Mathews Messenger, 22

Hello, Wonderful Mathews Community! Happy February to everyone! While this is a short month, it is jam-packed with events and celebrations so keep a close eye on the calender for the upcoming weeks ahead. Speaking of big events, I want to highlight one taking place on Friday:

💖 Fund the Future Valentine’s Day Dance 💖

We’re kicking off our annual fund campaign with a bang at our Fund the Future Valentine’s Day Dance this Friday, and we can’t wait to celebrate with our community!

The PTA plays a vital role in making Mathews a place where students thrive. Thanks to PTA funding, our students benefit from an Instructional Coach who partners with teachers to strengthen instruction, provides targeted tutoring for students, and serves as a key member of our instructional leadership team. PTA support also makes it possible to have a half-time Innovation Coach, who collaborates with teachers, supports STEAM learning (including our science fair), and creates hands-on opportunities for students to explore, create, and innovate.

Beyond that, the PTA funds our math curriculum, provides buses for student field trips, and paper for copies, reimburses teachers for classroom supplies purchased out of their own pockets, creates a warm and welcoming environment for staff through hospitality efforts, and supports families in need with scholarships for enrichment activities, field trips, and more. Simply put, PTA support enriches every corner of our school and helps ensure all students have access to a rich and robust educational experience.

The funds raised at Friday night’s dance will support all of these efforts and help move us closer to our ambitious, but achievable, goal of $200,000 this year. It’s a big goal, but together, with the collective generosity of our community, we can get there.

We hope you’ll join us this Friday for an evening of music, connection, and community as we come together to Fund the Future of Mathews. Whether you’re able to give, ready to dance, or simply excited to be together, you belong there. Every smile, every moment of connection, and every act of generosity helps support the students who make Mathews such a special place to learn, grow, and shine!✨

Here's to a full week of school, full of learning and fun - it's SPIRIT WEEK and COUNSELOR APPRECIATION WEEK! It's also good to know that our upper grades students will be taking the Interim Assessment for Reading on Thursday. Thank you, as always, for being a part of Mathews!

Monday, February 2:

• Spirit Week: Love Your School - Wear Your Mathews Shirt or House Colors

Tuesday, February 3:

• Spirit Week: Silly Hearts Day - Wear Crazy Hair or Fun Socks

Wednesday, February 4:

• Spirit Week: Two of a Kind - Match With a Friend

Thursday, February 5:

• Spirit Week: Shine the Day Away - Wear Hearts, Sparkles, Glitter, Etc...
• STAAR Interim Assessment II for Reading - 3rd-6th Grades

Friday, February 6:

• Spirit Week: Valentine's Vibes - Rock Your Favorite Valentine's Colors/Outfit
• School-wide Assembly at 8:00 am in the Gym
• PTA Fund the Future Valentines Dance from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

• February 10: NEW 100th Day of School!
• February 12: Interim II Math Assessment for 3rd-6th Grades
• February 12: 5th Grade Musical Performance
• February 13: Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
• February 19: Interim Assessment for Science for 5th Grade
• February 19: 1st Grade Musical Performance
• February 20: Lunar New Year Celebration with the Texas Dragon/Lion Dancers
• February 23-27: TELPAS Testing
• February 23: CAC Meeting
• February 26: PTA Meeting
• February 26: 2nd Grade Musical Performance
• February 27: African American Heritage Celebration Assembly
• February 27: AISD African American Heritage Celebration at the PAC

The African American Heritage Committee (AAHC) is pleased to present the inaugural Spoken Word Poetry Contest. This competition is open to all Austin ISD high students in grades 3-12. We encourage you to inspire your students to participate in this meaningful and exciting performing arts experience.

Spoken Word Poetry Submission Guidelines (click to access)

If you need help uploading your video, please reach out to either Grace Martino-Brewster or Sandra Velazquez. All videos must be uploaded by Friday, February 6th by 5:00 pm.

There will be (1) winner recognized per grade level. In the event no submissions are received for a particular grade level, a prize will not be awarded. Winners will be announced and honored during the 2026 African American Heritage Celebration on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center.

Each winner and their respective campus will be notified by email on Friday, February 13, 2026.

Please click this link to submit your student information and to upload your video.

Please feel free to contact Gia Jones directly at gia.jones@austinisd.org or Latoya Edwards at latoya.edwards@austinisd.org with any questions or concerns.

Join Austin ISD in celebrating Black History Month! Every February, to honor the multifaceted experiences our Black students, staff and families Austin ISD celebrates Black History Month, a time to highlight the district's commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.

It's that time of the year! It’s time to start thinking about Summer Camps! We’re bringing back Mathews very own Summer Day Camp after a short hiatus last summer, and this year we’ll be offering 4 weeks of activities and fun!

Students choose their daily class sessions. We offer everything from Sports and Gaming to Jewelry Making and Costume Designing. Each day, students attend their 3 sessions and then spend the afternoon doing a fun activity with the whole group. Water Day, Movie Day, Game Day, and more! We are also introducing some NEW class sessions this year!

Please read below for information on how to join us this summer for Camp!

• Dates: June 8th-July 3rd. Students can attend as many or as few weeks as they’d like, or they can attend the entire 4 weeks for quadruple the fun!
• Times: M-F 8:30am-3:30pm. Early drop-off (8am) and late pick-up (4:30pm) will be available for an extra fee.
• Cost: $375 per week, per child. There may be opportunities for scholarships this year. Please email us at campzillaatx@gmail.com for more information on that. Austin ISD employees can also receive a special offer. Please email us for more information.
• Registration: Registration will open promptly on February 9th at 7am. In order to make sure your student gets into their first choice classes, make sure to set your alarm! Students will be placed in classes based on when they were registered. If a class fills up, they will be moved into their 2nd choice class. If an opening for their 1st choice class becomes available, we will let you know. If your student is attending all four weeks, you will have an opportunity to do ALL classes (more information on that later).

For questions, concerns, and more information, please email us at (campzillaatx@gmail.com) Classes will be announced on February 5th!!!

We hope to see you this summer!

Robotics Summer Camps by LASA Robotics!
SMART (Science, Math, and Robotics Technology) Camps are week-long (5 day) STEM discovery camps for incoming 2nd - 7th graders. Facilitated by members of the award-winning LASA Robotics team, SMART students learn basic engineering and design principles through fun, hands-on STEM challenges and building/coding LEGO® SPIKE™ Prime, LEGO® Mindstorms® EV3s, and VEX V5 robots
Summer 2026 SMART Camps will be taking place at LASA High School on June 8-12 and August 3-7, with morning (9am-12pm) and afternoon (1pm-4pm) sessions. Students will be separated roughly by age into different classrooms. We will begin the day with fun STEM-based activities to help the kids get to know each other as well as a tutorial about the robotics kits that they will work with. They will then spend the following three days designing, building, and testing their robots, and the final day will involve a competition with prizes!

Students of all experience levels are welcome to join! Tuition is $300 per camp ($360 for VEX Camps, which are for the oldest campers), and need-based scholarships have applications available in registration. For more information and links to register, please visit this page: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/2025-smarties-camp-registration-copy-80797, and reach out to us with any questions at outreach@lasarobotics.org. We can’t wait to see y’all this summer!

¡Campamentos de Verano de Robótica de LASA Robotics!
Los campamentos SMART (Ciencia, Matemáticas y Tecnología Robótica) son campamentos de descubrimiento STEM de una semana (5 días) para estudiantes que ingresarán a los grados 2 a 7. Facilitados por miembros del galardonado equipo de LASA Robotics, los estudiantes SMART aprenderán los principios básicos de ingeniería y diseño a través de divertidos desafíos prácticos de STEM y la construcción y codificación de robots LEGO® SPIKE™ Prime, LEGO® Mindstorms® EV3 y VEX V5.
Los campamentos SMART de verano 2026 se llevarán a cabo en LASA High School los días del 8 al 12 de junio y del 3 al 7 de agosto con sesiones en la mañana (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) y en la tarde (1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.). En los campamentos SMART, los estudiantes serán separados aproximadamente por edad en diferentes aulas. Comenzaremos el día con divertidas actividades basadas en STEM para que los niños se conozcan, así como un tutorial sobre los kits de robótica con los que trabajarán. Luego, pasarán los siguientes tres días diseñando, construyendo y probando sus robots, ¡y el último día implicará una competencia con premios!

¡Los estudiantes de todos los niveles de experiencia son bienvenidos! La matrícula es de $300 por campamento ($360 para campamentos VEX, que están dirigidos a los estudiantes de mayor edad), y las becas basadas en la necesidad tienen solicitudes disponibles en el registro. Para más información y enlaces para registrarse, por favor visite está pagina: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/2025-smarties-camp-registration-copy-80797, y comuníquese con nosotros con cualquier pregunta en outreach@lasarobotics.org. ¡No podemos esperar a ver a todos este verano!

Please remember to keep crosswalk areas clear of parked vehicles during arrival and dismissal. In particular, the crosswalk on the south side of the school, by 9th street, becomes hazardous when cars parked near the crosswalk block the view of turning vehicles.

Cars should be parked at least 16.4 feet away from crosswalks. It's good to know that citations will be given for cars that are parked too close to the crosswalk.

Was your student recently identified as GT (gifted and talented)? Join one of the famliy information sessions below to learn more:

Newly Identified GT Information Session

• Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • 6:00PM-7:00PM or
• Thursday, January 29, 2026 • 12:00PM-1:00PM

• Salute is Austin ISD's annual event recognizing some of the district’s outstanding team members for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools.

• Nominations can be submitted by all Austin ISD staff, students, families, and community members! Please submit nominations using this form. Nominations close on January 16, 2026.

On Friday, November 6th, the State of Texas issued a health alert about an increase in Pertussis. Please see below for more information:

At Lively, students explore their passions through a variety of engaging and challenging pathways. Our Magnet Program offers:

Rigorous Academics – Advanced coursework that prepares students for future success

Specialty Law, Humanities, & Global Studies Electives that are unique to our campus
Spanish Dual Language and Mandarin Language programs
Fine Arts, Athletics, and Leadership Opportunities – Inspiring creativity and confidence
A Welcoming Community – Focused on inclusivity, collaboration, and student growth
Open Transportation – Available to students throughout AISD

Families can learn more about our program and meet our team during our upcoming Virtual Parent Night!

• Virtual Parent Night – Learn From Home!
  Families will meet the magnet team, learn about application steps, transportation, programming, and ask questions.
  January 17, 2026
  5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
  Google Meet: http://meet.google.com/nhr-mhkc-wmr

We’d love your help in spreading the word to your 5th-grade students and their families. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how Lively Magnet helps students find their voice, challenge themselves, and shine brightly!

Regular attendance helps students learn and keeps our school strong. In Texas, school funding is directly tied to student attendance, and so far this year Mathews has lost over $40,000 in funding due to absences. Those funds support our district programming and student support.

We always want children who are sick to stay home and get better and we also ask families to plan vacations and appointments around the AISD calendar whenever possible. The official attendnace time for this school year is 9:45 am. If your child is not in class at 9:45 am, they are considered absent for the day. Every day in class makes a difference for our students and our community!

To learn more about attenance, click HERE.

Families - please make sure to follow our school procedures for a safe arrival and dismissal. There is no parking in the bus lane from 7:00-8:00 am and from 2:30-3:20 pm. If you would like to walk your child to the front of the school, please park in the neighborhood and walk in. This helps keep traffic flowing. Thank you for your cooperation!

The Elementary Curriculum Parents’ Newsletters for Humanities and STEM are finalized and ready to be shared with parents. These newsletters are designed to keep families informed, engaged, and supported in their child’s learning. Please click on the button below to access the newsletters:

Want a smoother check-in when you come to school?

Download the Raptor App to save time at check-in and ensure your ID is in our system and ready to go!!

1. Download the app

2. Snap a picture of your ID

3. Creates your QR code

Did you know that Mazilla Cares is here to support our Mathews community? Through this program, we’ve been able to provide (through donations):

• Grocery gift cards

• Weekend food baskets

• Entrance fees for school fundraising events

• Scholarships for after-school enrichment programs

• Outerwear and footwear

• School supplies

Our Mazilla Cares Liaison, Valerie Pardo-Jules, works alongside the school counselor to coordinate parent help during times of need, such as the winter holidays, meal assistance, and school supply drives.

All family information remains 100% confidential and is known only to the school counselor. Families who need support should contact Stephanie Reyna, School Counselor, at stephanie.reyna@austinisd.com.

How you can help:
If you’d like to join the Mazilla Cares committee, share new ideas, or connect us with resources that could benefit our families, we’d love to have your support. Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference.

Together, we can ensure that every Mathews family feels supported and cared for. 💚

If you have not completed the new required consent forms for Physical and Health Related Services, Mental Health Related Services, and School Sponsored Clubs, please see the links below. These are new forms required by SB12 and must be completed for each student.

• Mental Health Services Consent Form: English Spanish
• Physical Health Services Consent Form
• Student Club Participation Consent Form

Of course! Here's a version tailored for a school newsletter:

📣 Stay in the Loop with Konstella!

We use Konstella as our official school communication platform and we want all families to be connected! Sign up now to recieve communication from Mathews. You'll add connect your account with your child's teacher after classes are announced on the 14th.

Konstella makes it easy to receive important announcements, classroom updates, event details, and volunteer opportunities—all in one place. It’s quick to sign up and even easier to stay informed and engaged in your child’s school experience.

✨ Don’t miss out—sign up today and stay connected all year long!

Need help getting started? Click the button below for directions!

Please click on the button below to access the 2025-26 AISD Student Success Guide (Code of Conduct).

Please click the button below to access the 2025-26 Mathews Parent/Student Handbook:

We’d love for you to join our PTA! By becoming a member, you’ll help support our students, teachers, and school community through events, volunteer opportunities, and important initiatives. Whether you have a little time or a lot, your voice and involvement make a big difference. Join us in creating an amazing school year together!

Scan the QR code or click the button below to join our amazing PTA!

Did you know that 9:45 a.m. is our official attendance time each day? This is earlier than last year when the official time was 10:30 am. According to the State of Texas Attendance Policy, students must be present at school at 9:45 a.m. to be counted for the day. Any student who is not on campus at that time will be marked absent, even if they arrive later.

Whenever possible, we kindly ask that you schedule medical or other appointments to ensure your child is in school at 9:45 am so your child is counted present and their learning time is maximized.

Attendance not only supports your child’s success in the classroom but also directly affects our school’s state funding. Thank you for your partnership in helping every student shine!

Are you interested in volunteering at Mathews? We'd love to have you! Austin ISD uses Voly for all volunteers in our school and everyone is required to sign up through the system. Please see below for information on how to sign up to volunteer at our school:

Volunteer Requirements and Application Process

To ensure student safety and maintain a secure environment, all volunteers must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a Volunteer Application, which must be renewed each school year.
  • The application takes approximately five minutes to complete and should be submitted as early as possible.
  • Applications can take up to five business days to process.
• Pass a background check as part of the Volunteer Application process.
• Present your photo ID at the campus to be scanned into Raptor
• Represent yourself and Austin ISD in a professional manner and treat students, staff, and other volunteers with respect.

Additional Information:

The Volunteer Application is separate from the campus Raptor check-in process, which ensures all names are screened for safety and security purposes. All campus visitors are required to sign in and print either a visitor or volunteer badge.

How to Become a Volunteer

1. Create an Account: Visit austinisd.voly.org to sign up.
2. Complete the Application: Fill out your profile, select the schools you’d like to volunteer with, and submit the required information, including:
   • Full name
   • Email address
   • Address
   • Confidentiality agreement
   • Volunteer guidelines acknowledgment
   • Background check consent form
3. Pass the Background Check: Background checks typically take 2 hours to 5 days to process.
   • You must wait until your background check is cleared before volunteering.
   • Once cleared, you will receive a notification email confirming your approval.
4. Find Opportunities: After receiving your clearance, explore and sign up for volunteer opportunities that match your interests.

Meal Application Information

• Austin ISD works with local agencies to identify all children who are categorically and program eligible for meal benefits through state funded programs and will notify the households of these children that they do not need to complete an application.
• Only one application is needed for an entire household.
• Families must complete a new application each school year.
• The outcome of the application is determined by household size and income; please include all household members to ensure accurate eligibility.
• Austin ISD follows the Texas Department of Agriculture income guidelines to determine if a student is eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
• Students are permitted to receive meal benefits based on last year’s meal status only until October 1, 2024 or until a new meal application has been processed.

How to Apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meals

• Online: Preferred method for faster processing.
  • Create an account and apply at www.SchoolCafe.com/AustinISD, or
  • Download and complete an English or Spanish application; email to foodservicebusinesssupport@austinisd.org.
• Paper Applications:
  • Available from school front offices beginning in August.

Questions about meal applications? Please contact Food Service at 512-414-0251.

School meal resources:

• SchoolCafé - One app for all your school meal needs.

• View daily breakfast and lunch menus for our school.

• View nutritional information, ingredients, and allergens for each menu item.

• Make prepayments for additional servings of food or healthy a la carte snacks.

• Set a la carte restrictions.

• How to create a SchoolCafé account, add student(s), make payments, set up automatic payments, and low balance alerts - English / Spanish

• Request for Dietary Accommodation Form

• AISD Wellness Policy English / Spanish (Guidelines surrounding food and beverages provided on campus, celebrations, food for instructional purposes, rewarding with food, and fundraising)

• Connect with AISD Food Service on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X)