LCMS Principal Weekly Update for Jan. 1, 2023
Posted on 01/01/2023
Happy New Year, LCMS Bobcat Parents and Families! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. May 2023 be filled with joy, happiness, and learning! I am looking forward to our Bobcats returning to classrooms to begin the second semester!
Wednesday, January 4th will be a B day. Sixth grade students will begin a new exploratory class in the wheel, and seventh and eighth grade students will begin a new elective unless they are taking a yearlong class. Before returning on Wednesday, I recommend that students set aside some time to clean out backpacks and refresh school supplies such as pencils and paper. Also, having a fully charged Chromebook will be a great way to begin the New Year!
Report cards will be sent home with students on Friday, January 6th. Remember that you can view your child’s grades, attendance, and tardies live in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Please call the school if you need assistance logging in. As we begin the new semester, parents, I encourage you to discuss high expectations and healthy habits with your child. A good sleep schedule with a regular bedtime, healthy nutrition, and reasonable and responsible phone/device usage are all important parts of growing up. Administrators will be meeting with students during health classes on Wednesday and Thursday of this week to discuss the high expectations and responsibilities of our learning community, including making good choices and thinking before speaking and acting, which are all parts of being a good Bobcat citizen.
There will be an LCMS Parent Advisory Council meeting on Wednesday, January 11th from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm in the LCMS Forum. Follow-up meetings are scheduled for February 8th and March 8th. I will add that “Parent Advisory Council” sounds like a fancy term that means a big commitment, but it really just means an opportunity to meet with me along with other parents to hear about what is going on at LCMS, as well as brainstorm and discuss future opportunities. This month, Louisa County Parks and Recreation and Tourism representatives will join us to share about programs available for middle schoolers and hear parents' feedback. Snacks and drinks will be provided! Please let me know if you would like to join us!
The National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, January 12th.
Our school, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Department of Education, is conducting the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions. We will survey students in grades 6, 7, and 8, as well as classroom instructors and staff, the week of January 30th through February 3rd. The purpose of this survey is to measure student support, student engagement, school discipline, and safety conditions in each school. This information will be used to guide educational practices that produce a safe and supportive school environment. Please view the informational letter to read more about the survey, and please notify the school office by telephone or letter by January 27, 2023 if you do not wish for your child to participate.
Outdoor track conditioning will begin on Tuesday, January 10th and continue every Tuesday and Thursday. Tryouts for outdoor track will take place on February 21st and 22nd. Letters will go home on February 24th. Baseball and softball tryouts will take place during the week of February 13th. A current VHSL physical dated after May 1, 2022, is required for all conditioning and tryout events. Please see our LCMS athletics website for more information.
Please review the LCPS Attendance Newsletter for January. As always, students should stay home when they are sick but should attend school when possible. Students who have 17 or more absences in a given year, whether they are excused or unexcused absences, are considered chronically absent and are subject to being retained. Send in or email absence notes to Mrs. Filer at LCMS if absences can be excused. Her email address is [email protected].
Students may need to attend after-school study hall sessions to reduce total absences. We hope to see our Bobcats at school each day ready to learn.
If you have any questions, or if we can help in any way, please call our office at (540) 894-5457.
Again, Happy New Year, Bobcat families! Thank you for all of your support of our school and community, always, and I am looking forward to starting the second semester strong!
Amanda Harper
Principal
Louisa County Middle School