🦁LTES |Around the Towne & Students Rights & Responsibilities

It was great to see so many families at Back-To-School Night! Please check with your classroom teacher if you missed this opportunity.

Great Times Around the Towne

Hello London Towne Families!

It has been an amazing first two weeks around the Towne. Meeting our new Lions and reconnecting with friends and teachers brought many happy smiles and hugs to our PRIDE. Together we've learned, laughed, read, and made new friends. It's been an incredible experience to be a part of the JOY that has filled our building. As we venture around the Towne, we see classrooms that are warm and students excitedly engaging in learning opportunities around reading, writing, and math routines.  Our Lions have already begun talking about their responsibilities as citizens and exploring their roles as scientists.  A lot of learning and fun has already happened and we are looking forward to so much more!  

Our strong start can be attributed to the hard work and preparation of our teachers and staff, the commitment of our students, and our partnership with families.  As we move further into this school year, consider sending your child's teacher or a staff member a note or Talking Point message letting them know your appreciation. Please know you are much appreciated by us! Thank you for sharing your little Lions with us.

At London Towne, we encourage our Lions to take care of themselves, each other, and our school. One of the most important ways our students take care of themselves and their learning needs is by attending school regularly and on time.  All Lions are encouraged to be in their classrooms and ready to learn at 8:20 a.m. This means dropping off students by 8:10 a.m. so that they are in their rooms on time. We appreciate your partnership and the many steps you take to ensure your child attends school regularly and on time. Your support and partnership in your child's education is invaluable.  

We hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. It is going to be a FANTASTIC school year of learning and growing together! 

💙Ms. Padmore | LTES Principal and our LTES Assistant Principals | Ms. Moore (Gr 1, 2, 4, & 6) & Mrs. Zamora (K, 3, 5, & 6) 🦁💪🏽

Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!

The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits for all students! 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.

2023 Student Rights and Responsibilities | SR&R

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 are encouraged to 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.

Navigating School Relationships Continued

At LTES we are committed to teaching the necessary academic and social skills to ensure students are successful. We expect that students will experience some conflict as they are learning to navigate relationships. And, it is our responsibility to partner with families as we work with our Lions. Sometimes the behavior goes beyond teasing, horseplay, arguments, and peer conflict and are considered bullying behaviors. Bullying is a word used to describe a wide range of negative behaviors. FCPS has a specific definition for bullying. Bullying is:  

“Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”  

Bullying behavior is often confused with peer conflict. Bullying typically involves a power imbalance, where one person intentionally targets another repeatedly to cause harm. On the other hand, peer conflict is more of a disagreement or argument between equals. Distinguishing between the two helps us address these situations and create a safe and supportive environment for everyone. The following chart is from a lesson we use with students in the upper grades to help distinguish the two:

LTES staff is here to support your child if they report negative interactions with other students in any form. We are your partners to help your child and all Lions resolve the conflict. To do that, we identify the learning needs of the students involved and put in place measures to support both parties.

As outlined in the FCPS Students Rights and Responsibilities, when there is an area of concern, we investigate the concern by talking with students and staff and take actions to prevent a recurrence of the behaviors.  It is our goal to make sure all students feel safe. As a team, we work to ensure that we have plans in place to make that happen. Our plans include but are not limited to:

• alternative seating arrangements
• connections with trusted adults
• behavior contracts

Additionally, we follow up with the appropriate interventions and consequences as outlined in the Student’s Rights and Responsibilities.  

FCPS outlines specific actions for school staff when an allegation of bullying is made. Schools are required to:

• investigate all allegations just like we would for any misbehavior and work with both parties to ensure that students have the support they need to thrive
•  determine if the behavior meets the definition of bullying (repeated, intent to harm/humiliate, and with a power imbalance, etc). and if the allegation is considered to be “founded” (behaviors do meet the definition) or "unfounded" (behaviors do not meet the definition)
• work with students to teach the appropriate skills 
• follow up with students as outlined in the Students Rights and Responsibilities
• provide written communicate to families of both parties at the end of the investigation sharing the determination of “founded/unfounded” and what additional steps we took to support the students

Families are encouraged to communicate with your classroom teacher, our school counseling team, or an administrator. We can be reached via email or at 703-227-5400.

School Counselors:

• Mrs. Habermeyer | 1, 3, & 5 | eahabermeyer@fcps.edu 
• Mr. Hunter | 2, 4, & 6 | alhunter@fcps.edu 
• Mrs. Teitsma | K & 6 | anteitsma@fcps.edu 

Administrators:

• Ms. Moore | Assistant Principal for Gr. 1, 2, 4 & 6 | jemoore1@fcps.edu
• Ms. Zamora | Assistant Principal for Gr. K, 3, 5, & 6 | lkzamora@fcps.edu
• Ms. Padmore | Principal | wtpadmore@fcps.edu 

Update School Forms

It’s important for parents to complete all required school forms. Returning families in grades PreK-6 must complete the following forms yearly:

• Health Information
• Emergency Care Information
• Identification of Military Connected Students

New: Update Your Child's Forms Online!

FCPS is offering a new online option where guardians can easily update their child’s information! The Online Verification Update (OVU) packet will allow guardians to review and update phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations) for students in grades preschool- 12. Enrolling parents* can access OVU through their SIS ParentVUE account. 

*The enrolling parent is the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian with whom the student lives the preponderance of the school week and who enrolled the student in school. Regulation 2240.

Parents must have an active SIS ParentVUE Account to access and complete the OVU packet.

Parents can obtain an activation key letter to activate their SIS ParentVUE account by contacting their child’s school or by submitting the Parent Support Request form (select Online Registration in the application dropdown menu) for assistance with this process.

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.

Please use this form to provide parental consent for each student in your family

Lightspeed Parent Report on Your 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.

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.

The following drills take are required in FCPS schools; all teachers and staff are trained on procedures for all drills at the start of the school year. You can find more information on the FCPS web about the county's commitment to emergency planning and crisis response. 

Lockdown Drills

Lockdown drills must be conducted at least twice each school year, with one taking place during the first 20 days of school.  Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill. Families will receive notice at least 24 hours before the lockdown drill will take place. 

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.

Fire Drills

Fire evacuation drills must be conducted twice during the first 20 days of school and then once per month for the remainder of the school year. The first fire drill is announced, and teachers practice with classes beforehand.  Drills after that are unannounced. 

Bus Evacuation Drills

Bus evacuation drills must be completed at least twice a year: one during the first 30 instructional days of the first semester and the other during the first 30 instructional days of the second semester. 

Tornado Drill

A tornado drill must be completed once a year and is done in conjunction with the Statewide Tornado Drill in March.

Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages

Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.

Looking for a Cafeteria Hostess

Job Opportunity! We are looking for a cafeteria hostess to support the cafeteria during students’ lunches. If you are interested, please contact Lucy Zamora, Assistant Principal, at lkzamora@fcps.edu.

✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Foundation of Four Pillars

The division’s new strategic plan is built on a foundation of four pillars — what FCPS must do well to reach its goals for all students. The pillars include:

• We design innovative learning experiences that meet the needs of each and every learner, and implement professional practices that engage, empower, include, and challenge the whole learner through varied opportunities.
• We share responsibility to build trusting partnerships that sustain a safe, inclusive culture for learning and work, and we collaborate proactively with respect, honesty, and transparency.
• We recruit and retain staff who reflect the diversity of students and families; provide meaningful continuous learning, exceptional compensation, and balanced workload; and create a safe and culturally responsive environment that values staff voice.
• We nurture processes and structures that are grounded in intentional partnerships, shared responsibility for equitable resource allocation, and data-driven continuous improvement and innovation.

Stay tuned to learn more about our five goals of the new strategic plan, or visit our Strategic Plan webpage. 

For Your Calendar

September 1-4

Labor Day Holiday, No School

September 12

PTA Meeting @ 6:30 p.m., Library  or Virtual | To access our virtual session, here are the steps:

1. lms.fcps.edu
2. Parent/Guardian Login
3. Groups > 245-London Towne PTA
4. If New, Join Group > Code: TGZJ-VJT4-KM57N
5. Zoom > Join

September 15

Picture Day 

September 25

Rosh Hashanah Holiday, No School

September 29

Signed SR&R Form due for all students, K-12

See the complete FCPS 2023-2024 school year calendar.

6100 Stone Road, Centreville, Virginia 20120  |  Office: 703-227-5400

Attendance: (703)-227-5454 |  Web | Twitter