May 2025

the Carillon

car·il·lon /ˈkerəlän,ˈkerələn/ (noun) a set of bells in a tower played using a keyboard 

your weekly update from Carrollton Elementary

 May 10, 2025

 

From the desk of Mr. Brennan…

Capping off Teacher Appreciation Week, yesterday I sent the following message to my staff:

I appreciate it when you come to school even if you'd rather not.

I appreciate it when you can successfully separate real life from school life.

I appreciate it when you demonstrate gumption, resilience, integrity, and tenacity.

I appreciate it when you enjoy your job so much that it's obvious to those around you.

I appreciate it when you encourage your colleagues, your students, and their caregivers.

I appreciate it when you realize that being an educator is a high calling so you do it with fidelity. 

As I reflect on those sentiments, I realize that with a minor tweak or two, I could say the same to all of you wonderful ladies who are caregivers for our Cardinals.

I appreciate it when you show up for your child even if you'd rather not.

I appreciate it when you can successfully separate your wants from your child’s needs.

I appreciate it when you model for your child gumption, resilience, integrity, and tenacity.

I appreciate it when you enjoy motherhood so much that it's obvious to those around you.

I appreciate it when you encourage your children, their friends, and other caregivers.

I appreciate it when you realize that being a mother is one of the highest callings so you do it with affection and with patience and with confidence.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms and grandmoms and aunts who guide the children entrusted to you with the wisdom to know what your children truly need and with the depth of love required to provide it. As a son raised by a single mom for all my formative years, I know the value of a mother who makes sacrifices and who places her hopeful investment in her child. May you reap the reward of all you invest by finding genuine joy in your children today and in the years to come.

Let’s Grow!

Mr. B.

Mr. Brennan

 

Reminder: Anything highlighted below is new or very important info; 

the content not highlighted is still important but is an item that I have shared before.

Kudos

We truly appreciate our Cardinal Cafeteria Crew, Ms. Sherri, Ms. Shaune, Ms. Felicia, and Ms. Karen, for giving our Cardinals breakfast, lunch, and smiles!

A big thank-you to coaches Mr. K. Wimbush, Ms. J. Niemi, Ms. J Scherrer, Ms. M. Pealo, Ms. T. O’Byrne, andDr. Newcomb who led our biggest Great Computer Challenge team ever to a solid showing at the ODU-hosted event last weekend. Our team results were…

Level 1 Desktop Publishing: Good

Level 1 Graphic Design: Good

Level 1 Visual Programming/Block Coding: Good

Each year AAA of Tidewater selects students from across the 757 to be honored with induction into the Safety Patroller Hall of Fame and this year CAES has two of the thirteen inductees! Congratulation to our 3^rd graders Tolson L. and Parker H. for earning the distinction and representing CAES and Isle of Wight wonderfully!

On behalf of a very grateful staff, our appreciation goes to Mr. Jason Gorman, Cardinal dad and the Chief of Operations for Marco’s Pizza in Hampton Roads, for providing us a delicious lunch Thursday and to the PTA Executive Board and volunteers for feeding us Friday!

Help Wanted

Contact your Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors representative (IoW County Board of Supervisors) and let that person know you want the proposed IWCS budget to be fully funded because your child is worth it.

Mrs. Waibel needs aluminum foil for an upcoming engineering project. Any donations would be very much appreciated!

The Ecology Club is collecting the following items to use to create green spaces, grow vegetables, and recycle for a good cause: 2-liter bottles, plastic shopping bags, cans, cat food cans (rinsed and dried), feed bags (chicken feed or dry dog or cat food bags). Please get those to Mrs. Byrd and the Ecology Club will happily put them to good use. The class who collects the most cans will earn an ice cream party!

To prep the building for the HVAC overhaul this summer, our staff need to pack up and remove their belongings from the classrooms. If you have any interest in helping us with packing and storing, please reach out to me at [email protected].

Good to Know       

Our 1st & 2nd Grade Music & Art Night is Thursday, May 22!

• 1st Graders’ Music “Informance” begins at 6:00 p.m.
• 2nd Graders’ Music” Informance” begins at 7:00 p.m.

Doors will open 10 minutes prior to the music “informances.” Student attire is dressy casual.

The Art Gallery will be available for you to peruse your student's talents throughout the evening.

Free instructional materials will be available in our lobby from May 22 until June 11; feel free to take whatever you would like.

IWCS preschool registration is open for the upcoming school year! If you have a child who will be 4 by September 30, you are invited to apply to our high-quality, nurturing preschool program designed to help your child grow, learn, and thrive. Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait. Visit our IWCS Website or call 757-357-4393 for more information.

Caregivers of current 3^rd graders: In June, your student will automatically be enrolled at Westside Elementary unless there is a question of promotion. If you are moving over the summer or intend to enroll your student in another school, please let our office staff know as soon as possible so your child's records won't be packed up in the boxes going to Westside.

Field Day gear is available to order until next Friday, May 16 – see the attached flyer and send questions to our PE teacher, Ms. Sutphin.

Effective June 16, our main office staff will be located at Smithfield Middle School while our building is in “construction zone mode” for the HVAC overhaul.

From Our Librarian, Mrs. O’Byrne

I am seeking more information from you about your family reading habits at home and how the library can support at-home reading. Please fill out the Google Form HERE and enter your student for a book surprise. 

May 19 will be the last day for students to check out library books and materials. This will mean all library items will be due back to the library by May 29. Please be on the lookout for library books and materials at home. After May 29, I will begin completing a library inventory and sending home final overdue book notices. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please reach out.

Thank you for your support of the CAES Library. Happy reading!

Lots o’ Links

Our school’s handbook: CAES Family FAQ ('24-'25)

 

Information about the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and the division’s new language arts curriculum, myView, is linked here: Virginia Literacy Act and here: IWCS Language Arts Info

 

Here’s a link to a collection of resources to help you keep your children engaged with reading over the winter break and beyond: VLP literacy opportunities

Here is our school counselors’ referral form.

All students enrolled in Isle of Wight County Schools are given an opportunity to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Applications may be completed privately and securely online at www.schoolcafe.com, and forms can be obtained at any school's cafeteria or main office. 

Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the IWCS website at IWCS Cafeteria Menus ('24-'25)

Here’s the link to an “online note” that you can use to report your children’s absences: CAES Absence Noteand information about IWCS All Things Attendance

A copy of the school division’s calendar: ​2024-2025 School Calendar

Bus info: IWCS Transportation Information

Reminders

If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please reach out to the teacher at least 24 hours in advance to schedule the visit; this will allow the teacher to communicate if there are any changes to the lunch schedule and to notify the office of your upcoming visit.

Early pick-up ends at 3:15 daily. From 3:15 to 3:35, students are receiving valuable instruction, at recess, or transitioning between classes, so your support is appreciated.

From Blue Dominion  (www.bluedominionstudios.com/caes)

All school photos can still be ordered and 20% of the net profit will go directly back to support the school. (Use link above.)

Mark Your Calendar

5/12     Progress reports come home

 

5/13     3^rd grade Reading SOL, part 1

 

5/14     3^rd grade Reading SOL, part 2

 

5/16     Fancy-Schmancy Friday (a chance to wear those Easter outfits again!)

 

5/19     Rising 4^th graders’ trip to Westside Elementary

 

5/22     3^rd grade Math SOL

 

5/22     1^st and 2^nd graders’ Art & Music Night (1^st grade – 6:00; 2^nd grade – 7:00)

 

5/23     No school: Memorial Day Weekend

 

5/26     No school: Memorial Day

 

5/27     IWCS Parent Resource Center rep on site

 

5/30     Favorite Color Friday!

 

5/30     Pre-K field trip

 

6/4       SHS Seniors walk through our building

 

6/5       Pre-K field trip to Buckroe Beach

 

6/5       3rd grade picnic

 

6/6       Field Day!

 

6/9       Kindergarten promotion ceremony (10:00)

 

6/10     Mrs. Rosenberry’s pre-K promotion ceremony (9:30)

 

6/11     3rd grade promotion ceremonies / 12:50 dismissal

 

6/12     Mrs. Rowland’s pre-K promotion ceremony / 12:50 dismissal / Students’ last day!

File attachments:
Gatling Pointe Summer 2025 .pdf
2025 Family Fun Fest.pdf

Note

the Carillon

car·il·lon /ˈkerəlän,ˈkerələn/ (noun) a set of bells in a tower played using a keyboard 

your weekly update from Carrollton Elementary

 May 17, 2025

 

From the desk of Mr. Brennan…

Typically, I have this newsletter e-mailed at 10:00 a.m. Saturday but it’s 10:40 Saturday morning and I’m just now getting my thoughts together – and by “together” I mean I just decided to sit up and face the day. The past week has been less-than-typical, largely because of the additional undertaking of prepping our building for the long-awaited repairs to our HVAC system. I’ve dubbed the preparation efforts “Operation Overhaul” and it is an all-hands-on-deck affair. In the last six days our entire PE supply closet has been gutted and stored along a side wall of the gym; imagine 32 years’ worth of hula hoops, kickballs, and neon plastic sports equipment transplanted. Our bookkeeper Mrs. Bogard and I spent hours in the bowels of our scary archive room, dealing with dust, dead bugs, and boxes and boxes of old gradebooks and attendance records – the biggest find: a cardboard carton of handwritten absence excuse notes from the year 2000! Next came the office supply room which, over the years, had become a repository of miscellany; picture if an Office Max and a thrift store had a baby. Mrs. Carrie Smith and a bevy of her fellow reading coaches packed up hundreds of books and our assistant principal Mrs. Toth took her minimalist approach to the ton of stuff I was too nostalgic to part with – I did, however, manage to talk her into sparing one typewriter for the students to experience that vintage item. The archive space and the supply room are both now shelf-less empty shells.  • “Operation Overhaul” has not only required purging and perspiration but also invitation to be inconvenienced. Right along the main artery of the HVAC system was Mrs. DeLong’s classroom, and she graciously packed and shifted to an alternate location, all while still providing her same level of quality instruction. Our office conference room is also along that main artery so now the many people who hold the many meetings in that spot will be making due with a much smaller, way-too-warm location in the library. These relocations were willingly made this week so we could buy time at the end of the overhaul, hopeful to have access to the building earlier for back-to-school prep. • So, why am I sharing all this? I think it’s important for you to know why our teachers may appear a bit wide-eyed and disheveled and dusty: they’ve been tasked with packing all of their classroom materials and instructional supplies to be moved to storage units and garages and spare bedrooms. You will begin to see storage units popping up around the property, and your child may report seeing lots of liquor cartons around the building – those boxes were donated by local grocers and ABC stores and are filled with books, I promise! While still doing the work of engaging and educating, my staff is also purging and packing, inspired by the hope of that brand-new HVAC system. • Our “Operation Overhaul” is a lot like authentic adulting, isn’t it? We invest energy and effort, attention and action now with the hopes of a reward later. It’s also much like authentic parenting: We do the un-fun that needs to be done behind the scenes for the benefit of our kids. We can do this!

To prep the building for the HVAC overhaul this summer, our staff need to pack up and remove their belongings from the classrooms. If you have any interest in helping us with packing and storing, please reach out to me at [email protected] or to your child’s teacher.

Effective June 16, our main office staff will be located at Smithfield Middle School while our building is in “construction zone mode” for the HVAC overhaul.

Let’s Grow!

Mr. B.

Mr. Brennan

 

The highlighted below is new or very important info; 

the content not highlighted is still important but has been shared before.

Help Wanted

Speaking of purging, if you happen to have any clothes your sons have outgrown and you would be willing to donate those to our clinic, we would gladly give them a new home. (The spare outfits allow us to provide a change of clothes when boys get muddy outside.)

Contact your Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors representative (IoW County Board of Supervisors) and let that person know you want the proposed IWCS budget to be fully funded because your child is worth it.

Mrs. Waibel needs aluminum foil for an upcoming project. Any donations would be very much appreciated!

The Ecology Club is collecting the following items to use to create green spaces, grow vegetables, and recycle for a good cause: 2-liter bottles, plastic shopping bags, cans, cat food cans (rinsed and dried), feed bags (chicken feed or dry dog or cat food bags). Please get those to Mrs. Byrd and the Ecology Club will happily put them to good use. The class who collects the most cans will earn an ice cream party!

Good to Know       

CAES currently has over $4,700 of cafeteria debt accrued by students who overcharge food. While no student is allowed to get snacks without payment, the division’s policy is to not deny a student a meal because of non-payment. This debt will have to be paid which could mean the loss funds for instruction. Please reach out to our cafeteria manager, Ms. Butts ([email protected]); Child Nutrition tech Mr. Ruffin ([email protected]); or the Child Nutrition Director Mrs. Couch ([email protected]) if you have questions or concerns about your child’s food debt.

Personal devices such as laptops, game systems, cell phones, tablets, e-readers, etc. are not allowed for use at school for Pre-K through 3^rd grade students across the division. Smart watches are permitted as long as they are not used to communicate or access the Internet during the school day; during assessments, these watches should be powered off and placed in the student’s book bag.

Our 1st & 2nd Grade Music & Art Night is Thursday, May 22!

• 1st Graders’ Music “Informance” begins at 6:00 p.m.
• 2nd Graders’ Music “Informance” begins at 7:00 p.m.

Doors will open 10 minutes prior to the music “informances.” Student attire is dressy casual.

The Art Gallery will be available for you to peruse your student's talents throughout the evening.

Free instructional materials will be available in our lobby from May 22 until June 11; feel free to take whatever you would like.

IWCS preschool registration is open for the upcoming school year! If you have a child who will be 4 by September 30, you are invited to apply to our high-quality, nurturing preschool program designed to help your child grow, learn, and thrive. Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait. Visit our IWCS Website or call 757-357-4393 for more information.

Caregivers of current 3^rd graders: In June, your student will automatically be enrolled at Westside Elementary unless there is a question of promotion. If you are moving over the summer or intend to enroll your student in another school, please let our office staff know as soon as possible so your child's records won't be packed up in the boxes going to Westside.

From Our Librarian, Mrs. O’Byrne

I am seeking more information from you about your family reading habits at home and how the library can support at-home reading. Please fill out the Google Form HERE and enter your student for a book surprise. 

May 19 will be the last day for students to check out library books and materials. This will mean all library items will be due back to the library by May 29. Please be on the lookout for library books and materials at home. After May 29, I will begin completing a library inventory and sending home final overdue book notices. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please reach out.

Thank you for your support of the CAES Library. Happy reading!

Lots o’ Links

Our school’s handbook: CAES Family FAQ ('24-'25)

 

Information about the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and the division’s new language arts curriculum, myView, is linked here: Virginia Literacy Act and here: IWCS Language Arts Info

 

Here’s a link to a collection of resources to help you keep your children engaged with reading over the winter break and beyond: VLP literacy opportunities

Here is our school counselors’ referral form.

All students enrolled in Isle of Wight County Schools are given an opportunity to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Applications may be completed privately and securely online at www.schoolcafe.com, and forms can be obtained at any school's cafeteria or main office. 

Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the IWCS website at IWCS Cafeteria Menus ('24-'25)

Here’s the link to an “online note” that you can use to report your children’s absences: CAES Absence Note and information about IWCS All Things Attendance

A copy of the school division’s calendar: ​2024-2025 School Calendar

Bus info: IWCS Transportation Information

Reminders

If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please reach out to the teacher at least 24 hours in advance to schedule the visit; this will allow the teacher to communicate if there are any changes to the lunch schedule and to notify the office of your upcoming visit.

Early pick-up ends at 3:15 daily. From 3:15 to 3:35, students are receiving valuable instruction, at recess, or transitioning between classes, so your support is appreciated.

From Blue Dominion  (www.bluedominionstudios.com/caes)

All school photos can still be ordered and 20% of the net profit will go directly back to support the school. (Use link above.)

Mark Your Calendar

5/19     Rising 4^th graders’ trip to Westside Elementary

 

5/22     3^rd grade Math SOL

 

5/22     1^st and 2^nd graders’ Art & Music Night (1^st grade – 6:00; 2^nd grade – 7:00)

 

5/23     No school: Memorial Day Weekend

 

5/26     No school: Memorial Day

 

5/27     IWCS Parent Resource Center rep on site

 

5/30     Favorite Color Friday!

 

5/30     Pre-K field trip

 

6/4       SHS Seniors walk through our building

 

6/5       Pre-K field trip to Buckroe Beach

 

6/5       3rd grade picnic

 

6/6       Field Day!

 

6/9       Kindergarten promotion ceremony (10:00)

 

6/10     Mrs. Rosenberry’s pre-K promotion ceremony (9:30)

 

6/11     3rd grade promotion ceremonies / 12:50 dismissal

 

6/12     Mrs. Rowland’s pre-K promotion ceremony / 12:50 dismissal / Students’ last day!

the Carillon

car·il·lon /ˈkerəlän,ˈkerələn/ (noun) a set of bells in a tower played using a keyboard 

your weekly update from Carrollton Elementary

 May 24, 2025

 

From the desk of Mr. Brennan…

Here we are in that strange limbo between all the teaching and learning that’s happened since September 3 and all that sleeping in and vacationing that will start June 12. We have twelve days of school left: one is Field Day, two are early-dismissal days, yet all are still considered instructional days on our 2024-2025 calendar. It’s an easy slippery slope to slide, thinking there’s nothing left to learn. • Back when I taught high school, I used to get secretly annoyed by the colleagues who slacked off around late May and converted their instructional time to “study halls” and/or movie-watching sessions – Finding Nemo for a US History class, really? Sometimes I felt like the pre-summer Scrooge when eleventh graders would stumble into my room catatonic from the previous class and I would actually have the audacity to maintain academic expectations and have a lesson planned. My motivation wasn’t meanness; it would’ve been so much easier to coast to the last day. My motivation was to capitalize on the time that was left, to seize the day. • There’s always more to learn, whether there’s a test or not. As a matter of fact, I’m still learning stuff. For example, when I learned about dragon fruit as an adult, I was amazed; then last month I discovered pineberries – do you know about pineberries? (Where have these been my whole life?!) When I was a kid, I never knew about the axolotl or the capybara, yet your children have Squishmallows of these unique creatures. I only recently learned the cool finger-counting trick to figure out multiples of nine. When I was in school, there were nine planets and no South Sea, and why did it take me until 2020 to learn about Juneteenth when the celebration has been around since the 1860’s? My point: The learning should never stop. So, please keep sending your kids to school and we’ll keep teaching them until June 12, give or take a class party or promotion ceremony along the way.

Let’s Grow!

Mr. B.

Mr. Brennan

 

Help Wanted

To prep the building for the HVAC overhaul this summer, our staff need to pack up and remove their belongings from the classrooms. If you have any interest in helping us with packing and storing, please reach out to me at [email protected] or to your child’s teacher. So far two moms have reached out.

If you happen to have any pants or shirts your sons have outgrown and you would be willing to donate those to our clinic, we would gladly give them a new home. (The spare outfits allow us to provide a change of clothes when boys get muddy outside.)

Contact your Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors representative (IoW County Board of Supervisors) and let that person know you want the proposed IWCS budget to be fully funded because your child is worth it.

Mrs. Waibel needs aluminum foil for an upcoming project. Any donations would be very much appreciated!

The Ecology Club is collecting the following items to use to create green spaces, grow vegetables, and recycle for a good cause: 2-liter bottles, plastic shopping bags, cans, cat food cans (rinsed and dried), feed bags (chicken feed or dry dog or cat food bags). Please get those to Mrs. Byrd and the Ecology Club will happily put them to good use. The class who collects the most cans will earn an ice cream party!

Good to Know       

CAES Field Day 2025 Volunteer Sign-up

Effective June 16, our main office staff will be located at Smithfield Middle School while our building is in “construction zone mode” for the HVAC overhaul.

CAES currently has over $4,000 of cafeteria debt accrued by students who overcharge food. While no student is allowed to get snacks without payment, the division’s policy is to not deny a student a meal because of non-payment. This debt will have to be paid which could mean the loss funds for instruction. Please reach out to our cafeteria manager, Ms. Butts ([email protected]); Child Nutrition tech Mr. Ruffin ([email protected]); or the Child Nutrition Director Mrs. Couch ([email protected]) if you have questions or concerns about your child’s food debt.

Personal devices such as laptops, game systems, cell phones, tablets, e-readers, etc. are not allowed for use at school for Pre-K through 3^rd grade students across the division. Smart watches are permitted as long as they are not used to communicate or access the Internet during the school day; during assessments, these watches should be powered off and placed in the student’s book bag.

Free instructional materials are available in our lobby until June 11; feel free to take whatever you would like.

IWCS preschool registration is open for the upcoming school year! If you have a child who will be 4 by September 30, you are invited to apply to our high-quality, nurturing preschool program designed to help your child grow, learn, and thrive. Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait. Visit our IWCS Website or call 757-357-4393 for more information.

Caregivers of current 3^rd graders: In June, your student will automatically be enrolled at Westside Elementary unless there is a question of promotion. If you are moving over the summer or intend to enroll your student in another school, please let our office staff know as soon as possible so your child's records won't be packed up in the boxes going to Westside.

From Our Librarian, Mrs. O’Byrne

I am seeking more information from you about your family reading habits at home and how the library can support at-home reading. Please fill out the Google Form HERE and enter your student for a book surprise. 

This past Monday was the last day for book checkout. We still have 950 books needing to be returned, and all library items will be due back to the library by May 29. Check under those beds and in bottoms of book bags! Starting next week, I will begin the inventory of the library and after May 29, I will begin completing a library inventory and sending home final overdue book notices. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please reach out.

Thank you for your support of the CAES Library. Happy reading!

Lots o’ Links

Our school’s handbook: CAES Family FAQ ('24-'25)

Information about the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and the division’s new language arts curriculum, myView, is linked here: Virginia Literacy Act and here: IWCS Language Arts Info

Here’s a link to a collection of resources to help you keep your children engaged with reading over the winter break and beyond: VLP literacy opportunities

Here is our school counselors’ referral form.

All students enrolled in Isle of Wight County Schools are given an opportunity to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Applications may be completed privately and securely online at www.schoolcafe.com, and forms can be obtained at any school's cafeteria or main office. 

Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the IWCS website at IWCS Cafeteria Menus ('24-'25)

Here’s the link to an “online note” that you can use to report your children’s absences: CAES Absence Note and information about IWCS All Things Attendance

A copy of the school division’s calendar: ​2024-2025 School Calendar

Bus info: IWCS Transportation Information

Reminders

If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please reach out to the teacher at least 24 hours in advance to schedule the visit; this will allow the teacher to communicate if there are any changes to the lunch schedule and to notify the office of your upcoming visit.

Early pick-up ends at 3:15 daily. From 3:15 to 3:35, students are receiving valuable instruction, at recess, or transitioning between classes, so your support is appreciated.

From Blue Dominion  (www.bluedominionstudios.com/caes)

The yearbooks are coming! The yearbooks are coming! Be on the lookout for the book you ordered to come home by the first week of June.

All school photos can still be ordered and 20% of the net profit will go directly back to support the school. (Use link above.)

Mark Your Calendar

5/26     No school: Memorial Day

5/27     IWCS Parent Resource Center rep on sit

5/30     Favorite Color Friday!

5/30     Pre-K field trip

6/4       SHS Seniors walk through our building

6/5       Pre-K field trip to Buckroe Beach

6/5       3rd grade picnic

6/6       Field Day!

6/9       Kindergarten promotion ceremony (10:00)

6/10     Mrs. Rosenberry’s pre-K promotion ceremony (9:30)

6/11     3rd grade promotion ceremonies / 12:50 dismissal

6/12     Mrs. Rowland’s pre-K promotion ceremony / 12:50 dismissal / Students’ last day!

File attachments:
Kindergarten Screening 2025.png
Gatling Pointe Summer 2025 .pdf

the Carillon

car·il·lon /ˈkerəlän,ˈkerələn/ (noun) a set of bells in a tower played using a keyboard 

your weekly update from Carrollton Elementary

 May 31, 2025

 

From the desk of Mr. Brennan…

If you’re reading this, thank you. There’s a good chance you’re one of those people who are in-the-know – and there’s a whole bunch to know about in the upcoming couple weeks. Grab your calendar and let's go!

6/4      SHS Seniors walk through our building. (11:00 a.m.)

            Let’s celebrate them with our final Packer Backer Day by wearing blue and gold!

 

6/5      3rd grade picnic (12:30 p.m.)

                       

6/6      Field Day!

 

6/9      Kindergarten promotion ceremony (10:00 a.m.)

 

6/10    Mrs. Rosenberry’s pre-K promotion ceremony (9:30 a.m.)

 

6/10    2^nd grade Fun Day (10:30 a.m.)

 

6/11    3rd grade promotion ceremonies (Teachers will communicate start times.)

12:50 dismissal

 

6/12    Mrs. Rowland’s pre-K promotion ceremony (9:30 a.m.)

12:50 dismissal

Report cards come home

Students’ last day!

 

6/13    All lost & found items will find new homes.

 

6/15    Happy Father’s Day!

 

6/16    The office staff will start our summer residency at Smithfield Middle School.

 

6/19    All IWCS buildings will be closed in observance of Juneteenth

 

Two requests: 1) You know those friends and neighbors who often aren’t in-the-know? Please tell them about the above events. 2) With the storage units taking up some prime real estate, please be patient finding parking spots when attending any of the above events.

Let’s Grow!

Mr. B.

Mr. Brennan

 

Cardinal Kudos

Thank you very much to the Surdyka family for their donation of moving boxes – the teachers are already filling them up!

The Patel family demonstrated wonderful kindness and generosity that resulted in payment for many students' lunches!

Help Wanted

To prep the building for the HVAC overhaul this summer, our staff need to pack up and remove their belongings from the classrooms. If you have any interest in helping us with packing and storing, please reach out to me at [email protected] or to your child’s teacher. So far two moms have reached out.

The Ecology Club is collecting the following items to use to create green spaces, grow vegetables, and recycle for a good cause: 2-liter bottles, plastic shopping bags, cans, cat food cans (rinsed and dried), feed bags (chicken feed or dry dog or cat food bags). Please get those to Mrs. Byrd and the Ecology Club will happily put them to good use. The class who collects the most cans will earn an ice cream party!

The Westside Elementary School PTA is looking to recharter for the 2025-2026 school year, and they need to find a Treasurer.  Please fill out this Google form if you’re interested in helping: Interest Survey about WSES PTA

Good to Know       

Caregivers of 3rd Graders, the following adjustments have been made to our SOL expedited retakes: 

• Reading part 1 will be Monday, June 2.
• Reading part 2 will be Tuesday, June 3.
• Math will be Thursday, June 5.

This affects only those students whose original SOL score(s) fell within the range for a retake.

If you are moving over the summer or intend to enroll your student in another school, please let our office staff know as soon as possible so your child's records can be pulled before we move to Smithfield Middle for the summer. (Effective June 16, our main office staff will be located at Smithfield Middle School while our building is in “construction zone mode” for the HVAC overhaul.)

Annual Zone Transfer Requests: School zone transfer requests must be submitted annually. If a request is not submitted, families will forfeit the option to attend a different school and will be required to enroll their child in the school assigned to their residential zone. All requests must be received at the zoned school by July 1. 

CAES currently has over $3,500 of cafeteria debt accrued by students who overcharge food. While no student is allowed to get snacks without payment, the division’s policy is to not deny a student a meal because of non-payment. This debt will have to be paid which could mean the loss funds for instruction. Please reach out to our cafeteria manager, Ms. Butts ([email protected]); Child Nutrition tech Mr. Ruffin ([email protected]); or the Child Nutrition Director Mrs. Couch ([email protected]) if you have questions or concerns about your child’s food debt.

Personal devices such as laptops, game systems, cell phones, tablets, e-readers, etc. are not allowed for use at school for Pre-K through 3^rd grade students across the division. Smart watches are permitted as long as they are not used to communicate or access the Internet during the school day; during assessments, these watches should be powered off and placed in the student’s book bag.

Free instructional materials are available in our lobby until June 11; feel free to take whatever you’ll use. 

IWCS preschool registration is open for the upcoming school year! If you have a child who will be 4 by September 30, you are invited to apply to our high-quality, nurturing preschool program designed to help your child grow, learn, and thrive. Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait. Visit our IWCS Website or call 757-357-4393 for more information.

From Our Librarian, Mrs. O’Byrne

Books are due. As of this past Thursday afternoon, there were still 700 books checked out from the CAES library needing to be returned. Keep looking in those closets, under dressers and at Grandma’s house! Notices will be coming home soon.

To keep honing those developing reading skills and discover some fun books, here are some Cardinal Summer Reading  suggestions for your kids – and a few recommendations for you to take to the beach!

Lots o’ Links

Our school’s handbook: CAES Family FAQ ('24-'25)

 

Information about the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and the division’s new language arts curriculum, myView, is linked here: Virginia Literacy Act and here: IWCS Language Arts Info

 

Here’s a link to a collection of resources to help you keep your children engaged with reading over the winter break and beyond: VLP literacy opportunities

Here is our school counselors’ referral form.

All students enrolled in Isle of Wight County Schools are given an opportunity to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Applications may be completed privately and securely online at www.schoolcafe.com, and forms can be obtained at any school's cafeteria or main office. 

Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the IWCS website at IWCS Cafeteria Menus ('24-'25)

Here’s the link to an “online note” that you can use to report your children’s absences: CAES Absence Noteand information about IWCS All Things Attendance

A copy of the school division’s calendar: ​2024-2025 School Calendar

Bus info: IWCS Transportation Information

Reminders

If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please reach out to the teacher at least 24 hours in advance to schedule the visit; this will allow the teacher to communicate if there are any changes to the lunch schedule and to notify the office of your upcoming visit.

Early pick-up ends at 3:15 daily. From 3:15 to 3:35, students are receiving valuable instruction, at recess, or transitioning between classes, so your support is appreciated.

From Blue Dominion  (www.bluedominionstudios.com/caes)

Be on the lookout for the yearbook you ordered as they were sent home.  There are a handful of extra yearbooks available in the main office for purchase on a first come, first serve basis. The extra yearbooks are sold "as is" and are $25 (cash only, exact change only).

All school photos can still be ordered and 20% of the net profit will go directly back to support the school. (Use link above.)

File attachments:
Gatling Pointe Summer 2025 .pdf
Kindergarten Screening 2025.png