| 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, The first quarter of the school year is quickly drawing to a close, and the Second Quarter will officially begin on Monday, October 27th! We are so proud of the progress our students have made, and we are excited to carry this momentum into the next quarter. To ensure continued success, we need your help in reinforcing a few key areas with your student: Stay Focused in Class: Encouraging your student to be actively engaged and focused during every class period is vital for deep learning. Charged Laptops are Essential: Please remind your student to bring their fully charged laptop to school every day. This is a crucial tool for both in-class instruction and completing assignments. Complete All Assignments: Timely completion of all classwork, homework, and projects is essential for mastering the curriculum and earning proficient grades. Mission Possible: Success in Every Class This year, our academic program is guided by the theme "Mission Possible," and we truly mean it. We are committed to pushing the needle to proficiency in every content area for every student. Student success is our mission, and the staff at Elko Middle School has wholeheartedly accepted this challenge. If your student needs help: They should immediately reach out to their teacher with questions or concerns about the material. If you, as a parent, need assistance: Please reach out to the specific teacher for any class where your student is struggling. Most teachers are able to answer emails faster than returning phone calls. You can easily set up an appointment to meet or speak with a teacher via email to discuss a plan for your student's success. Upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences - November 4th As a reminder, Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Wednesday, November 4th. Each teacher has sent out links for scheduling appointments on that day. Please reference your email or text messages for those specific links. Please be mindful that each time slot is assigned to a parent/guardian. We kindly ask that you keep to the time you are assigned. If you need a more in-depth follow-up discussion with the teacher, please use email to set up a separate appointment for a later date. Thank you for your ongoing support as we partner to make this a successful school year! Go Eagles! |
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION REFERRAL INFORMATION | The gifted referral window will be open from Monday, October 27, through Monday, November 10, at 4 PM. During this time, students may be referred to the gifted identification process by an educator, a parent/guardian, a community member, a peer, or themselves. By submitting a referral, you request that your student be evaluated to determine eligibility for gifted services. To begin a referral, contact your Gifted Identification Coordinator with your student’s name, teacher, grade, and area of referral (Math, Language, Both)to communicate your referral to school staff. Gifted referrals will not be accepted after 4 PM on Monday, November 10. Contact your Gifted Identification Coordinator, Rebecca Crofts (rlcrofts@henrico.k12.va.us), with questions. Please review the following information: Click here for more information on the HCPS Gifted Program. |
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 |
TECHNOLOGY PARENTING IN A DIGITAL AGE (COMMON SENSE MEDIA)
| Feeling overwhelmed by your child's screen time? This quick video from Common Sense Media is for you. "Parenting in a Digital Age" offers practical tips on how to guide your family in the online world. The video focuses on teaching digital citizenship: what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible online. It's a great conversation starter for setting clear expectations and encouraging positive habits around devices. Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/AI8jWdD-_Lc Let's help our kids become thoughtful and ethical digital citizens! |
MAKE-UP PICTURE DAY | MAKE-UP PICTURE DAY-NOVEMBER 21ST |
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
| NEW INFO 8th Grade Specialty Center and ACE Center Corner 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. Upcoming dates: Ongoing: Donuts and Degrees program at Elko - your student can sign-up through the 8th grade Schoology page Ongoing: 1:1 help for 8th graders during advisory - your student can sign-up through the 8th grade Schoology page November 7th - Specialty Center Application Assistance with Central Office all day. November 14 - Application Closes SOS The Elko Middle School Counseling department will begin teaching our Signs of Suicide lessons through Health classes on October 28 until November 13th. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to opt out your student please contact Dr. Swingen. Henrico Christmas Mother Henrico Christmas mother is now accepting applications for help with Christmas present for school aged or younger children in your house. For more information, please contact Dr. Swingen at jkswingen@henrico.k12.va.us or contact Henrico Christmas Mother directly at applications@henricochristmasmother.org or 804.236.9741. 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 |
EVENTS | PINK OUT DAY-OCTOBER 29,2025 |
| NOVEMBER 4TH-10AM-2PM TEACHER LUNCH BREAK 12PM-12:30PM |
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | None at this time. |
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES/ ELKO/SANDSTON COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES | |
RVA Marketfest 2025 | Click here for more information regarding the RVA Marketfest 2025. |
UPWARD BASKETBALL AT POPLAR SPRINGS | Click here to visit the UPWARD BASKETBALL AT POPLAR SPRINGS website for more information. |
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 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 10/27/25-10/31/25 at glance. |
E-SPORTS | Love gaming? Interested in online competitions with your friends? Join Elko Middle’s ESports Team! Every Wednesday and Thursday 3:45-5:30 Come play your favorite video games, compete in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros, meet new people, and be part of our team. See Mr. Taylor (2800) or Counselor Rawls (School Counseling) for a Permission Slip |
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-11th Edition- October 27-31, 2025
October 26, 2025
