In this Update:

🌟 Labor Day
🌟 Kiss & Ride Procedures
🌟 Herndon Optimist Club Registration
🌟 Attendance
🌟 Students Rights & Responsibilities
🌟 Grading Policy
🌟 Substance Abuse Prevention
🌟 Lightspeed Parent Report
🌟 PTA Message

And more!

Reminders

Labor Day

Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends.

See the complete school year calendar.

Kiss and Ride Procedures

Herndon Middle School Administration would like to provide you with a few reminders and “best practices” for using HMS Kiss and Ride. In order to ensure a smooth start to the day as well as ensure the safety of all students, here are some helpful reminders for our morning drop off procedures:

All student drop offs must occur at the designated Kiss and Ride area located in the back of the school building. Please do not drop students off at the front of the building, along Locust Street, or in the front staff parking lot. Dropping students off outside of the designated Kiss and Ride location is a hazard to student safety.

• When entering on 5th Street, please drive straight back to the Kiss and Ride area located in the back of the building.
• Remain in the line of cars proceeding to the Kiss and Ride drop off point. Do not drop students off until you have reached the drop off point.  Dropping students off outside of this zone is a hazard to student safety.
• When exiting the HMS school campus and re-entering Locust Street traffic, please turn right only. This allows for a smooth traffic flow for everyone.
• When possible, arrive a few minutes early. High congestion time is typically from 7:10-7:25.

Herndon Optimist Club Registration

The following Herndon Optimist Activities are open for FALL REGISTRATION.  Please visit the Herndon Optimist website, click on registration, and scroll to find the Sign in to Begin Registration button (everyone will need to create a new account because we switched operating systems this summer). Please join us for a fun-filled fall!

Information

Community Eligibility Provision

Herndon Middle School will be implementing an option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for school year 2023-2024.

What does this mean for you and your child?

Great news for you and your student(s)! All enrolled students at Herndon Middle School are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2023-2024 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

If you have questions or need information, please contact the Office of Food Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800 or foodinfo@fcps.edu.

Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!

The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Watch this video with tips from Fairfax Pyramid principals and visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R. 

Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.

Safety Drills During the School Year

Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. 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 also 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. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.

Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources

Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. This page also includes directions for providing permission. 

Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library.

Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.

Updates on Grading Policies

FCPS’ Grading Policy was updated for the 2023-24 school year. The following changes were based on input from students, teachers, parents/caregivers, principals, and staff:

• FCPS will maintain the current late work policy. Teachers must accept major assignments up to two weeks late. The maximum deduction for that time period is 10%. The current policy, when applied correctly, balances accountability and flexibility.
• A rolling gradebook gives students more chances to show they understand material. Teachers must use the rolling gradebook along with reassessment policies. These policies let students improve grades on major assessments across quarters. Replacement policies allow later assessments to replace the scores of earlier assessments.
• Teachers may now give zeroes for assignments that are not turned in. Students who make a reasonable effort to finish an assignment will get a minimum grade of 50. 

For teachers using a traditional gradebook, the minimum quarter grade that can be issued is 50%. Teachers on a rolling gradebook must use reassessment practices.

In the 2024-25 school year, all grades will be on a 100-point scale, with 50% as the lowest passing grade for submitted assignments. All high school credit-bearing classes will use the new scale next school year.

Important Resources

HMS Student Services

2023-24 Student Services Breakdown

Substance Abuse Prevention

When a Nap Isn’t a Nap

Overdoses touch people and communities in many ways. International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31st, 2023, is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose and remember those who have died without stigma while also acknowledging the grief of their loved ones. An overdose means having more of a drug(s) than the body can handle. Unfortunately, opioid misuse is now the leading cause of unnatural death in Fairfax County according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Don’t allow it to go unnoticed in your home, in our community.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as Percocet, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others (NIH). 

Opioids slow the central nervous system to produce a calming effect. When taken in excess amounts or in combination with other central nervous system depressants, they greatly suppress breathing and the heart rate.

Signs of an overdose include: Loss of consciousness. Unresponsive to outside stimulus. Awake, but unable to talk. Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic, or has stopped. For lighter skinned people, the skin tone turns bluish purple, for darker skinned people, it turns grayish or ashen. Choking sounds, or a snore-like gurgling noise (sometimes called the “death rattle”). Vomiting. Body is very limp. Face is very pale or clammy. Fingernails and lips turn blue or purplish black. Pulse (heartbeat) is slow, erratic, or not there at all

A person may appear as though they are just napping. It may be difficult to tell if someone is napping or potentially overdosing, especially if they are snoring. 

If someone is making unfamiliar sounds while “sleeping” it is worth trying to wake him or her up. Many loved ones of users thought a person was snoring, when in fact they were overdosing. These situations are a missed opportunity to intervene and save a life. Snoring and gurgling can indicate that a person is having trouble breathing. With substance use, especially with opioids which slow down the systems of the body, snoring may indicate a serious and potentially life-threatening obstruction of the airway.

In the context of substance use, snoring is not something that should be seen as “normal”. Don’t let someone “sleep it off” if they are snoring; this may be a sign of a significant and life-threatening emergency. You should attempt to wake them immediately.

If they do wake up, then the snoring (airway obstruction) will resolve. If they do not wake up, call 911 immediately.

As we are about to embark on another school year, it is important to bring awareness to our families and students about what to look for in regards to substance use. Take confidence in the fact that you know what is normal for your student and what is not in terms of their behavior.

Potential signs that something may be off with your student: A student who starts acting withdrawn or seems tired, depressed, or mad for no reason. Changing friends. Not caring about personal appearance. Slipping grades, skipping classes. Losing interest in favorite activities. Behavioral or academic trouble at school or with the law. Changes in eating or sleeping habits. Not getting along with family members. Lying or stealing.

These signs do not always mean there is a drug or alcohol problem, but they may be cause for concern. Try to find out what is going on. Do not be afraid to have open and non-judgmental conversations with your student. Get to know their teachers, friends, and their friends' parents. A new school year means new opportunities. Let’s work together to make this year great. 

Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity

FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.

Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.

Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.

Transportation Notifications

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following kiss and ride procedures and being patient as they wait for their children’s buses. 

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. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Contact the Area 4 Transportation Office at 703-249-7100 with any additional questions. For any concerns after hours (after 5:30 p.m.), contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

What is ParentVUE and How to Register

Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. 

Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. 

Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks you through the steps. Click here to find out more about SIS ParentVUE.

From the PTA

Stay in the Know with the PTA

Please take a few minutes to share your information so we can keep everyone in the loop this year. No commitment required; We're happy you're here!

HMS PARENT INFORMATION FORM 

If you have any issues with the form (or just want to share your email for PTA updates), please email tishaniagraham@hmspta.com

Teacher Wishlist

Below are links to two Wishlist's (one on Amazon.com and one on Walmart.com) generated from teacher input on what will help them engage and incentivize our kids. Please consider donating (if able) and items will be sent directly to HMS. Alternatively, we are also happy to collect certain used items that would benefit our school community (a list will be forthcoming via email).   

Walmart Teacher Wishlist

Amazon Teacher Wishlist

Calendar Reminders

Save the Date September 14: Back to School Night 5:30pm-7:30pm September 27: PTA Meeting 7:00pm via Zoom October 14: Herndon Homecoming Parade Beginning at 8:00am October 14: Herndon vs McLean Homecoming Football Game 1:00pm

Helpful Links

901 Locust St. Herndon, VA 20170  | Main Office: 703-904-4800
Attendance: 703-904-4848 | Web | Twitter | Facebook