Stingray Scoop

Dear Stone Hill Middle School Families,

As we get ready to start another week at Stone Hill, I want to remind all that we are approaching the interim marking period for third quarter. I hope students will access their teachers for extra help as needed. Our counselors are also ready to support and provide Ownership Time after school for students to get assignments completed. Let's work together to support and encourage our students.

Additionally, as Ramadan approaches, we want to ensure that your child receives the support they need during the school day. We will be offering our students a quiet space, away from the cafeteria, while they are fasting and/or praying. If you wish for your child to access these arrangements, please reach out to your child's counselor directly as this will allow us to plan accordingly while honoring your family's needs.

We are One. We are Strong. We are Stone Hill.

In service to you and our Stingray community,

Rohini Tohan, Principal

Monday, February 24th

• A-day
• Activity Buses

Tuesday, February 25th

• B-day
• Quarter 3 Interim Date
• VML Math Test after school. Pick-up at 4:30pm.

Wednesday, February 26th

• A-day
• Activity Buses

Thursday, February 27th

• B-day
• Activity Buses

Friday, February 28th

• A-day

• March 31st ~ No School: Eid al Fitr
• April 3rd ~ Last Day of Quarter 3
• April 3rd ~ SHMS Culture Night, 6-8 pm (new date!)
• April 4th ~ No School: Student Holiday
• April 7th ~ No School: Student Holiday
• April 14-18 ~ No School: Spring Break

Weeks of February 24 - March 7, 2025

Stingray Reports are a snapshot for families of what students will be learning in class during these weeks. Don’t forget to check out the “Show & Tell” sections, which include great conversation starters to ask your student at home!

Our students who are part of the TSA Club participated in the Northern VA Regionals 2025 competition held at Park View High School yesterday and placed in two events:

• Stone Hill team (Meha Seshan, Shreya Seshan, Tanisha Bhusarapu, Ananya Sudharshan) placed 3rd in the Community Service Video event
• Placed 1st in Career Prep (Meha Seshan)

We are so proud of them and a huge shout out to our parent volunteers especially parent Hamsa Mahesh and teacher Traci Daughtry for their guidance and mentorship!!! #Teamwork

Jaiden Parikh (Grade 8) participated in the International Academic Competitions (IAC), in Washington DC. He placed First in the Geography Bee Competition, and as a gold medal winner, he qualified to participate in the National Geography Bee competition to be held in Florida this May, and international Geography Olympiad to be held in Paris in the summer of 2025. Jaiden worked hard for this competition and it shows in his success. Congratulations!

Check out the great work one of our 7th graders, Aarna Katarki, is doing through her Spectrum class! We are so proud of you for taking the initiative with this project to bring awareness to single-use plastics.

Congratulations to the students who auditioned and made All Virginia Chorus! There were almost 1400 students in the state who auditioned this year, with over 133 different teachers entering their choir students. Out of those 133 school and performing arts entries, Stone Hill tied for 6th in the state for the number of students who made it in. Mr. Uhlir is extremely proud of everyone who took the time to practice and put themselves out there for an audition. Here is the roster of students who made All Virginia chorus:

Sathvik Abinneni

Anish Akula

Aniruddah Bhowmick

Shivi Gururaj

Zaelynn Lewis

Rose Lodha

Arya Mohler

Deetya Mudumba

Nidhi Muthamsetty

Vurvikaa Petluri

Ishita Sharma

Prahas Tirumalasetti

Congratulations to all of the students who auditioned for All Virginia Chorus!

Happy birthday to all of our wonderful students born in the month of February!

We are excited to announce our Culture Night on April 3rd from 6:00-8:00 pm! This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diverse cultures within our school community. If you are interested in participating in the cultural showcase, please fill out this form. We welcome performances, displays, and presentations that highlight your unique cultural heritage. Let's make this night a memorable celebration of our diversity!

The VML will be given after school on Tuesday, February 25th for those students who have signed up. It will take place in grade level houses and students may use a calculator. Parent pick-up will be at 4:30 PM.

Attention world travelers: Are you interested in a spring break trip to Japan in 2026? Then you’re in luck! Stone Hill Middle School is taking a journey around the world. Middle school travelers (and their parents!) will get to learn taiko drumming, explore a bamboo forest, visit ancient castles, go to a Pokemon center, enjoy time in the Harajuku shopping district, and more. ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN. Click here to learn more about the trip and our travel partner EF Tours. Click here to see our tour enrollment page. Spaces are limited!

The LCPS Student Maker Showcase returns to the Academies of Loudoun on Wednesday, March 26th.

Information is available on the showcase website at https://lcps.org/makershowcase and the application to exhibit is open now at https://forms.gle/wNawELbJqBjBJLji8

At this time, students are still able to select courses they want to take next year (four content area classes and electives). Once a student has met with their counselor and planned their options, communication will be shared for you as the parent/guardian to go in and review the choices. Students will have the option to go in and change their courses until February 28th. It is encouraged that parents/guardians collaborate with classroom teachers and school counselors to ensure that their student is planning course to have a successful school year.

Parents/guardians can access SchooLinks through ParentVUE. There is a tab labeled “Schoology and SchooLinks”. This will link parents/guardians directly to the SchooLinks platform. Parents/guardians do not need a claim code to access the platform. Please view the Onboarding Directions in either English or Spanish. Please view the guide to Review Student Course Plan in English or Spanish.

Families ~ Thank you for coming to our Rising 7th & 8th Grade Parent Night last week! Here are the two presentations for you to access:

Rising 7th Grade Parent Presentation

Rising 8th Grade Parent Presentation

If you missed the Curriculum Night last week at Rock Ridge High School, we encourage you to review this Rising 9th Grade presentation.

If you have questions about your student's course options for 9th grade, please reach out to your student's school counselor.

Enrichment Programs - Late Registration Open!

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to our PTO offered Enrichment Programs! This is your last chance to register. Late Registration for Business Plan is OPEN until 9:00pm on Sunday, 23rd Feb 2025.

Business Plan is a phenomenal program geared towards building entrepreneurship skills for our middle schoolers. Our coach is a seasoned Business Mentor who helps small businesses in Northern VA. He is passionate about teaching those skills to our students.

📌 How to Register:

• Visit SHMS Enrichment Programs

• Late Registration Due Dates are below:

• Business Plan - Feb 23rd, 2025 (9:00pm)

• AMC 8/AMC 10 - CLOSED

• Financial Literacy 2.0 - CLOSED

• Robotics Prep - FLL - 6th - 8th Grade - CLOSED

For any questions, please reach out to initiatives-team@shmspto.org. More details about these programs are available on the PTO website https://www.shmspto.orgv/initiatives.

Join Us for the NOVA Math Tournament!

Dear StoneHill Community,

SHMS PTO is excited to announce that we are organizing NOVA Math Tournament, and we invite all math enthusiasts to participate!

This tournament is a fantastic opportunity for students to challenge themselves, showcase their problem-solving skills, and have fun while exploring the world of mathematics. Whether your child is a math whiz or simply loves numbers, this event promises to be an engaging and rewarding experience.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Sunday, May 4th
🕒 Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm
📍 Location: Stone Hill Middle School

Who Can Participate?
The tournament is open to students of Grades 6-8.

Why Join?

• Boost critical thinking and problem-solving skills

• Compete in a friendly, supportive environment

• Receive recognition for achievement

• Have fun with peers who share a love for math!

How to Register:
To secure your spot, visit https://forms.gle/pUgRNBqU6fbX5k9h9 and complete the registration by April 15th, 2025. Space is limited, so don’t wait!

Let’s make this tournament a memorable and enriching experience for our students. We look forward to seeing our young mathematicians shine!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to initiatives-team@shmspto.org.

For more information visit: https://www.shmspto.org/math

🌟 Help Us Celebrate LCPS Superstars! 🌟

Do you know an incredible Teacher, inspiring Principal, or outstanding New Teacher who’s making a difference in our schools? Now’s your chance to give them the recognition they deserve!

The 2024-2025 LCPS Annual Awards Program is open for nominations!
✅ Who can nominate? Staff, parents, students, and community members (no self-nominations, please).
✅ What do we need? Just complete the Nomination Form and tell us why your nominee shines! Criteria/Guiding Questions for each category
✅ Deadline: All nominations are due by 5:00 PM on Friday, March 7, 2025.

A panel of LCPS staff and community members will review nominations and select winners based on their exceptional performance and impact.

Let’s honor those who inspire, lead, and make learning extraordinary.
Questions? Reach out to Carrie.Simms@lcps.org.

Nominate today and help us celebrate the heart of LCPS! 🎉

Stone Hill PTO Board seeks Parent Board Member for SY 2025-26

For Learning more about PTO Board Positions, roles and expressing interest or nominating yourself or a parent friend, please check out the following Google Form:

SHMS PTO BOARD Interest/Nomination Form for School Year: 2025-26

Submit your interest/nomination by May 15th, 2025

For Questions, please reach out to president@shmspto.org

Bus riders should ride their assigned bus and always arrive at their bus stop five minutes early. Please help your student(s) get out of the door on time. Parents are also requested to periodically check transportation information throughout the school year for any changes. Parents will be emailed by LCPS Transportation when changes are made to their student’s transportation.

Carline parents: We thank you for your patience and cooperation in helping to make our car line a safe and efficient area during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up.

Please follow directions displayed on signage and from all car line staff. Please pull as far forward as possible towards the stop sign in order to keep the flow of traffic moving.

Designated walking zone: Only students who live within our designated walking zone are permitted to walk home. If LCPS Transportation has assigned your student a bus, they must either take the bus to and from school or be transported by car.

Exiting the building at dismissal: All student walkers should leave the building through the [B2 door/front of the building], located on the side of the building by the cafeteria. Students should walk either directly to their community behind the school or down the sidewalks in front of the school, as applicable. No student should ever cross Evergreen Ridge Dr. as there are no crosswalks, making it a safety hazard for both students and drivers.

All parents/guardians should report attendance, including absences and early dismissals, in ParentVue. Instructions with how-to videos are available on our website or by clicking here.

As a reminder for the 2024-2025 school year, there have been some changes to the counseling assignments. Please note who your child’s counselor will be this year based on your child’s last names across ALL grades.

Is your child a first-generation college-bound student? If both parents/guardians did not earn a Bachelor’s degree in America, encourage your child to apply to CAMPUS! CAMPUS is a high school program that helps first-generation college-bound students prepare for college! Students learn about goal setting, time management, applying to college, financial aid, scholarships, take college field trips, listen to guest speakers and more! While CAMPUS replaces the student's Study Hall, students still have time during CAMPUS to work on their schoolwork!

The application is open January 8th until March 1st and can be found in Student Opportunities through LCPSGO!

LCPS is proud to provide free access to a suite of online learning resources available on the Varsity Tutors platform. To learn more about Varsity Tutors, a free, on-demand online tutoring service available to ALL LCPS students in Grades K-12, click here.

The SNAP in Schools initiative from the Virginia Department of Social Service, which is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps develop partnerships to bridge the gap of food insecurity among school-aged children. The objectives of SNAP in Schools are to reduce food insecurity in school-aged children, to increase the number of students directly certified for free school meals through SNAP, and to increase the number of students eligible without application for the summer EBT program.

Please advise families who could benefit from this program to access the CommonHelp portal link to submit online SNAP applications.

Please also share the flyer below with your families:

• English
• Spanish

William & Mary School of Education is excited to announce their 2025 Saturday/Summer Enrichment (SEP) classes! They have a lot of new classes, lower prices, and more summer class options.

Please use this link to check out the SEP page for more information!

Email: rohini.tohan@lcps.org
Website: www.lcps.org/SHMS
Phone: 703-957-4420
X (formerly Twitter): @StoneHillMiddle