Good Afternoon Mustang Families,

Thank you for providing us feedback on your first semester experiences. We will use the feedback to celebrate successes and make adjustments to provide our Mustangs with the best possible experience.

Wednesday is an Asynchronous Learning Day. While there will be no live instruction, students are still expected to check Google Classroom and/or Canvas for the instructional activities for the day. 

School Counselor Appreciation Week: This week marks Nation School Counselor Appreciation week with the theme “School Counselors Are All In For All Students.” Martin is lucky to have an amazing counseling team with Ms. Hicks, Ms. Rowell and Ms. Leech. Please take a moment to thank our counselors through an email, a phone call or a snail mail note sent to 1702 Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC., 27607.

February Martin Family Coffee: Our February Family Coffee in on Thursday and our topic is “Elective Registration Kick-Off”. Our counselors will talk about class recommendations, elective offerings, and the registration process. Please note that this coffee is geared towards our rising 7th and 8th grade students. We will have a separate meeting for our rising 9th grade families on February 18th. The meet codes for Thursday are:

8:00am             meet.google.com/eyf-uiae-kxc

4:00pm             meet.google.com/ago-vmra-roo

6th Grade Corral: The sixth-grade corral will occur on Friday February 5 during Enrichment. Please have your students log in using the code StampedeCorral at 9:45. We hope to equip our students with some Social Emotional Strategies, as well as general tidbits for success moving into the second semester. 

Google Classroom Tip of the Week: If you and your child pre-plan for the week ahead, consider using the Classwork tab to find class information. This tab provides the link to all “assignments” including classroom calendars and updates. 

IReady: Our IReady window is open for students. Homeroom teachers will communicate with students who are scheduled to take the mid-year assessment.

Black History Month: While we celebrate black history throughout the year as we celebrate American history, February is nationally recognized as Black History Month. This month, we will honor the contributions of black leaders, educators, scientists, artists and influencers and the impact they have on shaping the American story. 

Meal Benefits Registration: Please consider applying for meal benefits by Feb 26. For every student that turns in the free and reduced lunch application and qualifies, the school receives federal funds that benefit the student and teachers at the school. These funds provide additional teachers and staff for the school which means more services for students, especially students that are struggling in reading or math. These funds also are used for materials and supplies for students and teachers. These are valuable resources that teachers can use to improve student achievement.  

Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2021 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2020-21 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/Page/1849. Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535. 

From the PTA:

Join Us for our Next PTA Parent Chat with Dr. Emily King:

Building Resilience amid Emotional Fatigue - Thursday, 2/11 at 8:00am

We're dealing with a lot right now, and so are our students... COVID, current events, the absence of normal routines. Thankfully, there are skills for coping with these trying times. Dr. Emily King, a local child and adolescent psychologist who joined us in the fall, is coming back to lead our next PTA Parent Chat: Building Resilience in the Midst of Emotional Fatigue. Register for the Zoom meeting here.

Last Call for Mural Tiles: We would love to have every student's handiwork represented in our Mustangs Unite mural. If you haven't done so already, please mail your student's painted paper tile in the envelope that was provided at supply pickup. We need those ASAP! This is such a fun project, and we can't wait to see it come together! 

Have a wonderful Sunday evening.