Husky Highlights 1-25-26

Posted Date: 01/25/26 (04:24 PM)

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Husky Highlights

Literacy Week is here!

January 25, 2026

A teacher presents information on a large screen to students in a classroom, with one student raising their hand.

Principal Mendez's Message

Dear Husky Families,

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday! We have hit the ground running and we are excited that this week we start our basketball season, Literacy Week, 6th grade math acceleration meeting, elementary school visits, and NJHS parent meeting. We have adjusted the time for the NJHS informational meeting from 5:30-6:30 on Wednesday, 1/28.

📚 Literacy Spirit Week is Coming!

January 26–30, 2026 (Next Week!)

We are excited to celebrate Literacy Spirit Week at Avalon Middle School! This special week is dedicated to the joy of reading and the essential role literacy plays in learning across every subject area. Here’s what students can look forward to each day:

✨ Monday – Make Your Mark

Students can enter our bookmark contest by designing an original bookmark. The winning design will receive a prize and be copied for the whole school!

👕 Tuesday – Team Up with Books

Wear a favorite team shirt (sports or clubs) to show that reading and teamwork go hand in hand.

😴📖 Wednesday – Wind Down Wednesday

Pajama Day! Students will enjoy 15 minutes of reading during 1st period.

Please make sure students bring a book. (Pajamas must follow dress code.)

🎩 Thursday – Hats Off to Reading

It’s Hat Day! Students may wear a hat to celebrate their love of reading.

📖 Friday – Finish Strong Friday

Dress as a favorite literary character or superhero to end the week with creativity and fun!

Avalon Middle School has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is administered by the National Center For Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessments because it is a common measure across the country. A student's grades are not affected by the NAEP exam. Fifty 8th graders were randomly selected by NAEP to participate. If your 8th grade student is one of the students selected, a letter will be sent home for you with additional details. Students will receive community service hours that can be used towards their Bright Futures requirements for participating in this exam. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Cooper @ Jennifer.Cooper2@ocps.net.

Timber Creek High School Parent Night

Timber Creek HS will host a Parent Night for incoming 9th graders on Tuesday, February 11, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Performing Arts Center (PAC). School counselors will review graduation requirements and discuss course options.

Important Announcement regarding Edgenuity-

For the 2026-2027 school year, only 8th graders will be allowed in Edgenuity.
Any failed class for grades 6-7 will need to be retaken on OCVS.

Thank you!

Two goats are eating hay from a shelf in a concrete area.

Three students collaborate on a science experiment, using a microscope and taking notes.

Rising 9th graders Important Update

This year, Timber Creek High School will implement the Course Planner feature in Xello to collect student course requests for the 2026-27 school year. This process will be used with rising 9th through 12th grade students. The Course Planner empowers students to take ownership of their academic journey by allowing them to select courses while tracking their progress toward high school graduation and post-secondary goals.

Members of the Timber Creek School Counseling Team will meet with current 8th grade students on January 28th, 2026 (Avalon MS) through Social Studies classes. School counselors will introduce the Course Planner feature to students and guide them through the course selection process. Each student will also receive a Timber Creek Course Listing Form, which details the courses available for next school year for rising 9th graders.

Course Selection resources are posted on the Timber Creek website under the “Student Services” tab. These resources include an introduction to Xello Course Planner video, Post-Secondary Plan Instructions to complete, Graduation Checklist, Course Applications Links, and 2026-27 Course Descriptions.

Evening of Excellence Information

Evening of Excellence is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding academic accomplishments of our students. This special evening will highlight their hard work, commitment, and dedication to success. We are proud to announce updated information for our Evening of Excellence ceremony held on May 19, 2026. To better honor our students’ achievements, the following criteria has been updated. Students will be awarded this year as follows:

Evening of Excellence – Eligibility

Academic Excellence

Awarded to students who have earned all A’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year.

Academic Achievement

Awarded to students who have earned a combination of A’s and B’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year.

Pride of the Pack- 8th grade only

A prestigious award reserved for 8th grade students who have demonstrated consistent excellence through academics.

For 8th grade 4.0 GPA for 3 years, a student must earn:

A for the FINAL GRADE in EACH 6th and 7th grade class (since we often get only final grades for student who transfer in, we do not penalize students who have been at Avalon MS all 3 years for getting, for example, a B for Q3 in 6th grade math as long as the final grade in that class is an A). A B as a final grade in a high school honors class will be calculated as an A.

AND

A’s for EVERY (counting weights for honors classes) quarter during their 8th grade year

Quarter 4 is not used in the current year as the ceremony is BEFORE final grades are in.

Notes:

-Any core/required academic class (including reading, if it was required) taken through any virtual school will be taken into account for Evening of Excellence purposes.

-Classes taken at any high school will not be taken into account unless it is a core academic class. (Example: Algebra II does count; Italian does not)

-Any additional elective classes (Example: student takes 7 classes at Avalon but chooses to take computers through FLVS) will not be counted.

Students MUST have grades for all quarters to be considered; i.e. student moves here in December but we never received Q1 grades – student is ineligible since we cannot verify GPA for Q1.

Students work on laptops in a classroom with a teacher at the front.

A teacher points to a whiteboard displaying a math problem about finding x-intercepts and axis of symmetry.

SAC & PTSO

Announcement for an "ATTENTION" meeting to plan African Heritage Month activities at Avalon Middle School.

SAC and PTSO dates

-Mark your calendars for our SAC meetings for this school year: 9/22, 10/27, 11/17, 2/23, 3/23, and 4/27.

-No meeting in January

Thank you to everyone who supported with the recognition funds process. You are PAWSome!!

Four students proudly hold "All-State Choir" certificates in front of a textured wall.

Students collaborate around a table in a classroom, with a red balloon and notebooks.

Huskies Learning & Thriving!

We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on the incredible, innovative learning happening in our classrooms! It’s inspiring to see so many engaging, hands-on, and differentiated lessons that meet students where they are and help them grow. From collaborative problem‑solving to multisensory, experiential activities, our teachers are creating learning experiences that truly bring concepts to life.

Our classrooms are buzzing with energy as students explore, create, think critically, and take ownership of their learning. Thank you to our teachers for intentionally designing instruction that is dynamic, student-centered, and responsive to the diverse needs of our learners. Your dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence make our school a place where Huskies grow strong—academically and personally.

A huge thank you to Ms. Cooke, Ms. Fadia, Ms. Torres, Dr. Penny, Ms. Machado, Ms. Stralkus, Ms. Ludwick, Mrs. Rios, and Mr. Miranda for supporting our students through engaging, hands-on, and differentiated learning environments.

And a special shout-out to our amazing elective teachers for their creativity, teamwork, and support for our elementary school visits!

Students in a classroom gather around tables with notebooks and a pink balloon.

A notebook open to pages detailing 'Average Speed' and 'Average Speed Debrief' with graphs and formulas.

Wishlist for ELA/Reading and PE Departments

Please help our ELA/Reading Department:

6th ELA classes: pencils, colored copy paper, and note cards

7th ELA classes: pencils, sticky notes

8th ELA classes: large sticky note posters, sticky notes, and pencils

Reading: large sticky notes and pencils

PE Department:

Paper Towels, Lysol Wipes, Band Aides, Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Hand Sanitizer, Feminine Products (Pads and Liners), Travel Size Deodorants, Tissues, Ziplock bags (multi sizes). If you are able to donate please drop them off at your convenience at the front office. Thank you! -PE Team