Principal's Message

January 9, 2026

Happy Friday, Panthers—and Happy New Year!  Our Panthers returned on Monday with a strong start to 2026.

We are excited to host our Book Fair all next week. Remember, readers become leaders! Please make every effort to support our school’s Book Fair. On Wednesday evening, it will remain open until 8:00 p.m.

We remain intentional and proactive in meeting the needs of our students—especially at the middle-school level, often the most challenging and vulnerable stage of schooling. On Monday, January 12, 2026, we will host Dr. Julia Garcia (Dr. J) for a powerful, student-centered presentation focused on social-emotional wellness, resilience, and the power of hope. While her work has reached millions worldwide, Dr. J is especially known for her engaging, interactive approach that fosters reflection, connection, and empowerment. Families who wish to opt their child out may do so here.

On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, we will administer MAP testing schoolwide. It is essential that students arrive well-rested, with laptops fully charged, ready to give their best effort. MAP results help guide remediation efforts and inform course selection for next year.

Academic-advising season is here! On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, we look forward to welcoming our rising 7th graders and families for Curriculum Night. This is a great opportunity to tour the building, meet staff, and learn about the courses offered at LHMS.

On Thursday and Friday, school counselors will begin academic-advising presentations for rising 8th graders during Civics classes. Parents are encouraged to review the course offerings with their Panther(s).

Finally, I hope to see you at Monday’s PTA meeting, at 7 p.m. in our school's library, where Ms. Brooks, Director of Student Services, will provide an overview of the course-selection process.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Principal Mizell

IMPORTANT DATES MLK Day/Holiday/No School: Monday, January 19, 2026 School-wide Spelling Bee: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 6 p.m. End of 2nd Quarter/ 2-Hour Early Release: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Staff Development Day/Student Holiday: Thursday, January 29, 2025 Teacher Workday/Student Holiday: Friday, January 30, 2026

New Western High School

Open House and Opt-In

Families are invited to an open house at the new western high school on Sunday, January 11. Three sessions are available for you to attend from 10 to 11 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., or 2 to 3 p.m. During the open house, families will have the opportunity to explore the school through self-guided tours; talk to FCPS staff; and ask questions about enrollment, course selection, athletics, activities, and other important topics. Please register to attend. As a reminder, the opt-in form for students interested in attending the new high school is open through Friday, January 16. Families must complete the consent form through the FCPS Parent Digital Consent system, which is accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school for an activation code. Staff will be at the school on Sunday to assist with filling out the form as well as setting up a ParentVUE account. FCPS Family Information Phone Lines are also available in nine languages for support.

STUDENT SERVICES

Second Quarter Ends January 28, 2026

The second quarter ends on January 28, 2026.  Parents are encouraged to continue monitoring grades via ParentVUE. If you have questions about a course, please email that teacher directly. All teacher emails are located in our LHMS staff directory.  For general support or questions about ParentVUE, email your child’s LHMS counselor. 

Second Semester Starts February 2, 2026

The second semester begins on Monday, February 2.  Students will be able to see their second semester schedule in SIS on Thursday, January 29 at 4:00pm. For some students taking semester electives, their Health and PE period may change to accommodate their new elective. All students will receive a new paper schedule in their 2nd block class on February 2 (gray day). Please keep in mind that we are not able to make class changes at this point of the school year.

Academic Advising for the 2026-27 School Year

Students will begin to select their 2026-27 courses in January.  For planning purposes, please mark your calendars with the Curriculum Night dates. Parents are encouraged to review our LHMS Academic Advising website to review our course offerings.

• Rising 7th grade- January 14, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
• Rising 8th grade- February 4, 2026 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Rising 9th grade: LHMS counselors will conduct academic advising lessons on January 15-16 during Civics classes. Please review the Herndon High School and South Lakes High School websites for additional details.  Information about the high school transfer process can be found here: FCPS Transfer Process.

SibTeens Workshop: January 29, 2026

SibTeens is a community-building group for Middle School siblings of children with support needs in grades 6-9 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences. Register here

Details: January 29, 2026 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Jim Scott Community Center, 301 Vaden Dr. Fairfax, VA.

Career Day Speakers Needed

We are excited to host our upcoming Career Day on March 6, 2026.  Our school community is filled with talented and accomplished professionals, and we would love for you to share your expertise with our students.  Please consider serving as a Career Day speaker to inspire and educate our future leaders. Your insights and experiences can make a lasting impact.

If you are interested, please register here.  Should you need more information, contact our school counselor, Lea Fadden, at LTfadden@fcps.edu.   Thank you for your support; we look forward to an engaging and enriching Career Day!

Social-Emotional Learning with Second Step

In this week’s lesson, your child explored their values and identified how behaviors that are important to them show them what they value. Family conversation starter: Ask your child about some of the values they have identified and why. Share a few of your own values and how you live out those values in your day-to-day life.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

American Mathematics Competition 8

Langston Hughes will be offering the American Mathematics Competition 8 (AMC 8) test!  This test is an international competition given at schools around the world with over 300,000 participants across the three tests in the AMC series.  

The test will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, after school in the Library/Room 201.  The timed test is 40 minutes for 25 questions and does not allow the use of a calculator.  Late buses are available for students on this date.  Interested students should sign up by completing this form.  https://bit.ly/AMCatHughes26 by noon on Monday, January 5th.  t

You can read more about the AMC 8 at by clicking here,and a free resource to help students prepare is available here.  There are many more online resources, including previous tests and practice tests, that you can find by simply searching for "AMC 8".   Questions can be directed to our IB Coordinator, Chris DelGrosso, at cjdelgrosso@fcps.edu.

LANGSTON HUGHES MIDDLE SCHOOL - PTA

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

🎉 New Year, New Activities at Hughes After School! 🎉

Get ready for an awesome start to the new year with exciting after-school activities, tournaments, and clubs! Whether it’s art, sports, cooking, or gaming—there’s something for everyone. Check out what’s happening this winter at Hughes!  All updates will be made to the Hughes After School Schedule on Friday. 

🗓️ Weekly Schedule of Clubs & Activities

Mondays

• 💎 King Beads with Ms. King
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (First Session)
• Have fun making jewelry, hanging out with friends, and socializing while creating unique bead designs.
• 💪 Mr. Chris – BEAST Challenges
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (Second Session)
• Take on fun physical challenges, team competitions, and obstacle-style games that test strength, speed, and teamwork.
• 🎙️ Let’s Talk Podcasters with Coach K
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (Both Sessions)
• Learn how to interview, find the “real story,” and create binge-worthy podcast content that informs and entertains.
• 🎲 Appian Strategic Board Game Team with Ms. Benedict
• When: Mondays (First Session)
• Practice strategy and teamwork while preparing for upcoming board game tournaments.

Tuesdays

• 🏸 Court Crushers Badminton League with Ms. B
• When: Tuesdays (Both Sessions)
• Bring your best game to the court! Learn new skills, compete in friendly matches, and have fun competing with friends.
• 🎶 Korean Music Club with Jaelyn Gilmore
• When: Tuesdays (Both Sessions)
• Dive into the world of Korean music and culture! Learn about the history of K-pop, explore current dance trends, create South Korean-inspired arts and crafts, and join group discussions about music, culture, and creativity.
• ⚽ Hughes Futsal Premier League with Coach Jhonny
• When: 7th Grade – Tuesdays (First Session)
  8th Grade – Thursdays (First Session)
• Teams form next week! Compete for the Golden Boot Award and the Winning Team Prize. Bring your best game!
• 🚀 QZ Young Men with Mr. Kyle
• When: Tuesdays & Wednesdays (First Session)
• Formerly Elevate Boys Group. Build leadership skills, teamwork, and confidence through fun activities, group discussions, and Elevate-inspired challenges that promote growth and positive connections.
• 🎮 FIFA Video Games
• When: Tuesdays & Thursdays (Second Session)
• Compete in FIFA matches and show off gaming skills in friendly competition.
• 🏀 Hughes Ballers Basketball Tournament with Coach K & Coach Kennedy
• When: Tuesdays & Wednesdays (Second Session)
• Draft Day: Tuesday, January 13 – You must be present to be added to a team.
• Teams form next week! Looking for refs, timekeepers, and game managers—get involved on and off the court.
• 🧢 Swag Lab with Mr. AJ
• When: Tuesdays (Both Sessions)
• Design, create, and customize your own swag. Bring your ideas to life with style and flair!

Wednesdays

• 🎨 Art with Ms. Gillis
• When: Wednesdays (First Session Only)
• Explore new art projects, experiment with materials, and express creativity in fun, hands-on ways.
• 🚀 QZ Young Men with Mr. Kyle
• When: Tuesdays & Wednesdays (First Session)
• Continue building leadership skills, teamwork, and confidence through Elevate-inspired activities and discussions.
• 💜 Purple Star Club with Mr. Blocker & Ms. Kelly
• When: Wednesdays (First Session)
• A supportive space for students from military families to connect with peers who share similar experiences. The club helps students build friendships, share stories, and get plugged into the Hughes school community.
• 🏀 Hughes Ballers Basketball Tournament with Coach K & Coach Kennedy
• When: Tuesdays & Wednesdays (Second Session)
• Teams form next week! Looking for refs, timekeepers, and game managers—get involved on and off the court.

Thursdays

• 💎 King Beads with Ms. King
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (First Session)
• Have fun making jewelry, hanging out with friends, and socializing while creating unique bead designs.
• ⚽ Hughes Futsal Premier League with Coach Jhonny
• When: 8th Grade – Thursdays (First Session)
• Teams form next week! Compete for the Golden Boot Award and the Winning Team Prize.
• 💪 Mr. Chris – BEAST Challenges
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (Second Session)
• Take on fun physical challenges, team competitions, and obstacle-style games that test strength, speed, and teamwork.
• 🎙️ Let’s Talk Podcasters with Coach K
• When: Mondays & Thursdays (Both Sessions)
• Learn how to interview, find the “real story,” and create binge-worthy podcast content that informs and entertains.
• 🎮 FIFA Video Games
• When: Tuesdays & Thursdays (Second Session)
• Compete in FIFA matches and show off gaming skills in friendly competition.
• 🦅 Panther Cadets Leadership Academy with South Lakes High School ROTC
• When: Thursdays (Second Session)
• Develop leadership, discipline, and teamwork through engaging activities and challenges led by South Lakes High School ROTC.

Fridays

• 🍪 Kitchen Lab with Mr. Kyle
• When: Fridays (Both Sessions)
• Break down baking and experiment with ingredients while making cookies, pizza, pretzels, and more. Fun, food, and flavor guaranteed!

🗓️ Special Events & Tournaments

• ♟️ Chess Tournament
• When: Thursday, January 22
• Test strategy and focus in a schoolwide chess competition. Prizes for top players!
• Sign-up will be posted on Schoology.
• 🎲 Board Game Competition – Carcassonne
• When: Saturday, February 28
• Join the Appian Strategic Board Game Team—practice Mondays (First Session).
• Compete in Carcassonne, a game of strategy, cities, and castles! Enjoy generous prizes, delicious food, and friendly but fierce competition.
• 🃏 Kings in the Corner Tournament: TBA
• 🎴 UNO Tournament: February 5
• Prizes for winners and plenty of fun for all participants!

💥 Don’t Miss Out!

Whether it’s art, sports, gaming, or leadership, Hughes After School has something for everyone this season. Let’s make 2026 the most fun and creative year yet!

Our Book Fair is fast approaching (Monday, January 12 - Friday, January 16) and will help to extend the holiday vibe around Hughes! 🎁 Families, please consider supporting your student to purchase books at the fair. If you are able, you can also donate to a fund to provide book fair vouchers to students in need who could not otherwise participate but would love to own a new book. 📚 Click here for the link to donate, and thank you! 💝

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