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The Lion's Roar
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 – Special Snow Day Edition
Happy New Year and Welcome Back, Lane Families!
We hope you had a warm and restful Winter Break!
Lions in the Snow
Lane Lions of all ages are enjoying the snowstorm!
  
Upcoming Events
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Thursday, 1/9 – Rising 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night at Hayfield Middle School, 6 – 8 p.m. (snow date: Monday, 1/13)
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Thursday, 1/9 – PTA Meeting (virtual), 6:30 p.m.
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Thursday, 1/9 – PTA Cub Clubs registration ends, 11:59 p.m.
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Monday, 1/13 – Mark Twain Middle School Curriculum Night, 6 – 8 p.m. (snow date: Tuesday, 1/21)
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Tuesday, 1/14 & Wednesday, 1/15 – PTA Restaurant Nights at La Fiamma, 5 – 9 p.m.
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Friday, 1/17 – Spelling Bee registration forms due
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Monday, 1/20 – Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Holiday and Inauguration Day, School, Office, and SACC CLOSED
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Wednesday, 1/29 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, students do not report
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Tuesday, 2/4 – Rising 7th Grade Parent Coffee at Hayfield Middle School, 6 – 8 p.m. (Snow date: Wednesday, 2/12)
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Thursday, 2/6 – Lane PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
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Tuesday, 2/11 & Wednesday, 2/12 – PTA Restaurant Nights at Chick-fil-A, 4 – 9 p.m.
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Thursday, 2/13 – Spelling Bee, 4:45 p.m. (snow date: Thursday, 2/20)
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Monday, 2/17 – President’s Day Holiday, School, office, and SACC CLOSED
In This Issue
- Administrators' Message: Welcome Back, Lane Families!
- Be Among the First to Hear about School Delays/Closings
- News from the P.E. Department – Elite Martial Arts Visits Next Week!
- FCPS Math Week Coming Next Week, January 13th – 17th
- Christian Holidays This Month
- Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration
- “Walk in My Shoes” Coming in January! Volunteers Needed!
- 6th Grade Middle School Transition Begins in January!
- Save the Date for the 2025 Lane Spelling Bee – Thursday, February 13th
- Help Wanted: Seeking Dining Assistant for Our Cafeteria
- PTA News: Cub Club registration extended, meeting Thursday night, upcoming Restaurant Night
- Parent Resources: Family Resource Center webinars, Family Academy courses
- FCPS News & Activities: Boundary review update
News & Notes
Administrators’ Message: Welcome Back, Lane Families!
Dear Families,
Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful and joyful Winter Break filled with special moments together. We are thrilled to welcome our students back to school and look forward to a fantastic start to 2025!
As we embrace the winter season, please ensure your child comes to school each day prepared for the cold weather with warm coats, hats, gloves, and boots. Outdoor play remains an important part of our day, and we want all students to stay safe and comfortable while enjoying recess.
This month, we continue our focus on supporting students’ academic and social-emotional growth. With the end of the quarter approaching, this is an excellent time to reflect as a family on the goals you’ve set. Taking time to read together, practice math concepts, explore science, and discuss social studies topics can greatly reinforce what students are learning at school.
January also brings mid-year assessments, a critical opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth and skills. Regular school attendance is key, so we encourage families to prioritize attendance to help students perform at their best.
We value our partnership with you in your child’s education. Please feel free to connect with your child’s teacher for personalized suggestions on how you can support learning at home. Together, we can ensure every student reaches their full potential.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Here’s to a wonderful start to the new year!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Opie, Interim Principal
Mr. Dickens, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Kubiak, Assistant Principal
Be Among the First to Hear about School Delays/Closings
After the snowstorm this week, and another possible one on the way for next weekend, there’s no doubt that winter is here, roaring in like a lion, as the old saying goes.
If you felt out of the loop with the decisions made about school operations during this last storm, be sure to check out this video on how FCPS makes weather closing decisions so you’ll be well-informed with the storms to come.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be among the first to hear about weather delays and closings! Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. Emails and text messages are sent to parents and caregivers based on the addresses and cell phone numbers entered on this platform.
News from the P.E. Department – Elite Martial Arts Visits Next Week!
Elite Martial Arts Centers (EMA) will be visiting Lane next week to present special lessons to students in kindergarten through 4th grade during their P.E. classes.
EMA is a local martial arts studio that has been partnering up with our school since 2016, reinforcing the practice of respect and fitness through the teaching of martial arts. EMA instructors visit Lane’s PE classes once per year, teaching the Korean style of martial art called Taekwondo to our younger grades. Students learn basic skills while developing an appreciation for discipline, self-control, and goal setting. Many of Lane’s students and families are members at EMA through either Taekwondo classes or the after-school program.
If you are at Lane during this week, don’t be surprised if you hear some loud sounds coming from the gym, as these students will be practicing these new skills and having a great time doing so.
FCPS Math Week Coming Next Week, January 13th – 17th
We hope your family will join other FCPS families across the division in celebrating math in many different ways. This week is a chance to engage with math as a family through delightful games and stories – all from the comfort of your own home. Learn more about Math Week here.
Christian Holidays This Month
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A belated Happy Three Kings Day to those in our community who celebrate! Also known as the Epiphany, Three Kings Day (observed yesterday, January 6th) commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the newborn Jesus. |
FCPS has designated Three Kings Day/Epiphany as a religious and cultural observance day. There is school on these days, however specific events that cannot be made up will not be held on these observance days. See the complete school year calendar.
Merry Christmas wishes to our Orthodox Christian families who celebrate Christmas Day by the Julian calendar, which works out to be on January 7th in the Gregorian calendar.
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Orthodox Epiphany, celebrated on January 19th, commemorates the baptism of Jesus rather than the arrival of the Three Kings. It is believed that the baptism of Christ by John the Precursor (John the Baptist) in the Jordan River initiated the ministry of Christ on earth and revealed the Most Holy Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to mankind.
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Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox Epiphany are also designated FCPS religious and cultural observance days.
Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first-grade immersion program for the 2024-25 school year.
Dual Language Immersion is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Visit the Dual Language Immersion Program Registration page for a list of meetings by language offered.
Get more information on the DLI Program webpage and DLI Program Registration webpage.
“Walk in My Shoes” Coming January 27th! Volunteers Needed!
As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and raising awareness about disabilities, Lane will host “Walk in My Shoes” during P.E. classes on Monday, January 27th. The purpose of this event is to give general-education students a broader understanding of the daily situations faced by some of their friends with developmental challenges and learning differences. The program fosters empathy for others and gets students thinking about how they might be able to help a friend.
Walk in My Shoes requires a lot of adult support to be successful. We are looking for volunteers to assist with many different activities. Help is needed during the times below.
- 9:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3rd through 6th Grade)
- 12:45 – 4 p.m. (Kindergarten through 2nd Grade and Ms. Slomka’s 3rd Grade)
Each volunteer will receive a script and information regarding the activity and the challenge being explored. Depending on need, you may be asked to understudy a second station. Stations will be confirmed January 23rd. Please review the available slots and activity descriptions at the link below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
Volunteer link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44ACAE2BA6FA7-54027507-walk#/.
For more information about the Walk in My Shoes program visit http://www.walkinmyshoes.net/about-us/.
6th Grade Middle School Transition Begins This Month!
Our oldest Lane Lions – our 6th graders – will begin the process of moving on to middle school soon, as course selection for next year begins this month. Our 6th graders will attend either Hayfield Secondary School or Mark Twain Middle School, depending on where they live.
If your 6th grade Lane Lion will attend Hayfield Secondary School, please make note of these upcoming middle school transition events:
- Hayfield tour for students (during the school day) – Tuesday, January 14th
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Rising 7th and 8th Grade Curriculum Night – Thursday, January 9th, 6 – 8 p.m. in the Hayfield Auditorium (snow date: Monday, January 13th)
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Parent Coffees:
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Tuesday, February 4th, 6 – 8 p.m., Middle School Lecture Hall (snow date: Wednesday, February 12th)
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Friday, March 14th, 9 -11 a.m., Middle School Lecture Hal (snow date to be determined)
You can find more information, including the 7th grade course catalog and a Virtual Curriculum Fair on the Hayfield website. Please contact Lane counselor Stephanie Kasparek or Bessie Fealey, Hayfield school counselor, if you have questions.
If your 6th grader will attend Mark Twain Middle School, please make note of these upcoming events:
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Mark Twain Middle School Curriculum Night for rising 7th grade parents – Monday, January 13th, 6 p.m., Twain Cafeteria (snow date: Tuesday, January 21st)
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6 – 7 p.m.: departmental presentations on electives, English, ESOL, Health & P.E., the IB program, math, science, social studies, special education, student services, and world languages
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7 p.m.: Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Level IV information for parents of eligible students; AVID (Advanced via Individual Determination) program presentation for parents of students who have been recommended by their current teachers for the program
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Electives Extravaganza and school visit for students (during the school day) – Wednesday, January 15th (snow date: Wednesday, January 22nd)
- Parent Coffee – Tuesday, June 4th, 9 a.m.
Please feel free to contact Mrs. Kasparek at Lane or Stephen Fitzgerald, Director of Student Services at Twain, if you have any questions.
Save the Date for the 2025 Lane Spelling Bee – Thursday, February 13th!
The Spelling Bee buzz has begun! If your child might be interested in participating this year, please mark Thursday, February 13th on your calendar. The bee is open to all students in grades 1 through 6 and is completely optional. Practice sessions will be held before school for several weeks prior to the bee, which will be held after school.
If your child is interested in participating, please sign and return the parent permission form as soon as possible and no later than Friday, January 17th. No late forms will be accepted. Full information packets (which include lists of study words) will be sent home once permission forms are received.
For more information on the Spelling Bee, watch this video from Mrs. Chozick.
Help Wanted: Seeking Dining Assistant for Our Cafeteria
Lane needs dining assistants to support our lunchtime routines in the cafeteria. The job is 3.5 hours a day (approximately 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday. Duties include monitoring students to keep order, assisting them as they clean up and clean tables, interacting with them in a positive way to assist them with their social skills, and dismissing them to their teachers.
We are looking for dedicated people who are friendly, energetic, and love working with children but can also be assertive to maintain expectations of cafeteria behavior.
Would you like to join our team? If so, please contact Assistant Principal Allen Dickens at adickens@fcps.edu.
PTA News & Announcements
Cub Club Registration Still Open! Sign Up Now Before It Closes Thursday Night!
There’s still time to sign up for some of our awesome after-school Cub Clubs! Due to the snow days, registration has been extended through Thursday, January 9th. A few of these enrichment programs need more participants to run, so if your child loves movement, science, or exploring the world, this is a great opportunity for them to join the fun. Let’s work together to keep these exciting activities going!
Clubs still open for registration:
- Clowning Around
- GeoGuessr
- Zumba
- Kaizen Karate
- The Science Seed.
Sign up today and help us make sure your child doesn’t miss out on these enriching after-school experiences.
Click here to sign up before 11:59 p.m. January 9th!
Join the PTA for Their January Meeting Virtually This Thursday, January 9th, 6:30 p.m.
All Lane parents and caregivers are invited to attend the first PTA meeting of 2025 this Thursday, January 9th 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
Meeting Link: meet.google.com/xhf-ryye-rfd
Join by phone: (US) +1 413-338-0007, PIN: 789804755
Savor Some Italian Fare at La Fiamma on Lane Restaurant Nights Next Week!
La Fiamma Italian Kitchen is hosting Lane Elementary families on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, January 14th and 15th. A percentage of all sales to Lane families will be donated back to our school. Watch for the flyer with details coming soon!
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Parent Resources
FREE Webinars from the Family Resource Center
Help! My Kids Won’t Go to School!
A roadmap to help parents unravel the underlying causes of their child’s school resistance.
Parents will learn how to take care of themselves in the heat of the moment and how to set supportive boundaries at home. In addition, families will discover key facts and root causes for school refusal.
Friday, January 10th, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Register Here
A Series on Supporting Your Child’s Executive Function Skills
Discover how to support your child’s executive function skills in our webinar series. We will present information on understanding your child’s developmental milestones, recognizing signs of executive dysfunction, and implementing effective strategies to support their learning at home and in school.
Friday, January 17th, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Register Here
Depression in Teens
Practitioners will discuss the prevalence of major depressive disorder and how to identify depression in teenagers as well as elements of recovery and strategies for treatment.
Friday, January 24th, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Register Here
Comprendiedo el Trauma en su Hijo
Aprendemos sobre el trauma en este semanario de web de 3 partes y sobre los diferentes tipos de trauma, las respuestas naturales y los efectos que esto puede tener tanto en los niños como en los padres y estrategias que los padres pueden usar para apoyar a sus hijos de manera efectiva.
Parte #1: 31 de Enero de 2025 10-11:30 a.m.
Parte #2: 14 de Febrero de 2025 10-11:30 a.m.
Parte #3: 21 de Marzo de 2025 10-11:30 a.m.
Register Here
Upcoming Family Academy Events
You are an important part of your child's education! The FCPS Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by FCPS to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. Browse Family Academy offerings.
FCPS News & Activities
Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16th at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received.
If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in a virtual meeting:
- Friday, January 10, 2025, 6–7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1–2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30–11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30–8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30–8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30–8 p.m.
Language interpretation will be available.
All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit the FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.
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