|
Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí!
🌟 Picture Day
🌟 Federal Impact Aid Survey
🌟 New School Lunch Menu Options
🌟 Know Our Security Terms
🌟 Substance Abuse Prevention: Alcohol and Football
🌟 Fall Fest 2023
🌟 From HMS PTA
...and more!
Herndon Homecoming Week 2023
Highlights from our Homecoming Spirit Week and Herndon's Homecoming Parade on Saturday, October 14th!
Information
Picture Day
Get ready! School picture day is Wednesday, October 18th and Thursday, October 19th.
Students:
- Be sure to plan your outfit and hairstyle
-
DO NOT wear green
Retakes will be held on Thursday, November 16th!
Federal Impact Aid Survey
Every year Parents are asked to complete the Federal Impact Aid Parent Survey. FCPS uses the Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid to identify federally connected students and to support our request for Impact Aid resources. Start Monday October 16th, the survey will be made available to FCPS families online through ParentVue for two weeks. After that, families who have not completed the survey will have a printed copy sent home with each child.
Please click on the link provided and scroll over the white box that says “Parent Access to Online Federal Impact Aid Survey. https://www.fcps.edu/impact
FCPS staff will process the information with the utmost confidentiality.
For questions regarding the Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid, please call 703-329-7750 or email ImpactAid@fcps.edu. Additional information about Impact Aid programs and grants is available on the U.S. Department of Education's website at DoED Impact Aid Programs.
New School Lunch Menu Options
FCPS' Food and Nutrition Services team will be rolling out improvements to the menu that better reflect the diversity of our student body and focus on fresh, healthy food. Learn about FCPS’ new menu options.
Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to specify the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn more about the definitions of the security terms: lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or community members have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future: A Community Conversation. Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions on
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help us plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability.
Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid. Your voice matters!
Lexia Parent Night: Learn About Literacy Support
FCPS funds Lexia for all elementary and middle schools to use as part of their literacy instruction. Lexia is a computer-based program that supplements classroom instruction to help students develop literacy skills. It also provides teachers with the data to identify students who need additional support, and the ability to know which specific concepts and skills to prioritize. Attend an information night to learn more about Lexia and how FCPS is integrating it into the classroom. Parents/caregivers will also get tips for supporting their students at home.
Information nights will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on:
-
Wednesday, October 18th at Thoreau Middle School (Cafeteria).
-
Thursday, October 19th at Edison High School (Auditorium).
Register to attend or submit a question in advance.
Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on level by the end of third grade.
Resources
Substance Abuse Prevention
Alcohol and Football
As the cooler weather comes in, the leaves begin to change, we exchange our sandals for boots and Pumpkin flavored favorites, and football becomes the topic of many conversations. Families gather one or more times a week, wearing sport paraphernalia to root for “their team”, often enjoying an alcoholic beverage. Adults may have these interactions in the safety and confines of their own home, at a friend's house, or in a noisy establishment with televisions and a bar. When this routine becomes a habit seen by teens regularly, they may begin to associate alcohol with football. So when they attend their school’s football game, it’s now their night out with friends, and the close association between football and alcohol has already been established for them.
Media ads from various companies showcase their ice-cold brew options with stereotypical attractive people at a bar, appearing cool. When adults attend in-person games, tailgating seems mandatory as part of the full experience. When teens meet up before attending football games, pre-game drinking may be something they consider.
Alcohol.org states that people who watch games at viewing parties, average consumption of 7 drinks and those who tailgated averaged 8 drinks. In a country that values football and has connected football to the consumption of alcohol, it’s easy to see how teens may be conditioned to do the same. If a student is old enough to attend football games, they’re old to have conversations about alcohol safety.
Here are some tips to help:
- Establish clear and consistent boundaries “I will not tolerate…”.
- Explain why adults have the privilege to drink and adolescents are not allowed to drink.
- Do not exaggerate.
- Set a desired outcome for the conversation: Think about what you want your teen to understand before you get into the conversation.
Resources
FCPS video on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs https://dl.ebmcdn.net/fcps/courses/ATODParentPresentationRequired103119b/story_html5.html
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Events
Fall Fest 2023
Grace Covenant Church would love to host you and your family to their free annual Fall Festival on October 25th at Grace Covenant Church located in Chantilly from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
Upcoming PTA Events
 |
|
Come support Herndon Middle School by placing a mobile pickup order, curbside order or by dining in between 10am to 8pm, on Thursday, October 19th.
If ordering in store, let a team member know you are there for the Herndon Middle School Spirit Event.
CODE: HAWKS (All caps)
|
-
Zumba - Saturday, October 21st at 2:00pm (in the GYM)
Come join the PTA to dance, sweat, and have some fun with fellow hawk parents! This event is FREE and open to all HMS parents and staff who want to attend.
-
HMS Student Movie Night - Friday, January 12th (New Date)
More details to come!
From HMS PTA
We would like to keep you updated on events sponsored by the PTA. If you are not yet receiving these emails and you would like to, please add your email(s) to this form. You may always request to be removed by sending an email to president@hmspta.com.
Calendar
National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition:
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “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.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.
October
-
21: PTA Zumba (HMS Gym)
2:00pm
November
- Native American Heritage Month
- Military Family Appreciation Month
-
3: End of 1st Quarter and 2-Hour Early Release
-
6: No School
-
7: Election Day - No School
|
Helpful Links
|
