July 2021

Hello Puma Families,

Happy summer! We hope you are enjoying the sunshine and hopefully slower days.

If you haven't, register for the summer reading program! Let's get that trophy! Click here for the Summer Reading Registration

Report cards were posted in ParentVue on June 22. Please login to ParentVue to see your child's end of year grades.

I wanted to list out a few quick updates - as we like to call them "Paw-erful Items" (Who doesn't love a good pun, right?)

paw-erful Points

• Open House for Grades 2 - 5 will be on Tuesday, Aug. 24, from 10:30–12:00 pm

• Grade Kindergarten Orientation on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 9:00 am

• Grade 1 Orientation on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 10:00 am

• Back To School Night for Grades 2 - 5 is Tuesday, Aug. 24, and we will have two sessions.

  • Session 1 - 6:00 - 6:50

  • Session 2 - 7:00 - 7:50

• Kindergarten Back To School Night - Sep. 7 at 6:30 PM (one session only)

• Grade 1 Back To School Night - Sep. 7 at 6:30 PM (one session only)

• For all Back To School Nights, parents will start in the classrooms. For grades 2-5, parents can choose which session to attend and go to more than one teacher should they have a child in two grade levels or classrooms.

  • Note: We are considering offering one of the sessions concurrently, which means that the teachers can live steam sessions for parents to attend at home. More details to come about this possibility.

• Summer Reading Program - Register!

Mask UPdate from LCPS Superintendent

Dear LCPS Staff and Families,

I wanted to reach out to you today to share some important information about the Fall 2021 return to school plans for Loudoun County Public Schools.

As we return to school on August 26, LCPS will require all students and staff to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Students at all grade levels may remove their masks when outside, eating or participating in physical education.

Please know this is not a decision I made lightly. Staff and I consulted Chapter 456 (formerly Senate Bill 1303) of the Virginia Code and local public health officials. We considered multiple data points, including community transmission rates, percent positivity rates, vaccination rates by age group and school-based data from the spring. We also reviewed guidance issued by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Health.

Senate Bill 1303, which became enacted as Chapter 456 of the Code of Virginia requires schools to open for in-person instruction in the fall. This act also requires that school divisions comply with the CDC recommendations for elementary and secondary schools. Many in our community supported this bill last spring; however, the need for masking is driven by a primary concern for the health and safety of our students and staff.

Our desire to maximize in-person instruction remains at the forefront of this decision. Mask wearing will minimize the need for quarantining, thus keeping students in the classroom. We realize, however, that our desire for in-person learning is currently being challenged by rising community risk in Loudoun County and the potential impact of the Delta variant on students and our community. By addressing those factors under our control--like wearing masks and receiving the vaccine --we can Return Stronger Together despite changing conditions in Loudoun County. Visit ReturnToSchool2021 to learn about more mitigation measures, including mask-wearing, in all of our schools.

I thank you in advance for your compliance with this requirement and wish you a safe and healthy return to school.

Best wishes,

Scott A. Ziegler, Ed.D.

Superintendent

SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTS 2021-2022 CALENDAR

The Loudoun County School Board adopted the student calendar for the 2021-22 school year at its Tuesday, December 1, meeting.

Following is the adopted student calendar:

August 26: First Day Of School

September 3, 6: Holiday (Labor Day)

September 16: Student/Staff Holiday

October 11: Holiday (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)

October 28: End of Grading Period

October 29: Student Holiday (County-Wide Staff Development)

November 1: Student Holiday (Planning/Records/Conference Day)

November 2: Student/Staff Holiday

November 4: Student/Staff Holiday

November 24-26: Holiday (Thanksgiving)

December 20-December 31: Winter Break (Classes Resume January 3, 2022)

January 17: Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

January 28: End of Second Grading Period

January 31: Moveable Student Holiday* (Planning/Records/Conference Day)

February 1: Student/Staff Holiday

February 21: Holiday (Presidents’ Day)

March 7: Student Holiday (County-Wide Staff Development)

April 8: End of Third Grading Period

April 11-15: Holiday (Spring Break)

April 18: Student Holiday (Planning/Records/Conference Day)

May 3: Student/Staff Holiday

May 30: Holiday (Memorial Day)

June 15: Last Day Of School/End of Grading Period

*NOTE: Parents with childcare or other weekday scheduling concerns – Date of the Moveable Planning/Records/Conference Day between first and second semesters may change if the school calendar must be changed due to school closings for inclement weather or other emergencies.

Click here for the LCPS Student Calendar from Main LCPS website.

From The District Office

• Main LCPS Website News

Computer Care for the Summer!

Like last year, students who were assigned an LCPS Chromebook will be able to keep them over the summer. Please click for how to care for your computer during the summer months.

Also, Students withdrawing from LCPS: Students withdrawing from the district should return their assigned computer to their school. You will receive a hand receipt confirming the return of your assigned computer and charger. LCPS will generate an invoice for the replacement cost of any unreturned equipment. We also ask that you remove stickers or personalizations to the computer before returning it. If you're unable to visit your school, we have limited appointments at our Hardware Repair Centers that can also accept your computer.

Please contact the LCPS Technology Support Center at 571-252-2112 with questions.

Meal Service

Pinebrook Elementary will not be a food service site this summer. Pinebrook community members can continue to receive meals every Monday Arcola Elementary from 9:00am - 11:30am.

Please click here to see Summer Meal locations and further information.

Here is the full Summer Meal Delivery Schedule

Bus delivery of meals will continue throughout the Summer. Please share the information with your students' households.

The following are the scheduled Bus Meal Delivery dates: Monday, June 28, 2021; Tuesday, July 6, 2021; Monday, July 12, 2021; Monday, July 19, 2021; Monday July 26, 2021; Monday, August 2, 2021; Monday, August 9, 2021; and Monday August 16, 2021.

Meal stop locations and times are available through the Interactive Map link: https://lcps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=615171005a9a4ccf8f38c86b387632a0

This link can also be found on the Transportation Division Homepage - www.lcps.org/transportation

MSACC UPDATES

What is MSACC?

The Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee (MSAAC) is dedicated to partnering with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), parents, and the community to acknowledge and promote the needs of minority students. MSAAC is also dedicated to building a school system that is culturally and socially competent and positioned to provide fair and equitable learning experiences for all students. MSACC meets monthly to share information/experiences and collaborates with the equity committee.

• For more information, please visit the LCPS MSACC website.

Chromebook Support

Chromebook Distribution for families

Device Assignment Process

Any student who has not already been assigned an LCPS individual learning device is eligible to receive one. This includes newly enrolled students, students who were unable to attend a school-based distribution, or students who previously declined a device but have since changed their mind.

Families must schedule an appointment at one of LCPS’ support centers by visiting https://bit.ly/DDI-REPAIR. Appointments for device assignment will begin on August 31st, 2020, and will be available throughout the duration of 100% distance learning.

Chromebook Password Support

• K-2 students have recieved a "Quickcard" to ease login proedures.

  1. Default

     1. Username: StudentID#

     2. Password (use birthday): LCPS-MMDDYY

• 3-5 Returning students will NOT have their passwords reset from last year. If they forgot their strong password, they may have to contact DDI help desk.

NEW 3-5 students- their password will be LCPS-MMDDYY.

Additonal support for passwords can be found here: https://www.lcps.org/Page/230851

For the most up-to-date information regarding Parent Liaison news please see the Parent Liaison page on the main Pinebrook website.