Weekly Principal's Message - November

happy thanksgiving

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last week was quite busy at Stone. We hosted another Parent Coffee discussing advanced academics, 504 and IEPs, our PTSA hosted a restaurant night with pre-orders from Moe’s and we  hosted our first Bingo night. Thank you to all who came out to participate in the various activities around the building. I really enjoyed meeting families and having a little fun. We will continue this week with our after school program’s Gobbler’s Gallop on Monday and our annual Career Day on Tuesday. Thank you in advance to all the parents and community members who have volunteered to present to our students for Career Day. 

If you did not get a chance to come to any of these events…do not worry. We are actively planning another bingo night, parent coffee, winter wonderland dance and we will be hosting three music concerts in December. 

As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed November 23-25. We will not have after school academic support this Tuesday. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Classes will resume on Monday, November 28.

Sincerely,

Sonya Williams

Principal


After School Programming this Week

gobblers gallop

Due to the Thanksgiving break, Monday, November 21 is the only day for after school programming this week. All regular clubs and activities scheduled for Monday are still happening, along with late buses. 

We have two special events happening after school on Monday.

  • Nintendo Switch "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" Tournament in Room 118.
  • Gobbler's Gallop race around the school. The race is 2.1 miles around the school with prizes for the top 8 finishers. See details in the flyer below.

There will be no after school programming or late bus runs on Tuesday, November 22. 


Laptop Care

Our technology office is seeing a large increase in broken/cracked laptop screens. Laptop screens are delicate and should be treated gently. 

Please remind your student of these tips for laptop care: 

  • Keep it somewhere safe when you aren't using it. (in a case, a sleeve inside your backpack, and have a charging station at home)
  • Don’t carry your laptop by the screen.
  • Check to make sure you are not leaving items (headphones, pencils,etc.) on the keyboard before closing the lid.
  • Put your backpack somewhere safe where it cannot get stepped on. 
  • Do not allow others to use your laptop. 

These are the most frequent reasons for screen damage we are seeing at Stone. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Costanza or Mr. Eley. The FCPS Student Device Guidelines webpage has more information. 


National Family Engagement Month

parent coffee november

National Family Engagement Month reminds us that families are children's first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers.

At Stone, our monthly Parent Coffee Series is offered as an opportunity to engage with you to answer questions, share resources, and learn more about ways you can support the success of your Stone Panther.

More than 35 years of research shows that the most effective way to increase student achievement is for families to be actively involved in the education of their child. Strong parental and family support is vital to the well-being and success of students. FCPS has many resources for families designed to increase engagement and partnerships with families while fostering academic success and social-emotional growth. 

The national standards for family-school partnerships include welcoming all families, communicating effectively, supporting student success, speaking up for every child, sharing power, and collaborating with the community. 

If you are looking for additional resources, please check out the following resources that are available to all FCPS families:


FCPS Cares

FCPS CARES is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others.

Anyone may submit an FCPS CARES for an employee through filling out the form found at: https://www.fcps.edu/careers/employee-recognition-programs/fcps-cares-program


District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

    • FCPS Calendar Survey
    • How to be involved in the Strategic Plan
    • Post-Thanksgiving COVID Testing
    • Recommended Changes to Family Life Education Curriculum 

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.  


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