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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
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The Lion’s Roar
September 8, 2023
Upcoming Events
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Monday, 9/11 – Patriot Day– Wear red, white, and blue
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Monday, 9/11 – Friday, 9/15 – Kindergarten Color Week 1
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Monday, 9/11: Red, White, and Blue (Patriot Day)
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Tuesday, 9/12: PTA Storybook Character Day for Read-a-Thon
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Wednesday, 9/13: Green
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Thursday, 9/14: Red
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Friday, 9/15: Blue
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Tuesday, 9/12 – PTA Meeting and Read-a-Thon Kick-Off Celebration, 6 – 8 p.m.
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Thursday, 9/14 - Advanced Academics Program (AAP) Parent Information Meeting, 6 p.m., Library
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Friday, 9/15 – Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown (FCPS half-Observance Day)
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Monday, 9/18 – Friday, 9/22 – Kindergarten Color Week 2
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Monday, 9/18:Yellow
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Tuesday, 9/19: Pink/Brown
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Wednesday, 9/20: Orange
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Thursday, 9/21: Black/White
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Friday, 9/22: Rainbow/Favorite Color
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Monday, 9/25 – Yom Kippur Holiday – School and Office CLOSED
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Tuesday, 9/26 – Blue Star Welcome Week “Muffins for Military Families” Reception, 8:30 a.m., Cafeteria
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Thursday, 10/5 – Virtual Parent Coffee: Special Education at Lane, 6:30 p.m. on Zoom
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Monday, 10/9 – Indigenous People’s Day – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday
In This Issue
- Lane Elementary Read-a-Thon Live Now! Storybook Character Day and Evening Celebration on Tuesday, September 12th!
- Patriot Day and September 11th National Day of Service
- Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Parent Meeting Thursday, September 14th, 6 p.m.; Fall AAP Newsletter
- UPDATED Kindergarten Color Weeks – Help Our Littlest Lions Learn Their Colors!
- Save the Date for Blue Star Welcome Week “Muffins for Military Lions” – Tuesday, September 26th
- Notification of Testing and Retest Permission Form, State Assessments, Grades 3 – 8: VGA Testing Begins Next Week
- Required Parent/Guardian Consent for Use of Digital Resources
- From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Volunteers Needed and Call for Missing Books!
- Parent Resources: Tutor.com, free webinars
News & Notes
SURPRISE!! The Lane Read-a-Thon Is Live NOW!! Storybook Character Day and Evening Celebration on Tuesday, September 12th!
The Lane teachers are excited to get the Read-a-Thon party started, so the PTA is releasing the Read-a-Thon registration link EARLY!!!
You can register your child using the link/instructions below. If you register BEFORE the Read-a-Thon Kick-off Event on Tuesday, September 12th from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lane, you can use the Fast Pass line at the event to confirm your child is registered and get them a bracelet and a ticket for bounce house access and their free Rita's.
Once your child is registered, you can start collecting donations with either of the methods offered below. Minute collection will still begin September 12th. The hard-copy Read-a-Thon packet will be sent home in Wednesday Folders for minute tracking.
How to Register
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Step 1: Go to https://lanepta.memberhub.gives/readathon.
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Step 2: Click Register.
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Step 3: Scroll down to "Student Registrations." Adjust the number to reflect the number of children you have at Lane. Click Add to Cart.
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Step 4: Click "Check out now." Fill in information *for all registrants* to include grade level (even though it says optional).
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Step 5: Verify information and click Submit. Your child is ready to receive donations!
How to Donate
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Option 1: Using your child's specific link you created when you registered, you can send that link out to family, friends, and neighbors and they can make a direct donation to your child. *This is the preferred/most-direct method.*
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Option 2: Share the fundraising page website: https://lanepta.memberhub.gives/readathon, and family, friends, and neighbors can click "Donate" and select your child's name from a drop-down menu.
To kick off the Read-a-Thon in style, the Lane PTA has planned two big events on Tuesday, September 12th – a reading-centered spirit day and a community celebration featuring food, fun, bounce houses and – of course – books! Read on for the details.
Dress Like Your Favorite Storybook Character Day!
To celebrate the first day of our Read-a-Thon, all students are encouraged to dress as their favorite storybook character and bring in the matching book to show their class. As an added benefit, they can read it and start collecting Read-a-Thon minutes!
As a reminder, Lane is an elementary school with kids ranging from ages 5 to 12. It is important to be courteous, respectful, and appropriate with storybook character choices. Costume masks are not allowed. Violent characters are not appropriate, nor allowed. Our Lane Lions know how to make good choices. Please help us ensure those good choices are made.
Read-a-Thon Kick-Off Event, 6 to 8 p.m.
You don't want to miss this event! The PTA has partnered with:
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Big Country Amusements, and they are bringing FIVE bounce houses (think obstacle courses, slides, and a moon house!);
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Rita's, which will have Italian Ice for ALL Lane attendees;
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SignGypsies to create a photo spot to share with family and friends that our Read-a-Thon has begun;
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Three Wishes Mobile Bookshop to have a selection of fun, new books available for purchase for our Read-a-Thon readers;
- THREE FOOD TRUCKS!
The PTA is still looking for some volunteers to help with this event. Please click here to see where help is needed.
How the Read-a-Thon Kick-Off Event Will Work
When you arrive at the event, you must first register for the Read-a-Thon fundraiser (if you haven't already) before your child(ren) can use the bounce houses or get their complimentary Rita's. There will be registration tables set-up for the PTA to assist in the registration process, but there will also be QR codes set-up around the event. Scan one of the QR codes and follow the instructions to pre-register your child(ren). If you pre-register before arriving at the registration area, you can go through the Fast Pass line.
Once registered, children will receive a Lane Lions bracelet, which gives them access to the bounce houses and a ticket for Rita's. That's it! The rest of the night is yours to enjoy!
And in case you missed it, the PTA is SO EXCITED for this event! We hope you will be too!
The Read-a-Thon will run from September 12th through September 29th. Our goal is to have each student raise $100. Once they achieve their goal, they will receive $10 to use at the Lane Book Fair in November!
Patriot Day and September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance
With the upcoming 22nd anniversary of the sad events that occurred on September 11, 2001, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country.
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The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
We will observe Patriot Day here at Lane by wearing red, white, and blue. We encourage your child to participate.
All FCPS students are also encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Here are two Fairfax County volunteer opportunities to get started this fall: Public Lands Day (Saturday, September 23rd) and Volunteer Fairfax’s VolunteerFest (Saturday, October 21st ). Information on service projects can be found on the Volunteer Fairfax website.
Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Parent Meeting, Thursday, September 14th, 6 p.m.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Learning experiences are designed to develop higher-level thinking through enrichment, acceleration, and extension of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs). Teachers, administrators, and Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) work together to provide four levels of services. More information can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/advanced-academic-programs.
You can learn more about AAP at Lane and in FCPS at a parent information session on Thursday, September 14th at 6 p.m. in the Lane library. At this meeting Linda Simon, Lane’s Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, will provide information about the continuum of AAP services in Fairfax County as well as a brief overview of the screening process for both part-time and full-time AAP placement. This meeting is open to all interested parents with students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
You can also get additional information about the AAP program in the Fall 2023 Advanced Academics Newsletter.
UPDATED Kindergarten Color Weeks – Help Our Littlest Lions Learn Their Colors!
Wearing red, white, and blue on Patriot Day also kicks off Kindergarten Color Weeks, during which our youngest students celebrate and learn about a different color every day. Staff and students in other grades are encouraged to showcase the rainbow along with them these two weeks by wearing the designated color of the day. Here’s the schedule:
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Monday, September 11th: Red, White, and Blue (Patriot Day)
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Tuesday, September 12th: PTA Storybook Character Day for Read-a-Thon
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Wednesday, September 13th: Green
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Thursday, September 14th: Red
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Friday, September 15th: Blue
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Monday, September 18th: Yellow
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Tuesday, September 19th: Pink/Brown
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Wednesday, September 20th: Orange
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Thursday, September 21st: Black/White
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Friday, September 22nd: Rainbow/Favorite Color
Please encourage your child – no matter what grade level – to join the colorful fun!
NOTE TO KINDERGARTEN PARENTS: Because Kindergarten is also working on listening skills, students will be told what color to wear before the following day. Our hope is that students will listen and tell you the color at home. Please don’t share the secret!
Save the Date for Blue Star Welcome Week “Muffins for Military Lions” – Tuesday, September 26th
Blue Star Welcome Week is a nationwide initiative to ensure military families feel a sense of belonging to their school communities. We are honored to have many military-connected lions in our school community and look forward to celebrating them during this special week. On Tuesday, September 26th, we will host a Blue Star Welcome Week “Muffins for Military Lions” reception before school. If you are a military family, please save the date and stay tuned for more details coming soon!
Notification of Testing and Retest Permission Form, State Assessments, Grades 3 – 8
VGA Testing Begins Next Week
State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards and may also be used to measure growth in learning state standards. The format and timing of state assessments vary by grade level and content area, as noted in the table below. These include:
- Fall and winter Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA) standardized tests in reading and mathematics. More information is available on the VGA webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/43932);
- Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science. More information is available on the SOL assessments webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/35021);
- Ongoing local alternative assessments (LAAs) including performance-based assessments (PBAs) completed as part of classroom instruction in science, writing, and social studies. More information is available on the LAA and PBA webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/45043).
The Grade Level Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/student-assessment/grade-level-tests) provides information by grade level about the general assessment schedule and reporting method for each required assessment type in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) testing for students in grades 3 through 6 begins next week. Here is the schedule:
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Monday, September 11th – 6th Grade Reading VGA
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Tuesday, September 12th – 4th Grade Reading VGA
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Wednesday, September 13th – 5th Grade Reading VGA
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Thursday, September 14th – 3rd Grade Reading VGA
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Monday, September 18th – 4th Grade Math VGA
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Tuesday, September 19th – 5th Grade Math VGA
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Wednesday, September 20th – 6th Grade Math VGA
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Thursday, September 21st – 3rd Grade Math VGA.
Make-up tests will be available, but it’s best for children to take these tests with the rest of their classmates. Please avoid scheduling appointments on these days and make sure your child arrives at school on time. Also, please ensure that your child get’s a good night’s sleep the night before a test and eats a healthy breakfast that morning.
If you have questions about state assessments, contact your student’s teacher or the school test coordinators, Assistant Principals Julie Kubiak and Allen Dickens.
Required Parent/Guardian Consent for Use of Digital Resources
Thank you to all the parents and guardians who have already signed off on the Digital Resources Parent Consent Form, which is required for each student enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). If you have not yet signed this form, please do so as soon as possible. You must fill in the form for each child enrolled at Lane.
FCPS uses a variety of resources to support student learning. FCPS conducts the same technical evaluations for all products that use student information. In cases where FCPS contracts with a vendor to host student information, FCPS requires that the vendor adheres to the security and privacy requirements specified in a confidentiality agreement included in their contracts. FCPS does not have contracts with every instructional tool vendor. Many valuable instructional tools are governed by Terms of Service (TOS) and include both free and paid tools. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year require parental consent. Your child may use digital tools that do not collect, use, or share any personal information.
You can find more information about digital resources on the FCPS website: https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent. This page also contains a link to the consent form. You can access the consent form directly at this link: https://digitalconsent.fcps.edu/ispb/is01/r/pdcp/login?session=6788411365219. Please note that you must use your ParentVUE credentials to access this form.
If you do not yet have a ParentVUE account, please contact our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu to receive an access code and instructions for setting up your account.
From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Volunteers Needed and Call for Missing Books!
Our librarian, Mrs. Chozick, is in need of volunteer help in the library. Most of the work will be shelving books (training will be provided); occasionally other help will be needed, like making copies or taking down displays, but expect to be shelving books most of the time.
If you can spare just one or two hours once a week, that would be splendid! As it is most helpful to have volunteers throughout the day and week, so that books can be continuously shelved, volunteer times are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please contact Mrs. Chozick at schozick@fcps.edu to let her know what times you might be available or if you should have any questions. Thanks so much for considering helping in the library!
On another note, we are still looking for many books that were checked out last school year and never returned. The library does not have fees for overdue books; however, families are expected to pay the replacement cost for books that are lost or returned damaged.
Please take another look to see if any Lane Library books surfaced at your house during the summer. If you’re not sure what books you still have checked out, please contact Mrs. Chozick.
Parent Resources
How to Access Free Resources from Tutor.com
All FCPS students continue to have unlimited access to live, 24/7, one-on-one online tutoring services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Student participation is optional and parents/caregivers can opt their student(s) out of accessing the services. Get more information on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services webpage.
Students can access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following: Elementary - How It Works and Middle & High - How It Works. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu.
FREE Family Resource Center Webinars
The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) offers free webinars for parents and families each month. Here is the line-up for September.
Meet the Author Series: The Self-Driven Child by Dr. William Stixrud
Are you working harder than your children to solve their problems? Do you need strategies to help children make their own decisions? Join Dr. William Stixrud while he discusses his book, The Self-Driven Child.
Webinar highlights include:
- Learning how to support the development of resilience in your child
- Understanding the elements of a healthy mental life
- Supporting your child's decision-making skills
- Learn how to help your child deal with stressful situations
- Learning how to make your child feel loved, trusted, supported, and capable
Friday, September 15, 2023, 10 – 11:15 a.m.
Register for Meet the Author Series: The Self-Driven Child by Dr. William Stixrud
Who's the Boss? 5 Ways for Families to Help Kids with Big Emotions
- Do you have a child who is bossy, melts down over changes in plans or transitions?
- Acts like a sore loser when playing games?
- Wears the same clothes and eats the same foods?
- Likes to say, "That's not fair!" and won't stop following you until they prove a point?
Calm Parenting podcast founder Kirk Martin explains why all of these behaviors have the same root...and similar solutions.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Register for Who's the Boss? 5 Ways for Families to Help Kids with Big Emotions
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