The Nest News- 3rd Edition-September 1-5, 2025

Eagles Strong

INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW

VISION-

At Elko Middle School, we are committed to soaring from good to great by cultivating a culture of educational excellence, innovation, and community engagement. Our vision is to empower ever student to reach their full potential—academically, socially, and personally.

We will measure our success by:

Sustaining full accreditation through rigorous academic achievement and continuous improvement.
Expanding extracurricular opportunities that foster creativity, leadership, and collaboration.
Building strong partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, staff and student learning and real-world

THE THEME FOR 2025-2026

MISSION imPOSSIBLE

ACADEMICS

Dear Elko Middle School Parents,

As we move into the third week of school, we want to share our focus on using feedback as a tool to increase student achievement. Our teachers are committed to providing students with the skills they need to succeed, and a key part of that process is giving meaningful, actionable feedback. We are studying the book How Feedback Works: The Playbook to drive this work.

This isn't just about pointing out what's right or wrong. Our teachers are focused on providing feedback that helps students understand the "why" behind their work and offers clear steps for improvement. We believe this intentional use of feedback will empower your student to grow academically and build confidence.

It's been wonderful to see how quickly students have acclimated to the school and our daily operations. During our classroom visits, we've seen students actively engaged in lessons and collaborating with their peers. This intentional approach helps students develop essential skills and take ownership of their learning.

Over the next few weeks, students in certain core classes will be taking diagnostic assessments. The data from these assessments will be crucial in helping us understand each student's specific needs and will guide how we tailor our instruction to fit our diverse learners.

Each week, I will provide an instructional update to keep you informed about how we are providing a world-class education for your students.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

SCHOOL OPERATIONS

ATTENDANCE UPDATES

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.

BOOK BAGS

As we settle into the school year, we want to remind you that students only need to bring what's necessary for their classes each day. If your child doesn't need a specific binder or notebook for their daily schedule, please have them keep it at home.

This small change can make a big difference in the weight of your child's backpack and help lighten the load on their backs. Thank you for your support!

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

Counselor's Corner

NEW

Schedule Changes

The schedule change request window will be open from Wednesday, September 3rd through Wednesday, September 17th. This will be the only opportunity to request schedule changes.

Please note:

You can request a schedule change by completing this google form: https://forms.gle/r5GNkApSewQnZaur9

Students will be contacted directly by their counselor once their request has been reviewed.

Schedule changes will not begin until Monday, September 8th.

Specialty Center and ACE Center Corner

Upcoming dates:

September 4 - Donuts and Degrees group at Elko (full)

September 23 - Bridge Builders Virtual Information Session: Join us from 6:00–7:00 PM for a virtual overview of the Specialty Centers available to our students. The presentation will be offered in both English and Spanish.

September 29- Application opens at 9am

November 14 - Application Closes

Please see this site for more information about specific open houses: https://www.henricoschools.us/page/student-timeline

More information about the ACE centers will be available at a later date

Address Affidavit Reminder

If your student is enrolled using an address affidavit, please remember to schedule an appointment to bring in the required documentation. Call Ms. Stacy in the school counseling office to schedule your time.

6th Grade - (Substitute for Ms. Fish) Jennifer Bolding jbolding@henrico.k12.va.us

7th Grade - Counselor Rawls glrawls@henrico.k12.va.us

8th Grade - Ms. Flowers acflowers@henrico.k12.va.us

EL and last names A-B - Dr. Swingen: jkswingen@henrico.k12.va.us

Click here for more information on HCPS Specialty Centers.

EVENTS

Back to School Night

9.3.2025-Back to School Night 4:30pm - 6pm

HENRICO LIFE READY EXPO

Henrico’s Life Ready Expo ’25 is back earlier and better than ever! This year’s district-wide event is on Wednesday, September 17th, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Hermitage High School. Parents this exciting opportunity is for all in grades 6-12 and their families to talk in person with businesses in fields that spark their interests, as well as careers they may never have known.

With over 125 businesses representing each of the careers at the Expo, there is something for everyone to experience! For those not familiar with the district event, Check out this short video to catch the vibe.

Click here for more information about the Life Ready Expo.

ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE

ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE

COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES (ELKO AND SANDSTON COMMUNITIES)

Food Distribution

In partnership with the Henrico Community Food Bank, FACE is hosting a Fall Food Distribution event to help families ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

📅 Date: Saturday, November 22
📍 Location: Henrico Community Food Bank, 2401 Hartman St.
⏰ Time: To be announced

Additional details will be shared as the event approaches. Stay tuned!

VOLUNTEER PROCESS

Volunteer