 This week we will observe Thanksgiving Break, and there will be no school Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the incredible work and dedication of our students, staff, and families. Your unwavering commitment to our school community has been instrumental in creating a positive and enriching learning environment.
Last week was packed with learning & excitement. On Monday, Lemon Road hosted visitors from the Region 5 Office, the literacy office, the ESOL office, Greenbriar West Elementary, and Mantua Elementary. Our teachers and students received rave reviews. The rounds were centered on the use of best practices to support multilingual learners, but we received positive feedback on student behavior, use of Benchmark Advance (new literacy basal resource), differentiation of instruction, and student engagement. These opportunities continue to affirm what an amazing school and community we have at Lemon Road.
Thursday we had a record turn-out for our Family Night & Book Fair event! We estimate over 275 students came back in the evening to participate. Thank you to our staff for planning and organizing this event, volunteers for supporting, and everyone else for participating! It is truly special when the whole community comes together for learning, books, food, and fun! A round of applause to Ms. Burke for running our successful Book Fair. We can’t wait to hear what our lions read this weekend. A big thank you to two community sponsors that helped us with the planting and protection of our Moon Tree – Honor Roll Remodeling and Merrifield Garden Center.
This week, sixth graders took a field trip to the Woodson Planetarium while Kindergarteners went to the Natural History Museum! Finally, this weekend our Girls on the Run closed out their fall season with their 5K! Thanks to our volunteers and parents for supporting! We look forward to the spring event for returning and new runners. Be on the lookout for registration information in the new year.
- Let us know if your child will require childcare for the remaining early release Mondays using this link.
- Our Lost & Found is full! Please stop by before December 9 to claim items. We will be donating any unlabeled items on the afternoon of December 9.
- Parent referrals for full-time placement in Advanced Academic Programs are due via email to akstraw@fcps.edu by December 15, 2024. You can find forms here or read more about AAP here.
- Tuesday morning we held retake pictures for all students and staff that wanted a retake or needed a photo for the year. Families can log in to purchase your child’s photo here.
- All parents/guardians/visitors must bring and scan a government-issued photo ID each time they visit school. Arrive early to events to ensure time for parking and check in.
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Prepare for Meals at School: Check out the breakfast and lunch menu!
- Have your child log into Clever from Lemon Road Student Links and access both Lexia and ST Math from home.
Our next 3-Hour Early Release is Monday, December 9th. These additional early release dates were added to the elementary calendar to give our staff required time to complete state literacy training. Please click this link to let us know if your child will go home in their typical route at 11:55 or will require childcare at Lemon Road.
The remaining scheduled dates for early release are:
- December 9
- February 24
- March 17
- April 28
- May 19
 We hope you all had a wonderful time at Family Night and huge thanks to all the staff and volunteers who made it happen! We also saw MANY families at Silver Diner last week - thank you for your support! Though things are slowing down before Winter Break we still have a few activities happening in December:
- Please consider donating to our annual Community Service Drive to support local families in need through local food bank SHARE of Mclean and the Kilmer Middle School Food Bank. Thank you for your generosity and support! You can contribute by:
- Dropping off food donations in the box in the lobby from Dec 1st - list of items needed
- Purchasing gift cards from our Amazon wish list
- Volunteering to help organize or deliver the food - email us at lemonroadpta@gmail.com
- The PTA will host a hot cocoa and cookies holiday treat for our amazing staff on Dec 16th - if you would like to help with decorations, set up, baking/buying cookies etc please email us at lemonroadpta@gmail.com
- Room Parents are starting to plan Winter Holiday Parties for Dec 20th - please reach out to your Room Parent Team to ask how you can help!
Community meetings regarding FCPS’ comprehensive boundary review will take place in each of the division's six regions. You are encouraged to attend the meeting in our region, which will take place on Monday, December 2nd, 6:30-8 p.m., at Westfield High School Cafeteria. A meeting close to Lemon Road will also be at Annandale High School on Thursday, December 12th from 6:45 - 8:15pm.
Register by clicking on the date above. Language interpretation will be available. If you are unable to attend, view the full list of meetings on the Comprehensive School Boundary Review webpage.
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took the screener, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about the screener on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact us.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Preparing for Winter Weather
- Lexia Parent Night
- Reducing Chronic Absenteeism in FCPS
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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Monday, November 25: A Week; Full SCA Meeting; Grade 5 Field Trip (George Mason University)
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Wednesday, November 27 - 29: Thanksgiving Holiday – School is Closed
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Monday, December 2: B Week; Community Service Drive Begins
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Tuesday, December 3: Band/Stings Full Rehearsal
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Wednesday, December 4: 4th Grade Eco Defense Meeting
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Thursday, December 5: 6th Grade Chorus Rehearsal
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Friday, December 6: Navy & Yellow Spirit Day; 5th Grade Eco Defense Meeting, 4th Grade Family Engagement Event (2 PM)
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Monday, December 9: Early Release (11:55); Band/Stings Full Rehearsal
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Wednesday, December 11: LRES Winter Evening Concert (Band, Strings & Chorus)
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Thursday, December 12: LRES Winter Morning Abbreviated Concert (Band, Strings & Chorus)
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Friday, December 13: Community Service Drive Ends
FCPS 2024-2025 School Year Calendar
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