River Bend Middle
September 12, 2021
Traduccion en Espanol
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- Cuando llegue aqui haga clic en la flecha que apunta hacia abajo y escoja el idioma "Spanish"
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, September 14 = Fall MAP Assessment - Math
- Wednesday, September 15 = Academies of Loudoun Information Session at Sterling MS at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, September 16 = No School (Student/Staff Holiday - Yom Kippur)
- Friday, September 17 = Constitution Day
- Tuesday, September 21 = PTA Meeting via Zoom at 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, September 22 = Fall MAP Assessment - Reading
- Saturday, September 25 = Academies of Loudoun Information Session at Brambleton MS at 10:00 a.m.
- Monday, September 27 = Spirit Week: Pajama Day
- Tuesday, September 28 = Spirit Week: Class Color Day (6th - Yellow; 7th - Purple; 8th - Black)
- Wednesday, September 29 = Spirit Week: Crazy Hair/Hat Day
- Thursday, September 30 = Spirit Week: USA Day (Red, White, & Blue)
- Thursday, September 30 = Bus Evacuation Drills
- Friday, October 1 = Spirit Week: Jersey Day
- Friday, October 1 = Counseling Advisory Council at 9:00 a.m.
- Monday, October 4 – Tuesday, October 5 = Fall Growth Assessment - Math (out of math classes)
- Tuesday, October 5 = Activity Buses Start (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
- Thursday, October 7 = Academies of Loudoun Information Session at Smart's Mill MS at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 7 – Friday, October 8 = Fall Picture Make-Ups
- Monday, October 11 = No School (Indigenous Peoples' Day)
- Tuesday, October 12 – Wednesday, October 13 = Fall Growth Assessment - Reading (out of English/language arts classes)
- Tuesday, October 19 = PTA Meeting via Zoom at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, October 21 = 8th Grade Chorus & PFHS Concert at 7:00 p.m. (at PFHS)
- Friday, October 22 = Vision & Hearing Screenings for 7th Graders (out of HPE)
- Monday, October 25 = Spirit Week: Super Hero Day
- Tuesday, October 26 = Spirit Week: Pink Day
- Wednesday, October 27 = Spirit Week: Camo Day
- Thursday, October 28 = Spirit Week: Costume Day (8th - Dress like an Outsider)
- Thursday, October 28 = Vision & Hearing Screenings for 7th Graders (out of HPE)
- Wednesday, October 27 = 8th Grade Orchestra & PFHS Concert at 7:00 p.m. (at PFHS)
- Thursday, October 28 = Last Day of Quarter #1
- Friday, October 29 = No School (Staff Development Day)
- Monday, November 1 = No School (Teacher Workday)
- Tuesday, November 2 = No School (Student/Staff Holiday - Election Day)
- Thursday, November 4 = No School (Student/Staff Holiday - Diwali/Deepavali)
- Monday, November 8 = Report Cards in ParentVUE and StudentVUE
Early Dismissals
Students with early dismissals must be signed out in the main office by a parent/guardian prior to leaving school. Because our main office staff is involved with transportation from 3:00-3:30 p.m., early dismissals after 3:00 p.m. will only be allowed in the case of an "extreme" emergency.
Fall Growth Assessments
On August 23, 2021, LCPS informed families that students in Grades 3-8 will be participating in Fall Growth Assessments for the first time, as mandated by the Virginia Department of Education (click here for more information from VDOE). Text of the LCPS communication can be found here. We have created an FAQs document that has answers to frequently asked questions that you may find helpful.
The focus of the Fall Growth Assessments is to identify what students have already learned as well as the skills they may need additional help with during this school year. In Fall 2021 only, the assessments students will take will be based on the previous grade level’s content. For example, a grade 6 student will take an assessment based on grade 5 content in the fall of 2021. The administration of assessments measuring content from the previous grade level in Fall of 2021 is intended to assist in the identification of unfinished learning from 2020-2021 due to the pandemic as well as enable students to show growth during the current school year.
Please see below for our school testing schedule:
- Math Growth Assessments (for students enrolled in Math 6, Foundations of Algebra, or Pre-Algebra only) - October 4th and 5th, during math class
- Reading Growth Assessments (for all students) - October 12th and 13th, during English Language Arts class
If you have additional questions, you can contact your child’s English or Math teacher, or River Bend’s testing coordinator, Juliet Kenny (juliet.kenny@lcps.org).
Transportation
For safety and security reasons, LCPS Transportation does not post bus stop locations for the general public.
The location of your child’s bus stop is contained within ParentVUE. A ParentVUE account is required and can be obtained via your child’s school or school website. To register clicking here.
Bus Route Information
To view your child’s bus route information:
- From a cellphone > Log into ParentVUE > click on your child > click on student info > click on additional information (at the bottom)
- From a computer > Log into ParentVUE > click on the student info tab > click on transportation information
Please remember that not all students are assigned a bus (this is based on your proximity to the school). If you are missing bus information, please contact transportation directly at (571) 252-1700 or visit https://www.lcps.org/Transportation.
If you have any problems with bus arrangements, please visit the Transportation Concern Registry
How Can You Help Reduce Traffic?
- If your child is assigned a bus, have your child ride his/her bus every day. LCPS school buses are given priority when it comes to entering/exit the campus.
- For those not assigned a bus, we want to promote walking, biking, and carpooling (this is part of the LCPS Congestion Must Go Campaign).
- If your child has an early dismissal, please make sure you pick up your child prior to 3:00 PM (this is outlined in the Student Handbook- page 15).
- If it is necessary to pick your child up after school, the suggested arrival time is between 3:15 – 3:30 PM. When vehicles start lining up at 3:00 PM, it creates a traffic gridlock where buses cannot get into our campus.
- Be patient if you are picking your child up in the kiss and ride lane. There is a potential of expanding this lane to “snake” through the parking lot, but for now please continue to follow the painted Ravens.
Need Help?
- 6th Grade Support = Christine.Wadley@lcps.org (Dean) or Katharine.Smorodin@lcps.org (Counselor)
- 7th Grade Support =Jennifer.Kassander@lcps.org (Dean) or Kathryn.Dober@lcps.org (Counselor)
- 8th Grade Support = Melissa.Dober@lcps.org (Dean) or Maria.Powers@lcps.org (Counselor)
- Health Services/Medication/Immunizations = Joy.Jones@lcps.org
- ParentVUE = Missy.Hooper@lcps.org or Kathryn.Dober@lcps.org
- Registration/Enrollment = Missy.Hooper@lcps.org
- Schedules = Katharine.Smorodin@lcps.org (6th), Kathryn.Dober@lcps.org (7th), Maria.Powers@lcps.org (8th), Sherrilene.Robinson@lcps.org (Special Programs)
- Special Education = Nicholas.Fisher@lcps.org (Special Education Contact) or Sherrilene.Robinson@lcps.org (Counselor)
- Technology Support = Simin.Husain@lcps.org, Andrew.Metry@lcps.org, or call (571) 252-2112
- Transportation = Call (571) 252-1700 or visit https://www.lcps.org/Transportation
Resources (River Bend Middle School):
Resources (LCPS):
- First Day Virtual Packet
- Mental Health & Community Resources
- LCPS Return to School Planning
- Superintendent’s Update on Masks for Start of 2021-22 School Year
- Order of Public Health Emergency
- Back-to-School Message
- School Board Videos (Atoosa Reaser-Vice Chair/Algonkian District, Brenda Sheridan-Chair/Sterling District, Denise Corbo-At Large)
Backpack Buddies Program
At River Bend, we are fortunate to be partners with a local group that assists us with providing
free weekend meals to students who may be food insecure. This program is voluntary and participation can be suspended at any time at the parents' request.
Food bags are distributed weekly and are discreetly placed in the student's locker every Friday. Each weekend package will consist of a variety of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Items include oatmeal, cereal, cup of soup, easy mac and cheese, tuna, fruit cups, shelf milk, and juice.
If you would like your child to participate, please fill out form at this LINK or contact our Parent Liaison at Cintia.Lutz@lcps.org.
Required Online Verification Process for Parents/Guardians
Please sign into ParentVUE to complete the Online Verification process as part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS’) First Day of School Information initiative. This process is required for all families to review and update important information about their students as we begin the 2021-22 school year, and must be completed no later than Friday, September 24.
Once completed, you will be able to view student schedules in ParentVUE.
Is Distance Learning an option?
A message from LCPS regarding Virtual Loudoun Distance Learning
There is no question that returning to school feels unfamiliar, and even uncertain, for students and families. We remain confident that returning students to classrooms where they can grow, thrive, interact, collaborate, question, and socialize, even at a distance, is the way to maximize learning leading to academic and social growth. LCPS has implemented multiple layers of protection to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our schools and offices and has prioritized, as mandated by the state, the safe return of students to classrooms. Our staff vaccination rate is high and we plan to provide in-person classroom instruction to more than 99% of our students this year. You can read the full plan on our website to learn more about how LCPS is taking active steps to a layered mitigation approach to minimize disruption while maximizing in-person learning opportunities.
The distance learning application was open May 24 through June 30, when all students were welcome to apply. At this time, we are not able to accept additional Distance Learning requests and our waiting list has been closed. We do not have the capacity to welcome additional students off the waitlist, even those with student or familial medical concerns. Please reach out to your home school for mitigation strategies to support your student's safe return to in-person learning.
Mitigation Practices
As of today, the following mitigation practices will be implemented during the 2021-2022 school year:
(1) Contact Tracing in collaboration with LCHD
(2) Quarantining for 14 days -
- In K-12 settings, students wearing a mask may not need to quarantine.
- A student who is within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student is not considered a close contact as long as both students are wearing masks and the school has other prevention strategies in place.
- Students who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will not be required to quarantine after having close contact with someone with COVID-19 as long as the student remains asymptomatic.
- Students identified as close contacts to an infected person must quarantine for 14 days.
(3) Wearing masks
(4) Maintaining 3 ft. physical distancing between students when possible.
(5) Frequent washing of hands
(6) Cleaning and disinfecting protocol
(7) Where installed, passive temperature screening using thermal cameras will be reinstated.
These mitigation practices are no longer being used in LCPS:
- Qualtrics Symptom Checker
- Hand Held Daily Temperature Screenings during arrival
- Health Mitigation Monitors
- Care Rooms
- Desk Shields