September 2024

I would like to thank everyone for a successful start to the 2024-2025 school year. The majority of students are in class before the 9:30 tardy bell; adhering to the new LCPS Cell Phone Policy; adjusted to the new FLEX bell schedule; and actively participated in our first spirit week of the year.. It was also wonderful to meet so many new parents and reconnect with others during our Parent Back to School Night. While the new school year has just begun, the initial start is something the Lightridge community of learners should be proud.

While the excitement of the start of the school year and Back to School Bash are behind us, we still have many more activities for students and staff during the month of September. Underclass student pictures will be taken on Monday, September 9 and Tuesday, September 10. School counselors will be meeting with students throughout the month during Advisory and study hall and our Senior Parent Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 5. The month concludes with our Homecoming Parade, Football Game, and Dance over the weekend of September 27-28. There are 20 days of school during the month of September and I encourage all students, staff, and parents to make them count because by the end of the month, we will be more than halfway through the first marking period.

One of the programs we have planned for later this month centers on educating students and parents about the dangers of fentanyl and other chemical drugs. The Song for Charlie presentation to parents will be held on Wednesday, September 25 while students will attend the presentation on Monday, September 30. Additional details regarding the program will be sent later this month. I would also like to encourage all parents and staff to join our newly chartered Parent Teacher Student Association or PTSA which is affiliated with the national PTA. The Lightridge PTSA supports the students and staff at Lightridge by providing scholarships to seniors, recognizing our amazing staff during events such as Teacher Appreciation Week, and supporting student organizations. Our PTSA is focused on serving the entire Lightridge community and would appreciate your membership and support. While I understand many parents belong to sometimes more than one (1) booster club, the PTSA is the only non-profit organization which supports all Lightridge students and staff. Be on the lookout for additional information related to our new PTSA and how to become a charter member to support our 2050 students and 220 plus staff members.

During the course of the school year, I ask parents to take advantage of some of our outreach events and ask questions or provide feedback regarding how the school year is going for your child or if there are any rumors. Our first Coffee & Chat session of the year will be held virtually on Friday, September 13 and if you are interested in learning what occurs during a typical school day, please reach out to me regarding the Principal for a Day program. I appreciate you taking the time to read our September newsletter and together we light the way!

SEPTEMBER

2 - Labor Day, NO SCHOOL

5 - Senior Parent Night, 7:00pm

5-6 - SOL Testing (students testing will be notified by Marsha Brinkley)

9-10 - Underclassmen pictures

9-10 - SOL Testing (students testing will be notified by Marsha Brinkley)

10 - Community Support for Students with Disabilities, 6:30pm

11-12 - Club and Activities Fair during FLEX

22 - LCPS College Fair at Stone Bridge High School, 3:00-5:00pm

25 - Song for Charlie Parent Presentation, 7:00pm

27 - Homecoming parade, 5:00pm

27 - Homecoming game vs Langley, 7:00pm

28 - Homecoming dance

30 - Song for Charlie Student Assemblies during day

At their meeting on June 25, 2024, the LCPS School Board updated policy 8655 which covers student use of personal technology in schools, including cell phones, tablets, earbuds, and other technologies during the school day.

• During instructional time, high school students must place cellphones, earbuds, and other devices in a classroom storage location as directed by their teacher.

• Students may not have their cell phones or ear buds on their person or immediately accessible and must also ensure the devices are silenced during instructional time.

• Students may still wear smartwatches but must not interfere with instruction. Students may be asked to remove their smartwatches for tests unless a specific, documented accommodation exists.

• If any device becomes a disruption during instruction, discipline practices will be enforced as outlined in the LCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook and Student Code of Conduct.

• Students at Lightridge will be able to have their cell phone on their person during class transitions, study hall, and lunch.

• High school students are prohibited from using cell phones, tablets, and other personal technology devices in bathrooms, locker rooms, changing areas, or clinics unless there is a medical necessity or emergency.

• Students will not be able to take their cell phones to the bathroom with them during instructional class time.

• Inappropriate use of social media, images, text messages, or videos shall not be permitted at any time on school property or during a school-sponsored event.

• Cyberbullying will not be tolerated and we encourage students to think before they post.

• In case of an emergency, parents may contact the Lightridge main office.

• Students are solely responsible for their personal devices. Lightridge High School is not liable for students’ cell phones or other personal devices.

• Students who require access to personally owned devices as an accommodation shall request such accommodations through their respective multi-disciplinary, medical, 504, or IEP teams.

Additional information regarding the new cell phone policy will be shared with students during the first few days of school and with parents during PTSO meetings and Coffee & Chat sessions. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation with the new LCPS Student Personal Device Usage policy.

One of our goals at Lightridge High School is to create and sustain a learning environment that is grounded in honest achievement. As a community we recognize that trust, respect, and genuine effort are central to academic success. A multidisciplinary team at Lightridge adapted the Honor Code to include current day educational realities such as use of technology and Artificial Intelligence. The new 24-25 Lightridge Honor Code is linked here. To uphold both the Honor Code and the academic environment we strive for, we ask for collaboration of students, parents/guardians, teachers, school counselors, and administrators.

Attendance for each year appears on your child's transcript? That is correct! Be mindful of your attendance. Lack of attendance today could mean consequences for tomorrow.

LET'S START THE YEAR RIGHT!!!

School starts at 9:30am. That means students should be in their classroom seated at 9:30am. Students walking through the door or in the hall are considerd late and will be redirected to the attendance window.

We all know there is a long drop off line, parking can take time, and we also need to factor in walking from the parking lot. Please plan ahead and leave early!

Student who are consistently tardy, will have discipline consequences from administration.

Each month we will use this space to highlight business partners who exemplify our moto: Together we L.I.G.H.T. the way.

This month we want to highlight two organizations that model the Leader pillar - Empower others to be their best.

We welcome you to support these organizations as they have supported Lightridge High School.

Ms. Lisa S. Richter, President, Co-Founder of Chiron Physical Therapy, is is committed to making a difference in the lives of others each and every day. Believing that goals are attainable, decisions are easy when values are clear and we are able to impact others by what we say (or don’t say) and by what we do (or don’t do), Lisa’s professional and personal philosophy has been shaped by her faith and life-long participation in athletics/wellness endeavors.

Ms. Richter supports Lightridge in many areas. She has supports the Education for Employment class by providing internships and scholarship opportunities, supports the CTE department participating in mock interviews, and attended the first Senior Career Expo.

After moving to the DC area in 1999, from Buffalo, NY, Mr. Joel Salamone, discovered that finding delicious pizza and crispy wings was next to impossible. He set out to solve this problem and in 2018 collaborated with an authoritative pizza veteran to establish baddpizza | wings. The name is a nod to Steven Houck, best known as “Stevie Badd,” is the namesake behind the company. Baddpizza has 5 locations in the NOVA area.

The third person instrumental in the business is Mr. Keith Hample. Mr. Hample is a former Lunsford teacher, and a partner with baddpizza. In addition, he established The Foundation, a charitable organization of local professionals dedicated in giving back to the community. Mr. Hample has been instrumental in the development of our Lightning Leadup Program by providing financial support and guest speakers.

Class Sponsors: Amanda Boss and Kayla LeRouge

SAVE THE DATE! GRADUATION for the CLASS of 2025 will be June 12 at 7:00pm in the Lightridge High School Stadium.

While the 2024-2025 school year is still 5 weeks away, now is a good time to schedule immunizations for your rising 12th grader student. Students in grade 12 are required to receive the following vaccines prior to the start of school.

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.

TURN INTO NURSE OXENDINE, Nicola.Oxendine@lcps.org

Mrs. Campbell, Director of School Counseling

Ms. Schrader, last names A-Bar

Mr. Rauguth, last names Bas-Ct

Mrs. Zawistowski, last names Cu-Gh

Mrs. Kenworthy, last names Gi-J

Mr. Choi, last names K-L

Ms. Calderone, last names M-Ng

Mrs. Garcia-Selvaraj, last names Nh-Ri

Mrs. Perinis, last names Ro-S

Mr. Olcott, last names T-Z

Mrs. Pascale, Career Center Assistant

Mrs. Koplets, Registrar

Mrs. Patel, Counseling Admin Asst

The Lightridge Counseling Department is here to help! Please share any information that you would like your counselor to know on this survey below. This is optional.

All Lightridge students have the option to be assigned a school locker for use during the academic day, and students can request to “opt-in” for a locker by completing the LRH Locker Request Form. Please be sure to use a current LCPS email address and student number when completing the form and please note that non-LCPS email addresses will not be accepted by the form. Requesting students will receive their locker assignment from the main office during the first two weeks of school, and all lockers will be assigned on a rolling basis. Once assigned, locker numbers and combinations will be found securely in StudentVue and if needed, students can obtain an LRH locker location map and general directions for opening a lock in the main office.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Cortash Jeremy.Cortash@lcps.org

Lightridge High School is an official testing site for the December 7 and March 8 SAT. Seats are limited but feel free to early!

College Representative Visits begin in mid-September and are open to Class of 2025 and 2026 students. These visits are a way for students to meet with representatives from colleges to learn about their school academics; culture; extracurriculars; find out about their admission process and for students to ask questions.

Encourage your student to take advantage of these visits and attend as many as their schedule will allow.

Make sure to check SchooLinks for the schedule (See instruction sheet below). Check frequestly because the schedule will change as more schools sign up.

To attend a Rep Visit:

• Sign up in SchooLinks
• Make a Pass to Mrs. Pascale, Career Center.
• Your teacher must approve the Pass.
• Arrive ON TIME. Attendance is taken.
• Meeting location will be noted in Schoolinks, but typically in Room 1123 (Career Center).

• George Mason University Admissions VIRTUAL, 09/12/2024 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM
• Verto Education, 09/16/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 09/16/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• East Carolina University, 09/16/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• West Virginia University, 09/17/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• US Army, 09/17/2024 12:23 PM to 01:28 PM
• Xavier University, 09/17/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• Shenandoah University, 09/17/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• Longwood University, 09/18/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• Randolph-Macon College, 09/18/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• St Mary's College of Maryland, 09/18/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• Appalachian State University, 09/19/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• University of Mary Washington, 09/19/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• College of Charleston, 09/19/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• Miami University-Oxford, 09/23/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45AM
• Salisbury University, 09/23/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• Drexel University, 09/23/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• University of Georgia, 09/24/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45AM
• Christopher Newport University, 09/24/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 09/24/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM
• Randolph College, 09/25/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• Ohio University-Main Campus, 09/26/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• Butler University, 09/26/2024 02:00 PM to 02:45 PM
• American University, 09/30/2024 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
• University of Rochester, 09/30/2024 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM

Do you have a high school student who is thinking about college? Attend the 2024 College Fair on Sunday, Sept. 22, 3-5 p.m., at Stone Bridge High School and help them start planning for their future! Meet college and university representatives to ask questions and learn more. Students are encouraged to register in advance but can also register on the day of the event.

Lightridge High School encourages students to actively engage in volunteer service throughout high school. Students who demonstrate a strong commitment to service, as evidenced by completing 100 or more hours of service by May 1st of their senior year, will earn a service cord to be worn at graduation. Loudoun County Public Schools does not require volunteer service hours for graduation.

In order to qualify for a service cord, students must submit their volunteer hours each year during the eligibility period for each school year. The Lightridge Volunteer Service Form can be completed as many times as needed throughout the academic year to document multiple volunteer activities and service hours. Students may only count volunteer service hours from the summer before 9th grade through May 1st of senior year. Each student is responsible for logging and maintaining a record of their hours. Happy volunteering! If you have questions about your service hours, please contact Mr. Johnson at jake.johnson@lcps.org

How do I submit my service hours?

• Students should submit their completed volunteer experiences in the "Experience Tracking" section of School Links.

Registration, Join AP Classroom & Select Yes!

• Get your AP Join Code from your AP Teacher
• Use the Join Code to Join AP Classroom DIRECTIONS
• Change your Order Exam Indicator from "undecided" to YES Directions
• *“Yes” must be selected for your Order Exam Indicator by November 8

Registration DEADLINE - November 8!

• The LCPS registration deadline for committing to a spring 2025 AP test is November 8. AP Exams will be ordered the following week and any new requests will be subject to a $40 late registration fee. Students who register for a test but do not take it will be charged a $40 unused test fee. LCPS does not pay College Board Fees.These fees are the responsibility of the student/parent/guardian.
• Academies students*- double check your location LHS or the Academies.

Paying for Exams

• In the fall of 2021, the Loudoun County School Board decided to pay for the cost of up to 4 Advanced Placement (AP) tests, per student, for the tenure of the student’s enrollment in an LCPS high school. The School Board is not covering the cost of associated AP test fees, such as late registration, test cancellation, or unused test fees. These fees are the responsibility of the student/parent/guardian. If your student has already taken 4 AP Tests, payment will be required. For the 2024-2025 school year, all exams are $90, with the exception of AP Seminar and AP Research, which are $138. You will receive notice of payment in School Cash for any AP Tests after November 20.

Fees: Late Registration, Cancellation, Unused Test

• If your student does not complete Registration by November 8, there will be a $40 Late Registration Fee.

• If your student decides to cancel a test after November 15, there will be a $40 Cancellation Fee.

• LCPS does not pay College Board Fees. These fees are the responsibility of the student/parent/guardian.

• If your student does not show up to take an AP Test in May, there will be a $40 Unused Test Fee.

If you drop an AP Class

• If your student drops an AP Class, it is the student's responsibility to unregister for the AP Exam in AP Classroom. If the class is dropped after the November 8 deadline, a $40 Cancellation Fee will still apply, but Mrs. Brinkley will have to be contacted to cancel the test.
  

• The PSAT will be offered to 9th, 10th & 11th grade students. Registration is not required.

• Students need to bring their LCPS-managed device, fully charged, and updated. Instructions to update Chromebook.

• Students who do not bring their fully charged, updated LCPS - managed device will be unable to test.

• Academies students will test at Academies. Please see information from ACL about your testing date and location. The Digital Readiness Check for the PSAT will be Monday, October 7. During Advisory, Students in 9th, 10th, & 11th grade will report to their Testing Locations. Students will need to bring their LCPS-managed device, fully charged, and updated. Seniors will report to the Auditorium.

• PSAT/NMSQT Information

• PSAT 8/9 Information

Get Involved!

Extra-curricular activities matter! Research shows that students who participate in extracurricular activities have better grades in school, better attendance, and improved health and wellness. Additionally, participation in fair, safe, and accessible activities strengthens the school community, supports academics, and provides lifelong benefits.

Lightridge is proud to offer a variety of extracurricular clubs and activities to support the diverse needs of our students. We offer clubs before school, twice a week during flex block, and after school. This year, club week kicks off on Monday September 16!

• Monday September 16: Intro to Clubs & Activities during Advisory
• Tuesday September 17: Virtual Club Fair and Club Sign-ups
• Wednesday September 18: Wednesday Flex Block Club Trials
• Thursday September 19: Thursday Flex Block Club Trials

Check out our active club listings for the 2024-2025 school year here!

Volunteer Service Hours

While volunteer service is not a requirement for graduation, Lightridge students are encouraged to volunteer their time by giving back to the community. Students who do volunteer are required to keep track of their own volunteer service hours throughout high school. All students who serve should log their hours into their School Links account this year. Juniors and Seniors who logged previous hours into the old Google form DO NOT need to re-enter those hours into School Links. Graduating seniors who record over 100 volunteer service hours during their time in high school will receive a white service cord to wear for graduation. If you have any questions regarding volunteer service hours, please reach out to jake.johnson@lcps.org.

This year's theme - Night on the Bayou

Jason Treon & Brian Schmidt

Join the Lightridge Athletics community and be a part of an electrifying way to make an impact for years to come! Introducing our Bolts “Get Loud” Campaign – where every contribution (large or small) counts towards our goal of raising $20K to offset the LHS Athletic Booster Club cost for a new Daktronics Speaker Investment at our Lightridge stadium. The successful campaign will ensure we have necessary funds going into the next fiscal year for athletic expenses.

Get ready to ignite the spirit of the Bolts as we gear up for an unforgettable Fall, Winter and Spring in 2024-2025 and beyond!

🔊 All Get Loud Contributors will be part of something special, with surprises in store if we exceed our goal! Plus, also hear your family name loud and proud at Friday night home football games throughout the season!

Join the charge with our exclusive tiers:

💛 Yellow Level: $10-25 - Your family name on the LHS Athletics website all year!

💙 Blue Level: $50 - See your family name on Get Loud Banners in the athletic wing and stadium, plus on the website!

💎 Silver Level: $125 - Secure your Stadium Bolt Family Acrylic Sign, along with banner and website recognition!

🥇 Gold Level: $500 - Score a VIP Couch End Zone Football Experience for one home game, served concessions, plus all the Silver perks!

💿 Platinum Level: $1000 - Lock in a designated VIP parking spot in front of stadium for the season, a Friday night home football game VIP Couch experience, and all the Silver Perks too!

Don't miss your chance to be a part of a new era in Bolts Athletics as we Get Loud! Scan the QR code on the flyer for full details and to make your contribution today! Let’s make some noise, Bolts! ⚡ Please see tiered menu option list in the flyer as all donations are tax-deductible! For any questions, please contact Mike Ryan at 703-629-1546.

#GetLoud2024 #GoBolts!

• Boltathletics.org is the primary website/source of athletics information (schedules, department updates, team news and calendars, etc.)
• Follow us on twitter at @Lightridge_LCPS
• Follow us on Instagram at @Lightridge_LCPS

We are here for you. Please feel free to reach out and let us know how we can support.

Email: christi.campbell@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/lightridge
Location: 41025 Collaboration Drive Aldie, VA 20105
Phone: (571)367-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LightridgeHighSchool/
Twitter: @LightridgeLCPS