LBSS Weekly News - February 26, 2021

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Message from Dr. Smith

Hello Bruin Families, 

Our staff has had the opportunity this week to spend Thursday and Friday focused on getting ready for concurrent learning.  As we make the shift with our Bruin community to concurrent learning, we have some critical updates for in-person students that was shared in an e-notify earlier this week. Here are the highlights:

Bell Schedule and Building Hours

  • Our New Bell Schedule is effective Monday, March 1st.
  • The building is open from 7:45 am to 3:00 pm Tuesday through Friday.  Students must be supervised if they are at LBSS outside of those hours. Our school day begins at 8:20 a.m. and it is recommended that students arrive at school by 8:15 a.m.
  • To ensure social distancing, students will be asked to report directly to their classes or the cafeteria for breakfast. 

Arrival and Transportation

  • Bus information can be found in ParentVue under Student Info. Kiss and Ride areas will continue to be by the Bear near Door 1 and around the side of the building near door 3. 
  • Student Parking will be open the first week of school, and those selected for a parking spot should have received an email from Mr. May on February 25th.

Schedules

  • On a student's designated first day, they will report to their first period class. Their first period teacher will provide them a copy of their schedule and a map of the building. Administrators and school staff will be in the hallways greeting students and assisting them to get to their 1st class during the first few weeks of school.  

Health Commitment Form

  • Parents/guardians who chose in-school instruction for their child will be required to complete a Parent/Guardian Health Screening Commitment form as students are phased back into in-person learning. The document indicates the parental/guardian’s agreement and commitment to completing a daily health screening prior to sending the student to school and also to keep ill students at home. These health screenings will be done on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school each day. Families can complete this form in ParentVue OR submit the form to your child(ren’s) Subschool.

Additional Resources

We are excited to share a video our staff made for all of our students. There are components of this video that show our physical space and provide information on return to in-person learning, however the important message of this video is that we are all Bruins and we will all get through this together.  Regardless of whether students are coming in the building two days a week or learning from home full time, we are a family and we are here to support one another. Hey Bruins! Video

We are looking forward to transition to this next phase of engaging with our students through concurrent learning. As questions arise, please don't hesitate to ask your child's teachers, counselors or Subschool staff. We are all in this together and here to support one another. 

United as Bruins, 

Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.


In this Issue

Return to School Information
FCPS Return to School Resources

NEW Information
Student Congratulations
New High School Director of Student Services
Two-Hour Early Release
Wipes Drive

NEW High School Information
11th Grade Counseling Unit
AP Exams
March Writing SOL for 11th Grade Students

NEW Middle School Information
Middle School Spelling Bee Results
Middle School After-School Program

Class of 2021 News
Class of 2021 Caps and Gowns

Continuing News
Visitors to Lake Braddock
TDAP Vaccine Reminder
LBSS Online Book Store

Parent Academy

LBSS PTSA News
PTSA Auction

FCPS Information
FCPS Tech Support
FCPS Mental Health Resources

Important LBSS Contact Information
Attendance Procedures
How to Stay In Touch


Return to School Information

FCPS Return to School Resources

FCPS has provided a number of resources for students and families to help prepare for the return to in-school instruction.

Stop the Spread Information

Stop the Spread Video

FCPS Ready to Return Video

FCPS Return to School Guide


New Information


Student Congratulations

Cassie Downs (11th) placed first in the regional Poetry Out Loud competition! In this national competition, students memorize two poems of their choice and strongly recite them for a panel of judges. Students must present confident presence, articulation, and interpretation of each poem. Cassie’s two poems were Love Song by Dorothy Parker and Across the Street by Austin Segrest. She will now go on to represent Lake Braddock at the state level on March 12. Beautiful job, Cassie!


polino

Congratulations to Our New High School Director of Student Services

We have an update to our Administrative team that we are very excited to announce.  Anne Polino, currently our Acting High School Director of Student Services, has been offered and accepted the position of Director, Student Services (High School) at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Anne’s collaborative leadership style, forward thinking and attention to detail is impressive and she has done a tremendous job leading our HS Student Services this year. We are very excited to welcome her into this role in a permanent basis to continue working on the great things taking place in our HS Student Services and across our school!

Two-Hour Early Release on March 5

March 5 is a 2-hour early release day. The schedule is on our web site and shown below.

2 hour early release

Wipes Drive

As preparations continue for returning to in-person learning, we, along with our PTSA, are collecting new unopened packages of antibacterial wipes for use in teacher work rooms as needed. Please feel free to drop off any donations at either Lake Braddock Secondary School – Door 1 or a porch drop off at 9714 Rolling Ridge Drive, Fairfax Station.

We thank you for your generosity as we welcome back our wonderful staff and students.


NEW High School Information


11th Grade Counseling Unit

On Friday, March 12th, the high school counselors will be meeting with their 11th grade students in a virtual meeting during WIN time. The counselors will cover important information about post-secondary options as well as the college application process. Students will receive a BBCU link from their counselors the day before the program. 

In conjunction with the classroom lesson, High School Student Services will host an 11th Grade Parent/Student Night on March 16th at 7:00 PM.  This virtual event will include five college admission representatives who will present on the following:

What should students be doing now?
The community college option
How do colleges make decisions?
Financial Aid/Scholarships & Private Schools
Managing the process and students making the final decision

A Google sign-up for the evening program will be available next week. 


AP Exams

To students who are taking at least one AP course this school year, please read the important information below.

We understand that many students and families have questions regarding the logistics of the AP Exam administration this year. Please know that we should expect to have answers to many of these questions by the end of the month.  Once we receive the information about the 2021 AP Exam administration, we be sure to share the details with the LB community.      

One of the questions that many students are asking is, “How do I opt-out/cancel an AP exam?” If this is something you would like to do at this time, please have your parent/guardian contact Lynn Carrera (contact information below) by Monday, March 8, 2021. However, if you change your mind and decide you want to test after we have removed your name from our AP exam order, you will be charged a $40 late exam order fee for each exam.

For students who paid for an AP exam but are choosing to opt-out of that exam and want to request a refund:  At the end of the month, we will make a Google form available for you to complete. Refunds will be processed after AP Exam administration is completed. ONLY STUDENTS REQUESTING A REFUND NEED TO COMPLETE THE GOOGLE FORM. 

If you have questions, please email our AP Testing Team:

Jennifer Bury - JABury@fcps.edu
Lynn Carrera – LNCarrera@fcps.edu
Megan Cashman - MTCashman@fcps.edu


March Writing SOL for 11th Grade Students

All students enrolled in English 11 will take the Writing SOL on Monday, March 15 and Monday, March 22. (Students who have elected to remain virtual are still expected to return to the building to test, unless parents complete a COVID-related testing refusal form.) Specific testing locations and times will be emailed to students on March 5th. However, there are several form deadlines on Friday, February 26 regarding COVID-related testing refusal, bus transportation requests, and single-day test intent. A brief overview and links to these forms can be found on the March SOL Writing 2021 Quick Links and Schedule page.

Please visit the LBSS March High School Writing SOL Information for more information about the March Writing SOL at Lake Braddock and about COVID-related testing refusals.


NEW Middle School Information


Middle School Spelling Bee Results

We would like to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of the middle school students whom participated in our 2021 LBMS Spelling Bee.

Also, we would like to congratulate our top 3 spellers this year for an awesome performance:

1st Place: Kaitlin Schapira (7th grade)

2nd Place: Kara Kweon (7th grade)

3rd Place: Noah Isimirah (7th grade)

Kaitlin will be moving onto the next round to represent Lake Braddock Secondary School at the Fairfax County Spelling Bee in March, in hopes of qualifying for Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Best of Luck!!! 


Middle School After-School Program

Visit here for an up-to-date list of afterschool offerings at Lake Braddock: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/club-activity-descriptions

New Activities (as of Feb 2021):

  • LB Chess Club
  • OBS (Open Broadcasting Software) Club
  • DC Sports Talk
  • Virtual Board Games
  • Lens Photography Club

Coming Soon

  • Game Club will introduce Mario Kart Tour (3/1)

If students are interested in participating in the middle school after-school program:

  1. Complete the student interest form: https://forms.gle/7FL8qVvW3oSfVTxU8
  2. Parents/guardians should complete the parent permission form: https://forms.gle/Z5CZnfmkoNAfR1Ea8

Questions to After-School Specialist, Jamaal Hines, jlhines@fcps.edu


Class of 2021 News


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.


Continuing News


Visitors to Lake Braddock

In an effort to reduce the amount of visitors to Lake Braddock, all visitors must have an appointment prior to coming to the school. If you do have an appointment, please complete the Covid-19 Health Questionnaire and follow the instructions on the form at least one day prior to coming in.

If you need information or have a question, please either check our web site or call the main office (703-426-1000) first. Chances are your question can be answered in that way. Thank you for your cooperation.


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.


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.

Executive Functioning in the Digital World

  • March 17 @ 7:00 PM in English
  • March 24 @ 7:00 pm in Spanish
  • Hosted by our School Based Technology Specialists: Sarah Olson and Carin Frank

LBSS's School Based Technology Specialist would like to bring you an Executive Functioning in the Digital World Parent Academy Event. In this session, you will learn about various ways to support your student with navigating and excelling in this new digital world. Topics may include:

  • How to help your students organize their Google Drive
  • Tech shortcuts to help students work faster
  • How to use your camera to show and submit work (Snagit, Laptop Camera, Google Image, Uploading From Your Phone)
  • Organize with To Do Lists using Google Keep
  • Problem Solving in the Digital World: Better ways to Google Search
  • Organize your Student's Email Inbox
  • And more!

Register by March 16 using this link: this survey

Questions? Contact Sarah Olson (English) at solson@fcps.edu or Carin Frank (English/Spanish) at jcfrank@fcps.edu

 

Labor Ejecutiva en el Mundo Digital

  • 17 de marzo a las 7:00 p.m. en inglés
  • 24 de marzo a las 7:00 p.m. en español
  • Organizado por las Especialistas Técnicas de nuestro colegio: Sarah Olson y Carin Frank

A las Especialistas Técnicas del colegio L.B.S.S. les gustaría ofrecer un programa Académico para Padres en cuanto a la Labor Ejecutiva en el Mundo Digital. En esta sesión, aprenderán varias formas de ayudar a sus estudiantes a navegar y sobresalir en este nuevo mundo digital. Estaría interesado en asistir a una sesión sobre: (Elija todas las opciones que correspondan) *

  • Cómo ayudar a sus alumnos a organizar su Google Drive
  • Implementar otras vías técnicas para ayudar a los estudiantes a trabajar más rápido
  • Cómo usar su cámara para mostrar y enviar trabajos (Snagit, cámara de computadora portátil, imagen de Google, carga desde su teléfono)
  • Organizar listas de tareas pendientes, tomando notas con Google Keep
  • Resolviendo problemas en el mundo digital: usando técnicas más efectivas para búsquedas en Google
  • Organizar los correos electrónicos que recibe su estudiante
  • Y más!

Regístrese antes del 16 de marzo usando este enlace: esta encuesta

¿Preguntas? Envíe un correo electrónico a la Sra. Stella Zoccoli-Perez a szoccoliperez@fcps.edu oa Sra. Carin Frank a jcfrank@fcps.edu

 

Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD) for Current Sophomores – FINAL PRESENTATION

  • March 22, 2021 at 7 PM
  • Hosted by: 10th grade LBSS Health and Physical Education Teachers

Parents/Guardians of current LBSS sophomores, please join us for one of the final two Partners for Safe Teen Driving presentations on February 22 or March 22 at 7 PM.  Families can access the link for the presentation through their student’s Driver Education Teacher’s google classroom. Students MUST attend the presentation with one parent or guardian. Parents/Guardians must be seated with their student with the camera on to verify participation. Note - All sophomores that have not yet attended the presentation, need to attend one of the remaining dates in order to fulfill the requirement.  

Register with your student’s 10th grade LBSS Health and Physical Education Teacher.

Questions? Please contact your student’s 10th grade LBSS Health and Physical Education Teacher. If your LBSS student is in 11th or 12th grade and has not yet fulfilled their requirement, please contact Ms. Fillare.


LBSS PTSA NEWS


LBSS PTSA Auction

The LBSS PTSA will be hosting a virtual auction during the first three weeks of March!  We have a wide array of products, services, gift cards, and experiences already confirmed and the list keeps growing every day!  Do you have something you would like to donate?  Contact communications@lbssptsa.org for more details!


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

  • 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.
  • 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:
ss attendance

Calendar At A Glance

March 5 - Early Release Day

March 8 - Teacher Planning Day

March 29 - April 2 - Spring Break 


How to Stay In Touch

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by: