Weekly Memo #7

Cougar Families,

We are now in week 7 of the 1st 9 week grading period! We are in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, volleyball and football season, as well as gearing up for soccer tryouts! With that, we have to remain true to what a student-athlete is. At Southeast, we look forward, each year, to see our athletes perform well on the field. However, we want to make sure that they perform well off of the the field, as well. This not only includes academically, but behaviorally, as well. If students can not meet those expectations, they will not be allowed to represent our school in extracurricular activities.

This week, students will be able to begin to take their chromebooks home. This will eliminate the need for students to return to their 1st block classes to return their chromebooks at the end of the day or at check-out. This will also assist in cutting down on incidents that occur during this time. Students who have not paid their technology fees will be given a fee statement so that this can be taken care of.

We have made it to the point of the school year whereby students are now into the rotation of testing in their classes on a weekly basis. We have a rotating scheduled that is set by the district, and as a school that is UIR/CIR, we have to make sure that our students are tested and take the tests seriously. Each of these mini-exams check for standards mastery in core classes (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies). One week will test ELA and Science, the other will test Math and Social Studies. Because of this, it is quite important that students are present EVERYDAY in order to get the instruction needed in order to master the skills they will need on these tests and on LEAP. This week, our CFA focus will be ELA and Science.

Parents, we are seeing an uptick with the number of altercations between students. Please remind your scholar that there are other ways to problem solve other than physical altercations. Our counselors work well with students in peer mediation and look for ways for our students to solve their problems in other ways. Again, we want to make sure that our students are receiving the instruction that will be necessary for them to excel on any standardized test that they will take this school year. So please, ensure that you remind your student that all discipline policies will be followed.

Dress code policy is strictly enforced. Please make sure that your student follows it. We will follow the discipline matrix when dealing with dress code violations. I will continue to include pictures of the correct uniform until we see an improvement. Because of continued issues with short skirts, they will no longer be able to be worn (unless documented for religious reasons). We are continuing to address sagging pants and no belts. If your child's pants have a belt loop, they are required to where a belt. This goes for male, as well as female students.

As a reminder, September is Attendance Awareness Month. Please ensure that your child is in attendance in order that he/she will receive instruction needed in order to perform well in class. Attendance is a huge part of the learning process. If your child is not in attendance, then he/she is not getting the information needed in order for them to master the content in their classes. This, in turn, will show on the LEAP test in the spring. Not only this, but it goes against the school's growth. So, unless your child is ill, has doctor's appointments, or family emergencies, please make sure that they are in attendance. We will continue to partner with CWA in order to make sure that we continue to make attendance a high priority here at Southeast Middle.

We will continue to partner with district office to ensure that we periodically employ the use of drug searches with the use of drug sniffing K-9s to ensure that our campus remains safe and drug-free. Unfortunately, we are in a time where we would rather be safe than sorry. And as a reminder, all persons entering the building is subject to be searched.

This is also a gentle reminder that students are not allowed to have cellphones in their pockets. We want to ensure that we are in line with the new law regarding cellphones on campus that was passed last school year. Cellphones and other electronic equipment (headphones, earbuds, etc...) should be placed in their booksacks or purses. Any student caught with a phone on their person will have that phone or electronic equipment confiscated and a parent will need to come to pick it up before 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. If it becomes habitual, the student will be disciplined according to the school's discipline matrix.

As a reminder, parents are not allowed on the hallways. If you need assistance, please enter through the front of the building and enter the front office. We begin registrations at 7:30 A.M. and will conclude at 2:00 P.M. in order for office staff to complete morning and afternoon duty routines. We are a large school and need all persons on duty. Our goal is to assist everyone in as much of a timely manner as possible.

Please note that students are considered tardy after 7:10 AM. If students are on a late bus, it will be documented in JCAMPUS by the front office. After 7:30 AM, students being dropped off MUST BE SIGNED IN BY AN ADULT! If the adult does not come in and sign the student in, the student will be placed in TOR until a parent/guardian can do so. This is for the safety and security of not just your child, but for the school.

Additionally, students who are not in proper dress code will be sent to TOR until a parent/guardian can bring them proper attire. We are already having issues with young men with sagging pants and no belts. This will not be tolerated. Please remind your scholar that the dress code is located in their student planner on pages 19-20.

Lastly, parents, please understand that we can not allow someone who is not on your child's demographic or emergency card to check him/her out. Our office staff checks this to ensure that your child is safe AT ALL TIMES. Please know that this is not to make life difficult, but to ensure the safety of our students. Not only this, but we can not give out student information over the phone. Anyone can call and state that they are the child's parent. Also, please be reminded that we do not do check outs after 1:30 PM. This is to ensure that there are no issues/disruptions with our carpool line as parents begin to line up early.

Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school at (225) 753-5930.

Sincerely,

Regina M. Bennett, Esq.

Principal, Southeast Middle School

September 7-September 12 2025 attendance rate was 91.3%

It is mandatory that ALL students pay their technology fees in order to utilize chromebooks. This week, chromebooks will be sent home. We still have a little over 100 students who have yet to get this done. For a school of our size, this is great. Please get this taken care of ASAP.

Please ensure that your fees are paid in order to participate. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Meet our 2025-26 Southeast Middle Student of the Year, Arlencia Collins. Arlencia is an 8th grade student who holds a 4.0 GPA. She is a school ambassador, member of LSU Future Scholars, and the Lady Cougar Volleyball team. Arlencia plans on attending Liberty Magnet High School next year. Her goals are to continue her education and become a Neurologist!