Dr. Jason Bowyer, Principal

Mrs. Sharon Pettus, Assistant Principal

7:50 am - 8:15 am -- Bus Arrival

7:50 am - 8:15 am -- Car Rider Arrival

8:00 am -- Office Opens

8:15 am -- Tardy Time

8:15 am - 3:10 pm -- Instructional Day

3:10 pm - 3:35 pm -- Dismissal Time

The AES newsletter is made available to parents and students digitally through email. The newsletter will be emailed each month to the parent email address on file in PowerSchool.

Parents or other individuals who are in the building for conferences or other school business are expected to report to the office to obtain a pass. You must present a state issued ID.

If you would like a time reserved or a time to meet with the principal, teacher, school counselor, or nurse, you are encouraged to call for an appointment.

Jason Bowyer, Principal - 352-7463

Sharon Pettus, Assistant Principal - 352-7463

Katie Tweedy, School Counselor - 352-0531

Katie Wootton, School Counselor - 352-7463

Brittany Barney, Nurse - 352-5411

Picture Day is coming! Fall pictures will be taken by Good Photo on Tuesday, September 10. Please refer to the picture day flyer that came home with your student.

The Book Fair is coming! AES will host the Scholastic Book Fair September 23 - September 27. Feel free to view the digital flyer below and be on the lookout for additional information coming home soon. Explore the Digital Flyer or visit https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/appomattoxelementaryschool1 to learn more about our book fair and to set up an eWallet for your student.

Parents: did you know that you can shop online at our book fair? Visit the website above during our book fair dates to make purchases online and have your order shipped directly to your door. Remember, books make great gifts for the holiday season!

Third grade students have started the new school year by getting to know each other and learning how to be good citizens at school.

In Math, students have been learning how to model, read and write six-digit numbers. They have also been working on comparing and ordering two whole numbers up to 9,999 or less. Next, we will learn how to compose, decompose, and represent numbers up to 9,999 in multiple ways. Then we will move on to work with estimated sums and differences, which will lead us to spending two weeks learning how to add and subtract whole numbers up to 9,999.

For Language Arts, we have started our new curriculum called Open Court. For our first unit, the theme is Respect. Each week, teachers will send home a "Home Connection" sheet that lists the theme, vocabulary words, spelling words, and other important information for that unit. The skills being taught in Language Arts will change each week, so the Home Connection sheets are very important to understanding what your child is learning in class. Please be aware that the due dates for Language Arts homework will change based on holidays and school closures. For example, students will receive homework on Tuesday, September 3rd, and it will be due the following Monday, September 9th.

We are so excited to start this 2024-2025 school year! We hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. We are doing some great things to start off this year, including learning about the geography of Virginia and about our Native American culture in Virginia as well. In math, we have learned place value to the hundred millions, and are working on estimation. A great way to strengthen their math foundations is to be sure they are practicing their math facts with addition and subtraction, as well as multiplication and division. Fact fluency is not only a standard we must master in 4th grade, it also helps us when we are doing more difficult mathematics.

4th Grade has enjoyed diving into our new Open Court Reading curriculum! We focus on three big topics within our block: Foundational Skills (like phonics and word analysis), Reading and Responding (using excerpts from awesome authors), and Language Arts (where we develop our writing, grammar, and spelling). We started the year by reading parts of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Ava and Pip, and Charlotte's Web. We've learned about prefixes and suffixes, vowel team spellings, closed syllables, making connections and clarifying, opinion writing, and so much more! We look forward to reading more exciting stories from famous authors and growing as readers and writers.

We have enjoyed getting to know our fifth graders as they begin their final year at AES! In Math, we have been covering review material focusing on place value and rounding, specifically of decimals. We are moving toward solving practical problems involving whole numbers and decimals. Specifically, we are moving toward multiplication and division of decimals, which are new concepts for our students. We will also focus on solving multi-step practical problems. These can be challenging. We hope to help students strengthen their comprehension of these problems to help them create a plan for solving. In Science, we have been focusing on our Scientific Investigation standards. We will be covering these standards all year within our other units. We have started studying Plants. Soon our students will be learning about animals and living systems.

The first unit theme for 5th grade is perseverance. What do we gain by persevering? Students discuss, explore, and analyze this driving question with each weekly selection. Your child will bring home an overview with each new lesson. It will include a text summary, vocabulary works and definitions, spelling words and targeted prompts for home discussions. Take some time each week to review. They will have a spelling, vocabulary and reading checks with each lesson. During writing, students have created an opinion piece together. Next, they will write their own opinion piece. Students will continue to build their skills of responding to their reading. It is important to read each night. Each week your child should earn 2 AR points.

Each teacher greatly appreciates your partnership. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions. This will be an amazing year!

Attendance Procedures

Regular school attendance is crucial for academic success. When students attend school consistently, they benefit from the full range of educational opportunities, develop important social skills, and build habits that will serve them well in their future endeavors. Research consistently shows that students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate, achieve higher academic outcomes, and show improved outcomes for life after high school.

Understanding Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days in a year, which equates to 18 days out of our 180-day school year. It is important to note that chronic absenteeism includes all absences, whether they are excused or unexcused. Simply put, a missed day is a missed day. Our attendance team will be working with families to support students who are at risk of reaching the 10% or more of days missed. In addition, if a child does exceed the 10% or more of days missed, we will be working with the student to recover missed time during the school day through an Attendance Recovery Program.

In addition to addressing absenteeism, we will also be placing a new emphasis on tardies and early dismissal. Tardies to school and early dismissal from school will be monitored closely and if a student misses 10 or more hours of school due to tardies and/or early dismissal, they will also participate in our Attendance Recovery Program.

Attendance Recovery Program

For students who have been assigned to this program through attendance meetings with our Family Support Specialist and School Counselor, one of our staff will work with the student on academic skills in an effort to mitigate learning loss due to time missed from school.

ACPS Attendance Procedures

for

ACPS Board Policy JED and JED-R Student Absences/ Excuses/Dismissal

Appomattox County Public Schools (ACPS) believes that school attendance is directly related to academic achievement and to the development of good habits that are important in the work world. Optimum student attendance is a cooperative effort, and ACPS expects parents and students to take active roles in accepting that responsibility.

Each principal shall ensure that teachers are accountable for checking and documenting attendance daily/by block; communicating and documenting contact with a student’s parents, school counselor, and administrator if poor attendance is affecting the student’s performance; and accurately verifying regular attendance reports. Reasonable efforts to notify a parent or guardian should be made when a student has an unexcused absence.

Compulsory school attendance is required by the Code of Virginia § 22.1-254. The Code states that every parent or guardian having control or charge of any student five to 18 years old shall be responsible for such student’s regular punctual attendance at school. School attendance is the responsibility of the students and their parent(s) or guardian. At the elementary level, attendance shall be documented daily, and in the secondary schools attendance shall be documented each class block.

Student Attendance Policy

● Student attendance is a cooperative effort; schools shall involve parents and students in accepting responsibility for regular attendance.

● Each parent or guardian of a child within the compulsory school attendance age shall be responsible for the child’s regular and punctual attendance at a school as required by law.

● Students shall attend school on a regular and punctual basis unless otherwise excused in accordance with school board regulation.

● Students shall attend school for a full day unless excused by the principal or principal’s designee.

● Students leaving school early for any reason must check out of the main office.

Appomattox County Public Schools Attendance Guidelines

Recognizing that regular attendance is critical to a student’s achievement in school, the school division has developed the following guidelines for attendance:

1. All student absences are considered unexcused until appropriate documentation is provided by the parent or guardian. Such documentation should be received by the school within 5 days of returning to school stating the reason for the absence.

Appomattox County Public Schools accept documentation from physicians, mental health professionals, and court officials. ACPS also allows a parent or guardian to write (up to 8) notes a year to excuse absences that are otherwise undocumented. However, only 8 days of excused absences will be accepted regardless of the type of documentation. (ex. 5 doctor notes + 3 parent notes =8) Subsequent absences should be documented but will be considered unexcused unless the documentation comes from a physician, mental health professional, court official, or notice of a religious holiday observance.

Full Day Absences

a. Excused Absences - The only excuses that shall be deemed excused are:

i. Participation in a school-sponsored activity or 4-H sponsored event ( max. 3 days). Middle and High School students may be excused to participate in a civic event. Documentation from the event sponsor is required.

ii. Prearranged absences; to include observance of a religious holiday

iii. Verified illness by a parent, guardian (with a parent excuse), or doctor (with a medical excuse)

iv. Documented court appearance with legal note from the court for the

student

v. Funeral attendance for an immediate family; Immediate family is designated as a parent, grandparent, sibling, or other relative living in the same household. An obituary or funeral service program should be provided. Otherwise, a parent note must be submitted. If more than one day is needed, the parent must contact the principal to explain the extenuating circumstance.

vi. Suspensions, expulsions - (up to 3 days will be considered excused)

vii. Military obligation

vi. Extenuating circumstances which are determined by the principal. When extenuating circumstances are approved, the principal will notify the attendance clerk, guidance, and truancy staff.

b. Unexcused Absences –Excuses not listed above will be deemed unexcused.

2. Make-up Work

a. It is the responsibility of the AMS and ACHS student to see the teacher on the day he or she returns to school to receive assignments and schedule make-up work. AES and APS parents may wish to assist the student in making

arrangements to make up missed assignments.

b. All work must be completed within 3 school days from the return to school; unless other arrangements have been made between the teacher and the student.

c. Parents may request assignments when a student is absent. Those

assignments are to be available for parents to pick up in the main office before the close of business on the following day.

d. Students have the opportunity and are encouraged to complete make-up work regardless of the reason for an absence.

3. General Provisions for Daily Attendance Reporting

Each principal shall ensure that teachers are accountable for the following:

a. Checking and documenting attendance daily at APS and AES (by 9:00 a.m.) and by period at AMS and ACHS.

b. Communicating and documenting contact with a student's parents, school counselor and administrator if poor attendance is affecting the student's performance.

c. Accurately verifying regular attendance reports.

4. Attendance Documentation Procedures

a. Students will submit notes to the homeroom or first period teacher at the start of the school day.

i. Principal's designee will:

- Read the excuse

- Determine if the excuse is excused or unexcused

- File the excuse

- Enter excused/unexcused into the student information system

5. Attendance Monitoring Procedures

It is the school division’s goal to support students and their families with attendance issues.

a. ACPS will contact the parent by letter after the student’s third (3rd) unexcused absence.

b. The principal's designee will provide reports to the principal indicating students with:

i. Five (5) or more unexcused absences or ten (10) total absences (any

combination of excused or unexcused)

c. Initial Attendance Review

i. With the parent, the designee will:

- contact the parent/student to determine the cause of the absences.

- inform the parent/student of the ramifications of poor attendance.

- work to secure any additional documentation that may support the

attendance record (outstanding parent or doctor's notes)

ii. With the division, the designee will:

- review the absence report

- consult students and parents as necessary to resolve discrepancies

in the attendance record.

- institute compulsory attendance procedures.

d. Upon Fifth Unexcused Absence without Parental Awareness and Support

i. The principal will:

- notify the attendance officer and compile documentation

ii. Upon notification by the principal, the attendance officer will:

- Schedule a school-based meeting with the student and parent to jointly develop a plan to resolve the student's non-attendance. Contacts may include conferences with the parent by phone and/or meetings with the student at the school

-Refer for the Interdisciplinary Truancy Review Team (ITRT)

- Compile proper documentation.

e. Upon Additional Unexcused Absences without Parent Awareness and Support

i. Upon notification by the principal, the school truancy officer will initiate

petitions with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

ii. The truancy officer will assist the principal in compiling the Truancy Petition CHINSUP (Child In Need of Supervision- Truancy) checklist for the school resource officer and court purposes.

iii. Prior to the court appearance, the truancy officer will coordinate with the principal or designee the preparation and delivery of the Attendance Case Summary for inclusion in court action.

f. Additional consequences for excessive absence, tardies and early dismissal may include:

● Reduction of course grades

● Assignment to afterschool recovery time.

● Restricted participation and attendance in extracurricular activities

Early Dismissals and Tardies

Early Dismissal from School: Students are expected to remain in school for all classes. When necessary, students or parents may submit an early dismissal note.

● Requests to leave early shall be submitted to the main office no later than *9:00 A.M. for approval

● No student will be allowed to leave school early without an approved note or a parent present to pick up the student.

● Parent must sign the student out in the office

Tardies to School: Students are expected to be at school on time. 10 (Ten) tardies/early dismissals are considered excessive. Families can expect the following consequences for excessive tardies and/or early dismissals .

● Parent notification and conferences to make improvement plans

● Loss of extracurricular access to watch and to participate

● Loss of parking privileges

● Lunch detentions

*Parents may use an online form to report absences, tardies, and early dismissals. ACPS School Absence Note (https://bit.ly/acpsattendance). Remember, parents are to notify the school no later than 9:00 am on any day that their student is expected to be absent from school.

Based on ACPS Board Policy Last Revised:

April 26, 2018

• September 2 -- No School - Labor Day

• September 3 -- Back-to-School Night, 6:00pm

• September 10 -- Picture Day

• September 18 -- Early Dismissal, 12:00pm

• October 11 -- End of 1st Quarter

• October 14 -- No School - Teacher Workday

• October 23 -- Early Dismissal, 12:00pm

• October 31 -- Book Character Day

• November 5 -- PTO Program, 3rd Grade Performs, 6:00pm

• November 11 -- No School - Veterans Day - Professional Development Day

• November 12 -- Picture Makeup and Retakes

• November 27-29 -- No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

• December 3 -- PTO Program, 4th Grade Performs, 6:00pm

• December 19 -- Early Dismissal, 1:00pm

• December 20 -- Early Dismissal, 1:00pm - End of Second Nine Weeks

• December 23 - January 1 -- No School - Winter Break

• January 2 -- No School - Professional Development Day

• January 3 -- No School - Teacher Work Day

• January 4 -- Students Return

• January 20 -- No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• February 5 -- Early Dismissal, 12:00pm

• February 17 -- No School - Presidents' Day

• March 5 -- Early Dismissal, 12:00pm

• March 11 -- PTO Program, 5th Grade Performs, 6:00pm

• March 13 -- End of Third Nine Weeks

• March 14 -- No School - Teacher Work Day

• March 17 -- Fourth Nine Weeks Begins

• March 25 -- Spring Picture Day and Class Pictures

• March 31 - April 4 -- No School - Spring Break

• April 9 -- Early Dismissal, 12:00pm

• April 21 -- No School -- Easter Monday

• May 22 -- Early Dismissal, 1:00pm

• May 23 -- Early Dismissal, 1:00pm -- Last Day of School

• May 27 -- Teacher Workday

• May 28-29 -- Professional Development

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