| 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:
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. 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, This week, we want to bring your attention to the crucial components of student success: grades, assignment completion, and effective study habits. As the school year progresses, it's essential that every student remains focused and puts in their best effort each day. The Importance of Consistent Effort Grades are a direct reflection of a student's understanding and application of the concepts taught in class. A key factor in maintaining strong grades is the completion of all assignments and classwork. Missing assignments not only lower a student's grade but also mean they are missing out on valuable practice and feedback necessary to master the material. We also urge you to encourage your student to read nightly and to actively study and review the concepts covered in their classes. Studying isn't just for tests; it's a daily practice that solidifies knowledge. Preparing for Increased SOL Rigor We need to emphasize that the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments will be increasing in rigor and raising the cut scores starting with the 2025-2026 school year. This means the level of knowledge and skill required to pass the SOLs is becoming significantly higher. It is imperative that our students develop strong work habits and maintain focus now to prepare for these more challenging assessments. Success on these assessments starts with the daily commitment to learning in the classroom. Support for Your Student Our dedicated teachers are working hard every day to deliver engaging lessons and provide continuous feedback and support to your students. They are there to guide them, but students must meet them halfway with focus and effort. We are also excited to announce the launch of the Elko Innovative Learning Lab beginning in October. This lab will be a valuable resource for students needing extra help with homework, classwork, and content tutoring. We will be sending out more specific details, including the schedule and sign-up information, soon. Your partnership and encouragement at home make a huge difference in your student's success. Please take a moment to check in on their assignments and their study routine. Working together, we can ensure every Elko student is prepared for a successful year. |
Virginia Growth Assessments | Dear Families: During the week of October 27, 2025, your child will take Virginia Growth Assessments. These statewide tests must be taken at school and are given in the fall and winter in grades 6-8 Reading and Mathematics. The Virginia Growth Assessments are shorter computer adaptive tests (CAT) than Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. The Virginia Growth Assessments are designed to measure a student’s individual progress over time and most of the questions students receive will primarily be based on previous course content. There is no passing or failing score. After testing, teachers and parents will receive detailed information on a student's strengths and/or learning opportunities. Teachers will use the information learned from the Virginia Growth Assessment results individually, in small groups, and in whole groups to guide instruction. At the end of the year, your child’s Virginia Growth Assessment results can be compared to the spring SOL test scores to show growth patterns. In contrast to the Virginia Growth Assessments, SOL tests measure whether or not your child has mastered particular skills by the end of a specific grade level or course. For more information or resources for parents, click on the link below: If you have questions about the federal, state or division assessment policies, please contact Angela Bell ambell@henrico.k12.va.us or Kelli Brown, kcbrown@henrico.k12.va.us. If you have questions related to your school’s testing processes and options, please contact your school’s principal or school test coordinator at 804-328-4110. |
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 |
ID Badges
| Please ensure that your students are wearing their ID badges every day. Students now need to scan their ID badges when they arrive to school late and when they have an early dismissal. |
DEPARTMENT UPDATES COUNSELOR'S CORNER | NEW INFO 8th Grade Mission for Tomorrow: More information will be forthcoming. Stay tuned! Upcoming dates: The specialty center applications are now open! For more information about the Specialty Centers in HCPS please see this video. You must give permission to your students to apply by creating an account on schoolmint for them to apply.
Please see this site for more information about specific open houses: https://www.henricoschools.us/page/student-timeline The ACE centers allow our 8th graders to apply to study a trade in 11th and 12th grade. For more information, please see the ACE Recruitment Video and apply here (application opens September 29th). 6th and 7th Grade - IB Application Window Now Open! Families interested in applying to the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program can now submit applications to attend the IB program at Fairfield Middle School for the rest of their IB Career. Don’t miss out—the window closes October 6! For more information, please contact Dr. Swingen in school counseling or see the Henrico County website: https://www.henricoschools.us/page/middle-school-special-programs Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 – October 15 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 to visit the HCPS Specialty Center website for more information. |
| NOVEMBER 4TH-10AM-2PM |
EVENTS
| HAPPY NATIONAL CUSTODIAN APPRECIATION DAY OCTOBER 2, 2025 |
WORLD'S FINEST CHOCOLATE SALES
| NEW INFO Thank You for Helping Us “Sell Out” Our Chocolate! A huge thank you to all of you for supporting our school-wide fundraiser! Students have officially checked out all 400 boxes delivered to Elko. We placed a small order of chocolate due to demand. If your child has expressed interest in selling more, we will send a box home next week while supplies last. We are now focusing on collecting the money for the chocolate check out so students can enjoy the fun incentives we’ve planned. To make sure your child can join in the excitement, all chocolate money must be returned to school by October 15. |
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES (ELKO AND SANDSTON COMMUNITIES) | None at this time. Stay tuned! |
VOLUNTEER PROCESS
| If you would like to become a volunteer, please complete the online volunteer/mentor application via the link below. Volunteer: Your involvement as a volunteer can make a valuable contribution to education in Henrico County. launchelko.henricoschools.us |
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS | October 13- Student Holiday-Teacher Professional Learning Day October 20- Student & Teacher Holiday October 24th- End of Quarter-Student Half Day November 3rd- Schools & Central Office Closed November 4th- Parent/Teacher Conferences 10 am - 2 pm November 26-28- School Closed-Thanks Giving Holiday December 22-31- Schools Closed-Winter Break January 1-2 Schools Closed-Winter Break |
ELKO ATHLETICS ELKO ATHLETICS DIRECTOR- Kendra Amis-
| Elko Athletics Week 10/6/25-10/10/25 at glance. |
RESOURCES SPOTLIGHT: ELKO & HCPS TOOLS FOR SUCCESS | |
ELKO ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM | Tyrus T. Lyles, Ed.D.-Principal-ttlyles@henrico.k12.va.us Taleesa Meeks- Associate Principal- tjmeeks@henrico.k12.va.us Corey Calder- Associate Principal- ctcalder@henrico.k12.va.us Akeela Tyson- Assistant Principal- altyson@henrico.k12.va.us Brandon Hardy- Assistant Principal- bahardy@henrico.k12.va.us Jennifer Jenkins-Administrative Aide- jrjenkin@henrico.k12.va.us Torre Siler-Administrative Aide- tsiler@hennco.k12.va.us Abby Thomas- Administrative Aide- arthomas@henrico.k12.va.us Frenchie Travis- Administrative Aide- fmtravis@henrico.k12.va.us Jocelyn R. Woodson- Administrative Aide- jrwoodson1@henrico.k12.va.us |
The Nest News- 8th Edition-October 6-10, 2025
October 6, 2025
