Tappahannock Elementary School

🎉 Celebrating Our Incredible School Counselors! 💙✨ This week, we are proud to honor our amazing school counselors during National School Counseling Week! 🎉 Our counselors play a vital role in supporting our students academically, socially, and emotionally every single day. 🌟 Tappahannock Elementary School – Ms. Natalie Mitchell 🌟 James H. Cary Intermediate School – Ms. Anya Robinson 🌟 Essex High School – Ms. Kristin Aitken These dedicated professionals go above and beyond to guide, encourage, and advocate for our students, helping them navigate challenges and achieve success. Thank you for all you do to support, inspire, and uplift our students every day!

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff, Due to a significant increase in illness-related absences across our schools, Friday, January 31, will be an asynchronous virtual learning day for all students and staff. This decision allows those who are ill to rest and recover while also helping to prevent further spread of illness. As an example of the impact, today alone, the high school reported 100 student absences due to illness. In addition, this closure will provide our custodial teams the opportunity to conduct a deep cleaning of all school buildings to ensure a healthier environment when students and staff return. Each school has shared "snow day plans" with their students. Students should follow the "snow day" guidance they received from their teachers for any assignments. Staff will also be working remotely and will be available during normal school hours via email. Thank you for your understanding and support as we prioritize the health and well-being of our school community. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Sincerely, Dr. Cyndee Blount Chief Academic Officer

Good Evening, ECPS Families: We hope that everyone is well and had a good day. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay on Thursday, January 23, 2025, due to unsafe road conditions in some parts of the county. Thanks for your attention and please be safe.

Good morning, ECPS Families: We hope this message finds everyone well. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will now be closed today, January 22, 2025, due to dangerous road conditions. Thanks for your attention and please be safe.

Good Evening, ECPS Families: We hope this message finds everyone well. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will be operating on a 2 hour delay on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, due to inclement weather and road conditions. Thanks for your attention and please be safe.

🎉✨ Congratulations to our amazing Teacher of the Year, Ms. Dungee! ✨🎉 We are so proud to celebrate Ms. Dungee, our incredible 4th-grade teacher, for her dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to her students. She goes above and beyond every day to create a positive, inspiring, and fun learning environment! 🌟 Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many students, Ms. Dungee. You truly deserve this honor! 🙌📚👏

Good evening, ECPS Families, We hope this message finds everyone well. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will be operating on a 2-hour delay on Monday, January 13, 2025. Thanks for your attention and please be safe.

Good afternoon, ECPS Families, Essex County Public Schools will remain closed for students on Friday, January 10, 2025. Some secondary roads are still not safe for traveling due to drifting snow accumulation. All staff will be expected to attend work by 10:00 a.m. or to make contact with immediate supervisors, should travel be adversely affected. Thanks for your attention and please be safe

Good afternoon, ECPS Families, Essex County Public Schools will remain closed for students on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The rationale for this decision is our observation of running water throughout the county on secondary roads such as Petro Pitts, Laurel Springs, and even Hustle Rd. This running water has been observed flowing across the roads in a downward direction. The early morning temperature will result in the freezing of this water and thus preventing school buses from traversing upward and downward. All staff will be expected to attend work by 10:00 a.m. or to make contact with immediate supervisors, should travel be adversely affected. Please be safe!

Good Afternoon, ECPS Families: Essex County Public Schools will remain closed for students on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. All ECPS’ staff members are expected to appear at assigned duty sites by 10:00 a.m., or as close to that time as possible, should anyone experience travel difficulties. The decision to keep schools closed for students is due to the poor condition of secondary roads, primarily in the north end of the county. Many of these roads still have snow and ice, while others have yet to be adequately plowed. Additionally, reports have been received regarding snow covered roads in the White Marsh/Route 684 areas of the county as well. Thanks for your attention.

Good Afternoon, ECPS Families, We hope this message finds everyone well and safe. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to inclement weather and dangerous road conditions. Thanks for your attention.

The Essex County School Board will hold its monthly meetings for January and February on Mondays, January 27, 2025, and February 24, 202,5 at 7:00 p.m. (Work Session @5:00 p.m. & Closed Session @6:00 p.m.) in the Essex County School Board Office Complex, and live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/essexcountypublicschools. There will be a Public Hearing on the Proposed 2025-2026 Calendar at 6:45 p.m. at the January 27th meeting and a Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2025-2026 Budget at 6:45 p.m. at the February 24th meeting.

Good Afternoon, ECPS Families: We hope this message finds everyone well and you had an enjoyable holiday break. Please be advised that Essex County Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to impending inclement weather conditions. Thanks for your attention and please be safe.

🎉 November’s Rockfish Award Winner! 🎉 At the end of each month, the class that earns the most compliments for being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn receives our school mascot, Rocky the Rockfish! 🐟This November, Ms. Washington’s 1st grade class earned an amazing 20 compliments, bringing their total to 90 compliments! 👏👏 What a fantastic example of excellence and teamwork! Additionally to celebrate hitting 90 compliments they earned Dress Up as a Book Character Day! 📚✨ We’re so proud of you, Ms. Washington’s class — keep up the great work! 🌟

🎉 December Attendance Challenge! 🎉 Don't forget about the weekly attendance incentive at Tappahannock Elementary School! 👉 When: December 2–19 👉 What: Students who are present every single day during the week—no absences, excused, or unexcused will be a part of the attendance incentive. The Attendance Team will visit classrooms every Friday to celebrate and reward students with perfect attendance for the week. Let's finish the year strong by showing up every day! Thank you for helping us make attendance a priority. Every day counts!

Want to Become a Teacher? Make a Difference with RTR! Are you ready to inspire and shape the future of students? 🌟 The RTR Teacher Residency Program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), in partnership with Essex County Public Schools, provides an immersive, hands-on teacher preparation experience! Whether you're pursuing your first degree or advancing your education, RTR offers: ✔️ A full salary and benefits for bachelor’s degree candidates while working in schools ✔️ A stipend to cover education costs for both graduate and undergraduate pathways, leading to teacher licensure in elementary, secondary, or special education If you already have an associate's or bachelor’s degree, this could be your path to becoming an exceptional educator. 👉 Apply today at teachrtr.org! ⏳ Applications close February 1, 2025. Take the first step toward making a difference! 💡✏️ #BecomeATeacher #RTRResidency #TeacherPreparation

Upcoming School Board Meeting The next School Board meeting will take place on November 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. We look forward to your participation!

Today at TES, we came together to celebrate good character! Check out the amazing book characters we spotted around school—so much creativity and spirit on display! ✨📖📗🎃

In celebration of Red Ribbon Week, we had a special visit from Officer Dobbins and his K-9 partner, Atlas! They demonstrated how Atlas can search for items and shared important messages about making healthy choices. Thank you for inspiring us to make positive decisions! 🐾❤️

Students in Ms. Dungee's 4th grade science classes participated in an investigation of biodiversity in the Rappahannock River. Students are benefiting from the implementation of Meaningful Watershed Experiences, which have been implemented throughout the division.