The LCPS Letter

April is a month full of celebrations. During this month, we recognize Autism Awareness Month, Month of the Military Child and National Arab American Heritage Month. We also celebrate our Assistant Principals and Deans (this week – April 1-5), Earth Day (April 22) and our volunteers (April 21-27).

As the first full month of spring, April is a time of new beginnings and a natural time for celebrations. Many of our high school students are also starting to plan for prom and graduation, and our younger students – those who aren’t dreaming of summer vacation – are thinking about what next year will hold.

For LCPS staff, we have also started planning for next year. The budget process is progressing, with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors announcing on Tuesday that they have adopted the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. The $1.8 billion adopted budget is supported by County funding in the amount of $1.3 billion. We greatly appreciate the Board of Supervisors’ collaboration and support during this budget season. As we have shared previously, this budget reflects our priorities: holding students at the center of work, enhancing staff recruitment and retention and focusing on new initiatives while strengthening existing ones. I look forward to sharing our progress and achievements with you as we prepare for the next school year.

Aaron Spence, Ed.D.

Superintendent

More than 300 LCPS high school students participated in the 42nd Annual Loudoun County Public Schools Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Wednesday, March 20, at John Champe High School. Five student finalists were selected to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024, the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition, to be held in Los Angeles on May 12-18. In addition, a Woodgrove senior received the annual Willowcroft Science Scholarship. Read more about the Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

LCPS has earned the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This is the 13th consecutive year that LCPS has earned the Sustained Excellence Award, which is the highest honor in this competitive awards program. LCPS is the only school system that has 13 years as a Sustained Excellence Partner.

In addition, 30 LCPS schools have earned 2023 ENERGY STAR Building Certifications. These schools meet strict energy performance standards as set by the EPA. These schools use less energy and are less expensive to operate, producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions than buildings of similar size and type. Read more about LCPS' Energy Star awards.

On Monday, April 8, North America and Central America will experience a solar eclipse. In Northern Virginia, the eclipse will begin at 2:04 p.m., reach maximum coverage at 3:21 p.m., and end at 4:33 p.m. The eclipse will cover 89% of the sun.

The LCPS Department of Teaching and Learning is providing eclipse/solar glasses for all students and staff. Students and staff should discuss eclipse/solar glasses safety guidelines before the eclipse to help ensure all individuals can safely witness this rare and exciting phenomenon. Feel free to reference the Eclipse Viewing Safety information available in English, Spanish and other languages. Please contact school administration for more information, instructional resources and activities provided by the Science team in Teaching and Learning, or visit www.lcps.org/eclipse.

The Instructional Framework Design Team, composed of LCPS teachers and administrators, continues its work to define a shared instructional vision for LCPS. During the two March Design Team meetings, team members developed a draft of key components and indicators to further define high-quality instruction in LCPS. The team also incorporated feedback from key stakeholders to inform the work. The draft Instructional Framework has been shared with all principals and the Superintendent's Teacher and Student Advisory groups. The plan is to incorporate the feedback and be ready to share at the Administrative Leadership Team Conference in late July. Please continue to follow along with the project and share your feedback through the Let's Talk button on the Instructional Framework Project webpage.

LCPS offers free, on-demand tutoring through Varsity Tutors to all kindergarten through grade 12 students. The free Varsity Tutors program provides homework help, writing support, and live enrichment sessions available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, in a wide variety of subjects, including math, science, writing and more. Parents/guardians can contact Varsity Tutors to learn more about all the available services. Check out the LCPS tutoring website for more information, including a video recording of the Varsity Tutors Parent Information webinar that occurred in February.

LCPS has partnered with ParentGuidance to provide free parent coaching and access to online resources. Parent coaching connects parents/guardians with a coach and content created by therapists. In addition to parent coaching, ParentGuidance provides free resources, including course and videos, to address whatever issue your child is dealing with. Resources and parent coaching from ParentGuidance can help you navigate situations and support your child.

While next school year is still several months away, now is a good time to start scheduling immunizations for your rising 7th and 12th graders. Students in grade 7 and grade 12 are required to receive the following vaccines prior to the start of school:

Required Vaccinations for All 7th-Grade Students:

• One dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) given at age 7 or older
• One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine, MenACWY (MenQuadfi, Menveo), given at age 10 or older

Encouraged Vaccinations for All 7th-Grade Students:

• HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine

Required Vaccinations for All 12th-Grade Students:

• One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine, MenACWY (MenQuadfi, Menveo), given at age 16 or older

Once your student is vaccinated, please provide their school with the appropriate documentation. For more information, please see LCPS' Immunization Requirements webpage. For more general information about back-to-school immunizations for students of all ages, see this Virginia Department of Health website.

Tryouts for LCPS high school fall sports for the 2024-25 school year will begin on Monday, August 5. Starting Friday, June 14, students who meet the requirements below may register for one high school fall sport by visiting their school’s website.

Requirements:

• Parents/guardians or students must complete the online registration and submit a completed VHSL physical examination form on or after May 1 to their school’s athletic department before participating in tryouts, practices, weight training or conditioning.
• Students must be enrolled in at least five subjects and pass five subjects offered for credit and graduation requirements to be eligible.
• All first-time ninth graders are eligible to participate in VHSL athletics and activities, and eighth graders may participate in a high school sport at the sub-varsity level if they turn 14 on or before August 5 of the current school year (2024-25 school year). Eighth graders who do not meet this age requirement on or before August 1 may not participate in any high school athletic program, regardless of the season.

If you have questions, please contact your student's high school athletic director.

LCPS parents/guardians may request special permission for their student to attend a school outside their attendance zone. The special permission application period started on Monday, April 1. Special permission is governed by Loudoun County Public Schools Policy 8155 – School Assignment. The special permission application period closes on June 30 at 11:59 p.m. Special permission may be approved if there is capacity at the requested school. Please visit the LCPS Special Permission website for more information.

There are only two Community Listening Sessions remaining. Have you been able to attend? Community Listening Sessions are an excellent opportunity to share your hopes and concerns about LCPS with Superintendent Aaron Spence. Plan to attend one of these sessions:

• Thursday, April 4 -- TONIGHT! -- at Briar Woods High School
  
• Thursday, April 18, at Loudoun County High School

The staff portion of the listening session is from 5-6 p.m., and the community session is from 7-8 p.m.; a 30-minute meet-and-greet follows each session.

We hope you will join us at one of these upcoming workshops and learn important information from LCPS staff and community partners that will help you support your student's academic, social and emotional development. Additional information about workshops offered can be found on the Parent Resource Services and the Division of English Learners’ Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) websites.

• No More Birds and Bees: Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
  Thursday, April 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m.; LCPS Administration Building, 21000 Education Ct., Ashburn. Registration requested.

• Preschool Child Find Chat: Screen Sense for Young Children
  Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Historic Douglass High School, 407 East Market St., Leesburg. Registration requested.

• Inclusive Practices and Team Teaching

  Thursday, April 18, 6:30 to 8 p.m., LCPS Administration Building, 21000 Education Ct., Ashburn. Registration requested.

• Understanding High School Graduation Requirements

  Tuesday, April 23, 6 p.m. in English and Spanish; 7 p.m. in English and Arabic, Virtual. See the FACE website for more details.
  

Attend a fentanyl awareness session on Sunday, April 7, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Crossroads United Methodist Church (43454 Crossroads Dr., Ashburn) to learn more about opioids and fentanyl and what you can do to protect your family and community. The presentation will include information about naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversing medication, as well as other resources. Representatives from the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, to include the Prevention Alliance of Loudoun, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery will also be in attendance. Information will be provided in English and Spanish.

LCPS students are invited to participate in the fifth annual Loudoun Student Environmental Action Showcase, which will be held on Wednesday, April 24, from 5-8 p.m. at the Academies of Loudoun. The Loudoun Student Environmental Action Showcase amplifies youth voices by showcasing how students have meaningfully contributed to environmental stewardship in Loudoun County. LCPS and the Academies of Loudoun, the Loudoun Environmental Education Alliance and the Northwest Virginia Regional GREENetwork are co-hosting this event. Loudoun Environmental Education Alliance will award first, second and third-place prizes in elementary, middle and high school categories. Students interested in participating in the showcase must register by Wednesday, April 10; participation is free.

The Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee's (MSAAC) annual EquiTEA and Awards Ceremony will occur on Saturday, April 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Historic Douglass High School (407 E. Market St., Leesburg). This event recognizes and celebrates individuals, schools and community members dedicated to promoting educational equity and fostering the academic success of LCPS minority students. Learn more about MSAAC.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) announces the return of JumpStart2NOVA. This program offers tuition-free summer college courses to high school seniors who are considering attending NOVA and who will be graduating this spring. The application for JumpStart2NOVA is now open and closes on Friday, May 10. Courses begin on Monday, June 3 and end on Monday, August 12. Interested students and their families are invited to attend an information session on Tuesday, April 30, 6 to 7 p.m. Please register in advance.

April is the Month of the Military Child, and April 15 is PurpleUp! for Military Kids Day. We will be wearing purple to show support and to honor the resilient children of our military members.

Upcoming Holidays and Events

• The 3rd Quarter Grading Period ended today, Thursday, April 4.
• Friday, April 5 is a student holiday.
• Wednesday, April 10 is a student and staff holiday for Eid al Fitr.
• Please consult LCPS student calendars to help with your planning.
  
• 2024 graduation schedule.

If you have any comments or questions about your experience with LCPS, please fill out LCPS' Comment and Complaint Form. This form offers parents, students and Loudoun County residents the opportunity to provide input, comments, suggestions and complaints to school officials. Once the form is submitted, it will be routed to the appropriate office, department or school principal.

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Ask the Department of Communications and Community Engagement
21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA, USA
571-252-1040

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