Dolphin Parent Connection
February 2019 Volume 4, Issue 6
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
February is National Children's Dental Health Month & National African American History Month
· Friday, February 1st: Staff Work Day--no school for students
· Friday, February 1st: Gifted applications due for ODS, Visual Arts, and Dance programs (Grades 2-5) by 4:00 PM
· Monday, February 4th--Friday, February 8th: National School Counseling Week
· Monday, February 4th: Beginning of Marking Period 3
· Tuesday, February 5th: Fitness Club @ 7:15-7:45 AM
· Tuesday, February 5th: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Tuesday, February 5th: 4th Grade Field Trip to Virginia Symphony at Sandler Center
· Wednesday, February 6th: Helping Hands Meeting @ 2:50-4:00 PM
· Wednesday, February 6th: Maker Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, February 6th: STEM/Robotics Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Thursday, February 7th: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Thursday, February 7th: Spirit Night at McDonald's @ 5:00-8:00 PM
· Monday, February 11th--Wednesday, February 13th: SCA Selling Candygrams
· Monday, February 11th: Report Cards Issued
· Tuesday, February 12th: Fitness Club @ 7:15-7:45 AM
· Tuesday, February 12th: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Tuesday, February 12th: SCA Meeting @ 2:45-4:00 PM
· Tuesday, February 12th: Battle of the Book City Regionals @ 5:00 PM at Kellam HS
· Wednesday, February 13th: STEM/Robotics Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, February 13th: Anchored4Life Club @ 2:45-4:00 PM
· Thursday, February 14th: Candygrams Delivered
· Thursday, February 14th: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Friday, February 15th: 100th Day of School
· Tuesday, February 19th: Fitness Club @ 7:15-7:45 AM
· Tuesday, February 19th: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Wednesday, February 20th: STEM/Robotics Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, February 20th: Maker Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, February 20th: Helping Hands Meeting @ 2:50-4:00 PM
· Thursday, February 21st: PTA Junior Newspaper Club @ 2:50-3:30 PM
· Thursday, February 21st: Gifted Testing for Select Students in Grades 2-5
· Friday, February 22nd: School Planning Council Meeting @ 1:00 PM
· Tuesday, February 26th: Fitness Club @ 7:15-7:45 AM
· Tuesday, February 26th: Grade 4 Virginia Aquarium Outreach Program
· Wednesday, February 27th: STEM/Robotics Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, February 27th: National Assessment of Educational Progress for select 4th graders
· Thursday, February 28th: Lifetouch Class and Group Photos
· Thursday, February 28th: Kindergarten Literacy Workshop @ 5:00 PM
· Saturday, March 2nd: Partnership Expo & PTA Vendor Fair @ 9:00 AM--1:00 PM (Landstown HS)
· Tuesday, March 5th: Grade 2 Patriotic Concert @ 6:30 PM
· Tuesday, March 5th: Fitness Club @ 7:15-7:45 AM
· Wednesday, March 6th: STEM/Robotics Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, March 6th: Maker Club @ 2:50-4:15 PM
· Wednesday, March 6th: Helping Hands Meeting @ 2:50-4:00 PM
· Wednesday, March 6th: PTA Dolphin Academy @ 2:50-3:30 PM
Chinese New Year Lunch Week Menu: February 4th-8th
Mark Your Calendars Now for These Upcoming Events!
- Paint Night: Friday, March 15th at 6:00 PM (Registration details coming soon)
- Helping Hands Spaghetti Dinner: Friday, April 26th
- Helping Hands Spring Flower Sale: Ordering info will go out in March and pick up will be Wednesday, April 24th
News from Our Nurse, Ms. Hart
Attention all 5th grade parents!
Your child will need a Tdap immunization for 6th grade. Get this vaccine now so that you can avoid the August Rush. Please bring proof of the vaccination to the clinic this spring.
Do You Have Pictures from School Events to Share?
Parents can go to the link https://community.lifetouch.com/ and then follow these steps.
- Go to NEW USER and enter the code TJXNYI
- You will be prompted to create an account
- Then you can directly upload images onto the LifeTouch website. It is very easy
- Please email Ms. Knight if you have any questions or problems at morgan.knight@vbschools.com
Students in the uploaded images will be reviewed to ensure media release is allowed.
Camp Invention at Red Mill This Summer
Camp Invention is coming to Red Mill this summer. The camp is open to students entering Kindergarten through 6th grade and will run July 15th--19th from 8:30 AM--3:00 PM. Sign up early and use promo code INNOVATE25 to save $25.
Introducing our NEW 2019 program,SUPERCHARGED!
Camp Invention is a high-energy, hands-on STEM camp. Your child will love what’s in store this year:
- CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING Children team up to rebuild ships and design underwater equipment in Deep Sea Mystery™.
- STEM APPLICATION In DIY Orbot™, participants explore circuit boards, motors and gears as they design a remote-control bot to take on obstacles from sports to dance.
- INNOVATION Children collaborate with inventor superheroes and take on the role of engineers, fabricators and innovators to conquer villains in Innovation Force™.
- CONFIDENCE Kids become successful entrepreneurs in Farm Tech™, as they code bots to turn a polluted wasteland into a money-making machine and create devices to save animals.
Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant
The National Dairy Council® (NDC) and the National Football League (NFL) — in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — are making a long-term commitment to America’s youth with a school-based nutrition and fitness initiative called Fuel Up to Play 60. The initiative gets students involved in creating a healthier school environment that promotes student health, learning and achievement.
Each year the Fuel Up To Play 60 program offers grants to schools that participate in their program and have a clear idea of how they would like to encourage healthy eating and physical activity within their school. This year, Red Mill is the lucky recipient of the Fuel Up to Play 60 grant! The funding provided by this grant will help us to revamp your student’s recess by buying recess equipment for the classroom teachers and adding a motor skills course and Striker Ball Pit to the outdoor recess area. The grant will also help us to provide another nutritious breakfast option in the form of a smoothie bar in the cafeteria. We can’t wait to share our progress… STAY TUNED!
Art Contest Opportunity
Every year, the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities holds a Water Awareness Calendar Art Contest among Virginia Beach students grades K-5. The deadline to enter the 2020 Water Awareness Calendar Contest is March 1, 2019. You can find more information & entry form at https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-utilities/fun-for-kids/Pages/water-awareness-calendar-contest.aspx Students may submit their Water Awareness Calendar Contest entry to Ms. Knight!
Operation Smile Final Mile
This year Red Mill Elementary has an exciting opportunity to participate in the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile. This program is an extension of the Shamrock Marathon held annually in March. The goal of the final mile program is to have elementary students complete their own marathon, 26.2 miles, by running one mile at a time. Our students will run or walk 25 miles during P.E. class or at home over the next 3 months. On race day, March 16, 2019, the students have the opportunity to run the final mile of their marathon at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront with over 4,800 other elementary students.
In order to participate in the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile students must register for the race. You can register your child for the race online at any time at www.shamrockmarathon.com. The Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile coordinator then contacts me to let me know your child has been registered. The registration fee is $25.00 through race weekend. All participants receive a race T-shirt, goody bag, special medal, and certificate upon completion of the race. Participants also receive coupon incentives beginning in January from various local restaurants, museums, etc.
In preparation for the Operation Smile Final Mile in March, I will be sponsoring a morning fitness club for students registered to participate in the Final Mile race. If your child is registered to run in the Final Mile race on March 16th and is interested in participating in the fitness club, we will meet in the gym from 7:15 – 7:45 AM on Tuesdays beginning January 29th until March 12th. Students may be running outside so they should have appropriate clothing for the weather. In case of rain or extreme cold, the fitness club will participate in indoor fitness activities in the gym. Students are still responsible for recording their progress on their mileage trackers at home. Your student must be registered for the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile in order to participate in this club.
You can find additional information including a mileage tracker, FAQ sheet, and printable shamrock in Schoology in your student’s P.E. course.
PTA News
Upcoming events:
The PTA is excited to announce that we will be holding a Spring Fling at Hunt Club Farm on the evening of Friday, May 10th! Entertainment will include a DJ. You’ll be able to see the animals, enjoy a hayride, and play games. Please mark your calendars and watch out for more info.
Talent Show planning is underway. We are still working on a date, but it will likely be in early April. We will send out details soon. Meanwhile, have your child think about a talent they may want to share with their friends.
Dolphin Academy will be here soon! Parents, do you have a talent you’d like to share with the kids on Wednesday afternoons in March? It could be crafting, a foreign language, art, LEGO- building, dance, or others. If so, please fill out the attached form or contact Terry Stevens at: terryannstevens@hotmail.com or redmillpta@yahoo.com. We’re also looking for another co-chair if you’d like to help organize this fun program.
Past Events: We hope you enjoyed board game night. A special “Thank you” to Carisma Olguin and her family for helping arrange the fun, family event.
Box Tops Fundraiser: Remember to clip Box Tops labels on food packages! These labels would just be thrown away or recycled, so why not clip them and help your school at the same time? This Spring, we will make it a class competition, so be sure to put them in an envelope or baggie with your child’s grade and teacher’s name. There are mailboxes in the school foyer.
PTA Meetings: We do not have a meeting scheduled for February. The next board meeting is set for Monday, March 25 at 6:30 pm.
Other upcoming events: Do you have a 5th grader? We are looking for a co-chairperson for the 5th grade social and the end-of-year wall signing.
It’s not too early to think about how you might be able to help Red Mill next year! If you’re interested in holding a board position or chairing an event, please contact us.
Updates? Questions? Check out or Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Red-Mill-PTA-340289762792972/ or redmillpta@yahoo.com.
School Counseling Program Notes
In the month of February, we will focus on becoming Resilient Learners. Students will be learning to seek and accept new and difficult challenges, view “set-backs” as opportunities to learn and grow, and adapt to change.
February 4-8 is National School Counseling Week. Please join me celebrating, and visit http://bit.ly/scinfographic to learn more about the unique role and contributions of Professional School Counselors.
Please feel free to contact me by phone (648-3572) or e-mail (erin.whitt@vbschools.com) if you have any questions or concerns.
February Fitness Challenge: For the Love of Fitness
Students completing the February fitness challenge will earn a brag tag. Forms should be turned in to Ms. Parker no later than Monday, March 4th. See attached form.
Upcycling News
We are currently Upcycling things that you can’t recycle at home:
- Plastic bags (grocery bags, vegetable bags, dog food bags and any bag that doesn’t crinkle): These items cannot be recycled by the City of VA Beach so please consider bringing them to us so that we can recycle them through Trex.
- Egg Cartons: We give these to our local egg farmers.
- Shoes: We donate to a local dog rescue, and the shoes go to third world countries where families can start their own shoe businesses.
- Please note that we are not collecting batteries. Batteries can be taken to the local library for recycling.
Gifted News
Please see below for important dates and application deadlines. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tamyra Natividad, Red Mill's Gifted Resource Teacher at tamyra.natividad@vbschools.com
Gifted Application & Deadlines (all applications due by 4:00 p.m. on deadline date)
https://giftedapplication.vbcps.com
- All 1st grade referrals (current grade 1) application deadline March 1, 2019
Testing Dates
Gifted Testing (for identification and/or ODS placement) for grades 2-5 for select students at Red Mill on Thursday, February 21, 2019 (applications must have been submitted by Feb. 1, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.)
- Gifted Testing (for identification and/or ODS placement) for grade 1 for select students at Red Mill on Thursday, April 25, 2019 (applications must have been submitted by March 1, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.)
Worth A Second Look
Student Electronic Resources
Go Noodle: At Home Fitness Resource
Dismissal Change Reminders
Our staff works hard to ensure each child makes it home safely every day, but we need your help. As a reminder, if there is to be any change in dismissal procedures for your child, whether it is an early pickup or going home a different way, please have your child give his/her teacher a parent note first thing in the morning (preferred way) indicating the change. You may also email the office before 2:10 PM with the dismissal change at the following address: redmiles@vbschools.com. Please do not simply email your child's teacher or use Class Dojo for communicating dismissal changes. Teachers are busy teaching and cannot guarantee that he/she will see the electronic communication. Also, if your child is involved in an after school activity and cannot attend on a particular day, a note is needed indicating that your child will not be staying for the activity. Otherwise, we must assume your child should be staying after school .
School Cafe
- Make Payments
- Set up Auto Pay
- Set Purchase Restrictions
- Get Low Balance Alerts
- Submit Applications
- View Purchases
- View Menus
Take Some Stress off Your Plate
Destination Graduation
Students and their parents are encouraged to visit the Academic and Career Planning webpage to view and engage with K-12 career resources, middle and high school academic and career planning documents, and career pathway guides. Likewise, the Destination Graduation site offers students and families grade-level specific information and resources to help students and families navigate the journey from preschool to high school graduation.