| The Nest News-8th Edition-October 12-16, 2026 |
|---|---|
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
| Eagles, welcome back to another exciting week in the NEST! The weather is starting to change and the leaves are beginning to fall. As we enter this fall season, let's continue to push our students toward academic excellence. I truly believe that we can move the needle in student achievement—not just on the SOLs, but with essential life skills. The Journey to 2030 strategic plan emphasizes student preparation for life beyond K–12 schooling. We are teaching life lessons so our students are ready for the world. The middle school years are critical, and we only have three years to make a lasting impact. With that being said, we will continually need your support to make these pivotal years productive. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Elko Middle School does not tolerate any type of bullying. We strictly follow the Code of Student Conduct to investigate, address, and resolve any issues. School should always be a safe place for students to learn and thrive, and we will continue to cultivate this type of environment. A huge shout-out to all of our parents and community members for supporting our World’s Finest Chocolate fundraiser! Your generosity provides funding to support special events and incentives for both our students and staff. We appreciate all your support in making Elko one of the best schools in Henrico County Public Schools! |
OUTSIDE FOOD, FOOD DELIVERY NOT PERMITTED
| Eagle families, Please be reminded that students are not permitted to receive food deliveries to our campus. This includes DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub, and/or any outside takeout food dropped off to the main office. Students are welcome to bring a packed lunch with them to school, or to receive lunch from our school cafeteria. |
ATTENDANCE OFFICE | Absences can be reported one of the following ways: Filling out the Elko Attendance Google Doc Emailing Mrs. Nolte: mlnolte@henrico.k12.va.us Sending a Parent Square message to Mrs. Nolte Sending a handwritten note with your student when they return to school Calling the school: 804-328-4110 Please note that if a student reaches 5 and 10 unexcused absences, their parent or guardian will be contacted to schedule an attendance meeting. |
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION PROCESS | The gifted referral window will be open from Thursday, October 22, through Thursday November 12, at 11:59 PM. During this time, students may be referred to the gifted identification process by an educator, parent/guardian, community member, peer, or self. By submitting a referral, you are requesting your child be evaluated to determine eligibility for gifted services. To learn more about the gifted identification process, please click here: 26-27 Gifted Identification Information. To begin a referral, login to PowerSchool and click on forms. Follow this guide for instructions. Additional information about gifted programs can be found on our website: Henrico Schools Gifted Services Website Gifted referrals will not be accepted after Thursday, November 12. Contact your Gifted Resource teacher, Rebecca Crofts, (rlcrofts@henrico.k12.va.us) with questions. Click here to view the Gifted Identification Process Video. |
SCHOOL OPERATIONS
| Fall Picture Day Information Date: October 15th & 16th (DURING SCHOOL) Order Online Code: PX516635 Website: www.strawbridge.net Sports Pictures Information Date: October 15th (AFTERSCHOOL) SPORTS TEAMS: Football, Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, & Girls Tennis Order Online Code:FM516636 Website: www.strawbridge.net |
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
| 8th Grade Specialty Centers Henrico county specialty centers and ACE centers have opened their applications! The application window is from September 28 - November 13th. The School Counseling Department is happy to assist any students interested in applying. If you need help setting up your SchoolMint account, please contact Dr. Swingen. Level Up Elko! 7th and 8th grade students can sign up to hear from specific specialty centers during Advisory. Currently we have 7 specialty centers signed up to visit our students and hopefully more to come! Click here to sign up for upcoming Specialty Center visits. |
THE ELKO SCHOOL COUNSELING TEAM | Tamika Stacy Registrar Phone ext. 20007 Sarah Fish (7th Grade) Phone ext. 20011 Jennifer Boulding (8th Grade) Phone ext. 20010 Corey Hancock (6th Grade) Phone ext. 20008 clhancock1@henrico.k12.va.us Jorli Swingen Director for School Counseling/ EL & last name A- B Phone ext. 20009 |
ELKO ATHLEICS
| EMS Weekly Athletics Update- Week of : 10/12/26-10/16/26 Click here to view Elko Athletics Fall Sports Schedule for the 2026 season. |
EVENTS | Advisory Competition (Canned Food Drive) Click here to learn how to donate to the Henrico Heroes Advisory Food Drive. Join Elko's PTSA Click here to join Elko Middle School's PTSA and apply to serve as an officer or chair today! |
VOLUNTEER PROCESS
| If you would like to become a volunteer, please complete the online volunteer/mentor application via the link below. Click here to access the HCPS Volunteer Form. |
UPCOMING EVENTS | October 28th: student 1/2 day, staff clerical day |
COMMUNITY EVENTS | Click here to view the flyer for Senator Jennifer McClellan's Annual Harvest Festival. |
STAY IN THE KNOW WITH ALL THINGS ELKO & HCPS | |
ELKO LEADERSHIP TEAM | Tyrus T. Lyles, Ed.D.(Principal): ttlyles@henrico.k12.va.us Quantina Jackson (Associate Principal): qtjackson@henrico.k12.va.us Sharne' Francis (Associate Principal, 7th Grade) sjfrancis@henrico.k12.va.us Akeela Tyson (Assistant Principal, 8th Grade) altyson@henrico.k12.va.us Blake Carrey (Assistant Principal, 6th Grade): abcarrey@henrico.k12.va.us Jorli Swingen (Director of School Counseling): jkswingen@henrico.k12.va.us Kendra Amis (Athletic Director): kdamis@henrico.k12.va.us Jennifer Jenkins (Administrative Aide):jrjenkin@henrico.k12.va.us Torre Siler (Administrative Aide): tsiler@hennco.k12.va.us Jocelyn Woodson (Administrative Aide): jrwoodson1@henrico.k12.va.us Kristina Harris (Administrative Aide): kvharris@henrico.k12.va.us Omar Peters (Administrative Aide): orpeters@henrico.k12.va.us |
