The Brilliance Bulletin - 12/15/25

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!

Thank you so much for your continued flexibility and understanding during weather-related delays. Because many of our students and staff travel from all across the city, safety must always come first. For that reason, we will more often than not err on the side of caution when making decisions about delays or closures. To ensure you receive timely updates, please be sure your contact information is kept up to date in FACTS, as all official messages will be sent there and shared on our social media platforms. We truly appreciate your partnership and trust as we work together to keep our community safe.

Our Early Education Center is growing, and we’re excited to share that The Genius School is now accepting CCDF for our Early Ed program. This means more families can access a high-quality, faith-centered, brain-based learning environment for their little geniuses. We are currently enrolling potty-trained children ages 3–4, and this season is the perfect time to secure your child’s spot in a classroom designed to nurture confidence, curiosity, and early academic success. Spots are limited, and enrollment is already underway—so don’t wait to take the next step.

We’re looking forward to celebrating the season together during our Holiday Celebration on Friday, December 19, held during the school day. Students are invited to join the fun by coming dressed in school-appropriate holiday attire—festive, cheerful, and comfortable for a day of celebration and learning. We can’t wait to enjoy this special time with our scholars as we close out the season with joy and community.

We’re excited to partner with Toys for Tots to spread joy this holiday season. Families are invited to donate new, unwrapped toys now through Thursday, December 18. The U.S. Marines will be on campus Friday, December 19 to collect donations and celebrate our community’s generosity. All donations can be dropped off at The Genius School. Thank you for helping us bring smiles to children and families this holiday season through the gift of giving.

As we enter the colder months, this is typically a time when we see a rise in illnesses across schools and communities. To keep our classrooms healthy and our learning strong, we ask that families keep scholars home if they show signs of illness. Resting at home not only helps your child recover faster, but also protects classmates and staff from getting sick. We sincerely appreciate your partnership in creating a safe, healthy environment where all of our scholars can thrive during these crucial weeks before Winter Break.

November’s Genius of the Month celebrates the powerful virtue of patience—the ability to stay calm, focused, and committed even when learning takes time. This month, our scholars demonstrated patience by waiting respectfully, persevering through challenges, supporting their peers, and approaching their work with steady, thoughtful mindsets. Their actions remind us that growth doesn’t happen instantly, but through consistency, grace, and determination. We are incredibly proud of our November honorees for modeling patience in ways that strengthen our classrooms and uplift our entire school community.

Last week’s Faithful Friday reminded us of a powerful truth from Psalm 139:14—that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. As we reflected together, our scholars were encouraged to recognize their God-given worth, talents, and purpose. This time of worship and reflection reinforced the message that who they are is intentional and valuable, just as they are. Moments like these help ground our community in faith, confidence, and gratitude as we continue growing—academically, spiritually, and personally—together.

We’ve heard your feedback, and we appreciate our families’ partnership in helping students look sharp and feel confident each day. To make things a little easier, we’ve updated our dress code — either hunter green or navy blue ties are now acceptable for all students.

Please remember that full uniform (including tie) is required daily, as it reflects our Genius standard of excellence and readiness to learn. Students not in proper dress code may be held out of class until the uniform is corrected, so please double-check each morning before heading to school. Thank you for continuing to support our shared commitment to excellence in every detail — from how we learn to how we show up.

• December 15 - 19 - NWEA MOY Benchmark Testing (K-7)
• December 15 - 19 - ILEARN Checkpoint 2 Testing (3-7)
• December 19 - Holiday Celebration
• December 19 - End of Quarter 2
• December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break (No School)

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!

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.

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.