 Good Morning Stone Parents and Families~
It was so nice to connect with many of you during our Return to School town halls this week. Please find information regarding the latest on Return to School here on our Stone website, including the slide deck presentations. We recognize there is a lot of information, so please reach out to any member of the administrative team if you have additional questions.
Per the email you received from me on 10/26, we will honor the choice you made in the FCPS July survey to determine the setting for instruction with the anticipated Return to School date of 1/26. If you chose in-person instruction, we will assume your student(s) will return to in-person instruction in accordance with the schedule above. If you chose all-virtual instruction we will assume you will continue in that format. If your circumstances have changed, please fill out this Return to School Change Request (Spanish version) no later than November 6, 2020. We will try to accommodate your request based on the availability of staff and space.
As the last week of the quarter came to a conclusion, it was great to observe classes and meet with students. I continue to enjoy when I see students who are engaged in class discussions and participating with their teachers and peers. The Portrait of a Panther winners for the week of 10/26 are: Aaliyah Adams-Mayfield, Talen Bangerter, Frida Barrios Rodriguez, Oden Barr, Nick Bendorf, Ty Kirkwood, Casey Koncher, Cal Oakley, Nicole Patterson and Jetziel Vega Troche. Congratulations to these students for modeling the attributes of a Portrait of a Graduate.
Please find adjustments made to Panther Block and Office Hours below effective the start of the 2nd quarter 11/4/2020. We will continue to monitor what is working well and where challenges are to best support our student needs.
I hope your students find time to rest, relax and recharge over their long weekend. Thank you for your continued support.
~Meredith Norris, Acting Principal
Panther Block & Office Hours Updates
Based on the survey results we received from parents, students and staff, we have made some adjustments to Panther Block and Office Hours to maximize support and intervention from teachers. Please find the adjusted schedule here.
- Students will continue to report to their 4th period teacher for their Panther Block lesson from 9:05-9:30. Students will then be able to access teacher office hours from 9:35-10:25. Students should continue to utilize their individual teachers’ office hour links in Schoology.
- Please Note: Some students will receive new Panther Block teachers effective the start of the 2nd quarter to support English and Math needs. If your student has a new teacher, they received an email yesterday to their fcpsschools.net account.
- Schoology/BBCU Reminder: If your child has a new 4th period Panther Block teacher, they will see the new teacher’s course title listed in their Schoology course list. This is the course they should use to access the BBCU link needed for 4th period. The old 4th period course should be automatically removed.
- Office Hours on Mondays will now begin immediately after Check and Connect at 9:30 AM. Office Hours have been broken up by department (see schedule). Students should continue to utilize their individual teachers’ office hour links in Schoology.
PTSA Spirit Store
The Stone Spiritwear store is officially live! Please include the link below in your PTSA and Principal communications this week. The store will remain open until 11/20 and orders will arrive within two weeks and be distributed in time before Winter Break/the holidays.
There is an option to pay $9.95 per order to have the merchandise shipped directly to one's home OR one can pick up their orders from the main office at Stone MS.
The store is similar to last year's, however, I added masks and performance t-shirts (that breathe better than the regular cotton ones).
Student Activities Update
- Congratulations to the 73 members of our modified National Junior Honor Society program. Students met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss next steps and service opportunities during this challenging time. The students elected the following members to leadership positions:
- Aaliyah Adams-Mayfield – President
- Ella Ammons – Vice President
- Caroline Elson – Secretary
- Lilly Wilson – Historian
We look forward to hearing more from this group of student-leaders. A huge thank you to our faculty sponsors Marissa Bricker, Liz Deal, Trish Egbers and Tami Stubblefield.
- Members from last year’s Student Council Association (SCA) met yesterday to discuss upcoming plans for the 2nd quarter.
- There will be a SCA interest meeting for any student interested in leadership opportunities after-school on Tuesday, November 10. More information will be provided to students next week.
- Students should check out the Stone After School Activities site for a variety of opportunities to participate in after-school clubs and activities Reach out to our after-school specialist, Mr. Anderson, for more information.
Reminder about Grab & Go Meals - 11/2 & 11/3
- Meal distribution will be closed on Tuesday, 11/3. Meals for both 11/2 and 11/3 will be available on 11/2. In addition, if anything has changed for your in-person meal service plans, please let us know.
Reminder about Student Holidays- 11/2 & 11/3
- Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3 are student holidays. Our office will be closed on Tuesday and will reopen on Wednesday morning.
- Looking ahead, our next early release day will be on Wednesday, November 11 for Veterans Day.
Outstanding Employee Awards
Do you know of an outstanding Stone employee you’d like to recognize?
Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Stone Middle School Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination here. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
Outstanding Teacher Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category.
Outstanding Leader Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal) Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership. Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school
Outstanding Operational Employee Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee. Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 20th on this Google form link.If you have any questions, please contact Tami Stubblefield.
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