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Stingray Scoop
What's happening at Stone Hill Middle School? October 1
Dear Stone Hill Families,
As we turn our calendars to the month of October, we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Stone Hill. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 - October 15 and our students are enjoying the read alouds in advisory block as we honor and celebrate together.
We also celebrate our hardworking custodians for National Custodial Workers' Recognition Day on October 2nd. They are truly the quiet heroes of the school as they are often the first to arrive and the last to leave and work so hard to keep our building spotless. We appreciate all they do for us.
We are also halfway through the first quarter. Please be sure to check grades in parentvue at this time. Please reach out to your child’s teachers and/or counselor if you have questions/concerns.
Our activity buses have now started and we are excited to share that registration for Fall Clubs at Stone Hill Middle will open on Wednesday October 4th. Specific details and club offerings will be posted on our school website and communicated on the 4th. * Please Note- Clubs do have a set number of slots available. If Club interest is greater than capacity a random lottery system will be used to determine club members. *Additionally- Please note clubs at Stone Hill are student driven and have been established through a student voice and choice process.
Science Olympiad is a fun and exciting, team-based science competition. If you are interested in joining our school’s team, Mr. Hein and Mrs. Killam will be holding a mandatory meeting after school on Wednesday October 11th. Attending this meeting is a requirement if you would like to join the team this year. Activity buses will be available. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Hein (matthew.hein@lcps.org) or Mrs. Killam (katherine.killam@lcps.org).
Please note that school picture day is scheduled for October 12 and 13 and we are also working closely with our PTO for a Fall Outdoor Movie Night for all our students on October 20, 2023. Please see the flyer attached.
As part of our tradition to strengthen the home/school connection, here are the Stingray Reports (organized by grade levels) for the 23-24 school year. We hope to engage you as partners in this learning and suggest that you use this information each week to help you keep aware of what is happening instructionally at Stone Hill in each grade level and to reinforce these lessons at home.
We are looking forward to seeing our students tomorrow! And hope that many of you can join us for our general assesmbly PTO meeting on October 3rd.
In service to you and our Stingray Community,
Rohini Tohan
Principal
2023 School Picture Day is approaching fast!
Please Note: Attendance Updates and Reminders for 2023-2024
- In extended absence cases of illness, a doctor's note will be required and the absence will be documented as EXCUSED.
- In cases of bereavement, educational travel, religious travel, these will be documented in the student record as EXCUSED, and we continue to communicate and connect teachers with parents and students to lessen the academic impact.
- In extended absence cases of vacation, these will be documented as UNEXCUSED in the academic record and communicated to the Loudoun County Attendance Officer.
Thank you to Dr. Dunlap and his guitar students who performed at the World Culture Festival in Washington, DC this weekend!
Attend the LCC PTA Parent Resource Fair
October 11, 2023
Attend the Loudoun County Council PTA’s Parent Resource Fair and learn about services available through Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and in Loudoun County or learn how your family can help others. The Resource Fair will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the LCPS Administration Building (21000 Education Ct., Ashburn). The fair will feature six 20-minute breakout sessions to provide parents, guardians and community members with vital information about:
Math and reading strategies,
Managing teen stress, online student safety,
LCPS apps and services like ParentVue, the Stopfinder bus location app, LINQ Connect meal payment platform, and the Lightspeed Parent Portal
And more!
LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence will give the opening remarks. LCPS departments and LCPS partners will be on hand to provide information about their programs and services. More than a dozen Loudoun County nonprofits will also be in attendance, including Mobile Hope, Loudoun Hunger, Women Giving Back, and the Loudoun Coalition of Women and Girls.
No time for dinner? No worries! Food trucks will be available to purchase meals and snacks. Childcare will also be provided at no cost. Plan to attend to learn all that LCPS and Loudoun County have to offer!
Please help us encourge reading at home.
Counselors' Corner
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH!
Seventh grade bullying prevention lessons will be presented during English and eighth grade lessons will occur during Resource.
The bullying prevention lessons curriculum is county wide research based and focuses on healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. These lessons are designed to teach students what to do if they are experiencing unhealthy relationships.
Parents must give consent for their child to receive bullying prevention lessons.
Please complete the permission click below:
Safety First!
Carline parents - We thank you for your patience and cooperation in helping to make our carline a safe and productive area in the morning drop off and afternoon pick up.
Please follow directions displayed on signage and from all carline staff. Please pull as far forward as possible towards the stop sign in order to keep the flow of traffic moving.
Message from the PTO
Our first PTO general body meeting will be held this Tuesday, October 3rd at 6pm in the SMHS Library.
PTO meeting dates for the 2023-2024 SY
Tuesday, 10/3/2023
Tuesday, 12/5/2023
Tuesday, 2/6/2024
Tuesday, 4/16/2024
The PTO’s mission is to focus on family connections, staff support and student growth. With your help via membership, donations, and volunteer hours we will continue to provide support in all three areas.
Last year, PTO sponsored the following events to include a Fall Festival, Movie Nights, School Dances, MOEMS Math Contest, 8th Grade Dance and Flight Night, PTO General Body Meetings, and teacher appreciation events.
For us to have the impact we would like to have this school year, we need your support and help! Volunteers are always needed!
If you are interested in joining PTO, please click on the following link: https://shmspto.jumbula.com/#/pto-membership
Join us for our big screen OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT event! Please see the attached flyer for registration information.
When: Friday, October 20, 2023; 6:00pm-8:45pm
Where: Stone Hill Middle School lawn
$8 (pre-sale) $10 (at the door); RSVP by 10/18/2023
To purchase tickets please click on the link OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT
*Pizza and drinks will be available at the event for purchase
School Store
The school store will be open starting this week on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am-9am. We have spirit wear, drawstring backpacks, candies, and more! Please stop by and visit us. We are currently updating our online portal. More information to come soon.
Interested in a position on the SHMS PTO Board? The SHMS PTO is looking to fill our secretary position. If you are interested, or would like to nominate someone, please contact the SHMS Board at pto-board@shmspto.org
Keep up to date with the latest PTO events and meeting information!
Follow us on
Facebook: @stonehillpto
Twitter: @shms_pto
Fall Outdoor Movie Night - October 20, 2023
Access to Free/Reduced Meal Application
Stone Hill Middle School Regular Bell Schedule
Stingray Scoop - Stone Hill Middle School's Newsletter
Email: rtohan@lcps.org
Website: www.lcps.org/SHMS
Phone: 703-957-4420
Twitter: @StoneHillMiddle