Stingray Scoop

Dear Stone Hill Middle School Community,

We had another fantastic week at Stone Hill. Our students are delving deeper into their studies and forming strong connections with their teachers and peers. We successfully launched our intramural sports program with the help of Mr. Kasman and Stone Hill staff, and the turnout for flag football was amazing! It was heartwarming to see the building still bustling with activity after the dismissal bell. We are in the final stages of finalizing our clubs and activities and information is forthcoming on this. Also, Ms. Royster, Ms. Morgan, and I met with our dedicated PTO board this week to discuss and plan enrichment opportunities that will spark our students' curiosity and engagement beyond the school day. Please see the special message from our PTO President below.

Reminder: The September 23rd deadline for Student Equity Ambassador applications is quickly approaching. We encourage students who are passionate about equity and want to make a positive impact on our school community to apply. As a reminder, this opportunity aligns with our division's core values of "Equity and Opportunity" and "Trust Through Listening," as outlined in the One LCPS: 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence and our Commitment to Equity.

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

In service to you and our Stingray community,

Rohini Tohan, Principal

Monday, September 23rd

• A-day
• Student Equity Ambassador applications due
• Activity Buses
  

• B-day
• Summer 2025 Boston Trip Information Session, 6pm (virtual), RSVP required below

Wednesday, September 25th

• A-day
• Activity Buses

Thursday, September 26th

• B-day
• Intramural Flag Football, 3:45-4:45 pm
• Activity Buses

Friday, September 27th

• A-day

• October 2nd ~ Q1 Interim
• October 2nd ~ Deadline to submit yearbook cover art entries (details below)
• December 10th to 17th ~ Scholastic Book Fair in the SHMS Library

We are proud of Stone Hill 8th Grade Choir, the Rock Ridge High School Choir, and the Rock Ridge Elementary School Cluster perform the National Anthem and the Rock Ridge High School Alma Mater at the Patriot Day Football Game on September 20th at Rock Ridge High School. The students did an amazing job. Thank you, Mr. Uhlir!

Weeks of September 23rd to October 4th

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!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As a part of our ongoing equity work across LCPS and at Stone Hill Middle School, we will be selecting students to represent our school to serve in the role of Student Equity Ambassadors for the 2024-2025 school year. This opportunity for students stems from our division’s core values of “Equity and Opportunity” and “Trust Through Listening,” outlined in the One LCPS: 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence as well as our Commitment to Equity. The goal is to provide an ongoing opportunity for student leaders who are passionate about equity and have the desire to make their school the best possible learning environment for every student.

Each middle and high school in LCPS will select up to three Student Equity Ambassadors to meet regularly with the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility and other LCPS leaders during the meetings. These sessions will occur periodically throughout the school year and the dates will be provided to you by your school’s representative. This opportunity is open to all students who, amongst other attributes, have a passion for equity, are willing to engage in conversations, will listen to learn, and will represent the voice of their peers.

To express their interest, students should fill out the Student Equity Ambassador Interest Form SHMS Student Equity Ambassador Interest Form by Monday, September 23, 2024. School staff can also recommend students to serve as Student Equity Ambassadors or students may be recommended by a peer. The principal or designee will make the final decision regarding student participation.

Ensuring that our school is a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming environment for each student is important. Providing this opportunity for students to meet in a space where their voices and experiences are heard is one way of supporting this effort. We are looking forward to selecting our Student Equity Ambassadors and their future participation.

Thank you for your continued support of our commitment to provide a safe and caring learning environment for our students.

Sincerely,

SHMS Equity Committee

Announcing PTO Sponsored Enrichment Programs (EPs)

SHMS PTO is excited to announce that registration for PTO Sponsored Enrichment Programs(EPs) are opening tonight at 9:00pm. Classes begin week of Oct 7th, 2024.

SHMS PTO is offering after-school Enrichment Programs which are designed to provide students with fun, educational and enrichment opportunities. From developing a variety of STEM skills, to Financial Literacy, there's something for every student to explore, develop new skills and make lasting friendships. These classes will be held in Stone Hill School building during weekdays and will be coached by experienced Stone Hill Parents. Please see Flier.

PTO Paid Members (both Supreme($100) and Ruby($50) Memberships) get first dibs for enrolling in Enrichment Programs. If you haven't signed-up for your membership yet, please do now at Home | Stone Hill Middle School PTO (shmspto.org)

If you are a low-income family and interested in signing up for PTO Membership or enrolling your child in these Enrichment Programs, please reach out to Lauren McCreary at Lauren.mccreary@lcps.org.

PTO Paid Members will receive a URL and Access Code in their emails which is needed to sign up for Enrichment Programs. We can't wait for your child to join us in these enriching experiences!

PTO is looking for an active parent volunteer(s) to coach "Business Plan" Enrichment Program and prepare students for competitions. Coaching classes to be offered in the fall (Oct until Dec 2024). Coaches will be compensated. Anyone interested, please reach out to Nupur Singh at nupursingh@shmspto.org.

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Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

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Shweta Walia

President

Stone Hill Middle School -PTO

Stone Hill PTO Website

Click Here to Become a PTO Member!

Join the Stone Hill Middle School (SHMS) PTO and become a member of an active volunteer organization committed to enriching the academic and social experience for all SHMS students and families. The SHMS PTO provides financial and volunteer support for a wide variety of school based activities aimed at building a strong school community, supporting academic and extracurricular activities, and providing opportunities for social and service related events and projects.

Hello, historians! Stone Hill is sending students and parents on a trip to one of the birthplaces of our nation: Boston, Massachusetts! This in-depth educational adventure will take place in July of 2025, and it will cover so much of our middle school history curriculum! During the virtual meeting on September 24th at 6 pm, we will go over our itinerary, travel safety, meals, and cost of enrollment. The link to the meeting will be emailed to you after you RSVP. We hope to see you at the meeting and on the trip! Email david.geiger@lcps.org, school librarian, with any questions.

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.

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 we embark on 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.

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

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