Lovettsville Connection
September 2022
Dear Families,
I am excited to provide you the first Lovettsville Connection of the 2022-2023 school year. For those who are returning you will notice a change in format. My goal is always to provide important information in a colorful and simple format so it can be read quickly. Many of you have children in multiple classes and schools so you are often inundated with information each week from teachers, schools, and the district. These newsletters will come out the beginning of each month and will feature updates from our specialists on what is happening at school. These newsletters will also supplement the information you receive each week in the Sunday message. We will also continue to post the Lovettsville Connection to our website so you can locate information easily. We are so excited to have students back at school and look forward to seeing all of you back in the building for our upcoming events and while volunteering in the classrooms.
Best regards,
Linda Textoris - Principal
Library News
Welcome back to the library! We have many fun and exciting things planned for you this year. We will begin the year with tips on how to care for books, discussing the types of books we enjoy reading, as well as suggestions for new books to purchase for the library. Students will also learn how to perform a search for a book in the library. Students will go on a scavenger hunt to learn the ins and outs of MackinVIA, our e-book collection at Lovettsville. Choosing a “just-right” book will also be introduced to kindergarten and reviewed with grades 1-5. Library Resources will also be reviewed with grades 1-5 and introduced to kindergarten in quarter one. These resources can be found in LCPSGO.
Throughout the first quarter, I will be introducing the students to the Virginia Reader’s Choice books for the 2022-2023 school year. Students will also be learning about digital citizenship topics. Media balance, being internet smart, copyright and plagiarism, and digital footprints will be covered. Click on the link to see a copy of a digital learning pledge you can fill out with your child.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D7lb4ir7goE-qsgmhHVCixFQAIBxS36MvkVxMovlTDA/edit?usp=sharing
And last, but not least, September is Library Card Month. If you or your child do not have a library card, please visit the library to sign up for a library card!
Finally, thank you to everyone who completed the summer reading challenge! I heard many students earned free ice cream from Tootsie’s!
Art News
I have loved seeing all our LOV artists back in the art room and hearing about their summer adventures. We have so many fun things for them planned this year, and we are so excited to get right to work!
We are busy working on our annual collaborative project. It’s a great way to come together and create something beautiful for our school. I will have photos posted on the Facebook LOV PTO site shortly.
Next week, LOV students will be starting their first BIG art project for Original Works. We are so excited to be offering this service again, and all orders will be delivered in time for holiday gifting. Original Works is an art printing service that will create art gifts from your child’s artwork. A significant portion of the proceeds will go right back to our LOV Art Department. We are saving up for something really grand and special and are so incredibly thankful for this program and you all!
Kindergarten: Kindergarteners will start their first mixed media LOV Bear art project for Original Works. We will be working on our cutting and gluing skills. They are so excited to start creating!
1st Grade: !st graders will be creating a mixed media under the sea art project for Orignal Works. This one is super successful and the students love it!
2nd Grade: We will jump right into drawing lighthouses (it’s a favorite) for Original Works and end the month celebrating International Dot Day!
3rd Grade: 3rd graders will be creating a watercolor painting of a sea turtle for Original Works. We will finish up the month celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a few inspired art projects.
4th Grade: We will be jumping right into the elements of art and creating their own interpretation of “The Great Wave” for Original Works.
5th Grade: Will be completing their Ted Harrision drawings and starting their first still life drawing unit. This year, 5th graders will learn some higher level art skills to prepare them for 6th grade art.
Please take note of the days your child has art. We will not be distributing aprons this year, so have your child dress accordingly. Being creative can get very messy! : )
Sincerely,
Michelle Rancourt
SEARCH News
It’s back to school time and time for lots of new, exciting opportunities and experiences in SEARCH. Many parents have questions about the Loudoun County Public Schools gifted program at this time. A good place to start would be at the LCPS gifted website: https://www.lcps.org/Page/211705. Most questions that you, as a parent, might have about LCPS gifted programs can be answered by looking around the gifted website.
If you are new to SEARCH, however, let me assure you that EVERY child in grades K-3 will participate in SEARCH every other week (Guidance lessons are presented by the counselors on the alternate weeks). I will offer ALL students the same opportunity to “work within the classroom to stimulate curiosity, practice problem solving strategies, incorporate cooperative learning activities, provide opportunities for students to use higher level thinking skills, and to identify students with exceptional ability.
What can I do to help my child during these SEARCH years?
- Provide a stimulating home environment, rich in imagining and fun, where creative and mental development is encouraged.
- Encourage your child to take risks; show your child how you are willing to try new ideas and activities.
- Trust your own instincts where your child is concerned; no one knows your child better than you do.
- Remember that your child has the emotional and physical needs of a child, regardless of his/her degree of giftedness.
- Help children to live graciously with their gifts and appreciate the gifts of others.
- Being gifted does not mean that one is better than someone else. Gifts mean nothing until they are opened and used.
- Foster in your child the zeal to strive to fulfill his/her potential and to support others in their drive to do likewise.
Technology News and Updates
All students in Kindergarten through 5th grade have now been issued Chromebooks. Thank you for your patience as we received devices for all our new students, swapped out 3rd grade devices so they weren’t restricted to the K-2 Chromebook environment, and passed out devices to our youngest students in K. Please review our school’s Chromebook Handbook here.
A new school year is the perfect time to start new routines for device usage at home. Please help your child establish a good routine for the following:
Shutting down their device before charging
Students prefer to just close the lid of their Chromebook when they are finished using it. I know it is so much easier for them to open the lid, enter their password, and continue working on their assignment. But while this is OK to do at school, when students use the Chromebook in between other activities and assignments, it is important that students completely sign out and shut down when they leave school for the day and before they charge each night.
Charging their device each night
Find a safe location for device charging each night. Please keep pets and/or little siblings away from the charging cord as much as possible (we had several instances of chewed cords last year!). Also, please keep the chargers at home to reduce the risk of them being lost or stolen. A fully charged device will last the student an entire school day, so there is no need for chargers to be brought to school.
Bringing their device to school each day
After their devices are fully charged, students should get in the habit of putting their devices into their backpack or special carrying case. Loaner devices will NOT be given out to students who forget their devices or come to school without their device being charged.
Final Words for the Month:
In school, your child’s teachers work hard to monitor device usage to ensure students are using it for school assignments only. I have also been in all classrooms in grades 3-5 reinforcing the rules and expectations for Chromebook use. Please help us continue this by monitoring your child at home and making sure they are not trying to download apps into LCPSGO, creating accounts for random games they find, or watching YouTube videos unrelated to school assignments. Thank you for being our partner in creating a safe, online learning environment for your student.
I am looking forward to a fun technology enhanced year at Lovettsville Elementary! If you have any questions or concerns about anything technology related, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
The Supporter - School Counseling News
Meet Mrs. Routzahn
Mrs. Routzahn is looking forward to another wonderful year at Lovettsville Elementary! It is hard to believe this is her 17th year at LOV and 19th year working for LCPS. This year she will be working with many of our classrooms: Kindergarten (Parrish & Stokley), 1st, 2nd, 3rd (Garry, Kamholtz, and Sjostedt), 4th (Ciancio and Condon) and 5th. She will also be supporting Mrs. Walton’s classes on the days she will be working at Lucketts Elementary😊
Mrs. Routzahn received her B.A. in Psychology from University of Delaware. She continued her education at the University of Virginia where she received her M.Ed. In School Counseling (K-12).
The Routzahn family lives across the river in Brunswick so please be sure to say “hi” if you see them out and about! We have 3 children Jack, Avery (6th graders) and Paige (1st grader) and are always on the go with activities.
Mrs. Routzahn will be the full-time counselor at Lovettsville Elementary, Monday – Friday. Please feel free to reach out at any time if there are questions or concerns. She is happy to have the opportunity to support our wonderful school community of students, parents, and staff. Together we will make the 2022-23 school year fantastic!
Meet Mrs. Walton
Mrs. Walton is joining the counseling team as the itinerant counselor this year and she is excited to get to know the students, staff and parents at Lovettsville. She will be at Lovettsville on Mondays and Thursdays; the other days she will be at Lucketts Elementary. She will be working with two Kindergarten classes- Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Robic, two 4th grade classes- Mrs. Deater and Mr. Wise, and one 3rd grade class- Mrs. Meadows.
Mrs. Walton was born and raised in Virginia. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Averett University in Danville, VA and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia University. She is endorsed by the state of Virginia in school counseling (K-8) and is a National Board-Certified Teacher. This is her 22nd year with Loudoun County Public Schools.
In her free time, Mrs. Walton enjoys hanging out with her husband and two grown children. She also likes relaxing activities such as taking pictures, creating art and growing vegetables in her container garden.
Mrs. Walton looks forward to getting to know the Lovettsville community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Working together, we can help all students be successful this year.
The Role of LCPS Elementary School Counselors
● We will be providing bi-weekly classroom lessons on a variety of academic, social emotional, and career development topics. K-2 classroom lessons will be 30 mins and 3-5 classroom lessons will be 45 minutes.
● Individual check ins and short-term counseling support
● Small Group is a Tier 2 intervention service for some students to address academic or social/emotional needs. Participation is optional and parental permission is required.
● Provide information for outside mental health resources
● We are always happy to conference with parents via phone 540-751-2470, in person, or Google Meet. 😊
Classroom Lessons
September: Student Success
Music News
Our music program at Lovettsville is getting ready for an exciting year! Mr. Ford is so excited to continue to bring music experiences back into our student lives. In the month of September, students in Kindergarten and first grade are finding their voice through vocal exploration activities and singing games. Students are also learning how to perform music rhythms through body percussion activities and playing on instruments. Second grade students are also refinding their voice through vocal exploration and vocal modeling activities. Students are exploring different world instruments as they help reenact the story “Too Much Noise” by Ann Mcgovern. Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade students are starting to review complex music rhythms and creating music. Students will be participating in a fun Rhythmic Bowling activity to help reinforce their rhythm reading skills. Students are also starting melodic composition activities through sites such as Quaver music and Chrome Music Lab!
ANNOUNCEMENT: CALLING ALL FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS! LOVETTSVILLE ELEMENTARY CHORUS IS COMING BACK! THERE WILL BE A FIFTH GRADE CHORUS REGISTRATION PACKET WITH MORE DETAILS COMING OUT SOON!
Mr. Ford is looking forward to another exciting school year! Please email him at antonio.ford@lcps.org with any questions you may have!
PE News
Welcome back Lovettsville students and families! We are so excited to see all of the students in PE. We promise to make things fun, worthwhile, and healthy for everyone.
A few reminders to help us all have the most fun:
· Students must wear sneakers to PE
· Shorts need to be worn under dresses
· Dr. notes are required to be exempt from PE classes
As in past years, due to the unique size of Lovettsville Elementary and other nearby elementary schools, we will have multiple PE teachers again.
Mr. Brockway
- Full time at Lovettsville Elementary
- 22nd year teaching PE (All at Lovettsville Elementary)
- Loves to play golf, ride his bicycle, and cooking, & Fuel Up to Play 60
- Goal: Inspire students and families to live a healthy lifestyle by being physical active and eating healthy foods.
Mr. Kelly
- ½ teaching at Lovettsville ES, ½ teaching at Hamilton ES
- 14th year teaching PE
- He loves skiing in CO, biking the blue ridge mountains and teaching his children a love of the outdoors.
- A graduate of LCPS himself, he is excited to join the Lovettsville community.
Mr. Harris
- ½ time teaching at Lovettsville ES, ½ time teaching at Balls Bluff ES
- 15th year teaching PE
- He will be teaching Lovettsville students each morning
Asbestos Information
It is the intention of Loudoun County Public Schools to comply with all federal and state regulations regarding asbestos and to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure students and employees a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) performs routine inspections of several school buildings and staff facilities in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). As required by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the EPA, this notification is to inform you that asbestos-containing material (ACM) is present and managed in several locations in Lovettsville Elementary School.
Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was used extensively in many building materials because of its insulating, sound absorbing, and fire-retarding capabilities. While virtually any building constructed in the United States from the 1940s to the late 1970s contains some asbestos, intact and undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk. Schools are held to a higher standard for management than residences or privately-owned buildings.
In our school, known areas of ACM are inspected semi-annually by licensed LCPS personnel and every three years by licensed third-party inspectors to ensure that the material remains in good condition and does not pose an exposure hazard for building occupants. Any materials found to be in unacceptable condition or impacted by planned building work are removed by licensed professionals. Records of all inspections, response actions, and sampling data are compiled in the school’s Asbestos Management Plan document. This document also indicates the locations where asbestos-containing materials may be present.
In 2020-2021, the following inspections and response actions were performed:
- February 2021 Periodic Visual Surveillance, All Known ACM
- August 2021 Periodic Visual Surveillance, All Known ACM
- February 2022 Periodic Visual Surveillance, All Known ACM
- August 2022 Triennial Inspection (Third Party), All Known ACM
You are welcome to review a copy of any facility’s Asbestos Management Plan in the administrative office of the school. In addition, copies of all Management Plans are maintained in the Loudoun County Public Schools Facilities Services Environmental Division offices, located at 741 Miller Drive, Leesburg, Virginia. For all inquiries regarding the asbestos management plan and asbestos-related issues in our facilities please contact the LCPS designated asbestos program manager, Cristina Windover, at Cristina.Windover@LCPS.org or 571-252-1934.
Loudoun County Public Schools is committed to providing safe schools for all students and employees in our district and we thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Lovettsville Elementary School
Email: linda.textoris@lcps.org
Website: lcps.org/lovettsville
Location: 49 South Loudoun Street, Lovettsville, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 751-2470
Twitter: @LovettsvilleES