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,

We are officially through the second week of school, and what a fantastic start it has been! It was wonderful to ease back into the groove with a four-day week, and as a reminder, week three will follow a similar rhythm with schools closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day.

Our staff continues to be thoroughly impressed by how quickly our students have adjusted to the new school year and daily routines. Because our students have settled in so well and demonstrated that they are ready to learn, our teachers have already turned up the dial on classroom instruction. Seeing our classrooms full of energy, curiosity, and learning from day one has been inspiring.

Thank you for sending us such incredible kids every day and for your ongoing partnership. We hope you enjoy the long weekend ahead!

As always,

Work Hard, Be Kind, Inspire DReams!

Mr. Eberts

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!

In mathematics, our K–2 students are building a strong foundation by exploring number relationships, identifying patterns, and mastering basic addition and subtraction facts within 20. As students transition into Grades 3–5, they expand their problem-solving skills across all four basic operations, practice mental math through estimation, tackle real-world word problems, and learn to clearly explain the reasoning behind their solutions. These Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) foster critical thinking and give our young mathematicians the confidence to apply their skills every day.

In recent months, division and school leaders have reviewed Chromebook use in elementary schools, weighed data and educational practices, and considered feedback from parents. With the start of the 2026-27 school year, students will follow these procedures:

• Students in grades K-2 will not take their Chromebooks home. We will transition to a “day use” model for our youngest students, where Chromebooks will remain in schools and be used to meet classroom instructional needs.

• Students in grades 3-5 may sometimes take their Chromebooks home, at each principal’s discretion based on instructional needs and academic enrichment opportunities.

Thank you for your continued patience as we wrap up our second week of school. Afternoon bus arrival, loading, and dismissal times have all sped up considerably. While routes are still running slightly behind the official schedules posted on transportation route sheets, our drivers and students are hitting a good rhythm.

• 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).

Our Associate Principal, Ms Thomas and PK RAMS. Our Reams Cafe' serves breakfast daily, too!

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.

The most up to date health and wellness information, including health forms, sick day guidelines and lots of resources can be found here:

https://www.oneccps.org/page/health-and-wellness

If your student needs any medications in the clinic please make sure to bring the paperwork with you when you drop off the medication. Students cannot bring in their own medication, it must be brought in by a guardian.

Please make sure to verify all health and contact information in ParentVue!

• We are pleased to share that we will once again participate in the Community Eligible Provision through Food and Nutrition Services.
• All students enrolled in Reams are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2026-2027 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application.
• Students will pick up breakfast upon arrival and take it to their classroom to eat. Lunch will be served in the cafeteria daily. Parents may visit for lunch and sit at the parent table starting Tuesday, September 8th.

Beginning this school year, students in our elementary schools will take MAP Growth assessments in reading and mathematics, replacing the Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA).

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

Did you know that the Chesterfield Education Foundation (CEF) directly supports our schools with grants, books, and special learning opportunities for our students?

CEF helps make so many wonderful programs possible right here in Chesterfield County Public Schools! The more awareness CEF receives, the more community support they can raise—which directly benefits our classrooms, teachers, and Rams.

🔗 Visit the Chesterfield Education Foundation Website to learn more about how they support CCPS and how you can get involved!

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

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