Message from Dr. Smith
Hello Bruin Families,
Winter Break is right around the corner, with just 5 more school days left before we anxiously wait for 2022. As we come to the end of the year, let’s not forget to celebrate the big and small accomplishments our students and staff have made in their efforts to re-engage and re-connect with one another, classmates, colleagues, and with Lake Braddock Secondary School. We are dedicated in our commitment to checking-in with staff and students to gain a deeper understanding of who they are and their dreams and aspirations, so we can best support them and their efforts in and out of the classroom. Each of us can carry with us an “invisible backpack” of perspectives, experiences, and emotional triggers every day. It takes time to grasp and develop understanding of the items in this "backpack." Love, compassion, and empathy go a long way towards helping us show that we care about each other first as people and second as students and educators. Taking the time to get to know each other, showing that we care, and viewing our work through an equity lens helps us build trust and provide motivation for our staff and students to do their best and be all they can be. We never know what is in someone’s “invisible backpack” and we don’t know until we take the time to listen and learn. We began our year focused on getting to know our staff and students by building positive relationships. We are seeing the rewards, and we will continue this focus in 2022, as we know these are the essential skills in cultivating a thriving learning environment for all students. Let’s continue to help every Bruin tell their story!
United as Bruins,
Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.
The Lake Braddock High School Orchestra held a wonderful Winter Concert last week. We are so happy to see the High School Orchestra back for a live, in-person concert! Excellent job Bruins!
In this Issue
NEW Information
Calendar Reminder: Winter Break Is December 20-31
FCPS Winter Break Homework Expectations
Lake Braddock Chorus Students Selected to District Choral Ensemble
Lake Braddock Chorus Winter Concert
Winter Spirit Days December 13-17
Edison Academy Open House January 8th
High School Information
PSAT Scores
WorkKeys Testing Information (Junior Parents)
Candy-Grams
High School Yearbooks are on Sale!
Class of 2022 Information
Class of 2022 Graduation Day Set
Class of 2022 Schoology Group
Middle School Information
Middle School Yearbooks are on Sale!
Important Reminders
LB Band Children's Holiday Concert & Open House December 11th
Home for the Holiday Food Drive
Gift Card Drive for the Holidays
PTSA Information
NovaStar Prep Winter Break SAT Bootcamp December 20-22
PTSA Seeking Your Input on In-Person VS Virtual SAT/ACT Practice Exams
PTSA-The Princeton Review Partnership
FCPS Information
Student Quarantine Options Now Include a 7-Day Timeline
COVID-19 Testing
Lightspeed Parent Report on Child's Device Activity
Multilingual Parent Podcast: Winter Vacation...
Networking Opportunity for Future Teachers
Say YES to FCPS-Join Our Team
Important LBSS and FCPS Resources
How to Stay In Touch
LBSS Attendance Lines
Procedures for Picking Up a Student Early
Late Bus Information
Stay Informed with Lake Braddock Athletics!
Schoology
FCPS Technology Support for Families
FCPS Cares
FCPS Medical Resources for Families
FCPS Mental Health Resources
New Information
Calendar Reminder: Winter Break Is December 20-31
As a reminder, winter break will be held December 20-31. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break.
Classes resume on Monday, January 3, 2022. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar.
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FCPS Winter Break Homework Expectations
Winter break is coming soon and we are looking forward to enjoying time to relax and enjoy being with family and friends. To ensure students take a well-deserved break, no homework will be assigned over winter break. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills. But, no assignments should be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.
Lake Braddock Chorus Students Selected to District Choral Ensemble
Please join us in congratulating the 49 Lake Braddock chorus students who were selected for the 2021-2022 District XI Choral Ensemble.
Lake Braddock Chorus Winter Concert
Please join the Lake Braddock Chorus (also featuring students from the LB Orchestra and Band programs) for an evening of Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi and other Winter music selections. This annual performance is a special collaboration that is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. No tickets required- we hope to see you there! Show will be held in the Little Theatre December 14th from 7-8pm.
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Edison Academy Open House January 8th
Edison Academy invites you to attend our in-person Open House event on Saturday, January 8, 2022 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. We are located at 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA. Our entrance is located at Door #13. You will have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our instructors and current students, and learn more about our incredible courses! Please feel free to contact Cassandra Deedy at (703) 924-8101 or cjdeedy@fcps.edu if you need any additional information. Thank you and we’ll look forward to meeting you on January 8th.
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High School Information
PSAT Scores
College Board released the scores of the October PSAT test earlier this week. Students who completed the test should have received their scores report via the email address that they listed on their answer sheet. Students should check their junk and spam folders for an email from College Board. Additionally, students who took the PSAT received an email to their school account from Jennifer Bury, LBSS Assessment Coach, on Tuesday with their scores and an access code they can use to access their full scores report from the College Board website. From this scores report, students have access to a free personalized SAT prep course through Khan Academy based on their individual PSAT Scores. If your student would like their PSAT test booklet back to review their answers in details, they should come to the testing office, C101 by back door 5, before December 17th to pick up their test booklet. Test booklets will be disposed of over the winter break.
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WorkKeys Testing Information (Junior Parents)
Earlier this week an eNotify was sent to junior parents regarding testing changes for writing verified credit. The state has allowed schools to offer the ACT WorkKeys Business Writing as an alternate assessment to the SOL Writing in order for students to earn their verified credit in Writing. (Students in AP English Language will still be able to use their May AP exam as a substitute to the Writing SOL.) The WorkKeys writing assessment will be administered through English 11 classes between January 25th and January 31st. Teachers will provide additional testing details as well as test preparation in class this quarter. Please visit our webpage to view additional information as well as access to the opt-out form: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/node/8115
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Candy-Grams
Students can send a candy cane with a message to any peer or Faculty member! They will be sold for $1 during High School lunches December 7-13.
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High School Yearbooks are on Sale!
High School yearbooks are now on sale for $65. Price with nameplate is $70. Please scan the QR code above or head here to order! Our school code is 5061. Senior parents, you can place a senior ad starting at $50!
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Class of 2022 Information
Class of 2022 Graduation Day Set
Graduation for our Class of 2022 will take place on Monday, June 6th at 9:30am at Eagle Bank Arena! Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements for the Senior Class.
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Class of 2022 Schoology Group
Have your senior join the class of 2022 Schoology group for all of the most up to date information! The group code is: WWFX-8766-FHNJ6
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Middle School Information
Middle School Yearbooks are on Sale!
Parents of Middle School Students! The yearbook is currently ON DISCOUNT! Don’t hesitate! Last year, dozens of disappointed students were unable to get a copy of the book, because they waited until books sold out. WE DO NOT ORDER ENOUGH BOOKS FOR ALL STUDENTS TO GET ONE, SO GET YOURS TODAY!
Middle School yearbooks can be PERSONALIZED and purchased here! Our school code is 13596.
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Important Reminders
LB Band Children's Holiday Concert & Open House December 11th
Join the LB Band in a special Holiday Music Open House designed for young band students! Cider and hot chocolate will end your tour! Check out this preview video!
Home for the Holiday Food Drive
LBSS PTSA and the counseling team are asking for community support to provide some of the most in-need families with items to support students with food for breakfast and lunch during the break. Families have been identified by school counselors and social workers in strict confidence. We really need your help to make this a success. The most important items we need will be those easy to heat and eat or prepare. Use the sign up genius link here to let us know what you will be able to provide.
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Gift Card Drive for the Holidays
You can help give back to the Lake Braddock community this holiday season! You can support your Bruin community by donating gift cards to give to families in need. We are looking for gift cards to Walmart and Target ranging in $25 to $50 to help our families have a joyful season. Gift cards allow families to purchase their preferred holiday cuisine and gifts for their families. Thank you for your support!
Drop off Locations & Contact information:
Nicole White 703-426-1039 (Middle School Student Services)
Anna Ghafoori 703-426-1064 (High School Student Services)
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PTSA
NovaStar Prep Winter Break SAT Bootcamp December 20-22
NovaStar Prep is partnering with the LBSS PTSA to offer a Winter Break Bootcamp comprised of a three-day 12-hour class from December 20-22. Ten percent of the registration fee by each LBSS student will be donated to the PTSA. To register, please visit: SAT Bootcamp – NovaStar| Tutoring (novastarprep.com) Registration Deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 15.
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PTSA Seeking Your Input on In-Person VS Virtual SAT/ACT Practice Exams
The LBSS PTSA is seeking your input in whether you prefer to participate in in-person, on-campus versus virtual, online practice SAT/ACT exams in Spring 2022. We welcome your thoughts as we look ahead at future offerings of practice SAT and ACT exams in the coming months for the remainder of the school year. Take the survey here!
PTSA-The Princeton Review Partnership
The LBSS PTSA’s partnership with The Princeton Review entitles LBSS students to a 20% discount on classroom courses and a 10% discount on private tutoring and admissions counseling. See below for more details and the appropriate code for these amazing discounts!
Discounts and Savings Codes:
- For classroom courses: Receive 20% off SAT, ACT, and AP retail classroom courses (LiveOnline) using the code LBSSPTSA
- For private tutoring and admissions counseling: Receive 10% off private tutoring and admission counseling programs using the code LBSSTUTOR
For more detailed descriptions about each course, please visit the below links:
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FCPS Information
Student Quarantine Options Now Include a 7-Day Timeline
CDC guidance allows for a reduction of the student quarantine period to seven days “when diagnostic testing resources are sufficient and available.” With FCPS now offering drive-through diagnostic testing at six sites across the county, in addition to the many alternative ways to access COVID-19 testing, FCPS is now providing the option for students who have been exposed to COVID-19 to return to school and in-person activities after seven days.
If your child is quarantined due to exposure at school, please keep them at home until one of the following quarantine periods is met:
- Seven days of quarantine, your child remains symptom-free AND you provide both: a negative COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen or PCR) taken on day five of quarantine or later, as well as a copy of the FCPS pause letter indicating the return to school dates; or
- 10 days of quarantine, your child remains symptom-free AND you provide a copy of the FCPS pause letter indicating the return to school dates; or
- 14 days of quarantine and you provide a copy of the clearance letter (SARA-Alert) from the health department.
If your child is quarantined due to exposure outside of the school, please contact the school as soon as possible and you will receive a Return Letter for Exposures Outside of FCPS. The timeline for quarantine return begins when you alert the school. Keep your child at home until one of the following quarantine periods is met.
- Seven days of quarantine, your child remains symptom-free AND you provide both: a negative COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen or PCR) taken on day five of quarantine or later, as well as a copy of the Return Letter for Exposures Outside of FCPS indicating the return to school dates; or
- 10 days of quarantine, your child remains symptom-free AND you provide a copy of the Return Letter for Exposures Outside of FCPS indicating the return to school dates (you must contact your school to request the letter at the beginning of the quarantine period); or
- 14 days of quarantine and you provide a copy of the clearance letter (SARA-Alert) from the health department.
The above options only apply to a student returning to in-person learning and school-sponsored activities. Other organizations, such as SACC, may have different requirements for return.
We continue to balance the need for students to have a high-quality in-person learning experience with student and staff safety. By adhering to our layered prevention strategies and increasing vaccination rates, we are all doing our part to keep schools safe.
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COVID-19 Testing
FCPS' COVID-19 testing program helps keep our schools safe places to learn and work. We offer:
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Diagnostic Testing for students at six drive-through locations. You may take advantage of these services if you are a close contact or are experiencing symptoms. Appointments are not needed for diagnostic testing but families do need to register in the secure online portal. Information about student diagnostic testing, including site locations and schedules, is available on the FCPS website
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Optional Screening Testing for unvaccinated students. Parents and guardians can use the secure online portal to register their unvaccinated child(ren) for optional COVID-19 screening. If you do not want your child to participate, no action is required. You will have the option to update your child's vaccination status and/or withdraw consent for testing anytime. Student-athletes do not need to pre-register with the online portal for screening testing. They will use a separate portal provided by their school's student activities director.
FCPS COVID-19 Testing Sites During Winter Break
FCPS COVID-19 testing sites will not be available from December 18-January 1. Testing will resume on January 3, 2022. If needed, other local providers are available for testing and vaccinations during that time.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, COVID-19 testing sites will follow school schedules. If schools are closed, testing sites are closed. If schools are delayed, all testing sites will open at 10:00 a.m.
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Lightspeed Parent Report on Child's Device Activity
FCPS has new tools to help parents and guardians know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided by Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, at no cost to families. You may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. If you want more detailed information, sign up for the Internet Use Parent portal and log-in anytime to see more detail about your child’s browsing and “pause” access to the internet during non-school hours. Find out more and sign up for these services on our website.
Multilingual Parent Podcast: Winter Vacation...Stay Calm, Set Expectations, Connect with Family and Friends
Winter vacation will soon be here. In this episode the hostesses offer tips and reminders to get through the holidays and vacation with joy and peace. They talk about staying calm, envisioning a realistic holiday, setting expectations, and connecting with family and friends. There is also a reminder about FCPS Food Distribution for Winter Vacation. Call the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800 with any questions about food distribution.
Listen and subscribe:
Networking Opportunity for Future Teachers
FCPS high school juniors, seniors, graduates, and former Teachers for Tomorrow or Early Childhood Careers students can network with teachers, administrators, and professional groups in Fairfax County Public Schools during the Fourth Annual Back2Fairfax Teacher Seminar virtual event on Tuesday, December 14, from 5-8 p.m.
Breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics including developing a resume, preparing for an interview, applying for a license, finding the school that is the right fit, and teacher and administrator panels.
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Say YES to FCPS-Join Our Team
Make a difference in a child’s life—find your next job with FCPS. We have openings for bus drivers, substitute teachers, COVID case managers, and school health aides (who are employed by Fairfax County Government but work in schools).
More information and applications are available online:
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Important LBSS and FCPS Resources
How to Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
Attendance Lines
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS:
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:
Procedures for Picking Up a Student Early
- Prior to 8:00 a.m., 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. 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.
- Notes are strongly preferred for early check-out, but if a parent is unable to send a note with the student, the parent should call the subschool office as early as possible. All calls will be confirmed by callback to a phone number on the emergency care card. Regrettably, if the parent did not send a note with the student, the parent will be required to park, come into the school to furnish a note, and pick up the student. 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.
- In either case, students must check out at the subschool office when leaving school and check in with the security desk upon return. Students who leave school without checking out properly will be marked unexcused and may face disciplinary action (if returning to school, students are also subject to search). Students must contact all teachers of any class to be missed.
Read our full Attendance procedures at our website.
Late Bus Information
Late bus days are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Buses will pick up students in the front of the building with a departure time of approximately 4:45 pm. Please check StudentVue and ParentVue for your student's late bus number and stop. If you have any questions, please contact your student's appropriate subschool.
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Stay Informed with Lake Braddock Athletics!
Want the latest information on anything Lake Braddock athletic events or announcements? Check out our Lake Braddock Athletic Information webpage! Here you can find ticket information, team schedules, scores, forms needed and more! The most up-to-date Athletics and Activities News You Choose for Lake Braddock can be found in the top banner as well.
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.
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 Cares
We invite you to share and submit your story about a Lake Braddock staff member who has gone above and beyond for your child this year. Share the positivity, dedication and commitment that occurs here each and every day. Click this link.
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FCPS Medical Care Resources for Families
Whether your family needs medical care for a COVID-related issue, seasonal cold or allergies, injuries, routine exams, or mental health and wellness, our community has a number of resources for you. Visit the Mental and Physical Health and Community Resources webpage for a full list of organizations that can provide support and care.
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.
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