Message from the Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome back from winter break! We hope you and your child had a restful holiday. As we return to school, we want to share some important updates and reminders.

ACCESS Testing for Multilingual Learners
ACCESS testing will begin on January 12th and continue through February 11th for our multilingual students. Each year, multilingual learners are required to take the ACCESS test to measure their English language proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Please encourage your child to do their best—these tests help us support their growth in English.

Winter MAP Testing Results
Winter MAP testing has concluded, and we are proud to report positive results! Many of our scholars are on track to meet their growth targets for the year. They have worked extremely hard, and you should be very proud. Your child’s classroom teacher will share more detailed information about their individual performance.

Dress Code Reminder
Please ensure students continue to come to school following the dress code. We have noticed an increase in dress code violations. See below for the SBDM dress code policy and reinforce expectations with your child.

Supporting Learning at Home
You can help your child continue to grow academically by:Encouraging at least 10–15 minutes of reading each day.
Practicing math facts regularly.
Completing time in Lexia (a digital reading program) and Amplify (a digital math program) on their Chromebook to strengthen reading skills and math fluency.

Chromebook Reminders: Ensure your child’s Chromebook is charged daily and brought to school.If a Chromebook is lost, students will not be allowed to take one home until it is replaced. If a Chromebook is broken, please inform your child’s teacher so it can be repaired promptly.

Upcoming Family Event
We are excited to invite you to our  Family Fun Night on Wednesday, January 28th, from 6:00–7:30 PM, where we will celebrate the importance of math and showcase how we are all mathematicians. We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your continued support. Let’s continue this collaboration to help all our scholars thrive.

Sincerely,

Ramon Wales

Principal

News for You!

Important Dates:

Jan 12  Feb 11- ACCESS Testing (ML Students)

Jan 13  Report Cards 

Jan 15  Spelling Bee for eligible 4th/5th Graders

Jan 19  MLK Day-No School

Jan 26  High Attendance Day

Jan 26-30 Math Week

Jan 28  Family Fun Night 6-7:30PM @MLE

Jan 29  Junior Achievement in a day- 3rd & 4th Grades

Jan 30  Junior Achievement Biztown- 5th Grade Field Trip

 

Welcome to our Staff

Please join me in welcoming Roselyn Williams as our new permanent Auxiliary Teacher, and welcoming back Debra Lazier as our ECE Instructional Assistant. We also have a new Academic Instructional Coach, Lynn Tidwell. We are excited to have them on our team.

 

Mustangs Scholars of the Month Every month teachers select a scholar of the month. These students show what it means to be a scholar by showing respect, being responsible and being safe. Congratulations to every single one of you. 

 

Basketball Games@Lighthouse Academy

1/10 MLE vs Foster Academy Falcons 12:40pm

1/17 MLE vs Kennedy Cubs 12:40pm

1/24 MLE vs McFerran Falcons 2:00pm

1/31 MLE vs Semple Stars 2:00pm

Door Entry: (Cash Only)

     Adults: $5

     Kids: $3 (Ages 2 and under are free)

Resource Support: 

🔥 LIHEAP Winter Crisis Assistance 

Families who are facing a home heating emergency may be eligible for help through the LIHEAP Winter Crisis Program, available from January 6 through March 27, 2026.

This program can help households who are experiencing:

Imminent loss of heat

Past-due electric or gas bills

Low fuel supply

Eviction if heat is included in rent

Eligible Jefferson County residents must meet income guidelines and provide documentation related to their heating emergency. 

Households may reapply until they reach the maximum benefit, if funding is available.

To schedule an appointment:

Call 502-991-8391 or visit https://louisvilleky.cacscheduler.com

 

***Minors Lane does have a Dare to Care Food bank. Please call for an appointment if you need some groceries. Drop Off can occur if you do not have transportation. 502-977-4694 

Important Health Reminder: 

Protecting Our Children from Whooping Cough

The Kentucky Department for Public Health has shared important information with schools regarding a rise in pertussis (whooping cough) cases across the state. Health officials are seeing a decline in routine childhood immunizations, including those required for school attendance.

Vaccines such as DTaP (for young children) and Tdap (for adolescents) protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)—serious illnesses that can be especially dangerous for infants and young children.

Families are encouraged to:

Review their child’s immunization records

Talk with their healthcare provider about recommended vaccines

Stay up to date on required school immunizations

Vaccination during pregnancy is also important, as it helps protect newborns in their first months of life.

Learn more from trusted health resources:

Whooping Cough information for families (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Tdap and pregnancy (American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists)

If you have questions or need help accessing immunization resources, please reach out. Your healthcare provider & the local health department are also great resources.

Keeping our school community healthy is a shared effort — thank you for partnering with us to protect all children.

NTI

Below you will find the explanation of NTI (non-traditional instruction) expectations. This is for when children are expected to do school virtually at home in case of inclement weather. 

English: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WfX5lhm17fq285JmHIIMhuCjAP3mI3jzNPkaWvFGjYY/edit?tab=t.0

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15hkEtIG5hkRF84AlkPpqeknB20hHXTjez4BPqjORxYw/edit?tab=t.0

We are here to support you!

My office door is always open, please feel free to reach out whenever necessary. You are also welcome to call or text me at 502-977-4694. You may leave a private message and I will return your call as soon as possible. This is a work number and I will only respond during work hours. You may also reach me via email at juliana.simpson2@jefferson.kyschools.us

Sincerely,

Juliana Camacho Simpson (FRC)