Message from Dr. Smith
Hello Bruin Families,
It has been a great week as we welcomed our students and families back to campus. The energy has been high and we are excited to have our first home football game tonight against Hayfield Secondary School.
We appreciate your patience as we work out the logistics of the increased traffic and delayed bus runs. Please see the new information below regarding the updated Kiss and Ride traffic pattern for the morning arrival procedures in the front of the school.
Please remember that Friday, September 3rd, and Monday, September 6th, are a school holiday for Labor Day. We look forward to opening our building back up to students at 7:30 am on Tuesday, September 7th.
United as Bruins,
Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.
In this Issue
NEW Information
New Traffic Pattern
Schoology
FCPS Technology Support for Families
Digital Consent
PSAT/NMSQT for all 10th and 11th Graders Wednesday, October 13th
SAT School Day for Registered 12th Graders Wednesday, October 13th
Family Life Education (FLE) Opt Out
Parent Academy Virtual Parent Coffee
Lockers
Senior Parking Pass Lottery Application
Lunch Updates
High School Picture Day
Important Reminders
School Hours
Calendar Reminder: Schools Closed Sept 3rd-6th for Labor Day Break
Procedures for Picking Up a Student Early
Free/Reduced-Meal Applications
FCPS Information
FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
Telephone Parent Information Line Available in Eight Languanges
FCPS Highlights of Opening of School Year
Latest on Bus Transportation
Office of Ombudsman
FCPS Mental Health Resoueces
Important LBSS Contact Information
How to Stay In Touch
New Information
New Traffic Pattern
Beginning Monday, August 30th, there will be a new traffic pattern to ease congestion during our morning arrivals. Please read the following carefully for instructions:
KISS AND RIDE: Parents entering from Burke Lake Road will need to stay in the far right lane and follow the direction of security to drop off students at Doors 15 and 16. The secondary entrance is from Lake Braddock Drive and students may be dropped off at Door 3. Do not park or leave your car unattended in either of the two drop-off locations.
STAFF AND STUDENT PARKING: From Burke Lake Road, students and staff will be able to park in the lot on the right hand side of the school. If entering from Lake Braddock Drive, students and staff will only be able to park in the lots on the left side of the building. No one will be permitted to cross through the median for entrance to another parking lot. Hang tags must be displayed to obtain entry to either of these parking lots.
BUSES: All buses will enter from Burke Lake Road and will use the far left lane. They will merge with cars as they exit the school parking lot; this process will be facilitated by security.
Please be patient and respectful at all times. Every Bruin’s safety is our priority.
Schoology
Students, families, and staff throughout FCPS and in our school community will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) as our learning management system.
Here is what you need to know now:
FCPS Technology Support for Families
The Parent Technology Help Desk is available to support parents and students through this new school year. Parents and students can visit the Parent and Student IT Support Portal to find self-help resources or submit a tech support request ticket.
Digital Consent for Students
Attention Bruin Families! Don't forget to submit your Digital Consent Form! https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu.
PSAT/NMSQT for all 10th and 11th Graders Wednesday, October 13th
On Wendesday, October 13th LBSS will host both the PSAT/NMSQT for all 10th and 11th graders. Students are automatically registered and no further action by families is needed. All 10th and 11th grade students who report to school on Wednesday, October 13th will take the PSAT/NMSQT at no cost to families. All FCPS students have access to Khan Academy’s free online test preparation, whether they are taking the PSAT for the first time or preparing for eleventh grade National Merit Scholarship qualification. The Khan Academy online curriculum is customized for students based on any previous PSAT or SAT scores, and their website also offers general test preparation tips for students. Students will receive their testing locations in early October.
SAT for Registered 12th Graders Wednesday, October 13th-Sign-up Required by September 8th
On Wednesday, October 13th, LBSS seniors will have the opportunity to take the SAT School Day. FCPS will cover the cost for any 12th grade student to take this test. However, students must register by September 8th as we cannot accept walk-ups on test day for the SAT School Day. The essay option and subject area tests are not available during SAT School Day and scores will be released on or around November 3. Students will receive their testing locations in early October.
Registration for seniors for SAT School Day:
Lake Braddock Secondary School: 2021 SAT School Day Intent to Participate Form https://forms.gle/f8rFrsehyJzV1c7F6
Your student will need to use their @fcpsschools.net email account to access and complete this form. Families will not be able to access the form using a personal Gmail account. After logging out of all personal Gmail accounts, including apps that use your personal Gmail accounts for access, if you are still having difficulty accessing the form, try accessing the form from the student’s FCPS-issued computer and from a non-Google search engine, such as Internet Explorer.
Family Life Education (FLE) Opt Out
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, please complete the form that accompanies this letter or access the opt out forms online. The detailed grade-level program descriptions and opt-out forms are available on the FCPS website at
Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.
For more information or questions regarding the FLE program, please contact Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or email Carrie Reynolds at cfreynolds@fcps.edu.
Parent Academy Virtual Parent Coffee
The first Virtual Parent Coffee will be held September 10th from 9:30am to 10:30am. Please use this link to register.
Lockers at Lake Braddock
Lockers have been assigned on a request basis. Your student will find their information in their SIS account. If you would like to request a locker for your student, please complete the following form by Wednesday, September 1: https://forms.gle/GYt8ENg1Lghv5CSx7
Senior Parking Pass Lottery Application
The Senior Parking Pass Lottery application was emailed directly to seniors at their school email address on Monday, August 23rd. Students need to complete this google form if they would like a parking pass for this school year. This form will close on Monday, August 30th. If you have questions about this process, please email Ken May, Safety and Security Specialist.
Lunch Updates
The cafeteria will begin allowing the purchase of ala carte items next week.
Also, please note that students may not have lunch delivered to school from a restaurant or third party delivery service during the school day.
High School Picture Day
High School Picture Day is just 2 weeks away: September 9th-10th and pictures will be available in the week or so following the shoot. Keep an eye out for order forms being sent home with students. Save time and Pre-order online here: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000872160
Middle School Picture Day information will be coming soon.
Important Reminders
School Hours
We are back to a full five-day schedule. School hours are 8:00 am to 2:45 pm. The building will open for students at 7:30 am.
Calendar Reminder: Schools Closed September 3rd-6th for Labor Day Break
Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. As a result, Friday, September 3, is a holiday for students and staff members in addition to the Labor Day holiday, Monday, September 6. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar
Procedures for Picking Up a Student Early
Prior to 8:00 am, the student must present a note from the parent to their subschool office. Notes must include time of dismissal, reason for leaving, and a contact number. Parents of middle school students must also include the name of the person picking the student up. Please note that this person must be listed as an emergency contact. If you use the online attendance form for an early dismissal, please tell your student to stop by their subschool office to pick up the dismissal pass.
At the time of early check-out, middle school parents must come in Entrance 1 and meet their student at the security desk. Anyone picking up a middle school student must bring a photo ID with them. High school parents may pick up students outside Entrance 1.
Without advance notice provided by a note, there may be a wait until our staff is able to locate the student, particularly if the student is at lunch or in a physical education class. We further regret that without advance notice, we are unable to accommodate requests for early dismissal after 2:15 pm.
Read our full Attendance procedures at our website.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful tips for families to use to support their students before and after school lockdown drills.
Working together, we create a safe, secure environment for students to learn and grow in our schools.
Free/Reduced-Meal Applications
While every student in FCPS is receiving free meals this year, the application for Free/Reduced Meals will still need to be completed if you require reduced/waived fees for course fees, instrument rentals, parking passes, etc. Parents/guardians must also complete the Consent to Share form. These forms can be found here at https://www.fcps.edu/node/31049.
FCPS Information
 FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
The Office for ESOL Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement are pleased to offer FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts in Spanish, Arabic, and Korean. The podcasts bring families timely, important information related to school news. Administrators are encouraged to share the information below with their school communities in their newsletters and social media, where applicable.
FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
Listen and subscribe to a FCPS Multilingual Family Podcast to hear timely, important information related to school news. The podcasts are produced in conjunction with the Office for ESOL Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement. The goal of every podcast is to help families access key resources and understand how to best support their children’s education.
Listen and Subscribe:
Spanish Podcast: https://anchor.fm/enpocaspalabrasfcps Arabic Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordsarabicfcps Korean Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordskoreanfcps
Telephone Parent Information Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
FCPS Highlights of the Opening of the School Year
Superintendent Scott Brabrand shared a report with the School Board on the successful first day of school for FCPS. He shared highlights of the opening of the 2021-22 school year, including:
- Universal no-cost breakfast and lunch for all students.
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Layered prevention strategies to create safe and healthy places to learn and work.
- The importance of vaccination and the strong rates of vaccination in Fairfax County, including among our students.
- How students and staff will be supported in the event of a pause to in-person instruction.
- Additional updates on staffing, the virtual program, and technology.
View the presentation on the FCPS YouTube Channel.
Latest on Bus Transportation
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Thank you for your patience and understanding these first few days of school as we work to address the impact the national bus driver shortage has on FCPS and your students. On the first morning of school FCPS saw 7,000 bus runs with just a handful of delays.
However, if these delays impacted you or your family, we understand your frustration. As we continue to recruit drivers and make adjustments to routes to be more efficient, there are three things you can do:
- Check the The Here Comes the Bus® app, a school bus tracking app that can simplify morning and afternoon routines for parents and students by giving them real-time bus location and text or email notification alerts, helping them get to the bus stop on time. Here Comes the Bus® utilizes FCPS GPS data and an easy-to-use customizable map that works on one or multiple devices, such as a tablet or smartphone. More information about the Here Comes the Bus app is available online.
- Stay up-to-date on school bus arrivals with FCPS' bus delay notification system. This system provides parents with timely notification of late bus route information. Parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System online or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app (mentioned above) to receive the delayed bus report. Morning route information will be available until noon. Afternoon bus route information will be available from 1 to 7 p.m. e-Notify (SchoolMessenger) email messages will also be sent to announce bus delays of at least 30 minutes. Need assistance or have questions? Contact the Transportation office listed for your school. For any concerns after hours (after 5:30 p.m.), contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
- Carpool, walk, or bike to school if you are able to do so. If you plan to walk or bike to school, watch this short video on pedestrian safety with your child.
More information about transportation to and from school is available online.
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Office of Ombudsman
The Office of the Ombudsman provides an independent, confidential resource for students, families, employees, and community members, offering informal help to resolve concerns, problems, complaints, and other student-related issues.
The staff of Office of the Ombudsman will listen, review, and provide resources for information and referral, serve as a neutral advocate for fairness, equity, inclusion, and consistency, and foster positive working relationships.
Brochures for parents, students, and community members are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese and are available in PDF format on the Ombudsman's website.
FCPS Mental Health Resources
- If you are depressed, in crisis, or just want to talk, please text NEEDHELP to 85511 or call 1-800-273-TALK. Someone will be there to listen.
- If you're going through a tough time, don't go it alone. Reach out to a parent, friend, or trusted adult. You can also text NEEDHELP to 85511 at any time–day or night.
Important LBSS Contact Information
How to Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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