LRHS FAMILY NEWSLETTER
October 13, 2020
Message from Principal, Janine Holmes
Hello Raiders,
It is hard to believe that we are at the mid-way point of the first quarter. Grades are currently updated in Schoology to reflect interim progress. Please stay in touch with your teachers. Conversing with them throughout the quarter can assist in understanding your content and expectations, your assignments, and your grades.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor if you need any type of support or help with resources. Counselors are assigned by student last name as listed below. Our counselors are available by messaging them through Schoology, emailing them, or setting up Google Meets.
A-G Jessica Moody, jmoody@bcps.org
H-O Tracey Johnson, tjohnson2@bcps.org
P-Z Sarah Miller, smiller18@bcps.org
I want to remind you that on asynchronous learning days, all students are required to log into Schoology anytime between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. in order to be marked present. Most Wednesdays are asynchronous learning days; however, if any other day is a holiday, Wednesday will be a synchronous learning day and students will have their regular class schedule.
A few students have not yet picked up books or other materials that are being provided for some classes. Please call the office at 443-809-3525 to see if we have materials for a course. Students or parents can still come to school to pick up the materials.
This year, we will not have ring ordering in the building. Please see the flyer in this newsletter with information about ordering school rings.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please call or email an administrator, counselor, or our social worker. We are here to support our students and families.
As always,
Stay Positive, Work Hard, and Make It Happen!
Janine Holmes
bcps news and messages
BCPS is continuing our continuing our Mind Over Matters campaign to raise awareness about mental health and promote wellness for students and staff. Throughout the year, you will find activities on our Web site.
Because this issue is so important, you should also know that every school has a counselor, psychologist, and Student Wellness Committee, and every school has access to a social worker and nurse to help students, as well as our Employee Assistance Program for staff.
Regardless of your title or role, every student should have at least one adult at school whom they trust. That sense of belonging will help us raise the bar, close gaps, and prepare students for the future, which are the goals of our new strategic plan, The Compass: Our Pathway to Excellence.
PTSA News
The LRHS PTSA has an **ALL NEW** look this year. The LRHS PTSA is committed to bringing our socially distant LRHS family and community together in the safest ways possible. To help bring us together and provide much needed information and resources to you, we have launched a campaign to bring the PTSA virtual. Check out our brand new website, social media and our new monthly newsletter format. You can now also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and NextDoor. Be on the lookout for the next PTSA newsletter coming soon.
Please support our PTSA!
All membership fees and donations can be made online at: https://lochravenhs.new.memberhub.store/store
student service learning news
Important Information for 2020-2021 School Year Graduation Requirements
At this time MSDE is not authorizing a waiver for the Student Service Learning graduation requirement. Based on this information we have worked with content area supervisors and have learned that all infused hours will be offered in a remote setting. Additionally, after meeting with a panel of stakeholders to include BCPS parents, students, and staff, the recommendation moving forward for INDEPENDENT HOURS is that Safe At Home Independent Projects ONLY should be completed until safety measures surrounding the pandemic changes.
Ideas for some Safe at Home Independent Projects have been listed below. Please reach out to your school coordinator for other project ideas. Some suggested SAH Independent Projects:
- Create a Safe at Home educational videos – Have a hidden talent and want to inspire others? Work with your school coordinator to create a plan.
- Partnering with a local school for tutoring
- More ideas can be found by visiting Youth Service America
Have other ideas? Feel free to email your school coordinator for approval. As a reminder, all Independent Projects need pre-approval from your school-based Service Coordinator before you can begin earning hours. Our coordinator is Mrs. Joann Bryant-Mitchell, jbryantmitchell@bcps.org
Resources and Publications
Yearbook news from Ms. Hinton, our yearbook advisor
counseling connection
College Visits
Starting this week, college admission reps have signed up for visitations with LRHS students. These visits are virtual and occur when you do not have a scheduled class.
You can sign up for the visits via your Naviance account. Simply log in to BCPS One and go to the orange Naviance tile. Once in Naviance, scroll about halfway down until you see the "What's New" section. Under that, you will see a listing of the currently scheduled visits. To sign up, click on the "See more" link and then click "Register." You will be sent an event link to join and the link will be active 15 minutes prior to the start of the event.
Many schools including Frostburg , Towson, Goucher, University of Baltimore and many others have already scheduled visits and want to meet with YOU!
Virtual visits are a great way for you to get personalized information about the college and meet the admissions rep who may be reviewing your application! This is also a great way to visit with schools that are far away.
Make sure to sign up today and remember visits are being added all of the time so keep checking your Naviance account daily for new visits!
See flyer below with more details!
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Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation
In order to request your transcript and letters of recommendation to be sent to colleges, your parent must fill out and sign the Consent for Release of Student Records form and send it electronically to your school counselor.
The form can be found in your Naviance account. A copy of it is pictured below.
No transcripts or letters will be sent to colleges until this form is received.
Please email the transcript release or send it as an attachment to a message in Schoology to your counselor as listed below.
- Last names A - G: Ms. Moody @ jmoody@bcps.org
- Last names H - O: Ms. Johnson @ tjohnson2@bcps.org
- Last names P - Z: Ms. Miller @ smiller18@bcps.org
If you have any questions, please call our counseling office at 443-809-3832.
4th annual BCPS-HBCU Fair to offer virtual connections to college reps, instant admissions for students
Sometimes going virtual has its advantages. For this year’s annual BCPS-HBCU College Fair, going virtual means the opportunity to connect students with more historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) than ever before – including HBCUs from throughout the nation. More than 30 HBCUs have already signed up -- and the list continues to grow.
All BCPS high school seniors are invited to participate in the free event on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Students can register for the fair on Naviance and through their school counselors or college counselors. All participating students are encouraged to complete the Common Black College Application (CBCA) prior to the fair. Pre-application is encouraged to receive virtual decisions from HBCUs. Many of the attending HBCUs will offer instant admission opportunities during their breakout groups. Seniors who complete the CBCA can apply to all 58 participating HBCUs, at once, for a flat fee of $20.
The BCPS-HBCU College Fair, which was founded and hosted by Milford Mill Academy for its first three years, has evolved into a school system initiative in its fourth year. This year, the BCPS Department of Student Support Services is partnering with Milford Mill Academy to host the fair.
schoology update
senior pictures
Seniors: In our next newsletter, we will have information about caps and gowns!
fall sports
Important information from our Athletic Director, Mike McEwan:
While we won't have actual in person sports this fall, I am excited to share that we will be having virtual coaching. Our fall coaching staff will be checking in on our student athletes including their academic and mental well-being. Anyone who is interested should use the link below to register on formreleaf which is our online registration platform.
https://app.formreleaf.com/organizations/loch-raven-high-school
Parent University Update
SPECIAL EDUCATION – USING SCHOOLOGY TO SUPPORT STUDENT ORGANIZATION ONLINE
Staff in the Special Education Resource Center and Parent University will offer a 90-minute webinar open to all BCPS parents and employees. The Challenges and Importance of Students’ Organizational Skills in the remote learning environment will be discussed in this webinar. Practical solutions for everyday problems will be provided with a focus on the support available to students and families through the already familiar Schoology platform.
The webinar will be presented by Dr. Elizabeth Berquist, Stacy Barry, Jill Snell and Valerie Schaffer, and will be offered on the following dates:
- Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Register here:
Food distribution update
Baltimore County Public Schools will provide school meals, at no cost, to all children ages 2-18 by pickup or by bus delivery. Meals are available to all children up to the age of 18, and to students with disabilities regardless of age. Parents or guardians can pick up student meals. School staff will record the number of meals, student(s) name(s), and the vehicle at the curbside location.
No sign up or registration is required. Curbside pickup is available at the main entrance of every middle and high school each Monday and Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. There are also some bus distribution locations. Please see Free Student Meals for locations and times.
On Monday students will receive: Two days of meals-breakfast and lunch (consists of cold food items, fruit, vegetables, milk and breakfast items). On Wednesday students will receive: Three days of meals-breakfast and lunch (consists of cold food items, fruit, vegetables, milk and breakfast items).
The Student Support Network will continue to supplement the BCPS food distribution program. The Network will be at Parkville High School and Loch Raven Technical Academy each Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until their food supply runs out.
bcps resources
Click here to get updates from Baltimore County Public Schools https://www.bcps.org/system/coronavirus/
Here are the links to connect to BCPS One and Schoology
Accessing Schoology Once You Have a BCPS Account
BCPS Social Emotional Support Team Resources for wellness, mental health, self-care and related topics:
Baltimore county public library virtual learning resources
BCPL has student support services, homework help, free remote printing services, and virtual conversations/discussions. These are great free resources for students and parents.
Here are the links: