Dear JCMES Families,
October is flying by! We’re having a great month here at school so far, settling into routines and making progress in class. There are pumpkins and apples decorating the hallways and field trips to the pumpkin patch–all welcome signs that fall has arrived. We’re loving it!
Thrillshare, which RCPS uses to communicate with families via email and text message, malfunctioned last week. We have worked with tech support at their company and our central office to get it fixed, but unfortunately, some of our recent family emails haven’t reached every family. To try and make sure everyone receives last week’s email, we’ve included it at the bottom of this week’s email, so the message is extra long this week. Hopefully Thrillshare will be more reliable moving forward and we can maintain our regular Tuesday email rhythm.
PTO Meeting Tonight
We will be meeting tonight at 6:30 in the JCMES library. If you are unable to attend in person, please join virtually!
Google Meet - meet.google.com/njz-smfh-tnq
Link to minutes: http://bit.ly/48fzr3s
Title 1 Services at JCMES:
Please click on the attached PowerPoint presentation to learn more about the Title 1 services available at John C. Myers Elementary School. This presentation will provide important information on how these services support our students' learning. Additionally, every year we develop a Parent/Family Engagement Plan. This document is currently open for review and suggestions. Please share any feedback with Jenna Rinker, jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us.
Pictures
An email from Strawbridge with your child's individual code to order pictures was sent 10/13/25. If you did not receive it, please check your spam folder.
Reading Student Growth Assessment Information
Cheryl Estep, our Director of Information Management for RCPS, has sent the following update for parents: Students in grades 3-8 will be participating in the reading growth assessment. This assessment, which is mandated by legislation, is not a SOL test. Rather, this test will be used to determine a baseline for measuring academic progress during the school year. This assessment is shorter than a SOL test and does not have a passing or failing score. Most students in Rockingham County will be taking the reading fall growth assessment on October 28th or 29th. We look forward to using the information from this assessment to help create lessons to meet individual student needs. Please reach out to Liza Coffman at school with any questions.
It’s Homecoming Week!
It’s almost time for one of our favorite traditions–the Homecoming Parade! JCMES is planning to participate in the tradition again this year, and we’re currently accepting candy donations to make our float a little sweeter. Please bring donations to the front office anytime 8am-3:30pm. We’re hoping to see everyone along the parade route on Friday!
Substitute Teachers Needed:
We invite you to consider applying to become a substitute teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. This role offers great flexibility, allowing you to choose when and where you work—whether at JCMES, other schools in the Broadway/Timberville area, or throughout Rockingham County. Substitutes are essential in keeping our school running smoothly and supporting our students' education. By becoming a substitute, you can make a meaningful impact on our JCMES community. If you are interested in applying, check out information available here or contact Liza Coffman (lcoffman@rockingham.k12.va.us) or Jenna Rinker (jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us) for more information.
Family Life Education Materials
4th and 5th grade Family Life Education materials will be available for parent preview in the front office on October 24th from 8:30am-3:30pm. Family Life Education materials can also be found here on the county’s webpage. If you need an alternate time to view materials, please reach out to jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us.
If you want your child to participate, you don’t need to do anything. If you’d like to opt your child out of the instruction, please email jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us or lcoffman@rockingham.k12.va.us for an opt-out form. Opt-out forms need to be returned on or before October 27th. Fourth grade families, be on the lookout for a Seesaw message later this week from Nurse Runion with specific information. Fifth grade families will receive more specific information closer to the time of instruction.
Lost and Found Update
Our Lost and Found is growing! The weather is turning colder and your student might be missing their hoodie or jacket. If you see anything familiar, please encourage your student to stop by and pick it up from the rack outside the front office.
Important Future Dates:
October 14th: PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Library
October 15th: PTO McDonald’s Spirit Fundraiser Night 4-7pm (New Market location)
October 17th: BHS Homecoming Parade
October 21st: PTO Domino’s Pizza Fundraiser Day 10 am - 10pm
October 22nd: Unity Day, wear orange
October 24th: No School (end of first nine weeks, teacher workday)