The Weekly Roar - Friday, May 19, 2023

To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.

Para leer este boletin en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.

يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى


 

The Lion’s Roar

May 19, 2023

 



Upcoming Events

  • Monday, 5/29 – Memorial Day Holiday, school and office CLOSED
  • Thursday, 6/1 – Farewell Reception for families leaving Lane, 4:30 p.m.
  • Friday, 6/2 - All student library books due
  • Tuesday, 6/6 – Chorus Concert, 7 p.m.
  • Thursday, 6/8 – Strings Concerts: 4th Grade, 6 p.m.; 5th & 6th Grade, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, 6/9 – PTA “Glow Party” Dance, 6 p.m.
  • Monday, 6/12 – 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9:30 a.m.
  • Friday, 6/16 – Last day of school, 2-hour early release at 2:05 p.m.

 

In This Issue

  • A Note from Mr. Dickens: Lockdown Drill Information
  • Parent Input for Class Placement Next Year
  • SCA Personal Care Drive Continues through Friday, May 26th
  • Farewell Reception for Families Leaving Lane – Thursday, June 1st, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
  • Tutoring Grants Available for Families
  • Save the Date for Back-to-School Summer and Fall Events!
  • PTA News: Glow Party Dance June 9th
  • Parent Resources: Summer camp opportunities, podcast on transitioning to middle school
  • FCPS News & Announcements: Online registration

 


 

News & Notes

 

A Note from Mr. Dickens: Lockdown Drill Information

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. We have a crisis management and emergency preparedness plan for our school that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our plan includes procedures on how to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Students and staff regularly practice these drills every school year. We also practice lockdown drills.

A new Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. We are required to practice lockdown drills two times a year. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of active-shooter scenario training; they are instruction and classroom based. We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. 

Additional information on our lockdown-drill program, to include parent tips and FAQs, can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this content, you should discuss the value of these safety drills with your child.

Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe.

Sincerely,

Allen Dickens, Jr., M. Ed.
Assistant Principal
Lane Elementary

 

Parent Input for Class Placement Next Year

A regular end-of-the-year task that staff work on is student groupings for class placements next year. All staff have input on groupings that can best support students within the school day. We also appreciate your input on how your child works and learns best. Below is our family input form. We will have it open for the month of May for families to give staff and administration input into considerations for next school year. As you click the link to the form, you will find directions that need to be considered as you complete the form.

PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST A TEACHER BY NAME OR GENDER. Additionally, please do NOT include negative information about past teachers, as the teachers read these forms when assisting with class assignments. If you do, please know it will be deleted.

Because of enrollment changes over the summer, class assignments will not be finalized until the middle of August 2023. Families will be contacted by the assigned teacher before attending Open House in August.

If you are interested in sharing this information, please complete the form below and return it by May 31, 2023.

FAMILY INPUT FORM

 

SCA Personal Care Drive Continues through Friday, May 26th

The Lane SCA is collecting personal hygiene items to donate to those in need in our community. The drive will continue through next Friday, May 26th.

Each grade level is asked to bring in a specific type of item. All items should be new and unopened. Here is the list:

  • Kindergarten: Toothbrushes & Toothpaste
  • 1st Grade: Bars of Soap & Bodywash
  • 2nd Grade: Shampoo & Conditioner
  • 3rd Grade: Mouthwash & Floss
  • 4th Grade: Hand Sanitizer
  • 5th Grade: Combs & Brushes
  • 6th Grade: Deodorant

Students should drop off their items in the library.

Thanks to all of the families who have donated already. It’s not too late to add your contribution!


Farewell Reception for Families Leaving Lane – Thursday, June 1st, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Each year, we must say “Goodbye” to many families in our Lane community who are moving away to start exciting new adventures. This year, our Student Ambassadors have planned a special event to wish them well.

If your family will be leaving Lane, please plan to join us after school on Thursday, June 1st, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Lane Cafeteria for a Farewell Reception in your honor. Please RSVP to let us know how many people will be in your family group. This will help us ensure we have enough refreshments and other supplies. You can email our family liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy at macrosby@fcps.edu or you can fill out this Google form. Please respond by next Tuesday, May 30th.

We have enjoyed having you in our Lane community, and look forward to wishing you well in person on June 1st!

A note for 6th grade families: We know many of you will be leaving us as well as your child moves on to middle school. There will be a separate 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony for all of our 6th grade families on Monday, June 12th.

 

Tutoring Grants Available for Families

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through the K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program.

The program was created to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning. It provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in specific subjects. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants.

Available services include in-person, online, and hybrid tutoring provided one-on-one or in small-group or large-group settings. The first step in the process is to visit VDOE’s K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page and create an application account.

save the date

Save the Dates for Summer and Back-to-School Events!

We have started planning some community events for the summer and the school year ahead! Please be sure to put these events on your calendars if you’d like to attend.

  • Popsicle Playdates, Monday, August 7th through Thursday, August 10th, 7 – 8 p.m. on the main playground
    • Monday, August 7th – New kindergarten families
    • Tuesday, August 8th – Grades 1 & 2
    • Wednesday, August 9th – Grades 3 & 4
    • Thursday, August 10th – Grades 5 & 6

  • Back-to-School Town Halls with Mrs. Prahl, 6 – 7 p.m.
    • Tuesday, August 15th – virtual in English
    • Wednesday, August 16th – in person with Spanish

  • Open House – Thursday, August 17th
    Students and their families are invited to come to school during this time period to see their classrooms, meet their teachers, and reconnect with Lane friends. In order to manage our capacity for this popular event, we have divided our school community into three groups, by student last name. (If you have children with different last names, your family may choose a session based on any of the names.) Parking will be limited, so please plan to walk to school or carpool if possible.
    • Last names that begin with A through H: 5 – 5:30 p.m.
    • Last names that begin with I through Q: 5:45 – 6:15 p.m.
    • Last names that begin with R through Z: 6:30 – 7 p.m.

  • PTA First Day Coffee – Monday, August 21st, 9:20 – 10:30 a.m.

More details about these and other events will be sent out in the weeks ahead.

 

 


 

PTA News

 

Lane PTA Glow Dance, 6-9-23, 6 - 8 p.m. Tickets are now available online at https://lanepta.memberhub.gives/laneglowparty/

 

Lane, Let's Glow! End-of-Year Dance Friday, June 9th, 6 – 8 p.m.

Get ready to get your glow on with other Lane friends and families on Friday, June 9th, at the PTA’s end-of-year Glow Dance from 6 to 8 p.m. Wear your brightest colors and get ready to shine in the Lane Gym!


Tickets

Tickets are now available online at https://lanepta.memberhub.gives/laneglowparty/.

Due to Fire Marshal codes, only 300 will be sold, so be sure to buy yours soon! Please note that EVERY PERSON must have a ticket (regardless of age).

  • Family ticket, including 1 adult & 1 child: $10
  • Each additional child ticket: $3
  • Each additional adult ticket: $5

 

Food

Several food items will be available for purchase at the dance:

  • Chick-fil-A nuggets, chips and a drink: $5
  • Cheese pizza, chips, and a drink: $4
  • Pepperoni pizza, chips, and a drink: $4


Volunteers

Volunteers are needed to make this event a success! The PTA is looking for 27 – 30 people to assist in a variety of roles. If you’d like to help, please visit the electronic sign-up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4aada722abfbc25-lane1#/.

If you sign-up using the link above, you'll receive a FREE Family Ticket (1 adult & 1 child, $10 value).


Additional information

  • An adult must attend with their children. This is not a drop-off event.
  • There will be a quiet room (the cafeteria) in case students/adults need a break from the lights/music.
  • Each ticket comes with a glow bracelet. Feel free to bring/wear more glow sticks!


 

Parent Resources

 

FCPS Summer Camp Opportunities

students from cybercamp around a computer

 

CyberPatriot Summer Cyber Camp

Chantilly Academy will host an AFA CyberCamp Monday, June 26th, to Friday, June 30th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. This camp is recommended for rising fifth through eighth graders of all skill levels interested in learning more about the importance of cybersecurity and gaining skill to protect themselves and others from cyber threats. Discounts are available for students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Visit the camp website to learn more about registration, curriculum, and schedule.


Other Summer Camp Opportunities

Registration is still available for Institute for the Arts (IFTA) and Elementary-IFTA arts camps, Credit Recovery Academy, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s Middle School Technology Institute (MSTI).

 

6th Grade Families: Learn More about Making the Transition to Middle School on New FCPS Podcast

Making the move from elementary school to middle school can be an exciting and unsettling time for a parent and child. In a recent episode of FCPS multilingual podcast En Pocas Palabras, learn ways to ease the transition including:

  • Understanding the developmental changes in your child
  • Getting to know middle school culture
  • Encouraging independence, but remaining available
  • Offering emotional support to your child
  • Reiterating your family values and expectations
  • Staying involved in your child’s school.

The podcast is available in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish. Listen and subscribe:


 

FCPS News & Announcements

 

Updates on Online Student Registration

FCPS plans to have online registration in place at all schools across the district starting June 30th, ensuring a simple and efficient new student registration application process for the upcoming school year. Learn more about registration.