Introducing Our New Acting AP-Lorie Ward

Ms. Lorie Ward will be our new Acting Assistant Principal. Lorie is entering her 15th year at Lake Braddock, where she has been an MS English 8 teacher on the Green Dragon Team for most of that time and the English 8 CT Leader since last year. Lorie is a career-changer who became passionate about the field of education while volunteering in schools for her three children during their younger years. From there, she pursued her Alternative Route to Licensure at the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies and began her newly chosen career. Lorie earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, with a Double Major in Spanish from Virginia Tech, her Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Richmond School of Law, and her Master’s in Education Leadership from George Mason University. Before becoming a teacher at Lake Braddock, Lorie worked as an AVID Tutor at three FCPS schools, and throughout her years at Lake Braddock, she has enjoyed working alongside her dedicated colleagues to make a positive difference for our students. Lorie had the opportunity to step in as an Acting Assistant Principal at Lake Braddock last spring, and she is looking forward to being able to assist our students, staff, and families again in that role this year.

Superintendent Community Conversation Event at LB

Please save the date for a very special event! Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, will host a Community Conversation at Lake Braddock on Monday, August 29, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. This event will be a unique opportunity to help Dr. Reid get to know our school community and learn more about her vision for our district. 

Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as childcare and light refreshments. Please register here.  For a full list of the events scheduled see the FCPS website here.

2022-23 Attendance Procedures

Please be sure to check out our complete attendance procedures for the 2022-23 school year at our website:  Attendance Procedures.

Attendance Lines for Reporting an Absence

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS:

• SS2 (7th grade): 703-426-1182
• SS1 (8th grade): 703-426-1181

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:

• SS3 (last names A-D): 703-426-1183 
• SS4 (last names E-K): 703-426-1184 
• SS5 (last names L-P): 703-426-1185 
• SS6 (last names Q-Z): 703-426-1186 

SR&R Updates Cell Phone Usage at Schools

In June 2022, the FCPS 2022-23 Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) were updated to include new expectations for cell phone use that are specific to each school level: elementary, middle, high, and secondary. The new cell phone expectations were established to help foster a learning environment that is conducive to learning.

LBSS follows the High School model.  Phones must be silenced and put away during all instructional periods. Phone accessories are also to be silenced and away when phone use is prohibited. Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited. Phones can be stored in a locker or backpack during the day. Students are prohibited from using phones, tablets, and other mobile devices in restrooms and locker rooms, unless there is a medical necessity or emergency.  Teachers may allow usage of cell phones for instructional activities when appropriate. Cell phones may be used on campus before the first bell, after the last bell, during passing periods, and lunches. 

For more information on the SR&R, please see the FCPS  SR&R page here.

e-Hallpass at Lake Braddock

This school year Lake Braddock, along with many schools across FCPS, will be implementing e-Hallpass for 2022-2023 school year. 

eHallpass is an online platform that allows Lake Braddock staff to issue hall passes to students anytime they need to leave a classroom. This new platform helps us to manage how many students are in the hallways during the school day, helps us keep students in the classroom during essential instruction, and creates a safe environment for our students.

Students are able to access e-Hallpass through their school-issued device using any web browser. Students will have two hall passes per day for their personal use but can request additional passes from their teachers in the need arises. 

For more information and videos please see our e-Hallpass page on our LB website.

We Need Your Consent for Digital Resources

At Lake Braddock, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here. Additionally, you can find more information about approved digital resources in FCPS here.

Included on this page is also a link to a form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission. Please reach out to your student’s teachers if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources they have chosen to use this year.

Apply NOW for Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Free and reduced-price meal applications are now open for the 2022-23 school year! Any family interested in free or reduced-price meals MUST submit a new application, even if your child has received free meals in the past. Submit an application for your child today here.  The online free and reduced-price meals application is available in the eight languages (to change the language of the application click on the Language link in the top right of the screen).  Please check out the Free and Reduced-Price Meals page on the FCPS website for more information.

Middle School After School Program

2022-2023 Middle School After-School Registration is NOW OPEN

• Open to all 7th and 8th grade Lake Braddock students; required for any MS students that need to stay in the building or on school grounds until late bus arrival; this includes academic support, retake testing, group projects, sport practices, performing art rehearsals, extracurricular club or activity involvement and much more.
• Program is scheduled to begin September 19, 2022 (Updated MS After-School Clubs & Activities Calendar – COMING SOON!)
• For more information, please visit the Bruins Stay Virtual After-School site (must use student @fcpsschools.net account to access).
• FREE for middle students (please note – some clubs may have a small fee for competitions or material costs)
• REGISTER HERE.

Questions/concerns? Please reach out to Mr. Hines, After School Specialist or check out the FAQ page!

Here Comes the Bus

Please be aware that all of us are getting used to new routines at the start of the school year. Thank you for your patience as those routines are established. If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. e-Notify (School Messenger) email messages will also be sent to announce significant bus delays. For additional support, find the Transportation Services contact specific to your school. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.

COVID-19 Health and Safety Updates

Last week, FCPS sent an update on COVID-19 layered prevention strategies that will continue to be in place this school year. While we had hoped that the pandemic would be behind us, it seems that COVID will be something we must manage as a community for the foreseeable future. FCPS will continue to follow the guidance of national, state, and local health experts when determining the layered prevention strategies that are needed to keep our schools safe and open for learning. 

To stay up to date, please continue to review our Health and Safety Guidance on our website.

Reflections Call for Entries!

Explore the Arts and Express Yourself!  The 2022-2023 theme is, “Show Your Voice!”

Students will submit their completed works of art digitally in one (or more) arts categories in response to the selected theme: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Visual Arts, Photography, Music Composition, and Literature. Students will participate in the appropriate division: Middle School, grades 7-8, High School, grades 9-12, and Special Artist, all grades and also identify as having a disability and may receive services. 

Deadline for student entries is October 24^. There will be more information on where to submit entries later in the fall.

*I am looking for volunteers to judge the Reflections categories, if you know someone or are interested in volunteering, or are interested in being a part of the Reflections committee, please email Laura Key: Reflections@lbssptsa.org

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.