Dolphin Parent Connection
September 2021 Volume 7, Issue 2
Mrs. Keros and I, along with the entire Red Mill staff, have loved seeing our hallways and classrooms filled with your children these past 5 days. It makes our hearts happy to see their smiling faces and enthusiasm. It's hard to believe but our students are working their way through their first five-day school week since March 2020. I'm sure we are all going to be exhausted by Friday afternoon. We know there have been some frustrations with transportation during these opening days, and we are so appreciative of your patience as the Department of Transportation works to find solutions to staffing shortages.
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
· Friday, September 17th: PTA Summer Reading Logs are Due
· Friday, September 17th: Virtual Air Show/STEM Day for 5th Grade
· Friday, September 17th: Constitution Day
· Monday, September 20th: Grade 5 Math Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Tuesday, September 21st: Grade 4 Math Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Wednesday, September 22nd: Spirit Night at Red Robin @ 4:00-8:00 PM (see info below)
· Wednesday, September 22nd: PTA General Meeting @ 7:00 PM via Zoom (see login info in PTA section below)
· Thursday, September 23rd: Grade 3 Math Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Friday, September 24th: PTA Summer Reading Ice Cream Social @ 2:00 PM
· Friday, September 24th: Summer Learning Leaps Pizza Picnic during lunch
· Monday, September 27th: Grade 5 Reading Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Tuesday, September 28th: Grade 4 Reading Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Tuesday, September 28th: Girls on the Run until 4:00 PM
· Wednesday, September 29th: Grade 3 Reading Virginia State Growth Assessment
· Thursday, September 30th: Grade 5 Gifted Screening
· Thursday, September 30th: Girls on the Run until 4:00 PM
· Tuesday, October 5th: Girls on the Run until 4:00 PM
· Thursday, October 7th: School Planning Council Meeting via Zoom (login link will be sent at the beginning of October)
· Thursday, October 7th: Girls on the Run until 4:00 PM
Spirit Night at Red Robin
Let's raise some cheddar Wednesday 9/22 4-8pm during our Spirit Night fundraiser with Red Robin. 20% of Dine-in and To-Go fundraising sales is given back to Red Mill Elementary. Join us in person and mention our fundraiser, or select Red Mill Commons, 1088 Nimmo Parkway when you order online at order.redrobin.com. Add our fundraiser to your cart then load up on Yummm! Excludes alcohol and tax. Be sure to show the attached flyer to your server if dining in.
Beach Bags Available for Those Needing Assistance
Virginia Beach City Public Schools offers the Beach Bags program to provide free shelf stable meals and healthy snacks to families needing additional support over weekends and school breaks. If your family is interesting in receiving Beach Bags, please complete the form below.
Student Chromebooks and Chargers
Several students have indicated that they have lost their assigned Chromebook charger over the summer. HP Chromebook chargers are currently on backorder across the nation. Additionally, the cost of replacement chargers is pretty pricey. At the current time, the cost is $44 per charger. We are pretty confident that many of these "missing" chargers are just hiding in bedrooms. Please help your child search for his/her Chromebook charger if he/she has lost it and return it to school.
ParentVue Accounts
Additionally, ParentVue should also be used to electronically review and acknowledge the required documents below. Parents requesting a paper copy of the documents or who need assistance with ParentVue should contact the school office. For your convenience, this information, is also available on the school division’s website, https://www.vbschools.com/parents.
- Behavior Supports and Code of Student Conduct
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); Note: Any parent who objects to the release of any directory information must notify, in writing, the principal of the school where the records are kept.
- Compulsory School Attendance Law
- Parental Responsibility and Involvement Requirements
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Notice; Note: Contact the school about specific health/medical concerns
- Notice of Graduation Requirements
- Annual Notification of Guidance and School Counseling
- Student Digital Device Agreement
- School Counseling Opt-Out Form
- School Board Policies, Regulations and Procedures
- Learning about Scoliosis Information (Grades 5-10)
- Parent Educational Information on Eating Disorders (Grades 5-12)
- Kindergarten, Elementary and Secondary Handbooks
- Parent/Student Course Information
- 2021-22 Media Opt-Out Form (English) (Spanish)
- Gifted Education Information
- VBCPS Water Testing Program (paper copies provided to schools)
- FAMIS Health Insurance flyers /VBPHD Dental Letter (paper copies provided to schools)
SCA News
SCA applications will go home Monday, September 20th to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students who are interested in being a room rep or running for an officer position. If you have questions once applications go home please contact Carly Scheuer carly.scheuer@vbschools.com or Melissa Murphy Melissa.murphy@vbschools.com.
Tracking Your Student's Bus
Counselor Corner
During the month of September, students will get reacquainted with the role of the school counselor and begin to explore their feelings. Students will learn that school counselors help ALL students by visiting classrooms, meeting with small groups, and talking one on one.
We will also talk about our emotions, and learn that all emotions are okay. This will lay the groundwork for our October focus, the Zones of Regulation.
Emotions can be overwhelming for kids - and if we're being honest, adults too! Sometimes as parents and caregivers, our first instinct is to rush in and fix problems as soon as a child becomes upset, but this can actually hinder the development of self-regulation skills. Ultimately, we want kids to be able to handle strong emotions and express their feelings in safe and appropriate ways. See the article linked below to learn more about how you can build self-regulation skills at home!
Introducing our new Military & Family Life Counselor, Stacy Bushey!
The Office of Military Community and Family Policy places Child and Youth Behavioral Military Family Life Counselors in our schools to support our military members and their families with the unique challenges they face. CYB-MFLCs have advanced degrees in the mental health field and specialized training in child and youth development. They support the needs of our children and families by partnering with parents, faculty, counselors, and staff to foster healthy social/emotional growth through a variety of individual and group activities and strategies. MFLCs promote resources and resiliency, with a family readiness/mission readiness resolve.
Stacy has three children, was raised in a military family herself and has served in both military and private communities over the course of her 20+ years of experience. You can reach out to Mrs. Bushey at busheys@magellanfederal.com
5th Grade Gifted Screening
All Grade 5 students will be screened on Thursday, September 30, 2021. A good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast are the best preparation. Your cooperation in having your child present on this date is appreciated.
You can access your child’s ParentVUE account to view your child’s gifted screening scores. Your child’s gifted screening score will be available on ParentVUE by Monday, November 1, 2021. Students who score in the 90% range or higher are invited to fill out an online parent application for further testing. Parents may also fill out an online application for further testing if their child did not score in the 90% range if they feel their child needs to be further assessed.
Additional gifted testing information can be found at RMES Gifted Website. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s Gifted Resource Teacher, Cynthia Housianitis-Johnston, at cynthia.housianitis@vbschools.com
PTA News
PTA General Meeting
We will have a Zoom PTA Meeting on Wednesday, September 22nd at 7pm. We will discuss the Boosterthon Fun Run and events. We will also review and approve the budget for the fall.
Here is the Zoom link:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/82120975041?pwd=SVR3K29VQStBa05ZUGNWelJFaDZOdz09
Meeting ID 821 2097 5041
Passcode: UhV7j6
Joining the PTA
Thank you so much to everyone who joined the PTA this month! It’s not too late to join. PTA membership is open to all: dads, moms, caregivers, teachers, staff, and grandparents. Dues support your child by funding essential educational and curriculum needs. Dues are only $5.00! Please go to the following website rmes.new.memberhub.store/store, to sign up or fill out the form below and return it to your child’s teacher. You will receive a Papa John’s coupon code for joining. The code for $10 off your order will be emailed to you after you pay your dues. Please see the attached flyer for additional information.
New Social Media and Email
We have a new email address, Twitter, and Instagram account! Please follow us on social media for the latest PTA news and information or email us with any questions or suggestions you may have.
Facebook: Red Mill PTA
Twitter: @RedMillPTA
Instagram: redmillpta
Email: redmillvbpta@gmail.com
Easy Fundraising
Please remember to link your Harris Teeter Vic Card, link your Amazon Smile account to Red Mill PTA and download the Box Tops app and scan your receipts. Proceeds from your purchases go to help our school! See the flyer below for additional information.
Summer Reading Program
All summer reading logs are due this Friday, September 17th. Students must use the new form that was sent out at the end of the year and again in the August Parent Newsletter. The form is also attached below. Students can return completed forms to their teacher or take a picture of it and email it to redmillvbpta@gmail.com. Students who read all summer, complete the form and return it by Friday, September 17th, will be invited to an ice cream social held September 24th. Please contact Leah Lancione at leahlancione@gmail.com with any questions.
Reflections
The PTA Reflections contest entries are due Friday, October 22nd. This competition encourages students to explore the arts and express themselves by providing positive recognition for their artistic efforts. Students create theme-based artwork in dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography or visual arts. The theme for the 2021-2022 program year is “I will change the world by…” Please visit https://www.vapta.org/programs/student-programs/reflections for rules and additional information.
Learning Leaps Summer Participants
Parent Communication
This school year, we will continue to utilize SEESAW for class/school communication purposes in order to keep communication consistent. Please keep an eye out for an email from your child's teacher by Monday, August 30th with instructions on how to connect. It will be very important for you to stay connected with your child’s teacher in order to stay informed and up to date on important class/school information.
The school division will continue to utilize the AlertNow messaging system to disseminate information at the division level. The specific email addresses and phone numbers that receive these messages from the AlertNow system are based on information we currently have in our Student Information System.
Additionally, Red Mill may occasionally send text messages via the AlertNow Messaging system with important reminders and transportation changes. In order to receive text messages, you have to Opt In. See below for directions on how to Opt In or Opt Out of text messages.
How do I know if I have Opted-in?
You can check if you are opted-in by texting “Y” or "YES" to 67587.
How do I opt-out?
You may opt-out at any time by texting “STOP” to 67587.
What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt-in again?
As long as your child’s school has your text-enabled phone number on record, you may request to begin receiving text messages by texting “Y” or "YES" to 67587. If the school does not have your text-enabled number on record, you will need to contact the school.