11th Edition-November 2- 6, 2026
The Nest News-11th Edition-November 2-November 6, 2026
The Nest News- 11th Edition- Smore
Principal’s Desk
Dear Elko Middle School Community,
I want to begin by extending a huge congratulations to Ms. Kendra Amis, our Teacher of the Year! Her incredible hard work and tireless dedication to the Elko community—both as a stellar math teacher and as our Athletic Director—make her truly deserving of this honor. Please join me in celebrating her!One of my top priorities is ensuring that our students have fun at school. When school is fun, students look forward to coming each day and stay actively engaged in everything Elko has to offer.
This week, we hosted a fantastic pep rally! A huge shout-out to Power 92 for serving as our MCs, with a special shout-out to Bambi for bringing so much energy to our gym. We recognized our fall athletic teams, watched students dance, represented each grade level with pride, and simply enjoyed being together. Events like these boost school spirit, lift morale, and give our students a valuable opportunity to just enjoy being middle schoolers.
Our teachers even took the time to learn and perform a choreographed dance routine—shout-out to them for their enthusiasm and dedication! I was right there with them smiling, joking, and doing my own dancing (though I’ll leave the choreographed routines to the pros). Most importantly, we all had a wonderful time together, and we will continue hosting events like this so our students can build strong connections outside the classroom.
As we move into the second nine weeks, it is crucial that our students get off to a strong start. Establishing consistent study habits and a daily routine for completing assignments right now will keep them on track and help them master and retain their course content.
Please note that students have two additional days off in the upcoming week (November 2nd & 3rd). I encourage families to use this time wisely to recharge and prepare for a successful rest of the quarter.
Thank you for everything you do to support our school. Have a great week!
Upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences
Upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences
Please click the link below to view sign up slots for individual teachers. Please contact your student's teacher or grade level administrator if you have any questions.
Parent Teacher Conference Link
Attendance Office
Student Absences
Absences can be reported one of the following ways:
Filling out the Elko Attendance Google Doc
Emailing Mrs. Nolte: mlnolte@henrico.k12.va.us
Sending a Parent Square message to Mrs. Nolte
Sending a handwritten note or professional note from an appointment with your student when they return to school
Calling the school: 804-328-4110
Please note that if a student reaches 5 and 10 unexcused absences, their parent or guardian will be contacted to schedule an attendance meeting.
Contacts/Pick-up Lists
Please make sure your student’s pick-up list is up to date by updating the Contacts listed in PowerSchool. You can do this by logging in to your Parent Portal account. Anyone coming to pick up a student for early dismissal MUST be listed in PowerSchool. If someone is not listed in PowerSchool, we will not be able to call the student down.
Early Dismissal
The cut off time for early dismissals is 2:30 pm. Anyone picking up a student must present their driver’s license for identification. Photos of your license or Virginia Mobile ID cannot be accepted.
Fall Food Distribution
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Community Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator, Chris Wade, at rcwade@henrico.k12.va.us.
Communities in Schools (CIS)
Gifted Identification
Process
The gifted referral window will be open from Thursday, October 22, through Thursday November 12, at 11:59 PM. During this time, students may be referred to the gifted identification process by an educator, parent/guardian, community member, peer, or self. By submitting a referral, you are requesting your child be evaluated to determine eligibility for gifted services. To learn more about the gifted identification process, please click here: 26-27 Gifted Identification Information. To begin a referral, login to PowerSchool and click on forms. Follow this guide for instructions. Additional information about gifted programs can be found on our website: Henrico Schools Gifted Services Website
Gifted referrals will not be accepted after Thursday, November 12. Contact your Gifted Resource teacher, Rebecca Crofts, (rlcrofts@henrico.k12.va.us) with questions.
Makeup Picture Day 11/20
Makeup school photos will be on Friday, November 20th!
School Counseling Updates
SOS Lessons
November 11th, 12th, 17th, and 18th of November, Elko School Counseling will be pushing into 8th grade Health classes to teach the Signs of Suicide lesson. This is an important lesson that informs our students about what to do if a friend is talking about suicide. Students will be bringing home a letter this coming week with more information and details about how to opt out your student. If you have questions about this program or would like to opt your student out, please reach out to Dr. Swingen.
8th Grade Specialty Centers
Henrico county specialty centers and ACE centers have opened their applications! The application window is from September 28 - November 13th. The School Counseling Department is happy to assist any students interested in applying. If you need help setting up your SchoolMint account, please contact Dr. Swingen.
Does your student need assistance with submitting their Specialty Center or ACE center application? On Tuesday, November 10th we will have Central Office in the building helping our students complete their applications. We will be able to help with application submission, project proofreading, and recording videos for projects. Space is limited and first come first serve. Sign your student up here.
Specialty Center Application Help 26-27
The Elko School Counseling Team
Tamika Stacy Registrar
Phone ext. 20007
Sarah Fish (7th Grade)
Phone ext. 20011
Jennifer Boulding (8th Grade)
Phone ext. 20010
Corey Hancock (6th Grade)
Phone ext. 20008
Jorli Swingen
Director for School Counseling/ EL & last name A- B
Phone ext. 20009
EMS Weekly Athletics Update
Week of:November 2-November 6, 2026
Join Elko's PTSA
Volunteer Process- If you would like to become a volunteer, please visit the main HCPS website to fill out a volunteer form.
Upcoming Events
November 2nd: Wellness day (schools and central office closed)
November 3rd: student holiday (Election Day), teacher professional learning day
November 9th: student holiday (Diwali)
Stay in the KNOW of all things Elko and HCPS
HCPS Online Services & Resources
Elko Leadership Team
Tyrus T. Lyles, Ed.D.(Principal): ttlyles@henrico.k12.va.us
Quantina Jackson (Associate Principal):qtjackson@henrico.k12.va.us
Sharne' Francis (Associate Principal, 7th Grade): sjfrancis@henrico.k12.va.us
Akeela Tyson (Assistant Principal, 8th Grade): altyson@henrico.k12.va.us
Blake Carrey (Assistant Principal, 6th Grade): abcarrey@henrico.k12.va.us
Jorli Swingen (Director of School Counseling):jkswingen@henrico.k12.va.us
Kendra Amis (Athletic Director): kdamis@henrico.k12.va.us
Jennifer Jenkins (Administrative Aide): jrjenkin@henrico.k12.va.us
Torre Siler (Administrative Aide): tsiler@hennco.k12.va.us
Omar Peters (Administrative Aide):orpeters@henrico.k12.va.us
Jocelyn Woodson (Administrative Aide):jrwoodson1@henrico.k12.va.us
Kristina Harris (Administrative Aide): kvharris@henrico.k12.va.us