Trussville City Schools (TCS) has scheduled Friday, February 18, 2022, as its next Remote Learning Day for all students. This will be an instructional day where students will learn from home. Students will need to take Chromebooks and chargers home the night before.

Teachers will upload lessons into Schoology and other online learning platforms as part of instruction for these two Remote Learning Days. All TCS employees should report to their direct supervisors on this date.

For those who rely on TCS cafeterias for meals, curbside meal pickup will be available on Thursday, February 17, from 5:00 pm. to 6:00 p.m. for anyone across the district. Meal pickup will be at Paine Elementary School (7600 Gadsden Highway 35173). Use the following link to reserve your meal: Remote Learning Curbside Meal Order Form

Should you have any questions about the upcoming Remote Learning Day, please contact your child's teacher (parents) or your direct supervisor (employees). As a reminder, this Remote Learning Day will be part of a four-day weekend that includes Presidents Day (no students).

TCS classrooms will study and honor Black History in many ways this month. Throughout the month of January - leading up to Black History Month - Magnolia Elementary, for example, honored and studied the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "What's Your Dream Day" served as a culminating activity. It celebrated Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and his goal of equal rights for all people. Magnolia students and staff dressed up to represent their unique dreams, goals, and aspirations for the future. Doctors, teachers, artists, astronauts, marine biologists, and teachers were just a few of the professions showcased. Through these career expressions, students showed their "dreams" in incredible ways, all the while learning about the importance of Black History Month and the many contributions of Black Americans.

More than 25 TCS educators who have achieved mastery in a specialized professional development program were recently recognized by the TCS Board of Education. Educators from Magnolia Elementary, Paine Elementary, and Cahaba Elementary (and district curriculum specialists) who engaged in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training all received high remarks for their engagement in this rigorous training which is designed to boost student achievement in the areas of reading and spelling. TCS Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Berry informed the Board that other teachers are currently in the professional learning pipeline for upcoming LETRS training.

Leading experts continue to indicate that a full recovery from the devastating impact of the recent global pandemic will rely heavily on sustained economic growth over the next decade. Our nation must maintain its world-class and highly skilled workforce. February is Alabama Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. This year’s celebration is the most meaningful yet, as Alabama’s local educators continue to work hard to inspire every young person to do their very best in school now, to ensure a lifetime of success in the future. See profiles of the Electrical Construction Academy and the Biomedical Sciences Academy on the Hewitt-Trussville High School website.

The TCS Facility Dogs (Skye/HTHS and Bullet/HTMS) were the featured guests at this week's Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club meeting. Handlers (and TCS counselors) Laura Stalls and Krista DeMent spoke on the partnership between TCS and Service Dogs Alabama, which began in 2021. Skye and Bullet are trained to assist with intervention tasks and breaking patterns of disruptive behaviors in classrooms, counseling sessions, and in testing spaces. Research has indicated that dogs can impact student performance by reducing stress and increasing motivation, focus, and task persistence.

In honor of Black History Month and Acts of Kindness Month, Cahaba Elementary School has launched an initiative called "Diverse Book Drive" that seeks to further diversify the book offerings in the library and classroom collections. Use your QR code scanner to see Cahaba's Amazon wishlist or contact the school to inquire about how to contribute to this drive, which takes place the entire month of February.

Paine Elementary congratulates its two participants honored on Sunday, 1/23/22, at the Helen Keller Art Show Opening Reception. Students Henrietta Murray and Aubrey McAliley both submitted artwork to the show - which boasted more than 46 works from students across the state. Additionally, Murray's artwork was selected to receive an award from the sponsors. Paine faculty, staff, and administrators are incredibly proud of how hard our students worked to create their beautiful art.

Hewitt-Trussville High School proudly recognized 59 students who distinguished themselves by achieving a score of 30 or higher on the ACT college entrance exam. The recognition came at halftime of a recent basketball game. The maximum score on an ACT exam is 36. See the full list of students on the HTHS website.

Five HTHS student musicians submitted audition recordings - and were selected to perform - in the recently conducted 2022 All-State Jazz Band. The All-State Jazz Band festival is held in conjunction with the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). A qualified panel of adjudicators judged student recordings. Directors must be members of NAfME in order for their students to audition and participate in the All-State Jazz Bands. Mr. Michael Guzman serves as Director of Bands for Hewitt-Trussville High School.

Bingo Night! The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a fundraiser for Leadership HT's planned Disney Youth Leadership Trip. Bingo Night has been scheduled for Thursday, February 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Trussville Civic Center. Cost: $10 for 10 bingo cards. Leadership HT seeks to mold civic-minded students into the leaders of tomorrow through meetings and interactions with current leaders across multiple sectors of society (business, healthcare, government, education, and more).

• Indoor Track & Field Set to Compete for State Title
• Bowling Advances to State Semifinals
• Soccer Seasons Set to Open

See all the latest news in this edition of Tracking the Huskies!

The Trussville Public Library will be hosting a two-part ACT Prep class on Saturday, February 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and February 6th from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The class will be conducted in-person in the library auditorium. Saturday will be an extensive review session and the Sunday will feature a practice test. Students will need to bring a notebook, pencil, and calculator. Lunch will be provided on Saturday. The fee for the class is $43.50. Register via this link. Questions? Jacob.Sartain@jclc.org or call 205-655-2022 If you need to cancel, please let us know so people from the waiting list can be added to the class as space is limited. Masks highly encouraged.