April 29, 2024
A message from Principal Vinten
Good Afternoon, Manara STEM Families,
This past week, our 5th & 8th grade students took the STAAR tests in Science and 8th grade took the STAAR test in Social Studies. This coming week is our last week of STAAR testing, with 3rd through 5th grade scholars taking the Math STAAR on Tuesday (April 30) and 6th through 8th grade taking the Math STAAR on Wednesday (May 1). I am so very proud of all of our scholars and the testing focus they have dedicated towards the STAAR tests. They are doing a great job showing their knowledge, working hard, and being great scholars! The campus will be closed to visitors on our remaining testing days, so please call Ms. Tabatha if you have any questions or need assistance. Thank you, again, for making sure they are prepared to test on their testing days (charged chromebooks brought to school) and for bringing them to school on time each day (by 8:00am).
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10. The PTO has been working hard coming up with a fun-filled themed week to celebrate our wonderful teachers! They need your help! Please read inside the newsletter the themed days, as well as the link to sign up to participate in the teacher lunch potluck event.
Enjoy the remainder of your weekend! Please reach out if you need anything, as we are here to serve!
#MAWAY
Principal Vinten
The mission of Manara Academy is to provide students with a creative, adaptive and ethical environment to become knowledgeable inquirers and future leaders in a diverse and evolving global society where we master languages, honor cultural heritages, and respect diversity.
STAAR Testing Days are Here!
There are two more STAAR tests this week for scholars in grades 3-8. It is most important that scholars in these grades are at school ON TIME (no later than 8:00am), as testing routines and information will begin by 8:00am each day. Water and snacks (animal crackers, granola bars, mini muffins, or goldfish crackers) will be given to each scholar testing on their testing days. If a scholar brings chips (Takis, Doritos, Cheetos, etc) or candy (gummy bears, candy bars, etc) to school on testing days, they can save them for their lunch time. A HUGE thank you to Arlington Charities for donating the snacks and bottles of water for our testing days!
The scholars are ready for their tests, so please help at home with making sure your child's chromebook is fully charged each day of the testing, make sure they get a good night's rest, and make sure to praise them before they go to school each morning to remind them that they will do GREAT on their testing! They are ready and they've got this! I'm very proud of all the academic achievements of all our scholars this school year and I know they will do great this testing season! 🎉
Apr 30 STAAR Testing - Math grades 3rd -5th
May 1 STAAR Testing - Math grades 6th - 8th grades
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week - May 6-10
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is a time to celebrate our teachers & staff and thank them for all the amazing work they do teaching their scholars. This year the PTO has created a fun-filled week of "sweet" themed activities to acknowledge each teacher & staff member. See the flyer below for the themed days and ways you and your child can help celebrate their teachers! Here is also a link to sign up to provide food for teachers on Wednesday, May 8. If you are able to help provide food for the potluck day on Wednesday, May 8, please provide information on the Sign-Up Genius link above. Reach out to the PTO (manarastempto@manaraacademy.org) if you have any questions!
Thank you, teachers, for all you do on a daily basis for our children!
Manara 5K Event!
This event has been moved to Sunday, May 5. Sign up here to participate either as a volunteer, runner, walker, or just to cheer everyone on! It is sure to be a fun event full of lots of fun activities! We're looking forward to seeing everyone and having a fun time!
Yearbook Orders!
Yearbooks have arrived! Please come in to purchase a yearbook for your child! They are $20.00 each. We only have a limited amount, so get yours now! Reach out to Ms. Corey or Ms. Tabatha if you have questions about purchasing one! A big THANK YOU to Ms. Corey for creating another beautiful yearbook this year! Thank you, Ms. Corey!!!!
A Message from Superintendent Sudan
Manara Academy
Denise Sudan, Superintendent
8113 Ridgepoint Dr. Suite 202
Irving, TX 7506
April 12, 2024
Dear Manara Academy Parents and Community,
I hope this message finds you well and full of enthusiasm for the remainder of this school year! I have some exciting updates to share with you.
We are thrilled to announce that we have successfully submitted our charter renewal application and are confident in our submission status. Every ten years charter schools have to be reviewed by TEA to determine if they can continue to operate as a charter school, similar to achieving and maintaining an accreditation status. As a result of everyone’s collective efforts around student academic achievement, financial work, attendance and enrollment, our charter renewal application was solid. When we receive our official word of approval from TEA, Manara Academy will celebrate our 15th year operating as a charter! Manara Academy continues to celebrate the accomplishments of the past as we move forward to our bright future!
Manara Academy is pleased to inform you that we have successfully renewed our lease agreement for the Arlington STEM Academy location for the next two years. This achievement secures our physical presence and allows us to continue providing high-quality education at our Arlington Campus in its current location. We have hired a new maintenance team member that has been working closely with our Director of Operations to ensure that anything in need of repairs or maintenance gets that attention between now and prior to the start of our new school year.
I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible work that each of you does every day to make Manara Academy the outstanding institution that it is. Your support as parents and commitment to Manara’s excellence are truly appreciated. We appreciate your feedback by providing suggestions for improvement and we take your input into consideration as new developments and decisions are made. One example is parents suggested remote access to monitor their child’s grades and attendance and as a result of this helpful suggestion we worked to ensure this was put into place. Parents completed surveys indicating that field study opportunities were of high importance, so Manara has increased their field study opportunities.
As we look ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, we are optimistic about our new enrollment season. We are aware that there are other schools nearby that provide parents with options, but we firmly believe that no other school in the area offers what Manara Academy does for our families. One of the aspects that sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to equity in education. We are proud of the work we do to offer educational opportunities for emergent bilingual students and create a culturally responsive environment that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. Additionally, we are one of the only schools in the area offering our strong foreign language programming with current offerings in Arabic and French.
Together, we will continue to innovate, inspire, and empower our students to reach their full potential. Thank you for all that you do, and let us continue to work together towards a successful future.
Warm regards,
Denise Sudan
Superintendent
Field Day on May 23!
This year's field day is sure to be EPIC! Coach Smith & the PTO have been working hard planning a fun-filled day, including competitive and non-competitive races, games, events & special treats. We are asking for $10 from each scholar for this day, in which the $10 will cover their field day t-shirt, hot dog lunch (halal), sweet treat, and loads of fun! Please have your child bring in $10 to give to your child's teacher no later than Monday, May 20. Reach out to your child's teacher with any questions! Parents are welcome to attend and be with your child's class on this day!
Yellow And Red Playful Family Fun Day Flyer.pdfAttendance Matters!!
The image below, even though it states middle school, can be applied for all grade levels. Attendance for the entire school day matters in ALL grade levels! Being late each morning or a few mornings each week, and/or being picked up early, even one day of the week, adds up! We want to create good habits in our children so those habits can follow them throughout their school career. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to Mrs. Vinten or Mrs. Wilson! Click on the video link below for more information!
New Dress Down Day Payment Method - No More Cash! (look for the new link for the next 6 week period to make a payment)
All dress down money is now being collected and paid for ONLINE! Our online payment store now is open for you to be able to pay for multiple dress down days at a time. If your child (or children) enjoys participating in the Friday dress down days, please go to manaraacademy.org, scroll down to "school fees", click on "Arlington STEM", and finally click on "Dress Down Money". The payment is $7.00 for the next 7 dress down weeks. CASH IS NO LONGER ACCEPTED, so please make sure to fill out the form and payment so your child can wear their dress down attire on Fridays. As soon as you make a payment, I receive a notification that a payment was made, so we will keep track of the dress down days your child has available. If you have any questions, please reach out! We're excited to have this payment method available for Manara!
Upcoming Events
(Mark your calendars!)
Apr 30 STAAR Testing - Math grades 3rd -5th (STEM)
May 1 STAAR Testing - Math grades 6th - 8th grades (STEM)
May 5 Manara 5K event in Irving
May 2-3 STAAR Testing - Math Make-Up testing grades 3rd -8th (STEM)
May 10 Six Flags Over Texas Field Study for grades 6th - 8th (field trip permission slips will be sent home at a later date)
May 23 Field Day
May 24 8th grade end of year celebration 9:00am - 12:00pm (more information will be sent home with 8th grade families)
May 24 Manara High School Graduation (Irving location)
May 27 No school - Memorial Day holiday
May 28 4th & 5th grade end of year ceremony 8:30-9:30am
May 28 6th & 7th grade end of year ceremony 10:00-11:00am
May 29 1st & 2nd grade end of year ceremony 8:30-9:30am
May 29 3rd grade end of year ceremony 10:00-11:00am
May 30 Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4 & Kindergarten end of year ceremony 8:30-10:00am
May 31 Last day of school for students