![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
On Feb. 28, the Loudoun County School Board met for their fourth Tuesday meeting.
March Proclamations
The school board made three official proclamations regarding the upcoming month of March. First, they officially proclaimed March 2024 as Art in Our Schools Month, dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness about the impact of fine arts education. In 1985, March was also designated Music in Our Schools Month® by the National Association for Music Education. In 1961, it became Youth Art Month by the National Association for Art Education. And, it’s Theatre In Our Schools Month by the Educational Theatre Association.
Second, the board recognized March 2024 as National Social Work Month and March 3 to 9, 2024 as National School Social Work Week. Both are dedicated to recognizing school social workers “for the vital role they play as catalysts” in creating effective learning environments for students.
Anne Donohue, School Board Member At-Large, made the motion to recognize National Social Work Month. “As someone who has had a lot of interaction with the social worker at my children’s school, I am particularly pleased to be able to present this proclamation to the board this evening,” Donohue said. “Because I do know firsthand how important their support of that position is in people’s lives and in the everyday lives of the students who need that support.”
This year, LCPS has at least 80 social workers across the county – covering elementary, middle, and high schools. At Rock Ridge, school social worker Kim-An Tran was treated with a butterfly-decorated door and gift basket, courtesy of the other counselors. Tran leads the Unified Mental Health Team along with school psychologist Dallas Swirchak and student assistance services specialist Fiona Brown. Together, they work with programs like PEER and Sources of Strength to help students. Tran, Swirchak, and Brown can all be found in the Counseling Office.
Finally, the board also designated the second Friday of March (this year, March 8) as Social Emotional Learning Day. SEL involves developing skills like self-awareness, relationship maintenance, and responsible decision-making. Schools are encouraged to share their awareness-building activities on X/Twitter with #LCPSSELDAY.
Mid-year Data and Future Goals
LCPS Chief of Staff Daniel Smith, Ed.D., and LCPS Chief Academic Officer Ashley Ellis, Ed.D. also presented the board with mid-year data regarding chronic absenteeism, transportation punctuality, non-academic class enrollment rates, and more.
Following the 22-23 school year, LCPS set performance goals for student attendance. In order to adequately analyze this metric, LCPS has deemed any student with an absence rate of over 10% to be chronically absent. In the 2021-22 SY, 13% of students were chronically absent. In the 2022-23 SY, this rose to 18.8% – more than the target of 12.5%. Now, as of Feb. 14, 2024, this is 15.8% – a full 2.8% over the 12% goal but still a 3% decrease from last year.
Sanjana Rao Student Representative
Senior Sanjana Rao also spoke on behalf of our school, after being given the chance by her SCA advisor Michelle Prince and Principal John Duellman. She gave an update on recent Rock Ridge events, highlighting the Boy’s Basketball senior night, senior Thandi Hart placing first in a gymnastics competition, and the sizable number of students (372) who tried out for a spring sport this year. The Esports Team was also mentioned for winning 2nd at the VHSL State Championships, while the Academic Team was mentioned for becoming district and regional runner-ups. The Future Business Leaders of America also had their regional conference and are heading to the State Leadership Conference in April. And, the Phoenix Motorsports club built a car from scratch. Rao also highlighted the creative ways Rock Ridge students celebrated Black History Month, such as their library display and other initiatives. She also noted that the Fifth Annual Rise to Women’s Summit was to be hosted at Rock Ridge on March 2. The Summit is organized by women and gender studies teacher Jessica Berg and is an event where politicians and other activists come together to speak about women’s rights.
The next school board meeting will be held on March 12. A link to the online live stream and other viewing information can be found on the LCPS website.
