Charger News
September 22, 2023
UPCOMING EVENTS
- SEP 27 - Two-Hour Early Dismissal for Students
- SEP 25-29 - Homecoming Spirit Week
- SEP 29 - Homecoming Game
- SEP 30 - Homecoming Dance
- OCT 2 - Interim Reports Posted
- OCT 2 - Building Service Worker Day
- OCT 9 - School Closed for Students
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Thank you to everyone who attended Open House this week. We were pleased to see all of you. We hope that you found the evening informative. Don’t forget to check out our school website and official athletic website for information about the school, events and games. We love to see our parents and families.
HOME - Henry E. Lackey High School (ccboe.com)
Lackey Chargers - Official Athletic Website – Indian Head, MD (lackeyathletics.com)
We are quickly approaching the 1st quarter mid-point. Interim grades will be posted on Monday, October 2. I encourage parents to frequently monitor their child’s grades through ParentVue. Please do not wait for interims or report cards to address grade concerns. When you spot a concern about a grade, please have a conversation with your child, contact the teacher directly to discuss the concern, or contact the counseling office to schedule a parent-teacher conference.
A parent-school partnership is a must for keeping our students safe and ensuring that our students are accessing their education. When your child comes home without a laptop or a notebook, ask them “why?” When your child tells you that they do not have homework, get on ParentVue and check the teachers’ webpages; check your child’s grades. When you see a “NHI” in your child’s grade book ask your child to tell you why they did not turn in their assignment. Listen closely to their answer. As an experienced educator and school administrator, I promise you, our teachers rarely lose a child’s work or forget to record a grade. Teachers do make mistakes, but our teenagers are excellent at making excuses, deflecting attention, and blaming someone else when they fail to do what they know is right.
Afterschool Reminders
All students must go home at the end of the day unless they are directly supervised by a coach or an adult sponsor. Students are not permitted to stay after school to hang out with friends, to wait for friends or to wait for a game to begin. If students want to attend an evening athletic event, they must go home and return at game time. No student should be on school grounds or in the building if they are not officially on a team or a member of a club/activity.
All students must pay to enter an athletic event. The only exception is for student athletes who remained at school for practice.
All students must exit the building and school grounds immediately at the conclusion of an event including games, dances, and performances. Students should not wait until the end of an event to contact their ride. All rides should be present at the conclusion of an event. Please coordinate with your child a pickup time prior to dropping off your child. School staff appreciates your cooperation. Our staff puts in long hours after school away from our own families. At the end of a long school day and evening activities we want to go home.
Parents, We Need Your Help
Perhaps the #1 thing parents can do to help their child to be successful and to keep every student safe is to control your child’s access to social media. Social media is a major distraction to learning and poses a huge safety concern. School leaders and teachers see the negative influence and impact of social media every single day in our schools. Parents are putting thousands of dollars’ worth of technology into the hands of teenagers who are not mature enough to navigate the negative trappings of social media.
Every single day, students are exposed to cyberbullying, participate in cyberbullying, are exposed to or posting inappropriate content. When there is a conflict, teenagers do not help to diffuse a situation. Instead, they take out their phones and start videotaping, posting and air-dropping the recordings. Fights and conflicts have become entertainment for students. They have become desensitized to violence.
By not taking control of their devices, we are sending the message to students that this is acceptable. Unfortunately, as a school administrator, the only time I hear from a parent about social media is when their child is a victim of it and they “want the school to do something.” Often at the conclusion of an investigation it is discovered that the victim has participated in negative group chats or texts or social media posts that contributed to the present situation.
As a school, we tell your children to put their phones away. In every single classroom we have a secured pouch on every seat for your child to put their phone in while instruction is taking place.
Parents, we need your help. Tell your child to put their phone away, to use the pouches and to stay off their phones. Block your child’s access to social media sites. Set screen times on your child’s phone. Set up apps so that you must grant access to your child before they can enter certain sites. Require your child to share their passwords with you. Randomly check your child’s phone. Take your child’s phone at night.
It takes all of us doing our part to keep our students safe from the negative effects of social media.
HOMECOMING WEEK
HOMECOMING SPIRIT WEEK
Spirt Week Guidelines:
- No full-face masks or full-face make-up. Students must be able to be identified.
- No replicas of weapons, drugs or alcohol.
- No offensive costumes.
HOMECOMING GAME
Lackey Chargers vs. Stone Cougars on Friday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
The homecoming game will be a Black Out, so be sure to wear black.
HOMECOMING DANCE
- Homecoming Dance is Saturday, September 30 from 7pm - 10pm in the Lackey Gym. The Homecoming theme is Masquerade Ball. Please follow the Semi-Casual dress code.
- Homecoming Tickets are $30 and will be on sale September 27-29. YOU CANNOT PURCHASE TICKETS AT THE DOOR. TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29.
- Students may only bring one guest. If your guest is a non-LHS student, you must have a completed guest eligibility form by September 29. Forms are available in the main office.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Charles County Fair AFJROTC Demonstration
Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Brisa Montoya-Orellana forms up cadets from MD-931, Henry E. Lackey High School's AFJROTC corps, after demonstrating the 30-step drill sequence on the main stage at the Charles County Fairgrounds on September 15.
Charles County Fair Artwork Winners
Congratulations to Aaliyah Dover and Dakota Miles! They both won awards for their artwork at the Charles County Fair. Aaliyah entered a drawing titled "Raven" and Dakota entered a painting titled "Zen". We are so proud! Thank you for representing Lackey's Art Department at the County Fair!
CLASS OF 2024
Senior Dues
Senior Dues are $130 and may be paid by cash, check payable to the school or www.myschoolbucks.com to pay dues online. They are due no later than February 29, 2024. Dues include cap and gown, stole, tassel, senior shirt, yard sign, awards, senior picnic, diploma, and diploma cover.
Cap and Gown Ordering
Please open the link below for instructions to order your graduation items. The cap and gown, stole, and tassel are included in senior dues ($130) and are included at no cost in the packages. There are hyperlinks for the packages and individual items.
Explore Jostens personalized college and high school class rings, customizable yearbooks, championship rings, graduation products, and more to celebrate big moments this year.
Senior Portrait Make-Up Day
Senior portrait make-up dates are October 16 and 17. All appointment times will be during the school day, scheduling will be online. A scheduling link has been sent to parent's emails via Synergy.
Yearbook
2024 Charger Yearbook now on sale! Get your 2024 Charger Yearbook at the lowest price of the year. Our Back-to-School offer includes four free icons when you purchase personalization. This price and offer is available for a limited time, now until September 22! To purchase online, click the image or the link below.
MARYLAND SEAL OF BILITERACY
Have you heard about the Seal of Biliteracy? The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated Intermediate High proficiency in both English and a second language. The Seal of Biliteracy is a nationally recognized award that is recorded on student transcripts.
There will be a series of informational meetings on Zoom for both students and parents. Each meeting will discuss general information as well as specific skills that will be tested in order to be awarded the Seal of Biliteracy.
- October 19, 2023, 3-4PM
- November 16, 2023, 3-4 PM
- December 7, 3-4 PM
On February 1, 2024, there will be a Zoom session from 3-4 PM exclusively for students about the logistics of taking the Seal of Biliteracy test for those who have signed up to take the test.
The sessions will be recorded and shared for students/parents who are unable to attend.
If you are interested, please sign up at the link below:
COUNSELING CORNER
Meet our counseling center staff and view more information on the services available by visiting our school website, click here.
College and Career Center
The College & Career Center provides students the opportunity to research information about careers, colleges, universities, technical/trade/career schools, apprenticeship programs, military service, financial aid, scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and job opportunities. For additional information click here or stop by and speak with Ms. Long, College and Career Advisor.
ATHLETICS
ATTENDANCE
- The Attendance Secretary is not responsible for robocalls. They are auto-generated and go out for excused and unexcused absences.
- To check your student’s absences, go to ParentVUE and look under “Attendance”. If your student is marked absent, and you know they are present, please reach out to the teacher directly in ParentVUE.
- Students are only allowed 4.5 absences for extracurricular eligibility each quarter. If absent, they need to be bring a note from a parent, doctor, etc. in a timely manner.
- Attendance notes need to be submitted within 5 days of absence to be excused.
- Please clearly print the student's FIRST and LAST name, student ID number, and include the dates absent. All notes must have a parent's signature.
- Requests for administrative approval of absences must be sent to the respective grade level administrator at lease 2 weeks in advance.
Absence notes and attendance concerns should be submitted to Ms. Mullins, Attendance Secretary, at mmullins@ccboe.com.
REMINDERS
- Early Dismissal: If a birth parent or legal guardian (appointed by the courts) is sending someone to pick up his/her child early from school for any reason, he/she must send a written note/email indicating who will be picking up the student and giving consent. Upon receiving the note from the birth parent or legal guardian, the school will then verify its authenticity and check ID of the adult who signs the student out of the building.
- Emergency Contact: Listing an emergency contact does not allow the individual to pick up a student at any given time in a non-emergency situation without prior written authorization from the birth parent/legal guardian (per the Charles County Public Schools Handbook: Emergency Card (2023-2024) Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools, pg. 2).
- Deliveries for students are prohibited. Per the county's parent handbook, students are not allowed to receive outside food deliveries. Deliveries from Grub Hub, Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. Food deliveries of any kind will be turned away by our main office staff. Deliveries of balloons, cakes, flowers, etc. for students will be stored in the main office until dismissal.
- DROPPING OFF LUNCHES
- Parents may drop off forgotten lunches in the main office.
- Parents may drop off lunch for their child only.
- Parents may drop off food or drink during LUNCH PERIOD ONLY.
- Free Breakfast is available for all students each school day from 7:10-7:25 a.m. MyPaymentsPlus is available to monitor your student's lunch account balance and spending.
- CCPS 24-hour information line is available301-934-7410 or 301-392-6656, or website at www.ccboe.com for school closing information.