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

The Lion’s Roar

April 12, 2024

A “Sun-sational” Solar Eclipse!

Without a doubt, the highlight of this week was the solar eclipse on Monday. Classes across the school took a break in classroom learning to go outside and get a lesson from the universe as they watched (safely, of course!) the sun and moon put on a very special show in the sky.

Upcoming Events

• Monday, 4/15 – “Muffins with Military Lions” Month of the Military Child Celebration Muffin Exchange, 8:30 a.m. All families welcome!
  
• Tuesday, 4/16 & Wednesday, 4/17 – PTA Restaurant Days at Kumo Asian Bistro, Manchester Lakes (all day)
• Wednesday, 4/17 – “Purple Up!” Day for Military Kids – wear purple to show your support for our military students
• Friday, 4/19 – Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) SOL Test for 5th Grade
• Friday, 4/19 – PTA “Play & Chat” for Lane families of all abilities! 4:30 p.m., Main Playground
• Friday, 5/3 – CORRECTED DATE! Student Holiday/Teacher Workday – Students DO NOT report

In This Issue

• Month of the Military Child Morning Reception on Monday; “Purple Up! Day” on Wednesday
• Photos Needed for Military-Student/Family Slide Show
• From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Fourth Quarter Overdue Notices
• Celebrating Arab- and Muslim-American Families
• Lane Is Looking for a Few Good Teachers! Could You Be One of Them?
• Parent Resources: Family Summit, summer camps, and more!
• Community Events & Activities: Techstravaganza
• FCPS News & Announcements: Budget update, school health services survey

News & Notes

Month of the Military Child Morning Reception on Monday; “Purple Up! Day” on Wednesday

April is the Month of the Military Child (MOMC), and here at Lane we are planning several special activities to celebrate the strength, spirit, and resilience of the many young military-connected lions we have in our community. Nearly 25 percent of our student body is military-connected.

On Monday morning, April 15th, at 8:30 a.m., we will host a “Muffins with Military Lions” reception to kick off “Purple Up! Week” (a nationwide celebration dedicated to military children). In the past, this reception has been for military families only, but we recognize that all Lane Lions are connected to these students as classmates, friends, neighbors, and more! So this year, all Lane Lions – military and non-military – and their families are welcome!

We ask that each family bring a dozen mini muffins or half a dozen full-size muffins to share with others. Muffins can be store-bought or homemade. We just ask that if you make your own you provide an ingredients list so that our families with allergies can choose safely. If you’d like join us that morning, please fill out this RSVP form and tell us what you’ll bring.

On Wednesday, April 17th – celebrated across the nation as “Purple Up! Day” – we encourage all students and staff to wear purple to show their support for military kids and honor their strength and sacrifices as members of military-connected families. Why purple? Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Navy blue, Space Force dark blue, and Marine red. We hope your children will join other Lane students and staff in “purpling up” their wardrobes on Wednesday! 

In addition to these events, we are also encouraging our military-connected students to share their experiences as military children with their classmates during Morning Meeting throughout this month. If your child would like to participate, please sign up here.

Photos Needed for Military Student/Family Slide Show

To end our Month of the Military Child activities, we will create a special slide show featuring our military students! If you are a military family and would like us to include your child(ren) in the slide show, please email pictures (no more than three, please) to our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu.

When you send the pictures, please let us know that it is OK to use the family name in the show (i.e. – The Smith Family). The slide show will not be shared publicly; it will only be shown at school.

Pictures must be received by Friday, April 26th to be included in the slide show.

From the Shelves of the Lane Library: Fourth Quarter Overdue Notices

Dear Lane Readers,

With the start of fourth quarter, please note that the library will be emailing overdue notices on Thursday, April 18th. Students who have books that were due on or before March 22nd will receive a notice.

Please do your best to look for these books and return them in good condition! It is also possible that books have been sent to school but have not yet made it to the library. If this is the case, apologies in advance for the crossed communication.

As a reminder, there are no fines for overdue books, however families are expected to pay the replacement cost for lost or damaged books.

Contact Sue Chozick, Librarian, at schozick@fcps.edu with any questions.

Celebrating Our Muslim and Arab American Families This Month

Throughout April people across the United States celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month and Muslim American Heritage Month. These histories are a foundational part of American history. These month-long recognitions give us an opportunity to honor diverse and important stories in our school community.

National Arab American Heritage Month

FCPS is proud to celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month in April. This special month provides an opportunity to recognize the history and valuable contributions of Arab Americans. Arab Americans have ancestry in one of the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa through western Asia.

The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage.

Muslim American Heritage Month

Muslim American Heritage Month is a time for celebrating the history, contributions, culture, and an enhanced understanding of the diverse population of Muslim Americans. View the Fairfax County School Board resolution honoring Muslim American Heritage Month.

Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.

Here at Lane, we would like to mark these recognition months in two ways:

First, we invite all of our students who identify as Muslim or Arab/Arab American to share something from that culture with their Lane friends and families. Students are encouraged to bring in an item to put on display.

The item must be:

• Specific to an Arab or Muslim culture
• No larger than a lunchbox or heavier than 5 pounds
• Non-breakable (to protect the item when taking it back and forth to school)
• School-appropriate for elementary-aged students.

Sharp items or weapons of any kind are prohibited

Each item must be accompanied by a large index card or half-sheet of paper that includes the following information:

• Student’s name
• Student’s teacher’s name
• What the item is and/or where it is from
• One or two sentences about why this item is important to the student and/or how it relates to Arab or Muslim culture.

Items without written information will not be displayed. Please note that Lane and FCPS are not liable for loss of or damage to any item brought in to display.

Second, we would like to create two slide shows – one featuring our Arab and Arab American students and one featuring our Muslim students. (Students may be featured in both.) If you would like for us to include a picture of your child, please email it to our family liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy at macrosby@fcps.edu no later than Friday, April 26th. Please be sure to let us know which slide show(s) you would like to have the pictures included in.

We hope your student will participate and look forward to learning more about your family and culture!

Lane Is Looking for a Few Good Teachers! Could You Be One of them?

PTA News

Join Us at Kumo Asian Bistro Tuesday, April 16th & Wednesday, April 17th!

Please join the Lane PTA for its April Restaurant Days at Kumo Asian Bistro in the Manchester Lakes shopping center on Tuesday, April 16th, or Wednesday, April 17th (or both!) A percentage of sales generated by Lane families for the entire day will be donated back to our school! Both dine-in and takeout orders count. Be sure to present the flyer sent home in Wednesday Folders to your server. For online orders, write Lane as part of your name (“Name-Lane”). You can order or just preview the menu online at kumoasianbistrova.com.

Thanks for supporting the Lane PTA and our local restaurants!

Parent Resources

Register Today for the FCPS Family Summit

Registration is open for the FCPS Family Summit, which will take place on Saturday, April 20th, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Marshall High School. The conference will cover topics that are helpful for all families such as raising resilient, independent children; forming meaningful connections with children; addressing big emotions; and the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. Participants may also join online sessions, which will provide supports for students with disabilities and their families.

Visit the Family Summit webpage to learn about the guest speakers and to register for the event. The theme — Safe, Supported, and Included — aligns with Goal 2 of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan.

Rec-PAC Is Now Registering for the Summer and Lane Will Be a Site! Rec-PAC (Pretty Awesome Children), operated by Fairfax County Park Authority, is a six-week structured recreation program with emphasis on leisure skills designed for elementary school children.

Participants will have an opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of activities such as fun and fitness, indoor and outdoor games, team sports, nature, crafts, storytelling, sports festivals, talent shows and supervised play sessions. Each location has a ratio of 1 staff person to 18 participants. Lane will be a Rec-PAC site this summer.

Rec-PAC runs from Monday, June 24th through Thursday, August 1st. Each of the six weeks has its own theme with different themed activities happening throughout the week. You can sign your child up for any of the individual weeks or all of them!

Registration is now underway. Scholarships are available for families who qualify. You can find details in the Rec-PAC brochure.

Attention 6th Grade Parents: Summer VIP Camp Now Registering!

All rising middle schoolers are invited to attend a summer of fun and leisure with VIP Camp. VIP Camp — which takes place Monday, July 1st to Thursday, August 1st — is designed to encourage teens to develop healthy and positive recreation interests and features a wide variety of leisure activities and programs. VIP Camp costs $100 to attend.

This camp is sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. Students who will attend Hayfield and Twain Middle Schools will attend the VIP Camp at Sandburg Middle School. Use this link to register for that program.

Scholarships may be available for families struggling with financial hardship. Reach out to Sandburg’s after-school specialist for more information.

Space is limited so register soon! You can learn more at http://bit.ly/VIPcamp2024.

Mental Health in Childhood

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with children’s physical and mental health. Mental health disorders such as ADHD and anxiety, which often occur together, are the most common disorders diagnosed in children.

Anxiety is feelings of worry, apprehension, or dread that something bad is going to happen. Children diagnosed with ADHD may have trouble paying attention and/or controlling impulsive behaviors or be overly active. Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference in the lives of children with mental health disorders.

Anxiety-related triggers are lonely and frightening emotional responses related to situations, persons, places, or objects. Today’s sources of stress for our students include increased coursework and graduation requirements, extracurricular activities, household responsibilities, and social media. Social media has been a great way to increase connection and communication, but for our young people it contributes to shorter attention spans and information overload. Signs of anxiety include appearing worried, irritable or nervous, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, along with physical symptoms such as sleeping problems, headaches, and stomach aches.

It is understandable for a parent to be worried because figuring out what to do is hard. Here are five simple ways to respond to teens with anxiety:

1. Recognize warning signs.
2. Guide your child to take a few deep breaths to slow things down.
3. Make sure your child understands you are available if they need to talk.
4. Acknowledge your child’s feelings and avoid downplaying situations or issues.
5. Help them come up with ways to deal with the situation next time.

For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at 571-423-4270.

For further Information and support, contact Bryan Villalobos, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, at bvillalobos@fcps.edu.

Sources & Resources

• The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens
• Talk, They Hear You
• Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences

Upcoming Free Webinars from the Family Resource Center

Registration for April webinars sponsored by the Family Resource Center is now underway! Here are two offerings:

Meet the Author Series: Gifted and Distractible with Julie Skolnick

Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 7 – 8 p.m.

Does your child exhibit giftedness and behavioral issues like meltdowns, power struggles, and difficulty relating to peers? Are they out-of-the-box thinkers requiring different teaching and learning methods? 

Join us for a discussion with author Julie Skolnick about her innovative and timely book for families of twice-exceptional children.

Register for this event

Behavior Solution Series: Proactive Strategies for Effective Communication

Friday, April 19, 2024, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

We will equip you with strategies for navigating the teen years. Uncover the secrets to fostering open communication, building trust, and transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

Register for this event

Community Events & Activities

Techstravaganza STEM Event at TJ on May 18th!

Techstravaganza is a free, public, hands-on STEM activity fair for elementary and middle school students in Northern Virginia. In previous years, the event has included more than 4,500 students and 70 labs presenting STEM activities. The 20th annual Techstravaganza will be held on Saturday, May 18th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Annandale.

Slots fill up fast, so register today at https://tinyurl.com/techstrav24. Visit tjtechstrav.org for more information.

FCPS News & Announcements

Give Your Feedback on the Budget

We are now in the middle of the annual budget process, which includes opportunities for you to give feedback:

• Tuesday, April 16th, through Thursday, April 18th: The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors conducts public hearings on the county budget. Sign up to speak.
• Tuesday, May 7th: The County Board of Supervisors adopts its budget, tax rates, and transfer amount to FCPS.
• Tuesday, May 14th: The School Board holds a public hearing on the FCPS budget.
• Thursday, May 23rd: The School Board adopts FCPS’ approved budget.

Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget and see the full Budget Development Calendar.

School Health Services Satisfaction Survey

The Fairfax County Health Department and FCPS School Health Services invite parents/caregivers to participate in a survey on the level of satisfaction with support provided to your school community by School Health Services.

The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is open until Friday, April 26th. Your feedback can help to improve school health services.

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