River Hawk Updates
Week of September 16th - 20th
Belmont Ridge Middle School
Email: katie.johnson@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/Page/124256
Location: 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Lansdowne, VA, USA
Phone: 571-252-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BEMRiverHawks/
Twitter: @BelmontRidge
Updates from the Admin Team
- Thank you for two great Back to School Nights and for sharing your child(ren) with us!
- Please remind your child(ren) to bring their Chromebook to school fully charged.
- See below for important dates such as school pictures, Parent Coffees, club dates, etc.
- The main page of the Belmont Ridge Website is another great resource for important dates and school information.
- For student safety, please remind your child(ren) to exit the main office doors or the "kiss and go" doors at the end of the day.
- We will conduct a fire drill and a lockdown drill this week. Please stress to your child(ren) the importance of remaining quiet and listening to staff directions during these drills.
- Tuesdays and Fridays are spirit days. Encourage your child(ren) to wear Belmont Ridge or Riverside gear on those days!
LCPS Safety Measures- A Message from the Director of LCPS Safety and Security
This message was shared by the County last week. Please know that student safety is our top priority at Belmont Ridge Middle School. We work diligently and collaboratively with our School Resource Officer, Deputy Quiroga, to maintain student safety. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.
As you are aware, we had several rumors of threats against our schools this week. While these threats were thoroughly investigated and resolved as non-credible, we thought this would be a good opportunity to remind you what Loudoun County Public Schools is doing to safeguard your children.
There is nothing more important than the safety of our students and staff. LCPS and its Division of Safety and Security, in conjunction with law enforcement and public safety partners, has created a comprehensive safety and security plan to protect students, staff and visitors. This plan is equipped with multiple layers of redundancy, some visible and some not, to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone.
We would never want to publicly discuss all aspects of our security plan but we do want to let you know of the following protocols that are in place to protect your children and our staff on a daily basis:
- The outer perimeter of our schools as well as our school grounds are patrolled by law enforcement and LCPS Safety and Security patrols on a 24/7/365 basis.
- Visitors attempting to enter our facilities must comply with new visitor management protocols that require thorough vetting.
- Our facilities use enhanced security technology to control access, monitor visitors, and prevent fire and life safety issues.
In addition, schools have assigned School Resource Officers, who are sworn law enforcement officers, and School Security Officers. These officers help cultivate an inclusive and safe environment where students feel comfortable reporting concerning behavior. Every school also has a multidisciplinary threat assessment team that evaluates all potential threats, as well as a school-specific emergency response plan that is consistently tested through training, exercises, and drills.
LCPS’ Division of Safety and Security is constantly re-assessing our security plan and incorporating national best practices and modernized technology to strengthen our capabilities.
Finally, all of our safety and security efforts are monitored by our 24/7/365 Security Operations Center. Please know that LCPS is committed to protecting our students, staff, and visitors.
Thank you and please remember: If you see something, say something.
AOS/AET/TJ Admissions
If your student is interested in applying to attend LCPS’s Academy of Science (AOS) or Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET) next year, the application and admission criteria is now available at: https://www.lcps.org/page/196339. The application is now open, and closes on October 18, 2019 at 12:00 pm.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the Admissions Office at AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org. They are also encouraging families to attend one of the upcoming Information Sessions.
- September 16, 2019, at Independence High School at 6:30 pm
- September 23, 2019, at Dominion High School at 6:30 pm
- October 10, 2019, at Briar Woods High School at 6:30 pm
If your student is interested in applying to attend FCPS’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) next year, the application and admission criteria are now available at https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-admissions/freshman-winter. The application is now open, and closes on September 27, 2019, at 4:00 pm.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the Admissions Office at (571) 423 – 3770 (Mon – Fri, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm), or via email at tjadmissions@fcps.edu. There will also be an information session at Trailside Middle School on September 16, 2019, at 7:00 pm.
Belmont Ridge's Unified Mental Health Team
Belmont Ridge is fortunate this year to have a fully staffed Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT) to support the emotional well-being of our students. This team includes Mr. White (Lead Counselor), Mrs. Murphy (6th Grade Counselor), Ms. Panek (7th Grade Counselor), Mr. Forster (8th Grade Counselor), Ms. Stein (School Social Worker), and Dr. Lin (School Psychologist).
This week, our UMHT will conduct needs assessments during students' resource classes. This will help our UMHT develop groups for small group counseling. Small group counseling is voluntary and requires parental permission. Please reach out to your child(ren)'s counselor if you have questions.
The Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT) is also excited to bring Sources of Strength to BEMS this year! Sources of Strength is a training program that brings peer leaders together in partnership with caring adults. The program uses a fun-filled style of active learning to encourage open discussion about the very real problems that youth face and about the sources of strength that are often helpful for those problems. It also lets students experience different ways of coping with problems that they themselves may have. For youth who are in distress and may be considering ending their lives by suicide, this program provides concrete steps about how this person can receive help from trusted adults and how peer leaders can connect friends to help and support. The program will be led by adult leaders from BEM.
The UMHT will be in resource classes on 9/17 and 9/18 and will present to students on this new program. More information will be sent home on what to expect if your child is interested in being a peer leader or has been nominated by a teacher. HERE is a link to the website for more information.
Follow the Unified Mental Health Team on Instagram. This account is open to both staff and students to promote positive mental health messaging and self-care. Follow the UMHT at @BelmontCares
Laptop Sleeves
Parent Coffee with Neil McNerney
Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
Friday, Sep 27, 2019, 09:00 AM
Belmont Ridge Middle School, Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Student Picture Days
Thursday, Oct 3, 2019, 08:30 AM
Belmont Ridge Middle School, Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA, USA
Attendance
Notes from the PTO
Thanks to all of you who stopped by our PTO table at 7th/8th grade Back to School Night! It’s never too late to sign up for a PTO membership, purchase Chromebook decals or order a BEM t-shirt. Just visit the PTO tab of the Belmont Ridge website. Our first general meeting of the year is this Friday, September 20, 8:45 am. We’d love to see you there!
The Positivity Project
Belmont Ridge will again partner with the Positivity Project to foster character building and social-emotional learning. Please see attached P2 Family Informational Letter and the link to Belmont's P2 Kick-Off from Friday's Advisory!
Positivity Project Mission and Vision
OUR MISSION
To empower America’s youth to build positive relationships and become their best selves.
OUR VISION
To partner with schools across the country and equip educators with the training, strategy, and resources to teach their students positive psychology’s 24 character strengths.
The Need
These partnerships couldn’t come at a more important time for our youth – and for our nation. In today’s rapidly changing world, character strengths – and a focus on relationships – must be intentionally cultivated from an early age. It is critical to ensure that our mental, emotional, and moral capacities grow alongside our advances in technology.
The Positivity Project is thinking big. We know that powerful aspects of the civilizing process, like empathy, are in retreat. Yet, we believe that armed with a deeper understanding of character and an #OtherPeopleMatter Mindset, together, we will create citizens and leaders who will enhance our communities and country.
Odyssey of the Mind
Belmont Ridge Talent Show
https://sites.google.com/lcps.org/bems-talent-show-info/home