Thunderblast Weekly
November 14th, 2021
Powerful Moments
In speaking to students in the hallways this week, and especially Friday, they were gearing up for big events this weekend. Fall activities are coming to a close. Many athletes have their playoffs. Our students participated in all-district chorus. We honored our Veterans as a school. The PTO had over 50 families come in for our first Paint Night. We hosted a professional learning in our outdoor gardens with our partners at Permaculture Gardens for over 30 educators throughout the county… and I probably missed a multitude of other things. I will do my best to highlight so many of these awesome things in the sections below.
As we move forward and pass the baton to winter activities and a bustling holiday season, it is important for us as a community to slow down when we can and smell the roses. We share a campus with Dominion High School and believe in the value of a true community school. We know our students will be more successful and healthy when they are involved both academically and beyond the curriculum. Dr. Brewer, the principal at Dominion, and I will be highlighting some of the amazing Powerful Moments through short video clips over the next few months to make sure we do our part in sharing all of these amazing opportunities. This first video is an overview and a reminder to take a step back and appreciate how far we have come and where we are going in these very busy times.
COVID Updates
Another week COVID free at Seneca. 5 cases since we opened and nothing more to report other than THANK YOU for taking this so seriously. Now that it is available, we encourage our 6th graders to get the vaccine so we can continue to keep students in school.
As the weather breaks, we are still looking to get outside as much as possible to eat. Please have students dress appropriately. Even when it is cold, we will still need support at through our Lunch Volunteer Sign-Up. We did have two bee stings this week, but they did not occur in the cafe area.
Veteran's Day
On Thursday, we were able to take the time to celebrate our veterans through the following:
- Student Government ran a staff fundraiser for the GI Go Fund this week. The GI Go Fund provides employment, education, housing, and VA benefits opportunities to veterans and their families, and SRMS staff donated $350 in support of military veterans and their transition back to civilian life!
- We shared our individual stories through advisory.
- In Social Science classes, students were able to share further and in some classes, we looked at how Veteran's Day was celebrated in 12 different countries.
In addition, I am happy to highlight one of our 6th graders, Jacob Hipps. His grandfather, Mr. Jacobson, was very willing to share his story and took the time to help us understand his journey.
I included pictures below that hopefully do justice in explaining these self-less journeys and our hope in saying "THANK YOU" to our Veterans in the Seneca Community.
Mr. Wetmore serving from 1989-1996 as a proud Marine.
Mr. Jacobson, a Vietnam Veteran, placing a wreath at the ASA Memorial on Belvoir.
Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT)
Attention 8th Grade Families! The application for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is open and the last day to BEGIN the application process is November 17 at 4:00 pm. If your 8th grade student is interested in applying, please click here to view the application process.
For more information from the UMHT, please click here.
Diabetes Awareness- A Student's Perspective
I'm Brooke Patterson and I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 6 years ago, two weeks after starting Kindergarten. It was a really hard adjustment for me because I had to learn all about how to take care of myself in a new way. With Type 1 Diabetes your pancreas no longer produces insulin so I have to give myself shots of insulin in order to live. I also have to prick my finger and check my blood sugar in order to keep my blood sugar in a normal range. I now have 2 devices I wear on my body that help me manage my insulin and blood sugar levels. These devices help a lot, but managing Type 1 Diabetes is still a 24/7 thing. There are no breaks and no vacation days.
Every year World Diabetes Awareness day is celebrated on November 14 by wearing blue! This year is the 100th anniversary of the invention of insulin that diabetics need to survive! I would love it if everyone would support all the Type 1 Diabetics here at Seneca and wear blue on Monday!
Picture Make-Ups and Candid Yearbook Photos Tomorrow!
PBIS- Students of the Week
This week, we chose to reward the top earners from our BINGO Fundraiser! Thank you all so much for your hard work! As nice as it is to raise funds to build our outdoor canopy area, it is more important to have students contributing in their community. As students are completing boxes, it is important to find out more about the work they did to earn their sponsorship. Signing off on the BINGO card is a great way to start the conversation. It is not required, but it helps to keep our eye on the prize- our students' growth.
Please have students check in at their house office if they would like another BINGO card to track their progress.
Great work on demonstrating your dedication to growth and your community, Zahara, Colby, and Zack!
6th Gr: Zahara Chowdhury
7th Gr: Colby Leinbach
8th Gr: Zachary Garrett
Caleb, Adam, and Aayesha testing their engineering skills. Impressive skyscraper! They learned that next time they need to create a stronger foundation.
PBIS Staff of the Week
Business Partners
We have so many wonderful partners in this community. This week, I want to highlight two excellent restaurants who supported our spirit nights that made nearly $400.
Thank you to Chipotle and Choolah’s for being so generous and tasty!
PTO Corner
Check out our new spirit wear including new pajamas and hoodies! Lots of great options to choose from.
The Next PTO Meeting will be on December 8th at 6 PM.
Thank you to everyone who made paint night a huge success!
With all of these wonderful pictures of our families, I am happy to include the one below so I can properly thank our PTO personally for allowing me a great evening with my own children. We had a special night because of you.
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