News from the (Eagles) Nest
Week of 8/18/2025
Byrd Elementary School News for the Week of 8/25/25
Updates and Reminders
Please note there is no school on Friday, August 29 and Monday, September 1.
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.
Mark your calendar for our first Byrd Parent Group Meeting for the year on September 3 from 2:30-3:30pm (virtual or in-person).
We had a great first week!
Our first week back was filled with transitions, love, learning, and new friendships. What a wonderful start to the school year—we can’t wait to see all that’s ahead! 💛📚🦅
iPad Insurance
Students in grades 3-5 need to pay ipad insurance in order to bring the device home. You can send in money to the office, or pay using the Online School Payment System.
Kindergarten Color Days
Kindergarten will kick off our Color Days on Tuesday, August 19th! Thank you all for being so awesome about participating in the past—we hope our new teachers, staff, and students will join in the fun this year, too!
If you’re new to Color Days, it’s simple: each day has a special color, and you just wear something in that color. For example, on Red Day, you can wear a red shirt, dress, pants, shoes, or any clothing with red in it.
Color Days:
Tuesday, Aug. 19th- RED Day
Wednesday, Aug. 20th - BLUE Day
Thursday, Aug. 21st- YELLOW Day
Friday, Aug. 22nd - ORANGE Day
Monday, Aug. 25th - GREEN Day
Tuesday, Aug. 26th - PURPLE Day
Wednesday, Aug 27th - BROWN Day
Thursday, Aug. 28th - BLACK Day
Friday, Aug. 29th- No School
Thank you again for making these Color Days fun for our Awesome Kindergarteners!!
We can’t wait to see all the bright and colorful outfits! 🌈
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 child’s 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 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.
Girls on the Run Begin September 16
Family Literacy News
Welcome Back from Your School Nurse
Register for the GEF EdVentures After School Program for 2025-2026!
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