Nansemond News
January 2025
Calendar of Events
Feb. 5 Unity & Solidarity (Wear All Black)
Feb. 6 Parent Teacher Conference; Early Release for Students; Report Cards Distributed
Feb. 7 Heart Disease Awareness (Wear Red)
Feb. 11 STEM Night Family Engagement
Feb. 13 African Print Day
Feb. 14 PBIS Winter Celebration
Feb. 17 Presidents Day Holiday- School Division Closed
Feb. 27 REP Your HBCU Day
Admin News
Message from the Principal
Nansemond Parkway Elementary
Principal’s February Newsletter
From the Desk of Ms. Rouse
Dear Nansemond Parkway Braves Families,
Happy February! As we move forward into the second half of the school year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for our wonderful students, dedicated staff, and supportive families. The energy and enthusiasm of our Braves community continue to inspire me each day.
Celebrating Black History Month
Throughout February, we will engage in meaningful activities and lessons to honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans in history. I encourage you to ask your child about what they are learning and discuss these important conversations at home.
Love for Learning
February is also a month to celebrate the love of learning! Our teachers are working diligently to keep students engaged and motivated. Let's continue to work together to promote positive attendance, as every day counts.
Attendance Matters!
Speaking of attendance, congratulations to Ms. Meaders' class for being the first to achieve our "AT Ten We Dance" celebration for 10 days of perfect classroom attendance! We can't wait to see which classes will be next.
Upcoming Events
February 6: Early Dismissal/Parent-Teacher Conference Day (by appointment)
February 11: Family Engagement STEM Night
February 14: Valentine’s Day Class Celebrations (details from teachers) and our school PBIS Celebration
February 17: Presidents’ Day (No School)
February 25: Information Session w/ Military Liaison (Virtual) @ 6:00
Family Connection
Your support plays an essential role in the success of our students. Whether it’s reading together at night, reviewing homework, or encouraging a positive mindset, your involvement makes a difference.
Thank you for being partners in your child’s educational journey. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Together, we are Nansemond Parkway Strong!
With Gratitude,Ms. Rouse
Principal, Nansemond Parkway Elementary
Grade Level News
Academic Coach:
Our grades 3-5 morning tutoring will resume on January 14th. If you would like your student to participate in morning tutoring please email me at ashleynettles@spsk12.net .
Early Start:
We are working on How Things Work, How Things Move and How Things Grow in our Streamin3 curriculum. We are looking forward to our Valentine’s Day exchanges & the 100th day of school. The upcoming letters to identify are Ff, Kk, Uu, and Zz. We will review our previously learned letters (Mm, Tt, Bb, Ss, Aa, Nn, Pp, Cc, Ee,Ll, Rr,Oo,Dd, Jj). Continue to read your Suffolk Reader books each week and have some focused play or learning time together. Remember to send your selfie to your teacher for our book of the month club!
Kindergarten:Welcome to February! February is a short month with a lot of exciting dates! It includes the 100th day of school, Presidents Day and Valentine's day. Please be on the lookout for information regarding these days. We are also in the third nine weeks of school. The students will continue learning to apply letter/sound knowledge to read and spell words. Sight words (heart words) are also a focus in the classroom. Please use the monthly study guide to reinforce the skills we are practicing in class. Remember that we go outside when the temperature is above 40 degrees. Feel free to come in and check out the lost and found if you're missing a coat. Thank you for all of your support!
1st Grade: February is here and it is going to be a busy one for 1st grade!
In Reading we will continue to work on ask and answer questions and decoding words. For Math we will start grouping collections of items and identifying the place value with tens and ones by writing the number correctly. In Social Studies we will have fun learning about President’s Day along with some famous Virginians such as Maggie Walker, Douglas Wilder, John Mercer Langton, and Arthur Ashe. In Science we will learn all about animals. We also will be celebrating the 100th day of school. Please remember to work on your homework and fluency books nightly.
2nd Grade:For the month of February in Math, students will work on fractions. This will include comparing fractions. In Reading students will work on reading words with the following spelling features (er, ir, ur, ar, and or). In Writing students will continue to practice cursive, and also work on writing a realistic fiction story. In Science students will learn about living things and their habitats. In Social Studies students will learn about President’s Day and historical figures. Please continue to read nightly with your child to help them with their fluency and comprehension. Please also review any study guides that are sent home.
3rd Grade:In math, we are focusing on telling time and solving elapsed time problems, as well as working with money by comparing amounts and making change. We are also diving into fractions—identifying, creating, and comparing them to build a strong foundation for future math skills. In science, we are exploring how animals survive by comparing physical and behavioral adaptations, along with studying fossils to understand how they provide clues about the past. For reading, we have begun our review plan, which includes both fiction and nonfiction passages with comprehension questions to strengthen students' reading skills. Thank you for your continued support as we help our students grow!
4th Grade: Welcome to the second half of the school year! Listed below are the topics covered this month.
Math: This month we will be evaluating patterns including identifying, describing, and analyzing patterns. We will also be gathering data to create and interpret graphs. Later in the month, we will transition to using units of measurement. Please continue to review material at home with your student so they are prepared for the upcoming SOLs.
Reading: In reading, students will identify the main types of text structures: description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution, and narrative. We will identify the characteristics of each text structure, too. Identifying the meaning of unfamiliar words, using context clues, will continue to be a major focus. Finally, synonyms, antonyms, and knowledge of Latin and Greek words will be focused on during the vocabulary portion of our reading class.
Writing: Students will focus this month on understanding prompts, or questions, that contain multiple components. They will work towards consistent independence in answering these types of questions using text evidence. Students will also complete an expository essay on the positive impacts of technology.
Science: In science, we will be diving into learning about the ocean environment. Students will create a model of the ocean floor, describe the movement of water, and explain the interactions of organisms.
Social Studies: Students will be learning about the Civil War including the major battles and the roles that people had in the war. Later in the month, we will start our discussion on Reconstruction including segregation & the Jim Crow laws. Please remind students to be mindful of their comments during class discussions as some of the topics we discuss are very serious.
Thank you again for your support at home. We appreciate all your hard work that is contributing to your child’s success.
5th Grade:
We are one month closer to SPRING! I hope you are as excited as we are about more sunshine, beautiful recesses, and continued learning!
In math this month, we will finish Mean, Median, Mode, and Range and then begin the Data Cycle-this just means we will be looking at data and all its wonder! Please be reminded that Zearn is accessible at home and it is a great resource for students as they grow their math mastery!
In reading, we will continue working in Wonders Unit 4. During every unit, we are reading grade-level texts and talking about our understanding of grade-level vocabulary, as well as being able to find evidence in the text to support comprehension questions. We also must write about the texts we read to show our understanding of all components of the text. Reading at home WITH your child, discussing what you’ve read, and even writing about it will support what we are doing daily. Kids are never too old to be read to!
Please be reminded that 5th grade students do take a Science SOL. It encompasses 4th and 5th grade science standards. Students may access www.solpass.org to see all of the types of questions they may see in May. There are also games and activities! Again, another opportunity for great conversations with your child. What are you an expert on as you look at 5th grade SOLs?
Every day in 5th grade is BUSY! We are learning to be better thinkers, problem solvers, and readers. Learning to think critically is an essential life-skill! Please remember to let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
Guidance Counselor:
The character trait we will be focusing on in February is ̈Kindness ̈. A great book to reinforce
the importance of being kind to others, and to review the qualities of a good friend is ̈Have You
Filled a Bucket Today? ̈ by Carol McCloud. This book teaches that everyone has an ̈invisible
bucket ̈ that can be filled by kind words or actions from others. Students should strive to be
̈bucket fillers ̈by doing or saying kind things instead of ̈bucket dippers ̈, saying or doing unkind
things to hurt others.
Random Acts of Kindness Week will be observed February 10th-14th. There will be a
special activity that will last all week. Any student who performs a random act of kindness can
ask their teacher for a paper heart to write it down. The hearts will be placed on the “Kindness
Tree” in the main hallway.
ATTENTION PARENTS: SAVE THE DATE!!!! Our Annual Career Day will be held on Friday,
March 28th. Please click the link for more information and to complete an interest form:
https://forms.gle/DdbZEnoVYV5SUuVs5
Please contact Mrs. Pittman, NPES School Counselor at (757) 923-4167 or via email at
chandapittman@spsk12.net with any questions or if you need assistance with your child's
academic or personal/social needs.
Please contact Mrs. Pittman, NPES School Counselor at (757) 923-4167 or via email at
chandapittman@spsk12.net with any questions or if you need assistance with your child's
academic or personal/social needs.
Title I:
Are You Ready for Some Science?- Family Support for Science At Home
The links below provide families with ways to get their children to experiment with science at home. These activities are designed to support parents of children in kindergarten through fifth grade with science content at home.
References
(2025, January 23). Science. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/state-board-data-funding/accreditation-accountability/school-performance-and-support-framework/supporting-virginia-learners/family-supports/science
Reading Specialist:
Parents,
Here are some tips you can use to help make reading at home more enjoyable and purposeful.
Enjoy!
NPES PBIS Matrix
