LBSS Weekly News - September 18, 2020

21

Message from Dr. Smith

Hello Bruin Families, 

It has been another exciting week of virtual learning for our students and teachers.  This coming week there are several ways for you to connect with our staff and with each other.  Also some of our students will pick up supplies and Seniors will take their SATs.

On Monday, students, who received an email from their teacher, can pick up their class supplies.  This is a drive through event and more details are below.  Our next Parent Academy event is on Tuesday at 7:00 pm and our School Based Technology Specialists will discuss various technology topics.  Please make sure you filled out the Google Form to get your individual link, because we will not be sending out a guest link for this event.   

Wednesday has several important events to highlight.  Registered Seniors will take their SAT during the day.  At night, our Activities Office Town Hall at 6:00 pm.  Parents interested in this event will need to register using this Google Form. Additionally, our PTSA will have their first general meeting for the 2020-21 school year at 7:00 PM.  At this meeting, there is a special presentation by Jacquie Naughton, School Counselor, on SEL (Social Emotional Learning): Understanding The What, The Why, and The How.  Mrs. Kearns and I will also be there to answer any questions parents may have. This is a virtual event and you can click HERE to register in advance for this meeting. 

We look forward to all the ways we get to connect with our students and families next week.  If you aren't able to attend and have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your children's teachers, counselor or subschool.  Also, don't forget to follow us on social media were we also provided the most updated information there.  We are on Twitter @FCPSLBSS and Facebook @fcpslbss.  

United as Bruins, 

Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.


Important for Next Week

School Supply/Item Pickup

Our Classroom Supply Distribution is happening on Monday, September 21

  • Last Names A-K should come between 9:00 am and noon
  • Last Names L-Z should come between 2:00 and 5:00 pm

Students will receive an email from their specific course teacher if they have supplies to pick up. Please do not come if your student does not receive an email.

Please see https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/return_to_learn for specific details, including the classes involved, directions for preparing to come, the route for the drive-through, and general questions.


Upcoming Parent Academy Events

Technology Night – Get tech help, access to ParentVue, Mifi’s and more

  • By: LBSS Technology Staff
  • September 22nd from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

This session will cover common technology issues and fixes, ParentVue as a means to email teachers and monitor student grades/assignments, the daily technology expectations of students, and common technology platforms your students will use. There will be no guest link provided for this session. Instead, this session will be accessed via personalized links just like your students receive for their classes. To gain a personalized link and to ensure we answer your questions please fill out this Google Form by Sunday, September 20th. Access links will be emailed to you by COB Monday, September 21st.  In order to access student software programs, please come prepared with your student's username and password. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fill out this Google Form by Sunday September 20th to register for this event!

 

Activities Town Hall

  • By: LBSS Activities Office
  • September 23rd from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

The LBSS student activities office will be hosting a town hall on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:00pm.  To register and/or submit questions for the Town Hall please click here.  A link to this meeting will be sent to all community members who have registered, on the morning of September 23rd.

 

Library Services and Resources in a Virtual World

  • By: LBSS Librarians
  • September 29th from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

 

LBSS Parent Coffee

  • By: Dr. Smith and Ms. Kearns
  • October 1st from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

SAT School Day Test for 12th Graders

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, Lake Braddock Secondary School 12th graders will have the opportunity to take the SAT School Day test. FCPS will cover the cost for any 12th-grade student to take the SAT. The optional essay component and subject tests will not be offered on this date.

General information about the SAT test format is available on the College Board webpage. September 23red has been designated for asynchronous learning for all high school students, so students who choose to take the SAT will not miss synchronous learning time with their teachers.

Information has been shared through email from our assessment office to those students who are registered.  If you have any questions, please contact Lake Braddock Secondary School Assessment Coach, Jennifer Bury, at JABury@fcps.edu .


School Planning Council

We are excited to announce that LBSS will continue our School Planning Council (SPC) as we enter the 2020-2021 school year! The purpose of the SPC is to bring together various stakeholders to provide input and guidance on the direction of our school. Providing an excellent and equitable education for all our students is our primary goal and we recognize the important role our community plays in shaping the direction of our school. Last year’s SPC focused on providing input and feedback on our new school vision. During the 2020-2021 school year, the SPC will focus on equity with the lens of raising student achievement and eliminating gaps in access, opportunity and achievement for all students. The council will meet virtually four times during the school year (10/6, 12/15, 2/23, 5/4) from 6:00PM-7:30PM and we ask that members be able to commit to full attendance. If you are interested in participating, please complete the intention form (https://forms.gle/4ptxPWigq7Locw8j7) by September 22. Returning SPC members should still complete the form to continue their service on the committee.


laptop

School-Issued Laptop pick-up

If your child still does not have a school-issued laptop, please email Ms. Cathy McCormick to schedule a date and time for pick up.

If you are choosing not to have a school laptop for your child, please go to this link to complete the Opt Out Form. Please note that you must have a meeting with your child's administrator to finalize the opt out process.


Proposed Changes to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Admissions Process

Superintendent Brabrand presented recommendations to the Fairfax County School Board to revise the admissions policy at TJHSST, the governor’s regional school, in order to promote access to historically underserved students.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has made a series of changes to the admissions policy in order to promote greater diversity at the school. Since 2011, it has hired an outreach specialist to recruit minority students from middle schools across the county, and revised the student information sheet, implemented a problem-solving essay, and new tests. The changes have not made a significant impact on the application pool or admitted student demographics.  See this link for important details on the county website.

Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, September 23rd
There will be a virtual town hall regarding the proposed admissions process changes on Wednesday, September 23, beginning at 7 p.m. Families and community members can watch onlinesubmit comments and questions or call into the town hall live at 1-800-231-6359.   

The event will be broadcast live on Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Cable TV Channel 99 (Cox and Comcast) or Channel 11 (Verizon) and on the FCPS website.


Important Information for All

Schedules

Purple and Gold Calendar: use this link for a printable purple and gold calendar

LBSS Bell Schedule: use this link for a printable bell schedule


Health Forms

Back to School Forms

Please remember that there are certain forms that are required for your student.

Important information to know about the Health Information Form: you must download and save the form prior to emailing it. Otherwise, a blank form is attached.

  • Emergency Care Form: All students must have accurate emergency care information. Parents can update this information through WeCare@School via their SIS ParentVue account. Please note, in order to log into Parent View it is necessary to have an active SIS Parent Account.
    • To update your Emergency Care form, please complete the following steps:
    • Log into your SIS ParentVUE account
    • Go to FCPS Links located in the left-hand menu
    • Go to FCPS 24/7 and Log in using the same username and password as your SIS ParentVUE account
    • Go to WeCare @ School on the top right of your screen.
  • Health Information Form. This form is to be printed, signed and emailed to the appropriate subschool office shown below. Please note that you must download and save the form prior to emailing.
  • Parental Consent Form for Digital Resources. This form is required. Please review the list of digital resources your child may use this year and complete the form listed on the site.

Optional forms can be found on our web site at https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/forms.

After you have completed the necessary forms, please email them to the appropriate subschool office:


School Photos

Victor O'Neill Studios continues to take student photos on Saturdays and Mondays through the end of September. Please use the following links to sign up for a time slot.

  • For Middle School Students, click here.
  • For High School Students, click here.

For Middle School, there are still a few spots open for Saturday, September 19 and Monday, September 21. And there are plenty of spots open for Saturday, September 26 and Monday, September 28.

For High School, there are only a couple of slots open for September 19 and 21, but plenty open for September 26 and 29.

Walk-ins will not be allowed. Masks are required at all times in the building, with the exception of the actual photo taking.

 

If you have questions, please contact Victor O’Neill at underclass@vosphoto.com.

 

Senior Portraits

Senior Portraits will now be scheduled on October 13-16 and Oct 20-21. The following information has been provided by Victor O’Neill:

Due to safety concerns during the COVID-19 crisis, we will no longer be mailing appointment notices home. It is safer to communicate with everyone through email and allows us to control the number of appointments throughout the day. We are reducing the number of appointments by 50% compared to previous years. Therefore, instead of pre-assigning a date and time for your senior portrait, we are offering you the opportunity to select your date and time through our new scheduling software. Please sign up for your session date and time here:

 pickatime.com/vosphoto/LakeBraddockss

Fairfax County is no longer allowing any shared clothing for the senior portraits. For the yearbook pose,  Solid colored dress shirts/tops work well for the camera; jackets and ties are optional. Please note that the photographer will not provide tuxedos and drapes due to county regulations. We are also working with the school to have the cap and gown photos taken once students receive them in the spring. We will have the following modifications in place to ensure a safe environment for students, parents, and our staff:

  • We will have signage in place to encourage social distancing while students wait for their turn at each camera.
  • Photographers will not come within physical contact of any student and will stay behind the camera.
  • Photographers and assistants will be in gloves and masks while students are present.
  • All of our staff will have their temperature checked before reporting to work each day.
  • Anyone entering the room where portraits are taking place will have their temperature checked.
  • Props will be sanitized between uses.
  • To limit inter-personal contact, no “walk-in” appointments will be permitted for now.

We appreciate your cooperation with the following recommendations:

We recommend that anyone with underlying health conditions not accompany the high school senior to the school for their portraits if at all possible.

  • Masks will be provided to any customers desiring one.
  • Give each other space and follow the social distancing guidelines.
  • Wash and sanitize your hands often. We will have sanitation stations throughout our portrait areas for your convenience.
  • Most importantly, if you feel sick, have a fever, are coughing, have difficulty breathing, or if in the last two weeks you been in close contact with a person with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, please stay home.
  • We strongly encourage you to reschedule your appointment if you or anyone in your household is feeling unwell.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to seniors@vosphoto.com.


Grab and Go Meals

FCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) continues to update times and locations for grab and go meals posted on the website. Grab and go meals are available to ALL students. In addition, FNS will offer breakfast and lunch meals for Saturday during distribution on Fridays. Food distribution locations and times are posted and updated frequently on the website:  https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/food


Digital Student Planner Link

Students who have not been able to access the digital student planner can access it through this link. Students must be logged into their @fcpsschools.net email account to access it the planner. This document link requires a forced copy, which means the students must click the blue “make a copy” button to access it. Students can also re-watch the video shown during Advisory to learn how to access their BBCU links and add them to the student planner.

In addition, some teachers have sent out multiple links to their class. Please use the most recently emailed link for your planner. In order to complete your digital planner, check your schedule in SIS so that you can place your links correctly.


New Visitor Guidelines

Per the School Board and Superintendent, our implemented safety protocols will continue to require that we limit the number of individuals who move in and out of our facilities. To promote social distancing during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we will be adhering to the following guidelines:

  • Facility visitors will be limited and should occur by scheduled appointment only.
  • No walk-in visitors are permitted.
  • As much as possible, appointments to meet with teachers and other staff members should be accommodated via telephone, video conference, or other suitable technology.
  • When a face-to-face appointment must occur, the following guidelines must be maintained:

Appointments

  • Visitors must have an appointment and, prior to the appointment, must:
    • complete the Covid-19 Health Questionnaire listed on the Announcement page of our web site (must be completed by every person coming in);
    • call the Main Office (703-426-1000) upon arrival at LBSS.

"Go Paperless" Option for Report Cards

Although school has just started, we would like to remind you that you have the option to go paperless for your student's report cards. To take advantage of the paperless options, parents and/or guardians need to log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless."  All parents who live with the student and share the same address must have a SIS ParentVUE account and must select the paperless option to prevent mailing of the printed report cards. The “Go Paperless” option will apply to all associated students, no matter what school level.


Technology Information and Tips

FCPS Technology Support

FCPS has a number of resources for students and families to access tech support. Please use this link to find information for your tech issue.


Online Learning Success Page

A webpage has been published to support students with distance learning. The Tips for Online Learning Success page has suggestions for students; technology tips for families; troubleshooting guides; and links to the parent and student tech support sites. Please consider linking it in your Google Classroom or Blackboard courses to help your students navigate our digital world. As a bonus, it’s also a great resource for staff members!


Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Tech Tips

Please see the infographic below with technology tips for troubleshooting Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.  Additionally, if you do not see the links for all of your teachers, we encourage you to try the following steps:

  • Search the teacher's name in the search bar of your fcpsschools.net account
  • Look in the folder on the left of your inbox that is titled BBCU Links
  • Look in the starred folder of your inbox
  • Contact your teacher to have the link resent to you
Tech Tips 1Tech Tips 2

HS Information

HS Science Olympiad Interest Meeting on Monday, Sept. 21

Science Olympiad is a national STEM team-based competition program where students collaborate, learn and compete in events based on topics such as forensic science, astronomy, engineering, code-breaking, genetics, and many more. Tournaments this year will be fully virtual and can be done from home while collaborating with partners online! High school students interested in hearing more about Science Olympiad and the tryout process for the team can sign up here to receive a Collaborate link to our interest meeting on Monday, September 21 at 12:30 PM. Please reach out to head coach Emily Owens if you have any questions.



Beta Nu Boulé Young Scholars Program

The Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, founded in Philadelphia, PA in 1904, is the country’s oldest fraternity for college-educated African American men. The fraternity works in partnership with the Beta Nu Boulé Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to sponsor the Beta Nu Boulé Young Scholars Program. The Program is dedicated to mentoring young African American males who are contemplating attending college and preparing them for educational and professional opportunities after high school. Here are the particulars of the Program:

  • The minimum GPA to be considered for acceptance is 3.00.
  • Meets each second Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., currently via Zoom, November 2020 -May 2021. 
  • Provides SAT/ACT preparation seminars on applying to colleges and universities, and exposure to different professional careers. Seminars are conducted by the Princeton Review, college and law school adjunct professors, retired senior military officers, business executives, attorneys, judges, and senior federal government managers.
  • Students who successfully complete both the junior and senior years of the Program will be eligible to apply for a college scholarship that can extend up to four years of college.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact social.action@betanuboule.org or Lawrence.Clark64@verizon.net (703.232.5509 or Mark Evans, Program Co-chair at Handme@aol.com (703.963.3577).

 


MS Information

MS Science Olympiad Interest Meeting

What: MS Science Olympiad Interest Meeting

Who: 7th and 8th graders at LBSS

Where: https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/2fed62ec210643598ec4406b2a6fe923

When: Monday, September 21, 10:50 am

Why: Science Olympiad is a fun and rewarding club which competes regionally (virtually, this year) in tests of science knowledge and engineering skill.  Typically, interest exceeds the 30 student limit, so I will explain the try-out procedure during this meeting. Try outs will take place on Monday, Sept 28th.

Coach: Mrs. Cortesi (8th grade science teacher) jacortesi@fcps.edu


FCPS Resources

FCPS website for Mental Health Resources and information for emergency mental health services:


How to Stay In-Touch

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by: