Principal's Message
Hughes Students and Families,
During 3rd Period Connections on Thursday, both 7th and 8th grade students received an introduction/re-introduction to our service-learning expectations at Hughes and to the X2Vol system that FCPS provides for students to track their hours. As an IB school, “Service as Action” is central to our mission. Students are expected to complete 15 hours by the end of 8th grade, log those 15 hours on X2Vol, and include brief written reflections in X2Vol about each service-learning activity they complete.
All resources shared on Thursday are also posted on the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 Google Classroom sites, including a document from FCPS with ideas for safe service during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a school, we will also continue to seek out opportunities for students to serve in safe ways and share those with students. While some traditional service activities may be temporarily unavailable, there are still many options for virtual, in-home, and socially distanced service. If you or your student has a specific question or concern regarding service learning, please reach out to our IB MYP Coordinator, Chris DelGrosso, at cjdelgrosso@fcps.edu
Aimee Monticchio
Celebrations and Holidays
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began Friday evening, September 18. Some Jews celebrate for one day and some celebrate two days. Most Jews celebrate with large family meals and services. Even though most synagogues are closed for the pandemic, services are being held virtually by many Jewish congregations. Feel free to greet your Jewish friends and colleagues with “Happy New Year,” or try Hebrew with “Shana Tova.”
Yom Kippur, a more somber holiday, begins on Sunday night, September 27, through Monday night September 28. It includes fasting and prayer. Many people will refrain from eating for the full 25 hours of the holiday. Feel free to greet your Jewish friends and colleagues with, “Have a meaningful and easy fast.”
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Monday Attendance and Asynchronous Learning
On Mondays, students will log on to their 1st period teacher’s BBCU class link from 7:30 am to 8:00 am to check in and complete a Google attendance and reflection form. The Google form will also be posted to the 1st period teachers Google classroom. Students should complete the form no later than 2:00 pm on Mondays to be accounted for attendance. Between 8:00 am and 10:30 am students can check in with teachers or counselors for office hours. Students will use the teachers’ or counselors’ BBCU class links. Teachers may also invite students to attend an extra learning session during this time. Other than the check in, office hours, or work time with teachers, students will be working asynchronously on Mondays. Students should be sure to check their Google classrooms for each teacher to stay up to date with asynchronous assignments
Gradebook Now Available in SIS ParentVUE and SIS StudentVUE – Go Paperless!
Through SIS ParentVUE, you can monitor your student’s attendance, grades, and assignments at any time. Student gradebooks went live on September 17th and you may now view grades in SIS.
You can opt to “Go Paperless” in ParentVUE and receive only online report cards. This will not impact any other mailings from FCPS other than the report cards for secondary students and progress reports for ES students. To take advantage of the paperless options, parents and/or guardians will 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 their associated students, no matter what school level.
Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. In addition, all students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. SIS/ParentVUE can be accessed using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
NEED A SIS PARENTVUE ACCOUNT OR CANNOT REMEMBER YOUR USER NAME?
Go to the link below.
https://itweb.fcps.edu/ParentView/index.cfm
DO NOT REMEMBER YOUR SIS PARENTVUE PASSWORD?
Got to the link below and select “Forgot Password.” (Your username is your email address.)
https://sisparent.fcps.edu/PVUE/login_parent_pxp_ovr2.aspx?regenerateSessionId=True
Schedule Changes
Hughes staff (aided by elementary counselors and 6th grade teachers in the case of our 7th grade students) spend considerable time assisting students with their selection of appropriate courses. Since all decisions regarding staffing, instructional allocations, etc. are made based on those selections, change requests may be accommodated only under very limited circumstances for academic reasons. In addition, scheduling considerations were made this year with input regarding online or in-person preferences. As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program school, students become well-rounded by developing themselves in both the arts and design. We ask students to select elective courses in both areas. Semester electives, as exploratory courses, are not generally considered for course changes. After September 18th, no schedule moves will be made until after the first quarter has ended. Also, no changes will be considered after the 4th quarter has begun. If there is an academic concern, please speak with your student’s teacher and/or counselor.
Please complete the Langston Hughes Schedule Change Request Form if you are requesting a change for a year-long course due to an academic need. The form is also found on our school webpage: https://hughesms.fcps.edu/student-services/academic-advisingcourse-selection
Grab and Go Meals
Grab and go meals are available to ALL students. In addition, FCPS 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
Free and Reduced Lunch and Consent to Share
Students who may qualify for assistance through the Free or Reduced Meals program must apply each year. If your student was eligible last year and you have not yet reapplied, benefits from last school will expire at the end of September.
If you either need to reapply, or if you believe your family may be eligible this year, click here to learn more.
At the bottom of the webpage there are links to the application in English and Spanish. It is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog, French and Vietnamese.
Consent to Share Information form
It is very important that families also complete the Consent to Share Information form so that students may also receive free or reduced fees for several programs (e.g. course fees). Without this form, students will not be eligible for free/reduced fees in a number of programs even if they are eligible for the meals program.
The form is available in nine languages on the same webpage. Please scroll to the bottom of the webpage to find the form.
If you have already completed the Free/Reduced Meals application but did not do the Consent to Share Information form, you can still do so
COURSE SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION CONTINUES….
World Languages: Students who are enrolled in Spanish (1A, 1B, or Spanish 1 ) or French (1a, 1B, or French 1) but have not yet picked up their workbooks need to do so as soon as possible. Parents/guardians can come to LHMS from 7:30-2:30 during the week of 9/28 to pick up the workbooks. Please enter through Door 1 and pick up your workbook from the staff members stationed in the foyer to help with workbook distribution.
Band/Orchestra: Students enrolled in a band or orchestra course that still need to pick up an instrument can do so on Thursday, October 1 from 4-7. Please contact Ms. Bergmann or Ms. Dausen to sign up for a time and receive further instructions.
Art/FACS/Engineering & Design: Materials for these courses will be distributed on Monday, 10/5 from 11-2 and 4-6. Students and/or parents & guardians can plan to pick up these supplies near door 8 on Seahawks Drive. Please enter from Ridge Heights Road and follow signs to proceed to the correct distribution spot. Additional information regarding supplies can be found in your course syllabus and will be communicated by your teachers.
Please continue to monitor health concerns and do not come to school for supply pick up if you have a fever, cough, or other COVD-related symptoms.
Parents, We Need Your Consent for Select Digital Resources
At Langston Hughes Middle School, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here: https://hughesms.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources
Included on this page is also a link to a form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission. Please reach out to Ms. Kerze our School Based Technology Specialist if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources, we’ve chosen to use this year.
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Hughes After School Registration
Join the After School Program. Club Links are posted on the NEW After School Google Site , https://sites.google.com/fcpsschools.net/hughes-after-school/home. (This site is only accessible while using a student google account.) It’s as simple as clicking on the club icon and joining the Club Google Classroom. Teachers will communicate with club members through Club Google Classroom. Please BOOKMARK the After School Google Site. We will update it often.
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AVID Sweet Strategies for Success – October 7th, 6:30pm on Blackboard Collaborate
AVID is holding an online session to share academic strategies to help all students in classes. We will share strategies that 8th grade AVID students have found helpful during distance learning and in school. Please join us with your favorite sweet from the comfort of your home on October 7th at 6:30pm. Please register to attend at: https://forms.gle/1p3eiAw3djR2sw1n8
AVID Sweet Strategies for Success - 7 de octubre a las 6:30 pm en Blackboard Collaborate
AVID está llevando a cabo una sesión en línea para compartir estrategias académicas para ayudar a todos los estudiantes en las clases. Compartiremos estrategias que los estudiantes de AVID de octavo grado han encontrado útiles durante el aprendizaje a distancia y en la escuela. Únase a nosotros con su dulce favorito desde la comodidad de su hogar el 7 de octubre a las 6:30 pm. Regístrese para asistir a: https://forms.gle/1p3eiAw3djR2sw1n8
¡Sweet Strategies for Success de AVID también se ofrecerá en español! Regístrese usando el enlace para asistir.
https://forms.gle/BYZw79ktpcx7eM4dA
استراتيجيات AVID Sweet للنجاح - 7 أكتوبر ، 6:30 مساءً على Blackboard Collaborate تعقد AVID جلسة عبر الإنترنت لمشاركة الاستراتيجيات الأكاديمية لمساعدة جميع الطلاب في الفصول الدراسية. سوف نشارك الاستراتيجيات التي وجدها طلاب الصف الثامن AVID مفيدة أثناء التعلم عن بعد وفي المدرسة. يرجى الانضمام إلينا مع الحلوى المفضلة لديك من الراحة في منزلك يوم 7 أكتوبر الساعة 6:30 مساءً. الرجاء التسجيل للحضور في https://forms.gle/1p3eiAw3djR2sw1n8
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Parent Technology Help Desk
The Parent Technology Help Desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week. Please specify if you need an interpreter when you call.
You may also use the online portal by clicking the link below
https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/
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Monday, October 12, Student Holiday - School Planning Day
Monday, October 19, PTA Meeting - 7PM
Friday, October 30, End of First Quarter - 2 hour early dismissal
Monday, November 2, Student Holiday
Tuesday, November 3, Student Holiday
Wednesday, November 11, Veteran's Day - 2 hour early dismissal
Monday, November 16, PTA Meeting - 7PM
Wednesday, November 25 thru Friday, November 27 - Thanksgiving Break
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