This is a 4-day week.

This is Engineers Week. Find more information and a sign-up to participate here. Thank you to Mrs. Campbell for organizing!

On Tuesday, February 20th, we will have club photos during the school day. These photos will be featured in our yearbook. Students will be informed by announcements over the PA system when it is time to report for their club or activity's group photo.

On Wednesday, February 21st, we will have our PTSA fundraiser at Taco Bamba. Mention LPMS or use LPMS as a coupon code when ordering online. Taco Bamba is located at 670 Quince Orchard Road.

On Thursday, February 22nd:

• It's School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Say thank you to your bus driver and bus attendants.
• Our basketball teams play Roberto Clemente Middle School Boys at 3:20pm, with the boys team away and the girls team at home.

Make someone's day!

We could use your help with the following items for students, staff appreciation, and upcoming state mandated testing. Click here to sign up and drop off items in the main office. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49AFAD2AA64-48040138-donate

Coming up at LPMS

• Friday, March 1st is an early release day.
  
• March 4th - 6th. Our 7th graders head to Finance Park. We need many parents, guardians, and caretakers to volunteer to make this trip to a success. Click here to find out more.

Scroll down for more information about the following from MCPS:

• Schaeffer Piano Sale, February 17-25
• Saturday, February 24th: Minority Scholars Program: Youth Anti-Racist Film Festival
• CDC May Be Reconsidering Isolation for COVID-19 But there are no official changes yet
  
• Board of Education Considers Modifications to or Elimination of Three MCPS Programs
  
• February is Career Technical Education Month (CTE)
  

• Inviting All Students, Staff and Families to Share Your Feedback: We want to hear from you on how we are doing. MCPS is inviting ALL students, staff and parents/caregivers to share your experiences and thoughts on academics, communication, and overall satisfaction with your school and the district and/or experience working at MCPS. Your input and insight is essential in helping us understand what is working well and areas of improvement. Your participation and any identifying information is completely confidential. The feedback collected will be used to inform decisions and help create a more supportive and enriching environment for students, staff, and families in our district. Click here to access more information about the surveys. The survey will be open until March 15

Please keep reading to learn more about upcoming events and important information. Thank you for your continued partnership in creating a community of belonging and high expectations for our students.

Sincerely,

Rose Alvarez (she/her)

Principal

Para traducir este boletín, seleccione "español" en "Translate Newsletter" en el recuadro negro a su derecha o en su cellular encima.

We are excited to announce that we have a new eSports Club at Lakelands. The club will meet Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3:15 to 4:25 pm. Please join us for this exciting after school gaming club at LPMS. To sign up, please pick a permission slip from the Main Office and return it there, once signed. For any additional questions, please contact Antonia Wolff, LPMS eSports Coach, via email at Antonia_J_Wolff@mcpsmd.org. See the flyer below and click here to read more information about our after-school activities and activity buses.

In an effort to help improve Math skills and help prepare students for the MAP-M test, MCPS has partnered with IXL to provide a platform for students to sharpen their math skills. IXL has skill plans that target Student's present MAP-M levels. They also offer practice problems and videos that align with our Illustrative Math curriculum. Students can access IXL through the Clever Portal under the MCPS Resources folder. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to our Math Content Specialist, Ms. Shaneé Satchell (shanee_d_satchell@mcpsmd.net).

MCPS offers a School Cash Online payment system for parents and guardians to make payments for field trips, yearbooks, merchandise, and donations. If you have not registered and set up your account, we encourage you to do so today. Use this School Cash Online (SCO) link and follow the steps. Parent guides are linked below as well.

SCO Parent Guide (English)

SCO Parent Guide (Español)
SCO - How to register
SCO-Auto Subscription Multi Guardian User Guide (English)
SCO-Auto Subscription Multi Guardian User Guide (Spanish)

This week multiple media outlets reported on possible upcoming changes to CDC's COVID-19 isolation guidance. There are no changes yet to the CDC's minimum 5-day isolation guidance, which is endorsed by the Maryland Department of Health and included in MCPS COVID-19 procedures. Montgomery County COVID-19 guidance and resources can be found on the county’s COVID-19 Information Portal.

The Board of Education is working on developing a responsible and effective Operating Budget for FY 2025 and after listening to extensive public comment, the Board is considering making modifications to or eliminating three programs in FY25: The MCPS Virtual Academy, which was funded through the use of the ESSER grant during the COVID-19 pandemic; The MCPS Innovative Schools Initiative that includes an extended academic calendar at Arcola Elementary School and Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School; and The Leader in Me Program, offered at a handful of schools across MCPS.

The Board will hold a public hearing regarding these programs on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 p.m. Read more.

CTE Works! MCPS is celebrating the exciting opportunities that our Career and Technical Education programs offer students. There are now more than 50 programs to choose from in 12 career clusters. All MCPS high schools offer at least one CTE program with more regional programs for easier access for all students.

Watch to learn more about our programs and how it benefits our students.

Click here to provide MCPS Feedback on the Inclement Weather Communication: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXKukPf3gdQ2qVXg5iCHUnRgFH2wGa9lQ2pSJiX7vGd-D4CQ/viewform

MCPS offers numerous ways to learn about your student’s school closures, delayed openings and early dismissals when there is inclement weather. Learn more about how weather decisions are made and how to receive information about any changes.Watch to learn more about how inclement weather decisions are made and visit our website to familiarize yourself with the various operations color codes.

MCPS will be launching a self-service bus app for families this semester. The tracking app will allow users to receive live updates on where their student’s bus is, provide important two-way communication capability and enhance safety for students while they wait for and ride the bus.

The MCPS Department of Transportation is currently in a pilot phase with families and students at 10 schools. More information will be shared in the coming weeks as we prepare for the full launch across the district.

The Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) wants to hear from you! DFNS is seeking feedback from staff, students and parents on what you want to see more of on school menus. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey and give us your input. Survey results will directly impact menu development.

Below is the revised period attendance calculation for secondary students. The period attendance calculations will go into effect beginning Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the first day of the second semester.

Attendance will be recorded as:

Tune in to the second episode of To The Point to to learn more about Student Service Learning hours, how students earn them and why this is a graduation requirement.

To The Point is a new talk show designed to do just that: get to the point about various MCPS programs, challenges and initiatives. You can watch the show on the MCPS TV YouTube channel and cable channels Comcast 34 & 1071 HD, Verizon 36 and RCN 89 & 1058 HD.

Save the Date: Join us for the Girls’ Summit on Saturday, March 9 at Northwood High School. This event will provide informative workshops geared towards middle and high school girls on a variety of current topics. Join us for a chance to network, participate in fun activities, learn valuable skills and enjoy a fashion show presented by White House Black Market celebrating diverse body types.

Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) and the Washington Wizards have teamed up with the D.C. Public Library, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Alexandria Library, Arlington Public Library and Fairfax County Public Library to build a positive reading culture this winter with the “Wizards Winter Reading Challenge.” The free challenge, designed for kids and teens aged 3-19, will run through Wednesday, March 20. Read more.

The Class to Community (C2C) organization offers free English as a Second Language (ESL), GED and college prep, and digital literacy classes. Visit the C2C website for more information.

Enrollment form

Are you interested in sharing your career experience with rising 2024-2025 MCPS high school juniors and seniors? Learn more about how to become a host for the 2024 Summer RISE program!

The Department of Partnerships is seeking businesses, government agencies, higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations to host students for a minimum of 50 hours of in-person, virtual or hybrid experiences

Finding a fun, exciting and challenging program for the summer can make a lifetime of difference for curious young students. At the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, students can enroll in 70+ rigorous, fresh, and fun in-person courses offered at 11 locations throughout the U.S. Day programs are offered for students in grades 2-6, and residential programs are available for students in grades 5-12. CTY’s three-week courses give advanced learners the opportunity to delve into a topic they love. New this year: Discovery Sampler courses, which allow students the opportunity to sample three topics in one three-week course. View all courses here.

CTY On-Campus Programs for academically advanced learners in grades 2-12 are now enrolling for summer 2024!

• This summer, Johns Hopkins is launching Discovery Sampler Courses which are multidisciplinary courses where students explore three different topics in one three-week summer session. They are open to all students, and test scores are not required.
• Financial Aid is available for income eligible families that reside in the state of Maryland.

Space is limited and programs fill quickly. Families can register now and if plans change, may cancel before March 1, 2024, and receive a full tuition refund, minus the application fee according to CTY’s no-risk refund policy.

Monday, February 19th: No School, President's Day

Tuesday, February 20th: Club Photos

Thursday, February 22nd: Boys Basketball Game versus Clemente MS at 3:20pm (Away), Girls Basketball Game versus Clemente MS (Home) at 3:20pm

Friday, March 1st: Early Release Day

Monday, March 4th - Wednesday, March 6th: Finance Park

Thursday, March 7th - Spring Individual Pictures

Monday, March 11th: Interims Grade Reports Available via ParentVue & StudentVue

Tuesday, March 12th: PTSA Meeting, 6:30pm

Tuesday, March 12th - Wednesday, March 13th: MISA Testing (8th Grade Only)

Thursday, March 14th: Pi Day sponsored by the PTSA

Thursday, March 21st: 8th Grade Panoramic Picture

Monday, March 25th - Monday, April 1st: No School, Spring Break

Wednesday, April 3rd: Soccer Games versus Ridgeview Middle at 3:20pm, girls at home, boys away

Tuesday, April 9th: Last day of Marking Period 3

Tuesday, April 9th: Soccer Games versus Kingsview Middle at 3:20pm, boys at home, girls away

Tuesday, April 9th: PTSA Heritage Night

Wednesday, April 10th: No School, Professional day for grading and reporting

Wednesday, April 18th: Marking Period 3 Report Cards available on Synergy ParentVue and StudentVue

Thursday, April 18th: Report Cards distributed at the end of the school day

Monday, April 22nd: No School, Professional day (Possible snow make-up day, stay tuned!)

Thursday, April 25th: Soccer Games versus Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle, boys at home, girls away

Planning ahead?

Click here to see the MCPS calendar for the rest of the year.

Click here to see the 2024-2025 MCPS Calendar for next school year.

Check out the Who's Who to know who to contact. During the school year, if your question is about your child's class, the first person to contact is always your child's teacher. Use Synergy to quickly email your child's teachers or see our Staff Directory.

Email: Rose_S_Alvarez@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/
Location: Lakelands Park Middle School, 1200 Main Street, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-6450
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LPMSPTSA/