In the Loop

This coming April 12, 2022, we need your help. Your support of Trussville City Schools will help us preserve outstanding programs and continue to provide excellent opportunities for our students. Five important points to remember:

• A local school tax is expiring in 2022.
• This school tax has been in existence since 1992.
• The $4,000,000 generated from this local tax supports programs which receive zero state funding.
• Examples of outstanding TCS programs not funded by the state are band, athletics, clubs, and all other extracurricular activities, plus 25 locally funded teachers above the state minimum program.
• This is a tax renewal, not a tax increase or new tax.

As announced earlier this week by TCS, the CDC is no longer recommending indoor masking for nearly 70% of Americans. That said, Trussville City Schools, faculty, staff, and students were informed that as of March 1, 2022, they would no longer be asked to mask indoors. We continue to ask any student or employee to stay home if they are sick, have tested positive or COVID, or have COVID-like symptoms. It is important to note that masks will remain a requirement on school buses until March 18, 2022. Students on school buses and bus drivers are asked to wear a mask until March 18, 2022. To see current COVID-19 transmission rates in Alabama counties, please visit the ADPH COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard.

The Trussville Board of Education recognized several groups of high-achievers at its February 28th meeting. Those recognized included National Board-Certified Educators from across the school system; the Hewitt-Trussville Girls Indoor Track and Field Team; and the Middle School Wrestling Team (2022 Metro South Champions and Metro South Coach of the Year Matt Ryan).

The Alabama State Department of Education has announced Hewitt-Trussville High School as part of the upcoming A+ College Ready Cohort XV for the Advanced Placement Training & Incentive Program (APTIP). This program allows a school to partner with A+ College Ready in order to increase access to and success in Advanced Placement as well as to prepare a diverse pipeline of students prepared for rigorous coursework in high school. See more on APTIP and A+ College Ready.

Cooperation - or working together to do more than you can do alone - is the March 2022 P.A.C.E. (Positive Attitudes Change Everything) Character Trait of the Month. P.A.C.E. is a comprehensive framework designed to empower all students in our community with knowledge, skills, and inspiration to develop and practice positive character and healthy habits. P.A.C.E. is the lens through which every aspect of the school and community becomes an opportunity for character development. P.A.C.E. promotes character development through the exploration of universal virtues across the curriculum. It also develops a positive and moral climate through the participation of students, teachers and staff, parents, and the community.

Almost two dozen Magnolia Elementary School students returned to Trussville with honors after a strong showing in the annual Elementary Science Olympiad at Jacksonville High School. Mrs. Kimberly Hendrick (4th Grade Teacher) led this successful team - a team with stellar submissions that incorporated many STEM concepts. According to its website, the Science Olympiad is a national nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. See the full list of winners on the ESO website.

Emi Sugito is just one of many Paine Elementary School students engaged in Read Across America activities this month. “Marvel Monday: Readers are Superheroes” was this past Monday's theme for Read Across America, with other themes executed throughout the week. March has been designated as National Reading Month by the National Education Association with March 2 being specifically designated as Read Across America Day. The initiative seeks to cultivate interest in reading among students through creative and captivating campaigns.

Cahaba PTO, teachers, students, and staff celebrated 2-22-22 in grand style. CES celebrated the special day by dressing up in tutus, tie dye, and ties. Parents and teachers collaborated to create fun learning activities. These activities included creating time capsules and art and math activities utilizing the number 2. The day culminated when students, teachers, and staff had a schoolwide dance party at 2:22. 2-22-22 will be remembered by all at Cahaba as a special day in school history.

The HTMS Mixed Choir and Treble Honors Choir performed in the UAB Honor Choir this week at the Alys Stephens Center. UAB's Honor Choir was comprised of 218 middle school students from across Alabama. Select HTMS choir students also sang as featured performers in the final performance of this annual event.

Hewitt-Trussville High School English teacher Melanie Marimberga recently held a Zoom with Freedom Rider Mr. Charles Person. Students were able to learn about Mr. Person's civil rights experiences in the 1960s and beyond through this virtual meeting with Mr. Person. "In May of 1961, an interracial group of 13 men and women set off from Washington D.C bound for New Orleans, Louisiana, on an iconic civil rights mission," according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. See more on Mr. Charles Person and his contributions to Black History in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Hewitt-Trussville High School Varsity Scholars Bowl Team has officially qualified for the 2022 NAQT National Championship in Atlanta. This is the cream of the crop when it comes to quiz bowl tournaments - and we are proud that our young scholars will represent Trussville City Schools in such grand fashion on the national stage. Earlier this month, the Varsity Scholar's Bowl Team broke the school’s record for points per game average.

A huge congratulations to the Hewitt-Trussville High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble (HTIP) on their 1st Place win in the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit (SCGC) competition! This event was held recently in Lebanon, TN. This is the Ensemble's first year in existence and they brought home their first win. The Ensemble is led by Mr. A.J. Adair, Associate Director of Bands/Director of Percussion at HTHS. This Ensemble contributes greatly to our program's overall goal of providing high-level, well-rounded music education.

• Girls Golf
• Baseball
• Tennis
• Middle-School Athletics

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

The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce wishes to announce the upcoming dates of the annual Trussville Spring Carnival: March 31-April 3. The carnival will be held at 90 Parkway Drive (across from Trussville City Hall). For more information, visit trussvillechamber.com

Here are a few shortcuts to important resources listed on the TCS District website:

• TCS Bullying Reporting Form
• Special Education - Parent Rights (Section 504)
• TCS Character Education Program - P.A.C.E.

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