Dolphin Parent Connection
June 2019 Volume 4, Issue 10
Summer Office Hours
Monday through Thursday from 7:00 AM -- 5:30 PM from June 17th through August 15th.
During the week of July 4th, the office will be open 7:30 AM -- 4:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Help Us Prevent the Summer Slide
The summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months when school isn’t in session. Numerous studies show that kids who don’t read during summer vacation actually slip in reading ability by the time autumn rolls around. Here’s the secret to preventing the summer slide: Keep learning all summer long. We are not talking about formal schooling, but striving to provide learning opportunities throughout the summer to keep kids’ academic skills sharp. Check out the infographic below for a big list of ideas to help you put an end to the summer slide! We have some additional resources to help. Below you will find information about all kinds of local summer camps to keep your child active and learning over the summer. Additionally, you will find information about summer reading challenges from the Virginia Beach Public Library, Barnes & Noble, as well as Achieve 3000. Students who were enrolled in Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade this year will also have access to SmartyAnts for most of the summer. Students may access Smarty Ants and Achieve 3000 through their Clever Portal.
Once again this fall, the Red Mill PTA will recognize students for their summer reading. To participate, your child only needs to read 5 books during the summer months (more than 5 is even better) and keep a written record of the books (title and author). Please note that a parent signature is required on any handwritten form. However, the PTA will also be accepting the printed certificate for those students also participating in the Virginia Beach City Public Library summer program. Students who complete the reading and turn in their form by Tuesday, September 17th will take part in an ice cream social and will receive a brag tag for their accomplishment.
Thank you,
Michelle Miller
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
· Wednesday, August 28th: Kindergarten & 1st Grade Open House @ 6:00 (This event is designed for parents.)
· Thursday, August 29th: Meet & Greet Your New Teacher
- Kindergarten & 1st grade @12:30-1:15 PM
- 2nd & 3rd Grade @ 1:15-2:00 PM
- 4th & 5th Grade @ 2:00-2:45 PM
· Tuesday, September 3rd: First Day of School
PTA News
Note from the PTA President: I can hardly believe it’s our last newsletter for this school year! Before we hang up the backpacks, there are still quite a few exciting activities remaining for our Dolphins.
Field Day: Ms. Parker and the PE staff will host Field Day for all students on Wednesday, June 12th! The PTA is helping to recruit volunteers. Please see the SignUp Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DAAA623A2FB6-redmill1
5th Grade Handprints: Help our 5th graders make their mark on Red Mill as they dip their hands in paint and leave their handprints on the school wall! On the afternoons of Monday, June 10 and Tuesday, June 11, we need some parent volunteers to help with this project. Please see details and sign up if you can! Be sure to wear "paint clothes." http://bit.ly/30Vctd0
5th Grade Social: Tuesday, June 11th, the PTA will sponsor the 5th grade social from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Red Mill cafeteria. 5th graders have already received a permission slip. We are looking for – you guessed it—a handful of volunteers! Here’s a link to sign up: http://bit.ly/2WEtusu For more info, contact redmillpta@yahoo.com or Jen Cardona at: jencardona82@yahoo.com.
5th Grade Crossing Over: Thursday, June 13th, the 5th Grade Crossing Over ceremony will take place at 9:00 AM (no entrance to café before 8:30 AM). The PTA is excited to host a reception in the gym afterward.
PTA Scholarship Winners:
CONGRATULATIONS to the following high school seniors that attended RMES and were selected to receive our 2018-2019 Red Mill PTA scholarships in the amount of $1,000!
- Kohl Ratkovich, Princess Anne High
- Joseph Manco, Kellam High
All applications were outstanding and the selection was difficult. MUCH appreciation goes out to the scholarship committee: Phil Holmgren, Jen Cardona, Melissa Jacques, Anna Campbell and Emily Desouza for the great amount of time spent in reviewing/scoring the applications. “Thank you!”
Summer Reading: The Virginia Beach Public Library Summer Reading Challenge will begin Monday, June 10 and end Saturday, August 10. Though the Princess Anne Library is still closed and under construction, the temporary location for picking up reserved books is the Princess Anne Rec Center. As a bonus, participants don’t just have to read books; magazines, comic books, newspapers (print or digital) and audiobooks all count toward titles logged on the online platform Beanstack. To register, visit www.vbgov.com/government/departments/libraries/programs-classes/Pages/Summer-Reading-Challenge.aspx. Red Mill Elementary students who participate and complete the Summer Reading Challenge will also be invited to an ice cream social presented by the PTA in September!
Summertime Art/Reflections 2019-2020: The theme to next year’s Reflections art contest has been announced. So why not have your child use his/her creativity this summer and be one step ahead? The theme is “Look Within.” Categories include: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts. For more info, see this website: https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections
Recent past events:
Our Spring Fling at Hunt Club was a success! Thank you to all who helped with the festivities. We hope our Red Mill Dolphins had a great time!
Teacher Appreciation Week went wonderfully as the teachers were treated to a lunch, snacks and more. Thank you to all who sent in donations for the trail mix bar.
Next school year 2019-2020:
The PTA can’t provide these types of events without volunteers, so please consider how you can help. Here are a few positions we would like to fill ASAP: E-mail redmillpta@yahoo.com if you have any questions or if you’re ready to sign up!
Year-‘Round Positions:
1) Copy Room Coordinator (This position does not necessarily mean you are doing the copies yourself. You can arrange a team of volunteers and put out a schedule to help teachers make copies for student work and other admin needs).
2) After-School Club Chairperson (Would you like to see more after-school activities? Help organize activities we can offer our students).
Seasonal Positions:
1) Winter Family Fun Night Coordinator 1 (January – Dance Fitness Night)
2) Winter Family Fun Night Coordinator 2 (February – Board Game Night)
3) Dolphin Academy Co-Chair (Spring)
4) Talent Show Chairperson or Co-Chair (Spring)
Our PTA wishes you a fun and safe summer! Be sure to check our Red Mill PTA Facebook page for updates including the “Popsicles on the Playground” event in August.
Yearbooks Going Fast
Yearbooks are on sale for $20. There is a limited supply and they are going fast! Please get an order form from the main office or see Ms. Knight to get your 2019 RMES yearbook. We only have about 50 yearbooks left.
Camp Invention at Red Mill This Summer
In partnership with the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF), Red Mill Elementary School is pleased to offer the nationally acclaimed Camp Invention® program to children entering kindergarten through sixth grade. It’s an exciting, week long summer adventure with lessons that explore connections between science, technology, engineering and innovation. Children work together to create solutions to real-world problems and build critical 21st-century skills while rotating through several high-energy, hands-on modules.The camp will run July 15th--19th from 8:30 AM--3:00 PM. Every registration includes a complimentary Camp Invention t-shirt. Availability is limited, so register early. Register here for Camp Invention at Red Mill Elementary
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.
Virginia Beach Public Library Summer Newsletter
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program
Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading Program is back to give young readers the opportunity to earn a free book by following these three easy steps:
1. Read any eight books this summer and record them in your Summer Reading Journal (download here in either English or Español). Tell us which part of the book is your favorite, and why.
2. Bring your completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between August 1st and August 31st, 2019. Click here to find a Store.
3. Choose your FREE reading adventure from the book list featured in the journal.
For more information on summer reading for all ages, visit BN.com/SummerReadingand click your child’s age category! You can also follow along on social using the hashtag #BookYourSummer.
Achieve 3000 Summer 40-Activity Challenge
Your students can use Achieve3000® this summer and have a chance to win exciting prizes!
After school ends, students can continue to read articles and complete activities so that they’ll start the new school year with an edge! They can complete the activities at home, in the library, on a computer, or even on a mobile device – even without internet access!
How to Participate
During the summer, students who complete 40 activities with a first try score of 75% or more on each, will be automatically entered into a raffle to win one of six iPad mini™s! Plus, each week we’ll send an exciting prize to the student with the most achievement points across the nation. These are the points students earn automatically for completing work within the program. No registration is required to join this contest. The contest runs from your first day of summer to the first day of school in fall of 2019!
Every Kid in a Park
Every Kid in a Park is sponsored by the National Park Service and is available to fourth grade students. Every Kid in a Park provides one free Every Kid in a Park pass to fourth grade students through August 31 of the school year. This pass admits the student, any other youth under the age of 16 and up to three adults to any site which charges an entry fee. For more information, or to print a pass, visit:
https://www.everykidinapark.gov/