 Stone Families,
As we quickly approach the end of the 3rd quarter, we are celebrating with a fun filled spirit week and pep rally. We are excited to celebrate our students and come together as a community.
Just a couple of reminders for the spring:
- We have outdoor breaks daily. Please remind your students to dress appropriately.
- We are noticing a rise of parents not following the kiss and ride procedures. Although, it takes a couple of extra minutes but please follow the procedures.
- Our students seem to have lost or misplaced their chromebook chargers, please have them locate them for the spring testing season or consider purchasing a new one.
- Our local shopping center has been calling to share that our students are not always making good decisions at the shopping center, please talk to your students about behaviors in the community.
Finally, our students are arriving late to school and various classes are missing important instructional time. We have talked to students and encouraged them about the importance of being a STONE P.R.O. (Prepared, Respectful, & On Time), however we are noticing a rise in tardies therefore our administration is assigning after school detention to our chronically tardy students. We are also noticing a rise in students absent from school. Stone MS has the responsibility to monitor our absenteeism rate for state accreditation. Our goal is to not have more than 10% of our student population chronically absent for the school year. At the rate we are going, we are going to have 15% of students chronically absent. There is still time to meet our goal with your help. It is so important that our students come to school everyday. If they are sick stay home but if they are not then school is the best place to be. We hope that with your partnership we can have students in class everyday and on time.
Let's have a great week Panthers,
Sonya Williams
Principal
Attention 8th grade parents!
In order to make our field trips to Finance Park a success, we need more parent volunteers! If you haven’t signed up yet, please let your student’s Civics teacher know you are interested in helping out on the following days:
4/2 - Mosgrove/McLean pds. 1 & 8 (email kfmosgrove@fcps.edu)
4/3 – Dunfee (email hldunfee@fcps.edu)
4/4 – Klosky/Estep/McLean pds. 2 & 5 (email rklosky@fcps.edu)
 |
|
Our Black Heritage Trivia Tournament was held on Friday, March 7 in the theater. From the Jazz Band opening to the geniuses on the buzzers and our amazing audience, we had a blast!
CONGRATULATIONS to our WINNERS OF THE BLACK HERITAGE TRIVIA TOURNAMENT! Shoutout to: Eshan J, Madison H, Brooke K, and Liam M.! Our opposing team was very close, but Team B answered the final question and took home the ‘gold!’
|
Spring Track & Field at Stone MS
Families interested in Spring Track & Field for their students need to complete 3 steps for their student to participate.
Step 1- Spring 2025 MS Track and Field Registration Google Form
- Even Fall ’24 Cross Country students need to register through this link.
Step 2- Sports PPE (physical)
- Dates must be after May 1, 2024.
Step 3- Emergency Care Form
Stone MS is hosting a Parent Information Session for Spring Track on Tuesday, March 18th, 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM in the library. For questions, email Mr. Rob McClay at rcmcclay@fcps.edu
Integrated Reading and Writing SOL for 8th Graders
This Thursday, March 20th, 8th graders will be taking their Integrated Reading and Writing SOL from 7:30-9:45 a.m. 7th graders will be taking a practice IRW. Please help your child come well rested, fueled, and on time in order to do their best on this state assessment. Students will need their fully charged computer and charger. The charger should be coming to school daily with your student. Thank you!
Image for Save the Date IRW
 "STONE VS. EVERYBODY" TEES GO ON SALE NEXT WEEK!
Panthers, the time to purchase your SVE shirt is here!!! Shirts are only $10 and will be your entry into the MASSIVE basketball game on Thursday, March 20 versus Carson Middle. We're having a "Black Out" to counter their white out and we need you all there!!
For more information, see Mrs. Neun!
And this is what I just posted in regards to individual sales for the game:
BUY YOUR $5 TICKET FOR THE BIG GAME VS. CARSON!
Students, come to Westfield HS on Thursday, March 20 at 6pm to watch the Panthers of Stone take on the Panthers of Carson! The game will feature performances by both Carson and Stone dance teams, including a joint performance by the Stone/Liberty Middle School dancers!
You may purchase your single game ticket for $5 starting on Monday, March 10 via MySchoolBucks. Students that purchase ticket will receive their "game day ticket" during your lunch on March 20th.
Please purchase your tickets in ADVANCE. Because this is the LAST major fundraising event of the school year, tickets will be sold at the door for $10! Doors open at 5:30pm and will close at 6:15pm so that everyone will be able to enjoy and watch the game.
Student Services Updates
Coffee with the Counselors
Thank you to those parents who attended our virtual Coffee with the Counselors session on Social Media with Dr.Mina on Friday. If you missed it, here is the Zoom link and passcode:
Bt?0a8MrDM
Academic Advising
Stone counselors have met 1:1 with each student to complete course selections for next school year. Parents, please check your child’s course requests in ParentVue by looking under the Course Requests tab. Reach out to your child’s school counselor with any questions.
8th Grade Field Trip to Westfield HS
We are excited to offer an opportunity to our current 8th graders to participate in a Rising 9th grade orientation field trip to Westfield High School on Thursday, April 10th from 9:30am - 11:30am. During this time, students will hear from a student panel, learn about clubs and activities, tour the building and meet members of the Westfield team. There is no cost to attend and students will eat lunch when they return to Stone.
We need parent permission for all students to ride the bus to Westfield and participate in all aspects of this field trip. Students should have brought home a purple permission slip form, so please be on the lookout. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Tami Brumett, our Director of Student Services at 703-631-5527 or TLBrumett@fcps.edu
Important Reminder for SOL Testing!
Students must bring their fully charged Chromebook AND charger to school daily to prepare for SOL testing.
If your child has lost their charger, a replacement can be purchased for $23 via My School Bucks or they can bring the money to the front office.
Please ensure your child has their charger or gets a replacement so they are fully prepared for testing. Thank you for your support!
Reminder to Sign Up Weekly for Student Fasting Meal Kits
Students who are fasting during the school day between now and March 28 can take school meal kits home at the end of the day. Families must fill out a separate request form for each week and for each student in order to receive school meal kits. To receive meal kits for the week of March 24, please fill out this form by March 17.
Please remind your child to pick up their meals each day at our school’s designated location. Visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage for more information, including weekly request forms and deadlines.
🎤 Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS on Monday, April 7, Greenbriar West Elementary School from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
FCPS Budget — Our Students Deserve the Best
More than $240 million of FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget is dedicated to increasing compensation for our teachers and staff to stay competitive and reduce turnover. Currently, FCPS ranks fifth out of eight neighboring districts in regards to starting salary for teachers with a master’s degree.
Our families expect — and our students deserve — the best teachers.
Next Steps in the Budget Process
The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22, and then the Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak.
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.
🛑 Cameras Installed on School Bus Stop Arms
Cameras have been installed on the stop arms of 50 FCPS school buses. These cameras will be used to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses while children are entering and exiting the bus (called a “stop arm violation”).
Warnings for drivers will begin on Wednesday, April 9. After a 30-day warning period, citations will begin to be issued on Monday, May 12.
According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights on and their stop signs extended. Motorists should stop when approaching from any direction (unless there is a barrier or median separating their lane from where the bus is stopped). They should remain stopped until everyone is clear and the bus is moving.
We appreciate our law enforcement partners for working with us to improve road safety and reduce accidents. Read more information about the stop arm cameras and all of the ways that we work with our county partners to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
📍 The Comprehensive School Boundary Review Process Explained
Want to learn more about the ongoing Comprehensive School Boundary Review process? Watch this video for explanations of terms such as attendance zones, attendance islands, split feeders, and other factors that affect school boundaries. The video will also be available in other languages soon.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information and sign up for our School Boundary Review newsletter.
District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Second Annual Food Show
- Cameras on School Bus Stop Arms
- Comprehensive Boundary Review Process Explained
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
Stone Quick Links
|
