Take Five

Buhl Elementary recently hosted leaders from the Alabama Reading Initiative and educators from around the state. They were there to observe and learn from what is happening in classrooms at Buhl.

This year, Buhl Elementary was recognized as an Alabama Science of Reading Spotlight School. These are schools where students have shown significant progress in reading, and there is a strong implementation of science of reading principles.

Congratulations to Buhl Elementary on this achievement and for serving as a model for other educators across Alabama!

Please help spread the word: TCSS Pre-K pre-registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open until March 2, 2025.

Students are accepted into the Pre-K program through a random drawing. Students who have completed their pre-registration will be entered into the drawing. Drawings will be held at schools on March 7, 2025. Drawings are open to the public, so parents/guardians may attend to see if their child's name is drawn for a spot.

If they are unable to attend the drawing, parents/guardians are also notified (after the drawing) if their child's name was drawn for a spot in the Pre-K class, or if they are on the waiting list. Typically, TCSS receives more applications than we have spots in our Pre-K classes. At the time of the drawing, names are drawn to fill available positions in the Pre-K class, and then names continue to be drawn to determine the order of names on the waiting list.

To pre-register:

• If you are zoned for Northport Elementary School or Faucett-Vestavia Elementary School, you must go by the school office to pick up a pre-registration application.
• Note: The application process is different for Northport Elementary and Faucett-Vestavia Elementary because pre-k at those schools is not funded by the state pre-k program. All other TCSS schools with pre-k are funded by the state pre-k program and must use the pre-registration link, which is noted below.
• Families zoned for all other TCSS schools should visit this page to pre-register. Paste this address into your internet browser if the link doesn't work: https://prek.alaceed.alabama.gov/
• You may pre-register for multiple schools. If there are additional pre-k spots once all students who live in the school’s zone have been drawn, students who live out of zone may be drawn for the remaining spots.

Congratulations to our students who placed in the 2025 State Superintendent’s Visual Arts Exhibit!

Pictured top row, left to right:

Lili-Anna Hamner, Sipsey Valley Middle School - Best of Show (Secondary Division)

Tatum Cone, Sipsey Valley Middle School - 2nd Place

Pictured bottom row, left to right:

Trinity Nguyen, Northport Intermediate School - Honorable Mention

Amy Zhang, Hillcrest High School - Honorable Mention

As part of our TCSS Whole Child Framework, each of our schools has a Whole Child Youth Leadership Team. This is an opportunity for students to take ownership in creating a positive culture within their schools, to support their peers, and to develop the qualities of a leader.

Over the last week, the Whole Child Youth Leadership Teams spent time together at a training event at The University of Alabama.

They will face Daphne in the Final Four on Thursday, February 27, at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham.