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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.
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Message from Ms. Kearns
Hello Bruin Families,
What a fun week we have had here with our Stress Less activities. Thank you to our SGA for organizing. We do have one more day of SOL testing next Monday, which also marks the first day of AP testing. Please see the information below for important information regarding AP exams.
Last week, LB hosted the fifth annual Battle of the Books competition. In the largest gathering to date, 14 schools from across the county showed off their book knowledge in a variety of trivia games. The Lake Braddock team was coached by Librarians Diane Rogers & Mike VanWambeke and came in 6th place overall at the end of the four-game challenge. Thank you to our librarian team for their hard work hosting the event again this year.
One year ago, on May 1st, I had the incredible privilege of becoming Principal at Lake Braddock Secondary School. It's been an absolute joy serving this amazing community! I'm beyond grateful to all of the families who partner alongside me – your support is what truly makes this a great place for our students and staff to thrive. The future is bright at Lake Braddock Secondary School, and I'm excited to continue this journey together!
Lindsey Kearns
Battle of the Books 2024
In May, we celebrate:
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- Jewish American Heritage Month
- Better Hearing and Speech Month
- National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
- May 3 - Orthodox Good Friday (Teacher Work Day)
- May 5 - Orthodox Easter
- May 6-10 - Staff Appreciation Week
- May 7 - National Fentanyl Awareness Day
- May 8 - National School Nurse Day
- May 10 - School Communicators Day
- May 18 - National Speech Pathologist Day
In this Issue
New Information and Important Reminders
End-of-Year Schedule Changes
AP Testing Information
AP Proctors Still Needed
Morning Attendance Notifications During Testing
HS Yearbooks
MS Theatre Presents The Big Friendly Giant
Class of 2024 News
Important Dates
Parent Help Needed for Prom
Senior Awards
LBSS AI Series for Caregivers
Episode 4: Skills for Careers of the Future
Family Liaison News
Athletics and Activities News
LBSS PTSA
Adult Volunteers needed for All Night Grad Party
FCPS News
Quick Links
New Information and Important Reminders
End-of-Year Schedule Changes
May 23 -- Final Exams begin for Seniors
May 27 -- Memorial Day (Holiday)
May 29 -- 2nd and 8th periods flipped due to Senior Class Final Exams
June 4 -- Graduation Day (10:30 am release)
June 6 -- Final Exams begin for 7th-11th grade -- half-days begin
June 12 -- Last day of School (10:00 am release)
AP Testing Information
If your student is taking at least one AP exam THIS May (2024), please read the important AP information found here.
https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/advanced-placement
It is important that your student is aware of their responsibilities on AP exam day(s), and they come prepared.
Please contact the AP Testing Team below with any questions.
Lynn Carrera: lncarrera@fcps.edu
Deb Brown: dsbrown1@fcps.edu
Gary Ranallo: gwranallo@fcps.edu
AP Proctors Still Needed
LB Parents! We start Monday and we NEED you! 81 slots filled and 54 to go. You can sign up for as many slots as you want, including back-to-back slots. A school counselor will be in charge of each exam and all you will do is help hand out/collect exams and walk around as students take the exams. That is it! Your student does not need to be enrolled in AP Exams to help. Bring a friend. We welcome Middle School parents too. Please consider helping out in this very meaningful way. We will have teachers assigned, but if YOU take a slot, we can release them, and they get their planning period back. These exams are during Staff Appreciation Week and THIS is what teachers want.
Sign up at the link below. If you have questions, just let us know. THANK YOU!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0944A8AD2CA1FB6-lake6#/
Morning Attendance Notifications Delayed During Spring Assessments
Morning attendance calls, texts, and e-mail notifications will not be suspended this spring during the AP, IB, and SOL testing windows for middle and high schools.
The purpose of this change is to ensure student safety and timely notification of families regarding student absences. Schools need to follow standard attendance procedures and record student attendance throughout the testing windows. Morning attendance notifications will be delayed by one hour during the AP, IB, and SOL testing windows for middle and high schools to allow additional time to take attendance. Evening attendance notification will continue as normally scheduled.
Morning notifications will be delayed by one hour from April 22 through May 24, 2024.
The high school yearbooks are coming! Reserve your copy of the 2024 Lair high school yearbook via the website (www.yearbookordercenter.com code 5061) or via My School Bucks before we are sold out. Not sure if you have already reserved a book? Email tbpoquis@fcps.edu to check. Include your student’s name and grade.
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Class of 2024 News
Important Dates
May 17, 2024 - Prom - Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park
June 4, 2024 - Graduation - Eagle Bank Arena @ 2:00 pm
June 5, 2024 - All Night Grad Party @ Saint James 11:00 pm
Parent Help Needed for Prom
Class of 2024 parents and guardians, we request your help/support at Fairview Park Marriott. Please click THIS LINK and sign up to volunteer.
Senior Awards
If your student has received a scholarship they are using or are joining the military and want to be recognized at the Senior Awards on May 30 at 1:30PM, they must complete the Scholarship/Military Google form by May 12. Please note that this does not take the place of the mandatory Senior Survey.
LBSS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Series for Caregivers
In our ever-evolving world, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role. To equip you and your student(s) for the future, we're excited to announce the launch of the Lake Braddock AI Series for Caregivers. Over the next few weeks, the New You Choose will provide you with accessible information about AI, its applications, and its potential activities. We hope through theses snippets you will gain some knowledge to navigate this exciting new frontier alongside your child.
Did you miss an earlier episode of the Lake Braddock Caregivers Series on artificial intelligence? You can find each previous episode on the Lake Braddock website!
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AI Series: Episode 4
Skills for Careers of the Future
Did you know that according to LinkedIn, AI will create approximately 97 million new jobs? Artificial Intelligence technologies are impacting careers in many ways and though many simple tasks can be done with AI, that doesn’t mean that humans aren’t needed.
Preparing for a career in AI requires many of the skills we practice every day. Students should work on problem solving and computational thinking to prepare to build the next generations of AI programs. It’s also important to strengthen creativity and digital art skills to help build the user experience. As with all careers, collaboration is essential to success. While offering opportunities to build engineering knowledge is helpful, remember that your family game nights and escape rooms also help give your student skills they will need for a future job in AI.
Try this!
- Explore job listings on Indeed that involve AI. You might see listings for an “automation ethicist,” “interactive chatbot designer,” “generative AI expert,” or “machine learning builder.”
- Or consider taking a look at Indeed’s list of 18 Artificial Intelligence Jobs and Outlook together.
🗣️ Conversation starters for your family:
- What do you think are the skills you’ll need in the future, regardless of whether or not AI takes over some jobs?
- Talking Point #1: Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving - the same skills as FCPS’s Portraig of a Graduate!
- If you could invent a type of AI to help the world, what problem would it solve?
- Imagine you’re a doctor. You now have an AI assistant that helps diagnose patients. How might that change the way you work?
- Talking Point #1: Could lead to faster diagnoses, reduced errors and more efficient and streamlined workflows.
- Talking Point #2: The AI's effectiveness depends on the quality and completeness of the data it's trained on. I would need to be confident in the source and biases of the data.
- Talking Point #3: AI cannot replicate the humanity side of medicine. Building trust and rapport with patients are things that AI cannot do on its own.
- Imagine a world where AI can do almost any task. What do you think people would spend their time doing?
Family Liaison News
Please stay up-to-date with our Family Liaisons on our web site:
https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/student-services/information-our-family-liaisons
There you will find our weekly newsletters full of important information for our families.
Additional Resources
Family and School Partnerships
Family Resource Center
Parenting Education Programs through Fairfax County
English Empowerment Center: USA Learns
English Empowerment Center: Free Conversation Class and Continued Learning Between Semesters
Athletics and Activities News
Learn more about our Student Activities Program!
lakebraddockbruins.com
LBSS News You Choose (Sign up and select Athletics & Activities)
LBSS PTSA
For up-to-date information, please visit lbssptsa.org.
We are in search of adult volunteers to make our 2024 All Night Grad Party a success! Please consider volunteering, especially if you have a senior but we are also in need of underclassmen volunteers as well. Feel free to recruit friends and neighbors too! The success of this event relies on our volunteer parents. We have two shifts available as well as non-overnight tasks. Sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CABAB28AB9-47998145-allnight#/
FCPS News
Let's Finish the School Year Strong! Student attendance at school is important all year long, up to the last day of school. Attendance has an effect on student performance and on school accreditation. See how to:
- Check your child’s attendance record.
- Help your student stay engaged at school.
- Report future absences.
- Understand the FCPS school calendar.
Learn more about attendance resources.
No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students
Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide a safe space to address concerns such as:
- Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss
- Anxiety, worry, fears
- Social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships
- Academic stress
In order for students to participate, caregivers must give permission for FCPS to share basic demographic information with Hazel Health in ParentVUE and provide consent. Students can then be referred to therapy by a guardian or school staff member.
You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting our school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services. Find our contact information on this webpage.
Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.
Save the Date for FCPS’ Summer Extravaganza
Don’t miss a day of family fun and learning at the FCPS Summer Extravaganza!
Stop by Woodson High School on Saturday, June 1, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., where students will be able to take part in engaging educational activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire growth.
Representatives from local businesses, Fairfax County Public Library, and the Fairfax County Park Authority are participating in the Summer Extravaganza. Community organizations, such as Neighborhood Community Services, will be at the event as well. All will have learning activities, tips, and helpful information for families. Enjoy face painting, food, music, a moon bounce, a petting zoo, storytime, and student performances — all at no cost!
Visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage for more details and register to attend. Registration is not required, but it's helpful for planning purposes.
Required Immunizations for Rising 7th and 12th Graders
Immunizations are required for all students entering 7th and 12th grades this fall. Visit the FCPS immunization webpage to learn about the required vaccines. Caregivers should ask their private healthcare provider or the health department to review their student's immunization record to ensure that their student has received these required immunizations.
It is important to schedule immunizations early in the summer, as seventh-grade students must submit documentation of the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines before they begin school in August. Twelfth-grade students must submit documentation of the Meningococcal vaccine. Get more information on all student immunization requirements.
Summer Arts Camp
Don’t miss out on this summer’s most exciting arts enrichment program! The Institute for the Arts camp is for students currently in grade 6-11. Students design their own schedules and select from art, music, theater, and dance classes. Learn more on the IFTA webpage. Email IFTA@fcps.edu with any questions.
No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for All High School Students
Is your high schooler experiencing anxiety, behavior changes, or challenges with peer and family relationships? If so, parents/caregivers can refer their children for weekly therapy with a licensed therapist through Hazel Health. Visit the Teletherapy webpage for information on how to opt your child into this service.
Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Continue
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future – A Community Conversation. Your voice matters! Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to a conversation on:
- Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Graham Road Elementary School.
- Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South County Middle School.
- Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Terraset Elementary School.
- Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Hybla Valley Elementary School.
- Thursday, May 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Poe Middle School.
- Tuesday, May 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help FCPS plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. Events are open to all. Learn about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
District News/In Case You Missed It
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- May Webinars and Events for Families
- Required Immunizations for Rising 7th and 12th Graders
- No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
Quick Links
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