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The LCPS Letter
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Think Fast with Superintendent Spence
For this month's Think Fast with Superintendent Spence, Dr. Aaron Spence is joined by this year's teachers of the year, Andrew Bango of Arcola Elementary School and Kimberly Poole of J.L. Simpson Middle School. Our Think Fast series is taking a break for the summer. But keep thinking about your questions and submit them to Ask the Supe.
2024-25 School Calendars Revised to Accommodate Professional Development
At this week’s June 11 School Board meeting, the board voted to approve revised calendars for the 2024-25 school year to help address teacher professional development related to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) changes and new initiatives. This plan includes four new professional development days for our teachers, utilizing “stand-alone” days that fall between weekends and holidays. These dates are:
- October 4, 2024
- November 4, 2024
- January 28, 2025
- June 16, 2025
In addition, earlier this spring, the School Board approved that the 2024-25 school year calendar include the observance of Rosh Hashanah on Thursday, October 3, 2024, in place of a school holiday observing Yom Kippur after a request from the community was made.
Community input has been crucial in shaping this plan, and we believe this approach will better balance the need for teacher development with the practical needs of our community. As a reminder, this is a one-time solution because of extenuating, unanticipated circumstances. Read the Frequently Asked Questions posted on the website to learn more about the VDOE initiatives and changes that drove this schedule change.
Superintendent’s Post-Entry Plan Lays Groundwork for Continued Success
On Tuesday, June 11, Superintendent Aaron Spence presented the Loudoun County School Board with a report on the ONE LCPS: Forward Together Post-Entry Plan. The plan involved visiting with stakeholders from all over Loudoun County, engaging directly with students, families, staff and community members, and ensuring their voices were heard. Through these interactions, Dr. Spence gathered valuable feedback, began to assess the current state of LCPS schools and departments, and worked to understand community and staff concerns. Read more about the Superintendent's Post-Entry Plan.
Inaugural Dual Language Immersion Kindergarten Classes Showcase Progress
Kindergartners at Potowmack and Sanders Corner Elementary Schools, completing their first year in the LCPS Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, showcased their progress toward bilingualism at their end-of-year celebrations. The event marked the end of the program's inaugural class, which immersed students in a new language environment for kindergarten. It also shared a snippet of the meaningful and natural interactions students experienced in both English and Spanish as they increased their understanding and acquisition of a second language. Read more about the DLI kindergarten celebration.
SEAC Celebrates Excellence in Supporting Special Education
The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) held its annual Recognition of Excellence in Supporting Special Education Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 5, at Rock Ridge School. The awards ceremony recognized educators, students, programs and community members who demonstrated excellence in the LCPS special education community. These individuals, groups and programs were identified as having gone above and beyond what is expected to be meaningfully inclusive. See of the list of award winners on the LCPS SEAC webpage.
LCPS Prepares for the Opening of Two New Schools
Henrietta Lacks Elementary
Watson Mountain Middle
Watson Mountain Middle
LCPS will add two new schools, Henrietta Lacks Elementary and Watson Mountain Middle, for the 2024/25 school year. Leigh Boyd, principal of Henrietta Lacks Elementary, and Lenny Compton, principal of Watson Mountain Middle, recently provided tours of the new schools for Dr. Spence and the LCPS leadership team.
Henrietta Lacks Elementary, located in Aldie, is specifically designed for kindergarten through grade 2 students. Henrietta Lacks Elementary is anticipated to be the school home to 960 students. Henrietta Lacks Elementary and its companion school, Hovatter Elementary, which will house grades 3 through 5, are on the same campus as Lightridge High School.
Watson Mountain Middle School, located in Leesburg, will be LCPS' first four-level school. For the 2024/25 it will be the school home to nearly 600 6th grade students. By the 2028/29 school year, the school will have approximately 1,450 students in grades 6, 7 and 8. The school features innovations such as built-in collaborative learning spaces that will allow for students and teachers to conference on projects and learning goals.
School Board Directs Staff to Move Forward with Potential School Renaming
At the June 11 School Board meeting, the Loudoun County School Board directed LCPS staff to move forward with the potential renaming of nine schools. The direction includes having staff form Renaming Committees for Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School and Mercer Middle School at the start of the 2024-25 school year. A town hall will be held regarding Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School to elicit community feedback. In addition, staff will return to the Board in the fall of 2024 to provide potential process timelines for the remaining seven schools. This process will follow School Board Policy 6510, which includes a requirement for an opportunity for public engagement and diverse representation on the renaming committees. See the School Renaming Project fact sheet for additional details.
Thanks To Your Feedback, LCPS Websites Will Get New Look
LCPS is redesigning our main website, www.lcps.org, and all LCPS school websites. Based on feedback from LCPS families, staff and the community, one of the main goals of this redesign is to improve the overall user experience, search functionality and ease of finding information and resources more quickly. Plus, the new website will be mobile-friendly and include a brand-new LCPS app! Look for the newly redesigned websites in mid-July. Until then, the current website will be fully functional. All web addresses will remain the same. Once launched, LCPS staff will continue to tweak the website and conduct usability tests. Thank you for your patience as we make this exciting transition!
Alternative Transportation Requests for the Upcoming 2024-25 School Year
Alternate transportation is defined as "Transportation to/from a location that is not the bus stop based on the student's home address and is within the attendance area of your student's school of assignment." Alternate bus stop locations may be requested for pick-up or drop-off of a student at a daycare facility or a family member’s residence that is not at the student’s registered home address. An alternate transportation request must also be submitted for a general education student who would like to be assigned to the same bus as their special needs sibling.
An alternative transportation request must be made by the parent or guardian and is not submitted by the school. Use the Resources & Opportunities menu in ParentVUE to submit your request using a Permission Click Form. Approval is subject to the seating availability on the bus and is not guaranteed. Parents and guardians will be notified by email of the determination. Requests received by Friday, July 12, will be conditionally approved, denied, or placed in pending status while availability is determined for the 2024-25 school year. Parents will be notified of the status of their request via email on or before Monday, August 12.
For step-by-step assistance on how to submit your request, see the LCPS website. Under ParentVUE FAQs, scroll down to the ParentVUE Data & Security subheading and click on the second question: How do I submit a request for Alternative Transportation for my student?
LCPS to Provide Free Meals this Summer
LCPS will be providing free meals this summer for students ages 18 and younger at eight locations throughout Loudoun County. All meals must be consumed at the school or site location and meals cannot be picked up by a parent or guardian to bring home. See the LCPS website for dates and locations of the summer meals program.
Families interested in additional food assistance over summer break can go to the Loudoun Feeds website and click on the “Find Food” button to find a list of community partners who will have adequate food supplies on hand. Loudounfeeds.org provides a calendar that shows the date, time, location and requirements of open food pantries.
Kindergarten Registration Is Open
Do you have a child who is ready for kindergarten? Kindergarten registration is happening now for children who are five years old or who will be five on or before Sept. 30, 2024. Parents/guardians are encouraged to begin the registration process online through the pre-registration portal. Check the LCPS website to know what school your child will attend based on your address and the documents needed for registration. Once you have completed pre-registration, the school registrar will contact you to schedule a registration appointment. All enrolling students are required to be adequately immunized. Register your child for kindergarten today!
Immunization Requirements for Rising 7th and 12th Grade Students
Don't forget to schedule required immunizations for your rising 7th and 12th graders. Students in grade 7 and grade 12 are required to receive the following vaccines prior to the start of school:
Required Vaccinations for All 7th-Grade Students:
- One dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) given at age 7 or older
- One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine, MenACWY (MenQuadfi, Menveo), given at age 10 or older
Encouraged Vaccinations for All 7th-Grade Students:
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine
Required Vaccinations for All 12th-Grade Students:
- One dose of Meningococcal Vaccine, MenACWY (MenQuadfi, Menveo), given at age 16 or older
Once your student is vaccinated, please provide their school with the appropriate documentation. For more information, please see LCPS' Immunization Requirements webpage. For more general information about back-to-school immunizations for students of all ages, see this Virginia Department of Health website.
Calendar Reminders
Riverside High School celebrated graduation on Monday, June 10. Check out the 2024 graduation schedule. Graduations continue through June 18.
Upcoming Holidays and Events
- Tomorrow is the last day of school for the 2023/24 school year. We hope everyone has a great summer!
- Wednesday, June 19 is Juneteenth and a staff holiday.
- The first day of school for the 2024/25 school year is Thursday, Aug. 22.
- The 2024-25 school year calendar has been revised. The updated calendars are available.