mr. david mckenzie “excellence in education” a note from
TRANSCRIPT
Belmont Ridge Middle School
“EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION”
19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA 20176
www.loudoun.k12.va.us/bmrms
A Note from Your Principal …
December and the Holiday season is an exciting time of year. We are blessed to be in
an environment where we can share this time with young people. Here at Belmont
Ridge it includes musical auditions for Beauty and the Beast to be performed this
Spring and various winter concerts you don't want to miss. The second quarter is all
chopped up with Thanksgiving, the Winter Break, and any snow days we may have. It
is important to keep your son/daughter focused and keep track of their academic
progress. We will do our best to help them as well. We are also aware that this can be
a stressful time for families and we need to do our best to help any student who may
need extra encouragement or support.
I am including in this newsletter a message from your new principal, Mr. Ryan
Hitchman. His starting date depends on when his district finds a replacement for him.
Greetings! I am honored and excited to be the next principal at Belmont
Ridge Middle School. Currently I am completing my service as principal of
Christiansburg Middle School in Montgomery County, Virginia. I am currently in my
7th year as a middle school principal. I taught U.S. History, World Geography, and
Government in North Carolina and Maryland before becoming a school
administrator.
I believe in challenging oneself by setting high expectations and displaying a
commitment to being a life-long learner. Currently I am in the educational doctoral
program through Virginia Tech and will be able to complete my studies in northern
Virginia. I will be highly visible in the building and look forward to attending band,
chorus, and other instrumental concerts. I also am looking forward to the spring
musical and other extra-curricular activities that involve Belmont Ridge Middle
School students.
In my free time I enjoy traveling with my wife and playing catch with our
golden doodle. I also enjoy running, kayaking, and hiking. I am an avid reader and
enjoy attending concerts and theater productions. I look forward to meeting you in
the near future and building positive relationships through open communication.
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter.
Mr. Ryan P. Hitchman
Also in this newsletter is information about Internet Safety. This is a valuable new
program sponsored by the police department. It will take place at various high schools
including Stone Bridge in January. I would strongly encourage you to see this
presentation. We saw it at the principal's meetings and it may open your eyes. It is a
two part presentation covering all kinds of technology. Again, I strongly encourage
you to see it.
Regards,
Dr. Edgar Markley
Administrative
Team
Dr. Edgar Markley
Interim Principal
Mr. David McKenzie
Assistant Principal
Mr. Michael Surma
Assistant Principal
8th Grade
Mr. Michael Skinner
Dean
Mrs. Kim Walters
Secretary
Mrs. Jorie Devine
Counselor
7th Grade
Ms. Giao Dang
Dean
Mrs. Marlo Newman
Secretary
Mrs. Amy Scott
Counselor
6th Grade
Ms. Jennifer Byrne
Dean
Mr. Damien White
Counselor
Mrs. Kelly Sovine
Secretary
Special Services
Mrs. Terry Mawyer
Counselor
School Nurse
Mrs. Sherri Flynn
School Information
Office Hours
8:00-4:30
Phone: 571-252-2220
Fax: 703-669-1455
Absentee Line
571-252-2222
House A – 8th
571-252-2228
House B – 7th
571-252-2227
House C – 6th
571-252-2226
December 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2 3 Orchestra 7 Rehearsal
3:30-4:30 PM
Chorus 7 Rehearsal
3:30-4:30 PM
8th Grade Spelling Bee
(LIB) 3:45-4:30PM
4 5 Chorus 7 Rehearsal
3:30-4:30 PM
Band 7 Rehearsal
3:30-4:30 PM
6
Chorus 7 Concert
7:00-9:30 PM
7 8 All County
Orchestra
Auditions
7:00 AM-6:00PM
9
10 Band 7 Rehearsal
3:30-4:30 PM
Musical Auditions
(Band Room) 3:30-5:30
11
Band 7 Concert
7:00-9:30 PM
8th gr. Leadership students
to NCC during resource
12
Orchestra 7th
/8th
Concert
7:00-9:30PM 8th gr. Leadership students
to NCC during resource
Musical Auditions
(Band Room) 3:30-5:30
13 Musical Auditions
(Band Room)
3:30-5:30
14
15
16
17 Concert for 5
th Graders
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Female Callbacks
(Aud) 3:30-5:30 PM
18 PTO Meeting
9:30-10:00
Principal’s Coffee
10:00-11:00
Male Callbacks (Aud)
3:30-5:30 PM
19 20 21
House
Concerts
22
23 24 No School
Winter Break
25 No School
26 No School
Winter Break
27 No School
Winter Break
28 No School
Winter Break
29
30 31 No School
Winter Break
School resumes on
Wednesday,
January 2nd
2012
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LCSO to Hold Series of Internet Safety Classes for Parents
Loudoun County, VA- The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will begin a series of courses called
Internet Safety: What Parents Need to Know. This two part course will help introduce parents to basic
Internet safety as well as some advanced techniques to help keep their children safe while online and
using technology. Please be advised that these are PARENT ONLY CLASSES due to GRAPHIC
CONTENT.
Internet Safety is a common topic of discussion for today’s parents and in some cases can be a source of
anxiety. With technology moving ahead at such a rapid pace, it can be hard for parents to keep up let
alone catch up. Topics that will be discussed: Social Networking, Sexting/Texting, Cell Phone
Technology and Features, Laptops vs. Desk Top PC’s, Current Trends, Predatory Behaviors, PC and
Console Gaming, and Monitoring Techniques.
Below is a list of the upcoming Internet safety courses being taught by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s
Office Adult Crime Prevention Unit:
Date Location Time 11/26/12 Broad Run High School (Part I) 7PM
11/27/12 Broad Run High School (Part II) 7PM
11/28/12 Freedom High School (Part I) 7PM
11/29/12 Freedom High School (Part II) 7PM
12/04/12 Woodgrove High School (Part I) 7PM
12/05/12 Woodgrove High School (Part II) 7PM
12/10/12 John Champe High School (Part I) 7PM
12/12/12 Mercer Middle School (Part II) 7PM
01/02/13 Stone Bridge High School (Part I) 6:30 PM
01/07/13 Stone Bridge High School (Part II) 6:30 PM
Also available at the classes will be the ComputerCop program. ComputerCop is a computer software
program that allows parents to view and permanently delete potentially harmful images and information
that have been downloaded on any home computer (Windows Only). The free software is easy to install
and gives parents an added safeguard to make sure their children are using the Internet safely and
responsibly. The software will not only aid in protecting children from harmful material on the Internet,
but should also initiate a line of communication between parents and children regarding the positive and
negative aspects of the Internet and its appropriate use.
If you are unable to attend an upcoming class, copies of the ComputerCop program will be available on
a first come-first serve basis at the following locations: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Administration
Building, 880 Harrison Street, SE Leesburg, VA, the Dulles South Public Safety Center located at 25216
Loudoun Parkway in South Riding, VA , the Eastern Loudoun Station located at 46620 East Frederick
Drive in Sterling, VA (adjacent to Rolling Ridge Elementary School), and the University Station located
at 45299 Research Place, Suite 100, in Ashburn, VA.
To learn more about upcoming classes and events held by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, please
visit http://sheriff.loudoun.gov/lcsocalendar.
4
UPDATED BUS INFORMATION! Due to the overcrowding of buses, LCPS Transportation Department has asked that only 6 bus passes be
issued per bus. This means that each grade level secretary can only issue 2 bus passes per bus. They are
issued on a first come, first serve basis. Students must bring their signed note from their parent to the
house secretary first thing in the morning. Please include the following information:
Date
Your child’s name
Their friend’s name
Their friend’s bus number
Your signature and phone number
Every effort will be made between the house secretaries to issue bus passes to students who bring in a
note, however, it may not be possible to accommodate everyone. If a pass is unable to be issued to a
student, they will ride their regular bus home or be able to call home to make other arrangements.
BELMONT RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL ACTIVITY BUS SCHEDULE 2012-2013
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Dismissal: 4:30 PM
Activity level bus service is a regional service only and is not intended to be the equivalent of regular
school to home service. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to familiarize themselves with
their child's activity bus stop location.
Route #1
BUS 631
Riverside Pkwy & Kipheart Dr
Riverside Pkwy & Upper Meadow Dr
Riverside Pkwy & Kingsport Dr
Selden’s Landing Elem
Riverside Pkwy & Diamond Lake Dr
Riverside Pkwy & Heatherstone Te
Riverpoint Dr & Lansdowne Blvd
Tournament Pkwy & Augusta Village Pl
Tournament Pkwy & Saratoga Springs Pl
Tournament Pkwy & Somerset Hills Te
Alexandra’s Grove Dr & Kathleen Elizabeth Dr
Forest Farm La & Alexandra’s Grove Dr
Newton-Lee Elementary School
Route #2
BUS 628
Belmont Station Elementary
Chesterton St & Charter Oak Dr
Stone Bridge High School
Farmingdale Dr & Wintergrove Dr
Sanders Corner Elementary
Claiborne Pkwy & Whisperwood Te
Claiborne Pkwy & Blair Park Sq
5
LIBRARY NEWS!
Seventh grade students are working on their Language Arts college research projects. To aid them with
their projects, they were taught about plagiarism and how it can be avoided by citing sources and
paraphrasing their work.
Mrs. Cannon’s, Mrs. Zimmerman’s, Mrs. Muller’s, and Mrs. Wyatt’s sixth grade students are working
on their individual research projects. They were taught about plagiarism, citing sources and using online
databases as credible sources for their research.
The November Library Mystery was a huge success. Students put their detective skills to test as they
tried to figure out the identity of the animal that the displayed skull belonged to. Our December mystery
is about Santa’s reindeer.
Encouraged by last two years’ success, Belmont Ridge library is planning an end of the year used book
sale again this year in May. We are seeking donations of gently used children and young adult books.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to support the library activities and the Belmont Ridge book club.
The used book sale would be a great opportunity for students to purchase summer reading material at
bargain prices. Please consider donating your used books for others to enjoy and support our book club!
We will accept donations all year long and store them for you.
1. Go to the school website: www.lcps.org/bmrms
2. Click on "Staff" at the top of the page.
3. Find the teacher's name and click on the name.
4. Click the calendar link, often called homework.
5. Choose a day on the calendar and click on it, or you can go to the list of calendar events.
Your child should have his/her homework assignments written in their agenda.
Students must be absent from school for 3 consecutive days before work can be
collected from teachers for pick up.
Lost & Found
Our Lost & Found tables are over flowing! Please ask your child/children to check the Lost &
Found tables in each of the House areas for jackets, sweatshirts, books, pencil pouches,
agendas, lunch boxes, folders and binders. We have many lost eye glasses. Lost lunch boxes
can also be found in the café on the microwave carts. There are also lots of lost items in the
boys and girls P.E. locker rooms! Please check with the House Secretaries and front office for
any lost items that can’t be located on the tables, such as eye glasses, cell phones and iPods.
Any items not picked up before December 21st will be donated.
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Foreign Language Department
¡Así Soy Yo! Ich heiße… Je m’appelle…
Quarterly projects in the presentational mode were created by modern foreign language students at
Belmont Ridge to practice written and oral fluency. Students presented self-introductions with an
appealing visual.
National Foreign Language Examinations
The one hour national exams in writing and listening will take place in Spanish and French, Levels I
and II during the third quarter at Belmont Ridge. The dates will be announced later.
Mid-term Examinations
Midterm examinations will be administered in all Levels I and II (high school) foreign language
classes in January. The exams include multiple choice questions, listening, speaking, reading and
writing of the learning targets of the first semester.
Students are urged to attend review sessions and to complete the midterm review packets by the due
dates. This is essential to processing the concepts and learning targets of the first semester. Personal
independent study is crucial to learning a foreign language.
RIVER HAWK YEARBOOK!!!
The last day to order a yearbook is January 18th
Order your book at www.yearbookordercenter.com
or toll-free at 1-866-287-3096
Order number: 13554
If you have any questions, please contact our yearbook Advisor, Samantha Kelley:
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Counselor’s Corner…
School Holiday Activities for Teenagers
Sick of hearing ‘I’m bored….’ – here are some suggestions on fun and cheap things to do on the
school holidays!
1. Babysit
2. Go hiking
3. Bake a cake
4. Read a book
5. Bathe the dog
6. Clean the house
7. Go rollerblading
8. Go for a bike ride
9. Learn how to knit
10. Check out the library
11. Cook dinner one night
12. Movie marathon nights
13. Take the dog for a walk
14. Go to the local museum
15. Stay a night with family
16. Change bedroom around
17. Make a friendship bracelet
18. Design and make a website
19. Explore the local landmarks
20. Learn how to do the laundry
21. Take a long, hot bubble bath
22. Try to make a house of cards
23. Turn up the music and dance
24. Volunteer at an animal shelter
25. Help grandparents out for a day
26. Sit down and do a jigsaw puzzle
27. Make a cd of your favorite songs
28. Make popcorn the old-fashioned way
29. Cook breakfast in bed for your parents
30. Make something that is on the back of a cereal box
31. Make up a scavenger hunt for you and a few friends
32. Spend a whole day playing board games with friends
33. Learn a new exercise or go to a Zumba or Yoga class
34. Do homework that needs to be done before the new year
35. Turn old photo’s into a movie/slide and show them one night
36. Rent and watch a whole season of your favorite television series
37. Try not to complain for a whole day (this is really difficult – try it) 38. Understand what your Parents do all day and appreciate their hard work
Guidance Counselors:
6
th Grade: Mr. Damien White
7th Grade: Mrs. Amy Scott
8th Grade: Jorie Devine
Special Services: Mrs. Terry Mawyer
Important Dates to Remember:
Saturday, December 1, 2012
TJ Testing Day
Monday, December 17, 2012
AOS Part II Deadline at 11:59 PM
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Note from your PTO President: Dear Belmont Families,
I want to start out by offering my condolences to the friends and family of Principal,
Kathleen Hwang. Although I didn’t know Mrs. Hwang personally, I have been very
touched by the outpouring of love and personal information about her. What a
wonderful legacy she has left behind and she will be so very missed by this community.
We want to thank Chris Buttrick and Chris Buffone for their hard work in making the
talent show a huge success. The kids had fun and it was a great turnout! Thanks to all
of the wonderful parent volunteers who helped as well.
Our next fundraising event will be at Velocity 5 in Lansdowne on Dec. 3.
It’s not too late to link your Giant and Harris Teeter cards to Belmont Ridge. It’s worth
it and it brings in extra money for our school. We also have receptacles for Box Tops
collections in each of the houses and the main office.
Stone Bridge students came to our school last week and shared their “Bulldogs Don’t
Bully” presentation with all three grade levels. Terry Mawyer worked on getting this
program for our school. We also sponsored the SSA-Safe School Ambassador training
at the NCC. This is another way to empower the kids from within to deal with bullying
in a non-confrontational way. Mrs. Ybarra-Peters is spearheading this great program.
It was fun to welcome Mr. Ryan Hitchman as our new principal as he was introduced to
the Belmont staff. Still no exact date on when he’ll be starting here. We have enjoyed
getting to know Dr. Edgar Markley and will miss him when he’s gone.
Thanks to Cate Todd and Beth Elrefai for the wonderful teacher luncheon this month!
We hope the teachers and staff enjoy these!
I’ve received a teacher request to paint the staff bathrooms. We will do this! We hope
to find other ways to beautify the school. We are looking for volunteers to paint murals
in the school. Parents, kids or teachers are welcome to apply, just let me know.
As always, thanks to the entire staff for the continued hard work on making Belmont
Ridge as successful as it can be. Thank you to the PTO board for all of your great help
and support!!
I hope everyone has a great December and finds time to get ready for the holidays!!!
Warm Wishes,
Nancy Smith
BEMS PTO President
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Belmont Ridge Middle School
TESTING WINDOWS 2012 – 2013 SCHOOL YEAR
TEST START OF WINDOW END OF WINDOW
ACCESS for ELLs (ELL students) January 14 March 8
SOL English: Online Writing – Multiple Choice (8th Grade)
March 11 March 15
SOL English: Online Writing – Short Paper (8th Grade)
March 18 March 22
SOL End-of-Course (Alg 1, Geometry) April 29 May 24
SOL Non-Writing (All grades) May 3 May 31
** After May 24 will be make-ups only
For more information and resources on the SOL assessments, you may go to the following websites:
Virginia Department of Education: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml
Loudoun County Public Schools: www.loudoun.k12.va.us Go to: Academics>Testing
Spelling Bee Information
The 6th grade spelling bee will be held on November 26; the 7th grade spelling bee will
be held on November 28, and the 8th grade spelling bee will be held on December 3. All
spelling bees will begin at 3:45 in the library. The 31st Annual Loudoun County Spelling
Bee will be held at Stone Bridge High School on March 14, at 6:30 PM.
10
Cafeteria News
The Loudoun County Public Schools new Secondary Lunch Menu is a three week repeating menu. This menu may
be viewed online at www.lcps.org by selecting school menu.
December Hot Meal Menu Schedule
Week of December 3rd Week 3
Week of December 10th Week 1
Week of December 17th Week 2
Week of December 31st Week 3
News from our Parent Liaison!!
Thank you Belmont Ridge families and faculty for an amazing outpouring of caring and support for the
Hurricane Sandy Relief Project! I continue to be inspired by your ability to reach out and support those
in need around us. This was particularly extraordinary in the case of the Hurricane Sandy Project, when
we had a very short lead time, only 2 days, and the donations poured in almost faster than we could fold
and sort them! We are so thankful for the opportunity to help our neighbors to the north and will
continue to respond to needs from the hardest hit areas in New York and New Jersey as they present
themselves.
Mrs. Rountree and Mrs. Nordstrom kicked the season of giving off in October with the "Treat or Treat"
Drive for Mobile Hope. The treats were clothing, food, and toiletries that were donated by students and
faculty. Apparently, there is no trick and all treat to FUNdraising for this group of All-Stars. There
were so many donations that they filled my office, classrooms, and the main office! Many thanks to
everyone involved, the drive was a huge success!
With the Holiday Season just around the corner, Belmont is focusing our efforts to pay it forward to our
immediate local area. The Bright Life Buddies are launching a toy drive on December 3rd
that will run
until December 17th
to benefit children in our local shelters and hospitals at this time of the year. Please
consider donating a new, unwrapped toy or wrapping paper to this wonderful effort. There will be
collection boxes in the main office as well as house offices.
Mrs. Scholtz and the 8th Grade FACS Class is "Sewing it Forward" once again this year by creating
adorably soft blankets for homeless children in Loudoun County. These fun and colorful blankets are
being distributed by Mobile Hope and are a very sweet surprise for the thankful children who have
received them so far. Way to go 8th grade!!
Looking for an opportunity to give back this season? We have several holiday projects underway to
reach out and bring comfort and kindness to those around us, including a Wounded Warrior and several
other "heroes in need”. These are wonderful opportunities to pay it forward in an anonymous and
confidential manner. Please contact me directly for details, [email protected].