Parent Informational Meeting for grades 6th - 8th

On Monday, February 26, an informational meeting will be held in the gym at 4:15pm for parents of scholars in grades 6 - 8 regarding the opportunity of an overnight field study to Space Center Houston and Moody Gardens in Galveston in May.  A note went home with some details about the trip with 6th-8th grade scholars on Friday, Feb 23.  The meeting will discuss further details about the trip, as well as Mrs. Vinten will be able to answer any questions you may have.  If you are unable to make the meeting and would like to set up an individual conference with Mrs. Vinten to discuss any questions you may have, please email Mrs. Vinten at avinten@manaraacademy.org or reach out to Ms. Tabatha to set up an appointment to meet with her.  We are extremely excited about this field study possibility and look forward to sharing the information with you on Monday, Feb 26!

Read Across America Week - March 4-8

March 4 - 8 is Read Across America week.  Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child, everywhere to celebrate reading, also in celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2.  There will be fun dress up days throughout that week, as well as a Family Fun Event celebrating Dr. Seuss on March 5.  See within the newsletter more details about Read Across America week and our Family Fun Event!  We are looking forward to celebrating reading through this fun week!

Dr. Seuss Week - March 4th - 8th!

🎉Family Fun Event March 5🎉

Our next Family Fun Event will be on Tuesday, March 5 from 4:00 - 5:30.  There will be Dr. Seuss station themed games and crafts, as well as the PTO will be selling nachos and snack items.  Come hungry and ready for a lot of fun reading-themed activities!

Arlington Charities Mobile Food Pantry will also be here, so fill out the information on the link below if you have not already to sign up to receive FREE GROCERIES (only those families who fill out the information on the link can participate)!  Over 25 families took advantage of the free groceries last month, and we would love to see more families be able to take home free food!  The volunteers from Arlington Charities can help you fill out the link if needed that afternoon, or Mrs. Vinten can also help guide you through the sign-up process.  

Arlington Charities Mobile Food Pantry Sign-Up Link 

Also at our Family Fun Event there will be district staff available to assist with registration for next school year.  If you have any friends who would like to enroll their children for next school year or have questions, bring them to the Family Fun Event as well and we are happy to help them!

Interested in your child attending Summer Camp or have questions about Summer Camp?  Members will also be availabe to talk to you about all the fun events surrounding Summer Camp within the month of June.

March 5th will be filled with a lot of fun events and information!  Reach out to Mrs. Vinten or Mrs. Wilson if you have any questions!  We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Family Fun Event Details Recap:

• Dr. Seuss themed games & crafts

• Nachos and snacks sold by the PTO

• Arlington Charities Mobile Food Pantry

• Registration Event

• Summer Camp booth with details

Bad Weather Make-Up Day

March 25, the Monday after Spring Break, will be our bad weather make-up day.  School WILL be in session that day!  We are looking forward to seeing all scholars on Monday, March 25!!

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 

Birthday Thursday!

Birthday Thursday for the month of February will be this Thursday, February 29 .  Any scholar who celebrates their birthday in the month of February can bring in treats to share (can be sent in with your scholar or placed on the Forget-Me-Not table for delivery).  Treats must be individually packaged with the nutrition label visible either on each package or on the main package.  Trays of cupcakes or cake will not be allowed, as they are not individually packaged - if sent in, they will be sent home.  Treats will be allowed to be consumed only at the end of the day (around 3:00pm), and those treats not consumed and individually packaged will be sent home with each scholar.  Good birthday treat ideas:  indivdually packaged goldfish crackers, indivdually packaged Cheese-its, individually packaged chips, individually packaged cupcakes (such as Hostess products), indivdually packaged gummies.  You also do not have to bring food as birthday treats for your scholar to pass out!  Great birthday treat ideas to share with the class could also be birthday pencils, erasers, small goodie bag items that would be given at a birthday party.  

**Any treats delivered on days other than the designated Birthday Thursday or are not individually packaged will NOT be passed out and will be sent back home. Parents are also not allowed to attend during this time, as it is not a designated "party" time and teachers will still be teaching during this time.  Thank you!

Autism Awareness Month in April - t-shirt link order form

We are in the midst of planning a fun event in April for Autism Awareness Month.  The link below will take you to the custom ink website to order Autism Awareness t-shirts.  We would love as many people as possible (adults and students) to participate in purchasing a t-shirt to be able to wear at the event in April (more information to come).   Thank you for your support!

Autism Awareness T-Shirt Order Form 

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!  

Feb 26 - Mar 1 TELPAS Testing in grades 2 - 8 

Feb 26 Parent meeting for scholars in grades 6-8 (4:15-5:15pm) regarding overnight field study

Feb 29 Birthday Thursday!

Mar 4-8 Read Across America Week (Dr. Seuss Themed Dress-Up Days)

Mar 5 Family Fun Event 4:00-5:30pm

Apr 4 UTA Planetarium Field Study for grades 3rd - 5th (field study permission slips will be sent home this week)

Apr 11 Field Study PK4 - 3rd grade to the Ft. Worth Zoo (field study permission slips will be sent home this week)

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