January 2026

Happy January and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday season, and that we're all feeling recharged and reenergized to face the second half of the school year! For those who are new with us - first of all, welcome! - January is typically a slower month, as families are still coming back from break and adjusting to school. February, though, is one of our busiest months - so please make sure you're gearing up, and let anyone in the management team know if and how we can support you. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the office in January!

- Thank you to everyone for a successful holiday payroll - there were no errors made, which is fantastic :)

- January is a great time to get your hours into TutorCruncher as repeatable lessons through the end of the school year; if you need help in doing so, please let Michelle know!

- Important: There should now be a box of materials in each office, to be kept in each office, for your convenience! Please let us know if you'd like anything added to the box, or if there's anything else we can do to keep the offices fully stocked. Remember that all offices are shared and first-come, first-served, and please don't use anyone else's supplies/belongings without asking first!

- I'll be leaving a permanent link to the LINKZ Handbook in this section, in case you need any reminders on policies, rules, regulations, etc. If you need a reminder of your login information, please email Michelle. Here's the link!

- I'll also be leaving some permanent reminders here, as they're always important:

- Don’t start with a client until you have signed contract - if you didn’t receive a copy of the contract to sign, it means the client has not signed it yet!

- Please remember that, as private contractors, your role is to service the contract we provide to clients - this means following the action plan / to-do list set by your case manager! If you are going to make a change, have a concern, etc. you need to let your case manager know BEFORE letting a parent know. Case managers are here to help, guide, and support - if you're seeing something that a case manager should be aware of, please tell them so that they can advise. We never want to be caught off guard and hear about changes from parents!

- Please remember that, when you receive a new client, you need to make contact with that client within 24 hours. It's important to make that initial contact right away, so if you're unable to, please let your case manager know.

- Put any in-office hours into TutorCruncher at least a week in advance!

- Our offices are open 24/7/365!

- If you’re making any semi-permanent or permanent changes with a client (changing times, subjects, etc.) you must let your case manager know first!

- If you have questions about something, check the manual and/or email me, Michelle, Elisa, Jenn, or Carolyn!

- A lot of trainings coming up! Here's the schedule:

- Tuesday, January 27th @ 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Kickstart Coach: Task Initiation - Shayne Swift will be holding a virtual workshop for both parents and tutors interested in learning more about Task Initiation and ADHD! The workshop will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.

- Saturday, February 21st @ 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Learning @ LINKZ: OG+ Refresher - Jennifer Wheat will be providing this mandatory (for OG tutors) workshop to walk through the new OG+ Tan Step, the updated Blue Step, and the re-sequencing of the White and Purple Steps! Location is still TBD and lunch will be provided.

- Saturday, March 14th @ 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Learning @ LINKZ: Paragraphology Workshop - Nora Fitzgerald will be providing a walkthrough of skills and strategies for Paragraphology! This workshop will be held at the LINKZ Columbia office.