Parent Connection
September 2025
Department of Special Education
Hello Tuscaloosa City Schools Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! August kicked the year off to a great start. Teachers were excited to meet their students, and students were excited to return to school!
You will notice our newsletter has a new name: Together We Grow. We chose this title because your child’s success is a true team effort. When families and educators work hand-in-hand, we build the strong foundation our students need to thrive academically and socially.
Attendance Matters, so please make sure your child(ren) are present every day! Each month we will highlight skill(s) in Reading, Math, and Speech. Also, in this newsletter you will find additional resources via links. If you are not able to locate a resource or would like additional information, please reach out to your local school.
Thank you for all that you do to make your child's education possible—we could not do it without you!
Thanks,
Dr. Bruce Prescott
September Attendance Awareness Month
Student-led IEPs
Important Dates
Save the date
Register Here
What to do at home?
Pre-K – 2nd Grade
Academic Links:
PBS KIDS for Parents: Fun literacy games, printable activities, and early math strategies.
Storyline Online: Video library of celebrated actors reading children's books aloud.
3rd Grade – 5th Grade
Academic Links:
Khan Academy Kids & Khan Academy Main: Free practice exercises for foundational math facts and reading comprehension.
ReadWorks: Non-fiction and fiction reading passages with comprehension questions tailored by reading level.
6th Grade – 8th Grade (Middle School)
Academic Links:
Khan Academy Middle School Math Prep: Guided tutorials covering pre-algebra, ratios, and geometry fundamentals.
Newsela: Current events articles adapted for different reading levels.
9th Grade – 12th Grade (High School)
Academic Links:
College Board Digital SAT Suite & Khan Academy Official SAT Prep: Practice tests and skill-building.
Khan Academy High School Math Resource Hub: Comprehensive modules for Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and Statistics.
Social Emotional Support
Pre-K – 2nd Grade
Sesame Street in Communities: Social-Emotional Resources
Sesame Workshop Social-Emotional Skills Hub: Access free tools, videos, and activities designed to help young children label emotions, navigate big feelings, and practice self-regulation.
Calming Strategies for Children: Practical guides and video resources to help caregivers support young children through emotional meltdowns, stress, and anxiety.
Co-Regulation & Belly Breathing Resources
Belly Breathing Interactive Tool ("Breathe, Think, Do"): A resource showcasing the core "Belly Breathing" strategy to teach self-control, problem-solving, and emotional calming when kids feel overwhelmed.
Mindful Caregivers Guide: Guidance on using mindfulness and breathing imagery (inhaling like smelling a flower, exhaling like blowing out a candle) to co-regulate with your child.
3rd Grade – 5th Grade
The primary hub for parent and family resources is the CASEL Parents & Caregivers Page.
Key downloadable tools and guides from CASEL include:
CASEL Parents & Caregivers Hub: Features videos, stories, and overview guides explaining how to foster key SEL competencies—including empathy and relationship-building—at home.
SEL with Families & Caregivers Guide: Offers frameworks, strategies, and templates to align social-emotional strategies across home and school environments.
CASEL School Guide Resources: Provides free printable workbooks, meeting agendas, and downloadable tools like the SEL Dialogue Series for Parents and Caregivers.
6th Grade – 8th Grade (Middle School)
Middle Earth & Social-Emotional Peer Guides
Middle Earth Youth Services: Direct access to community-based youth programs, peer relationship counseling, and life-skills guidance for teens and parents.
Children and Screens Parent Guide: Practical, research-backed advice on managing screen time, digital distractions, and social anxiety during middle childhood.
Executive Functioning & Daily Planner Tools
Understood.org: Actionable strategies to help middle schoolers organize assignments, transition across multiple teachers, and build working memory.
ADDitude Magazine: Expert recommendations on setting up paper and digital organizational planners tailored for students managing multi-subject schedules.
9th Grade – 12th Grade (High School)
Child Mind Institute: Teen Mental Health & Stress Resources
Child Mind Institute High School Stress Hub: Evidence-based tools and guides to help teens manage academic pressure, balance high school expectations, and navigate peer dynamics.
Child Mind Institute Teen Sleep Hygiene Guide: Expert strategies on biological sleep shifts in adolescents, managing screen time before bed, and building healthy sleep habits to lower stress.
Understanding Academic Anxiety: Guidance on recognizing when school pressure becomes overwhelming and practical steps for parents to support coping mechanisms.
Open Communication & Coping Strategies
Intergenerational Communication & Stress: Research-backed insights into opening dialogue between parents and teenagers, focusing on emotional connection, future goals, and life skills rather than solely focusing on academic performance.
Older Children
High School Parents
Parents of high school students in grades 11 and 12 should contact the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services(205-554-1300) for the purpose of completing an application for adult support services. I also recommend that parents consult with ADRS about postsecondary service possibilities and procedures.
Transportation services may be available through Handi-Care (https://www.handi.care/). Handi-Care is a new for-profit transportation company in Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas. They take medicaid, which may help with the cost.
Transportation services may also be available at Tuscaloosa Transit Authority. Parents are encouraged to go to the website: Tuscaloosa Transit Authority; click on Demand Response Services; click on ADA Application and Rules to learn about how to access the services; click on Reasonable Modifications to learn more about requirement.
Additional Resources
Do you have a Library Card?
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
WHAT IS DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY?
Success By 6 of United Way of West Alabama is proud to provide Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books FREE to children from birth to 5 years of age living in Bibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties. Once a month, your child will receive a new book by mail. You only need to do two things: register your child and pledge to read the books to him/her. Please, climb on board Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!
Click on a link below
Tuscaloosa City Schools
Email: webmaster@tusc.k12.al.us
Website: https://www.tuscaloosacityschools.com/
Location: 1210 21st Avenue East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, USA
Phone: (205) 759-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TCSBoardofEd
Twitter: @TCSBoardofEd