Welcome Back Letter

February 2026

Dear Parents/Guardians:  

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year. Our Gaston staff strongly believes that the education of children is a partnership between the home and the school, and that parent involvement is crucial to the success of our students.

As stated in my first welcome letter we look ahead to the upcoming school year, we are excited to share several key changes designed to enhance student achievement, build stronger connections, and foster a deeper sense of community engagement. While these changes raise the expectations of our students, it also raises the school expectations to collaborate with parents and ensure our students are provided with the proper supports to meet them

Updated Promotion Requirements for 8th Grade:
To ensure our students are well-prepared for high school and beyond, we are updating our promotion criteria. Beginning next year, 8th grade students must:

• Hold a 3.0 GPA or higher before the 4^th quarter grade cutoff.
• Successfully complete an 8th grade community project
• Complete 40 hours of iReady practice

Instructional Updates:

• We will implement quarterly IABs and FIABs as both pre- and post-assessments. These tools will help prepare students for summative assessments and inform instruction throughout the year.
• Full i-Ready implementation will begin, which includes:
  • Three benchmark assessments per year
  • Daily homework expectation of 5 minutes of i-Ready practice to reinforce learning at home (40 hours of iReady practice for the year) Afterschool computer access available daily. 

These changes reflect our continued commitment to our school vision and our belief that with the right support, all students can thrive. Together, as One Team, One Family, we will ensure that every second of learning matters and that our scholars are ready to Win the Day—every day.

Parent conferences will be held one week after every progress report is sent out. The dates for parent conferences are September 25^th, November 20^th, February 26^th, and May 14^th. This is a strategic plan focused on ensuring that you as parents/Guardians have opportunities to collaborate with teachers to support your students before the end of each quarter.  

The staff at Gaston Middle School is committed to providing an education that will prepare your child to be a career ready graduate, and we look forward to working with you toward this goal.

Sincerely,

Thomas Williams Jr
Gaston Principal