News from the (Eagles) Nest
Week of 8/18/2025
Byrd Elementary School News for the Week of 9/8/25
Updates and Reminders
Next week is Attendance Matters spirit week! See the information below to join in the fun!
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 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.
Pictures from our week!
Dance Camp!
BES Family Night at the Goochland Home Football Game
School Fundraiser
We are excited to announce that our Stuffβd Pals Fundraiser began this week! This initiative is designed to be effortless for everyone involvedβthere are no catalogs to manage, no products to deliver, no door-to-door sales, and no money to collect. Both students and parents appreciate the simple and enjoyable format.
How to Participate
Register your child at the link below if you have not already using the information on the yellow flyer.
www.themegablast.com/join/Byrd
Student Incentives
Once your student is registered and has sent out 10 adult emails, they will instantly receive five special Golden Ticket prizes:
Β· Mystical Coop Lanyard
Β· Coop Keychain
Β· Golden Kindness Egg Keychain
Β· 12 Coop Stickers
Β· $500 in Tuition Rewards points for college
If your student raises at least $50 from supporters, they will also earn a 16β department-store quality Stuffβd Pals Reading Buddy. At the celebration party, students can choose from 25 different animal friends. By sending emails and sharing their unique link, students can earn an outfit for their Stuffβd Pal as well as many additional incentives available this year.
Additional Ways to Help
You can further support our fundraiser by inviting friends and family to join, either by adding their email addresses or sharing your studentβs unique link on social media.
Thank you for helping your child make a difference for our school!
Weekly Food Bags Permission Form
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 childβs school counselor. Participation is completely voluntary and free of charge.
Attendance Awareness - Everyday Counts!
School attendance is one of the biggest predictors of long term achievement in students. Everyday counts and can make a significant difference in your childβs overall learning and development. Please see some important stats below regarding attendance and the impact on a childβs 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.
- Donβt let your child stay home unless truly sick.
- Keep a chart of your childβs 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.
Girls on the Run Begin September 16
Family Literacy News
Welcome Back from Your School Nurse
GCPS Volunteering Page
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!
Goochland Restaurant Reading Incentive Program
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!
Library Purchasing Information
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.
Community News
Helpful Links & Info
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.
Byrd Elementary School
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