Principal's Message
Dear Monterey Families,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I am thrilled to be welcoming your children back to school! We have had a wonderful start to the school year! Our continued commitment to fostering resilience, perseverance, grit, empathy, and the ability to communicate effectively in diverse learning partnerships will undoubtedly help our students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our team will continue to embed critical thinking and collaboration across all content areas. We will also continue working diligently to meet the diverse needs of our students through reading and writing in every subject every day. We will emphasize meaningful, timely feedback to help students work towards academic growth and success. All students in grades K-5 will participate in a specials rotation to experience Music, Art, Library, Physical Education, and Spanish. As our school mission and vision states, at Monterey we support our students in not only their academic growth but also their social and emotional growth. Our deliberate work will be to instill tools for self-regulation and emotional wellness. Practices such as naming emotions, communicating needs, self-advocacy, and breathing exercises help our students have ownership over their responses to their emotions. We use a team approach to learning the personal narratives of each student in our care while working in partnerships with their respective families to determine how best to meet the needs of our students.
One of the greatest characteristics of the Monterey learning community is the genuine care and compassion shared between staff, students, and parents. Monterey Elementary is a place where staff and families come together to ensure that the children entrusted to our care grow to be productive, confident, compassionate, members of a global society. I look forward to an amazing year as we seize each day at Monterey.
Sincerely,
Morgan Strother
Proud School Principal of Monterey Elementary
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TransportationAt Monterey, we pride ourselves on putting the safety of our students first. This includes their transportation needs to and from school. Our teachers work diligently to ensure that students get home safely. Parents and guardians, if you need to change your child's transportation at any point, please call the office at 540-853-2933 prior to 1 PM daily to ensure that we have correct information on any needed transportation changes. Thank you to students, teachers and guardians who continue to remain flexible regarding school buses. Durham Transportation services is working hard to ensure your child arrives to school and home safely. To stay update with transportation information as well as the Durham Bus Tracker app, please click here. Please continue to be patient with late buses in the morning and afternoon. Safety is a top priority, thank you for your understanding! | VisitorsAll visitors must have a photo ID (such as driver’s license or passport) to enter the building. This includes picking up your child early from school or attending a meeting at the school. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe! | Instructional School DayThe Monterey learning community takes great pride in maximizing the instructional time we have with students. Our instruction begins daily at 7:30am. Please be sure students have checked into school prior to 7:30 to ensure they have the opportunity to engage in all learning opportunities provided. We continue instruction consistently throughout each school day until 2:05 pm. Please be sure students are not checking out prior to 2:05. It is important that students maintain a routine allowing for consistent departure daily. Thank you for helping our school community maintain a goal of maximizing instructional time with our students. |
Transportation
At Monterey, we pride ourselves on putting the safety of our students first. This includes their transportation needs to and from school. Our teachers work diligently to ensure that students get home safely. Parents and guardians, if you need to change your child's transportation at any point, please call the office at 540-853-2933 prior to 1 PM daily to ensure that we have correct information on any needed transportation changes.
Thank you to students, teachers and guardians who continue to remain flexible regarding school buses. Durham Transportation services is working hard to ensure your child arrives to school and home safely. To stay update with transportation information as well as the Durham Bus Tracker app, please click here. Please continue to be patient with late buses in the morning and afternoon. Safety is a top priority, thank you for your understanding!
Visitors
All visitors must have a photo ID (such as driver’s license or passport) to enter the building. This includes picking up your child early from school or attending a meeting at the school. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!
Instructional School Day
The Monterey learning community takes great pride in maximizing the instructional time we have with students. Our instruction begins daily at 7:30am. Please be sure students have checked into school prior to 7:30 to ensure they have the opportunity to engage in all learning opportunities provided. We continue instruction consistently throughout each school day until 2:05 pm. Please be sure students are not checking out prior to 2:05. It is important that students maintain a routine allowing for consistent departure daily. Thank you for helping our school community maintain a goal of maximizing instructional time with our students.
Attendance Reminders
If your child will not be at school or will be tardy, please call our main office at 540-853-2933. If your child missed school due to a doctor’s visit, please provide the doctor’s note. We will mark their absence EMD (Excused Medical). The only excused absences that do not count towards “truancy” are excused medical notes and court notes. All other absences are considered unexcused.
The Virginia State Compulsory Attendance Law states that after 5 unexcused absences, the parent will receive an attendance letter from our student support specialist, Mr. Anthony Drakeford. After 10 unexcused absences, a second letter will be sent as well as a meeting will be scheduled with administration and the student support specialist. If your child is experiencing any sick symptoms, please call our school Nurse to discuss a plan of action. Thank you for helping our school community prioritize learning and ensuring that your child(ren) is at school daily.
Code of VA Safety Drills
Each year, Virginia law requires schools to conduct fire drills and lockdown drills. Within the first month, Monterey Elementary will conduct their first round of required drills. As part of these drills, there will be announcements broadcast throughout the school. We ask that parents speak with their children about the importance of taking these drills seriously and following all instructions. We thank you for your understanding as we work to maintain a safe learning environment for our students. The drills will take place as follow:
- One fire drill in the first 10 school days,
- A second fire drill at any time within the first 20 school days,
- One fire drill every month thereafter for the remainder of the school term,
- A lock-down drill at least once during the first 20 days of school, and
- Conduct at least two additional lock-down drills during the remainder of the school term.
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Beginning of Year TestingBeginning of the year testing is just around the corner! We conduct beginning of the year testing to get a baseline for where students are academically. The data from testing is utilized to ensure that students instructional needs are met. Check out the calendar at the bottom of the newsletter for testing dates. | Clothing Closet Needs The nurse’s clinic needs new or gently used clothes. All elementary sizes are accepted, but boys’ and girls’ sizes 4T-10 are an urgent need (especially pants). New undergarments in the above sizes are also needed. If you are able to donate, please send in the items and a note with your child or drop off at the office. Thanks in advance for your support! | Planners and Beginng of the Year FormsStudents in grades 2-5 will utilize planners daily to help with organization and communication between school and home. The cost of a planner is $5. If you have not already purchased a planner, please send $5 (clearly labeled for a planner) to school with your child.
All the beginning of the year forms are due as soon as possible! If you have any questions regarding these forms, please reach out to your child’s teacher or call the school office (540) 853-2933. |
Beginning of Year Testing
Beginning of the year testing is just around the corner! We conduct beginning of the year testing to get a baseline for where students are academically. The data from testing is utilized to ensure that students instructional needs are met. Check out the calendar at the bottom of the newsletter for testing dates.
Clothing Closet Needs
Planners and Beginng of the Year Forms
Students in grades 2-5 will utilize planners daily to help with organization and communication between school and home. The cost of a planner is $5. If you have not already purchased a planner, please send $5 (clearly labeled for a planner) to school with your child.
All the beginning of the year forms are due as soon as possible! If you have any questions regarding these forms, please reach out to your child’s teacher or call the school office (540) 853-2933.
Message From the PTA
The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is looking forward to another fantastic year as we partner with our school community! The PTA helps provide teachers and students with supplies, supports technology needs, provides funding for guest speakers and school wide events, and sponsors free family functions at school. There is a $5 fee for each member that joins. A portion of this fee pays for local and state PTA membership fees and a portion goes directly to our school’s PTA.
Fall Ice Cream Day:
Friday, September 8th is the PTA sponsored Fall Ice Cream Day. A variety of ice cream will be on sale for $1 during recess. Please send in money on Friday only, exact change is preferred. If you would like to send in extra for a child who forgot, it would be appreciated.
Pawathon (Fall Fundraiser)
The PTA will kickoff the fall “Pawathon” fundraiser on September 22nd. The Pawathon is a walkathon where students seek donations to sponsor them to walk. Students will earn prizes for funds raised. Please be on the lookout for more information coming home with your child on Sept. 22nd.
Why should I join?
As a member of our PTA, you are supporting your student's school and educational successes. You are also a voting member. When you come to a PTA board meeting you can vote on how we should spend funds or how to improve a program. Please consider joining the PTA.
Follow these simple steps to join:
1. Go to https://monterey.new.memberhub.store
2. Choose the appropriate membership type (ex. Parent, Student, etc. - all memberships are $5.00**)
3. Fill in contact information
4. Click add to cart
5. Either check-out or add more members
6. You are now PTA'ing!!!
** There is a small convenience fee of 68 cents to sign up through Memberhub.
Ways to support the PTA:
Consider linking your Kroger account to Monterey Elementary PTA through the Community Rewards. Kroger will donate a percentage of what you spend to our PTA at no cost to you.
We are always looking for more parent helpers and would love to have your help. Follow the Monterey Elementary PTA Facebook page for information about upcoming meeting and opportunities to help—https://www.facebook.com/montereyelementarypta/
PTA Meetings:
If you would like to attend any PTA meetings, please e-mail Ms. Laughlin at tlaughlin@rcps.info for more info on how to access our meetings.
Monterey Elementary
Anthony Swann~Assistant Principal