Thunderblast Weekly
February 21, 2021
Black History Month
Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight significant and impactful events and persons who have been underrepresented in our history books and curriculum. As we celebrate, it is important for us to define what we value at Seneca. Our diversity is what makes us great. The beauty in our culture that we share with each other daily helps us to grow. The safe place for our students to share who they are and what is meaningful to them is what we strive for.
Over the last few years, our equity team with amazing student leaders has reinstituted and begun anew the following celebrations: Hispanic Heritage, African American Heritage, Asian Heritage, and a Multicultural Event that was set to include our entire cluster last year prior to the pandemic. In all of these special evenings, one factor remains constant, our students have the opportunity and voice to share something that makes them special.
Please join us Thursday 5:30pm-7:00pm with this link as we highlight our students through song, presentations, and posters. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!
Concurrent Learning Updates
- There will be a new bell schedule. I won't publish until Friday because I don't want anyone to be confused. The start and end of the day are the same. Big difference: 3 lunch shifts. This will be our bell schedule for the remainder of the year even if we shift back to 100% distant learning.
- Advisory will be online for everyone including hybrid students. It is impossible to staff a school-wide initiative while staffing morning duties safely. All kids will keep their advisory teacher and go to A1-2 or B1-2 classes to log in.
- Proctor Hubs: Although we will be returning the vast majority of staff, we will not be fully staffed. In those cases, students will go to a hub or learning center with a proctor to support them while their teacher is working with them distantly. They will be in a room with their peers in the same class. I will be calling families this week if students chose hybrid and have more than 4 proctors. This is a very rare circumstance.
I am happy to communicate we are able to stay on message and most of what we predicted in October will come to fruition in March. I am also well aware of the anxiety this new transition may cause. Please reach out to me, our admin team, deans, counselors, or teachers if there is anything we can do to ease that anxiety. It is our top priority.
Testing Information
The second part of our ACCESS for ELLs testing will take place Monday, February 22 from 8:30-12:30. If your child is coming in to take this test, please refer to Mr. Seipt's email from Thursday for more details.
The 8th grade Writing SOL is coming up soon. Testing will take place at Seneca Ridge on March 1 and March 8 from 8:30-12:30. More information will be sent via email later this week to families that are choosing to send their child in for the tests.
In the table below, you see we will need 100% of our families to respond, so please complete the SOL Participation Survey. Doing this today will save our staff a ton of time calling each home. If you need more information as you make this decision, please read the SOL FAQs. If you have any questions about testing, please email Mr. Seipt - mitchell.seipt@lcps.org
Bus Stop Info
Survey Says
You received an email from the division last week and can access the Parent Bright Bytes Survey here. The deadline for responses is next Friday, February 26. Thank you for considering. As you can see from the photo below, we have pushed hard as a school and a division to help our families get access over the past five years. Now, we need to focus our efforts on how to best utilize the tools at our disposal.
Book Club
Ms. Stewart's book club is open, and it is available to sixth and seventh graders. There will be a virtual meeting this Wednesday (2/24) from 4:30-5:30 pm. Please join using this meet link.
Any information about the novels or ongoing discussions can be found in our Schoology group: M2RC-RC6Z-VWWMH
School Photos
Yearbook
Calling on Parents, Students, and Staff to help make the 20-21 yearbook a success! Please see the attachment with the best way to upload your photos.
yearbook picture if you didn't come in for photos
distance learning at home
sports/outdoor activities outside of school
music/cooking/building/creative activities outside of school
socially distant friend gatherings
student artwork and other projects created at home (send a picture of it)
a one paragraph reflection on what you feel you will have learned from your Covid experience
Thank you so much for helping our editorial staff create a book that students will always remember!
Math Counts
The parent led SRMS MathCounts team worked hard on learning various problem-solving strategies for 14 weeks starting from October 2020. The team participated in the Chapter Competition on February 6th 2021. Roshni Lobo has advanced to the Chapter Invitational Competition on February 25, 2021. Participants include:
6th Grade: Amogh Bhalerao, James Mathew, Mathias Ortuno, Pierce Nguyen, and Varun Ananthakrishnan
7th Grade: Aakash Pradhan, Ramini Paruchuri, Rohit Panse, Ryan Bui, and Siddarth Bhat
8th Grade: Nishita Paruchuri and Roshni Lobo
Coach Bhalerao is extremely proud of the effort our Thunderbolts put in! Me too!!!
PBIS Students of the Week
PBIS Staff of the Week
Ms. Harris
Ms. Maxvill
Pre-PTO Corner Gratitude
This week, Riverside Presbyterian Church, in its mission to serve the community, is sponsoring a welcome back coffee and snack cart for our staff. Thank you for partnering with us!
PTO Corner
Something to Ponder: The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart. ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
PTO Meeting this Wednesday: February 24 at 6:00 pm. Go to meet.google.com/uek-nfni-inx. Or join by phone at +1 617-675-4444 with PIN: 835 053 291 7550#
8th Grade Celebration Meeting: We're looking for volunteers to help start planning this year's 8th Grade End of the Year Class Celebration. Please join us on Tuesday, March 2, at 6:30 pm. Go to meet.google.com/aac-ewzg-qeq. Or join by phone at +1 515-890-5249 with PIN: 437 923 362# If you can't make it, but still want to be involved, please email cosecretary@srmspto.org.
Seneca Garden Work Day: Help Mr. Peck clean up Seneca's 1/6th acre enclosed garden on March 20, 9AM to 1PM. Reclaiming the garden will enable placement of a hoped-for hoop house for plants, giving every student in 7th Grade Life Science the opportunity to grow a plant from seed and take said plant home. Please visit the Sign Up for more information.
PRS & SEAC: SEAC's March presentation on Transition Planning for College Bound Students will be live streamed HERE on March 3 at 6 pm. To sign up for PRS' newsletter on current resources and events visit their website. For more information on SEAC please visit their website, or email our SEAC Representative, Jill Pope.
Other ways to get involved:
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
- Make a donation to the SRMS PTO and get your company to match it
- Download the Boxtops for Education app and scan your grocery receipts
- Link your Amazon account to Seneca and earn free money for the school
- Purchase Seneca Gear to show your school spirit!
Reminders
How to Report Absences
In Parent VUE- Reporting an Absence in ParentVUE (preferred option)
Please submit before 8:30am-
Friendly reminder, after 8:30am the system automatically denies the request because attendance has been taken by a teacher and you will be notified.
Click here (don’t forget to put your child’s first and last name)
Call our Attendance line- 571-434-4422 (least preferred option)
Technology Support The best way to reach out for support is to contact your grade level administrative assistant.
6th Grade- Jennifer.Ramos@lcps.org or 571-434-4426
7th Grade- kelly.dales@lcps.org 571-434-4427
8th Grade- Mimi.Chung@lcps.org or 571-434-4428
Monday’s Schedule
Advisory
9:00-9:15AM
Office Hours
1:00-2:00PM Math, SS, World Languages, FACS, Tech Ed, Art
2:00-3:00PM English, Science, Health & PE, Music
Digital Black History Event
Thursday, Feb 25, 2021, 05:30 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
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