The Weekly Words
January 19, 2026
Stay up to date with all things Noble in our Google Classroom! You’ll find archived Weekly Words staff newsletters, PD documents, TBT forms, data documents, arrival and dismissal procedures, TBT rotations, and more, all in one convenient location.
https://classroom.google.com/c/MTI2NDEwNjQ0OTA5?cjc=kop4ezd
Code: kop4ezd
Team,
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I hope you are resting with family, friends, or loved ones, reflecting on Dr. King's life and legacy - while staying warm!
With just a couple of months before the OST, we must walk a line of urgency and confidence. We need to hype up the importance of the OST and also promote the opportunity that students have to display the tremendous amount of work and preparation they have done all year. Build up their confidence. Inspire inner belief. Drive their motivation to succeed and prove people wrong. They can do this. We can do this.
Building up our students calls for more than just saying, “You’re smart. You’ve got this!” I’ve attached a short piece on the use of the word “smart” to students – and the possible negative implications of its use. Worth the 5-minute read for sure! The staff that can provide a reflection on how this article resonates with their work with students, will be entered into our Weekly Words Raffle to receive a morning breakfast treat, on me!
Mr. Walker, M.Ed.
Principal
Hi team,
As we pause on MLK Day, I hope you’re finding moments of rest and reflection. Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is one I return to often. His words continue to ground me, especially as a reminder of the purpose and responsibility we carry in the work we do each day.
I want to acknowledge the unique and powerful role you play in the lives of our students. Every day, you help young people see themselves as capable, worthy, and full of potential, often before they are able to recognize it themselves. That impact matters deeply and lasts far beyond the classroom.
Our building’s current chronic absenteeism rate is 19%. While this is common as colder temperatures set in, let’s not make it typical for Noble. Students with strong attendance in January will have opportunities to earn multiple incentives, including meal cards to BW3s. Please continue to advertise this during your caring calls.
Looking Ahead
Check the Daily Discipline Log each day.
Ensure students assigned to ALC are sent with sufficient, meaningful work to stay engaged.
Continue making caring calls—we need to see our chronic absenteeism rate decrease.
If you haven’t already, consider spending time with Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. It remains an inspiring and necessary read.
Wishing you a restful remainder of the day and a strong start to the week ahead.
Ms. Barrett
Assistant Principal
Chase enjoyed some building time during 5th Grade STEM with Mr. Burkle and Mr. Sullivan, strengthening problem-solving and collaboration skills!
Ms. Barrancotto reviewed Zearn usage with her class, helping students reflect on their progress and take ownership of their learning!
Love the engagement in Ms. Cohen’s class, students participated in back-to-back and face-to-face share-outs focused on text prediction, and Ms. Cohen did a great job building anticipation and giving clear directions for the activity!
With all of the strong instruction happening in 3rd grade, it’s no wonder we saw tremendous MAP growth in both reading and math, Bryce Brown from Ms. Bruce’s class was a top earner in both subjects and was recognized at lunch with two medals, two certificates, and a BW3s meal card!
Ms. Monroe led students through a meaningful reflection on Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., using videos and historical photos to help build background knowledge for 1st grade students!
Ms. Wallace facilitated a thoughtful MLK-related activity in the library, and Nayanna was eager to share her dream of becoming a teacher, thank you, Ms. Wallace, for creating such an inspiring space!
Zenovia and Leia proudly showed off their “6–7” dance moves during our TikTok Attendance Dance Challenge!
Ms. Murray and Ms. Threatt did a fantastic job planning and executing the TikTok dance challenge for our top attendance students, such a fun event, with thanks as well to Ms. Burkey for supporting!
Indoor arrival mornings can be tough, but it was great to see Ms. Cencic building relationships and asking third graders text-dependent questions as they lined up!
Ms. Gaines jumped in several times this week to cover Tier 1 instruction when substitutes arrived late—thank you for your initiative, flexibility, and teamwork!
If you have a tan and black sweater or cardigan, you’re officially in the club, thanks to Ms. Geller for pointing out our matching style moment!
More MAP recognition—2nd grade truly showed up and showed out on their mid-year math assessment!
Mrs. Brown is a ReadOhio Literacy Coach with the Educational Service Center (ESC) and is in her ninth year in education. This is her second year working with the Cleveland Heights–University Heights School District and her second year serving as a ReadOhio Literacy Coach. Prior to joining CH-UH, Mrs. Brown spent seven years teaching in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Outside of school, Mrs. Brown recently celebrated getting married and purchasing her first home. She enjoys cooking, baking, and going on daily walks.
Don't See you name? Please be sure to complete our Staff Interest Survey!
January Birthdays
Ms. Windham - 1/8
Mr. Wright - 1/22
Ms. Patton - 1/24
Mr. Rozsa - 1/27
Our January PBIS Meeting will take place Tuesday, 1/20, at 3:45 p.m. in the Conference Room.
In addition to Mary Jackson and Tim McDonald joining us as Success Tutors, please also join me in welcoming Kevin Horter, a student-teacher intern from Cleveland State University, who will be supporting Mrs. Boyles and Mrs. Ruddy.
The MetroHealth school-based clinic at Heights High facilitates a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) made up of Heights High School students. This group works throughout the school year to identify social issues impacting our community and to develop meaningful, student-led solutions.
This year, our Youth Advisory Council is organizing a Community Resource Fair designed to help Heights families access resources and information that can support their health, education, and ETC. and overall well-being. The event will be open to CH-UH students and their families during the school day, and later in the afternoon we will open it to the broader community so additional families can benefit from the available resources.
We would greatly appreciate your support in helping us promote this event by:
Including the attached flyer in your class newsletters to families, and
posting to Dojo class stories
This year, you will continue to submit your Noble TAP concerns using a secure Google Form. You may be asked to include your name, which will be visible only to Daniel Hershman-Rossi and Kimberly Holyk, our 795 Building Stewards.
If you prefer to remain anonymous, simply indicate this in your submission. However, please keep in mind that providing your name allows for more effective follow-up and resolution of your concern. Thank you for your attention to this process. Please be on the lookout for the updated form below.
Mrs. Holyk
Mr. Hershman-Rossi
Noble Elementary
Building Stewards
The District has adopted a plan for communications with persons with disabilities, which is available at the following link: Communication Plan. The plan establishes procedures to ensure that the District's communications with persons with disabilities, including applicants, participants, members of the public, and companions with disabilities, are as effective as its communications with others.
A big shout-out to Mrs. Holyk and Mrs. Salvatore for serving as strong Zearn coaches for the building! Their thoughtful work supporting teachers with Zearn—especially through data-driven planning, shared modeling, and organized resources—continues to strengthen math instruction across classrooms. Using MAP data to intentionally direct Zearn missions and modeling expectations before independent work are powerful moves that support both clarity and student success. Thank you both for your leadership, collaboration, and commitment to helping teachers and students grow!
Below are some helpful Zearn resources to keep students engaged and motivated!
For Grades 3-5, Interim Testing begins December 15 - January 23. From discussions, it appears as though teams are waiting until January to administer the interims. Please utilize time in TBTs this week and next to schedule your Interims, using the spreadsheet below and review the Before, During, and After + FAQ document prepared by C&I.
Grades are to be updated in Infinite Campus every two weeks. The following posting schedule has been created for the 2025-2026 school year for all teachers to follow.
Our January Fire Drill will take place on Friday, January 30 at 9:45 a.m.
