The Brilliance Bulletin - 10/24/25

Each week, this newsletter will share a variety of updates and information about The Genius School, including exciting highlights, upcoming events, and important announcements. Stay tuned to keep up with all the amazing things happening in our community!

We hope your fall break was filled with rest, joy, and time to recharge with loved ones. As students return to school, we are excited and ready to build on the strong foundation we laid during the first quarter. Students will continue developing their skills, deepening their understanding, and growing in confidence as learners. Together, we’ll keep the momentum going and make this next stretch of the school year our best yet!

A heartfelt thank-you to all the families who joined us for our first Genius Conferences of the year! These conferences are one of the most powerful ways we strengthen the partnership between home and school. Sitting down together to review each scholar’s Individualized Genius Plan (IGP), celebrate growth, and set meaningful goals ensures that every child has a clear path forward for continued success.

If you weren’t able to meet before the break, please reach out to the school office right away to schedule your in-person conference. These meetings are essential to our shared mission—when families and educators come together around each child’s learning journey, we create the strongest foundation possible for achievement.

We’re deeply grateful for your time, your trust, and your collaboration. Together, we’re not just educating scholars—we’re empowering Geniuses to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally throughout the year ahead.

It’s time to fill The Genius School with pink pride, purpose, and positivity! This week, we’re celebrating Think Pink Week—a special time to raise awareness, show support, and stand together in the fight against breast cancer.

Each day has a fun, meaningful theme:

• Memorial Monday (Oct. 27): Honor someone you love by dedicating a pink ribbon with their name or an uplifting message.
• Tickled Pink Tuesday (Oct. 28): Show your pink spirit by rocking your brightest pink socks, hats, and accessories!
• Workout Wednesday (Oct. 29): We’re flexing for the fight! Wear your favorite workout or athletic gear—just make it pink!
• Pink-4-Ever Day (Oct. 30): Celebrate survivors and stand together by wearing as much pink as possible.
• Career Day (Oct. 31): Dream big. Think pink. Let’s close out the week celebrating purpose and possibility.

All week long, join in our Penny War Challenge to see which homeroom can raise the most change, and stop by the Change for a Change Shop in the Front Office to purchase pink-themed snacks, ribbons, socks, bracelets, and treats. All proceeds benefit breast cancer awareness.

Let’s come together as one Genius community—spreading kindness, hope, and pink positivity throughout the halls!

During Genius Conferences, families received their child’s Individualized Genius Plan (IGP)—a personalized roadmap designed to support each scholar’s academic growth and success. Together, we reviewed student data, celebrated areas of strength, and identified focus areas for continued improvement. Each IGP outlines the specific steps, supports, and goals that will guide your child’s learning this quarter.

All students received personalized flash cards to strengthen foundational skills in both reading and math. Students in grades 2–7 received math fact flash cards aligned to their current Rocket Math level. As students show mastery and move up in Rocket Math, they’ll be given new flash cards to match their next level of learning.

Every student also received a set of leveled sight word flash cards. Beginning with our incoming Pre-K scholars, our school-wide goal is for every student to know all 1,000 sight words by the end of 3rd grade. As students master their sight word sets, families should contact their child’s teacher or Mr. Cassoday to schedule an assessment at school. Once a student demonstrates mastery, they’ll receive a new set of words to continue growing.

We encourage families to practice flash cards nightly for just a few minutes—consistent, focused practice at home makes a powerful difference in building fluency, confidence, and long-term success!

Before fall break, our Genius Scholars in grades 3–7 completed their ILEARN Checkpoint 1 assessments. These results were shared during Genius Conferences as part of each student’s Individualized Genius Plans (IGPs).

Families, we ask for your continued partnership in supporting these goals at home. Please help your child work through their assigned IXL skills for about 20 minutes in ELA and 20 minutes in Math each day. Our team is tracking student progress and will reach out if additional support is needed. Remember, this is a true school–home partnership—your involvement makes a measurable difference in your child’s growth and confidence. At school, we’re continuing to provide targeted remediation while also beginning our preparation for Checkpoint 2. To ensure every scholar is fully prepared, consistent practice at home is key.

When your child completes their IXL skill plan, please contact Mr. Cassoday so your child can take Checkpoint 1 – Opportunity 2. This allows us to monitor growth and make sure each student is on track for success on the end-of-year ILEARN Summative Assessment.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and commitment to helping our Geniuses shine!

In September, our Genius community focused on the Fruit of the Spirit: JOY — finding happiness in learning, sharing smiles, and spreading positivity throughout our school. Each of our Genius of the Month scholars demonstrated what true joy looks like in action. They remind us daily that learning is meant to be enjoyed and that joy grows when we share it with others.

Meet our joyful Geniuses of the Month:

• Cairo – Kindergarten - Cairo arrives each day with a bright smile and a heart ready to learn. His excitement, laughter, and kindness fill the classroom with joy.
• James – 2nd Grade - James radiates joy through his positivity and resilience. His cheerful spirit and determination make every day brighter for his classmates.
• Alec – 4th Grade - Alec’s laughter and positive attitude are contagious! He reminds us that learning — and life — are meant to be enjoyed.
• Gamaliel – 5th Grade - Gamaliel’s energy and enthusiasm light up every room he enters. His excitement for learning inspires everyone around him.
• Ka’Moree – 6th Grade - Ka’Moree shines with joy by helping others and spreading kindness. Her encouragement and positivity uplift everyone she meets.

Each of these scholars exemplifies what it means to lead with JOY — reminding us that a joyful attitude turns every challenge into an opportunity to shine. Congratulations to our September Geniuses of the Month!

Thank you to all of our families for your attention to the updated dress code over the past few weeks — we’ve seen a big improvement as we start the year strong! That said, we still aren’t quite at 100%, and we need everyone’s help to ensure consistency. Please remember that Monday through Thursday students should be in white button-down shirts (not polos) with a tie or cross tie, and navy blue pants are required every day (not khaki). Following the dress code helps our scholars look sharp, feel confident, and stay focused on learning. We appreciate your partnership in making sure every student comes to school prepared and in full uniform each day.

• Monday through Thursday, students should be in dress uniform — this means a button-up shirt (not a polo) with a tie, and a cross tie for girls, along with navy pants every day.
• Friday is our regular uniform day. Dressing for success not only reflects our school pride but also helps create a focused learning environment.

• October 27 - 31 -Think Pink Week
• October 30 - Pink-4-Ever Day
• November 19 - Thanksgiving Fellowship
• November 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)

As we settle into the school year, we’ve noticed an increase in common illnesses going around. To help keep our school community healthy, we are asking families to partner with us in taking extra precautions. Please remind your scholar about the importance of good hygiene habits such as regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding the sharing of food or drinks. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home to rest and recover — this helps prevent the spread of illness to others. Together, we can create a safe and healthy environment where all of our scholars can learn and thrive!

To help our days run smoothly, please note our arrival and dismissal procedures.

• Arrival is from 8:15 to 8:30 AM. Students arriving after 8:30 AM are considered late and must be walked into the building by the person dropping them off.
• Dismissal takes place from 3:30 to 3:45 PM.

A successful year starts with being prepared! If you haven’t had a chance to bring in your child’s school supplies yet, please send them in as soon as possible so our scholars have everything they need to learn and thrive. Having supplies in the classroom helps us start each day smoothly and keeps students ready for every activity. You can view and download the complete supply list here: Click for the Supply List. Thank you for your support in making sure our classrooms are well-equipped for a fantastic year!

Our student dress code can be found here.