Hello Connally Community!
It is the week before spring break, so the excitement of spring fever is in the air. However, we still have three and a half days of learning before the extended break, and, as always, there are numerous extracurricular activities!
A new Reading and Language Arts curriculum is also being introduced in Kindergarten through 8th grade. These changes will ensure the seamless alignment of reading and language arts skills from campus to campus. This interests all students, primarily those entering junior high for the 2025-2026 school year. As the students in grades 5 through 7 begin their course selections, they will notice fewer courses on the selection sheet. This is due to curriculum changes at the junior high school level.
This year, we transitioned our math curriculum to a more rigorous curriculum, requiring the math classes to be double-blocked. In the upcoming year, we will be transitioning to a new English Language Arts curriculum, which requires additional class time to implement correctly. To make this transition, we are reducing the number of class periods from eight to seven. The new English Language Arts curriculum is more rigorous for all students and has built-in extension activities for students who work at a higher level. The curriculum also covers numerous science and social studies elements at a more rigorous level of learning.
With fewer class periods, we must also reduce the number of electives and streamline the course offerings. As policy requires, all students can select a physical education (or equivalent) and a fine arts course. They will also have an additional choice in career technology.
We certainly understand that this is disappointing to many of our students. Still, this is the best option to ensure our students are academically prepared in English and math moving forward. Students will have ample opportunity to select courses of interest as they enter high school and beyond. However, we are exploring the possibility of continuing to offer after-school programs and clubs that meet our students' interests and allow them to explore various interests.
Many will notice the Mac Peoples Stadium lights shining brightly into the night on Tuesday and Thursday this week. We will host a junior high track meet on Tuesday for our 7th—and 8th-grade athletes. The meet will begin at 4:00 p.m. and end around 10:00 p.m. On Thursday, we will host the annual invitational Cadet Relays for our area's JV and Varsity track teams. This competition will begin with field events at 1:00 p.m. and running events starting at 3:30 p.m.
This week, we are celebrating Read Across America. The campuses also have other activities. Please take the time to check the newsletters for each campus to ensure you don't miss an exciting event!
As a reminder, students will not be in school on Friday, March 7th. They will return to class on Monday, March 17th, 2025. I hope everyone has an enjoyable spring break. Stay safe, my friends!
Warm regards,
Jill Bottelberghe
Superintendent
