News From The Nest
LHS Parent Newsletter--Year 20, Volume 3, September 21, 2020
Principal's Message
The first two weeks of the school year have provided many opportunities for flexibility and growth. Thanks to all of the students for their patience with the technology issues and for their steadfastness in attending classes. We had high rates of attendance in our classes and tremendous student engagement. Thanks to all of our parents who helped their students navigate this virtual world.
Our virtual learning experience was not without a few bumps along the road. There were network connectivity issues, Schoology hiccups, and the unfortunate occasional Zoom bombing. The division has taken steps to address these issues including increased security and safety protocols within Zoom. At the school level, we have also taken steps to address any disruptions through disciplinary measures.
Beginning Tuesday, September 22, we begin welcoming back small groups of students to the building. On October 8th, we are slated to welcome back our ninth graders. The high school time schedule will shift with this return of students. You can find the time schedule we will now follow below. While we are in the "yellow/yellow" phase, Mondays will continue to be a professional learning day for teachers and an on demand learning day for students.
Announcements & Reminders
Accessing the Building: Access to the building must be made through an appointment. Office hour appointments are now between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Call the main office at 648-5500 if you need an appointment.
SCA Officer Elections: Please encourage any student leaders you know to consider running for an SCA office. They can access the application form here. Please see Kasi Daniel or Megan Wong, our SCA sponsors, if you have any questions.
Virtual Library Checkout: Our library staff is excited to start with Library procedures again. Students can use this link for checkouts and check-ins of books. Students place their holds electronically for books and we set appointments for them to pick up the books.
Student Schedule Changes: Parents of students in grades 10-12 were given the opportunity to request a change in their child’s ‘Option’ last week. If there was space enough in the appropriate classes, the counselors made the changes to students’ schedules. Other changes may have been made in an effort to level courses and prepare for the return of ninth graders. These changes were made with a leave date of Friday 9/18 and a start date of 9/21. Our hope is that Schoology will catch up and students will be able to access their new classes by Tuesday. If that is not the case, teachers have been asked to be flexible with their new students and willing to share Schoology course access codes.
FEV Tutor Homework Help Available
A homework help program is now available through FEV Tutor Homework Help. Students can easily access homework help through the Classlinks Portal under FEV Tutor. Additional information about the program can be found through this FEV Tutor Informational Video.
REPEATED ITEMS
Opening of School Documents
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Compulsory School Attendance Law
- Parental Responsibility and Involvement Requirements
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Notice
- Notice of Graduation Requirements
- Annual Notification of Guidance and School Counseling
- Student Digital Device Agreement
- School Counseling Opt-Out Form
- School Board Policies, Regulations and Procedures
- Code of Conduct Booklet
The following documents can be accessed by clicking on the link provided:
- NEST Virtual Classroom Expectations
- Eating Disorders
- Scoliosis
- FAMIS
- Media Opt-Out Form (parents who do not want their student to be part of any media representations, please review and complete this form by September 15. You can upload the completed form using this site: https://forms.gle/Dvc9YcXUjtfQ8Zgw6.)
Food Services
The USDA has announced that they will extended our ability to provide meal service at no charge for all families at all VBCPS schools. This will work as it did during the summer, with bagged meals provided Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., with the Friday bag containing meals for Saturday and Sunday. If a different pickup time is needed, please contact the cafeteria manager, Bonnie Gassett, to make other arrangements. To maintain the safety guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, meals will be provided using a drive by/pickup model. They will be bagged and include both a breakfast and lunch. Children enrolled at the Safe Learning Centers and in the VB Parks and Rec program will eat for free. This service may change when students return to face-to-face instruction, and we will keep you updated.
Attendance Procedures
Attendance matters and can impact student learning. Here's how parents can help:
Encourage your student’s attendance and help them understand the impact it makes for a successful academic year.
Communicate with your student’s Administrator, School Counselor, or Teacher if you notice sudden changes in behavior or have issues that can potentially cause attendance issues.
Check on your student’s attendance periodically. To access your student’s attendance profile, log into Parent Portal or ParentVue Mobile App.
Provide parent verification of absences, by completing the electronic Absence Form to prevent Unverified Absences (UNV).
Please contact the Attendance Office at 648-5530 if you have any questions or email LHSAttendance@vbschools.com
Attendance procedures are detailed here.
Please Log Your Volunteer Hours!
VBCPS values and promotes active engagement of the community in all our schools. The Office of Family and Community Engagement coordinates many volunteer opportunities for community members to interact and contribute to the academic achievement of our students and the overall continuous improvement of VBCPS. Volunteer opportunities may include:
Serving in a PTA/PTO/PTSA
Serving as tutors, mentors or guest speakers
Providing assistance in classrooms, cafeterias, libraries or main offices
Organizing student enrichment and recognition activities
Supporting special events, athletics, school planning councils and advisory boards
Please be sure to log your volunteer hours through the VBCPS Get Connected database. VBCPS uses this information to quantify the value of volunteer service and apply for divisionwide federal grants that benefit our schools and students!
Landstown High School
Email: cheryl.askew@vbschools.com
Website: http://www.landstownhs.vbschools.com/
Location: 2001 Concert Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Phone: 757-648-5500
Twitter: @LandstownEagles