As the autumn air has settled in this week, fall is officially in full swing around our school!
Join Us for Reading Connections Night
Reading Connections Night is this Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 PM! Doors open at 5:50 PM, and everyone will gather in the cafeteria. Join us to win door prizes, collect free reading tools for home, and learn how we can team up for your reader. Childcare is provided in the library.
Thanks to generous support from our PTO, we’re able to offer a drawing for two $100 gift cards at the end of our Reading Connection event! To be eligible for the drawings, people need to attend the full event, from 6pm-7:30pm and complete the full station rotation.
The Wait is Over—The Chocolate Touch Began Today!
The secret’s out! Yesterday, gold-wrapped copies of The Chocolate Touch arrived in classrooms across the school—complete with a chocolate-themed student treat trolley to celebrate the big reveal!
Today, our entire school officially begins One Book, One School with Chapter 1. Get ready for a delicious couple weeks of daily morning trivia, fun prizes, and sweet activities as we follow John Midas through this classic story. A huge thank you to the Holly Hatcher Education Foundation and our Title I program for supporting this initiative.
Incoming Phone Calls
Due to a phone provider issue affecting incoming Verizon calls at several RCPS schools, if you’re having trouble reaching us by phone (540.896.2297) please email jcmesnotes@rockingham.k12.va.us if you need to contact JCMES while Shentel and our tech team work to resolve the problem. The current issue is only impacting incoming calls, so we’ll be able to call you back to connect.
Help Your Child Study Smart: Why Flashcards Beat Rereading
When studying for tests and quizzes, encourage your student to put down the highlighters and pick up flashcards! Research in how we learn shows that simply rereading or highlighting notes or text gives people a false sense of remembering—it feels productive, but the information doesn't stick.
Flashcards force active retrieval practice—the brain exercise of pulling information out of memory rather than just looking at it. Every time a student tests themselves with a card, they strengthen their memory of the material for the long-term. For the best results, have them use flashcards in short, frequent sessions (15 minutes maximum) and keep cards in rotation until they can answer them correctly multiple days in a row!
Specials Grading Series: Art
RCPS updated its grading policy over the summer. Here at JCMES we’re working hard to help students and parents understand the changes and expectations for each grade level and specials class. To try and help with that, for the last few weeks we’ve featured information about grading in Specials–music, PE, and art.
This week, we feature our final special–Art with Mrs. Flores.
Grading Policy Information from Central Office
See NTI? NTI = Not Turned In
What it means: An assignment is currently missing and is temporarily recorded as a "0" in the gradebook until the work is submitted.
Opportunity to Catch Up: While turning work in on time is always best, missing assignments can still be submitted for credit. Students have up to two weeks from the original due date (or until the unit cut-off date) to complete and turn in their work.
This week: Look for NTI together with your child in PowerSchool. If you find one, talk with your child about what they need to complete the assignment.
For additional updates on the grading policy, please visit the RCPS Grading Policy website.
Costume Guidelines & Upcoming Dress-Up Days
Mark your calendars! Our annual Book Character Day will be on Friday, October 30th. On this day, both students and staff are invited to come to school dressed as their favorite book character.
Your family might be starting to shop or craft Halloween costumes. If they’re planning to also wear that costume to school for Book Character Day on October 30, please keep our school-wide safety and comfort guidelines in mind. To ensure a safe, fun, and distraction-free environment for all students, the following items are not permitted at school:
No Inflatable Costumes: These create space and visibility issues in hallways and classrooms and can prevent students from sitting in class and lunch.
No Face Masks: Staff must be able to identify all students easily.
No Scary or Overly Gory Costumes: We want to keep the day fun and welcoming for our younger learners.
Stay tuned for more information coming soon regarding specific SCA dress-up days leading up to the end of the month! Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school celebrations safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Upcoming School Holidays: No School on Oct 12 & Oct 23
Please mark your calendars! There will be no school for students on Monday, October 12 and Friday, October 23. Both days are scheduled Teacher Workdays for our staff. Enjoy the extended weekends with your family!
Happy Fall!
Liza Coffman, Principal – lcoffman@rockingham.k12.va.us
Jenna Rinker, Assistant Principal – jrinker@rockingham.k12.va.us