| The Nest News-9th Edition-October 19-23, 2026 |
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
| Eagles, we are off to the races for another great week at the nest! As mentioned in previous NEST Newsletters, we are approaching the end of the first quarter. It is extremely important that students who have fallen behind meet with their teachers to discuss how to catch up and maintain good academic standing. We want all of our students to be successful, but students must remain committed to completing their classwork and studying for tests and quizzes. The staff at Elko will support our students every step of the way, but students must do their part in this process. Technology Innovations in the Classroom We are introducing more hands-on experiences using technology to enhance learning: VR Headsets: Students will begin using Virtual Reality headsets in core content areas to make learning interactive and fun. Drone Technology: Our Tech Ed students will soon have the opportunity to work with drones! Students will start by learning the mechanics behind drones, their practical applications, and potential career opportunities in drone operation. More detailed information will follow soon. Club Spotlights I took time to visit a few of our student clubs, and it was truly refreshing to see our students engaged in organized fun: Chess Club: Great concentration and strategy on display as students played chess. Becoming Queens Club: Inspiring teamwork and empowering participation from our young ladies. Social Media Club: Hands-on experience and creative work being done by our students. Clubs offer a fantastic outlet for students to build community and enjoy organized activities at school. While we offer many more clubs, I wanted to give a special shoutout to these three today—look forward to more club spotlights throughout the school year! Special Thanks A big thank you to Dr. Francis, Associate Principal, for getting this programming up and running smoothly. As always, thank you for all you do to support our Eagles and help them soar! |
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. |
CELEBRATING DIGIGTAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK | Click here to view the Elko Middle School 2026 Family Resource calendar. October 19th-23rd is Digital Citizenship Week! The goal of Digital Citizenship week is to promote a healthy, balanced, and positive approach to media and tech use. Students in each grade level receive three Digital Citizenship lessons and ongoing opportunities to extend their learning on digital habits, through trivia activities on our morning announcements. We invite you to check out the resources under Family Extension to continue the conversations at home. Click on the image above to access! |
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
| Unity Day Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, October 21, our school will celebrate Unity Day—a national movement dedicated to promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion while taking a visible stand against bullying. We invite all students and staff to wear orange to show that we are united for a safer, more supportive school environment. Throughout the day, students will participate in discussions about empathy and sign our schoolwide Unity Pledge, committing to stand up for one another and treat everyone with respect. Thank you for partnering with us to build a welcoming community where every child belongs! Mission Tomorrow Field Trip October 20th is Mission Tomorrow. If your student turned in their permission slip we will be going to RIR for an exciting trip to learn about careers. Students who do not attend will follow their normal schedule. 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 ATHLETICS
| EMS Weekly Athletics Update- Week of: 10/19/26-10/23/26 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 |
