every subject. We hope that you take the time to talk to your children about the exciting things that they are learning each day. We encourage you to spend a few minutes each day asking them some of the following questions.

  • What mistakes did you make today?
  • What did you learn from them?
  • How did you contribute to the learning today?
  • What challenges did you accept today?
  • What questions did you ask?
  • What feedback did you receive today?
  • What did you do with it?
  • How did you show that you weren’t going to give up?
  • How were you kind today?
  • How were you safe today?
  • How were you responsible today?

Obviously you probably won’t want to ask all of these questions every day, but over the course of a week I would challenge you to try and ask most of these questions. These questions are the key to what successful learners do.

Looking ahead at the month of November, we have some fun days planned, a food drive for our Southside ISD food pantry, field trips in PK-3 and PK-4, and will be continuing on our exciting journey of learning and fun here at Menchaca ECC. We will be having a fall break the week of Thanksgiving, November 22nd-26th before returning for a short 3 weeks before winter break arrives.

October Message from the Principal

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Menchaca has earned a reputation of academic excellence through the hard work of our students, teachers, parents, and staff.  At Menchaca we believe that it is important for our students to be connected to school through positive relationships and a strong sense of community.  I believe that every student can learn and be successful if provided the right supports and opportunities.  Our teachers and staff are committed to providing all students with an appropriate and challenging educational experience in a respectful environment that fosters learning and growth.

A crucial part of success for students is attendance.  As a parent or guardian it is essential for you to maintain an attitude that “Every Day Counts” for students to be in school and ready to learn each day.  At Menchaca, we will assist in helping parents and families understand the importance of instructional time and school attendance.

Additionally we recognize that family and community support are integral to our success.  Parents/Guardians play the most important roles in a student’s success and I invite you to collaborate with us in your students’ education. When we take the time to strategically plan, forge positive relationships, celebrate our achievements, and continue to build on our successful foundation, we can foster a learning environment where our entire Menchaca and Southside community thrives. Menchaca is a place where exceptional teaching and learning is the norm.

September Message from the Principal

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Dear Cardinal Parents and Guardians,

What a fantastic first five weeks we have had. It is clear that everyone was recharged and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children.

All signs point to another incredible and productive school year. Our skilled and devoted staff has been hard at work with your child(ren). Our enthusiastic office team continues to register new families, maintain transportation updates, and serve our community. Our hard working and conscientious custodians continue to thoroughly clean our school, classrooms, and more. We are indeed a joyous and caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students, and promoting high-level learning in a safe and healthy learning environment.

Your commitment to insuring that Menchaca ECC remains a celebrated and successful school is awe-inspiring. It remains an honor and privilege to serve as your principal.  Please stop by and say hello. Together, I know we will make this school year one of growth and achievement for all our littlest cardinals.

Warmest Regards,

Principal Rebecca Herrera