Charger News
October 20, 2023
UPCOMING EVENTS
- OCT 23 - Underclass Portrait Make-ups
- OCT 25 - Two-hour Early Dismissal
- OCT 27 - "Pink Out Day" - Wear Pink
- OCT 30 - Trunk or Treat
- NOV 1 - First Marking Period Ends
- NOV 1 - Night of the Performing Arts
- NOV 2 - Second Marking Period Begins
- NOV 3 - Two-hour Early Dismissal
- NOV 5 - Standard Time Begins (turn clocks back one hour)
- NOV 7 - Winter Sports Pre-Season Meeting
- NOV 10 - Veterans Day - Schools closed for Students
- NOV 13 - Report Cards Posted
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
It is hard to believe, but there are only ten (10) school days left in the first quarter. At this time students should be working closely with their teachers to be sure they have met all assignment deadlines, are taking advantage of reassessment opportunities that may have been offered and complete all work over the next 10 days. Parents, please log onto ParentVue to check your child’s grades now. Waiting until report card grades are issued is too late.
During the month of October our staff and students have been displaying their support for two important causes. October is National Bullying Awareness month and Breast Cancer Awareness month. This week, Lackey High School joined Charles County Public Schools in wearing orange for Unity Day to spread the message of kindness throughout our schools. Today, we join together to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. As a community, let us not limit our attention to these important causes to just a few weeks each year. Let’s keep the education and awareness going.
I want to make parents aware of a new policy we have implemented this week. Sadly, there is a fraction of our student body who do not take pride in our building or our community. Multiple times over the past couple of weeks, some students have decided to vandalize the school bathrooms. Students have thrown trash on the floor, stuffed the toilets and sinks with paper and trash, pulled paper towel dispensers from the wall, and written graffiti in the stalls. All of our students deserve a clean, well-equipped bathroom facility. Our building service staff does not deserve to have to clean up after students who choose not to respect our school.
Starting this week, the only bathrooms that will remain unlocked are those across from the main office. The remaining bathrooms will be unlocked by an administrator during the change of classes and locked again after class starts. All bathrooms have a sign stating, “If locked, see an administrator.” An administrator will unlock the bathroom during classes for no more than two students at a time. This is not an action I want to have to take. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, cameras cannot be utilized in the bathrooms as a security measure. We do not have the luxury of having staff to monitor the bathroom doors all day. Therefore, to keep our bathrooms clean and safe for everyone these are the steps we are taking. We appreciate your understanding in this matter. Please discuss with your child the importance of respecting our school.
National Principal's Month
Happy National Principal's Month Ms. Davis!
We thank you for your support, dedication, and hard work. Thank you for all that you do!
The students and staff at Henry E. Lackey High School appreciate you!!
iReady Family Reports
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) administered i-Ready diagnostic assessments to students in the fall in both reading and mathematics. Students who took i-Ready assessments include the following.
- Grades 1-8 participated in both a reading and math assessment.
- High school students enrolled in Algebra I or Foundations of Algebra this year completed the math assessment.
- High school students taking English I this year completed the reading assessment.
CCPS is excited to announce that Family Reports are now available digitally in the student’s i-Ready portal. To access the report, your child will need to log into their CCPS Office 365 account, go to Clever, and then click on the i-Ready icon. Parents can also assist their child with logging into Office 365. For more details on how to do this, see the attachment labeled “Accessing the i-Ready Student Portal.” The attachment also provides directions on how to get to your child's report within the i-Ready portal.
The code for accessing i-Ready Family Reports for the 2023-2024 school year is MRBKQ8. This code is for all students in all schools. Please contact your child’s teacher to request a paper version of the Family Report. Additional parent resources including a video about i-Ready are posted online here. CCPS has also posted i-Ready resources on the i-Ready page of our website.
All County Music Concerts
Come out and support our All-County Music students by attending their concerts.
- All County Orchestra Concert, Tuesday, October 24 at 6:30pm at Stone HS
- All County Chorus Concert, Thursday, October 26 at 6:30pm at Westlake HS
Night of the Performing Arts
Wednesday, November 1 at 6:30pm in the Lackey Auditorium
Featuring: Concert Women, Concert Men, Women's Chamber Ensemble,
Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Orchestra, String Quartet and more!
Chipotle Fundraiser - Lackey Dance Team
Come and support the Lackey Dance Team! Tuesday, October 24th at the Chipotle in La Plata between 5-9pm. See flyer below for more information. Thank you in advance for your support!
Pink Out Day
Charles County Public Schools is sponsoring a "Pink Out Day" on Friday, October 27, to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join CCPS and wear your favorite shades of pink!
Trunk or Treat
Lackey's SGA is hosting a Trunk or Treat on Monday, October 30 in the upper parking lot traffic circle from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. All elementary-aged children (12 and under) are invited to attend.
Key Club
Red Robin Fundraiser - Key Club
Key Club is having a fundraiser at the Red Robin in Waldorf on November 8th to support PBIS at Lackey. Come out and help support the Key Club!! See the flyer below for more details.
Unity Day
This year, Charles County Public Schools celebrated Unity Day on October 18th. The purpose of Unity Day is to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion for everyone. Unity Day provides an anti-bullying message. To celebrate this day, the Our Minds Matter Club sponsored the third annual Kindness Card project. What is the Kindness Card project? Students or staff complete a Kindness Card and address it to anyone they want with a positive message for the recipient. The club members then deliver the messages personally. The past two years, hundreds of cards were delivered to students as well as staff members, with words of encouragement, compliments, and gratitude.
When students are asked to define bullying, many say the following: “When someone makes you feel less about who you are as a person.” Bullying includes unwanted words or action, physical aggression, and a real or perceived imbalance of power. It is important to remember that the internet has really changed the landscape of bullying behavior, which now can occur through texting, social media, and instant messaging. What can you do if your child is involved in a bullying situation as a victim, aggressor, or witness? Here are some tips from PACER.org/Bullying.
If your child is being bullied, be supportive. Listen to their story without judgment. Make sure to listen to their entire story before you offer to intervene. Once you know their issues, discuss their ideas about how to handle the situation. Help them make plans for the next steps and encourage them to talk to a staff member to help you both. Let a trusted teacher, administrator or counselor know the situation.
If your child has witnessed a bullying situation, encourage them to tell a trusted staff member. Reinforce with them the importance of not participating in bullying and emphasize the importance of kindness. Encourage them not to resend or participate in social media posts that are negative. Explain that letting the adults know about a situation is important and not just “snitching”.
If your child is the bully, have a calm conversation aimed at understanding their behavior. Be clear about your expectations for appropriate behavior. Help them understand how their behavior affects others. Bullying behavior can be changed, so talk to them about how to handle a situation more positively and reinforce them for good choices.
As has been mentioned, if you have a concern about bullying in the school, please let a staff member know about it so we can help. I look forward to seeing all the positive messages we will receive for Kindness Cards.
I have enclosed my link for Bookings if you would like to make an appointment with me:
https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/SchoolPsychologist@ccboe.com/bookings/
Respectfully,
Beverly C. Hoy, Ph.D.
301-753-1753
COUNSELING CORNER
Meet our counseling center staff and view more information on the services available by visiting our school website, click here.
College and Career Center
The College & Career Center provides students the opportunity to research information about careers, colleges, universities, technical/trade/career schools, apprenticeship programs, military service, financial aid, scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and job opportunities. For additional information click here or stop by and speak with Ms. Long, College and Career Advisor.
SENIOR NEWS
SENIOR DUES
Senior dues are $130 and may be paid by cash, check payable to the school or www.myschoolbucks.com to pay dues online. They are due no later than February 29, 2024. Dues include cap and gown, stole, tassel, senior shirt, yard sign, awards, senior picnic, diploma, and diploma cover.
SENIOR PORTRAIT MAKE-UP DAY
Senior portrait make-up dates are November 30 and December 1. All appointment times will be during the school day, scheduling will be online. A scheduling link will be sent to parent's emails via Synergy.
Yearbook
2024 Charger Yearbook now on sale! Get your 2024 Charger Yearbook! To purchase online, click the link below.
Seal of Biliteracy
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated Intermediate High proficiency in both English and a second language. The Seal of Biliteracy is a nationally recognized award that is recorded on student transcripts.
There will be a series of informational meetings on Zoom for both students and parents. Each meeting will discuss general information as well as specific skills that will be tested in order to be awarded the Seal of Biliteracy.
- November 16, 2023, 3-4 PM
- December 7, 3-4 PM
On February 1, 2024, there will be a Zoom session from 3-4 PM exclusively for students about the logistics of taking the Seal of Biliteracy test for those who have signed up to take the test.
The sessions will be recorded and shared for students/parents who are unable to attend.
If you are interested, please sign up at the link below:
ATHLETICS
REGISTRATION FOR WINTER SPORTS IS OPEN!
Frequently asked questions and answers:
1. What are the eligibility requirements for WINTER SPORTS?
- You must have a 2.0 grade point average (no F's) and must not have more than 4.5 days absent during the 1st quarter. All incoming 9th graders are automatically eligible until the end of the 2nd quarter.
2. What WINTER SPORTS do we offer?
- We offer BOYS & GIRLS BASKETBALL, CHEERLEADING, SWIMMING, WRESTLING, and INDOOR TRACK.
3. What are the email addresses for each Head Coach?
- BOYS BASKETBALL = lackey.chargersbball@gmail.com
- GIRLS BASKETBALL = jrbarnes@ccboe.com
- CHEERLEADING = LackeyChargerCheer@gmail.com
- SWIMMING = kwalter@ccboe.com
- WRESTLING = Brandon@townofindianhead.org
- INDOOR TRACK = VACANCY (please email jlush@ccboe.com for information)
4. How do I register for WINTER SPORTS?
- To access and complete our online athletic registration for WINTER 2023-2024, please visit: www.lackeyathletics.com (click on the REGISTER HERE ICON in the top right corner)
5. What do I need to do to make sure my child is registered for FALL SPORTS?
- You need to register your child for the sport that they want to play, upload a valid physical form, and sign the covid19 waiver online. If your child already played a sport in the Fall, you can simply contact Coach Lush and tell him what sport your child wants to play in the Winter or have your child visit his office and he will take care of the registration.
6. What is a valid physical form?
- Your physical is valid for one calendar year. For instance, if your child had a physical on October 20th, 2022, and it is on file with us, they are medically eligible to play sports for us until October 20th, 2023. As of October 21st, we would need you to upload a new physical into our system.
7. What do I do if I am having problems with the online registration process?
- There is a "Registration Cheat Sheet" on our website. If that does not help, please email Coach Lush (jlush@ccboe.com).
8. When is the first parent meeting?
- Our first parent meeting is on Tuesday, November 7th at 6:00 in the auditorium.
- 6:00 - 6:45 = Meet in the auditorium with Coach Lush to discuss the upcoming Winter Sports Season.
- 6:45 - 7:30 = Break-out sessions with the Head Coach of the sport that your child wants to play.
9. When is registration due?
- All student-athletes must be registered by Monday, November 13th at midnight in order to be eligible for the first practice.
10. When does practice start?
- Our first practice date is Wednesday, November 15th. Each Head Coach will provide you with a calendar for the season at the meeting on the 7th.
11. WHERE CAN YOU LOCATE ALL OF OUR INFORMATION AND UPDATES?
- On our Twitter Account (@LackeySports)
- On our Facebook Account (Lackey Athletics)
- On our website (www.lackeyathletics.com) If you hover over the tab, "MORE," it will give you a dropdown menu that will give you anything and everything that you need to know about Athletics at our school. There is a tab that is specific to FALL ATHLETICS 2023-2024. It will be changed to Winter once we move into that season, but the information is generally the same.
ATTENDANCE
Request for Absence Approval - Code 13 (Includes College Visits)
A unique life experience may include an educational field trip, athletic competitions not sponsored by the school, unique family circumstances (i.e., deployed parent visit), and/or career or alternate work experience.
An educational trip is one in which either the student is actively receiving instruction through a structured program directly tied to the curriculum, or the student is actively visiting another school, program, or college in preparation for potential future enrollment. Siblings may also be excused.
A “vacation” is not an educational trip or unique life experience.
To request an upcoming absence to be excused for these reasons, you must complete the "Parent Request for CODE 13 Excused Absence" form below at least two weeks in advance and submit it to Garcia Dixon, Supervising PPW, at gadixon@ccboe.com for Central Office approval. This form is also available on our school's website.
Attendance Reminders:
- The Attendance Secretary is not responsible for robocalls. They are auto-generated and go out for excused and unexcused absences.
- To check your student’s absences, go to ParentVUE and look under “Attendance”. If your student is marked absent, and you know they are present, please reach out to the teacher directly in ParentVUE.
- Students are only allowed 4.5 absences for extracurricular eligibility each quarter. If absent, they need to be bring a note from a parent, doctor, etc. in a timely manner.
- Attendance notes need to be submitted within 5 days of absence to be excused.
- Please clearly print the student's FIRST and LAST name, student ID number, and include the dates absent. All notes must have a parent's signature.
- Requests for administrative approval of absences must be sent to the respective grade level administrator at lease 2 weeks in advance.
Absence notes and attendance concerns should be submitted to Ms. Mullins, Attendance Secretary, at mmullins@ccboe.com.
REMINDERS
- Deliveries for students are prohibited. Per the county's parent handbook, students are not allowed to receive outside food deliveries. Deliveries from Grub Hub, Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. Food deliveries of any kind will be turned away by our main office staff. Deliveries of balloons, cakes, flowers, etc. for students will be stored in the main office until dismissal.
- Dropping off lunches:
- Parents may drop off forgotten lunches in the main office.
- Parents may drop off lunch for their child only.
- Parents may drop off food or drink during LUNCH PERIOD ONLY.
Early Dismissal: If a birth parent or legal guardian (appointed by the courts) is sending someone to pick up his/her child early from school for any reason, he/she must send a written note/email indicating who will be picking up the student and giving consent. Upon receiving the note from the birth parent or legal guardian, the school will then verify its authenticity and check ID of the adult who signs the student out of the building.
- Emergency Contact: Listing an emergency contact does not allow the individual to pick up a student at any given time in a non-emergency situation without prior written authorization from the birth parent/legal guardian (per the Charles County Public Schools Handbook: Emergency Card (2023-2024) Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools, pg. 2).
- Free Breakfast is available for all students each school day from 7:10-7:25 a.m. MyPaymentsPlus is available to monitor your student's lunch account balance and spending.
- CCPS 24-hour information line is available301-934-7410 or 301-392-6656, or website at www.ccboe.com for school closing information.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).