News from the Nest

We had another busy and exciting week of learning at Rockledge!

Our students have been participating in a variety of beginning-of-the-year assessments in reading, mathematics, school readiness, and social-emotional learning. These assessments help our teachers better understand each student's strengths and areas for growth so they can plan meaningful, targeted instruction. Families will receive information and reports about their child's individual results as they become available.

On Friday, we observed Patriot Day as our nation marked the 25th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. We remembered those who lost their lives, honored the extraordinary courage of first responders and everyday citizens who selflessly helped others, and recognized the families and communities forever changed by that day. Students participated in age-appropriate lessons that focused on remembering this important day while exploring ways they can make a positive difference in our own school and community.

We also had the opportunity to come together as a school community to celebrate what makes Rockledge such a special place. Thank you to our PTO, families, and staff who joined us for the Back-to-School Bash on Friday evening. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying time together, relaxing, bouncing, sharing delicious food, listening to music, and making memories. Events like these remind us that strong school-home partnerships are at the heart of a thriving school community.

Family Engagement Night

We are excited to launch our Rockledge Family Engagement Nights this Wednesday! These evenings are designed to help families better understand the Virginia Standards of Learning while providing practical strategies and free resources to support learning at home.

Our first Rockledge Family Engagement Night will be held Wednesday, September 16, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. in the library. Please register by clicking here.

We hope you'll join us for this informative evening and leave with valuable resources to support your child's learning. If you are unable to attend, please indicate that on the registration form, and we will send the materials home with your child.

PWCS is also offering additional reading and mathematics support through the next Family Engagement Webinar on Thursday evening. Please see the PWCS Family Engagement Series section below for details on how to participate.

Kindergarten Color Days

Kindergarten Color Days conclude this week! Students in all grade levels are invited to join the fun by wearing the featured color each day. Please see The Week Ahead section below for the daily color schedule.

The Week Ahead:

Monday (Day 2):
~ Wear BROWN

Tuesday (Day 3):

~ Wear WHITE

Wednesday (Day 4):

~ Wear RAINBOW or TIEDYE

~ Family Engagement Night 5:30-6:30pm

Thursday (Day 5):
~ Wear YOUR FAVORITE COLOR

Friday (Day 6):
~ Wear Spirit Wear or Green&Gold

Beyond the Week:

• September 21: No School for Yom Kippur
• September 24: First SAC and PTO Meetings
• September 25: Eagle of the Month Ceremony (by invitation only)
• October 1: Back to School Night 5:30-7pm
• October 2: Candy donations begin for Trunk or Treat
• October 15: SAC Meeting 5:15-6 and PTO Meeting 6-7pm
• October 17: Trunk or Treat 12-2pm
• October 22: Literacy Night 5:30-7pm
• October 30: End of 1st Quarter

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Dennis

Principal

Rockledge Elementary

Each month we will post grade level and team newsletters so families can access information for their student(s). Please click on the link below. Several of our newsletters are "Under Construction" and will be added in this week. Thank you for your patience as we get this up and running for the year.

We have several opportunities for our volunteers to help! We will be holding a Volunteer Orientation soon to renew our roster of volunteers. Once you are screened and approved, please reach out to Ms. Santos in the front office to schedule a time you are available. We have teacher requests just waiting for a volunteer to come to the rescue.

Congratulations to our weekly attendance winners in each grade level!

Kindergarten: Ms. Crow

1st Grade: Ms. Riddle

2nd Grade: Ms. Scott

3rd Grade: Ms. Dookie and Ms. Renteria

4th Grade: Ms. Brown

5th Grade: Ms. Swiggum

Multi-Grade: Ms. Toone

Thank you for helping us reach our schoolwide goal to reduce chronic absenteeism! Let's see which classes will have the best attendance this coming week.

Overview of PBIS at Rockledge Elementary

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at Rockledge Elementary School is a schoolwide framework designed to promote a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment for all students. The program focuses on explicitly teaching, modeling, and reinforcing positive behaviors rather than relying on punishment. PBIS helps improve student behavior, engagement, and overall school climate by creating consistent expectations and a shared understanding of how students should act in different settings.

At Rockledge, PBIS is supported through visual tools such as posters, expectation matrices, and behavior reminders placed throughout the school. These resources break down expectations into clear, student-friendly language for areas like classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, and playground. By consistently reinforcing expectations such as being respectful, responsible, and safe, the school builds a positive culture where students are recognized for meeting expectations and supported when they need help improving behavior.

Students earn eggs for exhibiting S.O.A.R. behaviors. These eggs are accumulated and redeemed for classroom, grade-level, and schoolwide rewards.

Please click on the "Rockledge S.O.A.R. Expectations" header above, or visit our website directly, to access each of our expectations posters, descriptions, and how you can support our efforts at home.

Please click on the link to view the PWCS Cell Phone-Free Education Policy. At Rockledge, we have implemented the PWCS bell-to-bell policy that limits cell phone use during the instructional day. Our shared goal is creating classroom environments where students are fully present—mentally, emotionally, and socially. The student-created slogan, “Stop the scroll, take control,” reminds us that this policy is about empowerment, not restriction. It is about reclaiming focus, restoring meaningful human connection, and giving our students every opportunity to thrive. For more information, I invite you to review the PWCS FAQ page.

Please join our PTO so you can be a part of the Eagles community! Our first meeting of the year will be on Thursday, September 24th from 6:00-7:00pm in the Library.

The purpose of a school advisory council is to provide opportunities for members of the school community to participate in the decision-making process at the local school level. A primary function of the council is to serve as an advisory body to the principal and school leadership team.

The school advisory council function is connected to the Prince William County Schools Strategic Plan, supporting Commitment 3- Family and Community Engagement, Objective 3.1- Prince William County Schools will engage families as authentic partners in education to support academic progress.

Our first meeting of the year will be Thursday, September 24th at 5:15pm in the conference room.

The Family Engagement Series provides families with resources that will assist with their student’s success. The series is led by the Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) Community Outreach, Business Partnerships and Philanthropy Department, in collaboration with other PWCS programs, and community and business partners.

Focus: Support Learning at Home - Come See What's New in English Language Arts and Math

6:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026 – Live Zoom Webinar

Target Audience: All PWCS students and families

Join us on Thursday, September 17, for a webinar designed to help families better understand how reading and math learning is supported in Prince William County Public Schools.

During this session, families will learn about the Star Reading assessment, including what students can expect, how the assessment measures reading growth, and how teachers use the results to support instruction and monitor progress. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Star Reading will be administered to students in grades 3-8 and will continue for students in grades 9-11.

Families will also gain an understanding of math instruction and assessment in PWCS and learn practical ways to support learning at home. Participants will leave with strategies, tips, and resources to help strengthen reading and math skills, build confidence, and support their students’ academic success throughout the school year.

Presenters for this session: Marisa Miranda, Supervisor of Elementary English Language Arts and Literacy; Carla Drew, Supervisor of Secondary English Language Arts and Literacy; Dr. Christopher Latham, Supervisor of Elementary Mathematics; and Dr. Justin Maffei, Supervisor of Secondary Mathematics, with Prince William County Public Schools

All requests for language accommodations are due by September 14, 2026.

• Register for the webinar
• Request language accommodations

ARRIVAL

• Supervision of students begins at 9:10am. Please stay with your students until that time. If they are walking by themselves, or with friends, students should arrive no earlier than 9:10am.
• When walking your student(s) to school, please say your goodbyes and wave from The Island. This will help us ensure we are getting students safely across the bus loop area.
• Please remember the church parking is not available for parking Tuesday-Thursday as they have parents bringing little ones to their program. Thank you for being good neighbors and keeping their students safe too.
• If your students are a Drop and Go, please have students hop out on the school side of the car with their things ready to go. We want to keep the flow moving as best we can. Also, a reminder there is NO PARKING in the drop off area and no U-turns on Mariner Drive. Please help us keep all of our students safe by following these procedures.

ATTENDANCE and GOING HOME CHANGES

• Please report student absences in ParentVue (use this link for directions ).
• Please email any going home change information to Ms. Rodriguez before 3:30pm and check for a confirmation email in return.

DISMISSAL

• Please make sure the adult picking up your student(s) has the tag you were issued. Pictures of tags are discouraged as we will need to have you wait until we can double check your ID before releasing your child. I have asked all staff to adhere to this requirement as we take our responsibility to keep your children safe very seriously, even if you are already recognizable by staff members.
• The playground will be open after buses leave school grounds.