Stingray Scoop

Dear Stone Hill Middle School Familes,

This Veterans Day, November 11, we invite you to join us in honoring the brave men and women who have served our country. We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a special Veterans Day program for our students. Thank you to Mr. Kasman and our SSGS staff for their efforts in organizing speakers for Veterans' Day from amongst our Stingray parent and staff community. Veterans will share their stories of service and sacrifice, inspiring our students with their courage and dedication. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about the importance of patriotism and to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy thanks to our veterans. We encourage you to discuss Veterans Day with your child and explain the significance of this holiday.

It’s that time of year again when LCPS asks families to fill out the Impact Aid Survey. The Federal Impact Aid Program is designed to assist school divisions that enroll federally-connected students. Beginning on Monday, November 4, please be on the lookout for communication from the division asking all families to fill out the Impact Aid survey in ParentVUE. The Impact Aid Survey must be completed for all active LCPS students. Note: If both parents reside at the same address, then only one parent will need to complete the Impact Aid Survey. That parent will complete it for both parents. Details on how to fill out the survey will be included in the division communication. If you have questions or need more information regarding this Federal Impact Aid survey, please contact the LCPS Accounting staff at ImpactAid@lcps.org or 571-252-1220. The survey should be completed by Friday, November 22.

We are One. We are Strong. We are Stone Hill.

In service to you and our Stingray community,

Rohini Tohan, Principal

Monday, November 11th

• B-day
• School Picture Day During PE Blocks
• Activity Buses

Tuesday, November 12th

• A-day
• School Picture Day During PE Blocks
• PTO General Meeting, 6:30 pm, SHMS Cafeteria

Wednesday, November 13th

• B-day
• Activity Buses

Thursday, November 14th

• A-day
• Activity Buses
• 6th Grade Chorus Concert, 6:00 pm, SHMS Auditorium

Friday, November 15th

• B-day

• November 22-23 ~ "Mean Girls" Drama Production (Friday 7pm, Saturday 3pm & 7pm), SHMS Auditorium
• December 5th ~ 8th Grade Band Concert, 6:00 pm, Rock Ridge High School
• December 6th ~ Math Counts Tryout Test, 3:45-4:45 pm, SHMS Cafeteria
• December 7th ~ PTO Winter Wonderland Event, 11am to 4pm @ Stone Hill
• December 10th to 17th ~ Scholastic Book Fair in the SHMS Library
• December 11th ~ Strings Concert, 7:00 pm, Rock Ridge High School
• December 12th ~ 7th Grade & Jazz Band Concerts, 6:30 pm, SHMS Auditorium
• December 12th ~ Guitar Concert, 7:00 pm, Rock Ridge High School
• December 18th ~ 7th Grade Chorus Concert, 6:30 pm, SHMS Auditorium
• December 19th ~ 8th Grade Chorus Concert, 6:30 pm, SHMS Auditorium
• January 16th ~ 6th Grade Band Concert, 6:00 pm, SHMS Auditorium

Weeks of November 4th to 15th

Stingray Reports are a snapshot for families of what students will be learning in class during these weeks. Don’t forget to check out the “Show & Tell” sections, which include great conversation starters to ask your student at home!

The last day to check out a box of chocolates was Friday, November 8th.

All payments will be made by Friday November 15th.

You can write a check made out to Stone Hill Middle School or preferably pay online by creating an account at https://lcps.schoolcashonline.com. Please provide a copy of the online receipt with your child to bring to school.

• CAN ONLY APPLY IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN 8th GRADE

• The portal for the TJ application opened on October 21st

• Students must be taking Algebra I or higher for Math

• Students must be taking Honors Science and one additional Honors class in 8th grade

• Student grade average at the end of 7th grade should be a 3.5 or higher
• WEDNESDAY, November 13th is the last day to START a TJ application online
• FRIDAY, November 15th at 4 pm is the last day and time to complete an application for TJHSST.

We are excited to host award-winning author KA Holt to speak to our students on Wednesday, November 13th. She is coming to us all that way from Texas to talk about her writing process, how poetry can be cool (yes, really!), and how she takes parts of her own life and puts them into her novels. 7th and 8th grade students in English during block 1-2B will visit as a class, and 6th grade students in English classes during 3-4B will visit as a class. Other students had the opportunity to sign up to visit on hall passes.

We are excited to give students the chance to purchase books by the author and get them signed! Purchase her books through the link below to support a local small bookstore in Leesburg, VA. Books will not be available for purchase at the event. More information on book signing to come via English teachers.

Book order link: https://bookshop.org/wishlists/0449c5325656e7500c71c03e5740a380b0ca05eb

Tickets are currently on sale for Mean Girls Jr. presented by Stone Hill Dramatic Arts! Seventh and Eighth Grade Drama club members have been preparing this show to make it SO FETCH! Join us as we present the story of Cady Heron, a homeschooled teenager as she navigates the social hierarchy of her new suburban public school. She may have grown up on the African savanna, but nothing has prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of school. The show is November 22nd at 7pm and November 23rd at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are on sale at http://shda.booktix.com

Yearbooks are on sale! Buy one before we run out.

We already have a full academic quarter’s worth of memories to put in the 2024-2025 yearbook, and we’re excited to make more! Buy a yearbook so you can look back on our fantastic journey at the end of the year. There is a limited number of yearbooks available to purchase, so buy yours today before we run out!

Purchase at YearbookOrderCenter.com with the code 13630.

The Math Counts Tryout Test will be held on Friday, December 6th right after school in the cafeteria. To indicate your interest in taking the tryout test, please use this Sign-Up Genius link to register for a place at the tryouts. Stone Hill's math department will choose 14 students to represent Stone Hill MS at the regional Math Counts Competition on February 1st. The test will be given in the cafeteria immediately after school ends and parent pick-up will begin at 4:40 pm.

Save the Date for Winter Carnival: Winter Wonderland!

Mark your calendar for our upcoming Winter Wonderland!

Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2024

Time: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Location: Stone Hill Middle School

Hep and Happening at Winter Wonderland!

• DJ
• Student Offered Carnival Shops. Registration Opens Mon, Oct 28th - Fri, Nov 15th. Register at: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBvOKnuMooZae0h1GFWzNJUyBp5zUXA_gMUWFFGZXf_k0j1A/viewform?pli=1
• PTO Offered Holiday Shop
• Holiday Themed Photo Booth
• Food, Hot Cocoa
• Concessions
• Henna Tattoos, Free Games, Raffles and what not!!

For more information on Winter Wonderland, visit: www.shmspto.org

Message from PTO President

SHMS PTO encourages all Stone Hill families to connect with the PTO by participating in PTO organized events, initiatives and volunteering activities. SHMS PTO also encourages Stone Hill families to join the PTO Board and help not only serve but enrich Stone Hill student and parent community with your vision and thought leadership. Please connect with us at pto-board@shmspto.org. Learn more about SHMS PTO and the activities they currently run at www.shmspto.org.

Upcoming PTO Meeting

Join us for the PTO General Body Meeting on Tuesday, November 12th, 2024, at 6:30 PM in the cafeteria. Learn about what the Admin team and PTO are working on this school year. All Stingray Families are welcome to join and share their ideas and feedback.

Volunteer Opportunities

"Build Our Makerspace – Dads, We Need You!"

Hey Stone Hill Dads! We’re creating an awesome new makerspace for our students, and we need your help to bring it to life! If you’re handy with tools (or just want to join in on some hands-on fun), come along and lend a hand. Grab a Stone Hill parent friend and make it a team effort! Together, we’ll assemble furniture, set up cool gadgets, and turn this space into a hub of creativity. Let’s make it happen! Sign up below to join the fun!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050848AEAE2DA2F49-52516595-calling

PTO Members

Thank you for your support! PTO-paid members can pick up their complimentary spirit wear and magnet at the school store on Fridays (ONLY).

We appreciate your Support!

Bus riders should ride their assigned bus and always arrive at their bus stop five minutes early. Please help your student(s) get out of the door on time. Parents are also requested to periodically check transportation information throughout the school year for any changes. Parents will be emailed by LCPS Transportation when changes are made to their student’s transportation.

Carline parents: We thank you for your patience and cooperation in helping to make our car line a safe and efficient area during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up.

Please follow directions displayed on signage and from all car line staff. Please pull as far forward as possible towards the stop sign in order to keep the flow of traffic moving.

Designated walking zone: Only students who live within our designated walking zone are permitted to walk home. If LCPS Transportation has assigned your student a bus, they must either take the bus to and from school or be transported by car.

Exiting the building at dismissal: All student walkers should leave the building through the [B2 door/front of the building], located on the side of the building by the cafeteria. Students should walk either directly to their community behind the school or down the sidewalks in front of the school, as applicable. No student should ever cross Evergreen Ridge Dr. as there are no crosswalks, making it a safety hazard for both students and drivers.

All parents/guardians should report attendance, including absences and early dismissals, in ParentVue. Instructions with how-to videos are available on our website or by clicking here.

As a reminder for the 2024-2025 school year, there have been some changes to the counseling assignments. Please note who your child’s counselor will be this year based on your child’s last names across ALL grades.

LCPS is proud to provide free access to a suite of online learning resources available on the Varsity Tutors platform. To learn more about Varsity Tutors, a free, on-demand online tutoring service available to ALL LCPS students in Grades K-12, click here.

The SNAP in Schools initiative from the Virginia Department of Social Service, which is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps develop partnerships to bridge the gap of food insecurity among school-aged children. The objectives of SNAP in Schools are to reduce food insecurity in school-aged children, to increase the number of students directly certified for free school meals through SNAP, and to increase the number of students eligible without application for the summer EBT program.

Please advise families who could benefit from this program to access the CommonHelp portal link to submit online SNAP applications.

Please also share the flyer below with your families:

• English
• Spanish

A message from INTEGIRLS D.C., which works to encourage girls and non-binaries in STEM fields through competitions:

We’re hosting our annual day-long math competition on Saturday, December 14th, 2024, from 9 am - 4 pm at the Bioscience Education Center at Montgomery College Germantown Campus. We would be extremely grateful if you shared the following copy-pastable snippet with interested students:

The D.C. chapter of INTEGIRLS is hosting a beginner-friendly, in-person math competition Saturday, December 14th from 9 am - 4 pm at the Bioscience Education Center at Montgomery College Germantown Campus! Our mission at INTEGIRLS is to encourage girls and non-binaries in STEM fields through math competitions and events. This year, we will have math competition rounds (individual and team), an estimathon, a speaker event, awards ceremony, provided lunch, and lots of fun STEM activities. Teams of up to 4 students will be able to connect with and enjoy math with other girls and non-binaries around the DMV. There will be a lot of prizes and fun swag for all participants.

Register here directly or go to the INTEGIRLS D.C. website (dc.integirls.org) to learn more about the competition.

Email: rohini.tohan@lcps.org
Website: www.lcps.org/SHMS
Phone: 703-957-4420
X (formerly Twitter): @StoneHillMiddle