Dear Eastwood Families,

Last week, students and teachers engaged in meaningful discussions about their most recent Pathway to Proficiency (P2P) data. During these conversations, students reflected on their performance, identified areas for growth, and set personal goals to improve on the next assessment.

To further support student growth, teachers have used this data to create groups based on proficiency levels, allowing for more targeted instruction. Moving forward, teachers will continue to follow our pacing guides to cover new standards while also revisiting areas where students need additional support.

The next P2P assessment is scheduled for the last week of February. Between now and then, we encourage you to check in with your student about their progress and the goals they’ve set.

Together, we can support their efforts toward academic success!

Best Regards,

E. Peoples

Principal

• Jan 8- Students Return
• Jan. 13- Report Cards
• Jan. 13- Jan. 16- iReady Testing
• Jan. 17- Honors Day @ 9:00
• Jan. 20- Martin Luther King Jr. Day- Schools Closed
• Jan. 22- Spelling Bee @ 9:30

We’re excited to announce that our STAMP Shop is up and running! Students receive STAMP Bucks for exhibiting unity, integrity, and excellence—qualities that embody the Eastwood Way. These Bucks can then be used to "shop" for prizes and snacks, giving students an extra incentive to practice positive behaviors in the classroom.

To keep our shop stocked and motivating for our students, we would greatly appreciate any donations of items or treats. If you’re able to contribute or have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. McCoy at lbinion@tusc.k12.al.us.

Thank you for supporting our students and reinforcing the Eastwood Way!

i-Ready Testing will take place from Monday, January 13 - Thursday, January 16. These assessments are an essential tool in helping us measure your child’s progress in reading and math, as well as identifying areas for additional support.

To ensure your child’s success during testing, we kindly ask for your assistance with the following:

• Encourage a good night's sleep before each testing day.
• Provide a healthy breakfast to fuel their focus.
• Remind your child to bring their Chromebook to school fully charged each day of testing.
• Encourage your child to do their best, take their time, and ask for help if they don’t understand something.

As we continue using Edgenuity for our 8th-grade math curriculum, we want to share that students will focus on Unit 2: Input-Output Relationships during this nine weeks. Edgenuity provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice essential math skills. Below is the schedule of lessons, due dates, and grade posting dates for Unit 2.

We encourage you to help your child stay on schedule by checking their progress regularly. Meeting these deadlines is key to success in this unit. As a reminder, these grades will be posted in PowerSchool for you to check.

If you have any questions or concerns about Edgenuity or your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Burton, math coach, at crburton@tusc.k12.al.us.

As we enter a critical period of the school year, we want to inform you about the upcoming state assessments and the ongoing testing schedule for our students. State assessments are a vital measure of student achievement and help ensure they are on track for academic success.

Below are the scheduled dates for the state assessments.

In addition to the state assessments, students will continue to participate in school-based testing, including i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments and Pathway to Proficiency (P2P). These tests provide valuable insight into your child's progress and help us tailor instruction to meet their individual needs.

The iReady assessment will be given in January 13 - January 16 2025. For the TCS Math Pathway consideration, this is the mid-year screener for determination of math placement in grades 6-8.

• A letter will be sent home with report cards in January for parents to indicate their request for consideration of their child's math course pathway in middle school.
• A student who will be taking the district approved test will be tested on standards for the course that is asking to be skipped. See more specific details below.
• ***Please note that Khan Academy is not aligned to the Alabama Mathematics Course of study and is not fully appropriate to practice the standards being tested.
• Click here to access the Alabama Math Course of Study.

Rising 7th grade Math Courses (current 6th grade students for 2024-2025)

Math 7 – Grade level course for all students

Math 7 Accelerated – Students who score in at least the 85th percentile on the mid-year screener OR score 87% or higher on the district approved test may choose this option. This test is on Math 7 Accelerated standards from the Alabama Math Course of Study. Click here to access the AL Mathematics Course of Study.

Math 8 – Students who have completed Math 7 may choose this option

Rising 6th grade Math Courses (current 5th grade students for 2024-2025)

Math 6 – Grade level course for all students

Honors Math 6 – Students who score in the 50th percentile or higher on the mid-year screener may choose this class option

Math 7 – Students who take the district approved test and score at least 8o% may choose this class option; The test is given to show mastery of 6th grade Math standards in order to forego the course in 6th grade. This test is on Math 6 standards from the Alabama Math Course of Study. Click here to access the AL Mathematics Course of Study.

Math 7 Accelerated – Students who score in at least the 85th percentile on the mid-year screener AND score 87% or higher on the district approved test may choose this option

One-time, Must-See Opportunity!

5:00 - 6:00 PM, Awards 5:20

TCTA Event Hall

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Featuring100 works of art from our talented, K-12 Students

Music by Strings in Schools @ Northridge

Hor's D'oeuvres by Culinary @ TCTA

Report cards will be sent home on Monday, January 13. Please review your child's progress or areas of concern. If a conference is needed please email the teacher.

In spite of funding challenges across the district, we are thrilled to announce that Eastwood Middle School will have our 21st CCLC Summer Learning program again this year.

Once again, we encourage all of our students to apply to attend summer learning. The application window will run from March 17 through March 29th.

Our programs will run from May 28th through June 27th and will continue to be full-day and include transportation, breakfast and lunch, and high-quality programming.

Watch for much more information from our school in the coming weeks. We are hard at work planning for another great summer in 2025!

Honors Day will be held on Friday, January 17 at 9:00 am in the gym. Student invitations will be sent before the end of this week.

The Specialty Schools application window will open Thursday, January 2, 2025 and will close Friday, January 31, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Use the link below for more information.

Track conditioning will resume on Tuesday and Thursday January 14 and 16 at 3:45 pm. All interested must attend. There is a $20 camp fee due if you have not paid yet. This is the last week we will take new athletes. Your dragon fly must be 100%. See Ms. Davis or Mrs. Dudley for any questions.

We are excited to announce the extension of our School Athletic Program Fundraiser! Due to the closing of schools for the approaching holiday season last semester, we are giving everyone additional time to support our student-athletes and contribute to the growth of our athletic programs.

New Deadline: January 8-23, 2025

All funds raised will go directly toward supporting the equipment, travel expenses, and overall development of our athletic teams. Your participation ensures that our student-athletes have the resources they need to excel both in and out of the classroom.

Don’t miss out—order today and help our athletes shine!

For more details or to place your order, please contact any Eastwood Middle School Athlete or Coaches.

Thank you for your continued support!

Go Stampede!!!!

We are excited to announce that our 2024 yearbooks are officially on sale, and for a limited time, they're at their lowest price yet! Don't miss out on this great deal! Order now to capture the memories of this school year at an unbeatable price. Visit bit.ly/emsYB25 to order!

Below is a reminder for parents and for students about the TCS Dress Code, which is found in the TCS Student Code of Conduct:

The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and parents or guardians. The following rules concerning dress and grooming are mandatory for all students attending Tuscaloosa City Schools. Students who fail to follow these rules will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in Code of Conduct 1.13, “Non-conformity to Dress Code.”

Section 1: Students "Must" Wear:

• Shirts: Must be opaque fabric. Must cover midriff and not be low cut in front or back.
• Bottoms: Pants, sweatpants, joggers, shorts, skirt, dress, leggings. Must be opaque fabric. Dresses and skirts must be fingertip length. Shorts, including athletic shorts, are allowed, but may not be less than a 3” inseam. Genitals and buttocks must be covered at all times.
• Shoes: Activity-specific shoes are permitted (for example for sports or TCTA classes.) Shoes that are secured to the foot and do not easily fall off are highly encouraged for safety reasons.

Section 2: Students "May" Wear:

• Hoodie sweatshirts, although hood cannot be worn over head.
• Fitted pants, including leggings, yoga pants and “skinny jeans” are allowed as long as it meets requirements in section 1.
• Ripped jeans, as long as underwear is not exposed, and rips are not above fingertip length.
• Tank tops, as long as underwear or midriff is not exposed.
• Athletic attire, as long as it meets requirements in Sections 1 and 3.
• Clothing with commercial or athletic logos provided they do not violate Section 3 below.

Section 3: Students May NOT Wear:

• Garments that reflect violent language or images.
• Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity) or the use of same.
• Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
• Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class.
• Clothing where underwear is exposed. Undershirts/camisoles cannot be worn alone as shirts.
• Spaghetti straps, or strapless tops, unless otherwise covered.
• Bathing suits.
• Hats or head coverings except as a religious observance or as allowed on special days or for certain athletic or class requirements.
• Pajamas, except when allowed on special days.
• House slippers or shoes intended for indoors only.
• Sunglasses (indoors.)
• Metal-spikes on shoes or metal-toed shoes, except for when needed for a class such as at TCTA.

The Tuscaloosa City Schools cellphone policy remains unchanged for the 2024-2025 school year. However, it's important for both students and parents know what that means. Cellphones are allowed in secondary schools, but should NOT be used in classrooms. Earbuds and headphones are also not allowed during the school day.

For middle school students, cellphones cannot be used at any time during school hours. They must be turned off and out of sight.

Research has shown that cellphones cause a major distraction and that students perform better academically when they do not use their cellphones in school. While we do not currently have a policy banning cellphones, it is important that students follow current TCS policy.

We invite you to join our school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA is more than just a group; it’s a community of dedicated parents, teachers, and staff who work together to make our school a better place for all students.

You may have noticed that students have not come home with a paper version of the TCS Code of Conduct and Resource guide yet this school year. That is because we are going "paperless."

A PDF copy of the 2024-25 Parent/Student Code of Conduct is available for download through the following link: TCS Code of Conduct. If you prefer to still have a paper version, they will soon be available upon request from your child's school office.

Teachers will be using the Remind app to enhance communication between home and school. Remind is a safe, simple way for teachers to send quick updates, reminders, and important information directly to your phone or email. This will help ensure that you stay informed and connected to your child's education.

1. How to Join:

   1. Join via Text Message:
      Simply text the class code provided by your child's teacher to 81010. You’ll receive a welcome text from Remind and be added to the class group. No app download is necessary, and you can start receiving updates immediately.

   2. Join via the Remind App:

      • Download the Remind app from your app store or visit www.remind.com.
      • Create a free account using your email address or phone number.
      • Enter the class code provided by your child's teacher to join the appropriate class group.

You can choose to receive messages via text, email, or through the Remind app, based on your preference. We encourage all parents to join as it will be the primary tool for communication this school year.