Message from Dr. Smith
Hello Bruin Families,
As we approach the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I am reminded of his legacy and hope for a brighter future where we celebrate our differences, as well as what we have in common. These last few weeks have reminded us now, more than ever, how important that focus is in our community, our state and our nation. As we enter the week ahead, Dr. King’s dream of a more perfect union remains at the forefront and more important than ever. Our Lake Braddock staff remain committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment where students feel valued and heard. "Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education" (Martin Luther King Jr., 1947) and we will continue to focus on how we support, celebrate and love one another.
Please know that our teachers, counselors, administrators and clinical staff are all here for our students and families. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. I personally welcome your feedback, suggestions and want to hear your concerns.
United as Bruins,
Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.
In this Issue
Important Information for All
Schedule Week of January 18
Award-Winning LB 7th Grade Student
Virtual Band Concert
Academic Advising
AVID Applications
LB Athletics Streaming on YouTube
Optional Virginia Early Childhood Family Survey
Mental Health Services
Weekend of Service -- Volunteer Fairfax
LBSS Online Book Store
Parent Academy
High School Information
Class of 2021 Caps and Gowns
PSAT Scores
Yearbook Photos
Middle School Information
Middle School Spelling Bee
TDAP Vaccine Reminder
Middle School-After School Program
FCPS Information
FCPS Tech Support
FCPS Mental Health Resources
Important LBSS Contact Information
Attendance Procedures
How to Stay In Touch
Important Information for All
Schedule Week of January 18
Please remember that next week’s schedule is quite different:
Monday, Jan. 18 -- MLK Birthday -- School Holiday
Tuesday, Jan. 19 -- normal synchronous purple day
Wednesday, Jan. 20 -- Inauguration Day -- School Holiday
Thursday, Jan. 21 -- normal synchronous purple day
Friday, Jan. 22 -- End of 2nd Quarter -- 2-hour early release synchronous gold day.
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Award-Winning LB 7th Grade Student
Lake Braddock 7th grade student Manas Puri's essay, "Why Vote", was the silver award winner for Fairfax County Public Library's contest "For Love of Country: In My Own Words". See the contest web page for his award and other winners.
Manas was also the 1st Place winner of the Fairfax County Public Library's 2020 Teen Film Festival. His short film, "The COVID-19 Nightmare," is an action thriller with Manas in the lead role. The film and other competitors can be viewed on the FCPL teen web page.
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Virtual Band Concert
Our Lake Braddock Bands held a virtual winter concert on Thursday, January 14. Please enjoy the recording found here.
Academic Advising
Academic Advising is in full swing! Counselors have been meeting with students to review course offerings and will begin meeting with students individually over the next few weeks. Make sure you have taken the time to explore our Curriculum Fair sites and spoken to your students about the courses they would like to take next year. Students will be entering courses directly in their StudentVue account; students should be using the course selection sheet as a guide to make sure they are entering the correct course codes! Start HERE to access our Academic Advising materials. Remember, you will need an fcpsschools.net account to access the Curriculum Fair sites.
AVID Applications
With course selection upon us, Lake Braddock’s college-readiness course, Advancement Via Individual Determination, commonly known as AVID, would like to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. The year-long elective course is offered in grades 7-12 and focuses on student support with the goal of attendance and success in college and beyond. More information on the course can be found on the middle and high school curriculum fair sites, listed under the AVID heading.
LB Athletics Streaming on YouTube
Help Lake Braddock Athletics get 1K+ YouTube subscribers! We currently have 400+, but need 1,000+ subscribers to unlock settings to use a mobile device to stream. This will allow us to stream even more events simultaneously. Please use the link below to subscribe and then share with others.
https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeBraddockAthleticLeadershipBroadcasting
Optional Virginia Early Childhood Family Survey
VDOE, UVA, and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) want to learn about Virginia families’ experiences with the care and/or education for their young children (birth through kindergarten) this year. The Virginia Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDBB5) study wants to reach as many Virginia families as possible to better understand the experiences and challenges of families with young children in Virginia. Parents of young children are invited to participate in this study by completing a voluntary and anonymous survey available at vafamilysurvey.info.
Mental Health Services
Ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and school closures continue to have a significant impact on children’s mental health. As an example, according to the CDC, from April to October 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency room visits for children aged 5-11 and 12-17 years increased approximately 24% and 31%, respectively, compared with 2019. Healthy Minds Fairfax has created the following flyer to help families navigate the world of mental health.
Weekend of Service -- Volunteer Fairfax
Fairfax County Public Schools encourages students to find ways to safely participate in service learning. Even during COVID-19, students are finding incredible ways to serve their communities either virtually or while practicing social distancing and following CDC guidelines. The upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend is a great opportunity to help connect students with impactful service opportunities while also teaching students about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
In an effort to connect student service learning with the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, FCPS and Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) is teaming up with Volunteer Fairfax for a weekend of service. Beginning on January 16, 2021, Volunteer Fairfax is organizing a family friendly event that will provide service opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in activities virtually from home. To learn more about the MLK Jr. Weekend of Service and the specific service activities, please visit Volunteer Fairfax’s website for more information.
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LBSS Online Book Store
The LBSS Library is hosting an online bookstore through Bookworm Central that will continue throughout the entire year. Students and teachers can purchase books and have them delivered to their house. Purchases over $30 will be delivered for free. Stock up for the holidays and support the library.
The Online Library Book Store opened December 7. Please enjoy this promotional video HERE.
Contact the LBSSLibrary@fcps.edu with any questions.
Thank you, Lake Braddock SS Librarians
Parent Academy
See our Website for more information about Parent Academy events.
Upcoming Parent Academy Events
The Teenage Brain, Drug Trends, and Parent Tips Series
Provided by The Office of Student Safety and Wellness
Have you ever wanted to learn more about your teenager's brain and how it relates to substance use? Register today for a three-part series about the teenage brain, adolescence, and the effects of drug and alcohol on the teenage brain.
Session #1: The Teenage Brain: Building Connections
January 12 @ 7pm
Session #2: Drugs and the Teenage Brain
January 21 @ 7pm
Session #3: Drug Trends in Teens: Identifying Common Household
Substances and Drug Culture
January 26 @ 7pm
Questions? Email jlgiffin@fcps.edu
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPm5iK0OfoXRQLympzzuFAXUGsm68Z3iJ4bdgimnGXfsQ6DQ/viewform
Building Resiliency in the Time of COVID
- January 28, 2021 at 6:30 PM
- Hosted by LBSS Student Services and Principal’s Cabinet Mental Health Group
Come join us January 28th at 6:30 pm for a virtual presentation on “Building Resiliency during a time of COVID.” MS and HS parents and students are welcome to register. Students from our Principal’s Cabinet Mental Health Group will be presenting on data collected from LBSS students on mental health struggles they are experiencing this year and what supports and insights parents and students need to build resilience. Ms. Pack, LBSS HS counselor and licensed LPC, will present a parent portion on strategies to support their own mental health and those of their students. Please do not miss this important event!
Questions? Contact Ms. Janene Pack at jpack@fcps.edu
Register by January 27th here - https://forms.gle/8BHLLE1wRStbtxbu7
Upcoming LBSS Parent Academy Events - Family Engagement Series
High School Family Book Chat
January 21, 2021 from 7-8 PM
Hosted by the LBSS High School Librarians
Register by January 13th here: LBSS Book Chat Registration Form
Questions? Please contact Sarah Pevner, SJPevner@FCPS.edu or Laura Christadore, LAChristadore@fcps.edu
High School Information
Class of 2021 Caps and Gowns
We are in the process of planning a meaningful graduation experience for the Class of 2021 to the greatest extent possible given the current situation with COVID-19. We are considering many options to celebrate this momentous occasion.
We are ordering our caps and gowns and we need your help and gentle encouragement. We need each senior to complete the cap and gown survey to ensure we have the appropriate cap and gown size for everyone. Please ask your graduate if they have completed the survey. If they have not, please ask them to click on the following link to give us their student id, height and weight. Students can access this link by signing in with their fcpsschools.net account.
https://forms.gle/6UDWVtj844aqQyZc9
Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to recognizing and celebrating the Class of 2021.
PSAT Scores
PSAT scores are now available for students in 11th grade who took the PSAT/NMSQT at Lake Braddock on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Students should have received a scores notification through the email they included on their answer sheet. Students can access their scores at https://www.collegeboard.org/ by creating an account with the email they included on their PSAT test answer sheet. Please make sure to check your email spam and junk folders first if you think your scores may be missing. If the student already has a College Board account under a different email address, you may contact College Board by phone at 866-315-6068-to merge the two accounts. Test booklets may also be returned to students upon request. If you are interested picking up your test booklet at Lake Braddock, please contact Jennifer Bury, LBSS Assessment Coach, at JABury@fcps.edu and include your student’s name and ID number to schedule a date for pick-up. Test booklets will no longer be available after January 29.
Yearbook Photos
The high school yearbook needs photos of students! Send us photos of students voting or working the polls on Election Day. Of students at Halloween, at Thanksgiving, at Diwali, at Hanukah. Of students with their pets, with friends, in their home classrooms, and playing club sports. Go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and use code 5061 to upload photos to eShare. Email tbpoquis@fcps.edu with questions.
High school students: The yearbook needs your photos! If you did not come in to school to take your portrait for the yearbook, please follow the steps below and submit your own portrait for the yearbook. We can’t just use last year’s photos, and we want to make sure to include everyone. This yearbook will definitely be an historical one, so help us make sure you are a part of that history.
Middle School Information
Middle School Spelling Bee
Lake Braddock Middle School is registered for the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, but first students must compete at the school level in order to move on to higher rounds of spelling bees.
- Date: February 8, 2021 (tentative)
- Lake Braddock will host an in-house virtual spelling bee, in which students can participate for the chance to qualify for the 2021 Fairfax County Spelling Bee where the winner will move on to compete at the 2021 National Scripps Spelling Bee in June.
- Please complete this interest form for more information on registration: https://forms.gle/2S2ws4rKChnF7c5t8
TDAP Vaccine Reminder
The Code of Virginia requirements for immunizations and physicals for school entry have not been waived for School Year (SY) 2020-2021.
Students will not be permitted to access face-to-face instruction without meeting all compliance requirements. For students who are conditionally enrolled and have not completed the necessary immunizations as required by the Code of Virginia, FCPS will provide provisional access to virtual learning only. Students may not participate in “in school” instruction and activities until meeting this requirement.
For questions about immunization requirements for your child, or to send proof of your child’s Tdap vaccination, please contact Angela Santizo at 703-426-1030 or assantizo@fcps.edu.
Middle School After-School Program: Bruins Stay Virtual
Visit here for an up-to-date list of afterschool offerings at Lake Braddock: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/club-activity-descriptions
If students are interested in participating in the middle school after-school program:
- Complete the student interest form: https://forms.gle/7FL8qVvW3oSfVTxU8
- Parents/guardians should complete the parent permission form: https://forms.gle/Z5CZnfmkoNAfR1Ea8
Questions to After-School Specialist, Jamaal Hines, jlhines@fcps.edu
FCPS Information
FCPS Tech Support
If you find your student in need of tech support for their school-issued laptop, please to go FCPS Technology Support. There are a number of tips, suggestions, and links for assistance. If you are not able to solve the problem, please submit an IT request online. This request will be routed to Lake Braddock's IT team, who will get in contact with you and/or your student to solve the issue. Please do not submit multiple requests or call the school office directly.
Please keep a close eye on your email. This is how our IT department will communicate with you and your student. The email will come from FCPS and will have a subject line beginning with INC followed by a number. Please also give one to two school days for a response.
FCPS Mental Health Resources
Important LBSS Contact Information
Attendance Procedures
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Monday attendance form: Students must complete the required attendance form between 8:00 and 10:00 am each Monday to be counted as present. Students need to be signed in to their FCPS Google accounts to complete the form. Your child’s 4th period Advisory teachers will remind them and post the same link every week. Please encourage and remind your child to complete the form EVERY Monday morning.
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Reporting absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals: Use the following form to report absences, late arrivals and early dismissal: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/about/attendance. You can also call the subschool attendance phone numbers shown below:
How to Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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