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Dear Stone Parents and Guardians,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We will kick off the week with fun activities for our students and staff. Our goal is to stress the importance of taking care of yourself by reminding our students to eat well, get enough rest, drink water, and work hard. Students will learn how to laugh more and stress less as we practice easy techniques to reduce stress. If your student is feeling a little anxious or needs someone to talk to please feel free to contact the Student Services department for assistance.
Staff Appreciation Week (May 6 -10): I hope you will help us celebrate the teachers and staff that make every day at Stone Middle School a great place for students. We will spend the entire month of May on student and staff wellness. Our theme for the month is “May’s Journey through Mindfulness”. We are looking forward to honoring our teachers who work hard to support student learning. I hope you will support this effort as the PTSA plans Fabulous Fridays in May. I know our staff would love to hear from you. If you would like to share a word of thanks please click on this link: https://forms.gle/FkbJeAQxRuSpk4RY6
Thank you for your continued support!
Amielia S Mitchell
Principal
STUDENT WELLNESS WEEK – MAY 6 – 10, 2019
DRESSING APPROPRIATELY FOR SCHOOL
As the frequency of warm weather increases, it is important that students come to school in clothing appropriate for the instructional environment and outdoor activities. FCPS Dress Code states: “All students are expected to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment unacceptable...Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of safety, good taste, and decency. Clothing that exposes private areas or an excessive amount of bare skin is prohibited. Examples of prohibited clothing include, but are not limited to: sagging or low-cut pants, tube or halter tops, studded or chain belts, clothing constructed of see-through materials, and head coverings unless required for religious or medical purposes.
BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY – JOIN THE CELEBRATION ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2019
Thousands of students, families, community partners, and elected officials around the country will celebrate the benefits of biking and walking to school during National Bike to School Day. Stone students, please join in the fun by biking to school on Wednesday, May 8th. Students who participate will receive a gift from the Health and Physical Education Department.
SOL SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS FOR RAMADAN- May 14 – May 24
The SOLs are standardized tests required by the State of Virginia and provide a snapshot of what your student understands. While your student may get nervous about this upcoming test, he/she should be reassured that we have been preparing them by learning the curriculum and applying it in practice to do our best all year long.
We are aware that the testing window overlaps with Ramadan and we will do our best to accommodate this religious observance. If you have concerns regarding the dates or times of testing due to Ramadan, please contact your child’s counselor.
SOL TESTING DATES AND RETAKE FORM
Students in grades 7-8 in our school will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests between May 14 and May 24. Please check the link below for exact testing dates for content areas that will be tested. The purpose of SOL testing is to provide information about student achievement to the parent, school, school division, and state. In most cases, test scores are available for parents at the end of the school year. More information about how and when parents will receive their children’s scores will be shared closer to these dates. Additionally, the Virginia Board of Education allows certain elementary and middle school students who fail Standards of Learning (SOL) tests on their first attempt to retake the test before the end of the school year. For Math and English, retesting is available before the end of the school year when a student fails his or her first test attempt by a narrow margin (score of 375-399, with a score of 400 needed to pass). Parent permission is required for any retesting. If you believe that your child would benefit from receiving a second opportunity before the end of the school year to demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills on the SOL test, please complete this permission form in the link below. A decision not to retest will not in any way impact your child’s course grade or academic record. If you have questions about these state assessments, please contact your child’s teacher or Sarah Elkalban at selkalban@fcps.edu, the School Test Coordinator at Stone Middle School.
SOL Dates and SOL Retake Form
WESTFIELD BULLDOGS FIELD HOCKEY REMINDER
Rising freshmen interested in playing field hockey at Westfield High School next year please contact Coach Barthold at dgbarthold@fcps.edu. We will begin our spring conditioning on Monday, April 29-May 23, 3:30-4:15 in the gymnastics room. Even if you have never played or just thinking about it, come join us and meet some players and coaches!
Bulldog Field Hockey Camp is also a great way to get involved. Camp runs June 10-13, 5-8pm. Sign up here - https://goo.gl/forms/YT8Zniy152I6IYld2 Go Bulldogs!
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (TJHSST)
PTSA Diversity Committee cordially invites all prospective students and their parents/guardians to visit our Annual Diversity Open House, Saturday, June 1st, 2019, 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
• Learn about TJHSST’s academic programs the admissions process
• Talk to TJHSST students, staff, parents, alumni
Register at http://tinyurl.com/TJHSST-Open-House TJHSST Address: 6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312 Contact Information: diversity@tjptsa.org
CALENDAR UPDATE
May 6 – Spring Pictures
May 8 – Bike or Walk to School Day
May 6 – 10 – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 13 – 24 – Spring SOL Testing
May 27 – Memorial Day – No School
May 31 – Music Field Trip
June 3 – NJHS Induction and Pinning
June 5 – Orchestra Concert
June 6 – WHS Graduation – 7:00 pm
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