A Note from the Principal
Greetings Laurel Ridge Families,
FCPS wants to make all schools better and ensure we are all moving in the right direction together. The last Strategic Plan was created five years ago. A lot of things have changed since then. It is time for us to set a new direction based on where FCPS is now. Student voice is an important part of this process! Each school will be holding Strategic Plan Student Focus Groups to better understand how students feel about school and what they think needs to be improved. The focus groups will be comprised of approximately 20 students in grades 3-6. During the focus group, students will be asked to share and record answers in a Google Form. The discussion will be centered around three topics:
1) What is going well? What is not going well?
2) What matters most?
3) The one promise students want from adults regarding their education.
The focus group will last approximately one hour and will take place during the school day.
This is an exciting opportunity for students to share their thoughts and help shape the future of FCPS! I look forward to facilitating focus groups and hearing from students. If your student is interested in participating in the Laurel Ridge Strategic Plan Focus Group, please complete this form by Wednesday, November 16th.
Thank you,
Megan Counts
Principal
Focus from This Week: Creativity
Character Strength Features: I come up with new and original ways to think about and do things.
Quote of the Week: “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.” -Pablo Picasso
National School Psychologist Week
November 7-11
Laurel Ridge is fortunate to have a fantastic school psychologist team. Our school psychologists Amber Ong (pictured above) and Monica Holtz, along with our intern, Kristin Meyering, do a wonderful job supporting our school.
We would like to celebrate National School Psychologist Week by highlighting Amber Ong, one of our school psychologists. Amber Ong grew up in a Military family and had attended 8 different schools by the time she graduated High School. This in part contributed to her desire to work with and support children in the school setting. This is her fourth year at Laurel Ridge primarily supporting the CSS and Enhanced Autism Classes. When not working, Amber loves exercising especially family runs with her husband, two kids, and her Vizsla. Her least favorite activity is cooking.
Academic Matters
At the last School Board meeting, a new feature was introduced called Academic Matters. During this portion of the Board meeting, updates will be provided on important academic topics. At the November 3 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid shared some common misconceptions concerning the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment. Watch the presentation on YouTube.
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FCPS Outstanding Employee
Nominations are now open for the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards! Every year, Fairfax County Public Schools celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of exceptional school-based and non-school-based employees from throughout the district. To submit a nomination for an LRES Outstanding Employee, please complete the nomination through this Google form. All that is required for a preliminary nomination are a few paragraphs about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The Google form has more information regarding the criteria and eligibility requirements for each award.
Please keep in mind that if your nominee is awarded school winner in that category, and he or she moves on for pyramid consideration, you will also be asked to complete a Nominator’s Form, in addition to helping to arrange for two other individuals to complete Letters of Support.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Monday, November 14.
If you have any questions concerning the nomination process, please contact Cathy Durfey, Awards Liaison, at cldurfey@fcps.edu. Thank you for your support of our Laurel Ridge staff!
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Tutor.com
Does your child need homework help or feedback on their writing? How about a practice quiz to get ready for a test? Tutor.com is open to FCPS students in all grades, on-demand, 24/7, at no cost to families. Learn more.
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FCPS Calendar Survey Coming Soon!
In an annual planning process, FCPS uses input from the community to help develop the school year calendar for the following year. The Calendar Survey will be sent to parents/caregivers, employees, and students in grades 7-12 next week.
Our framework for creating the calendar is available online to ensure transparency, as we work to build a calendar that is inclusive and equitable.
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Strategic Planning
FCPS Strategic Planning that Reaches All The strategic planning process is a community-wide effort. There will be many opportunities to share feedback or participate in a community meeting. We want our community to stay informed and be involved. You can help!
If you are an active member of a community organization or group who people look to for information, please consider signing up to be a key communicator during the strategic planning process. FCPS key communicators should have an interest in sharing information about the school division and encouraging involvement. Key communicators will:
- Receive regular updates including news, information, future events, and engagement opportunities.
- Share the information they receive with their group in a timely manner.
- Encourage group participation in engagement and feedback opportunities where appropriate and possible.
If you or someone from your organization would like to serve as an FCPS key communicator during the strategic planning process, please submit this form by Monday, November 28.
Wednesday, November 23 through Friday November 25: Holiday - Thanksgiving
Monday, December 19 through Monday, January 2, 2023: Holiday - Winter Break. Classes Resume on Tuesday January 3, 2023
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