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12/13/19
Academic Advising
At the PTSA meeting this week, Ms. Thomas, Director of Student Services, presented on the Academic Advising process that has already begun for the 2020-2021 school year. This Thursday (12/19) during Seahawk Seminar current 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will have the opportunity to visit with teachers to learn about course options being offered for next year. During SS, there will be three short sessions where students can go learn about new courses, an elective they have heard about but maybe need more information or sessions that will talk about the difference between levels of a class (e.g. honors vs regular). Students will see a copy of the offerings for that day on their laptops earlier in the week so they can think about what they want to attend. After visiting their 6th period SS on Thursday to pick up a hard-copy of the schedule, they will have the flexibility to choose where they want to attend. Feel free to ask your student to see the form online so you can have conversations at home about what they may be interested in learning about for next year.
Seniors will be having a class meeting during this time to learn about activities this year and to start planning for graduation !
We encourage parents and students of all grade levels to attend Curriculum Night on Wednesday, Jan. 8th, 2020 together as another opportunity to learn about courses. South Lakes is offering some brand-new courses so again this is a night we encourage all grade levels (rising 9th graders and current students) to attend. The PTSA meeting has been cancelled for Jan. 8th to encourage families to attend Curriculum Night.
Special Event, Dec, 17 for FCPS Graduates & Current Students Who Want to Teach in FCPS
Do you know an FCPS graduate or student who is interested in teaching in FCPS? FCPS graduates and current FCPS juniors or seniors are invited to join us on Tuesday, December 17, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042 for the second annual Back2Fairfax Teacher Seminar. Learn more about how to navigate the hiring process, employee resources, and tips on being a successful educator.
Join us for an evening filled with networking opportunities, breakout sessions, and FCPS employment information. We invite current students and FCPS graduates to Say Yes to FCPS!
Registration for this event is available online.
Winter Weather
For information on how FCPS makes weather related decisions about late openings and closing please see https://www.fcps.edu/resources/safety-and-transportation/weather-cancellation-procedures
When school is closed for weather reasons our blue / green day calendar remains the same. For example, if school would have bene closed today, a green day, Monday would remain a blue day. Blue and green days are set for the year. It is important that when there is a chance of a weather closing students think ahead about books and supplies they may need for when school reopens. In cases where FCPS Schools and Office are closed the building is not open for anyone.
Winter Break
This year winter break starts on December 23 and ends on January 3, 2020. Classes will resume on Monday, January 6, 2020. See the complete 2019-20 school year calendar. The main office at South Lakes will be open on the 23rd, 26th, 27th, 30th and January 2nd, 3rd. Only select 12-month employees (some office staff and some administrators) are on contract these days. Teachers and counselors are on leave.
Teachers and staff work extremely hard and spend a great deal of time to ensure that learning remains the core of our work. Our students work hard too! This includes efforts outside of regular school hours to complete assignments and engage in school activities essential to a well-rounded education. In an effort to give everyone a true break, we have asked our teachers to not assign projects or homework this week to be done specifically over break with due dates immediately upon return and that major assessments not be held the first blue or green day back (6th or 7th). Students may need to use their own time management skills to determine if they need to work during their holiday on long-range assignments that were given in the weeks before break and/or to maintain their skills in certain areas.
We hope that this break is filled with time for rest and relaxation for our students and staff alike.
Food Panty
The South Lakes PTSA Food Pantry will be open next week and then close over winter break until Monday, Dec. 30th. They will be open on Monday, 12/30 from 3:30- 5:30 for families who are in need. This is the only day they will be open that week. Regular Pantry hours will resume on January 9th.
Resources
While for many this is a joyous time for the year, we also recognize that the holidays can be difficult and stressful for some. Should you need crisis information for a friend or loved one please reach out to:
Mental Health Resources and Emergency Services Information:
National and Local Crisis Resources
Call 911 in case of a life threatening emergency; TTY dial 711
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CrisisLink Regional Hotline: 703-527-4077 CrisisLink is a hotline for individuals in crisis or family/friends seeking guidance for how to help a loved one
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CrisisText: Text NEEDHELP to 85511
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Dominion Hospital Emergency Room: 703-536-2000
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Inova Emergency Services: 703-289-7560
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Mobile Crisis Unit: 1-844-627-4747
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE
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Merrifield Center Emergency Services: 703-573-5679 The Merrifield Center, of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, offers a range of clinical programming. Emergency Services, staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week, works with people in psychiatric crisis who need immediate attention.
Looking for a present for your student?
Order your students a 2020 yearbook online at www.yearbookordercenter.com with school code 13550. Save $10 if you order before December 20. The deadline for yearbook personalization is also December 20.
We are also currently taking orders for Senior Baby Ads! The Deadline for these ads is October 18th.
PSAT- Score Reports
College Board has announced that online score reports were available for most students in Virginia on December 9th (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scores/getting-scores).
Your student should receive an email with instructions and their access codes when it is ready. It will be sent to the email address that was written on the PSAT/NMSQT answer sheet. If you would like to see a sample score report, you can find one here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sample-psat-nmsqt-score-report.pdf
Test books were distributed through 5th period teachers last week.
Athletic Website
(see the site for dates of athletic events)
The South Lakes Athletics/Activities site migrated to a new website! The new site is www.southlakesathletics.net . Please bookmark this site and delete the old site.
When you visit the site please sign up for the NOTIFY ME option on the front page. This will send you information regarding game updates and cancellations for your specific sport.
Dates to Note
12/18 - Chorus concert, 7PM
12/19- Curriculum Fair during SS, for students
12/23 - Winter Break begins, offices open select days
01/06 - Students return to school, Green Day
01/08 - Curriculum Night, 6:30PM, students & parents encouraged to attend
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