LMS e-blast
9 September 2020
PTO News
Want to donate to help treat our LMS teachers, but you aren’t a baker? Well, now is YOUR time to SHINE! (no homemade items allowed due to COVID) Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054da8a82ca57-teacher
Also, please opt-in for PTO communications and volunteer opportunities by sending your email address to our Volunteer Coordinator, Adrienne Scruggs, at scruggsadrienne@yahoo.com
Save the date for our first PTO meeting on Monday, September 28 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom!
Lifetouch addresses yearbook delays (Please click the link below to view the letter)
Update to Meal Delivery Guidelines
The Lynchburg City Schools School Nutrition Program will now be able to provide meals to all children in Lynchburg ages 18 and under. All children, regardless of whether they are an enrolled LCS student, are now eligible to receive a free meal kit, which includes breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack. Meal kits are distributed curbside at the five secondary schools—which include E. C. Glass and Heritage high schools, and Dunbar, Linkhorne, and Sandusky middle schools—Monday through Friday (no holidays) from 11:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. Bus deliveries are made between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (no holidays).
Parents, guardians, and/or caregivers can pick up meals for their children.
The meal delivery map can be found at www.lcsedu.net/return-to-learn/meal-service.
News from the Counseling Department:
THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES
The Power of YET
yet
/yet/
adverb
1.
up until the present or a specified or implied time; by now or then.
"I haven't told anyone else yet"
Why does this little word pack so much power? Look at the definition again. “...up until the present” or “up until now”. There is an implied hope for growth or progress. How refreshing!
We, as parents and staff must accept this for ourselves and then be prepared to offer this HOPE to our students! It requires GRACE and PATIENCE to remember that we just haven’t mastered something YET. Even as a school counselor, I have said more than once recently that if I had to learn one more new technology thing, I was sure my brain would truly erupt! (explode!!). It hasn’t and I keep learning.
The days we are living in certainly have provided us with growth opportunities, even as unwelcome as they may be. As we continue to work with our students, please encourage them to keep trying. There is most definitely a learning curve and just like in other areas in our lives, we need TIME and EXPERIENCE to master a new task. In the school we might refer to this as having a growth mindset. This means we aren’t just evaluated by our success but by our growth toward success. We haven’t found complete success YET, but we will if we keep working at it.
You are not in this alone!!
Here are some tips for working with your students while leaning on the “YET”
Embrace mistakes as a part of learning – failing to acknowledge that we make mistakes as human beings makes it hard to learn from them.
Remind students of other things they have mastered that were hard at first- like riding a bike or learning to swim. When we remember other successes, we are more apt to keep trying.
Use the power of “yet” – Let your child know that not knowing is temporary. If they don’t get how to do something, be sure to intentionally use the word “yet” so that they know that they can reach their goals, even if they aren’t there yet.
Watch the praise! While praise seems like a great thing, empty praise means nothing. Be sure to offer praise for something specific and related to a behavior, not a trait. For instance instead of saying, “you’re so smart,” say, “you worked really hard on that and it really paid off!”
Failure is an ugly word. Use more accurate labels...something entirely different like having “room for improvement” rather than failure. Once they fail, it’s hard to continue.
Reward hard work, not talent. All students need to feel important. Value hard work, not just raw talent. This should help both the struggling learners and the accelerated learners to make greater strides.
Give students ownership of their own attitudes. Once students learn to develop a growth mindset they should own it. Allow them to own their attitudes and their mindsets. They have a great future ahead. Let them take charge of it.
(a portion of this list was compiled from https://theeducatorsroom.com/10-ways-help-students-develop-growth-mindset/)
Who doesn’t love a little Sesame Street to drive this point home?! Share this catchy tune and talk with your family about the message in this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLeUvZvuvAs
National Suicide Prevention Week - September 6-12, 2020
RESOURCES for more information:
Suicide Prevention Awareness | Know the Warning Signs of Suicidal Behavior
Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Text “Home” to 741741 to access a crisis counselor
TECHNOLOGY
Who do I contact if my student needs technical assistance? LCS Student Tech Assistance
LMS INFORMATION
Where can I find information specific to LMS?
LMS Counseling Department Website
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Expert Recommended Resources to Help Teens and Young Adults Navigate Life's Challenges
Community Programs and Links
Virginia Tech Talent Search - Talent Search is committed to removing barriers to social and economic equality by supporting students in achieving their educational goals. Participants will be equipped with the necessary resources and skills which will enable them to: successfully meet the challenges of the 21st Century by gaining the academic, social and technological skills necessary for acceptance to college, make sound career decisions, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities that will enable them to improve their quality of life and to contribute to their communities and society as a whole. If you would like more information about this program or to apply, please follow the link: Talent Search.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Rene James
Counselor for students: A-M
Laura Casler
Counselor for students: N-Z
LMS Counseling Department: 515-5332
Band
Email me at minickmj@lcsedu.net if you have any questions.
Athletics
The Library
Students may access Sora (for e-books) and Destiny Discover through Classlink:
LCS Classlink: bit.ly/lcsclasslink
Curbside library book pick-up began Tuesday, September 8th. The "How-to" instructions for checking out and picking up books are posted on the Library's website and in the classroom.
Directions for accessing e-books on Sora.
1. https://soraapp.com or download the free Sora app onto a mobile device (or link from the library website)
2. Select 'I have a setup code.' code: lynchburgva
3. Username: your student number without a zero in the front
4. Browse, check-out, and read!:) You may have 2 e-books checked out at a time.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Gray if you have any issues or questions:
434-515-5333
Classlink for LCS
Pay Online!!
MySchoolBucks accounts: We've made it easier to find LMS items on MySchoolBucks!
Once you are signed on, click on School Store Browse All.
Please go on to pay for your Chromebook insurance if you haven't done so already.
All the LMS items are listed (alphabetically) on this screen. This is our one-stop-shop for everything LMS!
Linkhorne Middle School
Website: http://www.lcsedu.net/schools/lms/
Location: 2525 Linkhorne Drive, Lynchburg, VA, USA
Phone: 434-515-5330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMSJaguars/