Watson Mountain Update

For our Physical Education (P.E.) class, students will get the chance to gear up for success by changing into athletic clothing before and after class in the locker room. Each student should have a comfortable set of P.E. clothes like a t-shirt, shorts, sweats or leggings, and a pair of athletic sneakers (no Crocs) to help them move with ease. Every student has been assigned a P.E. locker to store their clothes and personal items securely while they focus on their activities. Let’s get ready to stay active and have fun!

We’re excited to kick off our first "E" Day on Friday, September 13! On "E" Days, students enjoy a dynamic schedule where they experience every class for about 40 minutes. Resource and music classes share a block, so students should remember to bring their instruments for exciting music interventions and/or enriching activities. With the time between classes being shorter, students may want to carry their items with them from class to class instead of stopping at their lockers. Plus, with two English blocks in the mix, the second English session will focus on passion projects or community-driven initiatives. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to explore their interests and make a positive impact! We are definitely Yeti for it!

Our parent community has shared incredibly positive feedback about the new schedule. One parent mentioned, “We anticipated that our son would find the schedule difficult, but he is not confused at all!” Another admitted, “Initially as a parent I was scared, but it makes so much sense!” Many students are also thriving, with one parent noting, “Our daughter loves the responsibility and even corrected me two Mondays ago to let me know it wasn’t a C day but an A day!” The provided A-E Calendar has also been a valuable tool for families, as one parent shared, “The yearly calendar has been so helpful, we have it on the fridge.” Both students and parents alike find the schedule format helpful, with one parent adding, “The schedule format that came out was just as helpful for my student as it was for me as a parent.” A final thought from another family highlighted the flexibility and variety in the day, saying, “My student loves having PE at different times of the day—especially when they get to have it at the end of the day.” As we continue navigating the new schedule, and our first "E" Day noted above, please feel free to provide our administrative team feedback. We want to ensure that we have the best schedule possible to support our Watson Mountain Yetis!

Join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, September 12, as we welcome families to Watson Mountain Middle School! Please note the detailed schedule below:

• 5:30 PM — The evening will begin with a series of short presentations for families of students participating in Spectrum, as well as those whose children receive English Language Learner and/or Special Education services.
• 6:00 PM — Families will then attend three 15-minute sessions that provide an overview of each subject area. Families will move through these sessions in groups based on their student's last name.
• 7:00 PM — Families are invited to walk through their student's schedule and explore their new Yeti home. A video presentation from our Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Spence and our Safety & Security Team will also be available for viewing in the auditorium.
  
  

In addition, parking may be limited, so please consider carpooling if possible. As always, students are welcome at The Mountain; however, feel free to enjoy this adventure while your Yetis relax (and read:)) at home.

Watson Mountain Middle School is excited to share LCPS's SHINE (Spotlighting Heroes in Education) Award, designed to recognize the incredible work happening at our school. Have you seen a Watson team member go above and beyond or use creative approaches to make a difference? We encourage our community members to nominate these outstanding individuals and help us spotlight what makes Watson such a special place to learn and grow! To get started, click here and help highlight the greatness of Watson!

On Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 10-2:30, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is offering Girls' Tech Day--a free career exploration event for middle school girls--at their headquarters in Arlington VA. Girls’ Tech Day was developed to promote and encourage girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). Since its Virginia launch 6 years ago, this program has impacted over 21,000 young women globally. This year, AWS has an exciting lineup to engage students from Northern Virginia through interactive workshops and talks from female tech leaders!

LCPS' Computer Science Office is offering bus transportation to and from the event, and they can accommodate approximately 16 girls from each middle school. Girls will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

WMMS encourages all parents of girls interested in a career in STEAM to review the Computer Science Office's detailed presentation, which includes the link to the registration form. The registration form will close on or before September 19, 2024, so be sure to apply ASAP!

Our sixth graders recently had the opportunity to learn about the role of a school counselor through a dynamic presentation by our dedicated counselors. They explained the various ways counselors support students, including offering guidance and helping with personal and academic challenges. To make their services even more accessible, the counselors provided a link for students to book appointments (through Students' LCPS Go) and join a lunch bunch (through Schoology Group Code N92Z-X5NP-H6SJM)), encouraging them to connect and seek support whenever needed. If, at any point, you need to reach out to one of our fabulous counselors, please feel free to click here to learn more.

We want to make sure all our families are opted in to receive important updates from both LCPS and Watson Mountain through Blackboard Mass Notifications. With the recent transition to middle school, you may have opted out of receiving messages, thinking they were still tied to your child’s previous elementary school. Please note that all communication from LCPS schools will come from the number 60680. Occasionally, we’ll send information via text, so opting in to this tool ensures you stay informed.

To opt back in, please follow these steps:

• For phone messages: Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at 855-502-STOP (855-502-7867) from the phone number you opted out with.
• For text messages: Text "START" to "60680" for non-emergency messages and to "54968" for emergency messages.

For more details about community messaging, please visit the LCPS Blackboard Mass Notifications website.

We are excited to kick off the 2024-2025 Middle School Intramural Sports program at Watson Mountain! This year, we are offering a different sport each quarter, beginning with 7x7 Flag Football for Quarter 1. Games will be held on Thursdays after school from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the season running from September 19 to October 24. The LCPS Championship will take place on Saturday, November 2, at Heritage High School. All Watson Yeti students are encouraged to join, either by signing up individually or forming a team with 7 to 11 players.

This is a great opportunity for students to get active, have fun, and build teamwork skills. For more details or to sign up, please reach out to our Intramural Sports Coordinator, Mr. Erik Sassak, at erik.sassak@lcps.org Also, check out all of the detailed information here. We look forward to seeing our Yetis on the field!