The Mustang Messenger

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Good evening, Simpson Mustang Families!

The first day of 2023-2024 will be upon us this coming Thursday, August 24, 2023!

Thank you for your patience in receiving this evening's message...and we are hoping that you had a beautiful, sunny weekend with your family and friends!

Here is the first edition of our Official Simpson Mustang Stampede Back to School Guide. Additional information will be sent this week in further editions to support a successful return to school for all of our Mustangs as we begin 2023-2024 together.

We cannot wait to see all of you this week! Our entire staff has been incredibly dedicated to collaborating as a team to welcome you to a wonderful school year ahead!

Have a fantastic week and we shall see all of you soon!

Frank G. "Tripp" Di Nicola, III, Ed.D.

Principal

J.L. Simpson Middle School

J. L. Simpson Middle School’s annual Open House/Load Your Locker event is on Tuesday, August 22 at the times listed above for specific grade levels. We look forward to welcoming you and your students into the building, allowing them to walk through their schedule and meet their teachers, and make their locker their personal space in the school building. A few quick notes about the event are below:

• Parking will be available in the main parking lot. Upon parking, students and families will be directed to the back of the lot to enter the building through door B13. Please see the map below this text box to locate this entrance.
• Students and their families are to proceed into the main gymnasium upon entering B13 to pick up updated course schedules from our school counseling staff.
• Schedules printed by students/families before our Open House may not reflect accurate locker numbers, combinations or teachers and classes. We are still making a few changes. Please use StudentVue when in the building or pick up your student schedule in the main gym for the most accurate representation.
• Students are encouraged to bring all supplies and place them in their lockers and practice their combinations. School staff will be on site if assistance is needed in opening lockers. Please refrain from posting stickers/pictures or writing in/on our lockers as this may damage their exterior/interior so that they may remain in quality condition for now and future years.
• Students are encouraged to walk their schedule to get an understanding of where classes are located, as well as meet their teachers in their classrooms.
• We encourage 6th grade students to attend the event from 2:00-4:00 PM and 7th and 8th grade students to attend from 4:30-6:00 PM. All teachers/staff will be available for the provided time frames if families are unable to attend the designated windows for their students. Staff will be unavailable from 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM as they will be having their dinner together.
• We look forward to welcoming all of our Mustang students to the Simpson schoolhouse! Please connect with us at 571-252-2840 or e-mail the grade-level dean for your child with any questions:

Grade 6: Katherine.Hailey@lcps.org

Grade 7: Brent.Washburn@lcps.org

Grade 8: Brandon.Filsinger@lcps.org

Transportation Reminders/FAQ:

Please check out the useful document attached below this section for some Frequently Asked Questions and information about LCPS transportation.

Students Walking to School:

Simpson has several neighborhood areas in the walk zone. Students that live in these locations may walk or bike to school. Students must follow these rules when walking/biking to school:

• Students walking or biking to school must always consider using the safest route. Parents are asked to review the safest route and proper procedures for crossing a street.
• Students should use cross walks throughout the community where available.
• Students must stay on a sidewalk while walking to school and must use crosswalks to safely come to school.
• Students who live in the Simpson walk zone are permitted to ride their bike to school. Students should follow safety guidelines and must wear a helmet. All bikes are to be secured in the bike rack at the front entrance.
• Walkers must abide by all school rules while walking or biking to and from school. School rules apply until students safely enter their homes.

General Information About Your Mustang's Class Schedule

Simpson students and their families can access their daily course schedules via StudentVue/ParentVue after acknowledging the Student Rights and Responsibilities for Families and Student Code of Conduct.

For information on how to access StudentVue/ParentVue, please click this link.

Here are some important tips for reading your class schedule:

• Each day has 8 periods, A1 - A8, and B1 - B8.
• Content classes (examples include English, Math, Science, History, ICA and Art) meet for two (2) periods: Ex: A1/2.
• 6th graders have English on A days and B days (but not necessarily the same block).

• Example: English may be block 3/4 on A days and 5/6 on B days

• Whichever block appears to be "missing" on your student's schedule is their English block. You may see English on A day block 3/4 but nothing for B day block 5/6. This will be their B day English class (same teacher and classroom as A day).

The following Classes only meet for a semester:

• 6th Grade ICA & Art

• 7th Grade FACS 7 & Tech Ed 7

• Look for 1st Semester to know which class you will have first

  
  

The following classes meet during one (1) period: Ex: A1, A3, B5, B8

• 6th Grade Music (Band, Strings, Chorus, Music Lab)

• 6th Grade Resource

• 6th Grade Spectrum

• 7th Grade Fine Arts (Band, Guitar, Strings, Chorus, Art)

• 7th Grade Resource

• 7th Grade Spectrum

• 8th Grade Reading

• 8th Grade Spectrum

Schedule Changes

Please note that we are not able to honor requests for specific teachers or make course changes. Please communicate with the grade level counselor if you believe there is an error in your child's schedule.

Please check out our regular bell schedule pasted above. We will provide additional bell schedules for any school delays, our club days, or special events in our Official Simpson Mustang Stampede Back to School Guide. Notifications of any updates to the day's schedule will always be sent via Remind as well. Stay tuned!

Our main entrance and parent - student drop-off doors will open at 8:10 AM.

Each day students will report to welcoming areas supported by Simpson staff members and are required to remain in that location until release to advisory and the beginning of our school day.

WELCOMING AREAS by GRADE LEVEL:

8th Grade - Auditorium

7th Grade - Main Gym

6th Grade - Auxiliary Gym

Students will be released from their welcoming areas by 8:25 AM to report to their advisory classes by 8:30 AM.

We will have many staff members around to support our students in arriving at their locations each and every day, so please encourage your Simpson Mustangs to find any one of us to help whenever needed!

The last bell will ring at 3:18 PM to signify the end of our school day.

Download a PDF printable version of the 2023-2024 A-B Day Calendar below!

In addition to bringing a charged Chromebook on a daily basis to school, our students will learn what is essential for each class session from their teachers via a syllabus/classroom expectations guide provided on the first day of school.

For the time being, check out the graphic above for every day essentials that can make the Simpson experience the best!

LCPS has updated this information with a refreshed title this year with the release of the Student Rights and Responsibilities for Families and Student Code of Conduct.

As Simpson will be aligning completely with this useful guide, please take time to review it with your Simpson Mustang prior to the start of the new school year and save it for future reference.

Click here to access the SY 2023-2024 Student Rights and Responsibilities for Families and Student Code of Conduct.

Are you trying to figure out how to stay involved during those middle school years?

There are small and big ways that really make an impact on our AMAZING school!

The PTO has many things planned for our staff and students! Check out our Volunteer Signup! A board member will reach out with more details!

• FREE Grade Level Events for each grade
• Monty's Cafe (Coming back for a 3rd year)
• Family Bingo Night w/ Silent Auction and Concessions
• Enhance our social media platforms
• Lots of Appreciation Days / Weeks for Staff
• Joint 5K with other middle schools

Click here for the Official J.L. Simpson MS PTO Webpage.

We look forward to engaging all of our Mustang families in PTO in service and support of all of our children!

Anyone else super busy with getting everything ready for back to school and fall sports gearing up?

Let the Simpson PTO help with getting dinner on the table a little easier.

Click here for the official link with more info.

For the next month you can order from Little Caesars. Orders are for either:

1. A hot meal deal that you can pick up right from our local Little Caesars.

2. Pizza, breadstick or cookie kits that are delivered right to your door!

This fundraiser is national, so please share the link above with friends and family. You can also place as many orders during the month that you want.

Thank you for supporting our PTO and JLS Mustang Family!

The English Department is in desperate need of help in organizing their bookroom so that it is usable by September. Let's see if we can help them knock this out!

Volunteers will:

• Sort grade level books onto carts and take them to the teachers;
• Alphabetize all book sets by author and put them into cabinets or bookshelves;
• Box up all miscellaneous books and move them to be stored for the Used Book Sale in Spring 2024.
• Please sign up here to help out!

Email: Tripp.DiNicola@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/jlsms
Location: J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Evergreen Mills Rd, Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone: 5712522840
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLSimpsonMS2020/
Twitter: @JLSMS_Official