Dear Parents, Guardians, and Scholars,
Thank you for a great opening! I am looking forward to another awesome year of learning and growing together. Our theme this year is “Make this a Gold Medal Year: Ignite the Torch of Innovation”. My hope is that your student has a wonderful middle school experience and continues to grow physically and intellectually.
This Keep-in-Touch (KIT) is full of information for parents new and returning to Stone. In it you will find information about Back-to-School Night, how to check out your child before the end of the day and other information about Stone.
This week students learned how to find their classes, navigate the halls and log into blackboard and their Student Information System (SIS) accounts. The assistant principals, Mrs. Bowman and Mrs. Sciabica conducted Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) lessons with both the seventh and eighth grade students this week. Please take a few minutes to ask your students about the lesson. This will help us reinforce the information and show them that we are all working together to provide a safe learning environment for them.
Please contact me or any member of my administrative team should you have any concerns or suggestions throughout the year. You can call the main office number at 703-631-5500 for immediate assistance or email any member of the Stone staff for assistance. We look forward to working with your scholar this year!
Sincerely,
Amielia Mitchell
Principal
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT –Thursday, September 15, 2016
Please join us next Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. for our Back-to-School Night (BTSN). This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet teachers and key personnel, learn about instructional programs and visit classrooms. Parents now have access to their student’s grades through the Student Information System (SIS). If you have not signed up for SIS we can assist you during Back to School Night.
The Family Life Education materials will be displayed in the library from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. for review and we will begin the evening with a “Welcome Address” from Mrs. Mitchell and a PTSA meeting from 6:00 p.m. - 6:20 p.m. Our first class will begin at 6:25 p.m.
Due to limited parking at Stone, please consider carpooling or walking. Off-site parking is available at St. Andrew’s Church and the Sully Station Pool II.
STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS) ACCOUNT
The SIS account provides information to parents and students about their student’s attendance, class performance, grades and much more. This information is updated nightly and easily accessible. All students have been given access to their SIS account and parents must register for their account. For more information visit the website at this link: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-overview
STUDENT LOCKERS
We began issuing student lockers yesterday, Thursday, September 8, 2016. Students will be issued a locker as soon as signed emergency care cards, health information, and Student Rights & Responsibilities forms are returned to the school. If students forget their locker combinations they can get the combination from their Panther Block teacher or the main office.
PTSA MEMBERSHIP
Please consider joining the PTSA. We would love to have 100% participation from our Stone families in this awesome organization. Membership is only $9.00 for individuals and $15.00 for families. This year’s focus is on Technology, so a portion of every membership contributes to the technology fund.
The PTSA will be selling our blue and white Spirit shirts during BTSN. The shirts are $10.00 and students along with staff will wear their shirts on Fridays.
FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
Students in grades 7-8 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their health and physical education course. Students receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions at http://www.fcps.edu/is/hpe/fle.shtml.
In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.
• Online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for.
• Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available in the Stone Library.
• Parents/guardians will need a SIS account to access FCPS 24-7. Account information is available at your local school or online at http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml
There will be an opportunity for parents to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held during Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 15th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the Stone Library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
CAFETERIA
The cost of breakfast this year is ($1.75), lunch ($3.00) and milk ($.60). Information about the free and reduced lunch program will be directly mailed to parents. Free and Reduced lunch applications are also available in the main office. Students who were enrolled in the program during the 2015-2016 school year will continue to receive this benefit for the first month of school. In order to remain in this program, parents must complete and submit a new application by September 30, 2016 for the 2016-2017 school year.
If you are not eligible now but later you have a decrease in income, become unemployed, or have a change in household or family size, you may submit an application at that time. Your child’s counselor will be glad to help assist you in this process. Applications take a minimum of ten days to process, and you will be notified by letter from FCPS of the approval or denial of the application.
STONE MS CHECK OUT POLICY
In order to reduce the number of classroom disruptions, we ask that you follow the Stone MS Check Out Policy as follows:
• Students leaving school early should bring a note in the morning to the office, signed by a parent or guardian stating the reason for leaving and the planned time of departure.
• The student will be given a “pink early dismissal card” by the office staff. This will be the pass to depart from class at the time you have requested.
• Parents/guardians must come into the office with picture identification to sign out the student.
• Students can only be released to adults listed on the Emergency Care form.
• If the student returns to school again later the same day, he/she must check-in at the office to receive a pass to enter class.
So that parents are not in the parking lot when buses begin to line up, students may not be dismissed after 2:00 p.m. for appointments. Please plan accordingly and thank you for your support.
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