Thunderblast Weekly
January 10, 2021
New Beginnings
With a new semester on the horizon, a new year at our fingertips, and a ton of hard work under our belts, how will we emerge? This is what I wrote at the end of last week’s opening. As we add a global pandemic, civil unrest, and true questions about our identity as both individuals and a nation, I know many of us find ourselves in a difficult place.
Still, we are here for each other. We continue to celebrate the successes, learn from our failures, and partner up as we look towards a brighter future. We have the character to come through this stronger. As we close out our second quarter this week and our third quarter of distance learning, we begin preparing for the next stages. We don’t know exactly what this next stage will look like yet, but we are hoping to have more information at the school board meeting on Tuesday night. I will digest it as best possible and share it with you at our next cocoa and coffee on Wednesday- details below.
Next week’s theme- equity.
Important Information
School Photo Schedule: The date has changed! We will be doing photos on Monday, January 25. We originally thought spanning the hybrid days would be best, but with in-person learning still being discussed at the school board meetings, we thought a Monday will be best. Students will enter in the main office and walk down to the main gym. If you cannot make your scheduled time, you can come at the best time for your family.
Last Names
A - E _____8:00 - 9:00
F - J _____9:00 - 10:00
K - O _____11:00 - 12:00
P - T______1:00 - 2:00
U - Z______2:00 - 3:00
Yearbooks: Based on your original survey in September, we have decided to do a yearbook. We will be adding school photos and requesting pictures to be sent in the near future. The yearbook will be soft cover so we can keep the costs down at $20 each. Information below.
Hybrid and Distant Learning for the 2nd Semester (January 21): We left off in December with a shift back to 100% distant learning due to higher COVID cases in Loudoun County. Those numbers still remain high and we will await further instruction from the division regarding the January 21proposed hybrid planning. We have a coffee/ cocoa planned for January 13 at 11:45 AM to discuss the latest news regarding concurrent hybrid and distant learning. Please join this google meet and add any questions to this form.
Course Recommendations: This can be difficult to explain in the blast. I will highlight some parts of the process in Wednesday’s meet and that will help me communicate everything more clearly after I hear some of your questions.
Our School Resource Officer (SRO) Deputy Rivera completed an internet safety training with all Seneca students through resource before the break. I wanted to share that recording here because I believe the information from Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is something that should be discussed as a family.
Class of 2025 Information Night: Save the date, Monday, January 25th, for a virtual meeting for students and parents in the Dominion High School Class of 2025 to learn about the course selection process for freshmen year. This meeting will begin in English at 7pm and will repeat in Spanish at 8pm. More details will be forthcoming.
Session 6 of The Family Room: Logging into ParentVUE & Online Verification Round 2 on Wednesday, January 13th, 2020 at 6 p.m., where we will guide families through logging into ParentVUE via web browser and notify them of a second window of opportunity to complete their Online Verification.
PBIS Highlight
8th Grade, Reagan Myers
7th Grade, Sanna Bakhtary,
6th Grade, Alexis Smith
THANK YOU for demonstrating student ownership by offering to help other students in class.
Spirit Week Winners! The following students were recognized for having the most Seneca Ridge Spirit!
8th Grade, Malik Almalah
7th Grade, Emma McFarland
6th Grade, Mallika Gandhi
Staff of the Week
Ms. McDougall
THANK YOU, for being a flexible coteacher and demonstrating leadership as we focus on culturally responsive instruction.
Ms. Rosado
PTO Corner
Something to Ponder: Challenges are a gift that force us to find a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a new way to stand. -- Oprah Winfrey
Spirit Night this Monday! Come out tomorrow, January 11, for some great food at Urbano Modern Italian in the Cascades Overlook Plaza. Mention Seneca's spirit night and the school receives 20% back.
SEAC: You can view January's presentation on School Anxiety HERE. You're also invited to attend LCPS Parent Resource Services’ Mental Health and Wellness Conference on January 30. For more information on SEAC please visit their website or email our SEAC Representative, Jill Pope, directly.
Next PTO Meeting: Wednesday, January 27 at 6:00 pm. Go to meet.google.com/uek-nfni-inx. Or join by phone at +1 617-675-4444 with PIN: 835 053 291 7550#
Other ways to get involved:
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
- Make a donation to the SRMS PTO and get your company to match it
- Download the Boxtops for Education app and scan your grocery receipts
- Link your Amazon account to Seneca and earn free money for the school
- Purchase Seneca Gear to show your school spirit! If you order by Thursday you can pick it up that Friday in the front office.
Attendance
How to Report Absences
In Parent VUE- Reporting an Absence in ParentVUE (preferred option)
Please submit before 8:30am-
Friendly reminder, after 8:30am the system automatically denies the request because attendance has been taken by a teacher and you will be notified.
Click here (don’t forget to put your child’s first and last name)
Call our Attendance line- 571-434-4422 (least preferred option)
Important Reminders
Monday’s Schedule: Save
Advisory: 9:00-9:15AM
Office Hours:
1:00-2:00PM Math, SS, World Languages, FACS, Tech Ed, Art
2:00-3:00PM English, Science, Health & PE, Music
Technology Support
As we transition support to in our building (when possible) or at Dominion High School, the best way to reach out for support is to contact your grade level administrative assistant.
6th Grade- Jennifer.Ramos@lcps.org or 571-434-4426
7th Grade- Adity.Choudhury@lcps.org or 571-434-4427
8th Grade- Mimi.Chung@lcps.org or 571-434-4428
Check us out!
Email: nick.cottone@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/Page/30563
Location: 98 Seneca Ridge Drive, Sterling, VA, USA
Phone: 571-434-4420
Twitter: @SRMS_Official