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The Lion’s Roar

Monday, October 7, 2024

Honoring Our Hispanic Students

Check out our Hispanic Heritage Month Wall of Honor that hangs in the hallway near the cafeteria! Students of Hispanic heritage were invited to send in pictures and/or write their names and countries of heritage on cards to decorate our big map of the Hispanic areas of the world. Thanks to all the families who've participated so far. There's still time to add your child's picture. We're still adding them! The map will remain up through the end of October. Just email the information and/or picture to our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu.

Upcoming Events

• Continuing through Wednesday, 10/15 – Hispanic Heritage Month
• Tuesday, 10/8 through Thursday, 10/10 – Cognitive Abilities Testing (CogAT), 2nd grade students
• Wednesday, 10/9 through Monday, 10/28 – Social-Emotional Screener (see the list of specific dates below)
• Wednesday, 10/9 – Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day
• Thursday, 10/10 & Friday, 10/11 – Make-up Picture Days for students who were absent on their class Picture Day (specific families will be notified)
• Thursday, 10/10 – PTA Meeting (virtual), 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, 10/14 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday (Indigenous Peoples’ Day), students DO NOT report
• Thursday, 10/17 – Cultural Awareness and Recognition Event (CARE) Night, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Cafeteria (RSVP here)
• Friday, 10/18 – “Family Friday Breakfast Bites” for 3rd and 4th grade families, 8:30 a.m., Cafeteria
• Friday, 10/18 – Field Day
• Monday, 10/21 – Early Release Monday, dismissal at 1:05 p.m.
• Monday, 10/21 – PTA Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser, 2 – 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, 10/22 & Wednesday, 10/23 – PTA Restaurant Nights at Smyrna in the Hayfield Shopping Center
• Friday, 10/25 – “Family Friday Breakfast Bites” for 5th & 6th grade families, 8:30 a.m., Cafeteria
• Sunday, 10/27 – PTA Trunk or Treat, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, 10/28 – SCA Spirit Day “Magic Hat Day”
• Tuesday, 10/29 – SCA Spirit Day “Twin/Team Day”
• Wednesday, 10/30 – SCA Spirit Day “Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness”
• Thursday, 10/31 – SCA Spirit Day “Orange & Black Day”; End-of-Quarter 2-hour Early Release, dismissal at 2:05 p.m.
• Friday, 11/1 – Diwali Holiday, FCPS Schools and Offices CLOSED
• Friday, 11/1 - PTA Play & Chat for Families and Students with Disabilities, 5:30 p.m., main playground
• Monday, 11/4 & Tuesday, 11/5 – Student Holidays/Teacher Workdays, students do not report

In This Issue

• Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 9th!
• Did Your Child Miss Their Class Fall Picture Day? Make-Ups Will Be Offered October 10th & 11th
• Fall Cultural Awareness & Recognition Event (CARE) Night Is Next Thursday, October 17th!
• Field Day Is Coming Soon – Friday, October 18th! Volunteers Needed!
• 2nd Grade Cognitive Abilities Testing (CogAT) Tuesday, October 8th through Thursday, October 10th
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screening Begins This Week
• Family Friday “Breakfast Bites” Are Back Next Friday!
• PTA News: October meeting, Read-a-Thon wrap-up, upcoming Restaurant Nights, and more!
• Parent Resources: Immunization clinics, upcoming webinars
• FCPS News & Activities: Social Studies Basal Resources review, Strategic Plan – Goal 5, Community Conversations

News & Notes

Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day Is Wednesday, October 9th!

Get ready to walk, ride, or roll to Lane on Wednesday, October 9th, as part of Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day. In this nationwide effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools, students and staff are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work, where safe to do so, that day. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school.

Did Your Child Miss Their Class Fall Picture Day? Make-Ups Will Be Offered October 10th & 11th 

If your child recently enrolled at Lane or was absent on their class Fall Picture Day, we will take your child’s picture later this week, either Thursday, October 10th (grades 4 through 6) or Friday, October 11th (kindergarten through grade 3). If we don’t have your child’s picture, you should have received a message earlier today.

Please note that these Picture Days are for new or absent students only. We will offer a separate Retake Day later in the year, once all fall pictures have been distributed.

Fall Cultural Awareness & Recognition Event (CARE) Night Is Next Thursday, October 17th!

Hispanic Heritage Month is just the first of many cultural holidays and awareness/recognition months that FCPS observes during the school year. Here at Lane, we are introducing a new series of events to showcase those observances and share cultural information in a fun, family-friendly way. These CARE (Cultural Awareness & Recognition Event) Nights will feature stations dedicated to different cultural activities and performances.

The date for the first CARE Night is Thursday, October 17th. The event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and we will highlight these early fall cultural happenings:

• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Rosh Hashanah
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Diwali
• Dia de los Muertos
• Disability History and Awareness Month

Each of these holidays and recognition months will be celebrated in a special space. We’ll feature lots of information about each one, plus a craft or interactive activity. We’ll have two musical performances and a read-aloud. We hope your family will be able to join us! Watch for a flyer with more information in this week’s Wednesday Folder.

If you already know now that you’re planning to attend, please RSVP here and let us know. This will help us ensure we have enough activity supplies on hand that night.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown on Friday, October 11th; FCPS Evening-Only Religious and Cultural Observance

According to Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is when God decides each person’s fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for sins committed during the past year. This holiest day in Judaism begins at sundown on Friday, October 11th, and continues to nightfall on Saturday, October 12th. May all in our Jewish community observing Yom Kippur have an easy and meaningful fast.

In observance of this holy day for many, Friday, October 11th will be an evening-only Religious and Cultural Observance day in FCPS. There is school that day, but important events will not occur after school. See the complete school year calendar.

Field Day Is Coming Soon – Friday, October 18th! Volunteers Needed!

Our annual Field Day event will be held on Friday, October 18th during the school day. Students will have an hour to rotate through different stations with their classmates. Here is the grade-level schedule:

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.: 5th & 6th grade 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.: 3rd & 4th grade 12:50 – 1:50 p.m.: Kindergarten 1:55 – 2:55 p.m.: 2nd grade 2:25 – 3:25 p.m.: Multiple-abilities classes (small groups in the Gym) 2:55 – 3:55 p.m.: 1st grade Volunteers are needed to help with our Field Day stations throughout the day.

If you’re available, and would like to help, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44ACAE2BA6FA7-51078761-field,

2nd Grade Cognitive Abilities Testing (CogAT) Tuesday, October 8th through Thursday, October 10th 

We will administer the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to all 2nd graders over three days this week – Tuesday, October 8th through Thursday, October 10th. It is important that your child attend school on these days, if possible. If your child must miss school on these days and your child does not have another ability test result in their student record, they will have an opportunity to take another ability test later this fall.

The purpose of the CogAT is to provide information about students’ developed abilities in verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning. The types of tasks included in the test are based on content that children are likely to have experienced in school. However, the way questions are asked and specific test content are not necessarily what children have previously experienced. Children are not expected to know the answers to all questions and will be given opportunities to practice sample items before taking the test. The CogAT is an abilities test, so children are not expected to study or prepare for the test the way they would for an achievement test.

Score reports will be provided to parents once results become available.
Typically, these reports are available before winter break. If you have any
questions about this test, please contact the Advanced Academics Resource
Teacher (AART), Linda Simon at lesimon@fcps.edu, or school test
coordinators, Allen Dickens and Julie Kubiak, at adickens@fcps.edu and
jbkubiak@fcps.edu.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screening Begins This Week

FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.

The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills such as achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.

After each screening, results will be available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families who don’t have a ParentVUE account. For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.

Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVUE.

For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage or contact our front office.

Please note that the SEL Screener is not the same as the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey, which will take place later this fall.

Here’s the schedule for screening by class:

• Wednesday, 10/9: Ms. Brusick’s 3rd grade and Mr. Morris’ 5th grade
• Friday, 10/11: Ms. Parton’s 3rd grade, Mr. Crocamo’s 6th grade, and Ms. Fitzgerald’s 6th grade
• Tuesday, 10/15: Ms. Cirillo’s 3rd grade, Ms. Stoddard’s 3rd grade, Ms. Priftis’ 4th grade, Mrs. Winiewicz’s 4th grade, and Ms. Benton’s 5th grade
• Wednesday, 10/16: Ms. McGregor’s 5th grade
• Thursday, 10/17: Ms. Winslow’s 4th grade, Ms. Peters’ 5th grade, and Ms. Wilson’s 6th grade
• Friday, 10/18: Ms. Jenkins’ 4th grade and Ms. Lewis’ 6th grade
• Monday, 10/21: Ms. Slomka’s 3rd grade
• Tuesday, 10/22: Mr. Benzelock’s 5th grade
• Monday, 10/28: Ms. Lopes’ 4th grade

Family Friday “Breakfast Bites” Are Back Next Friday, October 18th!

Last month we enjoyed several Family Friday “Breakfast Bites” events, a new initiative to bring families together by grade level for an informal morning meal before school. Next Friday, we’ll resume these events, inviting 3rd and 4th grade families to join us from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. in the cafeteria. We just ask that each family bring a breakfast dish or item to share (muffins, donuts, casseroles, etc.). If you are a 3rd or 4th grade family that would like to attend, please RSVP here and let us know what you’ll be bringing.

We will hold our final fall “Breakfast Bites,” for our 5th and 6th grade families, on Friday, October 25th.

PTA News & Announcements

Join the PTA for their October Meeting Virtually on Thursday, October 10th, 6:30 p.m.

All Lane families are invited to attend the second PTA meeting of the year this Thursday, October 10th at 6:30 p.m. on Google Meet. Discussion of exciting events on the horizon will be in the spotlight. This meeting will be completely virtual, so feel free to join from wherever you are. 

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pmc-ojyk-xvx
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 570-989-0079 PIN: ‪717 594 298#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pmc-ojyk-xvx?pin=6458216260678

Read-a-Thon Wrap-Up

THANK YOU to everyone who made our second annual Read-a-Thon such a huge success! Because of your generous donations, the PTA was able to raise $31,624! This means we will have fully funded field trips this school year, and we will be able to continue supporting our teachers and school with things like classroom enhancements, family events, literacy programs, teacher appreciation, STEAM enrichment, and more!

We have had a blast these past few weeks with lots of Read-a-Thon fun! It kicked off with a Storybook Character Dress-Up Day, 2nd grade students got to silly string Mrs. Barbiere and Mrs. Prahl along the way, and the Cat in the Hat even made a surprise visit at Lane to congratulate the students for a job well done and remind them to turn in their minutes read! Because we reached our goal of $30,000, we closed out the week with a hilarious spectacle – Mr. Dickens wearing an inflatable lion costume all day long!

We are looking forward to celebrating all of our student's hard work on October 15th! We'll reveal the winners and deliver prizes, treat all students to popsicles, and have some awesome music at recess! Get ready for the fun!

Please sign up to support this celebration event and create beautiful memories with your children:
https://signup.com/go/aRaDFYS

Thank you all for your support of this year's Read-a-Thon!

Chuck E. Cheese Playdate Fundraiser Monday, October 21st, 2 to 8 p.m.

Trying to figure out what to do on the next Early Release Monday on October 21st? If so, come play with Lane classmates and friends at Chuck E. Cheese! Twenty percent of sales that afternoon will be donated back to Lane Elementary.

Chuck E. Cheese is located at 6301 Richmond Highway.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a drop-off event; parental supervision is required.

Restaurant Days at Smyrna Tuesday, October 22nd and Wednesday, October 23rd

Join the PTA for its monthly restaurant fundraiser on October 22nd and 23rd at Smyrna, a relatively new restaurant in our area that celebrates the Aegean kitchen, crafting Greek and Turkish dishes filled with the flavors of the region. Check out their menu here.

All Lane purchases from the entire day both days will help send a percentage of total back to our school. Watch Wednesday Folders for flyers (required for your purchase to count).

Lane Trunk or Treat October 27th, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Join us for our first-ever Trunk or Treat at Lane Elementary on Sunday, October 27th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It's just like trick or treating but in our school parking lot!

We’ll have only 50 parking spaces available for you to set up a table or decorate your vehicle and hand out candy, reserve your spot now at this sign-up link: https://signup.com/go/qjvrbQY.

PLEASE NOTE; This is not a drop-off event; parental supervision is required.

Want to participate, but can’t attend? Drop off candy at Lane or send in candy with your student before the end of the school day on Friday, October 25th. (Look for the hungry monster…she loves candy!)

Play & Chat for Families and Students with Disabilities on Friday, November 1st, 5:30 p.m.

Please join other Lane families and students with disabilities (visible and invisible) for an informal get-together, hosted by the Lane PTA, at the big Lane playground on Friday, November 1st from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. – and there will be snacks (and hopefully leftover Halloween candy).

This gathering will give our children a chance to play together outside of school and caregivers a chance to connect with one another. Although this gathering is geared towards families and students with disabilities, all are welcome! If the weather does not cooperate, we will reschedule for Friday, November 8th at the same time and place.

In order to gauge interest (and get a headcount for snacks), please fill out this form.

For any questions or to connect, please reach out to Kristyn King (inclusion@lanepta.org).

Thanks to Our PTA Sponsors!

The PTA would like to thank these sponsors for their support.

Parent Resources

Upcoming Immunization Clinics

Do your children still need to receive school immunizations? If so, consider these upcoming clinics:

Safeway Immunization Clinics for All FCPS Students

Safeway Pharmacy will be providing immunizations at Frost Middle School for all FCPS students at no cost on:

• Tuesday, October 8th, 3 – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, October 12th, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Monday, October 28th, 3 – 7 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students under the age of 19 to provide consent. Learn more about immunization resources and registering in other languages for the Safeway clinic.

Health Department Elementary School Clinics

The Fairfax County Health Department will provide immunizations for FCPS elementary students on limited early release Mondays at their district offices. All school-required immunizations will be offered at no cost. Call 703-246-7100 to make your appointment.

FREE Webinars from the Family Resource Center

Benchmark Advance: The New K-6 Language Arts Curriculum,

October 8, 2024, 6:30 – 8 p.m. OR October 9, 2024, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Join us for an overview of the new K-6 language arts curriculum. This will include background information regarding the Benchmark Advance and how this program is organized to ensure evidence-based literacy instruction for all K-6 students. Other highlights include defining evidence-based literacy instruction and scaffolds and supports for students with disabilities. Join the FCPS Instructional Services Department and FCPS Office of Special Education Instruction for this important webinar.

Register online.

Math Is Everywhere! Talking to Your Children about Mathematics

October 18, 2024, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Join the FCPS Elementary Math Team to discuss ways to engage your children in mathematics. During our time together we will highlight books, games, and other materials that assist you in talking about mathematics with your child throughout the day. Teaching math to your children doesn’t have to be intimidating. This webinar will provide concrete examples for caregivers with ideas to spark math joy.

Register online.

Transitioning with Confidence – Collaborating with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

October 25, 20204, 10-11:30 a.m.

DARS’ Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) works together with students, youth, families, schools and community agencies, and organizations to provide services that promote successful transitions from school to work and adult life. DRS offers two sets of services to help students with disabilities move from school to post-school life: pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) and vocational rehabilitation (VR) transition services. Supports available include job exploration, work-based learning, education and training options, workplace readiness, self-advocacy.

Register online.

FCPS News & Activities

Social Studies Basal Resources Review

FCPS is adopting Social Studies Basal Resources for the 2025-26 school year. Basal resources are the primary resources used to support instruction in a given subject. Public review of the instructional materials under consideration — which is part of the process for selecting new resources — is underway. Visit the Community Review webpage for more information on how to view the materials online or in person.

All community feedback will be shared with School Board members before they vote to select materials in spring 2025. FCPS adopts basal resources by the process outlined in Regulation 3004.

The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation

FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.

Our final goal is Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation. We are preparing our students for a future that has yet to be imagined. We must give them the skills they will need to succeed. Watch this video to see students exploring and preparing for careers through Career and Technical Experience programs. See how Goal 5 is being put into practice.

Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for any of the following conversations:

• Monday, October 14th, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Fairhill Elementary School.
• Monday, October 21st, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Virginia Run Elementary School.
• Wednesday, October 30th, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Herndon Middle School.

Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

7137 Beulah Street, Alexandria, VA 22315  |  Phone: 703.924.7700

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