The Nest News- 4th Edition-September 8-12, 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

MISSION

Elko Middle School is committed to fostering a growth mindset by providing a high-quality education and data-driven instruction within a safe and inclusive environment.

THE THEME FOR 2025-2026

MISSION imPOSSIBLE

ACADEMICS

Eagles,

We are off to a great start to the school year! Students are currently completing their initial diagnostic assessments in English, math, science, and social studies. This information is vital as it helps us understand each student's academic strengths and identify areas where they may need extra support.

Last Friday, September 5th, we held our first club meetings of the year. It's been exciting to see students engage with new interests, and we appreciate their input in helping us shape the club offerings. Clubs will continue to meet every Monday and Friday during advisory classes.

As we move forward, we want to emphasize the importance of literacy and math practice at home. We encourage you to challenge your student to read a book or article of their choice. Consistent reading practice is key to building the comprehension skills needed for all their subjects.

Additionally, please encourage your student to consistently practice the math concepts and processes they learn in class. Math skills build on each other, and regular practice will help them better grasp and retain new information, leading to greater success in their classes.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

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.

REMINDER:

Attendance flyer -English

Attendance flyer- Spanish

ATTENTIION-STUDENT PICK UP

Anyone picking up a student from Elko Middle School must present an ID.

If you do not have an ID, the student will not be released. This requirement is in place to ensure the safety of our students.

Additionally, if the person picking up the student is not listed as a contact in PowerSchool, the student will not be released to them.

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!

FOOD DELIVERIES AND OUTSIDE FOOD

Students are not permitted to receive outside food deliveries. Any food delivered by an outside entity will not be accepted. Additionally, students cannot bring outside food into the cafeteria during lunch, even if it is delivered by a parent or guardian. For instance, a parent or guardian may not drop off food from McDonald's or any other restaurant to be consumed in the cafeteria during lunch. Students are allowed to pack and bring their own lunches from home.

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

Counselor's Corner

Reminder:

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 11 - 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.

YEARBOOK

Yearbook

Eagle students! Have you ever wanted to design a piece of school history? Our school yearbook is looking for you! This year's theme is "Mission Possible," and we're holding a contest for students to design our yearbook cover. The winner gets their artwork on the cover and a 25 dollar gift card to Amazon. You are welcome to bring your work to life with paper, as well as online platforms such as Canva and Adobe Express. The submission deadline is Friday, 9/19. Please see Mrs. Hyman in Room 2700 or message on Schoology for more details. We can't wait to see your mission-ready designs!

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention

Month, affirming that suicide is preventable and that schools play a vital role in promoting

mental health and wellness among students and staff. Effective prevention requires a

multi-pronged approach, and school leaders are essential partners in this work.

Each Henrico County Public School (HCPS) school and program has a team of school-based

mental health providers--school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers who deliver prevention, early intervention, intensive supports, crisis response, and follow up care. Please use the button below to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) website. The website will provide more information and resources pertaining to Suicide Prevention Month.

Click here to visit the NAMI site for more information on Suicide Prevention Month.

EVENTS

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.

WORLD'S FINEST CHOCOLATE SALES

Chocolate sale