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Henrietta Lacks Elementary
April 2024
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As we approach the launch of Henrietta Lacks Elementary, we continue to reflect on the core needs and values of our community. In reviewing input data and engaging with various community members, there is a clear focus on the importance of nurturing qualities like compassion, kindness, acceptance, and respect in our children. These traits are just as crucial as developing robust academic foundations and are indispensable for every child to make meaningful contributions within their school, community, and beyond.
Fostering these qualities in children requires a collaborative effort involving parents, educators, community members, and other stakeholders. It involves modeling these values in everyday interactions, providing opportunities for children to practice empathy and understanding, and integrating social-emotional learning into daily learning experiences.
One initiative we plan to introduce is the "To be.." initiative. While our children are provided with daily "To do..." objectives aligned with the curriculum standards in each of the subjects, we recognize the importance of intentional instruction, modeling, and practice around character development. With the "To be..." challenges, we will collaborate as a school community to identify opportunities to practice being kind, respectful, and caring. For instance, one week's challenge might focus on being respectful by consistently using "please" and "thank you" in the cafeteria. Additionally, we aim to explore ways to connect these weekly challenges with each child's home life. We look forward to implementing the "To be..." challenge, along with other student success initiatives!
At Henrietta Lacks Elementary, we plan to build a student success team, comprised of staff, students, and community members to create and implement structures to ensure our children become well-rounded individuals. If you are interested in being part of the student success team, please email Leigh Boyd at leigh.boyd@lcps.org.
Mark you calendar, upcoming events!
April 21st - Principal at the Playground Event at 4:00pm
May 14th - Bruster's Spirit Night Fundraiser
May 23rd - PTA Meeting at Hovatter Elementary
June 2nd - Principal at the Playground Event at 4:00pm
Meet Some More Henrietta Lacks Elementary Honey Bees!
Mrs. Ashley Yamoah
Hi! My name is Ashley Yamoah and I'm thrilled to join the Henrietta Lacks family! I have been teaching for 17 years and am passionate about building a love of learning in young kids. I have my undergraduate degree from New York University and my Masters in Education from Hunter College in New York City. I am originally from Colorado and love spending time outdoors. My husband and I moved to Virginia 13 years ago and have 3 young daughters - 2 of whom will be attending Henrietta Lacks this year! I'm looking forward to building a relationship with your child and the entire Henrietta Lacks community!
Ms. Janin A. Cosep
Mabuhay! I am Janin A. Cosep. I am a motivated, enthusiastic and optimistic teacher. I have been instructing learners for nine years now back in my home country, the Philippines. Allow me to share a little about myself. I grew up from Davao City, Philippines. I earned my Bachelor's Degree of Elementary Education at Holy Cross College of Calinan and completed my academic requirements in Master of Education major in Instructional Leadership at Southeastern Philippines - Obrero Campus. I started my teaching career at Macatabo Elementary School in the Philippines as a multigrade teacher teaching Grades 4 to 6 learners for four years, continued my journey at Malagos Elementary School SpEd Center as Grade 4 (four years) and Grade 2 (one year) teacher. I look forward to working in Loudoun County for the 2024-2025 school year at Henrietta Lacks Elementary!
Ms. Emma York
Hello! My name is Emma York and I will be teaching First Grade at Henrietta Lacks this upcoming school year. I am a graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Music. Go Dukes! I attended LCPS K-12 and was a part of the Teacher Cadet program at Loudoun Valley High School which sparked my passion for teaching. I am so excited to be returning to my home county! In my spare time you can often find me playing with my two dogs Madison and Laney or spending time with my parents and 3 younger brothers. I have spent the past few summers as a swim team coach and love to swim. Other hobbies I enjoy are singing, crafting, and cooking! I am excited to build a classroom community where each student can succeed and am looking forward to a rewarding year!
Ms. Sheneece Cooper
I am Sheneece Cooper from the beautiful island of Jamaica. I consider it a great pleasure to provide the requisite knowledge and skills to students, so they operate as successful and invaluable individuals in the society. As such, I first pursued Diploma training in Primary Education with an advanced study in Literacy and later a Bachelor of Education. I have also acquired Early Childhood Development training as I deem Early Childhood to be the most crucial level of education. I have taught at the early childhood and primary (kindergarten and elementary) levels for over nine years in the public school system. I have also acquired administrative experiences in careers that are not in the education sector. I find these experiences useful as they have equipped me with the necessary administrative skills that I can utilize in my teaching career. Currently, as a reflective and enthusiastic teacher, I am dedicated to enabling young minds to develop and achieve and as such, I am ecstatic to join the Henrietta Lacks Elementary School community as a 1st grade teacher where I can guide the students entrusted in my care to realize their full potential.
Ms. Ashley Zbinden
Hi everyone! My name is Ashley Zbinden, I am a first year teacher and am beyond excited to be welcomed into the Henrietta Lacks Elementary 1st Grade team!! I graduated from George Mason University this spring. I have lived in Loudoun county my whole life and knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid and made my siblings play school with me and be my students:) I enjoy reading, working out and spending time with my family traveling! I am looking forward to meeting everyone and becoming a team together!!
Ms. Elena Schlegel
My name is Elena Schlegel, and I am going to be a 2nd-grade teacher at Henrietta Lacks Elementary School this upcoming school year! I am from Purcellville, Virginia, and enjoy being in nature, around animals. I have three dogs who I love to take on walks, and three cats. I also love to read, so you can often find me snuggling with my pets with a book in hand. I am graduating from James Madison University this May and look forward to applying everything I’ve learned in my classroom this fall. I’ve had practicum and student teaching experiences in Pre-K, Kindergarten, 3rd Grade, and 4th Grade. I am eager to start to learning all about 2nd grade and getting to know my students, colleagues, and the Aldie community!
Ms. Kate Gardner
Hi! My name is Kate Gardner. I have been teaching for 17 years in Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and Title 1 reading. I am originally from northern New York but moved to Virginia 17 years ago to start my teaching career. I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my family. I am looking forward to being part of the Henrietta Lacks Elementary community.
Ms. Barbara Cavalcanti Veltri
Hello,
My name is Barbara Veltri, I am Brazilian and I am concluding 5 years in LCPS, all dedicated to ECSE. I earned a Bachelor's in Communication, with a focus on Advertising and Marketing; I earned my Masters in Early Childhood Education for diverse learners Pk to 3 from George Mason University; and I am completing my certification for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, also from George Mason.
Preschool is my passion. Currently, my life is about dramatic playing, teaching self-regulation, and independence. When I am not with my students, I am with my children ages 2 and 4. I love sharing about my Brazilian culture, I try to welcome all the cultures in our classroom, with music, read alouds, and anything that families feel important to share.
In my free time, I love spending time with my husband and children, video calling my family in Brazil and eating deserts (I have a sweet tooth). I am excited for this new experience.
Mrs. Jeannie Baier
Jeannie Baier is entering her 17th year teaching and 7th year in Loudoun County. Mrs. Baier earned a Master’s Degree in Reading, Literacy and Learning from Longwood University in 2023. Before becoming a reading teacher, she taught 2nd, 3rd and 5th grades. She lives in Fauquier County with her husband where they raised three fabulous children; two sons and one daughter. When she is not teaching she loves to spend time with her husband and children, reading and quilting. She is extremely happy to be part of the Henrietta Lacks family and is looking forward to working with you and your children with literacy this year.
Upcoming Event Information
FAQ Document
Additionally, if you have a question about anything related to the school, please feel free to submit it using this Google Form. A Henrietta Lacks Elementary staff member will reach out directly if it is a question specific to your situation or we will add it to the FAQ document if the question benefits the general community.
Kindergarten and New Student Registration
Please visit the webpage for specific details regarding registration to LCPS. If your child already attends an LCPS school in grades Kindergarten - 12 you do not need to complete registration, your child will automatically be enrolled at Henrietta Lacks Elementary for the 2024-2025 school year if it is your child's zoned school.
You do need to complete the registration process if:
- You have a child who is new to LCPS in grades Kindergarten through 12
- You have a child currently attending an LCPS Pre-kindergarten program entering kindergarten
- You have a child who was formerly enrolled and may be returning to LCPS
Our Financial Technician, May Auguste will be overseeing new student registration. She will be in contact with families who have completed the pre-registration process to review next steps. Please see the Henrietta Lacks Elementary Registration Checklist below. If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact Leigh Boyd via email at leigh.boyd@lcps.org or Ms. May via email at gaymay.auguste@lcps.org.
Hovatter and Henrietta Lacks Elementary PTA
The PTA met on April 11th and decided on a name for the PTA. We are officially the Henrietta Lacks & Hovatter Elementary PTA or HLH. More nicknames to come soon!
Additionally, we voted on some updated funding requests for both some Hovatter initiatives and some start up needs for Henrietta Lacks Elementary. We also reviewed nominations for the 24-25 PTA committee and we are excited to have equal representation from both schools. Thank you to the nominating committee for devoting time to finding amazing candidates, who are dedicated to serving the whole school community and meeting the needs of all Hovatter and Henrietta Lacks Elementary students.
We look forward to meeting on May 23, at 6:00pm in the Hovatter library to close out the 23-24 school year and hold official elections for the new PTA committee.
For more information about the PTA, upcoming events, and ways to get involved, please visit our current website and Facebook page for additional information about the PTA and upcoming events:
PTA Website: https://hovatterpta.memberhub.com/
PTA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HovatterElementaryPTA
Both the website and Facebook page will be revised soon to reflect the changes in the PTA and include Henrietta Lacks Elementary.
Click on the picture to join the PTA!
Preschool Programs
Business Partnership Opportunities
Do you or does anyone you know have a business that might be interested in partnering with Henrietta Lacks Elementary? If so, please check out the flyer below, which outlines a variety of opportunities to involve your business at Henrietta Lacks Elementary. We look forward to making connections with local companies and working together to support the school!
Construction Update
The Henrietta Lacks Elementary administration visited the school site in early April. Construction continues to progress, with many classrooms being painted and tiled! Additionally, there are walls up in the front office and the library is taking shape! Only a small section of the music room was without a completed roof, but the rest of the school is fully closed in, with most brick work completed, and windows installed! We look forward to moving in over the summer and looking at options to provide families with tours once construction is complete!
Kindergarten room being tiled
The library
Using stilts to work on the ceiling grid
Parent Coaching and Resources
Loudoun County Public Schools is offering new resources for all staff and parents/guardians to use to support students through www.parentguidance.org. You can learn more about this initiative by clicking here.
These resources include easily accessible video-based courses on difficult parenting topics, individualized parent coaching for any LCPS parent/guardian, on their schedule in their home, and weekly interactive webinars to let parents know the mental health needs of our students are a critical concern of Loudoun County Public Schools. Your unified mental health team members are ready to assist parents in accessing the support. You can watch this video about the services available.
Community Input Survey
Please consider taking a some time to complete the community input survey, if you have not already. The input gathered so far has been crucial in supporting the process to establish the vision and core values for Henrietta Lacks Elementary. Again, we sincerely appreciate your proactive involvement, the time invested, and your dedication as we work together to create an exceptional learning environment for your child.