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9/18/19
Dear Seahawk Families:
South Lakes is excited to welcome our German Exchange Students tomorrow morning! This exciting partnership that has lasted over a decade. Thank you to all the families who are hosting our guests over the next two weeks.
SLHS Parent Orientation, 9/26 – New & Returning Parents Invited
Our outreach strives to give parents the opportunity to learn more in-depth about a variety of topics. The Parent Orientation will take place on Thursday, 9/26/19 from 6:30-9:00PM. There will be an assortment of break-out sessions for parents to choose from on topics including: technology applications, teacher panels, student sports & activities, graduation requirements, IB information and more. To end the night, there will be a very informative session on Vaping and what parents need to know to keep on top of this epidemic. No pre-registration required. For information or questions, please email Ms. Melissa LaBare at mmlabare@fcps.edu.
FCPSOn
The implementation of FCPSOn is going well. Our tech team of Mr. Dobbs, Ms. Bousman-Stanczak and Ms. Kramer has done a great job distributing devices and problem-solving issues as they arise. At the next PTSA meeting (10/9 @ 7:00PM) the presentation will be focused on FCPSOn applications. Please mark your calendars! We do ask that you with your student to get in the habit of fully charging their laptop overnight.
Fairfax Connector Bus Passes Update
Students are eligible for a free Fairfax Connector bus pass with parent/guardian permission. The free student pass is valid only on Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE. If you switch to Metro or another transit system you will need cash or a SmarTrip® card. The free student pass is valid 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., 7 days a week. All other times you will need cash or a SmarTrip® card.
Unfortunately, for students who are new or who have lost their bus pass, there has been a delay in the production of the cards that are provided by the Fairfax Connector. We have not been provided a projected date for receiving the cards. Students who previously had a bus pass should continue to use them; passes are intended to be valid until graduation.
Fairfax Connector Bus (Autobús Público)
Si su estudiante tiene un pase para los autobuses públicos (Fairfax Connector) y está vencido, puede usarlo todavía. Aún no tenemos información acerca de cuándo llegarán los nuevos pases para los estudiantes.
Attendance Tips
Last year Virginia incorporated attendance into school accreditation standards. Students who miss more than 10% of the school year for almost any reason (excused or unexcused) are considered chronically absence. Schools are rated on an attendance standard based on the number of students who are chronically absent. To learn more about this please visit https://www.fcps.edu/attendance .
We are pleased that our Leadership class is promoting the importance of both overall attendance and arriving to school on time. Currently there is a class competition to see which grade level has the greatest percentage of students getting to first block on time! Keep up the great work!
Attendance Line: We have an attendance line 703-715-4545 at South Lakes where absences should be reported. When you call the line it will give you options to leave a message for each grade level office (9th=1, 10th=2, 11th =3, 12th =4, the special education office (dial 5) or to leave a message in Spanish dial 6. If you know your extension, dial # to bypass the directions.
Parents have 72 hours to report an excuse for absences.
Línea de asistencias
Por favor llamar por la mañana para informar si su Estudiante va a faltar, llegar tarde, o si necesita retirarse temprano. El número es 703-715-4545.
Checkouts: If a student needs to checkout during the school day the easiest method is for the student to bring a note to their subschool in the morning an get a pink checkout pass. This is what they show their teacher to get dismissed from class. The student then reports to their subschool to sign-out before they leave. If they are returning the same day (e.g. 10:00AM dentist appointment, returns at 11:15), they will report back to the same office to have their attendance updated and receive an excused pass back to class. Parents and students should arrange where they will be meeting (main office or stadium side).
You may call the attendance line if you know you are checking your child out during the day. Please call at least 90 minutes ahead of time. Our AA’s monitor messages throughout the day but are not necessarily sitting at their desk at all times. If you get a last-minute appointment and show up to the school, it will take several minutes to notify their teacher and have your child complete the checkout process. Please plan accordingly.
If your child calls you saying they feel ill and want to be picked up, please direct them to get a pass from their teacher to the clinic. Students who leave school without completing the checkout process will be marked unexcused.
Volunteers Needed for Screenings
SLHS' Annual Hearing and Vision Screening is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, October 2nd and 3rd. This event is less than 2 weeks away! We are in need of 10-12 Parent/Adult Volunteers are for each class period to help screen the 10th grade (and 'new to County') students. No experience necessary... PLEASE call the Health Room at 703-715-4612 anytime and leave a message... OR, email Mary La Valley at melavalley@fcps.edu and she will call you back.
Visiting South Lakes
All visitors must bring a government issued ID with them to check into the building for meetings, interviews or volunteering. This is a FCPS regulation for all county schools. Please assist us with making your check-in process run smoothly by having you ID with you.
Fundraising Opportunities
Fall is coming - the perfect time to plant fall bulbs for spring blooms! Support South Lakes High School’s Dutch Mill Bulbs fundraiser by ordering guaranteed-to-bloom bulbs shipped directly to your home! Sale runs September 11-30, with delivery in October just in time for planting. Tulips, daffodils, tiger lilies, hyacinths and more! Visit link below and note on form that your group is South Lakes High School. https://groups.dutchmillbulbs.com/shop/?affiliates=southlakes
About Our Staff
- Did you know that the art sculpture at Lake Thoreau was designed and built by the SLHS STEAM team led by teacher Marco Rando? Mr. Rando will be working with students over the next several months to build a sculpture at the Reston Town Center.
- Congratulations to Matt Ravenstahl who has a one-man exhibition at NOVA Loudoun Campus in Waddell Gallery “Not Stated But Expressed”. Mr. Ravenstahl has been nominated for the Virginia Art Education Association Art Educator (VAEA) of the year.
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SLHS Finance Tech, Joan Carboni, is being recognized as part of the Carboni’s Office Professional Support Team, as a winner of a 2019 FCPS Team Excellence Award. This honor recognizes and celebrates her team’s commitment to serve FCPS with the highest degree of dedication and professionalism (the team organized and facilitated a countywide conference for FCPS operational employees last spring). They will be recognized at a county reception on Oct. 16th. Congratulations Joan - we appreciate all the work you do here at SLHS and to support staff across FCPS.
Registration will soon open for FCPS' 6th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference. The event will be held at Fairfax HS on Saturday, October 5, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. This year’s conference is being sponsored by Inova. The morning session will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address from Dr. Marc Brackett, of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. For more information, please visit the Mental Health and Wellness Conference webpage.
FCPS Real Assistive Technology for Everyone Conference -October 19
FCPS will host its 2019 Real Assistive Technology for Everyone (RATE) Conference at Carson MS, on Saturday, October 19, from 8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. The RATE Conference is an educational technology conference focusing on the use of assistive technology to support all students, especially those with special needs. This year's keynote speaker is Fadel, an FCPS post-secondary student. He will share how assistive technology has impacted his life and school experiences.
More information and registration will soon be available on the conference webpage.
Mark Your Calendars
Sept. 24th & 25th -Underclassman pictures through English classes
Sept. 26th - Club & Activities Fair for students, lunchtime, main hall
Sept. 26th - Parent Orientation
Oct. 14th – Student holiday; teacher workday
Oct. 16th – PSAT day, early closing for students
Oct. 21 – 26th – Homecoming Week
Oct. 29th - Make-up underclassman pictures
Kim Retzer
Proud Principal
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