The Principal's Nook

PREPARED. PROVEN. PREMIER.

TCTA Families,

Some of the most powerful moments in education do not happen on a stage or during a major event—they happen in the everyday interactions between students and the people who support them. A new skill mastered, a moment of self-reflection, an encouraging word, or a connection between classroom learning and a future career may seem small, but each can have a lasting impact. At TCTA, these Premier Moments are happening every day, shaping not only what our students know and can do, but also who they are becoming. Small moments. Meaningful experiences. Powerful impact.

Sincerely,
Richjetta Branch
Principal, TCTA

Excellence in Action: A Look Inside Learning at TCTA

Premier Moments Across TCTA

Great things are happening every day at TCTA! As I visit classrooms, labs, shops, and learning spaces throughout our school, I have the opportunity to see our students learning, creating, problem-solving, collaborating, and developing the skills they will need for college, career, and life.

Here are just a few Premier Moments from the past several weeks:

Learning That Connects to the Real World
From designing and welding nameplates using precise mathematical measurements to creating bulletin boards that require students to calculate spacing, centering, and dimensions, our teachers are finding meaningful ways to connect academic skills to authentic workplace tasks.

Building Workforce Readiness
Students are practicing much more than technical skills. They are preparing for interviews, reviewing job postings, evaluating their own communication and professionalism, writing thank-you notes to community partners, and learning the importance of teamwork, accountability, and gratitude.

High Expectations for Every Learner
Our English Learners recently designed their own apps and presented them to their classmates. Students identified their target audiences, explained the functions of their apps, and described their benefits. At TCTA, we believe every student deserves both the support and the opportunity to engage in rigorous learning.

Hands-On Learning in Action
Our students continue to learn by doing! Health Science students practiced safely transferring patients using gait belts. Cosmetology students strengthened previously learned skills such as braiding, cutting, styling, and pressing. Culinary students explored seasonings and flavor profiles, while other students experienced learning through virtual reality technology.

Learning Through Reflection
One of my favorite recent moments was watching a student assess his own communication skills using our employability rubric. He recognized an area where his classroom behavior could improve and was able to articulate it himself. Developing this type of self-awareness is an important part of preparing young people for success beyond high school.

These examples represent only a small glimpse of what happens throughout TCTA each day. We are committed to providing students with experiences that challenge them academically, develop their technical expertise, strengthen their employability skills, and prepare them to confidently take their next steps.

Thank you, families, for trusting us with the opportunity to prepare your students for their futures.

Prepared. Proven. Premier.

TCTA is Premier in Partnership

On Friday Education & Training Methods students participated in an online simulation activity brought to us by our partners at the University of West Alabama College of Education. Students experienced a classroom simulation during which they actually had the opportunity to interact virtually to a real classroom situation. This was such an engaging experience that gave the students a real-world experience without them actually having to leave the classroom. We are so thankful for our community partners at TCTA!

Tuscaloosa City Schools Is Phone-Free in 2026–2027

To comply with state legislation (SB92), the Tuscaloosa City Schools system is now phone-free. That means all personal electronic devices belonging to students—including phones, laptops, iPads, and smartwatches—must be turned off and stored away during the school day. TCTA is embracing this opportunity to prepare students for the workforce.

Safety is a Priority

On last school year, TCTA participated in the single-point entry safety checks on a monthly basis. We are continuing our participation on this school year. Those checks are performed at all high schools and are staffed by a security firm hired by TCS. An administrator is on site during the checks in a support capacity. We are asking parents to pick up items that are confiscated by the firm.

In addition to the single-point entry checks, TCTA administrators and team members perform metal detector and cell phone checks daily. Any phones found in use by students will be retrieve by administration and parents will be asked to pick up the phone on the first offence. Subsequent offences will result in disciplinary action as descripted in the code of conduct.

pdf

insert_drive_file

SREB_Powerful_CTE_Instructional_Practices (1).pdf

Download

2.6 MB