The Nest News- 9th Edition-October 13-17, 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

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY 10.13.2025

ACADEMICS

QUARTER 1 INFORMATION

Important Dates for The end of Quarter 1:

Last day to accept student work for the quarter:
October 23, 2025
Quarter 1 ends:
October 24, 2025
Q1 grades available for parents/guardians in PowerSchool Parent Portal:
November 10, 2025

SCHOOL OPERATIONS

ATTENDANCE UPDATES

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.

Transportation/Bus Information

If your student’s bus is running late in the morning, please call the Transportation Office at 804-261-9401. You can also download the Parent Portal Bus App to track the bus: https://www.henricoschools.us/page/parent-portal-bus-app

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

WORLD FINEST CHOCOLATE FRUNDRAISER

Thank you for supporting our World’s Finest Chocolate fundraiser at Elko Middle School! Remember, all fundraiser money must be turned in by Wednesday, October 15th to join the dance and earn awesome incentives. You can also pay online using the Online Payment link easy and quick! Let’s finish strong and make this fundraiser a huge success!

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

Breakout EDU Boxes Available for Check Out!

Ready to turn your classroom into an adventure? Teachers and staff can check out our Breakout EDU boxes to incorporate innovative learning into lessons! It’s a great way to give your students a fun and engaging way to review content, practice problem-solving, and collaborate with their classmates.

Here are just a few ways we can use a Breakout EDU box in your class:

As an immersive review game
to prepare for an upcoming test or a fun alternative to a traditional escape room.
To practice skills
like decoding, close reading, or mathematical reasoning in a dynamic and interactive way.
For building teamwork
and communication skills as students work together to solve the puzzles.

To check out a Breakout EDU box, contact Mrs. Hyman and we will make sure the date is scheduled!

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

COUNSELOR'S CORNER

DEPARTMENT UPDATESCOUNSELOR'S CORNER

SCHOOL COUNSELING CHANGES & BITTER FARWELL

Our dedicated 8th Grade Counselor, Ms. Flowers, has accepted an exciting promotion and will be departing Elko Middle School. Her last day was this past Friday, October 10th. While we are sad to see her go, we are thrilled for her professional advancement and wish her tremendous success in her new position.

For five years, Ms. Flowers has served the Elko community with unwavering dedication and passion, providing vital support and guidance to hundreds of students. Her positive impact and commitment to their well-being will truly be missed by our entire school family.

While we are searching for our new 8th grade counselor, Ms. Bolding will be stepping in as the 8th grade counselor. Ms. Bolding has been at Elko subbing for our 6th grade counselor since the beginning of the year, so many of our students already know her. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to either Ms. Bolding or Dr. Swingen. All Specialty Center questions or concerns can be directed to Dr. Swingen.

For our 6th grade parents, Ms. Fish returns Monday from maternity leave. Her first day in the building will be tomorrow, October 13th (day off for students). We are excited to welcome her back to Elko.

NEW INFO-

8th Grade Specialty Center and ACE Center Corner

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.

Ongoing: Donuts and Degrees program at Elko - your student can sign-up through the 8
th
grade Schoology page
Ongoing: 1:1 help for 8
th
graders during advisory - your student can sign-up through the 8
th
grade Schoology page
September 29- Application opened at 9am for 8th grade students
November 14 - Application Closes

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 opened up on 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
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of people whose families come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Throughout the month, Elko's Student Ambassadors will be planning opportunities for our students to learn about and honor the traditions, stories, and achievements of Hispanic and Latine communities. We encourage families to join the celebration by sharing experiences, reading together, or exploring community events that highlight this important month.

6th Grade - Ms. Fish-stfish@henrico.k12.va.us

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

8th Grade - Dr. Swingen will be the 8th grade point of contact counselor while the school is in search of another great 8th grade counselor.

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.

EVENTS

Parent teacher conferences

NOVEMBER 4TH-10AM-2PM

TEACHER LUNCH BREAK 12PM-12:30PM

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Free PD for STEM Teachers: Generative AI for Secondary STEM Classrooms

UVA’s Center for the Liberal Arts will offer this free program for middle and high school STEM teachers on November 15 at 10 a.m. at the Student Health and Wellness Building. Participants will build a clear, classroom-ready understanding of how modern AI works and what that means for secondary classrooms. They will engage in an extended Q&A to problem-solve real scenarios and leave with next-step plans. Visit the CLA website for more details and online registration.

COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES (ELKO AND SANDSTON COMMUNITIES)

None at this time. Stay tuned!

VOLUNTEER PROCESS

Volunteer