Belmont Ridge Middle School

“EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION”

19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, VA 20176

www.loudoun.k12.va.us/bmrms

A Message from Principal Hitchman…

I would like to thank the parents, teachers, students, staff, and

community members for volunteering their time during the past few months to

ensure our spring events were successful. From the rising parent nights to the

spring musical to the rising 6th

grade family dinner, we appreciate your

dedication to the programs offered at Belmont Ridge.

As we prepare to move into the month of May, we begin to look

towards the end of the school year and the events which will occur over the

span of the next six weeks….yes….six weeks until the end of the school year.

In these next six weeks, we will have band, chorus, guitar, and orchestra

concerts. Our 8th

grade students will celebrate the end of their middle school

years with field day, an 8th

grade dance, awards assembly, and culminating

with a promotion ceremony to 9th

grade. Our students have accomplished a lot

this year, and we look forward to recognizing them for their achievements.

May also signals the beginning of the SOL testing season. I would like

to thank our parents and students for taking advantage of the SOL preparation

sessions offered by our teachers before and after school. We will continue to

offer these preparation sessions until the SOL assessments are complete. Our

teachers and students have been preparing all year for the SOL assessments,

and we believe our students are prepared to continue the strong academic

reputation of Belmont Ridge.

The SOL’s are just one indicator of academic success. Our Science

Olympiad and Odyssey of the Mind teams both competed at the Virginia State

Tournament. Our music and art programs continue to thrive and represent

Belmont Ridge at regional, state, and national competitions. We are proud of

our students’ accomplishments, and we look forward to celebrating their

successes throughout the entire month.

I would once again like to thank our parents, teachers, students, staff,

and community not only for what we have done, but also for what we are about

to do. Belmont Ridge does not follow; Belmont Ridge leads, and I look

forward to the journey ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read our

newsletter. Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ryan P. Hitchman

Principal

Belmont Ridge Middle School

May 2014 Administrative Team

Mr. Ryan Hitchman

Principal

Mr. David McKenzie

Assistant Principal

Mr. Michael Surma

Assistant Principal

8th Grade

Ms. Giao Dang

Dean

Mrs. Marlo Newman

Secretary

Mrs. Amy Scott

Counselor

7th Grade

Mrs. Jennifer Ritenour

Dean

Mr. Damien White

Counselor

Mrs. Kelly Sovine

Secretary

6th Grade

Mr. Michael Skinner

Dean

Mrs. Kim Walters

Secretary

Mrs. Patty Bagdasarian

Counselor

Special Services

Mrs. Terry Mawyer

Counselor

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

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Burgundy Band 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

Burgundy Chorus 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

2

8th Grade

Panoramic Picture

8:45-9:15

3

4

5

Chess Club 3:30-4:30

6

Chorus 6 Concert

7:00PM - 9:00PM

7

Burgundy Band 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

Chorus 7 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

Book Club 3:30-4:30

8

Chorus 8 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

Silver Band 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

9 10

11 12

Chess Club 3:30-4:30

French Club 3:30-4:30

13

Band 6 Concert

7:00PM - 9:00PM

14

Band 7 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

Chorus 8 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

15

Band 8 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

Chorus 7 & 8

Concerts

7:00PM - 9:00PM

16 17

Chorus to

Hershey Park

18 19

Chess Club 3:30-4:30

Orchestra 8 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

20

Orchestra 7 & 8

Concerts

7:00PM - 9:00PM

Principal’s Coffee/

PTO Meeting (Café)

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

21

Band 7 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

22

Band 8 Rehearsal

3:30-4:30

Guitar 8 Rehearsal

7:45AM – 8:30AM

23 24

25

26

Memorial Day

No School

27

Band 7 & 8 Concerts

7:00PM - 9:00PM

28

Guitar 8 Concert

7:00PM - 8:30PM

Burgundy Orchestra 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

29

Silver Orchestra 6

Rehearsal 3:30-4:30

30

8

th Grade Dance

7:00PM - 9:00PM

31

2014

3

Belmont Ridge Middle School

Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessments Spring 2014

DATE SOL Testing (Grades 6-8) - Online

May 8, 9 Geometry

May 12, 13 Reading 8

May 14, 15 Reading 7

May 16, 19 Reading 6

May 20, 21 Algebra I, Math 8

May 22, 23 Math 7 (7th graders enrolled in Math 7 and 6th

graders enrolled in Accelerated Math)

May 27, 28 Civics, History 7

May 29, 30 Math 6 (6th graders enrolled in Math 6)

June 2, 3 Science 8, History 6

For more information and resources on the SOL assessments, you may go to the following websites: SOL practice items: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/practice_items/index.shtml Virginia Department of Education: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml Loudoun County Public Schools: www.lcps.org Go to Academics>Testing

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.

May Hot Meal Menu Schedule

5/5 Week 1

5/12 Week 2

5/19 Week 3

5/26 Week 1

4

LIBRARY NEWS!

Our used book sale will be held on June 6th, 9th, and 10th. Proceeds from the sale

will be used to support the library activities and the Belmont Ridge Book Club. Students can bring their donations to the library starting now until June 6th. The

used book sale would be a great opportunity for students to purchase summer reading material at bargain prices. Please think about donating your used books

for others to enjoy and support our book club!

Beginning May 5th, the library participates in SOL testing by becoming the testing

site with over 70 laptops wired to two hubs. As a result, we are not open for regular library services including extended hours. In anticipation of the library

being closed, students were encouraged to check out as many books as they needed until the end of the school year, during their last visit.

As the end of the year approaches, we would like to remind our students about their overdue library books. All library books are due on May 30th. Although there

are no fines collected for overdue books, they all have to be accounted for before

school closes for the summer. Books that are lost have to be paid for, and this can be done with either cash or a check. If you choose to pay by check, kindly make

your checks payable to Belmont Ridge Middle School. We would like to thank you for all your cooperation in helping us get our library books returned so that we can

get them inventoried, sorted and shelved for the new school year.

5

Counselor’s Corner…

Reminder: Course Selection changes are due to your child’s counselor by Friday, June 13, 2014.

Leadership Loudoun Youth 2014

Discover your leadership potential and style. Gain insight and inspiration from business, government and cultural leaders in your

community. Increase your confidence in leadership situations. Connect with peers from throughout Loudoun and have fun!

Details are below and on the following websites:

loudounyouth.org leadershiploudounyouth.org

Select your week: July 14-18 or August 4-8

Eligibility The class is open to all Loudoun County public, private and home

school students who will be in 10th grade or above in the 2014-2015

school year. We strive to have representation from all corners of

Loudoun County and all high schools including home schools.

Class Content

Workshops on leadership, teams, public speaking and more

An overnight retreat including a guided ropes course team-

building experience

Behind the scenes tours of business, agricultural, technical and

cultural sites that make our county a thriving environment

Direct interaction with Loudoun County government, business

and community leaders

Motivational speaker to highlight the graduation ceremony

Class size is limited to 25 students per class to encourage team

building and provide genuine experiences in a small group

setting.

You will gain...

Leadership insights and communication skills

Poise and confidence

Valuable knowledge about your community and environment

Exposure to local leaders

New ideas on how you can make a difference

New friends and experiences

Loudoun Youth

Annual Partners

Quick Links

6

Tuition Tuition is $450 and includes the workshops, tours, presentations,

course materials, overnight accommodations and ropes course,

Monday dinner, Tuesday breakfast, lunch Tues-Friday.

Entry Applications must be submitted online by Saturday, May 31,

2014. Acceptance notification will take place by June 15. Space is

limited to 25 students per class.

A limited number of scholarships are available with referrals from

counselors based on merit and need. Contact us for more details.

Adult volunteers and youth internship applications are also being

accepted. Details.

For More Information... Call Mike Morgan at 703 963-4292 or Barbara Josselyn at 703 431-2303

or send an email to info@leadershiploudounyouth.org or

bjosselyn@loudounyouth.org.

Leadership Loudoun Youth Deadlines and Dates

Tuesday, April 1 Applications Open. APPLY HERE. May 31 Application deadline for both classes. June 15 Acceptance notices sent July 14-18 Class #1 Aug 4-8 Class #2

This year's Spotlight Sponsor for Leadership Loudoun Youth:

Leadership Loudoun Youth is a collaborative effort of Loudoun

Youth, Inc. and Leadership Loudoun. Special thanks also to LCPS,

the Loudoun County Dept. of Economic Development, the many

businesses, agencies, elected and community leaders who

participate in the program.

Application form

Sponsor information Volunteer information

Leadership Loudoun Youth

Loudoun Youth Inc.

Leadership Loudoun

Become a Sponsor

To help us continue and expand this

valuable program for Loudoun County

youth,

please contact Carol Kost at 703 362-0765

or see sponsorship details

www.loudounyouth.org

6th

Grade: Mrs. Patti Bagdasarian 7th

Grade: Mr. Damien White 8th

Grade: Mrs. Amy Scott

Patti.Bagdasarian@lcps.org Damien.White@lcps.org Amy.Scott@lcps.org

Special Services: Mrs. Terry Mawyer

Terry.Mawyer@lcps.org

7

WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

Introducing Ms. Marcia Kline-Libertz

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Marcia Kline-Libertz will be serving as the long-term substitute for

the remainder of the school year for Ms. Primeggia’s Spanish classes. Ms. Kline-Libertz has taught

Spanish I and II in Fairfax and Loudoun counties at the middle and high school levels. We are fortunate

to have someone with her credentials and experience.

Requirements for Promotion

Our goal is to support our students to go as far and as fast as they wish in the foreign language sequence

available in our county program. Colleges are increasingly interested in a long sequence in one language.

Please be advised that a minimum grade of B is recommended for admission to the next level in foreign

languages at the high school by high school counselors and our faculty. Parents are encouraged to discuss

placement for next year with the student’s teacher. In some cases, the path of success is to spend an

additional year reviewing the foundational material so as to have a solid base to build a high school

foreign language career.

Final Review for End of Year Exams

A review packet will also be provided in mid-May to help prepare for the final. It is indispensable that

students avail themselves of these opportunities to review.

Reinforcement and Enrichment

Summer in the Arts Programs offered in LCPS allow students to reinforce their language skills through

the foreign language institute.

French Blog

French students are completing the year with a blog in Vision. Students have posted and will be

contributing interesting links, video clips, articles, songs and lyrics, movie trailers, and educational apps

for French. This completes our goal of supplementing French courses with items of cultural and

entertainment value.

RELAY FOR LIFE NEWS!!

Stop cancer! Donate to Belmont’s Relay for Life team!

Want to put an end to cancer? Support Belmont Ridge’s Relay for Life team! We’ll be walking

for 18 hours on May 31-June 1 at Heritage High School in Leesburg at the Loudoun County

Relay for Life. Belmont’s team is open to all students and frequently receives help from many

different staff members. We’ve been working hard to raise money and awareness for the

American Cancer Society. So far this year we have hosted a Faculty Celebrity Fashion Show,

sold 35 dozen donuts, and sponsored a bake sale at the Ashburn Farm Giant. Our next fundraiser

asks for parents to help. It’s called Bucket Day. We’ll be collecting change and dollars when

parents drop off kids at Kiss ‘n Go on May 15-16. If you would like to make a donation to

Belmont’s Relay for Life team, Google “Loudoun Relay for Life”; once on the site, click on

Teams and then Belmont Ridge Middle School. Thanks for your support!

8

8th

Grade Year End Celebrations!!!

The 8th Grade Grad committee is hard at work planning the fun events for our graduates. Parents of

8th graders, please mark the following dates on your calendar:

May 2nd: 8th Grade Panoramic Picture @ 8:45 a.m. May 30th: 8th Grade Dance at Belmont Ridge @ 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

June 2nd: Awards Assembly at Belmont Ridge @ 7:00 p.m. June 4th: Field Trip/Party at Freedom Park @ 9:00 a.m.

June 12th: 8th Grade Promotion at Stone Bridge High School @ 7:00 p.m.

ON MAY 5th Permission slips for the Field Trip/Party at Freedom Park will be going out to parents via e-mail. Please complete the form

and have your child return it to Mrs. Newman by May 23rd. If you do not receive a form via e-mail, please contact Mrs. Newman for a hard copy.

The 8th Grade parent committee is hard at work planning the fun events for our 8th graders. The

committee is still collecting donations to pay for these events. They are still shy of the total needed to

fund all of the fun events planned. We have a total of 503 8th graders who will be going on to high

school. If you haven't already donated, please click on the link below and fill out the donation

request form. Please send in the form and at least $20 to cover the costs of the above events. We are

looking forward to a great spring celebrating our graduates.

Volunteer: Volunteer in a variety of ways, including set-up, clean-up, decorations, and

chaperone. We look forward to working with as many 8th grade families as possible! We

know it will be a memorable time for our kids! Please contact Lynette Hartmann at

hartmann51@msn.com or 571-333-0356, if you are interested in volunteering.

8th GRADE YEAR END DONATION FORM

Please complete and return to 8th Grade House ASAP.

Parent Name: _______________________________________________________

Student’s Name: ____________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________________

__ Enclosed is my minimum $ 20.00 donation. (Make checks payable to Belmont Ridge, write "8th grade celebration" on memo line)

9

The Belmont Ridge SCA presents:

End of the Year Carnival!

Featuring: • Inflatable Obstacle Course • Teacher Dunk Tank • Relay Race • Beach Ball Volleyball • And other games with PRIZES!

WHEN: Friday, June 6th 3:30-5:30 WHERE: At BEMS on the Basketball

Courts outside of the Gym

COST: $5 admission includes all activities, raffle ticket, and water

*This event is for Belmont Ridge Middle School Students Only*

10

Bright Life Buddies

~Presents~

Saturday, May 3rd 11:00am-2pm

Belmont Ridge Middle School

FUN-GAMES-PRIZES-FOOD

$5.00 for 10 Tickets

Support Autism Awareness

SPRING CARNIVAL