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The Lion’s Roar
August 28, 2019
Welcome Back to School, Lane Lions!
New Lane Principal Christine Prahl was excited to greet
Lane Lions on the first day!
Teachers welcomed their new students at the door.
Returning lions enjoyed reconnecting with old friends.
Upcoming Events
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Friday, 8/30 – Monday, 9/2 – Labor Day Holiday (No School)
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Tuesday, 9/3 – Friday, 9/6 – Safety Week - fire, tornado, earthquake and lockdown drill practice
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Tuesday, 9/3 – Meet & Greet with New Principal Christine Prahl, 6 p.m.
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Tuesday, 9/3 – PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Cafeteria
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Friday, 9/6 – Parent Liaison “First Friday” Coffee – “Structuring Your Home for School Success,” 8 a.m., Room 128
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Thursday, 9/12 – New Parent/Guardian Night Orientation, Library
- ESOL/second-language parents/guardians – 6 p.m.
- All parents/guardians – 6:30 p.m.
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Friday, 9/13 – PTA Ice Cream Social/Book Swap
Principals’ Message
Good evening, Lane Parents and Guardians!
Welcome to the new school year! It has been so wonderful to see so many happy, smiling faces in our hallways – students, staff, and families! The year is off to a great start, with the first three days running very smoothly. Thank you for all of your support and cooperation.
Please remember that now that the first day of school has come and gone, students should follow regular routines each morning on their own. Kindergarteners should report to the cafeteria if they arrive prior to 9:10 a.m.; students in grades 1 through 6 should report to the gym. If students arrive after 9:10 a.m., they should go directly to their classrooms (unless they need to eat breakfast in the cafeteria). Parents and other adults must enter through Door #1 (the main entrance) and go to the office to sign in and get a Visitor or Volunteer badge.
In this first issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Lion’s Roar, you’ll find many important announcements and reminders for the start of the year. Please read them carefully. Next week, you will receive an abbreviated newsletter called Roar Reminders, which will alternate with the full newsletter every other week.
We will also soon start sending out text reminders through the Remind app. All parents and guardians with cell phone numbers in SIS will be added to the app, UNLESS you specifically instruct us not to include you. To opt-out of texts, you can return the paper form sent home in today’s Wednesday Folder, or you can e-mail our parent liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy at macrosby@fcps.edu. Please send in your opt-out request by Friday, September 13th. We hope to start texting the following week.
We’d like to thank all the families who came to school last Thursday for our Open House/Back-to-School event and our Home-School Connection Fair. It was a very successful day! A special shout-out goes to the Lane PTA who hosted two Popsicle Socials that day as well as a “Welcome Back” Staff Luncheon on Friday and a First Day Coffee for parents on Monday. What a great way to kick off the year!
Speaking of the PTA, we strongly encourage you to join this important school-support organization. The group’s events and fundraisers benefit all of our students, staff, and families, providing buses for field trips, before- and after-school enrichment programs, staff professional development and classroom support, and, of course, lots of fun social events. Membership costs just $10 per adult. All parents and guardians are invited to attend the PTA’s first meeting of the year next Tuesday, September 3rd, at 6:30 p.m.
Finally, we’d like to remind everyone about the upcoming long Labor Day holiday weekend. It’s extra long this year – school will be closed both Friday, August 30th, and Monday, September 2nd. School will reopen at the regular time on Tuesday, September 3rd.
Have a great four-day weekend!
Christine Prahl, Principal
Nikki Steptoe-Coleman, Assistant Principal
News & Notes
New Principal Meet & Greet – Tuesday, September 3rd, 6 p.m.
Come meet new principal Christine Prahl at a special Meet & Greet next Tuesday before the PTA Meeting. It will be held in the cafeteria from 6 to 6:30 p.m. All families are welcome!
A Message from the Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand has a welcome back message for Fairfax families. View it in English at https://youtu.be/cdTHU4Cu0I4H, en español a https://youtu.be/0wfkJITqNV8.
Join Us for Our First “First Friday” Parent Coffee and Workshop – “Structuring Your Home for School Success” – Next Friday, September 6th, 8 a.m.
Come share some morning refreshments and learn how to make your home space and routines ready to support your child’s learning this year. Child care will be provided!
Our parent liaisons Melanie Crosby Hardy and Melanie Zayas will present this short session on how to structure your home to help your child be successful in school. Topics will include ideas to build motivation, goal-setting, helping with homework success and time management. If you plan to attend, please fill out our electronic RSVP form. This will allow us to have enough handouts available. We hope to see you there!
Get to Know Lane Elementary and FCPS at New Parent Night – Tuesday, September 12th, 6:30 p.m.
Are you new to Lane Elementary and/or Fairfax County Public Schools? Would you like to learn more about our school system, our school, and how you can get involved and support your child’s academic success? If so, please plan to join Parent Liaisons Melanie Crosby Hardy and Melanie Zayas for a special “Getting to Know Lane Elementary” New Parent/Guardian Orientation on Thursday, September 12th. Here’s the schedule:
- 6 – 6:30 p.m. Special presentation for new ESOL/second-language parents/guardians
- 6:30 – 6:45 p.m. Introductions and refreshments for all parents
- 6:45 – 8:30 p.m. Orientation presentation
Thanks to a generous donation from our Lane PTA, child care will be provided by Lane Elementary staff members during the event. If you plan to attend, please RSVP online or contact Melanie Crosby Hardy at macrosby@fcps.edu.
Volunteers Needed!
Interested in volunteering at Lane this year? Consider helping out in the Lane Library. Library volunteers assist the librarian by checking books in/out, re-shelving books, and providing other assistance as needed (training is provided). For more details or to sign-up, please contact Sue Chozick, librarian, at schozick@fcps.edu or 703-924-7716.
Field Day is coming soon, and we need YOU!! Field Day is a schoolwide event, sponsored by the P. E. Department, that allows students to participate and compete in a variety of games and activities with their class. We will be hosting our Field Day this year on Friday, October 11th, and we will need a lot of parent volunteers to man the activity stations, assisting the students and coordinating the activity. Please visit our Sign-Up Genius page to sign up. Grades 3 through 6 will have their Field Day in the morning; younger students and multiple abilities classes will have theirs in the afternoon. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms
Any parent or guardian who objects to his or her child’s participation in any or all of the following activities must complete and return the appropriate opt-out forms to your child’s school.
- Release of information about the student for the school yearbook and other school- related publications
- Release of directory information about the student to persons and organizations outside FCPS
- Use of the student’s image, voice, or name in film, video, website, social media, or broadcast events
- Student participation in the school counseling program
- Release of information for commercial purposes.
Full explanations and forms are available online at https://www.fcps.edu/registration/opt-out-forms.
School Meals Information
Fairfax County Public Schools offers three ways to pay for school meals: online, check, or cash. For more information about the process for each method, as well as meal prices and other nutrition information, visit the FCPS website. Menus are also available online.
Online applications for free and reduced-price meals for the 2019-20 school year are now being accepted. Completing the application online results in faster processing time. Paper applications are still available to complete and submit, however. They are available at school offices, school cafeterias, and other FCPS buildings. Paper applications must be the original red print forms. Copied application forms cannot be accepted.
Your Child’s Health at School
School health room services, including the administration of medication and modified first aid, are performed by our health room aide, Jovanna Velez. If a child’s condition requires more attention, we will contact you, or if we cannot reach you, those listed on your child’s Emergency Care Form will be called. The Public Health Nurse assigned to our school, Mrs. Laura Lux, oversees student health plans, but she is not in our school every day.
Please remember that prescription and most over-the-counter medications at school require strict adult supervision and should never be in the child’s possession. Parents must deliver all medications to the health room. Forms to authorize staff to administer medication are available in the school office and at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/school-health-services.
Transportation News: Here Comes the Bus Mobile App and Bus-Delay Notification System Help Parents Keep Track of School Transportation |
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Wondering when your child’s bus is approaching your stop? Check out the new app Here Comes the Bus®! This free bus-tracking app can simplify morning and afternoon routines for parents and students by giving real-time bus location and text or e-mail notification alerts, helping everybody get to the bus stop on time.
Here Comes the Bus® uses FCPS global positioning system (GPS) data and an easy-to-use customizable map that works on one or multiple devices, such as a tablet, smartphone, or desktop computer. Parents can download the app now for free from the App Store or Google Play. You will need the FCPS school district code 28982 and a Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account (contact your child's school if you do not have an SIS Parent Account). Once signed in, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you and the size and location of the notification radius around your child's bus stop. You can learn more about Here Comes the Bus® online.
You can also stay up-to-date on school bus arrivals with FCPS' bus-delay notification system. This system provides parents with timely notification of late bus route information. You can access it directly online. Morning bus route information will be available until noon. The afternoon bus route information will be available from 1 to 7 p.m. E-Notify email messages will also be sent to announce bus delays.
Need assistance or have questions? Visit the FCPS Transportation page for more information.
PTA News
Thank You!
The Lane PTA would like to thank everyone who’s come out to support their events so far. The two Popsicle Socials following Open House/Back to School (for kindergarten families and families in grades 1 through 6) were very well attended, and many parents, guardians, and extended family members have already stepped forward to become members and volunteers.
The first meeting of the year will be held next Tuesday, September 3rd, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Come meet the new principal, Christine Prahl, and learn about all the great programs and events the PTA has planned for the year ahead. Child care will be provided!
Memberships Now Available
Please join the PTA this year. Each adult membership is just $10 for the entire year. Those dues help the PTA provide critical financial support for our school. For example, the PTA sponsors field trips, cultural assemblies, staff supplies and professional development, technology updates, and so much more! We literally cannot do what we do without you. Join online today! If you’d rather pay with cash or a check (payable to “Lane PTA"), look for the paper form in today’s Wednesday Folder.
Enrichment Classes Registration Begins September 4th!
Registration for the PTA’s before- and after-school enrichment classes begins next Wednesday, September 4th at noon. You’ll find a flyer detailing the classes offered in this fall session in today’s Wednesday Folder. Register through the PTA website.
Ice Cream Social & Used Book Swap – Friday, September 13th, 6:30 p.m.
The PTA’s next social event is the Ice Cream Social & Used Book Swap on Friday, September 13th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Make plans now to stop by that night to share a chilly sweet treat and pick up some new reads – all for free! Start collecting gently used books, games, CDs, and DVDs now to bring with you to the event. Watch next week’s Wednesday Folder for the flyer. If you’d like to help out at the event, please visit the electronic sign-up sheet.
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