Click this link to register students both new and returning in English and Spanish.

Students return August 7, 2019

Have a safe and happy summer!

CONGRATUALTIONS!! MES GEMS at the Math & Science Expo. 

Congratulations to Ms. Ginger Goodwin, nominated for the Jacksonville Teacher Hall of Fame Award, Mrs. Lakida Hill, nominated for Alabama State Teacher of the Year Award and being the District winner for Elementary Alabama Teacher of the Year Award, and Mrs. Tara Johnson for receiving the Classified Educator Award.

Nick’s Kids Teacher Excellence Award Recipient...Ms. Andra Craig. She is an awesome veteran teacher and works diligently to make sure her students succeed! Congratulations!

Congratulations to MES GEMS Team for being selected to participate in the 2019 11th Annual Girls Engaged in Math and Science Expo.

Alabama Unified Report Card: Tuscaloosa County School System 

As required by the Alabama Act 2012-402 and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, the Alabama State Department of Education released the new Alabama Unified Report Card for the state, school systems, and schools. The purpose of the Alabama Unified Report Card is to provide parents, community members, and others indicators of how a school or school system is performing. 

The grade received reflects several factors, including academic achievement, academic growth, chronic absenteeism, as well as graduation rates and college and career readiness (for high schools).

Information about each school is presented on the following page and may also be accessed by visiting our school system website at http://www.tcss.net.

Dr. Davie, Superintendent of the Tuscaloosa County School System, stated, “The Alabama Unified Report Card provides one source of information about our schools and school system. Our faculty, staff, and administrators will continue to work diligently every day to meet the needs of our diverse student population and to show improvement for each student and school. 

Areas of Focus Within Our School

• Concentrate on content standards so that each is clearly understood by teachers and the learning targets represented within each. It is important that teachers are engaged in collaborative work to analyze student data, content standards, and assure the appropriate level of rigor is in place.
• Use formative data obtained on a periodic basis such that instructional changes may be made as needed. Identify struggling students early and identify appropriate interventions, as well as challenge higher achievers.
• Strengthen efforts with parents to assure that students attend school, on time and all day, every day that is possible. Parents are key partners in this effort!

As we move forward, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships with parents and community as we work together to provide the best education possible for our students.

Remember...come to school all day every day!!

Come to school every day all day for the month of November and you can enjoy the Attendance Event on November 30th. 

Mr. James Smith on morning duty. As versatile as they come, our head custodian fills a lot of roles effortlessly. Morning Duty Video.

Parent E-Tip!!  Policy and Procedures on Student Absenses and Tardies

PBIS Procedures:

-All excessive check-ins or check-outs (more than twice per/week or missing more than 2 hours of class time per/week) should be addressed by the teacher. If the student has excessive unexcused check-ins and check-outs, it will their grade since missed classroom work cannot be made up. The teacher should address this with the parent and student.

-If a student is absent 3 or more days in a week, teachers should call the parent/guardian to check on student. Teachers should remind the parents that they have 2-days to return an excuse for the student’s absence(s) or the absence(s) become unexcused and late work cannot be made up or accepted.

Tardy Procedures:

1.) After the student receives 6 late check-ins (tardies), administration will assign the student 1-day of in-school intervention (ISI).

2.) After the 8^th tardy, the administration will assign the student 1-day of ISI.

3.) After the 10^th tardy, the administration will assign the student 1-day of ASD.

4.) After each addition tardy, the administration will assign the student a day of ASD in addition to a mandatory parent conference.

Parent Volunteer Registration (click here)

 Volunteer Programs

Background Screening

In order to best address the issues of screening/background checks for Volunteers in the Tuscaloosa County School System, we need to clearly define the different levels of volunteer work.  Some of our volunteers help with clerical work, assist teachers with bulletin boards, tutor students, provide teachers with duty-free lunch, serve as chaperones on field trips, and assist with extracurricular programs. Some volunteers have minimal contact with students and are always under the supervision of a teacher, while other volunteers have direct contact with students with minimal supervision from a certified school employee.  Consequently, the spectrum of volunteer work at the local school can be extremely broad. Three categories of volunteers were identified.

1. Volunteer/visitors (level 1)who enter a school or one-time event of the school and have little or no direct unsupervised contact with children.  Examples might include non-classroom assistants, PTA/Booster Club functions, guest speakers, Grandparent lunch day, etc.
2. Volunteers with classroom exposure (level 2)who work with children as room parents, lunchroom monitors, classroom tutors and are always under the direct supervision of certified personnel.
3. Volunteers with restricted exposure (level 3)to children and may be indirectly supervised by school staff. This may include student volunteers, interns, one-on-one tutors, overnight chaperones and extracurricular program volunteers.

Level 1            (RAPTOR SCREENING)       

1. Be sponsored or approved by a school or district employee.
2. Provide some form of current government issued photo ID.
3. Sign in on a “Volunteer/Visitor sign-in Program” at the school office
4. Required to display a volunteer/visitor ID badge provided by the school

Level 2 

1. All level one requirements 
2. Complete a volunteer orientation program with the building Principal/designee (at most schools, will be the teacher/club sponsor/coach coordinating the activity).
3. If required, extracurricular program volunteers must comply with any applicable rules and/or regulations for that particular program (ie. AHSAA).

Level 3

1. All level one and two requirements
2. A complete background check through Employment Screening Services ($15.00 and completed online). Each school should have a link to the online program on its homepage. A completed background check is emailed to the principal/designee at the school. Volunteers may receive a TCSS volunteer badge with a principal’s approval.

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              Congratulations to Matthews Elementary Educators.  Pictured, from right to left, Mr. James Smith, winner of Tuscaloosa County Support Employee Award; Ms. Andra Craig, Nominee for Jacksonville State Hall of Fame Teacher of the Year, and Mrs. Laurie Presley, Nominee for Alabama Teaccher of the Year and winer of the Tuscaloosa County School System Representative for Alabama Teacher of the Year; Principal Dr. Tripp Marshall. 

Click this link to register students both new and returning in English and Spanish.

CONGRATUALTIONS!! MES GEMS at the Math & Science Expo. 

Congratulations to Ms. Ginger Goodwin, nominated for the Jacksonville Teacher Hall of Fame Award, Mrs. Lakida Hill, nominated for Alabama State Teacher of the Year Award and being the District winner for Elementary Alabama Teacher of the Year Award, and Mrs. Tara Johnson for receiving the Classified Educator Award.

Nick’s Kids Teacher Excellence Award Recipient...Ms. Andra Craig. She is an awesome veteran teacher and works diligently to make sure her students succeed! Congratulations!

Congratulations to MES GEMS Team for being selected to participate in the 2019 11th Annual Girls Engaged in Math and Science Expo.

Alabama Unified Report Card: Tuscaloosa County School System 

As required by the Alabama Act 2012-402 and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, the Alabama State Department of Education released the new Alabama Unified Report Card for the state, school systems, and schools. The purpose of the Alabama Unified Report Card is to provide parents, community members, and others indicators of how a school or school system is performing. 

The grade received reflects several factors, including academic achievement, academic growth, chronic absenteeism, as well as graduation rates and college and career readiness (for high schools).

Information about each school is presented on the following page and may also be accessed by visiting our school system website at http://www.tcss.net.

Dr. Davie, Superintendent of the Tuscaloosa County School System, stated, “The Alabama Unified Report Card provides one source of information about our schools and school system. Our faculty, staff, and administrators will continue to work diligently every day to meet the needs of our diverse student population and to show improvement for each student and school. 

Areas of Focus Within Our School

• Concentrate on content standards so that each is clearly understood by teachers and the learning targets represented within each. It is important that teachers are engaged in collaborative work to analyze student data, content standards, and assure the appropriate level of rigor is in place.
• Use formative data obtained on a periodic basis such that instructional changes may be made as needed. Identify struggling students early and identify appropriate interventions, as well as challenge higher achievers.
• Strengthen efforts with parents to assure that students attend school, on time and all day, every day that is possible. Parents are key partners in this effort!

As we move forward, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships with parents and community as we work together to provide the best education possible for our students.

Remember...come to school all day every day!!

Come to school every day all day for the month of November and you can enjoy the Attendance Event on November 30th. 

Mr. James Smith on morning duty. As versatile as they come, our head custodian fills a lot of roles effortlessly. Morning Duty Video.

Online Parent Tech Resources Brochure

 A special thank you to MES Community helpers for all that you do.

 Special Thank You to UA Gymnastic Coach Dana Duckworth an fellow gymnasts for visiting MES.     

Congratulations to Tanisha Strode on receiving the Nick Saban's Excellence in Teaching Award.

ATTENTION PARENTS: IS YOUR CHILD CARRYING 20-30% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN THEIR BACKPACK? According to Change.org (2017), it is medically proven that children carrying more than 10% of their body weight is damaging to their spines. "Just because you can’t see the internal damage, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening" (Sams, 2017).

BECOME AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT YOUR CHILD IS CARRYING NO MORE THAN 10% OF THEIR WEIGHT IN THEIR BACKPACK.   -VISIT Backpack Support FOR MORE INFORMATION.

• IMPORTANT 2017-2018 HEALTH ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTATION CHANGE:

ANY STUDENT WITH  NOTED HEALTH CONDITIONS ON THE HEALTH PORTION OF INFOSNAP/ HEALTH ASSESSMENT FORMS WILL REQUIRE VERIFICATION/ DOCUMENTATION FROM THEIR PHYSICIAN, PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OR CONTINUATION OF A HEALTH CARE-PLAN.  PLEASE PROVIDE THE LATTER DOCUMENTATION TO YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL NURSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY PRIOR TO STUDENTS' FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

• A Physician's note will be required in order to confirm students' medical diagnosis.
• This note will NOT be required on an annual basis; however, any medical updates on a student's condition should be provided to the school nurse annually. 
• Any student whom we do not receive a medical diagnosis confirmation on from the Physician, will be placed in a 'disabled mode' in INOW. 

All students prescribed daily and/ or 'as needed' medication, are already required to submit updated Physician orders each school year; therefore, these students will NOT require additional medical documentation

2017-2018 MES Absence and Tardy Procedures

2017-2018 Spanish MES Absence and Tardy Procedures

2017-2018 Arrival and Dismissal Schedule

2017-2018 Spanish Arrival and Dismissal Schedule

2017-2018 TCSS Parent-Student Information Guide

CNP "ROCKS," is a promotion by the TCSS CNP department to advocate an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits. The Tuscaloosa County CNP team work hard on a daily basis and are making a positive difference with our students.  Visit TCSS CNP on facebook handle @TCSSCNP to view the video about the CNP "Rocks" promotion and like the page to support for all of the amazing hard work the TCSS CNP staff does on behalf of our children.