April 2025

News from Administration

Hello SRI Families! April is here and our staff and students are working hard to prepare for SOL testing in the month of May! Our hard-working staff are giving the very best they have each day to our students. That being said, we are so excited to enjoy our Spring Break the week of April 14-18.
PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) is a cornerstone of our school and focuses on school-wide expectations for being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Healthy. We continue to focus on positive peer interactions. We are encouraging students to seek out an adult when they are having a peer conflict rather than trying to solve the problem by themselves. We need your support to make that happen!
April is Attendance Month - We want to make sure that students are attending school regularly and reporting to school on time every day. SRI will be having an “April Attendance Challenge”, March 4th - March 29th. The challenge is aimed to improve attendance by promoting a friendly competition between grade levels and each classroom using the college basketball tournament. The idea is to have students work together to hold each other accountable for being present, in their seats and on time each morning. To help with the counting, a weekly attendance data report is taken and tallied. The weekly attendance counts are shared during the morning announcements on a weekly basis. “Attendance is a huge factor in academic success. “When kids are present and paying attention in class their futures look brighter.”
Student Progress - As we wrap-up the 3rd 9-weeks of the school year, make sure you are monitoring your child’s academic progress and be prepared to get your child prepped and ready for SOL testing. Parents can access a child’s grades using ParentVue to keep track of student progress. Feel free to email your child’s teacher to discuss any academic or behavioral concerns. We want to ensure that the school-home connection is strong so that every child can be successful!
Vocabulary Development - Classrooms across the state are encouraging students to dive into the world of words through engaging in reading multiple genres and a variety of texts around a thematic topic or theme. As educators are working with families to enhance student vocabulary, you may want to share a variety of instructional approaches that have students engaged in authentic text including Read Alouds, Conversations and Questions, Cross-Curricular Vocabulary, Writing Assignments, Independent Reading, and Explicit Vocabulary Instruction. Resources can be found on the VDOE website as well as the "Family Supports for Reading” in the Resource Hub.
If you are in need of assistance, please make sure you reach out to us - 757-578-7050. We are always here to help.
Sparrow Road Intermediate Administrative Team.

PTA News & Events

Please join us on April 10th for our first-ever Spring Fling Sneaker Ball! TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Tickets are $5.00 per person, including students.
To reserve your tickets, use the link below. Tickets are required for entry!
A Ticket is required for every student and adult who attends. Students must be accompanied by one adult—one adult per family—to allow as many SRI students as possible, as this event will sell out!
No younger siblings, please!
ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE DANCE WILL GO TOWARDS OUTSIDE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR SRI STUDENTS!
https://app.givebacks.gives/330a95
Thank you!
For all your purchases during the Spring Book Fair. With the profits, the library added many new titles to its collection, and the PTA was able to purchase items for Teacher Appreciation Month, which is May 5th-9th!
If you haven’t already, please join the PTA! Membership is only $5 and you can join using this website: https://sparrowroadpta.memberhub.com/store. If you need to reach out to the PTA, please email us at sparrowroadpta@gmail.com

Library News

April is School Library Month, and we're celebrating the amazing resources and support our library provides! Join us in recognizing our incredible librarian, Mrs. Lee, on April 4th, for School Librarian Day. This month, students will be enhancing their learning through activities focused on note-taking skills, genre exploration, and poetry. Encourage your child to visit the library and participate!

Technology

Is your child ready to take their learning to the next level with Khan Academy and Khanmigo? Activating their Khan Academy account is a simple process that opens up a world of educational opportunities, including access to Khanmigo, an AI-powered learning assistant—just follow these simple steps! Students can access Khan Academy on a personal device in Clever by logging into OneLogin first.
Khanmigo provides personalized support and guidance, ensuring your child never feels stuck or overwhelmed. Whether they need help understanding a challenging math concept, or want to explore new areas of knowledge, Khanmigo is there to help.
Here's how Khanmigo can benefit your child:
Personalized Tutoring: Provides instant support in math
Targeted Practice: Offers practice activities tailored to your child's specific needs.
Exploration and Growth: Suggests new learning paths and challenges to keep your child engaged with "What Should I Learn Next?"
Give your child the support they need to succeed. Encourage them to activate their Khan Academy account today! Follow the instructions in this link today: Khan Academy Account

4th Grade News

As we are approaching the last quarter of the year 4th grade is getting ready for our reading and math SOL tests and beginning review. Along with test review, in math we are beginning our geometry unit and will close out the new math concepts with Elapsed time. In Science we are exploring the wonderful world of plants, we will not be tackling any Virginia Studies concepts this month and in Reading we are Figuring It Out in Unit 5 and working on identifying themes!.

5th Grade News

Happy Spring! As we step into April, we will be revisiting and reinforcing previously learned skills in reading, science, Virginia Studies, and math. We encourage you to read with your child each night to support their learning. Thank you for your continued support—we appreciate all that you do! Wishing you a wonderful and refreshing spring break!

SOL Preparation

The third quarter ends for students on April 3. April 4 is a teacher work day so there will be no school for students, the fourth quarter will start with the last math and reading units of the year before SOL testing starts on May 12. Be on the lookout for your student's specific testing dates. They will be shared by each individual teacher.
One way to help your student prepare for SOL testing is to use the Virginia TestNav site. Click on "Virginia Practice Items". This site provides sample questions and allows students to practice using the tools available to them when testing. Find your student's grade level and content area. Teachers will also be using this to build confidence and ease the stress of testing. We appreciate the partnership between teachers and families as we work together for your student's success.

Character Counts at SRI: Junior Brave of the Month

Each month our Jr. Braves are introduced to a new character trait. At the end of the month, each class will select a student that displays the trait for that month.
March: Self-Control
Someone who displays restraint of their actions and or feelings. An individual who thinks and processes through a situation before responding.
Click here to access the names of our March Jr. Braves of the Month.
April: Cooperation
Someone who works well with others. An individual who displays teamwork skills and the ability to compromise.
Be on the lookout for those students who have achieved April’s character trait for the month!

Important Dates:

Month of the Military Child

Arab American Heritage Month

National Autism Acceptance Month

Occupational Therapy Month

Apr 3 - Spring Picture Day

Apr 3 - End of Marking Period 3

Apr 4 - Teacher Work Day - NO SCHOOL

Apr 4 - School Librarian Day

Apr 7-11 - National Assistant Principals Week

Apr 9 - Purple Up Day (Virginia)

Apr 10 - Spring Fling Sneaker Ball, 5:30-7pm