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يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى
Are you receiving Lane ES updates but no longer have students here? Now is the time to update your FCPS News You Choose here.
The Lion’s Roar
Special Summer Edition
July 26, 2024
Upcoming Events
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Monday, 8/5 – Popsicles on the Playground – new kindergarten families, Main Playground, 5:30 p.m.
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Monday, 8/5 – Popsicles on the Playground – 1st & 2nd grade families, Main Playground, 6:30 p.m.
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Tuesday, 8/6 – Popsicles on the Playground – 3rd & 4th grade families, Main Playground, 5:30 p.m.
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Wednesday, 8/6 – Popsicles on the Playground – 5th & 6th grade families, Main Playground, 6:30 p.m.
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Tuesday, 8/13 – Virtual Back-to-School Town Hall with Mrs. Prahl, 6:30 p.m. on Zoom in English
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Wednesday, 8/14 – In-person Back-to-School Town Hall with Mrs. Prahl, with Spanish interpretation, 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria
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Thursday, 8/15 – Open House, 5 – 7 p.m. (See article below for specific alphabetical timeslots.)
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Monday, 8/19 – First day of 2024-2025 school year, 9:20 a.m.
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Monday, 8/19 – PTA First Day Coffee, 9:20 a.m.
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Thursday, 8/22 – Back to School Night, 6 – 8 p.m. (Family information sessions begin at 5:30; see article below for details.)
In This Issue
- UPDATED Dates and Times for Popsicles on the Playground Next Month!
- Back-to-School Town Halls with Mrs. Prahl Coming Mid-August!
- Open House Thursday, August 15th, 5 – 7 p.m.
- Have You Done Your School-Supply Shopping Yet?
- Membership Has Its Benefits – Support the Lane PTA!
- Help Wanted: Seeking Special Education Support Staff and Dining Assistants
- FCPS ParentVUE Makes Accessing and Updating Student Information Easy
- Attention New Lane Families! Please Complete Your Enrollment as Soon as Possible!
- Make Sure Your Child’s Immunizations Are Up-to-Date; Exclusion Protocols for Noncompliance
- First Day of School Is Monday, August 19th!
- Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 22nd, 6 – 8 p.m.
- Sign Up for Music Electives for Next Year Now!
- Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools
News & Notes
UPDATED Dates and Times for Popsicles on the Playground Next Month!
Based on feedback from families, we have compressed the schedule for these grade-level events into just two nights rather than spreading them out over four separate evenings. Here are the new dates and times, by grade level:
MONDAY, AUGUST 5th
- New kindergarten families, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
- Grades 1 & 2 families, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6th
- Grades 3 & 4 families, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
- Grades 5 & 6 families, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
At our Popsicles on the Playground events, you can meet other families in your grade level (new and returning), enjoy a cool sweet treat courtesy of the PTA, and get ready for the new school year ahead. Student Ambassadors and some staff members will be on hand to help you get acquainted with the school and answer questions.
We could not hold these events without the support of our amazing Lane PTA! The group will be selling spiritwear and other items at these events, as well as signing families up for membership, both nights. If you might like to make a purchase, please be sure to bring cash or a credit/debit card. The PTA is also looking for volunteers to help. You can sign up here: https://signup.com/go/TrjCvcc.
Family liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy will offer tours of the school each evening at 4:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. You can sign up for the tour here.
Back-to-School Town Halls with Mrs. Prahl Coming Mid-August!
Virtual Town Hall in English via Zoom – Tuesday, August 13th
Join us online to hear the latest news about the upcoming school year from Lane Principal Christine Prahl. We will have time for questions as well.
Join the Zoom session here.
In-Person Town Hall in Spanish in the Lane Library – Wednesday, August 14th
Mrs. Prahl and our new family liaison Andrea Howard will present this special back-to-school presentation for our Spanish-speaking families in person.
Open House Thursday, August 15th, 5 – 7 p.m.
Students and their families are invited to come to school during this time period to see their classrooms, meet their teachers, and reconnect with Lane friends.
Teachers will contact families of students in their classrooms by Wednesday, August 14th. Teacher assignments will also be posted in ParentVUE and will be available at Open House. Please do not contact the school office for this information.
In order to manage our capacity for this popular event, we have divided our school community into three groups, by student last name. (If you have children with different last names, your family may choose a session based on any of the names.)
- Last names that begin with A through H: 5 – 5:30 p.m.
- Last names that begin with I through Q: 5:45 – 6:15 p.m.
- Last names that begin with R through Z: 6:30 – 7 p.m.
Please feel free to bring your child's school supplies to this event so you won't have to worry about carrying them on the first day of school.
Parking will be limited, so please walk to school or carpool if possible.
Have You Done Your School-Supply Shopping Yet?
We are less than a month out from returning to school. The summer is flying by! If you haven’t yet bought your child’s school supplies, now is the time to do so. Lists for each grade are posted on our school website.
You can bring your child’s supplies when you attend Open House on Thursday, August 15th, or on the first day of school.
If you’d rather not deal with the shopping yourself, the Lane PTA has the answer – pre-packed school supply kits available for purchase from Campus Survival Kits. These kits are grouped by grade level and include all the items requested. See the flyer below or download it for prices and ordering information.
All pre-purchased kits will be delivered to the school on August 15th and placed in your child's classroom just in time for Open House. Orders are due by Wednesday, August 7th. If you have any questions about the Campus Survival Kits, please email [email protected].
If you need financial assistance with school supplies, please contact our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at [email protected].
Membership Has Its Benefits – Support the Lane PTA!
As you can see from the article above and the great Restaurant Night at Bruster’s Ice Cream this week, it may be summer break but the Lane PTA is in full swing! They’re working hard at preparing all the fun things for this upcoming school year. All families are encouraged to join and support this nonprofit organization, led by a dedicated group of volunteers, that provides so much to our school and community.
The PTA received such a positive response to last year’s membership drive incentive that they've brought it back for round TWO! Every person who joins by Monday, August 5th, will be entered into a drawing for a $25 spiritwear gift card, just in time for the back-to-school spiritwear sale! On August 6th, they will draw one lucky parent AND one lucky teacher to receive $25 towards new Lane Lion spiritwear! Just wait until you see the new spiritwear additions this year – you’ll definitely want to add them to your wardrobe!
Click here to join today!
If you have questions about membership, please email [email protected]. All other questions can be sent to [email protected].
Help Wanted: Seeking Special Education Support Staff and Dining Assistants
Lane is currently looking to fill a few positions on our staff. For our special education support team, we need:
These are both full-time positions.
We are also looking for some part-time dining assistants for our cafeteria. This job is 3.5 hours a day (approximately 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday. Duties include monitoring students, assisting them as they clean up and clean tables, and interacting with them in a positive way to assist them with their social skills.
We are looking for dedicated people who can be patient, caring, structured, and fair. Would you like to join our team? If so, please send your resume to our principal, Christine Prahl, at [email protected].
FCPS ParentVUE Makes Accessing and Updating Student Information Easy
The SIS ((Student Information System) ParentVUE Account is the FCPS secure solution for providing and accessing information about your child's attendance, class performance, and demographic data. It provides an additional way to communicate with your child's teacher. Customized for Elementary, Middle, and High School students, your SIS ParentVUE Account login credentials can also be used to access Schoology.
The Online Verification Update packet (OVU) allows enrolling parents to review and update phone numbers, emergency contacts, and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations) for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Once you have signed into your ParentVUE account, simply select the “Student Info” tab and click on “Edit Information.”
If you need to set up your ParentVUE account, you can create one online via the FCPS ParentVUE Registration page. If you need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account, this video walks you through the steps. You can also find out more about SIS ParentVUE on the FCPS website.
If you need a new registration code, contact family liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy at [email protected].
Attention New Lane Families! Please Complete Your Enrollment as Soon as Possible!
If your family is joining our Lane community this year, please be sure to submit all required forms for registration as soon as possible. If you have questions, please contact our Student Information Assistant (SIA)/Registrar Jami O’Hagan at [email protected].
If you need to schedule an appointment with Mrs. O’Hagan to complete your registration, you can sign up here.
Make Sure Your Child’s Immunizations Are Up-to-Date; Exclusion Protocols for Noncompliance
The Code of Virginia § 22.1-271.2 requires all students to be immunized against certain communicable diseases in order to attend Fairfax County Public Schools. Immunizations keep children and the community protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Starting Monday, September 30th, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You can check your child’s immunization compliance by accessing ParentVUE. Families of students with incomplete immunization records need to provide acceptable proof of immunization to their child's school as soon as possible. You can find the list of required immunizations on the General Registration Immunizations webpage.
If your child’s immunizations are incomplete, here's what you need to do:
- Get your child’s immunization record from one of these places:
- Request immunization records for free through the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS).
- If your child was immunized outside Virginia, get records from those states’ systems.
- Request records from your healthcare provider. Some may charge for copies.
- Submit your child’s immunization record to your child’s school. Families should submit their child’s completed immunization records before September 30th.
Please visit FCPS’ website for more information, including how to access required immunizations.
First Day of School Is Monday, August 19th!
On the first day, parents are welcome to bring their children into the building or meet them in the building if they ride the bus and then walk them to their classroom or hallway. Once the bell rings at 9:20, all adults are invited to attend the PTA’s First Day Coffee in the Cafeteria.
More information about first-day procedures and events will be sent out in mid-August.
Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 22nd, 6 – 8 p.m.
Please make plans to join us for Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 22nd from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is very important for parents and guardians, as it offers a chance to meet teachers and hear directly from them about plans for the year ahead and classroom policies.
We will offer two sessions during the evening so those with multiple children at Lane will be able to visit more classrooms. In addition, we will offer the following additional presentations you may wish to attend:
- Information on social/emotional learning and support, presented by our counselors, school psychologist, and social worker,
- Math and literacy information, presented by our math and literacy resource teachers,
- An orientation for new families, presented by our family liaisons.
Each session will be presented three times – at 5:30, 6:15, and 7 – so you can attend all three if you are interested.
Here is the full schedule for the event:
5:30 – 6 p.m.: Family Information Sessions
- Clinical Team (counselors, social worker, school psychologist) – Library
- Literacy and Math Resource Teachers – Cafeteria
- New Family Orientation with Family Liaisons – Location TBD
6 - 6:45 p.m.: Classroom Session 1 in individual classrooms
6:15 – 6:45 p.m.: Family Information Sessions
- Clinical Team (counselors, social worker, school psychologist) – Library
- Literacy and Math Resource Teachers – Cafeteria
- New Family Orientation with Family Liaisons – Location TBD
7 – 7:45 p.m.: Classroom Session 2 in individual classrooms
7 – 7:30 p.m.: Family Information Sessions
- Clinical Team (counselors, social worker, school psychologist) – Library
- Literacy and Math Resource Teachers – Cafeteria
- New Family Orientation with Family Liaisons – Location TBD
Please note that Back-to-School Night is designed for adults only and that childcare will not be available. If you bring your children with you, they will need to remain with you throughout the evening.
Sign Up for Music Electives for Next Year Now!
Attention Rising 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders! NOW is the time to sign up to learn how to play an instrument in Strings (grades 4, 5, 6) or Band (grades 5, 6 only) for next year! Lessons happen during the school day (during Specials) with a concert at the end of the year! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of these AMAZING instrumental programs at Lane!
Students in 5th and 6th grade also have the opportunity to join Chorus for next year! Chorus lessons happen during the school day with two concert performances that happen during the school year. Students may choose an instrument AND Chorus. Sign up for Chorus now!
Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools
Providing an excellent education to all students and meeting individual student needs requires appropriate planning time for teachers. This means teachers need a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with peers. Demands on teacher time have increased dramatically since the pandemic. With the adoption of new textbooks, differentiated support plans for students, required professional development for the new Virginia Literacy Act, new reading and math Standards of Learning exams (SOLs) from the state, and other initiatives — teachers have a lot to do in addition to actually teaching! These demands require blocks of uninterrupted, in person, and collaborative time to plan.
With that in mind, FCPS has developed a divisionwide plan for seven three-hour early release days (Mondays) for elementary students in the 2024-25 school year (about one per month). They will start on September 16th. The additional scheduled dates for Lane are:
- October 21st
- November 18th
- February 10th
- March 10th
- April 21st
- May 12th.
We encourage all parents/caregivers to have their student take their normal route home (bus, walk, kiss and ride) on early dismissal days. However, we will ensure that every student has supervised enrichment activities at the school and returns home at the regular time if that is what works best for your family.
Activities are in development. For now, we know that:
- High-impact tutoring will be available for identified students.
- School Age Child Care (SACC) sites will provide supervision for currently enrolled SACC students.
- FCPS is working with Boys and Girls Clubs, STEM groups, Olympiads, math clubs, Scouts, and other organizations to provide coverage as well.
- Students may also attend PTA-sponsored clubs. Schools will work with the PTA to facilitate this option.
School staff who have already completed their required training or used their allotted planning time will assist with supervising students, and licensed educators at FCPS’ central office will also support this effort.
More information will be sent out after the school year begins.
7137 Beulah Street, Alexandria, VA 22315 | Phone: 703.924.7700
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