Mustang Messenger 9/24/26

As we move further into the school year, I am grateful for the continued partnership of our families. Every day, our students are growing—not only academically, but also in faith, responsibility, confidence, and community.

We are continuing our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about and celebrate the history, culture, faith, contributions, and traditions of Hispanic and Latino communities.

This week, our theme is “Dreams That Guide Us.” Throughout the week, students are learning about individuals whose dreams, determination, faith, and perseverance have helped shape their communities and our world. I encourage you to continue these conversations at home by asking your child what they have learned during our Hispanic Heritage Month activities.

There is so much happening at St. Matthias—from academics and athletics to music and opportunities for families to become involved. Please take a few moments to read this week's Messenger so that you don't miss all that is happening in our Mustang community.

Thank you, as always, for entrusting your children to the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle.

Blessings,
Dr. Coretta N. Streat
Principal

Fall has officially arrived! With the change in seasons often comes an increase in seasonal allergies, colds, flu, and other illnesses.

We want every Mustang at school, learning and participating—but we also want students to be healthy enough to be fully focused and engaged.

If your child is sick, please allow them to stay home and recover. Sending a child to school when they are ill can make it difficult for them to concentrate, participate, and learn. It can also expose classmates, teachers, and staff members to illness.

Families can help us maintain a healthy school community by:

• Monitoring your child for signs of illness before school.
• Keeping your child home when they are sick.
• Encouraging regular handwashing and good hygiene.
• Reminding children to cover coughs and sneezes.
• Making sure children get adequate sleep and nutrition.

Taking care of one Mustang helps us take care of all Mustangs. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school community healthy and ready to learn!

Our 2026–2027 Family Handbook went home with students this week!

To avoid sending multiple copies to the same household, handbooks were distributed to the youngest sibling in each family. Students who are the only child in their family attending ASMA also received a handbook.

Please check your child's backpack and take some time to review the handbook as a family. It contains important information regarding school procedures, expectations, policies, attendance, academics, student life, and more.

The most up-to-date school calendar can always be found on our school website. Because dates occasionally need to be adjusted during the year, the online calendar should be your primary source for current information.

And there is more coming!

Keep an eye out for our ASMA magnet calendar—it is on the way!

Need an early start? Before Care is available beginning at 6:30 a.m. Students can arrive early and remain in a safe, supervised environment until it is time to begin the school day.

Need a little more time at the end of the workday? After Care is also available for families who need care beyond regular dismissal.

One of the benefits of our program is flexibility. Families can select the days they need Before Care, After Care, or both—allowing you to choose the schedule that works best for your family.

We understand that unexpected meetings, appointments, traffic, and schedule changes happen. A drop-in option is also available when an occasional need arises.

Whether you need care regularly or from time to time, our goal is to provide families with a convenient option while ensuring our Mustangs are safe, supervised, and cared for.

Have questions about registration, schedules, fees, or drop-in care? Please reach out to our Before & After Care Program for additional information.

Your schedule may change—but we've got your Mustang covered! 🐎❤️

Our Home and School Association (HSA) is an important part of building a strong school community, and we want our HSA to reflect the wonderful diversity of the families we serve.

We want every part of our Mustang community to have a seat at the table.

Our families represent different cultures, backgrounds, talents, experiences, and perspectives. Those differences are strengths, and we would love to see that diversity represented through participation in our HSA.

One of the important roles of HSA is supporting school fundraising. Fundraising is especially important in Catholic school communities because it helps provide experiences, programs, activities, and resources that tuition alone may not fully support.

Successful fundraising takes a community. We need families willing to contribute their time, talents, ideas, connections, and creativity. You do not have to lead every event or make a huge time commitment to make a difference.

Do you know of a great fundraiser? Do you have a special skill or connection that could benefit our school? Would you like to volunteer for an event or become involved with HSA?

We would love to hear from you!

Together, we can continue building a strong, connected, and thriving Mustang community.

There is a new sound coming to St. Matthias!

The Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle has partnered with Tolbert Music to offer band instruction to students in Grades 2–8.

Our students recently participated in an instrument demonstration, where they had an opportunity to see, hear, and learn about different instruments. Now it is time for interested students to choose an instrument and join the band!

Who: Students in Grades 2–8
When: Fridays
Lesson Length: 45 minutes
Annual Cost: $500
Monthly Payment: Approximately $55 per month

Don't already own an instrument? No problem! Families have the option to rent an instrument through Tolbert Music.

Learning an instrument gives students another opportunity to develop discipline, confidence, perseverance, creativity, and teamwork—all while discovering the joy of making music together.

Whether your child dreams of playing the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, percussion, or another band instrument, we hope they will consider becoming part of this exciting addition to our school community.

It may start with one note, but together our Mustangs can make beautiful music! 🎶🐎

If you are considering enrolling and have questions about the program, you are also invited to join Chris Tolbert, CEO of Tolbert Music, for a live parent Zoom meeting on Monday, September 28 at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Tolbert will give a brief overview of the program and answer questions from families.

Join the Parent Zoom Meeting

We would love to have your student join us!

Thank you again for helping us get the word out and for everything you do to support music education at your school.

Beginning Tuesday, September 29, students in Grades 2–8 will begin our fall MAP Growth testing window.

Over the next four weeks, students will complete assessments in:

📖 Reading
✏️ Language Usage
➗ Mathematics

Your child's homeroom teacher will keep families informed about which assessment students will take each week.

MAP Growth is not simply another test or another grade.

MAP provides teachers with valuable information about what students know, what they are ready to learn next, and where they may need additional support or enrichment.

The results help our teachers:

• Identify individual student strengths and areas for growth.
• Plan instruction based on students' learning needs.
• Differentiate classroom instruction.
• Identify students who may need additional intervention or enrichment.
• Set academic growth goals.
• Monitor student progress throughout the school year.

Students take MAP assessments at different points during the year so that we can measure academic growth over time, not simply performance on one day.

There is no special studying required for MAP. Instead, help your child arrive ready to show us what they know.

Before testing, please make sure your child:

😴 Gets a good night's sleep

🥣 Eats a healthy breakfast

⏰ Arrives at school on time

💪 Comes with a positive attitude and is encouraged to do their best

We want students to take their time, think carefully, and give their best effort. The more accurately the assessment reflects what your child knows, the better we can use that information to support their learning.

You may have heard the term Title I, but what exactly does it mean, who qualifies, and what does Title I instruction actually provide?

The Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle participates in Title I services through our partnership with Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS). Title I is a federally funded program designed to provide additional academic support to eligible students.

For an ASMA student to qualify for Title I services, the student must meet all of the eligibility requirements:

1. The student must be a Prince George's County resident.
2. The student must demonstrate an academic need. At ASMA, a student's end-of-year MAP assessment data is used to help identify academic areas in which additional support may be needed.
3. The student's neighborhood public school must be designated as a Title I school. Eligibility is connected to the public school the student would attend based on their home address.

Meeting an academic need alone does not automatically qualify a student for Title I services. The residency and neighborhood-school requirements must also be met.

This is an important distinction for families:

Title I instruction does not support or reteach a student's current classroom lessons.

Instead, Title I instruction is designed to identify and address specific holes and gaps in a student's foundational academic skills.

For example, a class may currently be working on a particular grade-level math concept, but assessment data may show that a student has an unfinished skill from an earlier grade that is making the new concept more difficult. Title I provides targeted instruction to help fill that learning gap and strengthen the foundational skills the student needs to move forward successfully.

In other words, Title I asks:

“What skills does this student need to strengthen so that he or she can be more successful with grade-level learning?

Title I is not special education, and receiving Title I services does not mean that a student has a disability or needs an IEP.

It is also not traditional tutoring or homework assistance. The purpose is not to help a student complete today's classroom assignment. Instead, Title I provides targeted intervention in identified areas of academic need.

Because Title I services are provided through our partnership with Prince George's County Public Schools, families of qualifying students may receive communication directly from PGCPS regarding participation, permissions, or required documentation.

If PGCPS has contacted you regarding Title I services for your child, please respond promptly.

The goal is simple: identify learning gaps, provide targeted support, strengthen foundational skills, and help our Mustangs continue to grow.

Our 14U soccer teams opened their seasons with TWO victories!

⚽ 14U Boys defeated Jesus the Good Shepherd 3–1 on September 12.

⚽ 14U Girls delivered an impressive 6–0 victory over Sacred Heart on September 12.

Congratulations, Mustangs! We are proud of the teamwork, determination, sportsmanship, and school pride our student-athletes are demonstrating.

🐎 14U Boys

⚽ St. Matthias vs. St. Bernadette 2

⏰ 8:20 a.m.

📍 Allen Pond Park — Huston Field

🐎 14U Girls

⚽ St. Matthias vs. St. Jerome

⏰ 9:25 a.m.

📍 Allen Pond Park — Huston Field

🐎 8U Coed

⚽ St. Matthias vs. St. Bernadette 2

⏰ 9:30 a.m.

📍 Eastern Middle School Field B

Athletics is about much more than wins and losses. It is another opportunity for our students to learn teamwork, perseverance, discipline, good sportsmanship, and what it means to represent their school community well.

We want our student-athletes to look to the sidelines and see their Mustang family cheering them on!

Wear your RED, BLACK & WHITE, bring your Mustang spirit, and come support our teams.

LET'S GO, MUSTANGS! 🐎⚽❤️🖤

Thank you, Mustang families, for your continued partnership, support, and trust.

Whether it is keeping a sick child home, reading the Family Handbook, utilizing Before & After Care, volunteering with HSA, encouraging your child to explore music, helping your child prepare for MAP testing, responding to Title I information, or cheering for our student-athletes, every action contributes to the strength of our school community.

Together, we are building a community where our children can grow in faith, knowledge, confidence, service, and excellence.

One Body, One Mission.
Rooted in Faith, Growing in Excellence.

Go Mustangs! 🐎❤️🖤

Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle
9473 Annapolis Road
Lanham, MD 20706

📞 (301) 577-9412

🌐 www.academy.stmatthias.org

Rooted in Faith. Growing in Excellence.