Charger News

· Sep 2 Schools/Offices Closed for Labor Day

· Sep 12 Underclassmen Portraits

· Sep 13 Charles County Fair Day – Schools Closed for Students

· Sep 17 Open House – 6:00–7:30pm

· Sep 25 Two-Hour Early Dismissal for Students

· Sep 27 Homecoming Game

· Sep 28 Homecoming Dance

To our entire Charger family, both those returning and those joining us for the first time we welcome you back to school for 2024-25. It’s hard to believe that this is the last weekend of summer vacation. We hope that everyone enjoyed a safe and relaxing summer spent with friends and family. Teachers and staff have already returned. They have been hard at work preparing for the new school. Students will notice several new faces when they return to school next week. Our Charger family has grown with the addition of several new staff members. We are excited for all that 2024-25 will bring to Henry E. Lackey High School. We are looking forward to introducing our students to new learning opportunities.

We understand that the start of a new school year often brings many questions. This issue of our Back-to-School Newsletter is intended to answer many of those questions. We look forward to seeing students this Monday, August 28.

Families can access bus information at this link: Transportation - Charles County Public Schools (ccboe.com). WheresTheBus is a mobile application and website where families can access live bus arrival and departure information. Users can see minute-to-minute arrival time and bus information. Visit the transportation link for more information on the mobile app.

During the first week of school, especially the first day, parents and students should be patient and exercise grace with the arrival of our busses. Until our drivers become familiar with their routes, it is possible your bus may arrive early or late by as much as 10 minutes off of the posted time. Please be sure your child is at the bus stop at least 10 minutes before the expected arrival time. Monitor the bus arrival by using the WheresTheBus app. Please refrain from calling the school unless your bus does not arrive within 15-20 minutes of the expected time. Bus arrival times generally stabilize after the first week.

School staff will board the bus on Monday morning at arrival to remind students of their bus number and to tell them where their bus will be parked at afternoon dismissal. The same information will be reviewed throughout the school day. Please encourage your child to write down this information to avoid confusion at dismissal.

First period begins promptly at 7:25 am. All students need to get breakfast, go to their locker, use the restroom and get to class before the late bell rings at 7:25. All students attending Lackey High School have an assigned bus. Parents are strongly encouraged to use bus transportation. Last year, we rarely had a late bus. Parents who choose to drive their children to school are responsible for arriving in time for your child to be in class at 7:25 am. The drop-off line is very long in the morning. “Being stuck in traffic” is not an excuse for being late to first period. Please plan accordingly.

When driving your child to school please remain in the left lane, drive slowly and cautiously, while following the directions of all staff directing traffic. Do not pass cars in the parking lot. All cars must wait in the drop-off line. Students may only be dropped off to the rear of the bus lanes. No cars are permitted to drop off at the curb. Only busses are permitted along the curb from 7-7:45 am. Students who are dropped off are required to use the crosswalk designated by the orange cones. Students are required to follow the directions of staff in the crosswalk to ensure their safety.

School ends at 2:15 pm. Students should promptly go to their locker and board their bus. Buses will depart promptly at 2:20. Car riders are to be picked up in the pool lot. No cars may enter the bus lot during dismissal.

When students arrive at school on Monday, August 26, they should locate and report to their administrative homeroom. Homeroom locations can be found in the StudentVue app. Additionally, homeroom locations will be posted by grade-level throughout the building as noted below:

Students will report to the following areas upon arrival. Homeroom locations will be posted at these locations:

9th Grade: Homerooms posted on courtyard windows (main hall).

10th Grade: Homeroom posted on A hallway ramp.

11th Grade: Homeroom posted on B hallway ramp.

12th Grade: Homeroom posted on D hallway ramp.

All students will be issued an ID badge on the first day of school. Students are REQUIRED to wear their badge every day on a lanyard or clip. Badges must be visible at all times. Badges are required to be scanned at the cash register for breakfast and lunch. Badges are required for late arrivals and early dismissals. Students arriving late to school will be required to ring the doorbell and present their picture ID before entering the building. PBIS Charger Credits will be rewarded using student ID badges. ID badges are required when using the PBIS store. ID badges are in place for the safety of all students and staff and to ensure accurate accounting of attendance, meals and rewards.

Lackey High School is approved for Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA) for the upcoming school year, 2024-2025. As a MMFA school, ALL students can receive a FREE breakfast daily. Students must pay for lunch or qualify for free and reduced meals. Families may apply for free and reduced meals (FARMS) by clicking here: MySchoolApps - Home Page . Students who do not qualify for free and reduced meals (FARMS) will be required to pay for lunch - $3.05. Families may create and deposit money on their child’s meal account by clicking here: http://www.myschoolbucks.com . School menus and additional information regarding school meals can be accessed by visiting HOME - Charles County Public Schools (ccboe.com).

Students may bring their phone but once school begins the device must be powered

completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and must remain in a non-visible, secure location, with the exception of lunchtime.

• Phones and devices may be used during approved times but must not be disruptive or serve any inappropriate purposes, such as loud/explicit music or videos, recording, airdropping sending or posting inappropriate messages or images (via text or social media), or any type of cyberbullying.
• At the end of the lunch all phones and devices must be immediately powered back off and returned to a non-visible, secure location, until the end of the day.
• Administrators and/or teachers may allow the use of cell phones for specific academic purposes; such opportunities will be communicated in advance.
• Cell phones or electronic devices with camera and/or video functions must not be used to take or transmit any image or video at any time, even if the use of the phone or device is otherwise permitted.

Types of Cell Phone Violations

Below are examples of violations of the above policy. This is not a complete list. In general, violations include any use of a cell phone/smartphone that creates a disruption to the learning environment for an individual and/or group or creates a potential safety concern.

• Making/receiving calls
• Texting
• Viewing/posting on social media
• Streaming video or music
• Gaming
• Video/Audio recording
• Taking photographs
• Possession of a phone during standardized tests (i.e., MCAP, AP)

All LHS students are issued an assigned CCPS laptop device. Returning students kept their devices at the end of the school year in June. Nineth graders and students new to Lackey will receive their laptops in the first weeks of school through English classes. CCPS laptops are the only devices to be used. Students and parents are responsible for understanding the policies related to the device.

CCPS devices issued through Lackey High School are for educational use only including – official school system/school communication, accessing Synergy, accessing school appropriate websites for assignments, creating, and saving school assignments.

CCPS devices should not be traded or loaned to another student or individual. The student to whom the device is assigned is responsible for all content created, viewed, saved, downloaded, or shared on the device. CCPS uses the Bark for School monitoring program that alerts school administration of inappropriate content on individual students’ devices.

Loss of or damage to a CCPS device is the financial responsibility of the student and parent to whom the device is assigned.

Learning Expectations with Devices:

• CCPS device brought to school every day – fully charged before school begins
• Used at the official electronic device in all classrooms
• Use programs only approved or pre-loaded by CCPS – students may not download programs
• Smartphones may not be used as a substitute for your CCPS laptop – tests/quizzes, assignment completion/submission
• Use CCPS Office 365 account to save assignments, projects, notes

Device Safety:

• Accounts, usernames and passwords are never to be shared with another student/individual
• Laptop devices should never be loaned to another student/individual
• Personal, identifiable information should never be posted on the internet
• Never leave devices unattended
• Secure devices in lockers when not in use and during after-school activities

Device Care:

• No decorations, stickers, drawing or writing on the device
• Do not remove any CCPS labels
• No eating or drinking near the device
• Do not expose the device to extreme heat, cold, or rain
• Clean with a dry soft cloth only
• Do not drop or slam the device on any surface
• Close the screen when not in use
• Unplug when fully charged

Per CCPS policy, all bookbags, backpacks and bags larger than an adult hand must be secured in a student’s assigned locker during the school day. Laptop sleeves are the only “bag” allowed during the school day. Students may see an administrator at lunch if they would like a sleeve.

All students have an assigned locker. Locker information can now be found in StudentVue. Students can begin using their locker on Monday morning. ALL students are required to begin using their locker on Tuesday.

Thank you to those who attended New Student Orientation this week. Many of you submitted a help request for your locker via the QR code during Orientation. Please note that there was in issue in Synergy. Visible combinations did not match the lock on many lockers. This issue has been fixed for lockers starting with letters C, D, E, F, and LL. If you have a locker starting with A or B, you will need to see your 8th period teacher on Monday during 8th period for your accurate combination. The locker showing in Synergy for you is incorrect. All other locker issues submitted via the QR code during Orientation are still being processed. If you have any questions or concerns regarding lockers, please contact Mr. Butler, our administrator in charge of lockers.

Please remember to complete your child's emergency card with correct information. Make corrections on the card and have your child return it on Tuesday, August 27th. The emergency card will be used in case the school has an emergency with your child. The people listed on the card cannot pick up your child from school unless the school has prior written authorization from the parent/guardian and can reach the parent by phone.

• 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.