Laurel Ridge Newsletter 2/21/25
A Lion's Tale

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A Lion's Tale

M Counts

Greetings Laurel Ridge Families,

Last week, I shared some conversation starters for caregivers to talk with children about friends and kindness.  While we always strive for harmony, conflicts do arise.  Consider the questions below for talking with your child about friendship challenges.

About Handling Disagreements/Conflict:

  • "What do you do when you disagree with a friend?"
  • "How can you solve a problem with a friend without getting angry?"
  • "Have you ever had a disagreement with a friend? How did you work it out?"
  • "It's okay to feel upset with a friend, but how can you talk about it calmly?"
  • "What are some things you can do if someone is being unkind to you or a friend?"
  • "If you see someone being bullied, what can you do to help?"
  • "Sometimes friends make mistakes. How can we forgive them and move forward?"

We hope to see you at PTA’s Passport to the World event this evening and at next Wednesday’s Math Madness event!

REMINDER:  Monday, February 24th, is a 3-hour early release.  You should have received a confirmation email with your child’s designated dismissal plan.  Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Megan Counts
Laurel Ridge Elementary Principal


LR Lion

Upcoming Laurel Ridge Events

Monday, February 24  3-Hour Early Release (12:55pm)

Wednesday, February 26  Math Madness Family Night (see below) 6:30-7:30pm

Saturday, March 15  Run for the Ridge! (see below)

Monday, March 17  3-Hour Early Release (12:55pm)

Monday, March 31  School Holiday - Eid


3-Hour Early Release Monday 2/24

REMINDER:  Monday, February 24th, is a 3-hour early release.  You should have received a confirmation email with your child’s designated dismissal plan.

calendar reminder

Run Shirt


Saturday, March 15, 2025

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our annual school fundraiser, Run for the Ridge, on Saturday March 15. 

What:  5K fun run and Kindergarten dash

Who:  All Laurel Ridge Families and Staff

When:  Saturday, March 15th at 8:00am:

8:00am -  warm-ups 
8:15am -  Kindergarten Dash
8:30am -  5K through the neighborhood

Where:  Meet at the Laurel Ridge bus loop, then run around the block 4 times.

Why:  To raise money for technology at Laurel Ridge and have fun!

Our online store for registration closed 2/18, but if you'd still like to participate, we can accept payment and registration on site on 3/15.
Registrations on 3/15 are not guaranteed a t-shirt.

If you plan to register in person, please have $20 per participant in cash or check and sign the event waiver at the table by the flagpole.  


Math Madness

Math Madness Family Night
Wednesday, February 26  6:30-7:30pm

Join us for a night of math games and activities designed to bring families, students, and teachers together while reinforcing concepts being learned in school. Come enjoy the math, snacks, and fun and leave with great ways to support math skills at home!


neena

Dean of Students

Laurel Ridge is excited to announce a new leadership role to better support students.  Ms. Neena Florio will now serve as Laurel Ridge’s Dean of Students.  To further clarify this role, the Dean of Students is more like the Dean of ABCs – attendance, behavior, and cultural proficiency.  Ms. Florio’s work will align the efforts happening across grade levels and school-wide teams under the umbrella of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).  This holistic and cohesive approach will positively impact supports, interventions, and opportunities for all students.  Ms. Florio is not a new face at Laurel Ridge.  She has served in a variety of leadership positions at Laurel Ridge, including Instructional Coach and Acting Assistant Principal. Prior to joining Laurel Ridge, Ms. Florio was an Instructional Coach at Parklawn Elementary and a secondary math teacher in both New York and FCPS.


Military Child

April is the Month of the Military Child and we will celebrate Purple Up Day on April 9, 2025. Purple is the combined color of all the Military Service Branches. We invite you to wear Purple on April 9th to show support for our military families.

If you would like to order a FCPS Purple Up Day shirt, you may use this link: click here.

Orders are due by March 7, 2025