LaQuanda Winston is a kindergarten teacher at Midfield Elementary School. She has taught kindergarten at MES for nine years. Ms. Winston has two beautiful daughters, Sydney, 10, and Ariyana, 8. She’s a graduate of Faulkner University and The Alabama State University where she received her Education Specialist degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Winston enjoys being a MES Patriot because she has an opportunity to build lasting relationships with her students and their families. Ms. Winston became a teacher after leaving a major company in the Birmingham area. She admits that she loves being a teacher and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Thank you Ms. Winston for being a superstar teacher at MES!

Mrs. LaTosha Kelley

Mrs. Kelley earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance & Economics from Tennessee State University in 2006. She earned a Master’s Degree in Management from Colorado Technical University in 2012. Mrs. Kelley has spent the majority of her career experience working in the Business and Finance Industry. However, she decided to pursue a career in teaching only 3 years ago... It was literally “A Call from God”! What she loves about teaching is building relationships with her students. Mrs. Kelley is looking forward to assisting students in developing technological skills that promote leadership, and career/workplace readiness. Mrs. Kelley married her high school sweetheart of 12 years, Patrick Kelley, and they have 4 handsome, smart, and athletic sons: Qelsi, Christian, ShaMaurian, and Ayden.

Makayla Harris is an eleven-year-old student at RMS. She likes to play basketball and discover new electronics. Her future career plans are to become a nurse, because she loves to help other people. She loves RMS and how she is able to receive LiveSchool points.

• A teacher-friendly app for tracking behavior
• An app for student and parent feedback
• Tools for a school store and other engaging incentive systems
• A system for school and district data

Program:

The Connell School of Writing seeks to develop students into critical thinkers who can write intelligently and thoughtfully in academic, professional, and personal settings.

The course Critical Writing: The Personal Essay, is designed for 9th and 10th grade students and offers a strong foundation for all academic writing. Over the course of eight (8) structured, standards-based lessons, students will learn a complete writing process and write a fully-realized personal essay. In each session, students will participate in guided exercises designed to increase writing skills, deepen self-knowledge, organize ideas, and transform personal opinion into critical analysis. By the end of this course, students will have written a personal essay using a critical thinking and writing process that they can apply across academic disciplines. #PatriotStrong

Courtesy of the American Red Cross

The 2021 holiday season is here! That means: Cooler temperatures. Turkey Day feasts. Family and friends. And, of course, football. While this fills many of us with excitement, it can also be stressful. No worries. Your Midfield City Schools family has you covered. We’ve compiled a list of safety reminders from the American Red Cross to help guide you safely through the hustle and bustle of the season.

• When frying food, turn the burner off if you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil. Carefully remove the pan from the burner.

• Keep a pan lid or a cookie sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put out the fire. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

• Turn pot handles to the back of the stove, so no one bumps them or pulls them over. Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.

• Check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving home. Make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.

Celebrating with the people you live with is the safest choice. If you do celebrate with people who don’t live with you, gatherings and activities held outdoors are safer than indoor gatherings

• Do not attend or host a holiday gathering if you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19.

• If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s Domestic Travel or International Travel recommendations for unvaccinated people.

• Everyone, even people who are fully vaccinated, will still be required to wear a mask on public transportation.

Also, remember that as temperatures drop, the number of house fires go up. Remember to:

• Testing your smoke alarms monthly, and practice your home fire escape plan with your family.

• Everyone should be able to escape in under two minutes -- which is generally how long you have to escape a burning home before it’s too late.

Check out redcross.org/fire and download the free Emergency app and Red Cross First Aid app on your smart phone. You can find an escape plan for your family, and receive lifesaving instructions on emergency. Print these tips, and keep them handy. Have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving!

One of the most important things your child can do to reach the goal of success is also one of the most basic: attend school every day on time! By attending class regularly, your child is more likely to keep up with daily lessons and assignments and take quizzes and tests on time. Research has shown that your child's regular attendance may be the greatest factor influencing his/her academic success.

Some of the greatest benefits for attending school regularly are:

• Achievement: Students who attend school regularly are more likely to pass reading and math assessments than students who do not.
• Opportunity: For older students, being in school every day gives them a chance to learn more about college and scholarship opportunities and to learn the important information to build a successful academic record.
• Exposure to the English language: Regular school attendance can also help students who are learning English by giving them the opportunity to master the skills and information they need more quickly and accurately.
• Being part of the school community: Just by being present at school, your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.