No School:  Monday, April 8 - Wednesday, April 10

Friendly reminder:

There is no school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, April 8-10.  Enjoy the long weekend!  We will see you on Thursday, April 11!

Upcoming Field Study Events!

The following field study events are around the corner!

• Apr 11 Field Study PK4 - 3rd grade to the Ft. Worth Zoo 

• May 10 Six Flags Over Texas Field Study for grades 4th - 8th

If you are wanting to chaperone, please make sure to get the chaperone background forms (will come home with the field study slips) in by the designated date on the form so that the background check can be completed in time.  If you have any questions regarding the field study, please reach out to your child's teacher.  

Attendance 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!

Attendance Matters Video 

Excused vs. Unexcused Absences

Excused absences in the State of Texas include: 

1. Observing a religious holiday

2. Attending a required court appearance

3. Appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in the child's citizenship application

4. Taking part in a naturalization oath ceremony

5. Serving as an election clerk

6. A child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) participating in a documented activity that is court ordered

7. Being temporarily absent for a health care appointment for the student/child (not the parent appointment)

8. Absent due to serious or life-threatening illness or absent due to illness or treatment (doctor/clinic documentation required)

9. Visiting with parent/legal guardian who is active duty military and parent has returned from continuous deployment of at least four months

10. Conducting activities related to enlistment (student must be 17 years of age or older.

11. Visiting an institution of higher education during a student's junior or senior year

12. A student in grades 6-12 sounding "Taps" at a military honors funeral held in Texas for a deceased veteran.

All of the above Excused absences require documentation. Absences are not excused without documentation even if they are on the allowable list. 

All EXCUSED ABSENCES Require DOCUMENTATION. Please contact your school with the required documentation. 

State law requires children who are six years old as of September 1 to attend school through their 19th birthday or until they graduate with a high school diploma (whichever occurs first). Compulsory attendance also applies to students who are younger than six who have previously been enrolled in first grade and to students below the age of six who are voluntarily enrolled in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.

90% Rule:

Texas Education Code section 25.092 requires that a student in grades kindergarten through grade 12 be in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days a class is offered in order to receive credit for the class or a final grade. Most absences that are excused are still counted when determining whether a student is in compliance with the 90 percent rule.

Truancy:

Truancy is DIFFERENT than the 90% Rule. Truancy counts unexcused absences. Did you know that 3 or MORE unexcused absences Full Day or PARTIAL day in a four week period is considered Truant and 10 or MORE unexcused absences Full Day or PARTIAL day in 6 months is considered Truant. Parents can be held accountable and responsible in Texas Truancy Court with fines of up to $500.00 for contributing to their child's absences. Please be aware of truancy and cooperate with the school in getting in your documentation from the excused list. 

Absences & Illnesses

Manara wishes to remind parents about the importance of following the school absence policies in the event your child does become ill. Illness is an excused absence from school when documented in some manner by the parent. Excessive illness will require documentation from a clinic or a doctor's note. Unexcused absences - undocumented absences can add up toward truancy. Even partial day absences count as truancy absences so we want our families to be informed about the state definition of truancy. This informational video can explain more about truancy as we balance that information with prioritizing your child's wellness.

We understand that each child's health needs are unique, and we are here to work collaboratively with you to ensure the well-being of all our students. Our primary goal is to create a safe and supportive learning environment that fosters both health and academic success.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to the health and education of your child along with the commitment to attendance. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.  We love the communication!

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!  

Apr 8 Bad weather make-up day (no school for scholars & staff!)

Apr 9-10 No School - Eid holiday

Apr 11 Field Study PK4 - 3rd grade to the Ft. Worth Zoo 

Apr 12 End of 5th 6 week marking period

Apr 15 Start of last 6 week marking period!

Apr 16 STAAR Testing - ELAR grades 3rd -5th (STEM) 

Apr 17 STAAR Testing - ELAR grades 6th-8th (STEM) 

Apr 19 STAAR Make-Up testing day for ELAR

Apr 20 Manara 5K event in Irving 

Apr 23 STAAR Testing - Science grades 5th & 8th (STEM) 

Apr 24 STAAR Testing - Social Studies grade 8th (STEM) 

Apr 25-26 STAAR Testing - Science & SS Make-up Testing grades 5th & 8th (STEM) 

Apr 30 STAAR Testing - Math grades 3rd -5th (STEM) 

May 1 STAAR Testing - Math grades 6th - 8th grades (STEM) 

May 2-3 STAAR Testing - Math Make-Up testing grades 3rd -8th (STEM) 

May 10 Six Flags Over Texas Field Study for grades 4th - 8th (field trip permission slips will be sent home at a later date)

May 23 Field Day (more information to come)

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