John Champe Knightly News

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Calendar reminders

Dec. 11-15: Winter Spirit Week, part 1 (see the daily themes below)

Dec. 12: Deadline for gift card donations to the main office (see note from Family Liaison below)

Dec. 12: Choir winter concert, 7pm

Dec. 13: Guitar winter concert, 7pm

Dec. 14: Orchestra winter concert, 7pm

Dec. 14: Faculty Holiday Buffet, PLEASE see the PTSA section to sign up before the 14th!

Dec. 21-Jan. 1: Winter Break

Jan. 2: Return to school - A Day schedule

Jan. 12: Last day for late student work and credit recovery for quarter 2

Jan. 15: School holiday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Jan. 17: WIDA Testing

Jan. 19: Last day of quarter two

Jan. 22: Student holiday; Teacher workday

Jan. 29-Feb. 2: Winter Spirit Week, part 2

School Accreditation

Our school is going through the Cognia Accreditation process this school year. Please complete the survey you received. Thank you for helping us collect pertinent data for our school's accreditation!

The yearbook is available for purchase now! You can go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter our school code: 13848. Be sure to check out the options for purchasing senior ads as well. Senior ads are a great way to celebrate your child and give you and your family a printed memory that will last forever! To order your ad, go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter our school code: 13848; you'll then navigate to "Start Your Ad". Prices range from $60-500 depending on size of ad.

You can order your student's Letter Jacket even if they're not a senior yet! In fact, the earlier you order, the earlier the student can wear theirs. Click HERE for the link to the Jostens site to customize today!

You can also sponsor a launch for JCHS Model Rocketry! See the details below!

Quarterly Checkpoint

We are now over the midpoint of quarter two. Please check your student's progress in ParentVue and remind your student to communicate with their teachers about any missing work, retakes, or other areas for improvement.

Academies of Loudoun

Check out the flyer below from Mrs. King about the application process for the Academies.

Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition: Encourages middle and high school youth, across the county to identify an issue in their school, neighborhood, or community, create a plan to address that issue, and implement the plan. The goal is to encourage, support and reward the youth of Loudoun County for making positive changes in their own lives and the lives of others.

If interested, go to the Loudoun Youth website and click on Step Up competition info or click HERE for the flyer; registration closes Jan. 12

Please donate to our gift card collection to support our Winter Giving Program. Check out this SignUp Genius link for where you may be able to contribute to support the community this winter season. Gift cards of any amount from Walmart, TJ Maxx, Target, Grocery Stores, Gas Station, or Amazon can be dropped off in the Main Office between now and Tuesday, December 12th. Please write "Attn: Family Liaison Ms. Mars" on the envelope. Please contact Ms. Mars with any questions.

Family Liaison: Patricia (Minardi) Mars

Phone: 703-722-2680 ext 80285

Email: Patricia.Minardi@lcps.org

Social Media and Cyberbullying: What Parents Need to Know on December 11 at the LCPS Administration Building

LCPS Opioid Awareness Task Force

Upcoming Fentanyl prevention and information awareness sessions are planned for:

• Thursday, Dec. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Gum Springs Library (24600 Millstream Dr., Stone Ridge) View and download to share flyers (English and Spanish) about this event.
• Thursday, Jan. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Historic Douglass High School (407 East Market Street, Leesburg)
• Saturday, Jan. 27, during the United for Wellness Conference and Resource Fair at Riverside High School

LCPS will be adding more monthly information sessions to the calendar and continuing to emphasize the dangers of fentanyl, opioids and other drugs with our students.

Opioids: What you Need to Know

Youth Fentanyl Prevention Resources

Naloxone
LCPS has naloxone, also called Narcan, available at every secondary school in the division (high schools and middle schools). Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. LCPS employees are trained to administer this medication, and all School Resource Officers for Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and Leesburg Police Department carry it as well.

In addition, the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, an LCPS partner, offers virtual and in-person REVIVE! trainings to help community members identify an opioid overdose and learn how to administer naloxone. Anyone who completes these trainings can receive a free dose of naloxone, an opioid-reversing medication.

Student Information
LCPS middle and high school students are regularly informed about the dangers of opioids and other illicit drugs through health and physical education classes. In addition, Student Assistance Specialists, who have mental health and substance abuse expertise, provide presentations to middle- and high-schoolers throughout the year and partner with their respective schools to plan additional information opportunities, including assemblies, student-led campaigns, and classroom lessons.

The Opioid Awareness Task Force is also distributing Fentanyl Awareness Information, which is being posted throughout LCPS secondary schools.

Family Resources
Please talk with your children, teens and young people about the dangers of Fentanyl. Please talk with them about the dangers of taking any substance not authorized by their own parent, guardian or doctor. A recent DEA public health alert notes that “laboratory testing indicates 7 out of every 10 pills seized by DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.” Learn more at https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

Fentanyl is often added to other drugs that look like legitimate prescription opioids (e.g., Xanax, Adderall, Percocet or oxycodone), or mixed into powders or nasal sprays. (US Drug Enforcement Administration)

Please visit the LCPS Drug Awareness webpage to find information and resources to help you understand more and speak with your student about the dangers associated with Fentanyl.

And, please call local law enforcement if you or your student have seen these pills. Speaking up may save someone’s life. You can also contact the Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Developmental Services to get help for a friend or loved one struggling with substance abuse.

Click HERE for LCPS Parent Resource Service site.

Rocketry

Model Rocketry Club's ARC competition team presented at the annual VSTE conference in Roanoke last weekend. Tremendous job well done!

Track

Congratulations to Nick Rini, who broke a school record in the two-mile event last weekend.

In alumni news, Katriel Amoyaw broke a freshman record at William and Mary in her first meet in the Long Jump. She is now #2 of all time at W&M and on her way to a school record already.

CyberPatriot

Champe CyberPatriot will be participating in the State Round of the CyberPatriot cybersecurity challenge. Two of our teams will be competing in the platinum tier, which means that they scored in the top 30% in the nation in the previous two rounds. This is a first for our club in three years! Best wishes to these students!

Quarter One Success

248 students earned all “A” Honor Roll

636 students earned all “A/B” Honor Roll

884 total Honor Roll recipients, which is 50.4% of all students earning an Honor Roll status!!!

Did you know?

LCPS launched SHINE: Spotlight Heroes In Education as a way for staff and community members to recognize the tremendous work occurring around the county. Would you like to shout out an inspirational or above-and-beyond moment you've had because of a staff member at JCHS? If so, check out this link to submit a nomination!

College and Career Center News

For SENIORS and their parents -- If you are college bound or planning to attend Northern Virginia Community College or any trade school, you will be REQUIRED to complete the FAFSA.

The FAFSA opens on December 31, 2023. Since the FAFSA is opening so late this year due to revisions, you should try to complete the form within the first two weeks of January (not required, but strongly encouraged). Your student will not receive a Financial Aid Package from whatever school they get admitted to until the FAFSA has been submitted.

JCH, in conjunction with Freedom and Lightridge, will be having a FAFSA workshop on January 9th at 7pm Freedom High School. Mark your calendar!

BEFORE January 9th, you will want your FSA ID to be completed, and for you to make an attempt to complete as much as you can of the FAFSA. What you don't complete, or don't understand, that is what the workshop if for. See you there!

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For ongoing CCC news, check out this newsletter. For great listings, links, and dates for available scholarships, click HERE. Looking for job or volunteer opportunities? Then please check HERE!

Service: Knights Give Back

Students can click HERE or the button below for codes to join their service course if they haven't yet. In the course, students can access this year's log as well as service opportunities that are shared with the school throughout the year.

Theatre:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Audition Meeting

Jan. 11th 4:30pm

Friday Knight Live

January 19th and 20th at 7pm

Tickets at Champehs.booktix.com

COOKIES NEEDED FOR FACULTY COOKIE BUFFET

Our annual Teacher Holiday Buffet is back on Thursday, December 14 - hot cocoa and cookies to show our appreciation! Please sign up to donate items or volunteer for the event here. Or, if you're not a baker but want to help, please consider donating funds to help pay for the treats.

PTSA GENERAL MEETING: NONE in December

During the holiday season, it can be difficult for everyone to find time to meet. Our next PTSA meeting will be January 18. We’ll see you in 2024!

2023-2024 PTSA SCHOLARSHIP

We are proud to offer four $500 scholarships to graduating seniors planning to enter and attend a university, college, or technical school next fall. To qualify to apply, students must be a member of the JCHS PTSA by January 19, 2024. Should any student for fiscal reasons be unable to cover the $10 student membership fee, they should speak to their counselor immediately. Completed scholarship applications must be submitted to Karen King, Career Center Specialist, by 4:18 pm on Thursday, February 22, 2024. You may email or drop off the completed application to JCHS Main Office.

NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Reach us by email (johnchampeptsa@gmail.com), check out our website (http://jchampeptsa.org/), or check out our social accounts (Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter).

Dec. 14: Minority Student Achievement and Advisory Committee dinner and social inviation - click HERE for details and to RSVP

Environmental Excellence Award Nominations are now open; click HERE for info and to make a nomination

School business partnership awards nominations are now open; click HERE to submit your nomination

Take AP Exams - click HERE for info on how AP exams benefit your student

Adult education: English Learners Classes are available through LCPS. Click HERE for details to register. GED Math Workshop - click HERE. Enrichment classes offered; click HERE for options and registration. Upcoming sessions in October include Google and Computing and Business classes.

Drive for LCPS! Click HERE to learn more.

Student leadership conference opportunity - click HERE for details

Teens for Tomorrow sessions - click HERE for information

Coding for Youth classes - click HERE

New, Optional Service Provides Report of Student Website Access on LCPS Devices

ew this school year, LCPS is introducing an optional and free service for families called Lightspeed Parent Portal. Families who elect to use this service will receive weekly reports by email that list websites their student(s) are accessing when using their LCPS-issued Chromebook or laptop. For instructions, additional information and details on how to sign up, see the Lightspeed Parent Portal website.

Dec. 21-Jan. 1: Winter Break

Jan. 9: FAFSA workshop at 7pm (Freedom High School)

Jan. 11: Theatre's audition meeting for Cinderella

Jan. 12: Last day for late student work for quarter 2

Jan. 17: WIDA Testing

Jan. 19: Last day of quarter two

Jan. 19 and 20: Avalon Theatre's "Friday Knight Live" at 7pm

Jan. 22: Student holiday; Teacher workday

April 13: Prom

June 18: Graduation at EagleBank Arena

2023 All Rights Reserved – Loudoun County Public Schools