| 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. |
THE THEME FOR 2025-2026 | MISSION imPOSSIBLE |
ACADEMICS | 🦃 Important Update: Pushing Through to Thanksgiving Break & The Importance of Diagnostic Assessments Eagles, The Thanksgiving break is fast approaching! We know that our students—and perhaps our staff—are starting to feel the natural fatigue that comes with this time of year. While we encourage students to get plenty of rest, we must all work together to push through these final weeks leading up to the holiday. The Critical Importance of Diagnostic Assessments We recently administered diagnostic assessments in Math. Unfortunately, we are finding that many students are not taking these assessments seriously and are rushing through them. These assessments are not graded and are not designed to be a reflection of a student's effort in a class. Instead, they are an essential tool used by teachers to gauge performance within a specific time frame to help drive instructional practices for the entire class. The Data Must Be Accurate: If students are not truly giving their best effort, the resulting data is inaccurate. Inaccurate data leads to instructional strategies that do not properly address your student's actual learning needs. Partnership for Success: Supporting Spring Assessments As we continue to prepare students for the significant spring state assessments, it is imperative that we have your support in reiterating the importance of these diagnostic tools. Please talk to your student about the value of doing their very best on all assessments, even the ones that are not for a grade. Our continued partnership will ensure we have the most precise, high-quality data to tailor instruction and give every student the best chance for academic growth and success. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work toward our shared mission! |
| NOVEMBER 26-28,2025 |
SCHOOL OPERATIONS ATTENDANCE UPDATES | NEW ITEMS LEFT ON THE BUS We’ve noticed an increase in phones and laptops being left on the bus. Please take a moment to remind your student about the importance of keeping track of their personal belongings. If your student has misplaced an item, you may contact the Transportation Office at 804-261-9401 to check whether it has been found. 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 |
TECHNOLOGY | No technology updates at this time. |
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
| NEW INFO Our School Intervention Team (IT) is here to partner with you in supporting your child’s success. We are currently monitoring and assisting a number of students who may benefit from extra academic, behavioral, or social-emotional support. If you ever have concerns or notice that your child might need additional help, please reach out to your school counselor. As always, we value open communication and are grateful for your collaboration in helping your student thrive. If you ever have questions or would like to discuss your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for being such an important part of our school community! The Counseling Team 6th Grade-Ms. Fish stfish@henrico.k12.va.us 7th Grade - Counselor Rawls glrawls@henrico.k12.va.us 8th Grade - Jennifer Bolding-jbolding@henrico.k12.va.us EL and last names A-B - Dr. Swingen: jkswingen@henrico.k12.va.us |
SPECIALITY CENTER INFORMATION | Click here to visit the HCPS Specialty Center website. |
EVENTS | None at this time. |
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES/ ELKO/SANDSTON COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES | None at this time. |
VOLUNTEER PROCESS
| If you would like to become a volunteer, please click here to complete the online volunteer/mentor application via the link below. |
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS | 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 11/24/25-11/28/25 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- Ad-ministrative Aide- fmtravis@henrico.k12.va.us Jocelyn Woodson- Administrative Aide-jrwoodson1@henrico.k12.va.us |
The Nest News-15th Edition- November 24-28, 2025
November 22, 2025
