MME 101

This page can help new MME parents as well as school veterans better understand the school and how to navigate it’s many programs…and decipher the many acronyms!

PBIS

  • Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports
  • PBIS is a tiered system that offers different levels of support.
    • Tier 1: Universal, Primary Prevention (For All). Tier 1 systems establish a foundation for positive and proactive support. It enables most (80% or more) students to experience success.
    • Tier 2: Targeted, Secondary Prevention (For Some). Students receiving Tier 2 support get an added layer of support targeting their specific needs. 
    • Tier 3: Intensive and Individualized, Tertiary Prevention (For Few). Students receive more intensive, individualized support to improve their outcomes.
  • Learn more at https://www.pbis.org. If you have concerns regarding how behavior issues are handled, understanding the basics of PBIS can help you communicate better with the school.

SEAL

  • SEAL is the instructional model that MME uses. Students develop language skills through thematic units that are based on science and social studies standards.
  • From a parent’s point of view (not the official description), you can think of each SEAL unit like a Quarter/Trimester where the lessons revolve around a broad topic. Teachers for each grade work closely with each other to coordinate their lessons to tie into the theme. Even field trips align directly to the current SEAL unit.
  • There is a Gallery Walk at the end of each SEAL unit so kids can show off what they’ve learned.
  • Learn more at https://www.seal.org

Gallery Walks

  • Your teacher should email you and send home fliers prior to each Gallery walk.
  • Gallery walks happen in the morning before school starts, or the afternoon as school ends. Usually 20-30 minutes.
  • Teachers generally give at least 2 weeks notice, but reach out to your kid’s teachers if you have scheduling questions. Teachers should also discuss this at back to school night.
  • Teachers try to stagger Gallery Walks so that parents with kids in multiple grades do not have 2 gallery walks on the same morning, but double bookings do sometimes happen.
  • Try to arrive early! The parking lot is extra crowded on Gallery Walk days and you need to check in at the front desk before going to the classroom.

Bridge

  • Bridge provides tutoring, mentoring and fun activities after school through a collaboration with the UC Davis work study program.
  • All migrant students attend Bridge along with other students who are recommended by their teachers. This program is an especially valuable resource for EL students (English learners).

After Care Programs

  • There are 2 programs offered on site: SPARK and Catalyst
  • SPARK is run by the school district and is hosted in the Montgomery MPR. https://www.djusd.net/instruction/programs/DJUSDSPARK
  • Catalyst is a private program. The Catalyst room is located by the back parking lot of the school (near the soccer fields). https://www.catalystkids.org
  • Both programs tend to fill up, so if you rely on after school care it is often best to apply to both.
  • Peregrine also offers an aftercare program to non-peregrine students. Since the schools are so close to each other, Peregrin will walk students between MME and their campus after school. https://www.peregrineschool.org/kestrelclub
  • If you have questions, we encourage you to join the MME Parents Facebook Group. There is a wealth of knowledge there.

Field Trips

  • Field trips begin in 1st grade.
  • Field trips are funded by the PTA (except for the 6th grade trip).
  • They rely entirely on parent volunteers for transportation.
  • Why not buses? Unfortunately buses are very expensive. It can be $4,000 for a single trip, and neither the school nor the PTA has the budget to fund that.

How does lunch work?

  • School lunches are free for all students!
  • Kids also have the option to bring their own lunch
  • The kids have 20 minutes to get lunch and eat before general recess begins. This can be tough on slow eaters.
  • There are lunch time volunteer opportunities (such as MME Gardens and PTA Recycling Program) which can get you a better glimpse into lunch time.

What do I do if my kid is sick?

  • Call the school (530) 759-2100
  • You will be directed to an “attendance” option from the menu.
  • You need to call each day your child is sick to excuse the absence.

What do I do if I need to pick up my kid early?

  • Call the school (530) 759-2100 before you leave to pick up your kiddo
  • School staff will pull your kid out of school and have them waiting in the front office for you.
  • The best advice is to communicate with the front office on timing and they can generally make it pretty easy.
  • You can email the teacher as well, but it is not required and should only be done in addition to calling the front office.

Promotion Ceremonies

  • Kindergarten. TK also participates in the ceremony, but the promotion is to celebrate Kindergartners joining the main part of the school as first graders.
  • 3rd Grade. Celebrate promoting into upper elementary grades.
  • 6th Grade. This is the big one! Traditionally, 5th grade parents take charge of the volunteer efforts so that the 6th grade families can enjoy the day.

Reclassification

  • This is the process where a student is reclassified from EL status to Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) status.
  • This is a huge milestone for many students at MME and is celebrated with a ceremony near the end of each school year.

CAASPP

  • California Assessments of Student Performance and Progress
  • This is a standardized testing done by all students in DJUSD beginning in 3rd Grade.
  • The school will let you know ahead of time the week that testing will happen. Take extra care to have your kids well rested that week!
  • You can view your kids results in the parent portal
  • The aggregated results for the school and district are publicly available.
  • Keep in mind that the testing is in English which puts MME students at a disadvantage.