Reams Road Rams Happenings

Joel Eberts, Principal; Joel_Eberts@ccpsnet.net

Suzanna Thomas, Associate Principal; Suzanna_Thomas@ccpsnet.net

Morgan Pilkington, Instructional Designer; Morgan_Pilkington@ccpsnet.net

School Hours:

• 9:25 AM – 3:55 PM
• Parent Drop-Off begins at 9:05 AM

Dear Reams Road Families,

What an incredible week it has been at Reams Road!

On September 11th, our 5th-grade students had the distinct honor of joining our local firefighters for a powerful Freedom Flag raising ceremony. Watching our oldest students stand alongside our community’s first responders was a poignant reminder of what makes our school and neighborhood so special.

Events like this remind us that we don't have to look far to find heroes. They are all around us every single day. We see heroism in our local firefighters and first responders who serve us selflessly, but we also see it right here at Reams. We see it in our dedicated staff who pour their hearts into teaching, our wonderful families who constantly support our school, and our amazing students who show up ready to learn, help one another, and grow. We are so truly fortunate to be surrounded by such an extraordinary community.

As always,

Work Hard, Be Kind, Inspire DReams!

Mr. Eberts

With the summer heat finally cooling off, our students are thrilled to head outside and enjoy recess on the playground! Teachers have been working hard with classes to review our RAMS expectations so everyone stays safe and has fun. We are reminding students to Respect others by using kind words and including everyone, Always be responsible by keeping hands to themselves and lining up quickly, Make good choices by playing fairly, and Show self-control by taking turns. Thank you for partnering with us at home to reinforce these safe and kind habits so all our Rams can have a fantastic outdoor recess!

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Join us for our annual Back to School Night! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, learn about classroom routines, and hear about the exciting learning planned for this school year.

SCHEDULE BY GRADE LEVEL

To make parking and visiting easier, our evening is split into two grade-level sessions:

SESSION 1: Upper Grades (3rd, 4th, 5th) & Day Program

• 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM: Whole-Group Opening Meeting (Cafeteria)

• 5:20 PM – 5:45 PM: Classroom Presentations

SESSION 2: Primary Grades (PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd)

• 6:15 PM – 6:35 PM: Whole-Group Opening Meeting (Cafeteria)

• 6:35 PM – 7:00 PM: Classroom Presentations

WHAT TO EXPECT

Cafeteria Whole-Group Meetings

Each session kicks off in the cafeteria! You will hear from:

• School Administration (Big-picture goals for the year)

• Title I Program Updates

• School Counselors (Promote Respect initiative & family resources)

• Our Reams PTA

Classroom Presentations

Head to your child's classroom to learn about:

• Daily schedules, routines, and grade-level expectations

• Curriculum focus areas and Chromebook procedures

• Ways to partner with us to support your child's success

• Plus, a special note or activity left by your student!

We know some of our families are new to our car line loop, so we wanted to provide a visual map along with a quick reminder for everyone on how our traffic flow operates.

• Enter via Main Entrance: All traffic must enter the loop using the main entrance off Reams Road.

• Follow the Arrows: Follow the green line with the arrows as shown in the map above to guide you through the full loop.

• Morning Drop-off (Pull Up to the Thumbs Up!): In the morning, please pull as far forward as you can to the "thumbs up" emoji sign in the picture. This is especially important during undesirable weather (rain, cold, ice, etc.). Our staff members brave the elements to help your children out of their cars, and they greatly appreciate you pulling all the way forward so we can unload as many vehicles at once as possible!

• Staging Strategy: Best practice for early arriving vehicles in the afternoon is to stage near the star and avoid pulling all the way up to the front curb until 3:45 PM. This keeps the front of the school clear and accessible in the event of an emergency.

• Display Your Number: Please make sure your official yellow Parent Pick-Up tag is hanging clearly from your rearview mirror before entering the loop, and keep it hanging until your child is safely inside your vehicle.

  Note: For student safety, photos or cell phone screenshots of the pick-up tag will not be accepted. If you need additional yellow tags for grandparents or other authorized adults listed in Synergy, please stop by the main office to request extra copies.

• Afternoon Pickup (Watch the Cones): In the afternoon, we set out 9 numbered cones along the sidewalk. Students are dismissed to a specific cone that aligns with your Parent Pick-Up number and the order your vehicle entered the lot. Please pull all the way forward to your designated cone, we will normally have your child waiting right there for you!

• Be Safe, Patient, & Respectful: We have approximately 150 vehicles coming through the loop during both morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Taking your time keeps our students, staff, and fellow drivers safe.

We understand that traffic can back up onto Reams Road, but with everyone's cooperation, we can keep the line moving smoothly and minimize delays.

Note on Staff Arrival: Please keep in mind that several staff members have arrival and departure times that overlap with student drop-off and dismissal, so you may occasionally see staff vehicles navigating toward the parking spaces.

Fun Fact: When our traffic flow was previously analyzed using drone tracing, Reams was praised for having exceptionally efficient procedures! Your daily cooperation makes all the difference in keeping this process safe and smooth for our entire school community. Thank you for your support!

Anyone wishing to volunteer at Reams during the upcoming school year must have a current volunteer application on file with CCPS. This includes library volunteers, classroom celebrations, Mystery Readers, chaperones for field trips, etc. We strongly recommend that all parents complete it early in the year so you will be all set for events that take place during school hours once the year begins. The application and approval process can take up to four weeks.

New this year: All new and renewing volunteers must start with the new CCPS Volunteer onboarding module. Please take a moment to complete it ahead of signing up to volunteer. Thank you!

Our general education buses continue to improve with efficiency, with the majority of our seven routes rolling out by 4:15 PM. This is fantastic progress, especially considering over 500 students only head to the bus loop at our 3:55 PM dismissal bell! Just a few reminders below:

• The My Stop web and mobile application allows you to locate your child’s bus via GPS tracking to see where the bus is and its estimated arrival to your bus stop. The bus’s location is updated on the map every five seconds so there are no surprises in the event of a delay. If My Stop is not working, then be at your bus stop five minutes before the bus’s planned arrival time. Here’s how to access My Stop:
  Via app: Search for My Stop in the app store and select “Versatrans My Stop.” There are several My Stop apps; choose the Versatrans version.
  Via computer: chesterfield.tylertech.com/elinkrp/

• Substitute Buses: Please note that if a substitute bus or driver is covering a route, real-time tracking may not be available on the app for that run.

Transportation Updates & Reminders

• Keep Info Current: Please ensure your student's transportation details, alternative addresses, and contact info remain up to date in ParentVUE.

• How to Update: Log into ParentVUE, select your student, and click "Student Info" to adjust preferences. For home address changes, contact your school registrar directly.

• Questions? Contact the Transportation Department at 804-464-3077 for assistance.

CRITICAL REMINDER: PK & Kindergarten Dismissal Pre-K and Kindergarten students MUST have an adult at the bus stop to greet them. Adults must be visible at the bus door so the driver can confirm pickup, and Pre-K adults MUST present their official identifier tag. If an authorized adult is not at the stop, PK and Kindergarten students will be safely brought back to the school at the end of the bus route.

Riding is a Privilege: Grade levels met with administration to review expectations, including bus riding. Please ask your your student to share what our bus expectations are. Riding privileges can be suspended should there be challenges with being safe and respectful on the bus. Check out the Bus Safety video, too: https://www.oneccps.org/page/transportation

To ensure every student gets home safely and smoothly, all daily transportation changes must be communicated to the main office before 3:00 PM.

• Why the 3:00 PM deadline? The front office becomes extremely busy during final dismissal prep. Last-minute changes after 3:00 PM create major challenges for our staff and can cause unnecessary confusion for our students right before the bell rings.

• Example: If your child normally rides the bus, but you plan to pick them up as a car rider on a specific afternoon, please call or notify the office prior to 3:00 PM.

Thank you so much for partnering with us to keep our Rams safe and our dismissal running like clockwork! 💙

At our school, creating a safe and caring environment for every student is our highest priority. In compliance with Virginia state guidelines, our team conducts threat assessments whenever a student makes comments or demonstrates behaviors related to self-harm or harm to others. Frequently, elementary-age children use strong language—like saying "I'm going to kill you" or "I wish I was dead"—without fully understanding the gravity or impact of those words. We encourage you to review the resources linked in this newsletter and talk with your child at home about healthy, safe ways to express big feelings like anger, frustration, or sadness. By working together to teach positive communication, we can ensure our school remains a safe, welcoming place where every child feels supported.

Watch this quick video for parents with information and practical tips on supporting your child's learning and success at home.

There's also a video you can watch with your elementary students.

It’s only September but we’re already thinking ahead to the holidays.

The Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother program is a nonprofit, charitable organization that was established in 1972 by Miss Lucy Corr. The mission of the program is to provide assistance in the form of new toys, books, clothing, and food gift cards to qualifying children, families and seniors as we celebrate the holidays in our community.

To be considered, families must follow the instructions on this page to apply.

Link to the Christmas Mother Application. All Applications and required documentation will be reviewed IN-PERSON between Sept 14-17 at the Chesterfield Fairgrounds.

Chesterfield County Public Schools uses the SchoolCafe web platform and app for all things related to school meals. This powerful app replaces three apps previously used for viewing menus, paying for meals online and applying for free or reduced-price meals (MealViewer, MySchoolBucks and MySchoolApps).

The online Gifted Education Referral and Review form, used to begin the gifted evaluation process, is open for students in grades 2,3,4,5. A form must be submitted-verbal or email communications do not serve as a substitute for this form. All referrals need to be made by October 2nd. Late referrals are not accepted.

Not sure about making a referral? Check out the information below regarding characteristics of bright vs gifted learners.

Every year KG and 3rd grade students in Chesterfield County Public Schools are screened for hearing and vision concerns. Hearing screenings will take place by the school nurse between September 14th and 30th during school.

CCPS has partnered with Conexus to provide the vision screenings for students in KG and 3rd. Reams students will be screened on October 7th by Conexus while at school. If your child does not pass the vision screening, the results will be sent home with them in the days following the screening. Pre-K students may also be screened by the school nurse but will not be eligible to participate in the mobile eye exams mentioned in the following.

If your child fails their vision screening they will receive a FREE eye exam on October 21st or 22nd and glasses (if needed) at school a couple weeks later. Your child is not required to participate in this free program. If you DO NOT want your child to receive this free service, contact Nurse Parker TODAY to opt-out at courtney_parker@ccpsnet.net.

Our Rams in Grades 3, 4, and 5 have begun their MAP Growth assessments. This week they'll complete the mathematics assessment.

MAP Growth is a computer-based assessment that helps teachers understand what students know, what they are ready to learn next, and how much they grow over time. Because it is an adaptive test, question difficulty adjusts based on your child’s responses - meaning it is normal for some questions to feel challenging as the assessment adjusts to provide a more accurate measure of your child’s skill level.

What Families Should Know:

• No studying required: Students do not need to prepare at home.

• Not a graded test: Results monitor growth and help teachers make instructional decisions that support individual student learning; results do not affect report card grades.

• How long it takes: While the MAP Growth assessments are untimed, they are generally completed in 40–55 minutes.

• How to prepare: Ensure your child gets a good night's sleep, eats breakfast, and comes ready to do their best.

• Receiving results: Family reports will be shared though ParentVue following each testing window.

A testing schedule was shared with families earlier and is accessible here, too: MAPS TESTING SCHEDULE-Grades 3,4, 5

As a reminder, the school doors open at 9:05am. Your student is considered tardy if they have not arrived by the tardy bell at 9:25am (we will be flexible the first few weeks of school). Parents, we are counting on you to help establish a good routine and make sure your students arrive to school on time! To better understand the importance of attendance and how it affects your child, link here.

• Choose one of the following:
• Email Ms. Williams and the teacher- meschelle_williams@ccpsnet.net
• Fill out THIS form
• Call the office (804)674-1370 (option 0)

• Monday, September 21st- School Holiday-No School
• Tuesday, September 22nd-Back to School night
• Wednesday, October 7th- Fall Pictures

Girls in grades 3–5 are invited to join this season's Girls on the Run program!

Girls on the Run inspires participants to build confidence, develop healthy habits, and strengthen social-emotional skills through fun, engaging activities and movement.

For registration details and program information, please see the flyer below.

Questions? Contact Crystal Schirmer at crystal_schirmer@ccpsnet.net.

Since our students play sports through multiple athletic associations we have decided to create a ONE-STOP-DOC that contains information for families to explore.

Email: rees_mail@ccpsnet.net
Website: https://mychesterfieldschools.com/rees/
Location: 10141 Reams Road, Richmond, VA, USA
Phone: (804) 674-1370
Facebook: facebook.com/ReamsRoadElementaryPTA
Instagram: reamselementary