September 2016 - Admiral Richard E. ByrdMiddle School

SEPTEMBER 2016
Principal’s Corner
T
...learning today for a better tomorrow
he September Husky Pilot arrives to
you, following a smooth and successful
start to the 2016-17 school year at Admiral
Byrd Middle School. Our students have
quickly adapted to school routines, and we
are pleased with their preparations and
readiness to begin the school year. I
appreciate the part our parents play in
assisting with this transition from summer to
school schedules. Also, we will hold our
Back-to-School Night on August 31 and we
encourage all parents to attend and meet your
child’s teachers and hear important
information regarding their classes.
MRS. TERESA RITENOUR, PRINCIPAL
DR. JESSICA NAIL, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
MR. DAVE ARNOLDY, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
give of their time to sponsor or coach
athletic and club activities. One of our
initiatives is to encourage student
participation in an activity outside of
the school day as we feel this
strengthens student connections to
school.
Finally, beginning this school year
we do not have designated days in the
calendar for parent conferences.
However, we do have time built into
our school day that we can schedule a
conference. Please do not hesitate to
contact school staff if you have
Fall athletic programs are already
questions or wish to discuss your
practicing, and our football, cross country,
child’s progress in school. As I stated
and girls’ basketball teams will all be
in the August newsletter, I look
competing in September against other middle forward to working with your student
schools. Our cheerleaders are ready to bring and continuing the efforts at Admiral
school spirit to both football and girls’
Byrd to make their middle school
basketball games this fall. Also, we look
experience successful and one that is
forward to seeing our spirited HUSKY
preparing them for the challenges
Mascot at our athletic events.
ahead in their educational journey.
Their presence during our opening
We will be offering after school activities
days has been a healthy reminder of
and clubs for students in all grades starting in
the great promise and potential that
September. These activities are in addition to
exist in each of them.
the co-curricular organizations our students
may participate in such as FFA, FCCLA,
Teresa D. Ritenour, Principal
FBLA, and TSA. We appreciate all the
community members, parents and staff who
Find us on the web: abm.frederick.k12.va.us
Frederick
County
Public
Schools
will begin
using a new student information
system from Tyler Technologies
called Parent/Student 360 in the
2016-17 school year. Parent/
Student 360 is replacing Edline
and will provide parents and
students with a variety of
information including student
schedules, grades and attendance
data. Over the next few weeks,
parents and students will receive a
user name and password that will
allow them to login to Parent/
Student 360. The Parent/Student
360 link can be found under
Parents & Students on the school
division’s website and each
individual school website.
Peachjar
provides the
most highly
effective method
of electronic
flyer distribution. FCPS began using Peachjar
March 1, 2016. Paper flyers that were being
carried home by your child will now be emailed
directly to you. Additionally, you can view all
school-approved eflyers by clicking the Peachjar
button on our website. This “green” initiative will
save our schools tons of paper and reduce copy.
In addition, posting school flyers in this electronic
backpack removes a significant administrative
burden from teachers, office staff, and
volunteers. No action is required on your part to
receive eflyers through Peachjar. Visit
www.peachjar.com for more information.
For the students’ protection, if medical
insurance is not currently provided
through the parents’ employer or
individual plans, parents are strongly
encouraged to purchase insurance from
a private vendor or
the student accident insurance program
available through the school division
vendor—The Young Group,
Inc. Information about plan types and
enrollment instructions can be found
online. Go to your child’s school
website, click on Parents and
Students then Health
Services then Student Accident Insuranc
e, where plan information and
enrollment instructions are
located. Enrollment and claim forms are
also available in each school
office. Frederick County Public
Schools’ insurance plan does NOT
provide medical coverage for
accidents or injuries
to students during school or during
school-sponsored extracurricular
activities.
Medication Reminders
Frederick County Public Schools requires that if a
medication is to be taken by a student while he/she
is in school, the medication has to be kept in the
clinic and the school MUST have the following
information on file:
1. A signed consent form from the parent or legal
guardian.
2. The medication is to be in the original pharmacy
labeled container, not in a ziploc bag.
3. If the medication is going to be taken for longer
than one month, in addition to the above, the
prescribing physician needs to fill out our medication
form and sign it.
All forms are available under Health Services on
FCPS and ABMS’s web sites.
If you have any questions / concerns please don’t hesitate
to call our school nurse, Mrs. Lyndi Askew at 662-0500.
-9/2—No School—Prof. Development Day
-9/5—No School—Labor Day
-9/7—PTO Fundraiser Orders & Payments Due
-9/13—School Picture Day (during scheduled P.E. classes
-9/19—Scholastic Book Fair Begins
-10/20-END OF 1ST MARKING PERIOD
See page 6 in this issue for Fall Sports Schedules.
Applications for Free and Reduced
Price Meal Program Available
Applications for the Free and Reduced Price Meal Program are
now available. Under the program, both school breakfast and lunch
are available each day for free or at a reduced price for eligible
students. Families may apply online or pick up an application in the
main office.
https://www.heartlandapps.com/District.aspx
Parents/guardians are encouraged to use MySchoolBucks to pay school activity fees, buy PE
uniforms, yearbooks, and place money on a student’s cafeteria account. Parents will be able to view
current account balances, review recent purchases, receive low-balance alerts, and setup recurring
payments on a weekly or monthly basis if desired. VISA and MasterCard accepted 24 hours a day.
Users will need to re-register with a user name and password even if you used our online payment
system in the past. In order to register, you will need your student’s ID number which can be found
on report cards or progress reports. The 9-digit student ID number is the 5-digit PIN number used in
the cafeteria with the number 7000 at the beginning. Register on the school’s website or on the FCPS
homepage. Look for MySchoolBucks link. We encourage parents to begin paying fees for the 201617 school year starting August 1, 2016.
All fees for 1st and 2nd semesters must be paid at the beginning of the school year.
Grade 6 Exploratory Materials
$6.00
Note: (All 6th grade students are expected to pay this fee.)
Agriscience 7-8 (Semester)
$7.00
Art 7-8 (Semester)
$7.00
Family & Consumer Science 7-8 (Semester)
$7.00
Technology 7-8 (Semester)
$7.00
Optional Club Memberships
Regular school-day clothes are not acceptable for
participation in physical education activities.
Students shall dress out for physical education by
purchasing a uniform from the school or wear
attire meeting the following criteria:
FFA grades 7-8
$15.00
TSA
$12.00
FBLA
$10.00
FCCLA
$12.00
-Students are required to wear shorts without
buttons, snaps, or zippers that are at least midthigh length.
Yearbook
$28.00
-Students are required to wear athletic shoes.
-Students are required to wear a crew neck tshirt with sleeves
(Orders will be accepted through December 31, 2016.)
MySchoolBucks Online Payment Portal
MySchoolBucks is the online payment portal where parents are able to view current account balances, review recent
purchases, receive low-balance alerts, and setup recurring payments on a weekly or monthly basis if desired. VISA and
MasterCard are accepted 24 hours a day. If you are a new student to Fred. Co. Public Schools, you will need register
with a user name and password . In order to register, you will need your student’s ID number which can be found on
their student schedule, report cards or progress reports. The 9-digit student ID number is the 5-digit PIN number used in
the cafeteria with the number 7000 at the beginning. All existing account balances will remain on account.
Look for this link on our school website.
Classes at Adm.
Byrd Middle
School begin at
7:55 a.m. Students
who are tardy to school must
report to the main office in
order to be admitted to class
and receive credit for
attendance. Tardiness will
usually be considered as
excused for reasons of school
bus delayed arrival or
verified physician’s or court
appointments.
Each nine-week grading
period, students with
unexcused tardies shall
receive the following
disciplinary action:
-1st unexcused tardy—
warning
-2nd unexcused tardy–
detention with the parent
informed
-3 or more tardies unexcused
tardies—school based
discipline.
When
students need
to be absent
from school,
we request
that the parent or guardian
either telephone or email
our school to notify us.
Parents can click on
“Report an Absence” on
our webpage to report their
child’s absence. For those
circumstances when you
cannot notify us in
advance, a written
explanation for the
student’s absence is due in
the school attendance
office no later than two (2)
school days following the
absence. The note is to be
signed by the parent/
guardian. It will no longer
be necessary to notify the
school both in advance of
and following the absence.
Homework requests can be made for students
that miss two or more consecutive days.
Requests need to be made by 8:30 a.m. on the
second consecutive day of absence and will be
available for pick-up after 2:30 p.m.
If your child is to ride the
bus home with another student
or will be picked up at
dismissal by another student’s
parent, BOTH students must
have a signed permission
note from their parent/
guardian stating their name,
with whom they are to go
home and the bus number
that they will ride.
Permission notes must be
delivered to the main office
before 8:00 a.m. Students will
not be allowed to call their
parents during the school
day or after school to make
these arrangements. Please
have these arrangements
made prior to the school day.
If you are picking your
student up early, please send
a note to the office with the
time they will be picked up,
the reason, and the name of
the person picking them up.
We will give the student a pass
to leave class to meet you in
the office. You must come to
the main office and sign your
student out. You must
present a valid driver’s
license or another form of
picture ID before your child
will be released. If you are
picking your student up after
school, you do not need to
send a note.
Returned Checks
Frederick County Public Schools has an agreement with a third party
administrator for the collection of all returned checks. If your check is
returned by your bank, it will be automatically forwarded to a third party
administrator after the first presentation. They will collect the face amount
of the returned check plus the maximum collection fee allowable by law.
Further action within the limits of law may be taken if you do not properly
respond and Frederick County Public Schools may elect to cease accepting
checks from you.
The Scholastic Book Fair is
coming in September. Dates for
the book fair are September 19th
through September 23rd, so mark
your calendar! Students can make
purchases during the school day.
Since we will not have evening parent conferences
scheduled this year, there will be no evening hours for
the book fair. We will stay open on Wednesday
afternoon, September 21st, after school from 2:45 – 5:00.
Please stop by! You can also shop the book fair on-line.
Click here for the website or click on the book fair tile on
the library Symbaloo (link below.)
We are continuing to promote our
digital resources. Students can
read ebooks or listen to audio
books. Instructions for downloading
the apps are on the library webpage
found at
www.destiny.frederick.k12.va. Links
for many resources can be found on
the library catalog home page
Symbaloo.
We have a new on-line resource – Britannica School.
The link for this resource is on the Symbaloo, as well.
Students can access great articles, get links to
appropriate websites and have access to thousands of
awesome images through the ImageQuest portion of this
database. Please e-mail me, or have your student ask,
for the username and password so you can use this
resource from home!
Please ask if you have any questions!
Sandy Burkhart, Librarian
burkhars@fcpsk12.net
Parents have 3 ways to order
yearbooks this year.
-Send payment of $28 to school by 12/31/16.
-Order online using MySchoolBucks via our
school website by Dec. 31, 2016. Using this
option, payment will be $28.
-Order online directly from Herff Jones
through March 31, 2017. Using this option,
payment will be $32. You can access Herff
Jones from the link on our webpage.
All yearbooks will be distributed in June
2017.
President—Michelle Scott
Vice-President—April Walter
Treasurer—Judy Kay Schroer
Secretary—Shontya Washington
ABMSPTO@gmail.com
We greatly appreciate all parents/guardians
that take time to volunteer in our building and
chaperoning on field trips.
If you are interested in becoming a
volunteer, you must complete a volunteer
form and be approved by the School Board
yearly.
Forms will be sent home on the 1st day of
school or are available on our web page or in
the main office.
Football Schedule
Tues. Aug. 30 Thunder in the Valley at JWMS
Wed. Sept. 7 @ Aylor
Tues. Sept. 20 Frederick County - Home
Tues. Sept. 27 James Wood - Home
Tues. Oct. 4 Daniel Morgan - Home
Thurs. Oct. 13 B squad Thunder in the Valley - Home
Tues. Oct. 18 @ Frederick County
Mon. Oct. 24 Or Wed. Oct. 26 vs. James Wood @ Millbrook High School
Girls’ Basketball Schedule
Sat. Aug. 27th - time TBD 8th grade only @ James Wood
Wed. Sept. 7 Daniel Morgan - Home
Mon. Sept. 12 @ Aylor
Wed. Sept. 14 Warren County - Home
Mon. Sept. 19 @ Frederick County
Thurs. Sept. 22 James Wood - Home
Mon. Sept. 26 Johnson Williams - Home
Wed. Sept. 28 Aylor - Home
Mon. Oct. 3 Frederick County - Home
All events begin at
5:00 p.m. unless
otherwise noted
on each schedule.
Wed. Oct. 5 @ Daniel Morgan
Mon. Oct. 10 @ James Wood
Mon. Oct. 17 @ High Seed
Wed. Oct. 19 7th grade FCJL @ Aylor
Thurs. Oct. 20 8th grade FCJL @ Aylor
Cross Country Schedule
Thurs. Sept. 8 Aylor and Daniel Morgan - Home
Sat. Sept. 10 John Handley Classic @ Kernstown Battlefield @ 12 noon
Thurs. Sept. 15 @ Frederick County
Thurs. Sept. 22 @ James Wood
Sat. Sept. 24 Apple Harvest Invitational @ James Wood High School @ 9
a.m.
FCPS School Nutrition Services
New Guidelines for Student Charges
2016-2017 School Year
1. Announcements shall be made in school newsletters/start of year materials/other notices of parental information
that:
• parents are encouraged to register to use the online school payment system to deposit money in their
student’s meal account
• students are expected to pay for lunches in advance or at the time of purchase
• students must have either a packed lunch or money for food unless eligible for free meals
• no charges will be allowed for à la carte items or for second meals
• students and parents may contact the school principal should assistance be needed to provide food for the
student
• unpaid accounts will jeopardize the student’s participation in other school activities; i.e. graduation
ceremonies and prom
2. For all school students:
• If a student forgets his/her money for breakfast or lunch, the meal may be “charged” as an amount owed.
This may occur up to a total of $15.00. The cashier should inform the student that if the balance goes over
$15.00, he/she will receive an alternate meal.
• If a student’s charge balance goes over $15.00, the student shall be provided an alternate meal.
• À la carte items and second meals cannot be charged. All à la carte items must be paid for at the time of
purchase. If a student goes through the line with à la carte items for which they do not have money, staff is
permitted to direct the student to give back the à la carte food.
3. Cashiers are encouraged to remind students when their account balances are approaching a small balance and to
remind students that they will receive an alternate meal if they exceed the charge limit. It is permissible to show
the screen to the student or to tell the student the amount so they will be fully informed and so they can relay the
information to the parents.
4. For students who do not payoff or paydown any negative balances, the principal shall speak with student to
explain the multiple communications provided and to direct the student to have money for the cafeteria line or
bring a packed meal, OR come to your office if they have neither.
Meal Prices
2016-2017
2016-17 School Year
Breakfast
Lunch
Tiered Secondary Lunch
Reduced* Breakfast
Reduced* Lunch
Middle School Students
$1.40
$2.85
$2.95
0.30*
0.40*
*Reduced prices for approved applications only.
FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
August 2016
When a storm brings snow, ice, freezing rain,
flooding, or other hazardous conditions to
FrederickCounty or an emergency situation occurs,
care for safety may necessitate closing schools,
dismissing early, or opening them later than usual in
the morning.
WHEN THE DECISION IS MADE
If weather conditions occur that make it obvious our
schools will not be able to operate the following day,
an announcement for the next day is sent out on the
FCPS Rapid Communications System and is
communicated to radio and television stations.If the
situation is uncertain or a storm develops during the
night, the decision is not made and announced until
early the following morning. A decision for the
county must be made no later than 5:30 a.m. in order
for announcements to be made in a timely manner.
HOW THE DECISION IS MADE
The assistant superintendent for administration,
director of transportation, and other transportation
employees check weather and road conditions in
different sections of the county. They also coordinate
with the highway department, public safety officials,
and each other. In addition, school officials take a
firsthand look by driving some county school-bus
routes. The next step may involve checking with
other school superintendents, particularly those in
WinchesterCity,
Clarke,
Shenandoah,
and
WarrenCounties. Finally, a recommendation from
the assistant superintendent for administration and
the director of transportation is presented to the
superintendent, and a final decision is made.
LINES OF COMMUNICATION
After a decision to close school
or
delay
opening is made, an announcement is sent out on
the FCPS Rapid Communications System and is
communicated to radio and TV stations listed
below:
Radio Station Call List
WINC 92.5FM/1400AM
WRNR 740AM
WUSQ 102.5FM/WFQX 99.3FM
WSIG 96.9FM
WZRV 95.3FM/WFTR1450AM
WBOP 106.3FM
WKMZ 97.5FM/WEPM 1340AM WFTX 610AM
WYII 95.9FM
TV Station Call List
Cable Channel 18
Channel 4 (WRC-TV)
WHSV Harrisonburg
Channel 5 (WTTG-TV)
Channel 25 Hagerstown
Channel 7(WJLA-ABC7)
Channel 99 (WAZT)
Channel 9 (WUSA TV9)
The decision will be broadcast shortly after the
station is called. In addition, Frederick County
Public Schools’ information line at540-722-6443 or
540-662-3889, ext. 6, and Cable Channel 18 will have
information on emergency school closings.
Frederick County Public Schools also utilizes a free
e-mail service that will notify parents immediately
of announced school closings or opening delays.
Parents with the ability to receive e-mail may
register free of charge at www.schools-out.com.
In the event of school closings or cancellations,
parents who subscribe to the service will receive an
e-mail message sent to the address that they specify
notifying them of schedule changes. This is a free
service provided to the school division and control
of the www.schools-out.com site rests with the
non-profit group that sponsors the site.
Additionally, the information may be accessed by
going to the Frederick County Public Schools web
site at www.frederick.k12.va.us and clicking on
the “Info for Parents” graphic on the opening screen.
It is important that parents and students not
telephone the stations for information about school
closings. Such efforts may block delivery of the very
information the individual wishes to obtain by
preventing a call from a school official with the
announcement.
ONE-HOUR DELAY
The one-hour delay schedule is employed when the
weather situation is not sharply defined or when
some roads are not clear and daylight will improve
safety. A decision on this must also be made by 5:30
a.m.Use of the delay means that all schedules are
moved one hour later.For example, a student who
usually boards a school bus at 7:30 a.m. will be
picked up at 8:30 a.m.Use of the delay allows
schools to operate a full day if conditions
significantly improve after 6:30 a.m.On occasion, if
weather conditions worsen, schools will be closed
and the announcement made before 7:30 a.m.
suburbs are clear. The decision for the entire school
system is made in relation to the condition of all
roads in FrederickCounty. Many times city and
suburban streets are in good condition for travel, but
some secondary roads remain icy and very
dangerous.
Frederick County has approximately 650 miles of
highways. This includes 26 miles of I-81, 101 miles of
primary highways, and 523 miles of secondary
roads, including 172 miles of unpaved roads. The
heavily traveled routes (I-81, Rt. 37, and U.S. 11, 50,
and 522) are always cleared prior to secondary
roads.
EMERGENCY SNOW-SCHEDULE ROUTES
A two-hour delay may, at times, be announced.
When this occurs, students will be picked up two
hours later than usual, and no breakfast will be
served at school.
If icy conditions persist, it may be necessary to
operate schools and have reduced bus routes. If this
occurs, the radio announcement will state that buses
will operate on the emergency schedule. Parents on
roads where buses will not operate should get their
children to the location designated on the
emergency snow schedule until the bus can resume
its regular route. This information will be sent to
parents living on the emergency snow-schedule
routes.
EARLY DISMISSAL
BAD WEATHER DAYS IN SCHOOLCALENDAR
A storm can develop or conditions become
hazardous at anytime in the morning necessitating
an early closing. If this occurs, the high schools will
be dismissed at 12:00 p.m., middle schools at 12:15
p.m., and elementary schools at 1:00 p.m.When early
dismissal is announced, parents may go to the
schools and pick up their children. We ask your
cooperation in parking to avoid dangerous
situations for students and buses. During serious
weather conditions, these times may be changed and
announced on the identified communication
channels.
The School Board reserves the right to change the
calendar in relation to holiday observance and
make-up days (see school board policy). Seven (7)
inclement weather days are built into the 201617school calendar. The first five days missed are
made up one for one. If more than five teaching
days are missed, one day will be made up for each
two days missed in excess of 5 and up to 9 make-up
days. Fourteen or more teaching days missed will
require subsequent school board action to adjust
the school calendar.
TWO-HOUR DELAY
CONCERN FOR SAFETY
DIFFERING ROAD CONDITIONS
The condition of relatively narrow secondary roads
bears heavily on the decision to close schools as well
as to reopen them. Sometimes patrons ask why
schools are not in session after students have been
out a day or two and roads in Winchester and the
Any decision about closing schools is made with
safety of the students as the primary concern.
Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle School
134 Rosa Lane
Winchester, VA 22602
Frederick County Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its program and activities. The
following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination process:
Title IX Coordinator
Section 504 Coordinator
John Linaburg
Lynette Johnson
Exec. Dir. Of Human Resources
Dir. Of Special Services
1415 Amherst Street
1415 Amherst Street
Winchester, VA 22601
Winchester, VA 22601
540 662-3888
540 662-3888
For further information on notice of non-discrimination, see list of OCR enforcement offices for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area
or call 1-800-421-3481.