Dr. Lisa Chen, Principal, Louisa County Middle School, Mineral, VA

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Principal's Update for March 24, 2016

Dear LCMS Bobcat Family and Friends and Future Bobcat Family and Friends:

On behalf of my staff and me, we wish all of you a good restful Spring Break!

As always, please feel free to contact me at chenlc@lcps.k12.va.us if you have questions, concerns, or anything that you would like to share.

The following are some important updates and announcements.

Announcements
Morning Announcers – Silas Jones and Jordan Lettner
Silas Jones and Jordan Lettner did an outstanding job with morning announcements! They were clear in their delivery of messages and enunciated each word with great accuracy. Without their help, Morning Announcements would not be as fun, enjoyable, or even as informative. From Monday, April 4 to Friday, April 8, we will have two new guest speakers to assist us with the announcements: Stuart Swink and Desaray Winston.

Grade 7 Penny Drive and Celebration – Monday March 21
The Virginia Holocaust Museum began a Penny Campaign in 1999 to honor the 6 million Jews whose lives were taken during the Holocaust. In an effort to support this cause, 7th grade students at LCMS began to collect pennies for their Social Studies classes. The drive ran from Monday, February 1 through Monday, March 7. To further enrich student learning, the Social Studies Department took students on a field trip to the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia so that students could learn more about World War II and the Holocaust, which is part of US History II curriculum. English teachers assisted in teaching about the Holocaust through the reading of historical fiction novels in Grade 7 English classes. Grade 7 students learned about this unit in both their English and social studies classes.

At the end of the Penny Drive, students donated over 82,000 pennies to this worthy cause! To acknowledge this amazing accomplishment, 7th grade students participated in a Penny Drive Celebration on Monday, March 21 from 1:10 a.m. to 2:29 p.m. in the LCMS Forum as a celebration of their penny donation to the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Students were awarded prizes and had an opportunity to answer Trivia Questions based on what they had learned about the Holocaust from their teachers and their recent field trip to the Virginia Holocaust Museum.  

A great big thanks to the Grade 7 Social Studies teachers, particularly to Hope Hamblin and Nell Stover for organizing such an event as well as to the entire Grade 7 teachers. We are also proud of our students. Their efforts made a difference!

Science Fair Field Trip – Thursday, March 24
We wish the following students the best of luck. They are attending the Piedmont Regional Science Fair today along with their teachers: John Lenow, Grey Palmer, and Patrick Scharf. Congratulations to the following students:

Grade 7 Students                                Grade 8 Students
Elizabeth Bradford                             Alayna Campbell
Emily Eppard                                      Shayla Carter                                  
Emily Hall                                           Trinity Gillison
Logan Jenkins                                     Olivia Grubbs
Jillian Smith                                        Ginny Helmandollar
Connor Schweikart                             Nicholas Liles
                                                            Moriah Moss
                                                            McKenzie Profitt
                                                            Kyler Soriano
                                                            Ryan Wheeler

Bus Departures
Beginning on Monday, April 4, we will no longer be taking any requests to pull students off the busses once students have boarded. Lately, we have received more and more requests from parents or guardians needing to have their children removed off the busses when the busses have either departed or are about to leave for high school. The purpose of this reminder is not to cause anyone an inconvenience; rather, it is to ensure a safe and timely dismissal of students and bus departure. Our busses must depart on time for high school dimissal and to pick up students from the high school. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (540) 894-5457 ext. 2023. On behalf of my staff and me as well as transportation, we truly appreciate your support in this endeavor and in ensuring a safe and timely dismissal for all of our students.

Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Meeting – Thursday, April 7
Please come and join parents and educators to learn more about special education and available resources. All parents of students with special needs in grades PK-12 are invited to attend. Dinner will be provided. Please RSVP to thursthg@lcps.k12.va.us or (540) 894-5115 by Tuesday, April 5. The meeting will be held at the LCPS Administrative Offices on the First Floor Board Room at 953 Davis Highway, Mineral, VA 23117.

Grade 8 Scheduling
High school counselors will be visiting our Grade 8 students on Monday, April 11 and Tuesday, April 12 during Period 4 to hand out scheduling information and course guides to our Grade 8 students. On Wednesday, April 13, Thursday, April 14, and Friday, April 15, high school counselors will be meeting with students individually for approximately 10 minutes to finalize each student’s schedule. The Transition to High School night will be on Wednesday, April 13 at LCHS from 5:00 p.m. to 8:05 p.m. Students will be provided with permission forms the week before regarding this event.

Washington, D.C. Field Trip – Permission Form due by Friday, April 15
We are looking forward to taking our Grade 8 students on the Grade 8 Field Trip to Washington, D.C. on May 24, 2016. While in Washington, D.C. Grade 8 students will have the opportunity to explore the Washington Monument, Vietnam/Korean War Memorial, the National Lawn, Lincoln Monument, the Smithsonian, National Museum of American History, the Holocaust Museum, Air and Space Museum and more. During their exploration of D.C. Grade 8 students will participate in a scavenger hunt that will engage students in learning more about our capital and allow us to follow up in the days after the field trip. For more information, please see attachment, “Washington DC Field Trip Form.

Grade 8 Spring Fling – Friday, April 29
For more information, please see attachments, “Spring Fling” and “Permission Form Spring Fling.”

After School Help – Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6

Student Schedule for Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 15Monday, April 4 (B): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 (This is a “B” day for electives. Students go to Period 1, Period 2, Period 3, Period 4, Period 5, and then for the last period of the day, students return back to their Period 4 class.)

Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1
Spring Break.


On Monday, April 4 (B):
School doors open at 7:40 a.m.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE Math
On Tuesday, April 5 (A):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE Math
On Wednesday, April 6 (B):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE Math
On Thursday, April 7 (A):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE Math
On Friday, April 8 (B):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 Club B or Reading


On Monday, April 11 (A):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE English
On Tuesday, April 12 (B):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE English
On Wednesday, April 13 (A):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE English
On Thursday, April 14 (B):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 ACE English
On Friday, April 15 (A):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4 Club A or Reading

Important Upcoming Dates – Added information and dates are marked in purple. Information about Grade 5 events are marked in red.
Thursday, March 24: All County Music @ LCHS Auditorium from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 25: Reports cards go home with students.
Monday, March 28-Friday, April 1: Spring Recess for students.

Monday, April 4: Classes resume for students. School doors open at 7:40 a.m.
Thursday, April 7: Picture Day.
Saturday, April 9: LCPS Arts Festival at LCMS.
Monday, April 11 – Friday, April 15: LCHS Counselors visit with Grade 8 students for high school scheduling.
Monday, April 11: Grade 5 Moss Nuckols Students Visit LCMS from 9:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
Tuesday, April 12: Grade 5 Thomas Jefferson Students Visit LCMS from 9:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
Tuesday, April 12: First Annual SCA Talent Show in the LCMS Forum
Thursday, April 14: LCMS Spring Band Concert.
Friday, April 15: Grade 5 Jouett Students Visit LCMS from 9:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
Saturday, April 16: Final Battle of the Books Competition will take place at Cedar Lee Middle School, 11138 Marsh Road, Bealeton, VA Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The competition begins at 10:00 a.m.

Monday, April 18: Grade 5 Trevilians Students Visit LCMS from 9:00 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.  
Tuesday, April 19: Rising Grade 6 Parent Night (General Information) at LCMS Forum from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 20: Rising Grade 6 Parent Night (Special Education Information) at LCMS Forum from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 21: Interim reports sent home. LCMS Drama Performance at 6:30 p.m. @ LCMS Forum.

Friday, April 22: Reality Store for Grade 8 students.
Friday, April 22: LCEA Talent Show from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. @ LCHS Auditorium
Monday, April 25: Reading 8 Standards of Learning Test. Reading 6 Standards of Learning Test Paper and Pencil only.

Tuesday, April 26: Rising Grade 6 Band Night with Kathy Allen @ LCMS from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27: Reading 6 Standards of Learning Test.
Thursday, April 28: All Virginia Middle School Choir.
Friday, April 29: All Virginia Middle School Choir. Civics 8 Standards of Learning test.
Friday, April 29: Grades 5, 6, and 7 Dance at LCMS from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 3: Reading 7 SOL
Thursday, May 5: Math 8 SOL
Monday, May 9: Math 6 SOL
Monday, May 9: All “A” Banquet at LCMS Cafeteria at 6:00 p.m.  
Wednesday, May 11: Algebra I SOL
Friday, May 13: Math 7 SOL
Monday, May 16: Science 8 SOL
Wednesday, May 18: LCMS Spring Chorus Concert at 7:00 p.m. @ LCHS Alan Jackson Auditorium
Saturday, May 21: Grade 8 Formal at LCMS Cafeteria from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 24: Grade 8 Washington, D.C. Field Trip
Wednesday, May 25: Grade 8 Closing Ceremony Practice (Morning) and Grade 8 Field Day (Afternoon)

Thursday, May 26: End of 4th Marking Period. Grade 8 Closing Ceremony. Grade 6 and Grade 7 Field Days. Last day of school.
Friday, May 27: Teacher Workday.

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates. As I will say to my students each day, “This is important. You belong here. Effort makes a difference.”

With warm regards,
Lisa C. Chen
Lisa C. Chen, Ph.D.
Principal
Louisa County Middle School