We hope everyone had a relaxing, restful Labor Day weekend—here is what you need to know for our short but full week ahead!
Back to School Reading Check Up: What to Know About VALLSS
The Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) is a quick reading checkup that helps teachers see how your child is doing with important skills like sounding out words, spelling, and reading smoothly. Think of it like a vision or hearing test for reading—it shows us if a student is on track or if they might need a little extra help to become a strong reader. Starting this week, we are screening our 1st through 5th graders, and we will screen our kindergarteners next month as soon as the state testing window opens. Given across Virginia since Fall 2024, this tool helps us identify the support students need right away so they can become confident readers.
Welcome Back Picnic: September 17th
Join us for a fun-filled Welcome Back Picnic on September 17th from 6:00 PM to dusk at the track behind the school. Bring your own blanket or chair and get comfy as we kick off the new school year together. You can either drive around to the back or park in the front and walk through the school. Families are encouraged to bring their own dinner, but our amazing PTO will be providing hot dogs and condiments while supplies last. We can't wait to see you there!
Phone Line Update
Please use our main phone line, 540-896-2297, when you’re trying to reach us. One of our supplemental phone lines, 540-896-1601, has been disconnected.
Understanding Attendance Codes
Navigating school attendance rules can sometimes feel confusing, so we want to share how RCPS codes absences to keep everyone on the same page. An excused absence occurs when a parent provides a valid note for illness, medical appointments, or funeral, while an unexcused absence means the reason shared doesn’t meet school board policy criteria. If a student is absent and the school receives no communication or documentation at all from home, it is marked as unverified—which is why a quick call or note to our front office makes such a big difference whenever your child has to stay home.
Building a routine of regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways to support your child's social and academic growth. When students are here consistently, they feel more secure in their daily routines and secure in their friendships. Let's work together so our kids can get the absolute most out of their classroom and school experience.
Fall Family Picnics are back the week of September 21-25!
Bring your lunch and eat outside with your child on their class's picnic day. You can sit at a picnic table or bring a blanket for the grass in front of the school. Your child's teacher will let you know which day your class is eating outside.
After lunch, students will go back inside to keep learning, so please remind your child ahead of time that you'll be saying goodbye when lunch ends. We hope to see you there!
The Jakes’ Store Is Coming!
The Jake Store will be opening soon! We will have the Jake Store link available next week for you to browse and place your orders. Ordering will be open through October 4th!
Picture Day
Mark your calendar for Fall Picture Day on Friday, September 25th! Send no money at this time. There will be information coming to your email regarding ordering online after picture day.
Have a great week,
Liza Coffman, Principal – lcoffman@rockingham.k12.va.us
Jenna Rinker, Assistant Principal – jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us