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RiverHawk Updates
Week of January 20th - January 24th
Updates from the Admin Team
Happy Sunday RiverHawks! There is no school Monday or Tuesday. Welcome to Quarter 3! We've got this RiverHawks!
Within the next few weeks, we will begin course recommendations/selection for the 2020 - 2021 school year. If you have any questions about the process, please contact your child's grade level counselor.
January Recognition Days:
January 19 - World Religion Day
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, A Day of Service -->The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20, 2020, marks the 25th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Share your day of service with us @BelmontRidge with the hashtag #bemsdayofservice.
January 25 - Chinese New Year --> Chinese New Year is the Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. This year is the Year of the Rat.
January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day --> On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
National Get Organized Month --> if your child needs support staying organized at school, please contact your child's counselor, an administrator, or any member of the BEMS Unified Mental Health Team.
National Thank You Month --> take some time to reflect on the reasons why you are grateful. Share your thoughts and good deeds with us on Twitter @BelmontRidge. Use the hashtag #bemsgratitude.
National Book Month --> Did you know that only 46% of students read fifteen minutes or more each day? Belmont- let's not be part of this terrible statistic. Need help finding a great read?- please see our awesome library staff, reading specialist, and/or English teachers for some great ideas. Share what you are reading @BelmontRidge with the hashtag #bemsreads. Our Admin team is reading White Fragility for our book study this month and our schoolwide book club is reading Taming the Team. Mrs. Johnson is also reading Jessica Lahey's The Gift of Failure.
At Belmont Ridge, we value Academic Excellence, a Culture of Equity, and a Safe, Supportive, and Positive Learning Environment. Thank you for all you do to support us as a school!
** Our Newsletter's email address, noreply.belmontridge@lcps.org is not monitored. Please use our website to locate the email addresses of any staff members you need to contact. Thank you. **
BEMS Important Dates
January 2020
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, A Day of Service (No school for students)
January 21 - Teacher Workday (No school for students)
January 22 - Band 8 Mega-Sectionals
January 23 - Spelling Bee at 3:30 pm
January 23 - Band 6 Concerts at 6:00 pm (red), 7:00 pm (blue), or 8:00 pm (yellow) (BEMS Auditorium)
January 27 - 31 - WIDA EL Testing
January 28 - Strings 6 Concert at 7:00 pm (BEMS Auditorium)
January 29 - Rising Night at RVHS at 6:30 pm (RVHS Auditorium)
January 30 - 31 - Equity Presentations in resource for students
February 2020
February 3 and 5 - DARE Education for 6th Grade
February 7 - Principal's Coffee at 9:00 am (Scheduling Insights)
February 19 - Rising 7th and 8th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 pm (BEMS Auditorium)
Lost and Found
Rising 7th and 8th Grade Parent Night
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2020, 06:30 PM
Belmont Ridge Middle School, Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA, USA
BEMS Scheduling Updates
Teachers are currently in the process of making course recommendations for students. During the month of February, all students will work with their grade-level counselors to select courses for the next school year. Course requests will be accessible in StudentVue and parents have the ability to modify students' selections.
Monday, February 10th and Tuesday, February 11th, the school counselors from Riverside will be coming into all advisories to present on course selections for their 9th-grade year. They will share course descriptions, graduation requirements and more. They will also have the students input their elective choices, however, these will not be finalized until later in the year so they will have time to come home and discuss their choices with you. If a student wishes to change their core class recommendation (English, math, science and social studies), they will need to talk to their counselor directly. If you have any questions on courses for 9th grade, or over their 4 years in high school, please attend Riverside’s Curriculum Night on 1/29 at 6:30 pm. The night will begin with a 9th grade-specific presentation.
Updates from the PTO
We are currently seeking gift cards to be used as prizes for PBIS incentives as well as a contest that the library will be running in February. Please visit the signup and consider contributing a gift card or two: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0848afaf2aa1fc1-gift1
8th Grade Celebration: this week we will begin to get the wheels rolling on this year's 8th-grade celebration events. If you haven't marked your calendar with these important dates yet, here are the big three dates to remember:
Thursday, June 4 - 8th Grade Field Day at Evergreen Sportsplex
Friday, June 5 - 8th Grade Dance in the school gym
Monday, June 8 - 8th Grade Promotion (evening).
If you have questions about this, please contact our Parent Liaison, Susan Ferguson at Susan.Ferguson@lcps.org. Thank you!
Smile Kits for the Barnett-Searing Cancer Foundation
Smile Kits for the Barnett-Searing Cancer Foundation
Smile Kits for the Barnett-Searing Cancer Foundation
Community Connections Recognitions
Newsies Update
Newsies news: The cast and crew lists are final, but we could still use some additional students for the Newsies orchestra. If you are interested, please contact our producers at Riverhawkproductions@gmail.com.
Rising Night for Freshmen at Riverside High School
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020, 06:30 PM
Riverside High School, Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA, USA
Riverside HS Rising Freshmen Parent/Athlete Info Night
Come hear from the Riverside Athletic Department about important dates, eligibility requirements, and FAQs.
Also, get a chance to meet coaches from all sports offered at Riverside (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2020, 07:00 PM
Belmont Ridge Middle School, Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA, USA
Belmont Ridge Orblynx Stem4Girls
The Positivity Project
This week's topic -> Perseverance
Belmont Ridge will again partner with the Positivity Project to foster character building and social-emotional learning.
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.
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