Dear Lake Seneca Families,

Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! I hope your winter break was filled with joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.

As we return to school tomorrow, I’m excited to begin this new year together and continue building on the progress we made in 2024. The new year is a wonderful time for fresh starts, renewed focus, and working together to help our students achieve their goals.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, success, and celebration for Lake Seneca.

Looking forward to seeing everyone back at school tomorrow.

Always Learning, Always Growing!

Mr. Henderson

Thursday, January 2:

• 3-5 Basketball 3:45-4:45

Tuesday, January 7:

• K-2 Basketball 3:45-4:45

Wednesday, January 8:

• Walking Wednesday 8:00-10:00

Thursday, January 9:

• 3-5 Basketball 3:45-4:45

Lake Seneca is excited to announce our annual Heritage Night this January—a special evening to celebrate the incredible diversity and cultures that make up our school community!

To make this event a success, we’d love your family to participate! Whether you'd like to present, perform, or share something unique about your heritage, we welcome your involvement.

If you're interested, please complete the Google Forms below as soon as possible.

We can’t wait to see as many families as possible join us for this meaningful celebration. For any questions, feel free to contact Patrice Holmes; Community School Liaison.

Let’s make Heritage Night an unforgettable event!

Effective December 4, 2024, MCPS has disabled and will collect older Acer Chromebook models that have reached their end-of-life and should no longer be in use.

Key Information:

• Retired Models: Acer C720, C740, C738, and C771.
• Current Use: These models have been used in limited settings, such as for home use or school kiosks/signage.
• What You Need to Do:
  • Students using one of these models should return their device to the school.
  • If your child needs a replacement device for home use, please complete the Home Use Form as soon as possible to avoid disruption.
• Deadline: Devices will be disabled starting December 4, 2024.

Additional Notes:

• Families of students with these models will receive more information about the transition and how to request a new device if needed.
• Other Chromebook models, including 15-inch Acer Spins and Lenovo devices, will continue to work as usual.

We encourage all families to help ensure these devices are returned promptly to minimize any interruptions in access to technology.

We are excited to share the results of our December Attendance Challenge! Thank you for your efforts in ensuring your children are present and ready to learn each day. Consistent attendance is key to academic success, and we’re proud of our students for rising to the challenge!

Here are the attendance leaders for December:

🥉 3rd Place: A tie between 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade with a 92% attendance rate.
🥈 2nd Place: Kindergarten with a strong 94.5% attendance rate.
🥇 1st Place: 5th Grade takes the top spot with an impressive 95.5% attendance rate.

Congratulations to our 5th-grade students for leading the way! Let’s continue to strive for excellent attendance in the new year. Which grade will claim the crown in January?

During the December 5, 2024, Board of Education meeting, the Board officially adopted the 2025–2026 Traditional School Year Calendar and the Innovative School Year Calendar for Arcola Elementary School. Here are the highlights for the upcoming school year:

Traditional School Year Calendar Highlights:

• Student Transition Day: Monday, August 25, 2025 (non-instructional full day)
• First Day of School for All Students: Tuesday, August 26, 2025
• Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
• Winter Break: Wednesday, December 24, 2025 – Sunday, January 4, 2026
• Spring Break: Saturday, March 28, 2026 – Monday, April 6, 2026
• Preservice Week for Staff: Monday, August 18, 2025 – Friday, August 22, 2025
• Districtwide Professional Development Days:
  • Friday, October 17, 2025
  • Friday, March 20, 2026
• Grading and Planning Days:
• Monday, November 3, 2025
• Monday, January 26, 2026
• Wednesday, April 15, 2026
• Thursday, June 18, 2026

This calendar includes 181 instructional days and six built-in contingency days.

For more information about the 2025–2026 school year calendar, please visit the MCPS website.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) takes hate-bias incidents and discrimination seriously. If you are a student victim, parent/guardian, close adult relative, bystander, or school staff member, you can report such incidents by completing the Hate-Bias Incident Reporting Form and submitting it to the school principal.

Hate-bias incidents include any conduct or communication—verbal, written, physical, or electronic—that discriminates against personal characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or disability. These incidents may occur on school property, during school-sponsored events, on school buses, or disrupt the school environment.

MCPS is committed to fostering equity, inclusion, and acceptance for all. For assistance or to report an incident, contact the school. Let’s work together to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for every student.

We’re excited to share that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is launching MealViewer, a new interactive menu platform, on Sunday, December 8, 2024!

MealViewer provides a convenient and user-friendly way for students, caregivers, school staff, and community members to access school breakfast and lunch menus. This platform includes:

• Mobile and Browser-Friendly Menus: View menus easily on your phone or computer.
• Real-Time Updates: Stay informed about menu changes instantly.
• Nutritional & Allergen Information: Access detailed information for each meal item.
• Optional Features: Rate foods, mark favorites, use a nutrition calculator, and create a profile (optional).

MealViewer can be accessed via a browser or through the MealViewer app on Android or iPhone—no sign-in or passwords required!

Important Note: PDF menus will remain available until December 31, 2024. Starting January 1, 2025, MealViewer will replace PDF menus entirely.

We’re confident this tool will make it easier than ever to stay informed about school meals. If you have any questions or need support, trained staff are ready to assist.

Stay tuned for the official launch of MealViewer on December 8th!

Winter is coming and with it can bring inclement weather. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the color code statuses and don't miss our Superintendent's Video linked below as well.

• Green: Normal Operations
• Yellow: Delayed Opening
• Blue: Early Dismissal
• Red: Schools and Offices Closed
• Orange: Schools Closed Offices Telework

At Lake Seneca Elementary, we are committed to ensuring that all students have the tools they need for success, including access to a device and reliable Wi-Fi at home. To help us determine which students need these resources, we are asking families to complete a brief survey.

For students who need a device at home, families can submit the Student Home Use Chromebook Request form. Once submitted, the student’s information will be verified for take-home device eligibility, and a Chromebook will be sent to the school for the student to check out. Please note that students will not be required to bring the home-use Chromebook to and from school. The request form is available in both English and Spanish for your convenience.

If your family needs Wi-Fi access, you can also request a MiFi device by notifying a staff member, who will complete the Student MiFi Request form on your behalf.

We are here to support you and ensure every student has the resources they need. If you have any questions or need assistance with these requests, please contact the school office.

We understand that enrolling your children in before and after care can be a financial challenge. That's why Global Children's Center is committed to helping families access scholarship programs that make care more affordable. If you need assistance with enrollment or would like more information about our scholarship options, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Voucher Specialist, Ms. Naureen, at vouchers@globalchildrenscenter.com. We're here to help!