Thunderblast Weekly
November 13, 2022
Learning Environment
- OSS (Out of School Suspensions)- we went from worst in the division to first among secondary schools. Although we had our struggles in FY22 coming back from COVID last year, we were well below our peers.
- ISR (In-School Restriction)- we need our kids in class, not in a room working on their classwork for the day. These first quarter numbers are extremely low and we have the possibility of staying well below 50 this year.
- Repeat Offenders- we know that each incident is a learning opportunity. If we partner correctly- school, family, and students work together to ensure we don't make the same mistake twice. Although we had 68 referrals this year, we only had 9 repeat offenders. In FY19, we had 20+ students with 6 or more referrals.
- Pride- the culture of this school has changed drastically and we will do whatever it takes to keep improving so our students can focus on growing both social-emotionally and academically. Let me know if you think we are missing and we will keep working. I promise! We need our community to know how special Seneca is.
- Perceptual Data- Students, Staff, and Families all receive a link to rate how we are doing at Seneca. We take your input very seriously and will use your idea to continue to grow. Please consider completing the survey in January. I want to hear from everyone.
- The chart above is cause to celebrate! Our students are off to a great start after Quarter 1! We have a PBIS celebration where each grade level will have a block on November 22nd to rotate across various activities as we thank our students for being AMAZING!
Honor Roll
Parent to Parent Coffee - Special Education
Dear Parents and family members,
Please join us at the Seneca Ridge Middle School cafeteria for our first parent to parent coffee regarding Special Education on November 16th from 9-10:30.
During this time, we will address:
- SEAC (special education advisory committee)
- What it is, programs associated
- Parent Resource Services
- What it is and programs offered
- Answer questions or direct you to resources
- Connect with other parents
We are hoping to have monthly meetings to support and connect with each other.
See you then!
Jill Pope and Karina Andrade, Seneca Parents
Flag Football
Friday, November 18th is our Championship game and grade-level showcase. This is scheduled for 6:00pm on the DHS turf field. All students who participated will be playing by grade level in an abbreviated game prior to the championship. We are accepting canned goods as an "admission ticket"/donation.
Veteran's Day
In Mr. Wilke's class, speakers from the American Legion Sterling Post 150 visited 6th grade students to talk about their experience in various branches of service including the Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force. Mr. Linehan (ARMY) , Mr. Miniaci (USMC) and Mr. Doyle (USAF) all shared their experiences of service to our country along with how it impacted their education and post-service careers. Students created thank you cards for Legion Post 150 as well as the veterans community of Falcon's Landing.
Supporting and thanking our veterans was school-wide and our Thunder Buddy students worked hard on beautiful thank you cards as well. Great work, Thunderbolts!
All-County Chorus
The following 6th grade students auditioned and were accepted to participate in All-County Chorus this year! They performed on Saturday in the All-County Chorus Concert at Loudoun County High School and they tore it up! Congratulations to:
Taylor Esguerra
Olivia Davis
Sophia Hogarty
Kayla Hunter
Kinsey Pettit
Avery Stebner
Hannah Stephen
Mikaela Wakefield
Bear Sightings
The Loudoun County Humane Law Enforcement Division has advised in the past few weeks there have been bear sightings in the area, with no concerning behaviors. They advise community members who encounter bears not to bother them. As long as the bears are not trying to get into a residence, a vehicle, or acting irregularly, there is no action necessary. If you see a bear acting abnormally, stay far away from it in a safe place and contact Humane Law Enforcement at 703-777-1021.
More information about best practices if you encounter a bear can be found on this link by the National Park Service.
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 of the Week
6th grade: Harper Soreide, Saif Sarsour, & Joe Riggle
7th grade: Roy Tannous, Dana Tran, & Ivan Londergan
8th grade: Robert Dragoi, Layan Alhadi, & Muhammad Musa
Staff of the Week
Potluck Extravaganza!
A special thanks to our generous business partners from the Stebner family (proprietors of Local Provisions opening in Cascades Marketplace in January) for preparing the salads and always coming to help out while looking to support Seneca at each turn.
PTO Corner
There’s still time to clean out the closet!
We are collecting hats, coats, scarves and hoodies for the winter. All sizes welcome! Gently used or new are welcomed. We will have a large collection bin in front of the school either in the lobby or just outside the main doors from November 2nd -November 18th. These winter items will be distributed around our Seneca community and beyond.
Twitter- https://twitter.com/@SRMS_PTO
SRMS Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/senecaridgemiddleschool
Seneca Ridge Home of the Thunderbolts- https://www.facebook.com/groups/4426489354061734
MSAAC Updates
- Ombuds (Carey Williams) https://www.lcps.org/Page/246566) will assist students and families who are facing challenges or have concerns; she will be a sounding board and point of contact for LCPS resources and information.
- Dr. Daniel Smith, LCPS Chief of Staff, shared an overview of the policy process, how to provide feedback, and the steps that follow as the policy moves from the originating committee to the school board for vote. Policy changes and updates start originate within the appropriate committee(s), are then shared with stakeholders, including the public and advisory committees as needed, and are then presented to the School Board for vote. Members of the community are encouraged to visit the lcps website regularly to see what policies are available for public review. Policies can be found on the home page and at https://www.lcps.org/policyreview.
- Grant Schafer, Supervisor, Community Connections, “School and Business Partnerships” explained how businesses can support students in their growth and career opportunities in tiered levels of support that represent increasing levels of commitment. Students who would like more exposure to different careers are encouraged to contact his office. Also, students who would like to fastrack into the STEM field with local business partners are also encouraged to reach out. More information is available at www.lcps.org/lcpspartner. Mr. Schafer can be contacted at Grant.Schafer@lcps.org or (571) 252-1107 to schedule a meeting.
MSAAC Mission Statement
- The Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee (MSAAC) is dedicated to partnering with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), parents, and the community to acknowledge and promote the needs of minority students. MSAAC is also dedicated to building a school system that is culturally and socially competent and positioned to provide fair and equitable learning experiences for all students.
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