Update from Dr. Smith
Lake Braddock Families!
This week we started the process for student pick-up and it was so nice to see our families coming up to the building, even if it was only for a few minutes. We have another week of student pick up this week, and the performing arts classes will also be doing pick up and collection of items and instruments.
For all students, there are some things to remember:
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School-issued laptops will not be returned to school for the summer, unless you are a Senior or you are not returning to Lake Braddock SS for the 2020-21 school year. Seniors will return their laptops during the day they come to get their Senior packets. All other students who are leaving Lake Braddock SS, please contact Lindsey Kearns (lmkearns@fcps.edu) to schedule a time to return your laptop.
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Library books that are checked out from our library will not receive fines for being checked out beyond the due date.
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Calculators, Textbooks, and other class materials can be returned next week during your scheduled time. You may also return these items when we return to school.
For our Seniors, you have received communication this week that provides more details about the end of the year and various celebrations. We will be hosting another virtual Senior Parent Meeting on Monday, June 1st at 6:00 pm. Seniors will also meet with their administrator on June 1st at the times below. Students will use the individual link for Blackboard Collaborate that was emailed to their fcpsschools.net email address.
2:00 pm - Subschool 3
2:30 pm - Subschool 4
3:00 pm - Subschool 5
3:30 pm - Subschool 6
The Senior Class Websites have been updated. Click on the link below to find everything you need to know and more!
Senior Week of Celebrations
LBSS Senior Class Webpage
We only have a few weeks left of this school year. As we wrap up the year, please continue to reach out to your teachers, counselors, and administrators with any questions or concerns.
United as Bruins,
Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.
Important This Week
Seniors are meeting on Monday, June 1st
We will have meetings on June 1st for parents and students to hear more detailed information about the end of year celebrations and pick-up. Parents will meet virtually at 6:00 pm, and the link for that meeting will be emailed out to Senior parents on Monday morning. Seniors will meet by subschool at the time mentioned above, and their individual link was sent to their fcpsschools.net email address.
PTSA General Board Meeting
The PTSA board will meet on Thursday, June 4th, 2020 at 6:30 PM for the final general membership meeting of the year and board election. All paid members of the LBSS PTSA, including students, are eligible to vote. Please register to attend the meeting here. The meeting link will be sent to everyone who registers one day before the meeting.
The Nominating committee reviewed all expressions of interest and qualifications from candidates and has proposed the following slate of officers for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Panel of Candidates for 2020-2021
President: Bob Gaylord
1st VP:Jennifer Downs
2nd VP: Carol Parrott
3rd VP: Julie Shedd
Treasurer: Crystal DeJesus
Secretary: Carrie Holmes
Additional nominations should be made by emailing thirdvp@lbssptsa.org at least 48 hours before the election, by 6:30 pm, Tuesday, June 2nd.
7th-11th Grade Item Pickup
We have one more day for item pick up for 7th through 11th graders, Wednesday, June 3. Please use the following links to sign up for a slot:
7th grade: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4faea82daaf49-subschools
8th grade: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4faea82daaf49-subschool
9th-11th grades: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4faea82daaf49-high
Many people have signed up for a slot just to return items. Please note that the return of textbooks or other items is not required at this time. If you would prefer not to come by, the items can be returned when the school reopens.
Also, please use the appropriate sign up for your child's grade. We are staging each group at different places at Lake Braddock.
We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we work through this process. We realize that some items were not available at the assigned pick up time. Please be assured that we are keeping a log of those items and will work to locate them and set up another time for pick up.
A few issues have arisen regarding PE lockers. Many students have given the general location of their locker or the locker number. Please be aware that we have already emptied the lockers and put the items in bags.If there were items in the PE lockers, then the lock was returned with the items in the bag. If the locker was empty, then the lock was placed in the locker to be saved for the return to school. If your child's PE locker items are not available at pick-up, we ask that you contact his/her PE teacher for additional assistance. We are not throwing away any PE items and will work to return everything to the original students.
Information for All
Do your students miss connecting with their classmates and friends? Join us for our first ever distance learning lunch group, “Bruin Bites” from 11-12 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Blackboard Collaborate. Some of our students have created a way for students and staff to connect in a more relaxed environment including a few games, music, and even “lunch tables!” We would love to see you there!
HS Students - Sign up here
MS Students - Sign up here
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Office Hours for Parent Questions
Our administrative assistants are available to answer parent and student questions via Blackboard Collaborate. Please use one of the following links to access the sessions:
• Monday-Friday 9:00-11:00 am
• Tuesday-Friday 1:00-3:00 pm
• Monday 5:00-7:00 pm
Summer STEM Institute Virtual Summer Program
As you know, many academic opportunities and programs are being cancelled this year due to COVID-19. To help continue educational opportunities during this time, a team of Stanford and Harvard students and graduates is starting the Summer STEM Institute (SSI), a virtual summer research program.The Summer STEM Institute is a six-week virtual summer program consisting of three main parts:
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A research and data science bootcamp: SSI will equip students with the valuable skills to conduct computational research. Students will learn how to apply data science to interdisciplinary projects with real-world impact.
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A Masterclass lecture series: Students will be connected with 30+ highly accomplished speakers from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and other top institutions—from Forbes 30 under 30 awardees, Intel Science Talent Search (STS) winners, to International Math Olympiad Medalists.
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A research project: Students will also have the opportunity to conduct a research project in a scientific field of interest. Students will be matched to a virtual lab and work closely with mentors, including International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) winners and Research Science Institute (RSI) scholars.
For more details, please visit https://www.summersteminstitute.org/.
Distance Learning Resources
The following resources are updated as needed to keep you informed during this period of distance learning.
• Continuation of Instruction Student Support: instructional schedule; office hours for teachers; office hours and contact information for counselors, other support staff, and technology support; and contact information for administrators.
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School Counselors Available
Any FCPS parent may schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker, for either themselves or their middle or high school student.
Consultations provide an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s emotional well-being during their time away from school. Student consultations will provide support and strategies to students who may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, mood, behavior, or peer or family interactions during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Note: Parent consultations are available for all grade levels. Student consultations are only available for middle and high school students. Schedule a phone consultation online.
Lake Braddock Counselors are available to support you as well so please email them if you need support.
PTSA Updates
PTSA General Meeting on Thursday, June 4th
Please join us Thursday, June 4th, 2020 at 6:30 PM for the final general membership meeting of the year and board election. The detailed information is at the top of this newsletter in Dr. Smith's message.
Congratulations from the NOVA District PTA
The Northern Virginia District PTA had their Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration on Wednesday, May 27th. The Lake Braddock PTSA was recognized with several nominations and awards:
- Two of our students, Charles Nguyen and Ella Ridgway, received Citizenship Essay Awards for their essay answering "What Does It Take to Be a Good Citizen."
- Charles Nguyen photograph titled "Synapse" was given the Special Artists Photography Award of Merit.
- Julie Shedd and Andrea Hellier were nominated Finalists for Secondary School Volunteer of the Year.
- Lake Braddock SS PTSA was nominated for the Family Engagement award
- Dr. Daniel Smith and Lake Braddock SS PTSA was nominated for the Power Partner Award
All PTSA information can be found on the PTSA web site: https://lbssptsa.org/
MS Information
Middle School Awards
Due to school closure, there will be no in-person Awards Ceremony this year. Teachers will recognize their “students of the year” and those teacher awards will be sent electronically via email. Each team will determine the time and format (Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, previously recorded video, voice-over PowerPoint presentation, etc.) for their team’s end of year recognition event, including the presentation of the team’s “Most Valuable Bruin” recipients and Principal’s Service Awards winners (8th grade only). Eighth grade teams are currently finalizing their lists of those students who have met the Principal’s Service Award Criteria. The criteria are: at least 40 hours of community service for the year, a minimum of a B average in Civics for quarters 1, 2, and 3, no honor code violations, and no disciplinary infractions. Eighth grade students who met each of these criteria will also be recognized with a certificate electronically.
HS Information
Class of 2020 Updates
We will hold another series of Senior class meetings on Monday, June 1 for students and parents. Mark your calendars and check your emails for the links!
Check out the updated Senior Class Websites, where you will find everything you need to know and more!
Senior Week of Celebrations
LBSS Senior Class Webpage
Yearbook
The high school yearbook is still available for pre-order using MySchoolBucks or via the online site (www.yearbookordercenter.com using school code 5061). Not sure if you pre-ordered? Email Mrs. Poquis at tbpoquis@fcps.edu and she can let you know.
Want to help us finish the spring supplement? Share your quarantine life photos with us via the online site (www.yearbookordercenter.com). Make sure to give us your name and some background information so we can include it.
Follow the yearbook on Twitter (@lakebraddockybk) and Instagram (@lbyearbook) for more content.
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Information from the Career Center
Click here to view past newsletters from the Career Center.
FCPS Resources
Special Education Resources
Special Education Instruction
Are you feeling like you are having to do everything for your son or daughter? Want to build independence at home? Check out this video on building independence. This short video will outline how to be successful at teaching independence by prompting and fading your assistance over time.
Teaching social-emotional skills to young children is very important. Resources to support families to help preschool age children identify and express their emotions have been provided by the Center on the Social-Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.
Successful Strategies for Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children with ADHD continue to need structure and support during distance learning. How can a parent or caregiver help provide the support their child needs when learning at home? Check out several strategies recommended by experts from Child Mind Institute.
Maintaining Wellness and Self-Care
During this time parents are balancing work, children being home and other stressors. It is more important than ever to implement strategies to cope with stress. Utilizing effective coping strategies supports your own mental health, but also models those skills for your child. Prioritizing your own well-being can benefit the whole family. Check out these resources on self-care:
Coping with Stress from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Coping With the Coronavirus Crisis: Taking Care of Yourself from the Child Mind Institute
Behavior Intervention Services
A good strategy for routines and activities that may seem difficult or are not preferred, is to break them down into smaller steps. Accomplishing each step will help your child or teen feel more successful as they work towards something that may be challenging. This helps to reduce frustration and increase motivation! Check out this quick video on how to avoid upset or frustration as students continue with digital learning this week. Consider breaking down tasks this week to decrease frustration or burn out and increase feelings of accomplishment!
Frequently Asked Questions
How will special education stakeholders be included in FCPS return to learn process? The Superintendent has implemented a Reopening of School Task Force to develop possible scenarios to address the needs of all FCPS students, including those with disabilities. The group includes parent, teacher and administrator representatives. The initial plan will be shared with the School Board in June.
Contact Information
If parent(s) or guardian(s) need further assistance, please reach out to the:
FCPS website for Mental Health Resources and information for emergency mental health services:
Calendar at a Glance
May 29: Last day of classes for Seniors.
June 12: Last day of classes for 7th - 11th grade students.
How to Stay In-Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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