Vote for Your Teacher of the Year!

Do you know a teacher who demonstrates exemplary qualities as an educator at Lee High School? Do you feel he or she deserves to be nominated for Teacher of the Year (TOY)? Let us know! Annually we recognize a teacher at Lee for outstanding performance.

Write a brief recommendation of your deserving teacher and give it to the main office for the PTSA or email it to dawn.stoffelen@fairfaxcounty.gov by Wednesday, January 3rd. Voting will take place from Thursday, January 5 to Sunday, January 8. More information about the voting process will be forthcoming. The Lee High School TOY nomination will be announced the week of January 17, 2012.

To be eligible for nomination, the teacher must:

• Have at least five consecutive years of teaching experience.
• Have been on a full-time teaching contract in FCPS since at least January 2009.
• Currently teach in FCPS.
• Plan to continue active teaching status next year.
• Hold a current, renewable 5-year VA teaching license.
• Teach a group(s) of students on a regular basis.
• Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.

Nominees must be teachers who:

• Instill in students a desire to learn and achieve.
• Understand the individual needs of students, encourage their talents, and foster their self-esteem.
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of subject matter and the ability to share it effectively with students.
• Foster cooperative relationships with colleagues and the community.
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership.

Nominators…

• Any FCPS teacher, administrator, or other staff member; student or former student; parent; Fairfax County government employee; or citizen may nominate a teacher for this award.
• One individual must submit the nomination. A group may provide a letter in support of the nomination.
• An individual may nominate only one person for the award.
• Teachers may not nominate themselves.

‘All for Lee’ Meeting on Jan. 9

In place of January’s PTSA meeting, the Sports Booster’s will be hosting the “All for Lee” meeting on Monday, January 9 at 7 p.m. in the Library. All Lee High School parents are invited to attend this quarterly meeting as it gives the PTSA and Booster Groups (Sports, Band, Orchestra, Chorus, Drama, etc.) the opportunity to share information for upcoming events. Our goal is to work collaboratively together as we explore ways to effectively reach out to our surrounding community. For more information please contact Dawn Stoffelen dawn.stoffelen@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Help Our Neighbors in Need

In conjunction with ECHO (http://www.echo-inc.org/), the Lee High School PTSA is collecting new or gently used winter coats, hats and gloves for area families in need.

ECHO can use winter wear from infant to adult sizes for either gender. Please do not send anything that is dirty or has broken zippers or missing buttons.

A collection box will be located near the main office. ECHO distributes emergency food, clothing, and household items, and provides transportation, a variety of related family counseling services, and limited financial assistance to families in the Springfield/Burke area experiencing temporary difficulties.

For more information contact Susan Maher at susansings@verizon.net.

Join the Lee PTSA Today!

Learn all the benefits to joining your Parent, Teacher & Student Association! Click here: LeeHSMemberhsipForm11

Why should you support your association? There are lots of reasons. The PTSA:

• Recognizes academic achievement by presenting annual academic awards.
• Shows appreciation to Lee’s hardworking teachers and staff at annual events and recognizes the Teacher of the Year.
• Provides financial support to student organizations.
• Informs parents about important events and issues at Lee  and across Fairfax County through regular emails and its website, www.leeptsa.org.
• Helps fund the All Night Grad Party.
• Provides volunteers at school events.
• Gave a total $3,000 in college scholarships last year.
• Encourages communication between all Lee parent organizations and booster groups.
• Shares important information at its meetings and gives its members the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns.

News You Can Use

ALL NIGHT GRAD CELEBRATION: Click the link to the right for an update and necessary forms. Mark your calendars now for June 14, 2012! Our graduates will be treated to a SAFE celebration including entertainment, music, sporting events, prizes and food galore in a SAFE, chaperoned, and controlled environment; therefore, NO alcohol and NO drugs.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Jan. 3, 2012: Return to School

Jan. 9: “All for Lee” meeting (see post above)

YEARBOOK INFORMATION FOR SENIORS: All senior baby ads are due by December 1. Please send in your pictures, dedication, and check soon. Space is limited and slots are selling quickly! Questions? See the Yearbook link on Lee’s webpage: http://www.fcps.edu/LeeHS/. You also can contact any yearbook staffer or Mrs. Lee in room 187. Buy your yearbook today and save! Prices will go up after December 1, so be sure to secure your book at a lower cost: www.yearbookordercenter.com. Use school code #5216. Or call 1-866-287-3096.

TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS: With its purchasing power, FCPS has great deals for Microsoft products. For instance, you can purchase the Office Suite for only $32. Also, Community Internet Access Maps have recently been updated and include a map and a list of community Internet access sites in each of the high school pyramid neighborhoods and the surrounding areas. Information on these programs and more are available at www.fcps.edu under Help with Homework in the Parent tab.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEWS! Did you miss the weekly Lee Happenings KIT? Go to the Lee Happenings page to check out this important information!!! This page can also be accessed via the Parents’ page. Need to know what’s going on at Lee? Go to the Lee Master Calendar.

SHOP, SAVE, AND RAISE FUNDS FOR LEE! Lee High School is excited to announce our partnership with FundsOn.com to make fundraising easy. Now you can shop at local businesses at a fraction of the regular price and raise money to support your school every day! Some of the upcoming business discounts are at least 50% off from Target, Tortilla Factory, Panache and Bark & Bubble. It costs nothing to register, and Lee gets $1 for each person that joins.

FundsOn is like Social Living and Groupon.com, where they offer deals. For example, recently it offered a Starbucks card worth $10 for $4. There is a limited number available each day, but it is a great deal. See below for more information and how to sign up!

FundsOn will donate $100 for every 100 supporters that sign up. You can even ask your friends and neighbors to join the page. To top it off, FundsOn is matching dollar-for-dollar money raised by online purchases for the month of February. Please join our page today and help us raise money for scoreboards in the gym and on the football field. It’s easy to join:

• Go to http://www.fundson.com/RobertELeeHighSchool/
• Click on ‘Join Now’ button
• Add your email id and password to create an account (do NOT use your FCPS e-mail address!)

There is no charge for signing up and your ID and password are never shared with any third party.

This method of fundraising makes it super easy for families to shop and eat where they normally do, at their convenience, and have the Lee Activities Office receive a benefit as well. Once you make a purchase, you simply print it out and take it with you when you eat or shop. If you have questions, please contact the Activities Office at (703) 924-8352 or llbarb@fcps.edu.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH LEE ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES? Follow us on Facebook.  Search Robert E. Lee Activities on Facebook and Twitter at http://twitter.com/#search?q=LancersDSA or search LancersDSA.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.” —Alice Walker, American author

CONTACT US if you have news to post: Pete van Aartrijk, editor at peter@Aartrijk.com. Volunteers, thanks for your support of the Lee High School community!

All-Night Grad Celebration Details

 Robert E. Lee High School All Night Grad Celebration

Class of 2012

Thursday, June 14, 11:00 p.m. – Friday, June 15, 5:00 a.m.

South Run Recreation Center

All Night Grad (ANG) is sponsored by the Lee Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). TICKETS ANGC Ticket Form to this parent-chaperoned, drug and alcohol-free event currently cost $65. Complete both sides of the ticket form and return, with payment, to the front office. Graduates who attend the celebration will receive gifts and enjoy food, games, music, swimming and entertainment.

The ANG celebration costs approximately $25,000. Please consider volunteering before, during or immediately after the event. Each of us must play a role to ensure that every Lee High School Senior thrives and survives after graduation. ANG meetings will be held the third Wednesday of the month from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the library. The first meeting is Wednesday, September 21.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities access the ANG volunteer BROCHURE (ANG2012brochure.)

The ANG ticket committee is currently selling YARD SIGNS (ANG2012yardsigns.) Buy one today for $18 and then place it in your yard to show your son or daughter how much you love them!

MEETINGS: If you’d like to help, the All Night Grad gang meets 7 pm to 8 pm on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the cafeteria. Help the senior parents plan and throw a big — and safe — party that our 2012 graduates will remember for the rest of their lives. Those of us who have worked this event in the past can tell you this: It is WAY fun and the kids absolutely love it! And we have lots of different tasks for you to contribute your time. Our meetings are short and to the point and you’ll come away excited! See below and link to the right for more information.

If you would like to help but are unable to attend meetings, or if you would more information about the event itself, please email Betsy Meholick, ANG Chair, at betsy.meholick@verizon.net or call her at 703-455-2890.