Harmony Newsletter
March 14, 2025
Calendar Items
March 18 - 7th Grade Career Day (AM)
March 19 - 8th Grade to WHS to Visit (9:30 to 1:30)
March 19 - Family Arts Night (6 PM to 8 PM)
March 26 - Bus Evacuation Drills (AM)
March 27 - Bus Evacuation Drills (AM)
April 3 - UMHT Wellness Activity
April 3 - End of Quarter 3
April 4 - Student Holiday / Teacher Planning
April 4 - School Musical (7 PM)
April 5 - School Musical (2 PM)
April 5 - School Musical (7 PM)
April 6 - School Musical (2 PM)
April 7 - Student Holiday / Teacher Workday
April 14 to 18 - Spring Break
Safety Update
Please periodically review these "Safety Scenarios" with your children. Our most recent Fire Drill was March 14. We completed a Lock Down drill the week of February 24. Contact names are below for any questions.
- School Security Officer, (SSO), Josh Stillwell (joshua.stillwell@lcps.org)
- School Resource Office (SRO), Loudoun County Deputy Chris Salter (christopher.salter@loudoun.gov)
- 7th Grade Dean and School Safety Contact, Justin Dailey (justin.dailey@lcps.org)
- Principal, Eric Stewart (eric.stewart@lcps.org)
School Phone is 540-751-2500 (then dial zero to reach the main office)
Family Arts Night on March 19
Mark your calendars for an exciting Family Arts Night on March 19, from 6-8 PM at Harmony Middle School! Family Arts Night is a wonderful evening celebration held during Youth Art Month. The event will feature:
- A school-wide art show showcasing our talented students' artwork
- Engaging art activity stations for all ages
- Inspiring guest artist demonstrations
- Musical Performances
- A delicious PTA Pizza Dinner
We are looking for volunteers to help make this event a success. If you are interested in volunteering on March 19, please sign up using the following link: Volunteer Sign-Up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4ba8af28a0f85-family#/
Sincerely, Harmony Middle School Art Department
OM Team to States
The 7th grade Odyssey of the Mind team put on an exceptional performance to win 1st place at regionals and head to the States in Newport News on April 26th. Team members include:
Ella Burbage, Sabine Curiel, Sebastian Curiel, Penelope Dimino, Sophie Han, Tess Hendrickson, and
Claire Hubbard
(The Problem 2 team, coached by Daniel Fricano, placed third in Division 2 in "Mech-Animal Sidekick." Team members were 6th graders Ethan Fricano, Sione Gebhardt, and Vivian Lavin, and 7th graders Logen Hoffman and Lola Buterbaugh.)
Ice Cream, Pizza, and Reading (Oh My)
1. Congratulations to the 6th grade, who had the most students meet their Lexia goals in the month of February. 6th graders ALL received ice cream during their lunches.
2. Congratulations to this week's Lexia winners:
6th grade: Ethan Thomas and Samantha Sachs
7th grade: Henry Lathrop and Lily Dugan
8th grade: Kaylee Garrett and Drew Heironimus
3. We also congratulate our latest student to complete Lexia: Lilyan Rodgers.
All of these students and our winners from the past two weeks were invited to a pizza party.
Harmony Parent Volunteers Needed
We are requesting parent volunteers to help our UMHT run a Mental Health and Wellness Event for our students on Thursday, April 3rd. Parent volunteers will be helping our UMHT run various outdoor station activities as well as provide supervision.
The event will run through 3 blocks of the day with specific grade levels going out during the following times.
6th grade from 1:55-3:15
7th grade from 8:50-10:15
8th grade from 10:25-11:45
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this form. Any questions, please contact Mrs. Sharp at 540-751-2500 or Jamie.sharp@lcps.org
Musical Coming Soon
The 66 students in the cast, crew, and dance crew of Newsies, Jr invite you to come see their show! They have been working hard since early December to bring this classic, catchy musical to life. Tickets are on sale now for the weekend of April 4-6. Link:
Boys Basketball Teams
Last weekend, our 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade boys travel basketball teams all made it to the semi-finals at Riverside HS. ONE TEAM advanced and won the whole thing! Congratulations 7th Graders (they will get a "forever banner" in the GYM):
Ben Gorlaski, Lim Lynch, Chance Sky, Jackie Lucas, Beckett Barlow, Ben Hill, Porter Kight, Tyler Burgoyne, Stewart Morrison, Kye Berg, John Marsh, and Owen Oliver.
Soup for Cancer
Last week our staff raised $549.00 to help cure cancer. It was a lunch to also honor the retirement of Ms. Anne Pratz.
In a heartfelt goodbye letter to staff, she wrote, "I just wanted to take a moment to express how truly fortunate I’ve been to work alongside such an amazing group of people. Harmony Middle School is, without a doubt, the best place to be thanks to the incredibly caring and passionate staff. There have been so many awesome memories and I will carry these with me as I move on to the next great adventure. Thank you for making my job a place I enjoyed coming to each morning. I will miss you all—the laughter, the stories, the unique quirks, and even the complaints 😊 It has been a most wonderful journey."
Staff Recognition
Congratulations to Ms. Anastasia Kim. She and her sister will be featured overseas for the Ineos Grenadier driving program. They have also been named as new Brand Ambassadors for Overland Gear Guy!
She and another LCPS teacher (Jo Wright) also got invited to participate is the Artemis Rally! They will be competing in an all women 4-day competition through outdoor terrain in NC. It includes off roading, whitewater rafting, archery, target shooting, rock climbing, canoeing, swimming, etc. challenges!
WLBL Champions (7th and 8th Grade Team)
The Hoya’s made up of Harmony 7th/8th grade girls came together to win the western Loudoun recreation basketball league championship last Saturday.
This was a special group of girls that figured out how to come together and overcome adversity with teamwork, heart, and hustle! All while balancing academics and extra clubs, sports, youth church, and after school activities like chorus, strings, school plays, Odyssey etc. They celebrated honor roll accomplishments with all “A” & “B”s and a cornerstone award winner during this season!
In the final game, they were down 8 to 10 points most of the game but with a positive mindset, supportive coaching, family, and friends, they came back to tie it in regulation (on a last second shot by Faith Hartley). Finally, in overtime, they won the game with an impressive comeback and a 25-23 final score!!!
Sabine Curiel, Rylie Smith, Mackenzie Branham, Teagan Tucker, Emma McLaughlin, Stella Haley, Kennedy Gillingham, Faith Hartley, and Annika Larsen
Amazing Donation
Parents,
Local Blue Ridge Eagles, a civic group supporting our community, donated another $5,000 to Harmony. This is the second such donation during this school year, the first, another $5,000 in the Fall for At-Risk Programs. This new donation will go to our academic award recognitions, pins, banners, stickers, end of year awards, etc. WOW. What a nice surprise.
This 2nd installment of $5000 supports Harmony and Blue Ridge Middle School, just down the road, also received $5,000. This is an amazing donation to our schools.
SO THANK YOU to the Blue Ridge Eagles. If you are in it or know anyone associated with it, THANK YOU!!!
Cool Wildlife
Who doesn't love the outdoors in western Loudoun? A family recently sent this in from an eagle sighting on Featherbed Lane. See picture.
Note - when our principal was a kid in the 70's (yes, he was alive then), eagles were rumored to be going extinct and were never seen in his town of Williamsville (Buffalo), NY. He said you had to go to a museum or look at a book to find them.
Now? He sees them around Loudoun occasionally and saw hundreds in Alaska last summer. It is fun to see them, he said.
Fun fact asked of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Did Ben Franklin want the turkey as the national bird?
AI Copilot said,
"Yes, Benjamin Franklin did express a preference for the turkey over the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin criticized the bald eagle for its scavenging habits and lack of moral character, while he praised the turkey as a more respectable bird and a true native of America."
