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News from Mrs. Merriam 
Dear Nuckols Farm foxes, Thank you so much for a wonderful school year as we have celebrated our “PAWS Up for 20 Years,†with our young foxes. Parents and PTA, we could not have experienced such success without your strong support and initiative to provide materials, manpower, and encouragement, and I truly feel that we have made our 20th year a year to remember.
There will be a letter in your child’s report card with some important dates and information regarding our upcoming school year. Our summer reading list is on our website this year, so please don't forget to look there before you get too busy having fun and making summer memories. Please be sure to read my letter, and keep it for reference. I am eternally grateful for having had the opportunity to serve such an incredible community with the best staff one could ever hope for. This school is really a big family, and the joys we celebrate and heartaches we feel for each other make it an even more remarkable place. Many, many thanks for a great year, and I hope each of you enjoys a marvelous summer!
Your lucky and grateful Principal for just a little longer, Lisa Merriam |
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This month, NFE will say goodbye to six dedicated faculty members as they move on to new adventures. Cindy Baxter is retiring after 30 years of teaching including 15 at NFE. She started as a special education teacher but has been teaching third or fifth grade for the last 25 years. Before coming to the Farm, Mrs. Baxter taught at Springfield Park and Longan Elementary Schools. Her favorite Farm memories are celebrating Valentine’s Day each year. She said she will miss “being in such a friendly and positive environment.†Mrs. Baxter plans to enjoy retirement by traveling, spending time with family and friends, and working with students as a substitute teacher. “How lucky am I to retire from such an amazing school!â€
Kelly Brinson joined NFE 14 years ago as a third grade teacher. She spent 11 years in third grade before moving to fourth grade. Next year she’ll teach fourth grade at Buckland Mills Elementary School in Gainesville, VA in Prince William County. Her favorite memories include “the kiddos, singing at Back to School Night, and staff skits." She said she’ll miss the support of staff, administration and the community. “Our staff is super close. We are more than coworkers. We are family! I am going to miss everything about this school. I am excited for new adventures, but I am sad to go!†Amy Jones came to the Farm in November 2017 as an exceptional education teacher. Her favorite NFE memory was “being congratulated by the entire first grade class after they heard I’d gotten married.†Mrs. Jones will be teaching at Cool Spring Elementary in Hanover County next year but said she’ll miss NFE's “sweet, sweet students!â€
Lisa Merriam began teaching 35 years ago in Jacksonville, NC where she earned Teacher of the Year honors for her county. After moving to Richmond, she worked at Short Pump Elementary and Gayton Elementary before opening NFE as the general resource teacher in 1997. In 2001, Mrs. Merriam became NFE’s first assistant principal and in 2011 was named the school’s associate principal. Mrs. Merriam spent one year away from the Farm, splitting her time as associate principal at Longdale and Lakeside Elementary Schools in 2011-12 before being named NFE principal in 2012. Some of Mrs. Merriam’s more interesting Farm memories include “the rounding up of ‘loose’ animals when the Farm was still a farm.†Her fondest memories include “enjoying the students, staff and community as a big family. The smiles on my students’ faces and hugs each day fueled my energy level.†She plans to enjoy retirement by settling into a new routine, reading some great books, enjoying the beach, spending time with family, and traveling. “Nuckols Farm is a special place and will always be dear to my heart.â€
We also want to thank instructional assistants Cathy Burrows and Brian Brown, who are relocating. Best wishes on your moves, and thank you for your years of hard work and dedication to our students from the SIS program. Thank you, Mrs. Baxter, Ms. Brinson, Mr. Brown, Ms. Burrows, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Merriam for your service and dedication to the Farm. We will miss you! |
Medication Pick Up
If your child has medication in the clinic, please don't forget to pick it up by 11 am on Friday, June 15. | | 
Looking for Something? Be sure to check the Lost & Found (located in the clinic) before June 14. All remaining items will be donated that afternoon.
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 | | Welcome Mrs. Metzger!
Welcome to Mrs. Crystal Metzger (pictured center with Mrs. Merriam and Mrs. Childress), who will officially become the Farm's fourth principal on July 1. She joins a list of dynamic and distinguished leaders - Mr. Parrish, Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Merriam - who have guided the Farm since it opened 20 years ago. We look forward to getting to know Mrs. Metzger and welcoming her to the Farm! |
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Keep the Community ColorfulHave a bunch of old markers? Instead of throwing them away, let your PTA recycle them for you. We’ll have bins in the main hallway the last week of school. Leave your old markers (any brand), and we’ll pack them up and send them off to be recycled. | | 
Yearbooks Capture Memories
Yearbooks will be distributed by Thursday, June 14 to those students who pre-ordered a copy last fall. We have a limited number of extra copies, which will be sold for $25 on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact Cathy Nerheim. | | 
Finish Your Back to School Shopping Before June 22
Make back-to-school supply shopping easy this fall by ordering supply kits with everything your young fox will need for next year. Click here for details, and use code 93997 for NFE. Place your order by June 22, and your items will be waiting for you at Open House in August. |
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Come one, come all to the Reflections Art Program 2018! All children from Pre-K to 12 are eligible to participate in this magical art program where children are encouraged to create an original piece of artwork reflecting that year’s theme. The 2018-19 theme is “Heroes Around Me,†and projects can be entered in six categories – dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. A few rules to keep in mind: - There are two grade divisions- Primary (K-2) and Intermediate (3-5).
- No adult may alter the creative integrity of the work.
- Only one student may submit the work. Group work is not permitted.
- Each entry must include a title and statement by the artist.
- PowerPoint presentations are not permitted.
- Copywritten materials may not be used with the exception of music for choreography and film, which should be noted in the statement.
- Entries are reviewed at NFES by select judges.
- Ownership remains with the entrant; however, all entrants agree to allow their work to be displayed or reproduced for PTA purposes.
Get additional information and guidelines here. Deadline is Oct. 15.
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 | | Third Graders Preview Recycling Club
Third, fourth and fifth graders - and Foxy - had a great time participating in Fox Recycling Third Grade Preview Day on June 5.
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 | | NFE PTA Recognized at Annual Banquet
Thanks to all the Fox families who supported the PTA this year. In May, Emily McKinney, 2017-18 PTA president, accepted four awards on behalf of NFE PTA at the annual Henrico County Council of PTAs banquet.
Membership Award – for a 7.4% membership increase for 2017-2018 Recognition by the Richmond District PTA for our Increased Membership Recognition by the Richmond District PTA for 100% PTA Membership for 2017-2018 Certificate of Recognition from the HCCPTA for Outstanding PTA Programs Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make these awards possible, especially Molly Snow, membership chair, and Brooke Bennett, cultural arts chair, as well as all our volunteers and members. Congratulations on this well deserved recognition! |
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Looking for One Good Volunteer
Have an extra hour or two a month? We're looking for a volunteer to represent NFE next year on the Henrico County Council of PTAs. Meetings are held on weekday evenings. Contact Deb Harper. | | 
Thanks to our Cafeteria Volunteer of the MonthCongratulations to Brandy Straus, the May/June Cafeteria Volunteer of the Month. She will receive a fox apron for her efforts. Thanks for being PAWSitively amazing! | | 
Meet your 2018-19 PTA Board Members
Your PTA board members will be hard at work this summer making plans for the upcoming school year. Watch for details about how you can get involved on the Farm in the fall, or reach out to a board member today. |
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Dancing on the Blacktop
Mark your calendar for Friday, June 15 at 8:30 am for the Farm's annual last-day-of-school Dancing on the Blacktop celebration. We'll have line dancing from your favorite foxes as we get ready for summer!
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 | | Updated Immunization Record Required for Middle SchoolThe State of VA requires all students entering 6th grade to receive a TDAP booster prior to the first day of school. It is each parent’s responsibility to provide this record to your child’s school nurse once completed. If you have not done so, please bring it to Mrs. Vallei at NFE before June 15 or the nurse at your child's middle school after that date. |
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 | | Share your Skills with Middle School PTAsShort Pump Middle School and Pocahontas Middle School have a variety of openings with their PTAs for the 2018-19 year. Have a current or rising middle school student? Contact Leslie Chowning, SPMS PTA president, or Lee Dolan, PMS PTA president, for more details. |
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 | SUPPORT THE FARM EVERY TIME YOU SHOP OR EAT!
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 | | Keep Clipping all Summer!Thanks to your hard work clipping, collecting, and submitting Box Tops, we've earned over $1,700 this year! Congratulations to our class winners, Mrs. Lee's class in the K-2nd category with 1,060 Box Tops and Mrs. Kanasink's class in the 3rd-5th category with 1,464 Box Tops. Both classes will receive ice cream parties to celebrate their stellar collecting skills!
Watch for the summer collection sheet to come home soon, and keep clipping and collecting all summer. All Box Tops collected this summer will go toward next school year's contest. Don't forget to remind family and friends to collect for you. Every little Box Top counts. |
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 | | Enroll in the Silver Diner Eat Well, Do Well Rewards Club - Earn Benefits for You & NFETo get started, visit Silver Diner's web site or download the Silver Diner mobile app. Once you're logged in to the app, click the menu icon on the top left of the app, scroll down and select “Link to a school." Choose Nuckols Farm Elementary from the Henrico drop down list. Questions? Contact Gretchen Moen.
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 Order a Slice, Help Our School
Need an easy meal idea? Order online from J. Rocco’s Pizza (select Nuckols Farm in the fundraising tab) or Papa John’s (use code NFES). Both options benefit NFE and are valid all year! | | 
Register your Kroger Card Visit Kroger's Community Rewards web site to register your Kroger Plus card, and select NFE (code is 89074) as your Community Rewards Organization. You won't lose gas points if you register so sign up today!
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Get Gifts for Dads, Grads & Summertime Purchases
Remember to use smile.amazon.com for all of your Amazon purchases. Just choose Nuckols Farm Elementary PTA as your charity, and the school will earn money for your purchases. |
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 | | Libraries Rock this SummerRegister now for Henrico County Public Library’s Summer Reading Club! This year’s theme is Libraries Rock! Register at any Henrico County public library or online. You’ll receive a reading log, bookmark, pencil and kazoo!
All summer, log the days you read at least 20 minutes, and you will be entered to win prizes including weekly drawings for gift cards to your favorite stores. The elementary school prize is a Kala Concert Ukulele, and one GRAND PRIZE winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to Great Wolf Lodge! You need to log at least 20 days of reading to be entered to win big prizes. Check out the HCPS summer reading lists, and use them in conjunction with the HCPL summer reading program to enjoy so many great books. |
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From the Art Room  
The flags are flying and look great! Check out the beautiful art work on the banner flags hanging up at the main entrance of GreenGate off Broad street at the intersection on Haydenpark and Maltby (12171 W. Broad Street). The four flags have artwork on both sides with the themes of the Metro Richmond Zoo, Maymont, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and RVA dogwoods and cardinals. A big thank you to all the students who helped make this special project come to be! The music and arts festival is this weekend, June 9 and 10, so come check it out. I believe the flags will be hanging for the rest of the month for all to see. Thanks to all of you who helped out in the art room this year. Thanks too, for sharing your wonderful and creative children with me. We have had a great year, and I feel very privileged to work at such an amazing school. If you have any old tennis balls, please send them to school so that I can put new ones on my stools for the fall. Please also save your 16 ounce size plastic containers (sour cream or butter type). Nancy J. de Nijs |
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