At Mathews, we cultivate critical thinkers, leaders, and dreamers who will bring positive change to the world. We empower our students by creating enriching learning experiences that celebrate our diversity, unique abilities, and passions.

Happy Friday, everyone! What a fantastic morning, celebrating Joan, Diana, Layne, Wilson and all of you. The happy band and orchestra performance and the fun Fairy Tale Theater performance added a fine arts celebration as well - a perfect way to end the week that started with a stunning Art Night and an upbeat Kinder performance! As we wrap up Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, we hope all of you have felt the love - we are so grateful for each and every one of you!

Next week is a big one! Our 6th grader leaders will load up and fly out to California for their STEAM adventure! Kirstie, Andrew, Julie, and a strong group of parents will chaperone. I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pics of this extraordinary opportunity for our kiddos! The rest of us will have a small celebration of the year with Jim Jim's on Monday afternoon and will be showcasing our students' creativity and entrepreneurship during Market Day on Tuesday. I love that our some of our students have already been advertising their products around the school! Please see below for the Market Day schedule and let us know if you have any questions. (Hopefully each grade level team has already communicated with families about the day and I'll also include information in the Mathews Messenger on Sunday.) We'll wrap up the week with PreK Splash Day and our very own Choir Concert. :)

In academic news, the MAPGrowth window closes next Friday. Please make sure all students have taken their end of year exam AND make sure you're sharing your expectations for them to do their best and take their time. The district will review MapGrowth scores for all and , more importantly, we want all of our students to show growth - that has been out goal for each child all year long!

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone! Happy Mother's Day 💐to all the moms who are celebrating! Here's to a positive and productive next week!

• Make sure STUDENT FRIENDLY learning objectives are posted in your room and updated each week.
  

• Create a goal and begin progress monitoring in eCST for any child who you have an academic and/or behavioral concern.

• Work on your April TEA modules!

MapGrowth Window Closes on Friday!

Monday, May 13, 2024

• 6th Grade STEAM Adventure to California Begins - 5:30 am - Kirstie, Andrew, Julie
• Maggie the Service Dog on Campus
• Safety Drill
• School Tour - 9:00 am - Office/School - Grace/Andrea
• ARD - 9:40 am - Learning Lab 2 - Ralph/Jamie, Edith, Andrea
• Jim Jim's Water Ice Party - 2:30 pm - Blacktop - All
• Staff Meeting - End of Year Wrap Up Information - 3:30 pm - 6th Grade Studio - All

• 6th Grade STEAM Adventure to California
• Market Day - As Scheduled - Classrooms - All

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

• 6th Grade STEAM Adventure to California
• ARD - 2:25 pm - Office - Faye, Jane, Grace
• Stress and Burn Out Webinar - 5:00 pm - Zoom - All Invited (See more info Below)

Thursday, May 16, 2024

• 6th Grade STEAM Adventure to California
• ARD - 12:45 pm - Jane, Janie, Cameron, Grace
• ARD - 2:30 pm - Office - Jane, Shellie, Grace
• 504 Meeting - 2:30 pm - TBD - Suzie, Andrea

Friday, May 17, 2024 - MapGrowth Window Closes

• 6th Grade STEAM Adventure to California
  
• PreK Splash Day - 8:00 am - Blacktop - Diana, Anne, Anissa, Olivia
• Choir Concert - 5:30 pm - Gym - Micaela, Grace

May 20: End of Year House Meeting

May 21: Kinder Splash Day

May 21: Mathews Talent Show

May 22: 5th Grade End of Year Celebration and Deep Eddy Party

May 22: Kinder End of Year Celebration in the Park

May 23: 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony

May 23: Last Day of School!

May 24: Austin High School Graduation

May 24: End-of-Year Staff Goodbye Luncheon

Stop by Galaxy Cafe on Wednesday, May 22nd and let them know you're there from Mathews! Galaxy is generously donating 15% of sales on that day to our alumni organization, the Mathews Friends for Excellence! Just last week, this organization supported our Senior Walk and gave nine scholarships to graduating high school seniors (picture below) who attended Mathews when they were younger. They also support our school with special projects and professional learning. Please enjoy a yummy meal and support the MFE! Thank you!

Eagle Scout Projects on the Back Play Area:

We have two amazing Eagle Scouts - Jake Holoubek (Jamie's son!) and Danielle Aranda (former student!) who are supporting Mathews with their projects:

• Jake will be removing the white house on the back play area and replacing it with different seating and a sun shade so students still have a place to gather and visit in a way that makes active supervision easier for all!
• Danny will be adding an outdoor classroom vibe to the area by the patch of turf near the gray shed. She'll be building a white board and also adding benches around the turf where you can bring your classes for some outdoor learning together.

I'm grateful for both of these Scouts!

Secure Vestibule, Front Doors, and New Fencing:

Our secure vestibule, originally scheduled to begin construction this summer has been delayed and will not begin construction until the summer of 2025. The reason is a good one - we will now have an ADA pathway to the street level. This pathway will impact our fencing plans so we won't be able to move forward with the new fence until the plans for the pathway are complete. The land survey is tentatively scheduled for Monday, the 6th. I'll keep you posted on timelines as I get them.

Even though the vestibule has been delayed, we will be getting new front doors in the fall to better secure the building.

Multi-Stall Restroom Updates:

As you know, our 4th grade bathroom committee has been advocating for improvements in our multi-stall restrooms, particularly the girls'. Because of this, our PTA has designated $30,000 as part of our 30x30 fund campaign to improve our restrooms. I met with contractors on Tuesday and am waiting on a quote, but positive changes are coming, hopefully over the summer. Yay!

In preparation for the 2024-25 school year, Information Technology will soon purchase devices (2022 bond-funded) for eligible campus staff members. Depending on their roles with the district, some employees may be eligible for a Windows-only device, while others may be eligible for a Chromebook. Some staff are eligible to choose between a Windows device and a Chromebook. Please review the Staff Device Refresh Eligibility Criteria document to determine who is eligible for what type of device.

Eligible campus staff members can expect additional communications in the coming weeks regarding the device refresh, which is scheduled to occur this summer. A device refresh is planned for eligible Central Office staff later during the 2024-25 school year. If you have any questions, please contact the bond device office at laptops@austinisd.org.

The Austin ISD MAP Growth Spring/EoY testing window opens April 29th and runs through May 17th. The Academics Assessment Team is hosting office hours for “live” MAP testing support from 8:00 - 9:00 AM during the testing window (April 29, May 1st, 3rd, 7th, 9th, 14th, and 16th). Zoom link - https://austinisd-org.zoom.us/j/86354973527.

A few testing tips to consider: 1. If the student’s computer freezes or is blank during MAP testing, please consider clearing the cache and having the student log out and log in again. 2. The only reason to reset a student’s test is if the teacher sees the rapid guessing flag DURING the testing session. The teacher can choose to cancel the current testing session and start a new test - this will essentially be a brand new set of questions. Resetting tests after the student has tested is not available. If a student accidentally takes another student's test, we can switch the student’s test without having to reset it.

For our younger testers, please consider the following considerations: 1. Test in small groups to monitor more closely - students often select other’s names if we’re not ensuring they have their name from the dropdown selected before starting the test. 2. If you'd like to break the MAP Growth test into smaller components: Test proctors can select every student that is in "Testing" status and select "Suspend" then they can select every student in "Suspended" status and click "Test Again". This will allow them to suspend the test and to make sure all students are in "Awaiting Student" status so that they can sign in and find their names to resume where they left off. And remember, that the MAP Growth test should not take students longer than one hour to 1.5 hours at the most.

Stress and burnout are something that many of us have experienced before. By understanding how it happens and recognizing the signs, you can flag problem situations early.

During this workshop, participants will learn the difference between stress and burnout, identify their stressors, and discuss ways to minimize it in their daily routines.

• We are excited to offer a Minimizing Stress and Burnout Workshop in partnership with Calm.

• This workshop will take place on May 15 from 5:00 - 6:00 pm through Zoom.

• Staff members may sign-up in advance by registering for the course through HCP: #OPD.46749

• Staff members will receive a unique Zoom link a day in advance of the session.

  
  

Reminder: FREE CALM APP SUBSCRIPTION FOR AISD BENEFITS-ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES

As part of our new benefits and wellness package, eligible employees can sign up for a free subscription to the Calm app - the world's #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation.

Please contact Emily Bacom (included in this email) emily.bacom@austinisd.org with any questions.

On April 15, 2024, the Badging Office will move from the Austin ISD PD to the Office of Talent Strategy’s Talent Development Department.

Although the Badging Office will no longer deliver badges to campuses, we are expanding office hours for appointments to process badges and hours in which badges may be retrieved.

NEW OFFICE HOURS

Appointment Hours | Mondays - Tuesdays, 7:30AM - 4PM

Pick-Up/Retrieval Hours (no appointment needed) | Monday - Thursday, 7:30AM - 5PM

Office hours are a reflection of projected volume. We anticipate expanding these hours to better accommodate your schedules in the near future.

HOW TO REQUEST A BADGE

To request a badge replacement due to lost, stolen, or damaged badges; a transfer; promotion or job title/name change, all employees must submit a ticket using the AISD Help tile in the Employee Portal. You can now expedite the badge replacement process and bypass the need to set up an appointment by uploading your favorite professional photograph or selfie. You will receive a link to upload your photo after your AISD Help request has been received and approved. Once your badge is printed, you will receive a second email notification alerting you that it is ready for pick-up. Badges can be retrieved in room 226 at the AISD Central Office located at S IH - 35 Frontage Rd during the previously noted office hours. You do not need to set an appointment for pick-up.

For any questions related to badging, email badgerequest@austinisd.org.

Grant applications now available to certified pre-k to 12 educators.

The A+ Education Foundation invites all professionally certified educators employed at a pre-K to 12 school within the A+FCU field of membership to apply for grants of up to $1,500. Funds may be used to support new and ongoing programs that enhance student learning and wellness or promote professional development.

Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, May 31, 2024.

Apply Now

If you have questions about the application or eligibility, please call 512.533.4390 or email educationfoundation@aplusfcu.org.

For Tier 2 and Tier 3 Instruction. Please click on the following link that will direct you to MTSS file within the MTTS tile. These will be the only allowable intervention resources that can be used for CST purposes.

• Digital Interventions
• Non-Digital Interventions

Our PTA does sooooooooo much to support our school - from staff appreciation to curricular materials to professional development and more.

Show your love by officially joining this wonderful organization today. It is the Parent TEACHER Association! :)