Booker T. Washington Magnet High School -

Parents/Guardians of Seniors-Class of 2026,

Is your scholar practicing for the ACT WorkKeys assessment?

ACT WorkKeys is a job skills assessment system that measures foundational and essential soft skills, such as applied math, graphic literacy, and reading workplace documents, which are crucial for workplace success. Successful completion of the core assessments allows individuals to earn the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), a widely recognized credential that demonstrates a person's readiness to employers and helps them with job selection, career advancement, and college opportunities.

Scholars can access the ACT Workkeys practice questions via Progress Learning, located in CLEVER.

Parents, this is a very important assessment. 12th graders in MPS will take the ACT Workkeys Assessment on November 4, 2025. We need our scholars practicing now.

Your support in pushing your Senior scholar to achieve Platnium Certification will make a difference!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

Good afternoon, Parents of BTW Scholars,

We will distribute progress reports on tomorrow, 9/11/2025. You may also view/review grades live in PowerSchool.
MTSS notifications for scholars earning less than 70 % in any course, will be shared with families by Monday, September 15, 2025. Parents, please encourage your scholar to submit his/her assignments timely to avoid an incomplete representation of academic progress.

Thank you for your support of Excellence in All Things, BTW!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

Good afternoon, BTW Families,

Picture Day is Thursday, September 18, 2025. Scholars may dress out of uniform. Clothing must follow the MPS Dress Code as outlined in the 2025-2026 Student Conduct Manual. Additional information regarding Picture Day is forthcoming, so stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

Yondrs, uniforms, clear bags, clear water bottles, ID badges...EVERY SCHOLAR, EVERY DAY!

Thanks,

Dr. Ruffin

Good evening, BTW Families,

I would like to take a moment to THANK YOU for your support of our scholars tonight! Our first home volleyball game was amazing! Congratulations to our Lady Yellow Jackets! Our JV Team claimed VICTORY and our varsity team played with heart! The gym was filled with Yellow Jackets and fans sporting all black. I had an amazing time, and I know the scholars enjoyed as well.

A huge shout out to Coach Randle and Coach Laffitte and your coaching staff for all that you are doing for our Lady Yellow Jackets! We also had all of our basketball teams' coaches in the bleachers cheering on the volleyball team! I love, love the comradery! Kudos to Coach Martin and the BTW Cheer Squad for bringing on the SPIRIT! Let' s not forget all of the BTW faculty and staff members in the crowd! Tonight was nothing short of EXCELLENCE!

Thank you BTW for your support of "Excellence in All Things"!

Have a great night,

Principal Ruffin

Good evening, BTW Families,

I would like to take a moment to THANK YOU for your support of our scholars tonight! Our first home volleyball game was amazing! Congratulations to our Lady Yellow Jackets! Our JV Team claimed VICTORY and our varsity team played with heart! The gym was filled Yellow Jackets and fans sporting all black. I had an amazing time, and I know the scholars enjoyed as well.

A huge shout out to Coach Randle and Coach Laffitte and your coaching staff for that all you are doing for our Lady Yellow Jackets! We also had all of our basketball teams' coaches in the bleachers cheering on the volleyball team! I love, love the comradery! Kudos to Coach Martin and the BTW Cheer Squad for bringing on the CHEER! Let' s not forget all of the BTW faculty and staff members in the crowd! Tonight was nothing short of EXCELLENCE!

Thank you BTW for your support of "Excellence in All Things"!

Have a great night,

Principal Ruffin

Good afternoon, BTW Families,

As we are preparing to assess our 10th Grade scholars using the PreACT, the attached Digitial Device Policy for the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program must be followed.

As a gentle reminder, the PreACT assessment will take place on September 30, 2025. Only Grade 10 scholars are to report to campus. This is a state-mandated assessment for all 10th graders. Scholars in grades 9, 11, and 12, are required to complete assignments asynchronously, as their activities will be posted in the Schoology Learning Management System.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1txn6o5EB7tJEfuuica-DbPZpYYQKW15H/view?usp=sharing


Please contact us should you have any questions about this information. Thank you for your support of "Excellence in All Things" BTW!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

Happy Monday Yellow Jacket Nation,

For those that can, please wear your black uniform top with your black uniform bottoms today for our "Blackout" in support of our Lady Yellow Jackets, hosting the home volleyball game against Carver High School. If you plan to participate, please wear your all-black uniform attire. You must wear your regular school uniform if you are not participating. Black tops and/or black bottoms with other colors, designs, or wordings are not allowed.

Please remember...Yondrs, uniforms, IDs, clear bags, and clear water bottles, Every Scholar, Every Day, @ BTW!

See you soon,

Dr. Ruffin

BTW Families,

We need feedback...please let us know about our community needs and how we are doing. Your participation in this survey is sincerely appreciated. Parental Involvement makes a difference!

All the best,

Dr. Ruffin

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18PaY_Ly8Gt-pnwwBb3jTmFdqDVgpsRbh/view?usp=sharing

BTW Families,

An updated calendar for the 2025-2026 was recently board approved. Please see the two new asynchronous learning days added, with one approaching soon. Friday, September 19, 2025, will be an asynchronous learning day for all scholars in Montgomery Public Schools. BTW teachers will post assignments for scholars in the Schoology Learning Management Platform. Please plan for this instructional day accordingly. Don't forget that September 30, 2025, is also an asynchronous learning day for 9th, 11th, and 12th grade scholars while the 10th graders engage in the Pre-ACT assessment.

All the best,

Dr. Ruffin

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RMYhe7sX5j4gCSQjbzOtgp2bQ6pbl6wf/view?usp=sharing

Good evening, BTW Families,

ATTN : Parents of Scholars that Drive

If there are any scholars that drive and have not purchased a decal, please do so tomorrow. The deadline for registering and purchasing decals was August 28th. Scholars that have purchased a decal but have not completed the required paperwork will be issued a refund on Monday, September 15. Parking lot checks for decals will also begin Monday, September 15th.

Please make an appointment with our bookkeeper, Ms. Bell, should you have any questions or need additional support in securing a decal.

Thank you for helping keep our campus safe!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

Good evening, BTW Families,

Scholars who were absent five days or more during the month of August will be receiving a MTSS Notice of Chronic Absenteeism. Notices will go home with scholars tomorrow and interventions will begin on Monday, September 8.

Please make every effort to have your scholar at school every day and on time. Excused and unexcused, absences count! Please continue to support us in the fight against chronic absenteeism.

All the best,

Dr. Ruffin

Good evening, BTW Families,

The 2025-2026 BTW Math Lab is up and running! Details are included in the link provided. We would like to extend KUDOS to our MPS District Math Specialist, Mr. Curtis Rice, and to the retired teachers Mr. Smith and Mr. Harrell, for making this possible for our scholars.

It truly takes a village to develop "Excellence in All Things".

Sincerely,

Dr. Ruffin

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bOXKvOie-2cb3uRvQEXoaBdkJx0E4xnn/view?usp=sharing

FIRST HOME VOLLEYBALL GAME ALERT: The BTW Lady Yellow Jackets will host Carver High School next Monday, September 8, 2025 in the BTW Gymnaisum. Please visit www.gofan.co for your tix.

ALSO, we are asking all Yellow Jackets to wear all black uniforms to school on next Monday, September 8th. This is a BLACKOUT. The attire includes black uniform bottoms and a solid black polo style uniform shirt. No other bottoms and shirts allowed. If you are not participating, please wear your royal blue, gold, or white uniform top with your uniform bottom.

We are very excited about our 1st Home Volleyball Game next Monday!

Hello Friends of the Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation,

We have exciting updates to share!

First, the 13th Annual Robert and Jean Graetz Symposium on Human Rights and Reconciliation was held on April 10 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center. It was a fabulous event, full of dynamic speakers, poignant panelists, awesome awardees, and enthusiastic and thoughtful audience participants.

This was the first symposium since the passing of our parents, Bob and Jeannie Graetz, and we know they would have been immensely pleased with the outcome of this renewed symposium. We keenly felt their presence throughout the event! Our parents would be especially thrilled to see the dream being carried forward by all the amazing young people who were present. We welcomed a total of 168 attendees at the 2025 Symposium, which far exceeded our expectations!

We have already begun planning for the next Graetz Symposium, and we will keep you informed as we solidify the details. We welcome any suggestions on how we can make the next event even better, so please respond to this email if you have any feedback or ideas you would like to share. We will also be opening nominations for next year’s awards: the Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Lifetime Service Award, the Beloved Community Service Award, and the Claudette Colvin Activism Award. We will reach out soon with information on the nomination process in case you have suggestions for nominees.

Currently, we are preparing for the next Graetz Foundation event of 2025: the 2nd Annual Loving Literacy Community Fair on Saturday, September 27 from 1-4 PM. The Loving Literacy Community Fair is a FREE community event filled with children’s activities, book giveaways, free food, prizes, Bounce House, and entertainment centered around the theme of literacy for young children and their families. Community organizations that serve children and families will be joining us at the fair to provide additional resources and activities.

This year will also feature the Grand Opening and Free Tours of the United (Formerly Trinity) Historic Graetz Parsonage. Tours will be led by Meta Ellis, eldest daughter of Rev. Robert and Jeannie Graetz, who lived in the home as a child. The Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening Ceremony will be held at 12:30 PM, just prior to the opening of the fair, with tours every following half hour.

The Loving Literacy Community Fair is the 2nd annual event of the Jeannie Graetz Literacy Program of the Graetz Foundation, whose mission is to provide engaging literacy opportunities, community support, and materials that will enhance students’ ability to participate in the wonderful world of words, science, and the arts, opening doors that will allow children to soar.

How you can help
Attend the Grand Opening and the Literacy Fair on September 27 and bring your family and friends!

Help spread the word!

Volunteer during the Fair (respond to this email if you are interested)

Donate new or gently used children’s books

Help locate, donate, or offer to sell 1940s- or 1950s-era vintage items for the parsonage museum. The museum is set up with furniture and relics from the era when the Graetz family lived there, including many items donated by the Graetz Family that they used while living in that house and beyond. If you have any of the items listed below, please send us a picture.

We especially need 1940s or 50s era:

Stuffed sofa

Stuffed armchair

Baby buggy

Wooden children’s highchair

Bed crib

Drapery or curtains

Curtain rod

Wooden desk

Used tractor tire for the backyard “integrated swimming pool”

Other vintage items

Make a monetary donation: Please click here to donate



Please check out our website for more information and to see pictures from last year’s Literacy Fair and the 2025 Graetz Symposium.

Thank you all for your continued support!

In solidarity as we continue to build the Beloved Community,

Meta and the rest of the Graetz Foundation Board of Directors

Meta Ellis, Chairperson

Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation
www.graetzfoundation.org

Good Morning, BTW Families,

YONDRS, IDs, clear bags, clear water bottles, and uniforms...Every Scholar, Every Day @ BTW.

Let's have a Winning Wednesday!

Dr. Ruffin