This week, our students are diving into their i-Ready assessments, and we're proud of the hard work and growth they’ve shown so far. We encourage every student to stay focused, take their time, and give their very best effort. This is their moment to show just how far they’ve come!

These tests are important as the results will help determine RTI class schedules and additional resources to support students in improving their literacy and math skills when we return. To keep motivation high, students who use their time wisely and show forward progress on their i-Ready tests will be rewarded with afternoon free time. We’re excited to celebrate their effort, determination, and continued academic growth as we wrap up the semester!

As we head into the last stretch of the semester, each day brings a simple, festive theme to add a little joy and excitement to campus. We hope these fun dress-up days help everyone share a smile, show some spirit, and enjoy the season together!

Coming to school and arriving on time is so important to student success! This quarter, we’ve offered several fun attendance incentives to help encourage great habits and our students have truly risen to the occasion.

We’ve been tracking our “Tree-mendous Attendance" this month. The grade level with the highest percentage of students arriving on time earned Free Seat Friday in the cafeteria. We’re thrilled to share that our school has seen major improvements!

Along with our On-Time Turkeys in November, these efforts have been a huge success. Thank you for your continued support and attentiveness in helping our students start their day strong.

Stay tuned because January’s attendance challenge is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to see our students continue to succeed!

We are excited to invite you to our Winter Band Concert, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the season with festive music and see just how much our talented student musicians have grown since their fall performance at the beginning of the year. Their hard work, dedication, and practice truly shine on stage, and we can’t wait for you to hear the progress they’ve made!

This event is free for everyone, so feel free to bring family, friends, and anyone who enjoys good music and holiday cheer. It’s always a joyful evening filled with beautiful performances and plenty of seasonal spirit.

We’re celebrating with a Cotton Candy Social that students have really been looking forward to! Everyone who qualified will get to enjoy fluffy, freshly spun cotton candy, hang out with friends, and relax with some well-earned phone time. It’s our sweet way of saying thank you for showing up, staying on track, and making every minute matter! 

At EA Cox Middle School, we are proud to celebrate students who show leadership and initiative. We’re shining the spotlight on Truett Collins. Truett recently met with County Mayor Sheila Butt and City Mayor Chaz Molder after sending a thoughtful letter sharing his hobbies, hopes for the community, and an exciting idea for a new skate park in one of our local parks.

At just 10 years old, Truett’s passion and creativity embody Cougar Pride. His willingness to speak up, share his vision, and help improve our community is inspiring to students and adults alike. Local leaders are now exploring possibilities with Maury County Parks and the City of Columbia and it all began with Truett’s voice.

We’re incredibly proud of Truett for dreaming big and making a positive impact. Way to go, Cougar!

The safety of our students is our highest priority. Recently, we’ve noticed some unsafe driving behaviors during arrival and dismissal, including cars going around other vehicles in the car rider line. This creates a dangerous situation, as students and staff are moving between cars.

We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to making our car line safe for all students!

As we move through cold and flu season, it’s important that we work together to keep our school community healthy. Please remind your child about good hygiene habits: washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding sharing food or drinks, to help stop the spread of germs.

If your student is showing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or an unexplained rash, please keep them home using the graphic for guidance. This helps protect other students and staff and gives your child time to fully recover.

MCPS allows 5 parent notes per semester to excuse absences when your child is not feeling well enough to attend school but does not need to see a doctor. If your child is seen by a doctor, please be sure to obtain a doctor’s excuse. All notes, parent or doctor, can be turned in to the front office or emailed to our attendance clerk at mshamburg@mauryk12.org.

Thank you for helping us keep our school healthy and learning strong!