Thunderblast Weekly
November 27, 2022
Thanksgiving
In Service,
Nick Cottone
Staff Friendsgiving
One Act Plays this Friday!
Seneca Ridge Drama club will be presenting a night of One Acts on Friday, December 2nd at 7 pm. This year we will be featuring original one act plays that were written and directed by two of our 8th graders, Mia Schaefer and Callie Banks. Admission is free, Donations are appreciated and will go toward supporting future SRMS Drama productions.
SRM BINGO Fundraiser
Fundraising is my least favorite part about being a principal. Still, to celebrate our students properly, we need to do it. We have tried to use outside companies and although the net gain can be high, the values of some of these companies do not fit with Seneca's values. We created an internal BINGO card that allows students to focus on service, academics, and physical well-being with sponsorship available for each box.
Why do we Fundraise?
- School budgets cover instructional needs. They replenish mainly through real estate taxes each year. These instructional budgets cannot be used for many of the things it takes to run a school that are related to climate and culture.
What do we spend our non-instructional money on?
- PBIS- we spent over $12,000 last year on student prizes including Chick-Fil-A, weekly pizza parties, the Bolt Buck Store, classroom celebrations, outdoor cafe activity equipment, and similar small things that can add up.
- Building Beautification- Seneca was built in 1978. Although it is an older school (for Loudoun), it is beautiful. We can still do more. Currently, we have our sights set on a new cafeteria and main gym. The county will pay for the bulk of these projects, but we are looking into murals, paint, and furniture to liven up these new spaces.
- Outdoor Canopy- We spend a lot of time outside. An outdoor canopy will cost between $16,000 and $20,000. We have been saving over the years, but it will take time. These big projects are worth it.
Check out our BINGO Card! We got feedback during advisory from 300 students and staff. We incorporated this feedback into the new card. One student asked about lowering the price from $10/ box to $5/box so more can participate. Of course! This did change the prize structure, but not by much.
*We ask that you hold onto any sponsorship money you collect until we near the close of this fundraiser (January 20, 2023). More info about next steps forthcoming.
Bloom STEM Event
Connecting with a Scientist
This week, Ms. Anderson's 7th grade life science students had the opportunity to talk live with a scientist via Google Meet. Her name is Dr. Tessa Campbell. She is originally from Australia, but currently in Sweden conducting research on natural killer (NK) cells in children born with compromised immune systems. Our students were able to ask questions to learn about Tessa's daily work with blood cells in a research lab, drawing connections to their current cells unit. In addition, our students got the opportunity to discuss the various paths toward a career in science. We are so grateful for her time and learned far more than we expected!
Weather
Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT)
Seneca’s UMHT: One of our goals is to provide families with information on community resources, access to basic needs, mental health and crisis counseling, reducing stress and anxiety, substance abuse resources, and resources to support learning. If interested, check out our resource page.
Does your student need extra help? Click here to view Seneca’s Tutor List.
Students and Staff of the Week
PTO Corner
Pre-Order Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!!!
‘You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy doughnuts, and that’s kind of the same thing.’
Your Seneca Ridge PTO is taking orders on delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts, now through December 5th, to raise funds for school/student related activities. Please click on this link to place your order today.
Our December PTO meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 14 at 10AM in the learning lab (across from the library). We hope you can join us!
Important Reminders
Yearbook
Attached is an ad for yearbook sales and here is the link to the order site, https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/general/displayLanding?portal=true. Our School code is 5475.
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