News from the (Eagles) Nest

• This Friday, September 5th, is picture day!

• Friday, September 19th is BES Family Night at the Goochland Home Football Game.

• Friday, September 26th is a Teacher Work Day and Student Holiday

• If you would like to volunteer this year (field trip chaperones included), then please complete the volunteer background check (see below)

• Please consider attending the first Byrd Parent Group Meeting for the year on Thursday, September 4th right after school (this is a date change).

• Please make sure all transportation changes are to the office before 1pm.

• Please let Mrs. Parrish (zparrish@glnd.k12.va.us) know if your child completed the Pamunkey Library Summer Reading Program! We would love to recognize our students.

Math and reading, music too,

Art and stories—so much to do!

At Byrd we learn, we sing, we play,

Growing brighter every day!

Thank you to all who participated in Kindergarten Color Days! We have added a Pink Day on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Please join us on Thursday right after dismissal for the first Byrd Parent Group Meeting of the year! Anyone is welcome! We will discuss plans for the year, and start working on upcoming events.

Meet with us in person in Mrs. Jackson's room (across from 101), or join virtually using the Google Meet information below! We hope to see you there!

Meeting Link:

meet.google.com/gim-wzrw-gtp

You can also call in:

(‪US‬)‪+1 470-241-5188‬

PIN: ‪501 114 549#‬

Backpacks of Love, Inc. is a local nonprofit organization that has been providing weekend food bags to school children who may not have enough to eat at home since 2011. These food bags are distributed discreetly by school staff on the last school day of each week.

If your child could benefit from this program, we invite you to participate by signing and returning the permission form linked below to your child’s school counselor. Participation is completely voluntary and free of charge.

School attendance is one of the biggest predictors of long term achievement in students. Everyday counts and can make a significant difference in your child’s overall learning and development. Please see some important stats below regarding attendance and the impact on a child’s learning as well as some tips for good attendance!

Facts:

• Students who miss 2-4 days at the beginning of the school year are 5 times more likely to be chronically absent than students who are absent fewer than 2 days.
• Literacy instruction is frontloaded in early grades, so if a student misses too much instruction, they lag behind classmates in reading.
• By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.
• By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.

Tips:

• Build regular routines for bedtime and morning.
• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up.
• Avoid scheduling trips or appointments when school is in session.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick.
• Keep a chart of your child’s attendance at home.
• Talk about the importance of attendance with your child.
• Reach out to your school if you have concerns or needs that we can help address!

If your child is ever going to miss school, please reach out to both the front office at beseagles@glnd.k12.va.us and your child's teacher.

Please see the Volunteering page on the GCPS website to view the Volunteer Recruitment Form!

We encourage all interested volunteers to fill out the form to help us match your skills and interests with the perfect opportunities within our schools. Your time and expertise are invaluable to the success of our students, and we are grateful for your support!

The Goochland Restaurant feels passionate about encouraging reading throughout our community! They are sponsoring a reading incentive program that is similar to the BOOK-IT Program many adults loved once-upon-a-time! Goochland students will receive a bookmark to track their reading. Once students have read 8 books, then they can turn the completed bookmark into the Goochland Restaurant in exchange for a free drink AND their choice of fries, onion rings, or a cookie! The best part is that students are not limited to just one bookmark! They can complete multiple bookmarks!

If you would like to know more about he process for purchasing titles for our library, then please read more about our district procedures outlined here.

Please notify the office about transportation changes via email at beseagles@glnd.k12.va.us. If you have daily transportation needs, please make sure you provide changes at the beginning of each week for the entire week. Please make sure you have all transportation changes in prior to 1:00 PM, this allows staff time to communicate all necessary changes and avoids confusion when a call is not received. We appreciate your support.

Parents who wish to chaperone a field trip or volunteer regularly in our school must submit to a background check every 2 years using the BIB portal. The process is completely electronic. If you are having problems with the system, contact Demetra Harris at dharris@glnd.k12.va.us.

• PowerSchool parent portal
• Add money to student lunch accounts
• Breakfast/lunch menus
• Pay school fees
• School calendars
• GCPS virtual family assistance center
• GCPS Parent-Student Handbook
• Byrd Parent Group Facebook
• Byrd Parent Forum Facebook
• Meet the Byrd Elementary Faculty and Staff

Principal: Andrew Meiller

Office Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm

Arrival: 7:45am - 7:55am

Instructional Hours: 7:55am - 2:15pm

Dismissal: 2:15pm (car riders) - 2:30pm (buses)

Website: https://bes.goochlandschools.org/
Location: 2704 Hadensville-Fife Road, Goochland, VA, USA
Phone: 804-556-5380
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByrdEagles/
Twitter: @EaglesBes

Instagram: @byrdeagles