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Dear Parents and Caregivers,
This week we had our first POWER Parties where are students who exhibited POWER traits for the past month were able to get 30 minutes of free time in a zone of their choice with some fun activities like watching a movie, dancing, playing board games and card games, or playing sports. We're happy to recognize the students for their positive engagement in the community at Langston Hughes Middle School.
This afternoon the South Lakes homecoming parade will feature some Langston Panthers to include our mascots. We hope you'll bring the family out to watch the parade. As a reminder, if students head over to the football game at the high school, they must be accompanied by an adult to buy a ticket to enter. We thank you for your support of the South Lakes High School school-sponsored event. Go Seahawks!
Aimee Monticchio
Principal
Langston Hughes Middle School
Parents, Impact Aid forms were sent home with your student(s) on 10/19/2022. These forms need to be returned no later than Friday, November 4, 2022
Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
Beginning October 18, FCPS will be asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid.
Returning this form is important, because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your child's school. If Sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by November 4. All responses are confidential.
Watch the video to learn more about this process.
End of 1st Quarter
The first quarter of the school year ends on October 28th. That day will be an 2 hour early release day. The school day for students ends at 12:15. There is a teacher workday and no school for students on Monday, October 31st so that teachers can enter 1st Quarter grades.
SIS WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORTS
All parents/guardians of Middle School students who have registered for a SIS ParentVUE Account and have a primary email address recorded in SIS ParentVUE can receive Weekly Progress Reports via email. This report provides a summary of your student(s) grades for the current quarter. To activate the Weekly Progress Reports via email, login to your SIS ParentVUE Account and first verify that you have a primary email address within the system. It is listed under the “My Account” tab. If it is blank, enter the email address where you would like to receive the progress reports and click on update account. Once confirmed, parents/guardians are able to activate and select their preferences for receiving these reports within the SIS ParentVUE “My Account” tab.
Weekly progress reports for all of your Middle and High School students will be included in one email.
For questions about a specific progress report or grade you can login into your SIS ParentVUE Account to find detailed grade book information. Additionally, your student’s teacher is always the best resource to answer any grade book questions that you may have. Weekly Progress Report Parent Quick Reference Guide
Mental Wellness at Langston Hughes
SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Screener
The FCPS SEL Screener was given during Connections this week The screener collects information about students’ mindset, skills, and attitudes that impact their success in and out of school. Results will be sent to parents in late fall. SEL Screener questions
ACT (Acknowledge, Care, and Tell an Adult) Program and Wellness Screening for 7th Grade Students
On October 25th and 26th our clinical support team will be introducing a county-approved wellness screening curriculum to our 7th grade students during health and PE classes The goals of this program are to educate students on the signs and symptoms of depression, to let students know what to do if they have concerns about themselves or a peer, and to connect students who may need support with resources inside and outside of our school. During the program, students will watch a video which will help students to identify signs of depression and distress in themselves and others, as well as what to do if they, or someone they know, are experiencing these symptoms. Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a response slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk. Students will complete a brief depression screening tool. This tool cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should be referred for evaluation by a mental health professional. We encourage you to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn. Parents can also view video resources here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5e27-ocGBHqSSvbIIL9-1Ibr8gutAe5k
Social Emotional Health Lessons in Health and Physical Education Classes
The social emotional portion of the health curriculum will be during the second quarter of school. If you would like to opt out your student, please fill out the first part of the form that's titled Emotional Social Health. The Opt-Out forms are on the all-parent Schoology and your student's PE Schoology site. Students may also request a hard copy from their PE teacher. If you do not want to remove your child from Emotional Social Health, then you do not need to fill out this form. We had a phenomenal start to the 1st quarter Health/PE and hope to continue this strong start into the second quarter!
 Please contact Sharon DuncanHudspeth at SDDuncanHuds@fcps.edu if you think you can support this program. Donations of $5 or $10 gift cards are ideal and can be delivered to the school: Attention – Sharon DuncanHudspeth.
Social-Emotional Learning with Second Step
In this week’s lesson students learned about overcoming roadblocks by using If-Then Plans. Students learned how to create plans and adjust them, as needed. Our next SEL lesson will be on Monday, November 7 and students will continue to explore strategies for overcoming roadblocks. Family conversation starter: Ask your child to review their current grades in StudentVUE and encourage them to create an If-Then Plan around their academic progress. You may also find it helpful to create family If-Then Plans around household responsibilities, etc.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Admissions
The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology application will be available on Monday, October 24 at 4:00pm, to current 8th grade students. The application portal, course prerequisites, GPA requirements, and deadlines can be found here: TJHSST Freshman Application Process. To learn more about the TJHSST admission process, please view this TJHSST Freshman Admission Overview video.
If you have any questions about the TJHSST admissions process, please contact the Langston Hughes TJ Liaison Counselor, Marissa Brooks.
Parents and Caregivers,
Families can order photos using this link: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000942204. You must know your students ID number.
Photos will be mailed directly to your home.
Please contact: eventconfirm@vosphoto.com should you have any questions.
If your student missed either day, "Make-Up" picture day will be Thursday, November 17, 2022
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Reminder: 2023 yearbooks are on sale now!
This year we will have a student yearbook staff who will help Ms. Kerze and Ms. Burke create it. Buy now to save money and ensure you get one; there will be a limited number available!
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Langston Hughes After-School
Students who plan to attend after school activities must be registered in the after school program. Please make sure your child is registered prior to staying after.
Here’s the link to register: https://forms.gle/jkUdc4Hx1cnAE3C46
Here’s the link to the Club List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkDtOVASo9Dvoamwm4h56r84B5gWzoR6dX6iawunMiU/edit?usp=sharing
Young Entrepreneurs: Sports, Music, Fashion and more
Thursdays 3:30-4:30
This weekly after-school activity is for boys and girls who may be interested in learning more about business and entrepreneurship, using sports, fashion and music as the primary topics to engage students. Interactive, workshop style sessions would be led by guest speakers from the community with business experience and supported by high school student volunteers who participate in clubs or coursework that focus on similar topics (entrepreneurship, athletic leadership, fashion / ‘merch’ and music recording).
Helping students understand how to connect the dots between whatever they are passionate about and entrepreneurial / business opportunities in the future is a target learning objective for this program. Participants can also learn about the clubs and courses available in high school where they can learn more, build their network, and get involved in extra-curricular activities
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Tutor.com
Students have unlimited access to 24/7, on-demand, online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Students can connect online any time, any place, and in most K-12 subjects for however long they need. Tutoring may be on-demand and/or scheduled at a time convenient for the student and/or family.
Tutoring is focused instruction provided to students in a one-on-one format (voice and/or text chat). Tutors will focus on developing student’s strengths and capabilities in reading, mathematics, or other specified subjects. Tutoring services may be accessed before, during or after school hours and/or weekends.
See here for more information: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/online-tutoring-services
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS) Introduction
Each school pyramid has a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS) assigned to provide substance abuse prevention, education, and intervention services. Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists are part of the FCPS Office of Student Safety and Wellness.
Key roles of a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist:
- Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug education for students, parents, and the Fairfax County Community
- Intervention services upon violation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook or suspected substance use involvement
- Assessing a student’s level of substance use and, if appropriate, making referrals to the Fairfax Community Service Board for additional services or other community resources as appropriate
- Group and individual prevention services for students, staff, parents, and the Fairfax County community
- Most importantly, building positive relationships with students to provide support and encouragement
Resources:
Free Virtual Parent Support Group
Free Online Narcan Training for Opioid Overdoses
Free Lock Boxes for Medications & Firearms
Spiritual Support by Phone for Adults
Spanish Podcast: Tips on How Parents Play an Important Role in Substance Abuse Prevention
Juvenile Court Parent Support Group
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
For further Information & support:
Monica Rogers, mrrogers@fcps.edu
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Sign-up to receive your students “Screen Activity Reports/Lightspeed Reports.
There is a new online service that is free to FCPS parents who are interested in knowing more about their child’s internet activity on an FCPS device. Parents can sign up to receive a weekly Parent Report from Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, which will provide a list of the top sites the child visited that week.
Step 1: Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account
Step 2: Request the reports https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/lightspeed/
Need Tech Help?
Resources for parents and students using FCPS technology are available online. Visit this website for quick help resetting passwords; accessing Schoology, Google, Zoom, or activity reports; and basic computer use questions. If your questions are not answered on that page, look for the link to submit a help ticket.
Oct 21: SLHS Homecoming Parade & Homecoming football game
Oct 24: Holiday (Diwali) - No School
Oct 28: End of First Quarter, 2-hour early release
Oct 31: Student Holiday
Nov. 23 thru 25 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed
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