March 14, 2018
Highlights:
- “Green Day” this Friday, March 16
- International Night – Friday, April 6
- Pyramid-wide parenting presentation on resiliency – Tuesday, March 20, at South County High School
- Calling all kindergarteners! Registration for fall 2018 starts soon!
- AAP News
Good morning, Laurel Hill Parents and Guardians!
A big part of St. Patrick’s Day, which is this Saturday, is luck. That holiday, of course, focuses on the mythical luck of the Irish, with leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Here at Laurel Hill, we celebrate the “luck of the lions” all year long. We are very happy and proud, and lucky indeed, to be a part of such a wonderful school and school community. We wish you and your family luck and happiness as well – not just for St. Patrick’s Day but for every day!
To keep the St. Patrick’s Day spirit strong, we’ll end this week with an SCA Spirit Day on Friday - “Green Day” in honor of the Irish-inspired holiday. All Laurel Hill lion leprechauns are encouraged to wear green that day. We hope your child will participate.
Moving on from Ireland to the many, many other countries our student body represents, we hope you’re planning to join us for our annual International Night this year. It will be held on Friday, April 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria. There’ll be displays, performances, food, and lots of fun for the whole family! You’ll find more information about this very special event below.
Finally, please remember that Spring Break is right around the corner! School and the office will be CLOSED Monday, March 26, through Friday, March 30. Students are also off on Monday, April 2, but it’s a School Planning/Teacher Work Day, so the office and SACC will be open regular hours. Please be sure you have these important schedule changes marked on your calendar.
That’s all for this week. Stay warm, and think spring!!
~ Mrs. Dalton, Dr. Duling, and Mrs. Smith
Quick Calendar
-
Friday, March 16 - SCA Spirit Day - "Green Day"
- Tuesday, March 20 - “Raising
Resilient Children: Fostering Positive Self-Esteem and Teaching Tools for
Success” pyramid parenting program, 6:30 – 8 p.m., South County High School
-
Wednesday, March 21 – PTA Meeting, 7 p.m.
-
Thursday, March 22 – Chorus Concert, 7 p.m.
-
Monday, March 26 – Friday, March 30 – Spring Break!
-
Monday, April 2 – Teacher Work Day – Students DO NOT report
-
Friday, April 6 - International Night, 6 - 8 p.m.
-
Monday, April 9 – LHES PTA Restaurant Night at Chipotle, 5 – 9 p.m.
School News & Notes
Last Chance to Pre-Order a Yearbook!
Don’t miss your chance to purchase a 2017-2018 yearbook for your son or daughter! Ordering the book now is the only way to guarantee that your child will get one. We base our total order on pre-orders; there will be very few books available for purchase in June when they are distributed.
If your child received yearbook ordering information in today’s Wednesday Folder, it means you have not yet ordered a book. The base price of the book is now $20. A variety of extra add-ons and embellishments are available at time of purchase. Orders are online only. Just go to http://ybpay.lifetouch.com, put in yearbook ID code 13269918, and pay with your credit card.
Share Your Family Heritage at International Night – Friday, April 6, 6 to 8 p.m.
Get ready to celebrate our rich, multicultural community at our annual International Night, sponsored by the Laurel Hill PTA. It will be held this year on Friday, April 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. This fun, educational, and entertaining event will feature food, displays, activities, and performances to showcase the diverse cultures and traditions of our Laurel Hill families. Participation forms were sent home in last week's Wednesday folder. We hope you'll come and join us!
In today’s folder you’ll find two optional activities for your child to complete if you wish to do so. The first is an international paper doll project. Please encourage your child to decorate the doll to reflect his/her cultural heritage. The second is a flag project. Your child can use the blank side of the paper (instructions are on the front) to create an international flag that represents his/her culture/background. It could be one flag, two flags, or a whole bunch of flags! Both the dolls and the flags will be used as decorations at International Night to visually showcase the diversity of our school community.
Self-Esteem and Resiliency in the Spotlight at South County Pyramid Parenting Program – Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 – 8 p.m., South County High School
Your child will inevitably face challenges in life. Unfortunately, many children struggle when confronted with situations that cause frustration, disappointment, or other types of discomfort. And when they don’t have proof that they can handle difficult situations, children start to doubt their abilities... and their worth. It doesn’t have to be that way. Join Parenting Specialist Rachel Bailey, M.A., CPDPE, at the upcoming workshop “Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Positive Self-Esteem and Teaching Tools for Success.” At this workshop, you will learn about:
- the qualities that differentiate resilient children from those who crumble in the face of adversity
- how to teach children the tools they need to handle challenges as they occur
- simple strategies that will improve your child’s self-esteem so that they believe they can handle any obstacle they face.
Please note that this presentation is intended for adults only. All parents/guardians in the South County Pyramid are welcome!
For more information about speaker Rachel Bailey, please visit www.Rachel-Bailey.com.
Calling All Kindergarteners!
If you have a child at home who will be joining us at Laurel Hill for kindergarten next year, please fill out the 2018 FCPS Survey of Preschool Children that was sent home and send it back to school as soon as possible. If your family doesn’t have a rising kindergartener, please feel free to share the form with neighbors or friends who do. This form is important to us, as it helps us plan our kindergarten staff and classrooms for the coming year.
We will host our annual Kindergarten Registration Night on Tuesday, April 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school. All incoming kindergarten parents are invited to attend to learn about the school and the kindergarten program and to complete the registration process.
Attention Fifth Grade Parents: Tdap Booster Required for Sixth Grade
According to Virginia law, all students in the state must receive a booster dose of the Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis) vaccine prior to entering sixth grade. You must provide documentation to the school before the end of this school year. This documentation can be a copy of your child’s immunization record or a note from the doctor listing the date of his or her most recent Tdap booster shot. If you have questions, please contact our registrar, Gloria Leckner, at 703-551-5300 or gjleckner@fcps.edu.
Advanced Academics Levels II and III Screening for Fall 2018
We are already beginning to plan Advanced Academic Program (AAP) school-based services for next year. FCPS offers four levels of AAP services. You may refer your student for school-based Level II and III services to begin in the fall of 2018.
Level II services are offered to students in areas of specific academic strength. The advanced academic resource teacher collaborates with classroom teachers to provide additional challenge through resources that extend and enrich the FCPS Program of Studies.
Students identified by a local school screening committee for advanced academic services Level III are challenged through models and strategies designed to extend and enrich the program of studies in the four core subject areas (language arts, math, social studies, and science). Students receive direct instruction from the advanced academic resource teacher in one or more areas of academic strength at their local schools.
All decisions regarding advanced academic part-time school-based services are made at the local school. Parents or guardians who would like their child considered for part-time school-based services should submit an “Advanced Academic Programs Part-Time School-Based Services Levels II-III Referral Form” to the advanced academic resource teacher at Laurel Hill, Misty Clatterbuck. Students must be attending Fairfax County Public Schools in order to be considered for part-time school-based advanced academic services. The referral form can be found at: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/AAPSchoolBasedServicesReferralForm_0.pdf.
Referrals for school-based AAP services are due no later than May 4. You will be notified in June of the committee’s decision. Please contact Mrs. Clatterbuck mhclatterbuc@fcps.edu with any questions.
Calling All Aspiring Strings Students! Make Plans for Stallion Summer Strings Now!
Spring has sprung, and now is the time to start thinking about your child's Strings dreams for the summer and coming school year!
If your child is in third grade or older and is interested in starting or continuing a stringed instrument next year, please consider signing up for Stallion Summer Strings, a special summer camp just for Strings students, which will be held weekday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 2 through 13 at South County High School. The camp is open to students who will be in fourth through ninth grade next year.
Registration is now open. Register by May 25 and save! For more information, see the flier posted on our school website or visit www.stallionsummerstrings.com.
Elementary Magnet School Lottery Now Open
Fairfax County Public Schools is now accepting applications for its elementary magnet school programs. Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences will accept lottery applications for students in grades K through 2 in the 2018-19 school year; Bailey’s Upper School for the Arts and Sciences will be accepting applications for students in grades 3 and 4. Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences will accept lottery applications for students who will enter grades K through 6 during the 2018-19 school year. Placement in these popular programs is by lottery. You can find more information about the programs and the process at https://www.fcps.edu/registration/elementary-magnet-school-lottery.
Registration for Select 2018 Summer Programs Now Open!
Registration for the following FCPS summer-enrichment camps is now available:
- Institute for the Arts (IFTA)
- Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA)
- STEM Camp
- Tech Adventure Camp
For general information and links to individual programs and registration, visit the FCPS Summer Learning Programs website, https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs. Transportation from select schools outside of the Lake Braddock pyramid is included in the tuition for all four camps. Students should register for programs based on the grade they are in during the current 2017-2018 school year. These popular programs fill up quickly, so make your plans now!
Strengthening the Home-School Connection
PTA Reminders
- The next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in the Library. Please mark your calendars and plan to be in attendance. Childcare will be provided.
-
Friday, March 23, will be the next staff appreciation quarterly event. Please look out for information on how you can help.
- On Friday, April 6, the PTA will celebrate International Night. This is a great way for us to connect as a community and learn more about the different cultures of Laurel Hill. Fliers and participation forms were sent home last week.
-
Monday, April 9, from 5 to 9 p.m. will be LHES PTA Restaurant Night at the Chipotle located at 9447 Lorton Market Street. A full 50% of the proceeds will come back to our school, so please come out to support! Watch for fliers in Wednesday folders, which you’ll need to present at the register.
-
Registration for the PTA’s spring session of after-school enrichment programs is open now! Register online at https://flexacademieslaurelhill.jumbula.com/#/welcome-.
Upcoming Events
A complete calendar of school events is available on our website.
|
