Principal

Chelsea Baker

Happy October, Dr. Claudia Thomas Families!

We are officially a month into the school year, and our students and staff are working hard. As we settle into our routines, our focus is on strong instruction, student engagement, and making sure every student is learning and growing. This is the time of year when we move beyond getting started and really dig into the work of teaching and learning.

Our theme this year is The Year We Build Together, and October gives us another opportunity to do just that. Our first Monthly Challenge is Respect, and we are using this month as a schoolwide reset around what respect looks like and sounds like at Dr. Claudia Thomas. We are reinforcing respectful language and tone, listening to others, following classroom expectations, respecting people and property, keeping hands, feet, and objects to ourselves, and being ready and engaged in learning.

We are also placing a stronger emphasis on attendance and consistently reinforcing our schoolwide expectations. When students need additional accountability, we will use responses such as lunch detention and after school detention when appropriate. These options allow us to address concerns while keeping students in class and connected to their learning. Our goal is to reinforce expectations, help students learn from mistakes, and support them in making better choices moving forward.

Just as important, we want to recognize students when they are doing the right things. Throughout our Monthly Challenges, students can earn PBIS points when staff see them demonstrating the behaviors we are focusing on. Students can use their points in our PBIS store to earn rewards and incentives. We want students to know that their positive choices are noticed and celebrated.

This is all part of how we build together. Strong instruction happens when students are present, respectful, engaged, and ready to learn. Thank you for partnering with us by reinforcing these expectations at home and continuing to support your student’s learning.

Go Titans!

Chelsea Baker
Principal
Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School

Important Dates

• October 6: Open House, 5:30–7:30 PM
• October 8: Picture Day
• October 12: Staff Professional Development Day, No School for Students
• October 30: Hispanic Heritage and Recognition Assembly, 9:53–10:35 AM
• October 30: PTSA Movie Night, 7:00–9:00 PM