BOLT REPORT
Go Lightning!
FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
February Calendar
SENIORS PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE SENIOR TIMELINE FOR DEADLINES!
1 - Student Holiday
2 - Academies of Loudoun Winter Admission Information Session in auditorium, 6:00pm
6 - All-District Band concert
7 - Club Picture Day #2 (rescheduled)
7-11 - National School Counseling Week
11 - Powderpuff Volleyball game, 8:00pm
12 - Bolt Bash winter dance, 8:00pm
17 - Band pre-assessment concert, 7:00pm
18 - Talent Show, 7:00pm
21 - President Day Holiday
24 - Orchestra pre-assessment concert, 7:00pm
What's in this issue?
2) A Note from Dr. Hitchman
3) Lightridge Counseling
- 2022-2023 Course Registration Calendar
- Curriculum Night presentations
- Academies of Loudoun Winter Admissions
5) Bolt Clubs & Activities
6) Lightridge Testing
7) Lightridge Athletics
- February sports schedule
- Athletic Boosters
- Softball fundraiser - shoe drive
9) Listen Up Lightridge!!
- Birthday Bolts
- Be the LIGHT
- Learning Labs
A Note from Dr. Hitchman...
This year, February is a time of beginnings and endings. During the month we will conclude our winter sports season and wrap up the first semester. February is also when we not only begin the second half of the school year but also conduct tryouts for spring athletics. We also begin to engage students in the course selection process for the 2022-2023 school year. During the month of February, our school counselors will meet with every Lightridge student in grades 9-11 and help them map out their course selections for next year. Parents will have the opportunity to see which courses were selected sometime in March and will have until June 1,2022 to request course changes. Please keep in mind teacher recommendations for certain courses were made in December and there is still half the school year remaining for students to display the academic prowess necessary to take certain courses. We appreciate you partnering with our school counselors and teachers during this process. Please check the School Counseling Department section in the newsletter for additional information including opportunities to further engage with our school counselors.
While our school counselors are meeting with students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, we have not forgotten about our 12th grade students. The beginning of the second semester is a great time to reflect on where our seniors are with their learning and establish goals they want to complete before graduating on Thursday, June 16. I encourage you to communicate with your child’s teachers and school counselors if you have any questions regarding their academic standing. Our school counseling and administrative team will be reviewing student grades from the first semester and will be providing credit recovery opportunities before school for students who did not earn a passing grade. We will reach out to students and parents during the beginning of February and create an academic plan which can help our students experience academic success during the second semester as well as recover credit, if necessary, from the first semester.
Finally, I would like to thank you for the emails, phone calls, and messages. These are difficult times with many students, parents, and staff feeling anxious and stressed for a variety of reasons. I thank those of you who have been able to participate in our Principal Coffee & Chat sessions. There will be two Coffee & Chat sessions in February, one on the 4th and the other on the 18th. One of my favorite parts is the question & answer portion when I hear from you, our parents/guardians. By working together and keeping the lines of communication open, we have been able to maintain a cordial relationship through difficult times. Please know I value your input and listen to your concerns. Lightridge High School would not be where we are today without your help and support. I look forward to continuing the important work we are doing to ensure our students have the best high school experience possible. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for taking the time to read our monthly newsletter and together, we light the way.
Dr. Hitchman
Principal
Please be sure to check out our weekly newsletter from Barrie Sheivert that focuses on all things college and career!
All Grade Levels
Feb 15: Winter admissions cycle for MATA and Advanced AET closes at NOON
March 25: Course registration portal in StudentVue closes. Once the portal closes, all Lightridge students will need to request changes online OR current Willard students can see their counselor to request a change.
April 30: Paperwork deadline for Dual Enrollment, Early Release, and Non-Recommended Level Up paperwork due to counselor
April 30: 1st Course Change Deadline - no change requests will be processed from May 1 allowing faculty time to evaluate course requests and begin to build the master schedule.
June 1-June 15: Course request window will reopen for students to make any last minute changes. Lightridge students will need to request changes online OR current Willard students can see their counselor to request a change.
June 15: FINAL DEADLINE TO MAKE COURSE REQUEST CHANGES
Social Science course info
World Language course info
HPE course info
2022 Winter Admissions Cycle - For enrollment in school year 2022-2023
2022 Winter Admissions Cycle - For enrollment in school year 2022-2023
Application Timeline & Requirements
- Window Opens | December 6, 2021 – For Academies of Loudoun Winter 2022 Admissions
- Window Closes | February 15, 2022 - Winter admissions window closes at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
- Winter Admissions Testing Session | Saturday, February 19, 2022 (For Advanced AET applicants only)
- March 2022 - admissions offers will be posted in admissions portal
- March-August 2022 - Students must accept or decline all admissions offers
MATA Admission Criteria – All applicants must submit an application in order to be considered for enrollment
- Resume required (upload in admissions portal)
The resume must include:
Full name and LCPS student ID
All experiences or interests relevant to pathway choices in application
- Career Goal Statement required (500 word max – upload in application portal)
- Enrolled in Algebra I or above at time of application
- PSAT score (NMSQT) required**
- Review of Academic Record by counselor and admissions office
- Verification of on-time graduation requirements by high school counselor
- Counselor recommendation required (automated process through application portal for LCPS students)
Advanced AET Admission Criteria - All applicants must submit an application in order to be considered for enrollment
- Currently enrolled in Math Analysis
- Successful completion of 2 science credits by the end of 10th grade (Research Earth Science and/or Research Biology and/or Research Chemistry are recommended)
- Final grade of C or above in each course in grade 9 and grade of C or above in each course for Semester I of grade 10
- PSAT scores (NMSQT)**
- Writing Assessment score required
**Applicants without a PSAT score report may submit an SAT or an ACT score report as a substitute. Results must be submitted to the Admissions Office prior to February 17, 2022
Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA) – Pathway Options – 9th, 10th, and 11th grade applicants only
Advanced AET Pathways – 10th grade applicants only
Lightridge High School encourages students to actively engage in volunteer service throughout high school. Students who demonstrate a strong commitment to service, as evidenced by completing 100 or more hours of service by April of their senior year, will earn a service cord to be worn at graduation. Loudoun County Public Schools does not require volunteer service hours for graduation.
In order to qualify for a service cord, students must submit their volunteer hours each year during the eligibility period for each school year. The Lightridge Volunteer Service Form can be completed as many times as needed throughout the academic year to document multiple volunteer activities and service hours. Students may only count volunteer service hours from the summer before 9th grade through April of senior year. Happy volunteering!
2021-2022 Assessment Windows
- Fall 2021 Non-Writing SOL, Jan 24 - Feb 4 Retakes
- ACCESS for ELLs, February 7th & 9th
- VAAP, Late Winter (date TBD) - June 3
Spring 2022 Writing SOL
- March 10 (Multiple Choice)
- March 11 (Short Paper)
Spring 2022 MAP Testing
- March 28 - April 29
- May 2, 4 -13 & 17
Spring 2022 Non-Writing SOL
- May 10 (Math)
- May 11 (Science)
- May 12 (Social Science & Reading)
- May 17(Make-ups & Expedited Retakes)
Spring Writing SOL
We will be administering the English Writing SOL test to all students taking English 11 or AP Language and Composition as required by The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The test has two components: a multiple choice response and a short paper response. In order to obtain a score, the student must complete both components.
The Multiple Choice portion of the test will be given on Thursday, March 10th and the Short Paper portion will be given on Friday, March 11th and testing on each of the days will begin at 9:15am. It is important that students attend school on these days so please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would require an absence. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that will result in your student missing a test day, please notify Donna Draisey as soon as possible.
AP Testing
March 11th is the deadline for AP Payment, AP Cancellation and AP Late Registration
Students currently enrolled in an AP Course and planning on taking the corresponding AP Exam, must register for the test through their College Board account at https://apstudents.collegeboard.org. Any exams that are registered for from now until March 11th will be subject to a $40 late fee.
Also, as you may recall, LCPS has agreed to pay for the first 4 AP exams that your student takes, effective this school year. To clarify, if a student is taking 4 AP exams or less this school year, and registered before November 5th, they do not need to pay anything.
Students planning on taking more than 4 AP exams this year, will need to pay $87 per test, for the number of exams over 4 that they are taking. For example, if a student will be taking 6 AP exams, they will need to pay $174 ($87 x 2 tests).
Parents please note that you need to pay for the exams by March 11th. If you are certain that your student will be taking (and is registered for) more than 4 exams and you would like to make a payment at this time, please use the school's online payment portal. If your child attends Academies of Loudoun, and will be taking all of their exams there, you will need to make payment through the Academies of Loudoun payment portal. If they are taking exams at both Lightridge and the Academies, please make all your payments via the Lightridge online payment portal.
I will be sending periodic reminder emails to families who have students taking more than 4 exams and have not paid beginning in January. If you have questions about the number of tests your child may be registered for, reach out to Donna Draisey.
ACCESS for ELLs Testing
ACCESS for ELLs, or the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners test, is a state and federally mandated English language proficiency assessment administered to identified English Learner (EL) students in Kindergarten through grade 12. The assessment helps LCPS monitor the progress of ELs' English language development throughout the school year and from one year to the next.
ACCESS testing will take place for Lightridge students during the month of February. Click here for complete information on ACCESS for ELLs testing.
I will continue to do everything I can to create a stress-free testing atmosphere for all students and to communicate with students and parents regarding testing dates, times and locations. All communication to students comes through E-Hall Pass and their LCPS issued email account so encourage your student(s) to check both of these sources regularly.
Please do not hesitate to contact me via email if you have questions or concerns about any aspect of testing. You can also go to the Lightridge Testing Office website for the latest testing information.
Follow us on Twitter @LightridgeTest
Winter Sports
4-Feb LRHS vs Tuscarora Away 545/715
7-Feb LRHS vs Loudoun Valley Home 545/715
10-Feb LRHS vs Rock Ridge Home (Sr night) 500/615/715
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4-Feb LRHS vs Tuscarora Home 545/715
7-Feb LRHS vs Loudoun Valley Away 545/715
10-Feb LRHS vs Rock Ridge Home (Sr Night) 500/615/730
VARSITY WRESTLING
5-Feb Districts at Rock Ridge
12-Feb Regions at Liberty
GYMNASTICS
1-Feb Districts at Heritage 600pm
12-Feb Regions at Hanover 100pm
SWIM
5-Feb Dulles District Meet CMRC 200pm
12 Regional Meet CMRC 800pm
WINTER TRACK
8-Feb Districts at Home
14-Feb Region at JW(SU)
SCHOLASTIC BOWL
9-Feb Region at LC 5:00pm
Athletics Ticket Sales:
Season passes are on sale for this school year. These remain great savings for families who attend multiple games throughout the year. Information is available at events.ticketspicket.com/agency/059a311… or scan the QR code below to purchase through TicketSpicket.Com
ATHLETIC PAPERWORK:
In Order to tryout, a completed VHSL Physical and Online Registration need to be on file with the athletics office by Friday, February 18th**
Important Dates:
Spring Sports Begin---February 21
STAY CONNECTED WITH LIGHTRIDGE ATHLETICS:
- Lightridgeathletics.org is the primary website/source of athletics information (schedules, department updates, team news and calendars, etc.)
- Sign up to receive "Email Alerts" on Lightridgeathletics.org and choose the sport/s to follow
- Follow us on twitter at @Lightridge_LCPS
- Follow us on Instagram at @Lightridge_LCPS
Welcome to the Lightridge Library! We strive to be the heart of our diverse community. We provide a place for students to learn and appreciate the power of print and digital information through universal access to knowledge. We encourage literacy, inquiry, and social-emotional health. We welcome all Lightridge community members to learn, discover, create, and connect in our vibrant, joyful space! Here's what's happening in the library!
- The Lightridge Library celebrated National Shelfie Day on January 26th by inviting our patrons to submit a "selfie with a shelfie" (a selfie taken in front of a bookshelf). We invited Lightridge staff members to submit a selfie, along with a separate picture of their bookshelves (a "shelfie"). Students tried to match the Lightridge staff member's selfie with his/her shelfie.
- The Lightridge Library is celebrating Black History Month throughout February with displays celebrating the Black Community. In honor of World Read Aloud Day on February 2nd, we have a read aloud of Kwame Alexander's award-winning poem, The Undefeated, which is a celebration of the Black experience, available in our Library Schoology course.
- The Lightridge Library Student Advisory Council held its first meeting on Wednesday, January 12th. The purpose of the student advisory council is to advance the mission of the Lightridge Library to better represent student interests and invite more participation in Library activities.
- Blind Date with a Book returns to the Lightridge Library throughout the month of February! Blind Date with a Book reminds readers not to judge a book by its cover. We have a display of wrapped books, with a few clues about the book on the wrapping. Patrons are invited to choose a book and discover a new read! We have an ebook/audio version of Blind Date With a Book available as well.
Your Birthday in Lights
Lightning Learning Labs & PEER Tutors
WHO: Any student who needs additional support in an academic subject area.
WHAT: The LIGHTNING LEARNING LABS Program promotes academic success for all Lightridge students and provides additional academic support, when needed. The vision is that all LRHS students will be academically successful and prepared for post-secondary options upon graduation. Math, English, Science, and Social Studies will have licensed staff available for tutorial assistance throughout the school day for students to utilize.
Students may work in Lightning Learning Labs on class assignments or on materials of personal interest. If a student is behind in school work, in jeopardy of failing a class, or needs assistance with work completion they may be assigned by their teacher to mandatory attendance in a Lightning Learning Lab..
WHEN: All students may access the Lightning Learning Labs during lunch and during study hall.
WHERE:
- Humanities support is located in room 1603 and is staffed by English and Social Studies.
- STEM support is located in room 2423 and is staffed by Math and Science.
WHY:
STUDENT benefits:
- Consistent academic support throughout the academic day.
- Development of necessary study skills to academically succeed in the future.
- Assistance with completion of all assignments, with the goal of academic success.
- Access to additional academic resources, technology and extra time to complete work.
- Established high school and life survival skills of hope, resilience, and self-advocacy.
HOW:
Student Procedures:
- If planned at least 30 minutes prior, students should make an appointment pass to “Humanities Lab Block X” or to “STEM Lab Block X”.
- If a student is making a plan to go to a Lightning Learning Lab immediately, a proxy pass should be made.
- Teachers can make an appointment pass to “Humanities Lab Block X” or to “STEM Lab Block X”. Appointment passes should be made for students in the following scenarios.
- If a student needs to make up a test or quiz.
- If the student is missing several assignments.
- If the student needs additional help understanding a topic and the teacher.
- Students can seek the help of the Lightning Learning Labs during study hall OR during their assigned lunch. Students may bring a packed lunch to eat in the room but may NOT bring a lunch from the cafeteria.
Limitations:
- There will be a cap of 20 active passes at a time.
- A student may come to the Lightning Lab, get help needed, and return to study hall. This frees up time for another student to come in for additional support.
Lightridge High School
Email: christi.campbell@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/lightridge
Location: 41025 Collaboration Drive Aldie, VA 20105
Phone: (571)367-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LightridgeHighSchool/
Twitter: @LightridgeLCPS