Charger News

• SEP 25 - Two-Hour Early Dismissal for Students
• SEP 27 - Homecoming Game
• SEP 28 - Homecoming Dance
• OCT 2 - Building Service Worker Day
• OCT 4 - ASVAB Testing
• OCT 14 - School Closed for Students

Thank you to our families who attended our Open House this past Tuesday. Your children may not tell you, but they appreciate the effort that you make to be present in all aspects of their education.

Trust me, they tell us how much they appreciate your presence in their lives. Throughout the year, we invite our parents to attend our athletic events, theatre productions, musical performances, fundraising events, parent-teacher conference days and other events hosted at our school. Tonight, we invite you tonight, to attend our home football game against Patuxent High School at 7 p.m.

Next week is Spirt Week and Homecoming. Lackey High School is a proud legacy school. We have a rich tradition of multiple generations of families attending Lackey High School. We invite all our parents, grandparents, and siblings who are former graduates to attend our homecoming game next Friday night against McDonough High School. Come decked out in your vintage Charger Spirit wear. Let’s fill the stands with present day and vintage Lackey Blue & Gray.

Please continue reading this edition of Charger News. We have a lot of information to share. Senior parents especially, pay attention to the directions for ordering your senior’s cap and gown for graduation. The deadline to order online is November 1st. All senior parents MUST order a cap and gown. No money is due at this time. The cost of the cap and gown is incorporated into the senior dues.

September 23 kicks off our Homecoming spirit week. Here is the schedule for the week:

• Monday, September 23 – Decades Day (Celebrate your class assigned decade)
• Freshmen – 1970s
• Sophomores – 1980s
• Juniors – 1990s
• Seniors – 2000s
• Tuesday, September 24 – Character Day (Dress like your favorite television, movie, music or sports figure)

• Wednesday, September 25 – We Wear Pink Day

• Thursday, September 26 – Teacher/Student Swap Day (students dress like teachers, teachers dress like students)

• Friday, September 27 – Class Colors Day (Wear your class colors)
• Freshmen – White
• Sophomores – Gray
• Juniors – Blue
• Seniors - Black

Spirit Week Guidelines:

• No full-face masks or full-face make-up. Students must be able to be identified.
• No replicas of weapons, drugs, or alcohol.
• No offensive costumes.

Lackey Chargers vs. McDonough Rams on Friday, September 27 at 7pm

Tickets are $6. Purchase tickets in advance through GOFAN or

at the gate with a credit card only, NO CASH.

This year's Homecoming Dance will be held at Lackey High School on Saturday, September 28, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. You do not want to miss this event! In addItional to food and drink, we will have a top-notch DJ and a transformed gym. Tickets are only $25.

You may now purchase your tickets via GoFan: https://gofan.co/event/1700827?schoolId=MD24800

Your access code is your student ID (lunch number). Remember, if you plan to bring a guest who does not attend Lackey High School, you must submit your completed Dance Guest Application Request to me, Mr. Newcamp, no later than Wednesday, 9/25. Once I have approved your guest request, I will send you an email with the access code to purchase your guest's ticket on GoFan.

In order to enter the dance on Saturday, 9/28, you must have your digital ticket and your student ID.

We will see you at Homecoming!

A few reminders:

ADMISSION POLICIES

• In the SMAC CONFERENCE, all ticket sales must be purchased online through GOFAN and the cost is $6. At LACKEY HIGH SCHOOL, you can purchase tickets in advance or at the gate with a credit card only, NO CASH.

• Purses, Bags, Backpacks, and Outside Food/Drinks are not permitted as you enter an event.
• We do not allow profanity, smoking, vaping, or animals on our campus during an event.
• Anyone leaving the event without authorization MUST pay to re-enter.

CONCESSIONS

• We accept both CASH & CARD at our concession stand. If you are using a card or any other form of electronic payment, we require a minimum purchase of $5.
• When the Funnel Cake Factory is open, you can only purchase funnel cakes and fried oreos at that window using cash. However, you can place an order at the other concession stand for a funnel cake or fried oreos using your card and they will give you a ticket for the window at the funnel cake factory.

INFORMATION AND UPDATES

1. On our Twitter Account (@LackeySports)

2. On our Facebook Account (Lackey Athletics)

3. On our Website (www.lackeyathletics.com) If you hover over the tab, "MORE," it will give you a dropdown menu that will give you anything and everything that you need to know about Athletics at our school. There is a tab that is specific to 2024 FALL SPORTS.

Baked goods will be available for sale during the varsity football games on September 20 and October 11. Come out and cheer on the Chargers and help support the sophomore class! Thank you!

Hello Parents/Guardians of Upcoming Graduates – Class of 2025,

It’s hard to believe it’s time to begin planning for graduation! Time to order your student’s cap & gown graduation package.

You can order items individually (including just a cap & gown unit) OR one of the popular graduation packages from Jostens, Inc.

We must have an order for every student. The cost of your cap and gown is included in your senior dues. You do NOT have to pay for your cap and gown when you order it. The only items you must pay for online are any extra items that you order such as graduation announcements. EVERY senior, however, must go online to order your cap and gown. All orders must be placed from a personal computer or cell phone. Using a CCPS device will cause the website to not function properly.

Please see attachment to find out more and place your orders beginning today! Deadline for all orders: November 1, 2024

If you have any questions, please contact our Jostens Representative, Karen Stewart. She would love to hear from you!

Email: karen.stewart@jostens.com Office: (301) 206-3999

Our next date for Senior Portraits is October 7, 8, and 9. All appointments will be during the school day. A link to register will be sent to seniors and graduating juniors via Synergy mail when registration begins. Please contact Mr. Kevin Gibson at kgibson@ccboe.com with questions.

Senior dues are $130. Dues include cap and gown, and other senior related items. Dues can be paid online at www.myschoolbucks.com or with cash (exact amount), check or money order (made out to Lackey High School).

Our 2025 Charger Yearbook is available for purchase. The back-to-school price is 85$ until September 20th and includes free icons! Purchase your book by September 20th for the best price of the year!

https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A03359000

The ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) program is offering an exceptional opportunity for high school students to showcase their talents and academic skills in STEM, humanities, performing arts, visual arts, business entrepreneurship, and culinary arts.

Participating students work closely with dedicated local volunteer mentors to develop projects and performances specific to their competition categories. Local Gold Medalists earn the chance to advance to the National ACT-SO Competition in Charlotte, NC. Additionally, ACT-SO students are eligible to apply for scholarship and other opportunities.

The ACT-SO Kick-Off will be held October 19th, 11am-1pm at The Space by LBI, 2901 Festival Way, Waldorf, MD 20601.

For more information, please reach out to Yolanda Felder, Chairperson, Charles County NAACP ACT-SO Program at ccnaacpactso@gmail.com or visit our website at charlescountynaacp.org/about-act-so.

Teens are all about exploring, socializing, and taking risks. These tendencies are all behaviorally appropriate. But sometimes these behaviors can have harmful effects, such as risky sexual behavior, drug usage, and negative online behavior. You as parents are powerful and influential forces in your child’s life, and studies indicate that your monitoring can really help your teen make positive decisions. In a recent study for the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Dittus, et. al., 2021), over 86% of students reported that their family members know where they are and who they are with most of the time. High parental monitoring was associated with better mental health outcomes, and less risky behaviors. The bottom line is that your care and concern for your teen has a positive impact on their lives.

What is parental monitoring? Parental monitoring is establishing rules and routines while staying connected with your teen. Ways to establish monitoring are as follows:

• Ask your teen to text you about their location.

• Have family dinners when you can.

• Set ground rules for free time. What time would you like them to come home on a weekend? Who are they with when they are not with you?

• Be clear about what happens when ground rules are violated.

• Be aware of what your teen is doing online.

• Talk with your teen about making safe choices.

To be the most effective, monitoring needs to be paired with maintaining connections with your teen. Here are some effective ways of maintaining connections:

• Actively listen when your teen is talking to you. This means giving them full attention (you are on your phone too sometimes!). Listen to hear what is said and not just to respond or judge.

• Keep positive relationships with the school. Call us if you have a question. Answer the phone if we call you. Come to our open house and our extracurricular events.

• Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents if you can.

• Try not to invade their privacy but you can ask firm questions to get the information you need.

If your teen breaks your trust, talk with them. Consequences such as withdrawing privileges, grounding them, and withdrawing devices from them can all be effective. Take the time to negotiate with them ways that they can earn back that trust, and be specific about how to do so, and what your time frame would be. For example, if you removed privileges for a week, you could specify that they must attend school daily, complete certain chores, behave appropriately in school (no referrals, etc.). Remember that trust is a two-way street and be open to listening if your teen feels that their trust has been violated. If you take responsibility for your role in a breach of trust, you model appropriate behavior for your teen.

Below are some resources if you want more information about effective parent interventions, check out the following:

• CDC Parent Portal-Teens

• Health Children, Teen Information

• Kids Health, School, and Family

References:

• Dittus, R., Jingjin, L, Verlenden, J., Wilkins, N., Carman-McClanahan, M., Cavalier, Y., Mercado, M., Welder, L., Roehler, D., and Ether, K. (2021). Parental Monitoring and Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among High School Students-Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States. 10.15585/mmwr.su7201a5 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/su/su7201a5.htm?s_cid=su7201a5_w

As always, if you need to reach me, please call me at the school, 301-753-1753.

Beverly C. Hoy, Ph.D., NCSP

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is offering an alternative educational opportunity to students in Grades 9-12 at Henry E. Lackey, La Plata, Maurice J. McDonough, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools. This opportunity will help students earn high school graduation requirements outside of the regular school day.

Please see the link below for more information:

The College and Career Center provides students the opportunity to research information about careers, colleges, universities, technical/trade/career schools, apprenticeship programs, military service, financial aid, scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and job opportunities. For additional information click the button below or stop by and speak with Ms. Long, College and Career Advisor.

CODE 13: Other emergency or set of circumstances which, in the judgement of the Superintendent or designee, constitutes a good and sufficient cause for absence from school for up to five school days per school year, including an educational trip or unique life experience. A vacation is not considered an educational trip or a unique life experience. Make-up work will be allowed for approved absences and must be returned to the school three days from the date of return.

An educational trip is one in which either the student is actively receiving instruction through a structured program directly tied to the curriculum, or the student is actively visiting another school, program or college in preparation for potential future enrollment. Siblings may also be excused.

A unique life experience may include an educational field trip, athletic competitions not sponsored by the school, unique family circumstances (i.e., deployed parent visit) and/or career or alternative work experience.

A "vacation" is not an educational trip or unique life experience.

To request an extended absence due to an educational trip or unique life experience, parents can submit a Parent Request Excused Absence (Code 13*) application to the school attendance secretary, Ms. Mullins no later than two (2) weeks prior to the student's first date of absence.

Code13RequestforAbsenceApproval

• Free Breakfast is available for all students each school day from 7:10-7:25 a.m. Students may grab breakfast in the morning and take it to their first period class. Breakfast, including breakfast brought from home must be consumed within the first 10 minutes of first period. No food is to be consumed during classes at any other time. Parents if your child is late to school, he/she may not bring outside food into the building. Food must be consumed before entering the building when late to school. Students should refrain from bringing fast food for friends. Friends are unaware of dietary restrictions, allergies and parental restrictions.
  

• Per CCPS policy, parents and students may not have food delivered to school during the school day. Food delivery services such as Door Dash and Uber Eats will be turned away. Students who open doors to receive food will be disciplined. The rule exists to help us maintain the safety of our campus.

• MyPaymentsPlus is available to monitor your student's lunch account balance and spending.

• Early Dismissal: If a birth parent or legal guardian (appointed by the courts) is sending someone to pick up his/her child early from school for any reason, he/she must send a written note/email indicating who will be picking up the student and giving consent. Upon receiving the note from the birth parent or legal guardian, the school will then verify its authenticity and check ID of the adult who signs the student out of the building.
• Emergency Contact: Listing an emergency contact does not allow the individual to pick up a student at any given time in a non-emergency situation without prior written authorization from the birth parent/legal guardian (per the Charles County Public Schools Handbook: Emergency Card (2024-2025) Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools, pg. 2).
• Deliveries for students are prohibited. Per the county's parent handbook, students are not allowed to receive outside food deliveries. Deliveries from Grub Hub, Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. Food deliveries of any kind will be turned away by our main office staff. Deliveries of balloons, cakes, flowers, etc. for students will be stored in the main office until dismissal.
• DROPPING OFF LUNCHES
• Parents may drop off forgotten lunches in the main office.
• Parents may drop off lunch for their child only.
• Parents may drop off food or drink during LUNCH PERIOD ONLY
• Free Breakfast is available for all students each school day from 7:10-7:25 a.m. MyPaymentsPlus is available to monitor your student's lunch account balance and spending.
  
• CCPS 24-hour information line is available301-934-7410 or 301-392-6656, or website at www.ccboe.com for school closing information.

Lackey Website

Free and Reduced Meal Application

Transportation

Where's the Bus

Myschoolbucks

CCPS