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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
이 소식지를 다른 언어로 읽으려면, 우리 웹사이트를 방문하시기 바랍니다.
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 Congrats to our After School Program Volleyball Teams who went undefeated Friday night against the Liberty Lions
Principal's Message
Hello Stone Panther Families,
It's hard to believe we've already reached our final quarter of this school year! I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work our students and staff have accomplished these past few months. From tackling challenging projects, creating engaging and meaningful lessons to students demonstrating outstanding behavior, they've all truly impressed me.
Paper copies of Quarter 3 report cards will be distributed and coming home with students on Monday, April 8. Parent/StudentVUE will remain down until April 16.
The next few weeks will be a time to focus on finishing strong. Students should continue attending school and classes on time, completing assignments diligently, and seeking help from their teachers when needed.
But the final stretch isn't just about academics! We have a fantastic line-up of exciting year end events planned, including field trips, a school play, spring concets,our 8th promotion ceremony, and more. Keep an eye out for further details in upcoming newsletters and on our school website.
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📆 Save the Date: Parents of 8th grade students, Stone Middle School will be holding our 8th grade promotion ceremony at Westfield High School on June 5 at 6:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing all of our students and families at this event! Questions? Contact TLBrumett@fcps.edu.
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🎤 Guest Speaker: We are in search of a dynamic and unique guest speaker from our community who we could feature at our 8th grade promotion ceremony this year. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact Tami Brumett at TLBrumett@fcps.edu.
This time of year, the energy and enthusiasm at Stone is truly contagious, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds. Let's continue to support each other, celebrate our achievements, and make this final quarter truly memorable.
Let's have a great week Panthers!
Sonya Williams, Principal
📆Calendar Reminder: April 10th
In Islam, Eid-al-Fitr is a three day festival to mark the end of Ramadan. Muslims dress in new clothes, give charity, and pray in congregation. Eid is celebrated with the exchange of presents and delicious food with family and friends. Read more at Britannica.com.
Tuesday, April 9, has been designated as a half Observance day. Half Observance days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. Wednesday, April 10, is an FCPS holiday and all schools and offices will be closed. See the complete School Year Calendar.
🏫 Course Requests for the 24-25 School Year
All course selections are viewable for parents in ParentVue under the Course Requests tab until June 21st at 6pm.
Parents of 8th Grade Students
Westfield High School staffing decisions for the next school year is based on the courses requested during academic advising. Therefore, the deadline for schedule change requests for the 24-25 SY was March 1st for our rising 9 families. Course Request Verifications will be provided in May 2024, along with an opportunity to request level changes (e.g., HN to Standard Level) June 3rd - 14th, as space permits. The process for making such requests will be available in the coming weeks. Additional Resources are available regarding Academic Advising, Course Selections and Timelines on the Westfield High School Website.
Parents of 6th or 7th Grade Students
If you have questions about next year’s course selections, please contact your Stone school counselor or Tami Brumett at TLBrumett@fcps.edu
💻 Upcoming Spring Testing
In support of the focus on integrating reading and writing instruction to build student literacy skills, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has a new assessment item type for the grades 5, 8, and EOC 11 Reading SOL tests (beginning Spring 2024). The new item type asks students to write about what they have read in nonfiction passages that may include history/social science or science-based content. While reinforcing the importance of having students write about what they have read, this new integrated reading and writing item also provides a measure of students’ writing ability without requiring an additional test.
On Friday, April 22 or Monday, April 26 all 8th grade students at Stone MS will participate in the Integrated Reading and Writing Assessment (IRW) through their English class. Students have as long as they need to complete this assessment within one school day, but we anticipate this will take students between 60 - 90 minutes to complete. Please assist us in completing this assessment by having your students present and on time at school.
Additional Upcoming Spring SOL Testing Dates:
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Tuesday, May 7 - Reading Grade 7 & 8
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Friday, May 10 - Math Grade 7 & 8, Algebra
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Monday, May 13 or Tuesday, May 14 - Science Grade 8
If you have any questions about the IRW or any of the Spring SOL Tests, please contact our school testing coordinator, Jenni Maybury, at jpmaybury@fcps.edu.
🐾 Message from PTSA
May 6 - 10 is STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK! Please help us celebrate and thank our AMAZING Stone staff by donating a $10 gift card listed below!
The cards will be distributed during Staff Appreciation Week so please have all donations to the school by April 26 so we ensure every staff member is appreciated.
Please review the available slots and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
☀️ Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8
A solar eclipse is happening on April 8, 2024 starting at approximately 2:05pm. It's a rare and exciting astronomical phenomenon and one that requires important safety reminders. Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can permanently damage your eyes.
Here's what you need to know:
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Don't look at the sun without approved eyewear. This applies to students and staff, and we encourage you to reinforce this at home.
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Regular sunglasses are not good enough. The NASA website has more information about eye safety.
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Eclipse timing: The eclipse starts around 2:04 p.m. which is really close to Stone MS dismissal time, peaks at 3:20 p.m. and ends around 4:32 p.m. Please remind your child to be especially vigilant about eye safety during dismissal. If you have concerns about your child walking or riding the bus home, please arrange for alternative transportation.
📖 Lexia Parent Night: How We Help Your Child Learn to Read
Attend a virtual information night to learn about Lexia on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. Participants will discover how FCPS is integrating this program into the classroom to support student literacy growth. Tips for supporting students at home will also be shared. Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on level by the end of third grade.
🌎 International Night Celebration
 Stone is partnering with Westfield High School for their International Night Celebration. Westfield’s International Night will be Friday, April 12 beginning at 5:00 p.m. There will be a potluck, fashion show, performances, and food trucks.
- 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Pot Luck (Cafe)
- 6:15 - 7:00 p.m. - Fashion Show (Gym)
- 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Performances (Gym)
- 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Food Trucks (Kiss and Ride)
This event will be the kickoff for our own Stone Multicultural Spirit Week beginning Monday, April 15.
🏃🏽♀️Summer Sports Registration
🏑SYA Field Hockey Spring Clinic
⛳Froghair Golf Classic
🏈 Summer Non-Contact Skills Camp
⏰ Community Forums on Middle School Start Times
Fairfax County Public Schools is exploring options for adjusting middle school start times and invites the public to be part of the process. All forums will deliver the same presentation and provide the same feedback opportunities. Please attend the event that works best for your schedule:
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Monday, April 29, 6-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School.
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Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School.
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Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at Hughes Middle School.
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Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School.
Registration is not required but does help with planning. Click one of the dates above to register. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.
🩴Summer Learning Opportunities
 All rising middle schoolers are invited to attend a summer of fun and leisure with VIP Camp. VIP Camp — which takes place Monday, July 1, to Thursday, August 1 — is designed to encourage teens to develop healthy and positive recreation interests and features a wide variety of leisure activities and programs.
Registration is open. VIP Camp costs $100 to attend. Reach out to our after-school specialist, Mr. Anderson - nmanderson@fcps.edu, for scholarship availability due to financial hardship. This camp is sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.
Additional Summer Learning Opportunities
Visit our Summer Learning Opportunites webpage to learn more about all the opportunities for Summer 2024.
District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Month of the Military Child
- Register for the FCPS Family Summit
- Teaching Real-World Math Skills
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
Stone Quick Links
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