Dolphin Parent Connection
March 2021 Volume 6, Issue 7
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
March is Reading Month at Red Mill, Youth Art Month, Music in Our Schools Month, and Women's History Month
· Friday, March 5th: Reading Month Spirit Day: Cat in the Hat--Wear Your Favorite Hat
· Monday, March 8th: Progress Reports are emailed to parents of select students
· Wednesday, March 10th: SCA Leadership Council @ 3:00 PM--4:00 PM
· Friday, March 12th: Reading Month Spirit Day: The Sleep Book--Wear Your PJ's
· Friday, March 19th: Reading Month Spirit Day: Green Eggs and Ham--Wear Green
· Friday, March 26th: Reading Month Spirit Day: Oh the Places You Will Go--Wear a team jersey or college shirt
· Friday, April 2nd: Reading Month Activity Calendar Due to be entered in prize drawings
· Friday, April 2nd: Adjusted Dismissal for Students at 12:20 PM
· Monday, April 5th--Friday, April 9th: Spring Break
Food Service Menus: Please Note the Bold Print
March Is Reading Month at Red Mill
March is Reading Month at Red Mill. We hope you and your child will join in with the fun. We are trying to keep things simple during this crazy school year, but we still want to celebrate reading & writing. Students are encouraged to complete short daily activities throughout the month. There is a calendar of activities for Kindergarten and 1st grade and a separate calendar for 2nd through 5th grade. Students completing 15 or more of the activities will be entered in a drawing. Students completing all the activities will also be entered in a drawing for one of the grand prizes. The SCA Leadership Council has also organized some fun and simple spirit days throughout the month taking place each Friday. The first one is next Friday, March 5th: Cat in the Hat—Wear Your Favorite Hat. We hope every student participates and discovers a new author, series, or genre that sparks their love of reading. The complete list of March Reading Month Spirit Days as well as the Reading Month Activity Calendars are below.
PTA News
General PTA Meeting- Zoom
Please join us on March 9th at 6:30 p.m. for a General PTA Meeting. We will have a drawing at the end of the meeting for a chance to win tickets to the Funny Bone Comedy Club. Here is the Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75200243493?pwd=dmk0K1grVmQwd1lqby85czRLdlNnUT09
-Meeting ID: 752 0024 3493 - Passcode: ekq6SG
Stress-Free Fundraiser
We are so excited to announce that we raised $4400.00 over the past two weeks. Your generous donations will allow us to fund our budget for the remainder of the school year. Thank you for supporting our school!!
Volunteer of the Year
Congratulations to Keegan Daley for being selected as Red Mill’s Volunteer of the Year. We look forward to him organizing our Talent Show and Turkey Bingo again next year. Thank you for all that you do for Red Mill and our community!!
Please “like” our Facebook page in order to receive the most current PTA information.
Joining the PTA
Please go to the following website rmes.new.memberhub.store/store to pay your $5.00 dues. You will receive a Papa John’s coupon code for joining. The code will be emailed to you after you pay your dues.
Mr. Keegan Daley, Red Mill's Volunteer of the Year
March Is Youth Art Month
- Mallory W.- 5th Grade
- Kaydence S.- 5th Grade
- Scarlett J. - 1st grade
Mallory W. - 5th Grade
Kaydence S. - 5th Grade
Scarlett J. - 1st Grade
Red Mill Yearbooks Pre-order Now
You can purchase your 2020-2021 Red Mill Elementary yearbook now! Personalized yearbooks are $30 and standard yearbooks are $25.00. Pre-order your yearbook now. We will not be ordering extra yearbooks so please pre-order. Visit the website ybpay.lifetouch.com to order. Use our RMES Yearbook ID: 13007621.
School Counselor Corner
In March, students are turning their focus toward the future. In classroom Life Skills lessons, we will explore the world of work by evaluating our interests and strengths. Students will be provided with resources to increase exposure to a variety of careers, and we will also discuss the many pathways to adult success.
You can continue this work at home – and join in on the fun! – by visiting vaview.net and careeronestop.org. VA Career VIEW, operated by Virginia Tech, offers games and activities organized by grade level as well as resources for parents. Career One Stop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, and houses an extensive library of career videos.
Sincerely,
Erin Whitt and Karen Racicot
Gifted News
Office Hours for Students:
Mondays 8:45-9:15 Google Meet code RMENAT
Email anytime at Tamyra.Natividad@vbschools.com
Grade 1: First Grade Parents, if you submitted an application for gifted identification and/or ODS by the February 26 deadline, testing date information will be available soon. Below is the timeline for the remainder of the identification process.
- May 5 - 7, 2021--Gifted Identification and Placement Committee meetings for grade 1
- May 13, 2021--Old Donation School Selection Committee meets to review grade 1 applicants for placement in grade 2 for the 2021-2022 school year.
- May 18, 2021--Old Donation School decision letters for grade 2 emailed to parents/guardians.
- June 1, 2021--Letters of Intent for grade 2 due to Old Donation School
- June 15, 2021--Deadline to appeal Old Donation School Selection Committee decisions for grade 2. Due by 5:00 pm to Gifted Office.
- June 2021--Grade 2 Old Donation School Appeals Committee
- June 2021--Old Donation School appeal decision letters for grade 2 emailed to parents/guardians
Grades 2-5 Timeline:
- Mar. 3-5, 2021--Gifted Identification and Placement Committee meetings for grades 2-7
- Mar. 10, 2021--Old Donation School Selection Committee meets to review applicants for placement in grades 6-8 for the 2021-2022 school year
- Mar. 12, 2021--Old Donation School selection decision letters for grades 6-8 emailed to parents/guardians.
- Mar. 19, 2021--Letters of Intent for grades 6-8 due to Old Donation School
- Mar. 23, 2021--Deadline to appeal Gifted Identification and Placement Committee decisions of applicants not currently identified for gifted services in grades 2-7. Due by 5:00 p.m. to Gifted Office.
- Mar. 26, 2021--Deadline to appeal Old Donation School Selection Committee decisions for grades 6-8. Due by 5:00 p.m. to Gifted Office.
- Apr. 1, 2021--Old Donation School Selection Committee meets to review applicants for placement in grades 3-5 for the 2021-2022 school year.
- Apr. 12, 2021--Old Donation School decision letters for grades 3-5 emailed to parents/guardians.
- Apr. 2020--Old Donation School Grades 6-8 Appeals Committee
- Apr. 2020--Old Donation School appeal decision letters for grades 6-8 emailed to parents/guardians.
- Apr. 22, 2021--Letters of Intent for grades 3-5 due to Old Donation School
- Apr. 26, 2020--Deadline to appeal Old Donation School Selection Committee decisions for grades 3-5. Due by 5:00 p.m. to Office of K-12 and Gifted Programs.
- Apr. 2020--Grades 3-5 Old Donation School Appeals Committee
- Apr. 2020--Old Donation School appeal decision letters for grades 3-5 emailed to parents/guardians
Free Parent & Student Resources
Office of Family & Community Engagement Resource Page
Mission of the VBCPS Office of Family & Community Engagement: Engage and empower family and community stakeholders through division collaboration of resources, services and information that leads to a well-balanced and successful student. https://sites.google.com/vbschools.com/face-resources
Parenting and Professional Resources from CHKD
Dedicated to providing quality information based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, CHKD offers classes, conferences, webinars, and more for parents and professionals interested in gaining knowledge, skills, and confidence in parenting. From parent education to children's health and mental wellness to injury prevention and sports performance, CHKD has got you covered.
https://www.chkd.org/patients-and-families/parenting-classes-and-resources/
Free Tutoring for Military Families
- Work with a tutor from any internet-connected device, anywhere in the world
- Connect to an expert tutor available on demand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week*
- Get online tutoring help three ways: request a tutor’s help right now, schedule a future tutoring session, or upload a document for offline review and get comments back within 24 hours
- Use the free Tutor.com app for IOS and Android mobile devices—take a picture of a homework problem and upload it for the tutor to see
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Having Trouble with Your Chromebook?
Accessing Student Report Cards
Guidelines for Student Participation in Virtual Learning
Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4, student cameras must be turned on at the beginning of class for teachers to verify attendance. In addition, cameras should be left on during live instruction and group work and may be turned off during independent work.
The Department of Technology is working on a solution for students to be able to either blur their background or to use a virtual background when their Chromebook camera is activated for video conferencing via Zoom or Google Meet. In the meantime, parents are encouraged to assist their children with identifying a suitable location in their home when engaging in synchronous instruction.
If you wish to discuss these requirements or have specific concerns, please contact your child’s principal, who will work with you to resolve those concerns.
2020-2021 Student Face Coverings and the Code of Student Conduct
For the 2020-2021 school year or until further notice, all students are required to wear a cloth face covering at bus stops, on school buses, and in school buildings unless they provide documentation from a healthcare provider that they are unable to wear a face covering due to a health condition. Face coverings are subject to the same expectations outlined in Policy 5-41 and may not depict lewd graphics, display offensive or obscene language, advertise alcohol or an illegal substance, or have any gang-affiliation. With the same parameters a face shield is an acceptable substitute, if a cloth face covering cannot be used. Staff is required to direct the student to place the face covering over the mouth and nose. When a student is not wearing a face covering nor wearing it properly, the teacher shall tell the student to wear the face covering and/or to do so properly. Should a student refuse to wear a face covering after being told to do so by staff, then the student will be cited for violating the COSC.
Not Receiving Text Messages from the School?
Our records indicate that we still have some families not receiving text messages from the school with important reminders and transportation changes. If you have not received any text messages from Red Mill this school year, you may have not yet Opted in to receive text messages. 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.
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.