 It was great to have our Lions around the Towne this week!
Virtual Learning @ LTES
It's been a great week back! We hope you enjoyed the additional time with your family last week and that you have safely navigated the weather and the COVID surge. As we prepare to observe the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 17, we are also watching for the potential of winter weather early in the week. We used all of our traditional snow days during last week’s snowstorm. Any future inclement weather days will include virtual learning whenever possible.
Our plan for the upcoming weeks include:
- Continuing to model and reinforce the mitigation strategies
- Encouraging families and staff to screen for symptoms daily and if you feel unwell, to stay home to stop the spread
- Updating our laptop procedures to ensure access at home to FCPS devices and learning on virtual learning days
- Preparing for virtual learning days
All London Towne Lions should have brought home a laptop this week. Currently, our lions in grades 3-6 are responsible for carrying their laptop back and forth from school daily and charging it at home. This will continue for these grades.
For our lions in grades 1-2, they will also transport their laptop to and from school on a daily basis, instead of keeping them at school. A charger was sent home so that your child can charge their laptop at home.
For our lions in Head Start and Kindergarten, we are asking families to keep the laptop at home unless explicitly requested by staff to bring them to school. Please keep them charged and restart them twice a week. We have laptops available at school should students need them during the school day.
Taking Care of our Laptops
Our lions have demonstrated great responsibility for taking care of technology and we wanted to share reminders as we shift to more laptops being at home. Please review these as needed with your child:
- Keep your laptop plugged in to power
- Restart your computer twice a week to make sure its updated
- Only the student who checked out the computer may use it
- Do not have food or drinks near your computer
- If you do not know your username and password, ask your teacher
- If you are having issues, the first thing to try is RESTART
- Families should refer to the Technology Support for Families webpage (available for translation in multiple languages). It also contains links to submit student support request tickets and provides Parent Technology Help Desk information.
Parent Help Lines:
- English: 833-921-3277
- አማርኛ (Amharic): 571-423-4957
- العربية (Arabic): 571-423-4952
- 中文 (Chinese): 571-423-4953
- فارسی (Farsi): 571-423-4954
- 한국어 (Korean): 571-423-4951
- Español (Spanish): 571-423-4950
- اردو (Urdu): 571-423-4955
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese): 571-423-4956
What’s important to know about virtual learning days at LTES?
- All Virtual Learning Days will operate on a 2-hour delay schedule with all elementary schools in FCPS following the same bell schedule. School hours will be 10:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Students may log onto Schoology and Zoom at 10:30 a.m. Attendance will be taken at 10:30 a.m.
- LTES will have a universal lunch time from 12:10-1:10 p.m. Students will log off their computers for lunch and recess.
- Your child's teacher will provide you with your specific schedule including language arts, math, specials, etc.
- Review the Student Technology Readiness Checklist with your child and complete all the at-home readiness steps. All students completed a laptop check with their teachers this week.
During weather events, FCPS must consider power outages, technical connection issues, and whether students have access to devices that they may not have taken home the night before. FCPS will announce a virtual learning day in the weather closure announcement on our website and social media channels and through email communications and local media.
Thank you for your help in making sure an inclement weather virtual learning day is a successful one for your child. Enjoy the weekend and we look forward to engaging with our Lions on Tuesday.
Masks
Lions are encouraged to continue to wear their masks consistently. Guidance around masks recommend a well-fitting mask of multiple layers. Please ensure your lion’s mask fits them snugly over their nose and over the chin. If their mask is loose, slips off their nose easily, etc., please adjust their mask so that it stays in place over their nose and chin. If your child’s mask is one layer, please be aware that FCPS and CDC recommends multiple layers. More information about mask can be found here.
Winter Reminders
Brrr, winter is here. With the ever-changing and unpredictable weather, it is not hard to believe that our Lions are having difficulty with their clothing and outerwear choices. Even with temperatures below freezing, some students are coming to school in shorts, t-shirts, no socks and sweatshirts in lieu of winter weather gear. We know it is hard to predict what kind of weather we will have so it is a good idea to layer up. If your family is in need of assistance with clothing or outerwear for the cold weather, contact our family liaison, Lucero Arnez at lyarnez@fcps.edu or communicate with your child's teacher.
Additionally, students participate in all classroom activities, including recess every day. Classes still go outside for recess, even during cold spells; therefore, it is important that students are dressed appropriately (jackets, gloves, hats, etc.). We do not have additional personnel available to monitor students inside during recess, so all students go outside.
During a National Weather Service (NWS) issued Wind Chill Advisory, outdoor activity will be limited to no more than fifteen (15) minutes. During a NWS Wind Chill Warning, students will not participate in outdoor activities including general and physical education classes, recess, and scheduled non-emergency fire drills. This does not include students walking to and from school or students waiting at bus stops.
We know that inclement weather can happen at any time. Please make sure you tune in to FCPS communications platforms to get the most up-to-date information regarding closures, delays, or Virtual Learning Days. Click here for more information about weather closures.
Please note that school office staff and teachers follow the same schedule as students. When schools are closed, they do not report. When there is a delay, their arrival is delayed as well.
LTES Vaccine Clinic for Children, ages 5-11
 LTES Vaccine Clinic on Jan. 24, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
LTES will host a vaccine clinic for children ages 5-11 on January 24 from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that is approved for children ages 5-11 will be offered. All children ages 5-11 are welcome. No appointment is necessary.
A virtual information session about the vaccines will be held on January 20th at 6:00 p.m. The link will be available on our website on January 20th.
Mark Your Calendar
January 17
No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
January 20
End of 2nd Quarter; 2 Hour Early Release – Students Dismissed at 1:30 p.m. |
Vaccine Information Session @ 6:00 p.m.
January 21
No School – Student Holiday
January 24
No School – Student Holiday | Vaccine Clinic , 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.
February 1
Progress Reports Go Home
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