The Roar of the Mountain Lions
Monterey Elementary - May 2022
Principal's Message
The merry month of May is upon us! Time flies by when you are having fun. I can honestly say I am humbled by the experiences of our school community throughout the course of this challenging school year. Many times, when I reflect on what has gone well and what needs to continue to improve, my list of pros outweighs the cons. As I’ve said in the past, from March 2020 until now, we were vulnerable. Vulnerable to a loss of instructional time, a loss of connections, a loss of relationships when we weren’t together, and even a loss of ourselves at times. I know vulnerability creates challenges and challenges create change. The staff at Monterey has been appreciative of the fact that we have been reunited this school year. We were able to rebuild meaningful interactions and opportunities to build relationships. Our school culture radiates positivity, support, and growth. As I tell our students every morning, I am one proud school principal. As we continue to finish out the school year strong, we are eager to formally assess the growth our students have made. The Standards of Learning (SOL) testing mandated by the Virginia Department of Education will begin in early May. We are excited to see how our students at Monterey have grown over the course of this school year to meet accreditation standards. The data collected from SOL tests not only shows us our strengths but also where we need to continue to grow and support our students with additional instruction and recovery efforts. Attached to this newsletter is the SOL calendar. With SOL testing starting on May 10, a few testing reminders are listed below.
Testing Recommendations:
- Be on time to school each day for testing. Testing begins at 8:15 a.m.
- Send your child to school in good spirits. Try to avoid unnecessary conflict.
- Plan all outside appointments after 2:00 p.m.
- Eat a good breakfast either at home or school on the day of testing.
- Get a good night’s rest. Students should plan on being in bed and asleep no later than 9:00 p.m.
- BELIEVE in YOURSELF!!! Your guardians and the staff at Monterey are behind you!!!
In addition to preparing for end of year testing, we at Monterey are still busy ensuring we are celebrating the hard work of our teachers, planning for end of year award ceremonies and promotions as well as planning a well-deserved end of year celebration for our students. Please be on the lookout for dates, times, and details regarding end of year ceremonies. Once again, I will reiterate to the entire Monterey Elementary School community that I see you, I hear you, I care for you, I am here for you, I expect your best, I will help you achieve it, I am your school Principal! Monterey Rocks!
Morgan Strother
Principal
End of Year Award Ceremonies
- Kindergarten: June 8th at 11am
- 1st Grade: June 7th at 11:00 am
- 2nd Grade: June 8th at 9am
- 3rd Grade: June 7th at 9am
- 4th Grade: June 9th at 9 am
- 5th Grade: June 8th at 6pm in the Monterey Gym
RCPS+ Info.
Registration for RCPS+ is now open. This year's theme is "See the Possibilities." Click here for more information and to register. May 20 is the deadline to register.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are now on sale for $11. Cash or check (made to Monterey Elementary) are accepted. Money can be turned in with your child's teacher or at the school office.
If you missed last year's yearbook, there are a few left at a discounted price of $6.
Kindergarten Registration
Preschool applications and kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year are open! Click here to apply or register.
When to Keep Your Student Home
All of our students need to be in school every day. However, there are times when students should be kept at home to help ensure the safety and welfare of our student body and staff. If your student has any of the following symptoms, please call the school nurse at (540) 853-6534.
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Nasal congestion/runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Cough
- Headache
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Vomiting/Diarrhea
- Sore throat
- Muscle Aches
If your child is experiencing any symptoms, please contact the school nurse regarding when your child can return to school. (540) 853-6534.
If the school nurse has instructed your child to stay out of school, there are packets in the office per grade level for that week. Please stop by the front office to pick these up. When returned, packets will serve as guidance on updated attendance.
Message From the PTA
Monterey’s teachers and staff work extremely hard all year, and it was wonderful to see the outpouring appreciation from the Monterey community during teacher appreciation week!
As we enter the last several weeks of school, the PTA will be hosting another ice cream day on May 23rd. Ice cream will be on sale for a $1 during recess. If you are interested in volunteering for ice cream day or end of year events (i.e. field day), please email Amanda Fulton (afulton@rcps.info) or Tracy Laughlin (tlaughlin@rcps.info).
Still need to join our PTA? Follow these simple steps:
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 the contact information
4. Click add to cart
5. Either check-out or add more members
6. You are not PTA’ing!!!
**There is a small convenience fee of 68 cents to sign up through MemberHub**
Upcoming Meeting: Monday, May 2nd at 6pm on Zoom.
Please email tlaughlin@rcps.info for information about how to access the meeting.
Monterey Spirit Gear
We are offering school spirit shirts this year printed by a local shop, Fuzzy Pickle in Salem. Prices start at $20. We receive $5.00 for every shirt ordered. The shop offers as a variety of designs for T-shirts, Long sleeve shirts, hooded sweatshirts and more. Spirit Gear is great for your child to wear on school spirit days! Visit the Monterey PTA store at fuzzypickletshirts.com/mes2020/shop/home.
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/
What's Coming Up?
Monterey Elementary
Anthony Swann~Assistant Principal
Website: monterey.rcps.info
Location: 4501 Oliver Road Northeast, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 853-2933
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MontereyElementary