Harmony Newsletter
Nov 6, 2026
November Service Project
Our Harmony Student Council Association is collecting Barilla Pasta boxes and Campbell's Soup cans during the month of November.
Their goal is to make donations to those in need through the Salvation Army and the Evans Home for Children and also to honor our military service members by constructing the US flag in our school cafe.
Please drop donations into each HOUSE Thanksgiving box. Donations will be accepted Tues 11/10-Tues 11/24. THANK YOU for lending a helping hand!
Calendar Items
Nov 9 - No SCHOOL
Nov 10 - Report Cards available in ParentVUE by 4 PM
Nov 10, 11, 12 - 8th Grade "Signs of Suicide" Presentations
Nov 12 - Two Hour Delay BELL Schedule to run special testing (but school is on time)
Nov 17 - 6th Grade Academic Awards (7 PM)
Nov 18 - 7th Grade Academic Awards (7 PM)
Nov 18 - 8th Grade Academic Awards (8 PM)
Nov 19 - 8th Grade Guitar Performs at STATE CONFERENCE in Richmond (6 PM)
Nov 25 to 27 - Holiday / No School
Dec 4 - Round 2 - Spelling Bee - Top 25 from Classrooms.
Dec 4 - Current 5th Graders will visit Harmony MS (10:00 AM to 11:30 AM)!
Dec 11 - WHS will perform for 8th graders (AM)
School Safety
This week the LCPS Security Department sent an "Imposter" to try to get into our building. He tried to get into the back of the school but Mr. Ken Whetsel stopped him and alerted Security that a stranger was on the grounds. Way to go Mr. Whetsel.
Contact names for questions or concerns are below:
- School Security Officer, (SSO), Josh Stillwell (joshua.stillwell@lcps.org)
- Dean and School Safety Contact, Justin Dailey (justin.dailey@lcps.org)
- Principal, Eric Stewart (eric.stewart@lcps.org)
- School Resource Office (SRO), Loudoun County Deputy Chris Salter (christopher.salter@loudoun.gov)
- School Phone is 540-751-2500 (then dial zero to reach the main office)
National Presenters
A big honor for our staff happened this week. Five staff members were invited to speak at the AMLE national conference. AMLE is the professional association for middle level educators. It was held in Nashville, TN.
Math teachers, Ms. Kerry Pascarella, Mr. Brian O'Neill, and Mr. Jeff Jacobson presented on "Go Paper! Tools to move Learning to the Page."
Science teachers, Ms. Lynne Gianelos and Ms. Emily Eden presented on, "Spiraling Up - Laying the foundation for Higher Level Science." And a mini session, "Spice Up Your Co-Teaching With an Inclusive Recipe That Gets Results."
Art Work
Why take an Art class as an elective? In addition to doing something you love, you can learn art history, different types or art, and do cool projects.
Check out some recent phots from the 3-D Art 8 class.
Giant candy!
Guitar Heads to Richmond Soon
Our 8th Grade Guitar Ensemble has been invited to perform at the 2026 Virginia Music Educator Association convention at the Richmond Convention Center on November 19th.
This is HISTORIC as our students are only the SECOND middle school guitar ensemble (and only the eighth guitar ensemble) ever invited to such a performance.
It is an incredible honor as only the best student music ensembles across are commonwealth are invited to perform!
Honor Roll and Cornerstone Nights
THIS MONTH: 1st Quarter Award Nights are set (see dates above). We look forward to recognizing students for their hard work, consistent A/B grades or All A grades! For Honor Roll, each parent should look at their child's report card in ParentVUE to see if they have earned ALL A's or ALL A's and B's. Honor Roll students are automatically invited to attend the ceremony. No invitations are sent for these.
We do also present Cornerstone Awards. There are for students who were nominated by staff. Students for these awards WILL receive an email notification.
Both events occur at the same time. Dates are listed above. We hope to see you there!
Big Business
Mr. Cassutto's classes are currently preparing for their upcoming Big Business test by engaging in a hands-on, collaborative learning project. Students are working in teams to design and create public product Venn Diagram Posters that analyze and compare the major Captains of Industry from the Gilded Age.
Through this activity, students are diving deep into historical analysis by evaluating key figures like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan—examining their business strategies, economic impacts, and legacy as either visionaries or "robber barons."
Creating a public poster encourages them to synthesize complex historical concepts, support their arguments with evidence, and clearly present their findings to their peers.
Chorus Success
Congratulations to Genevieve Pacheco, Henry Porta and Violet Hafner who were selected to the 2026 American Director's Association 2027 National Honor Choir.
The ACDA National Honor Choir is a prestigious audition-only choir comprised of students from the US. It brings together top student singers from across the United States to rehearse and perform under nationally and internationally renowned choral conductors.
They will travel to Minneapolis in March to participate.
Technology
Our teachers use Lightspeed to monitor student work during their class. With it, a teacher can use their own computer to see each student screen in their classrooms. Parents can too.
LCPS offers parents the option to sign up for Lightspeed to monitor their child’s online activity.
https://www.lcps.org/o/ddi/page/lightspeed
We also encourage families to maintain open conversations around digital wellness and monitor device use at home—including personal phones and school-issued computers. Finding the right balance looks different for every family. Some parents set daily screen-time limits, while others create a household rule where all devices go into a central box or charging station after 7:00 PM to ensure a restful night. We invite you to create a digital wellness plan that works best for your home to help keep our students safe, focused, and healthy.
Veterans Day
Our school has a variety of highlights to celebrate and recognize Veterans Day.
- Our students and staff will be placing American flags around the building for the week of November 9 to 13.
- On their visits to the library, all English classes will see a military / veteran / patriotic theme in honor of Veterans Day.
- A 30 minute Veterans Day tribute including comments from veteran staff will be shown during Advisory that week.
- Students will be participating in an activity to build three Walls of Honor. The goal is to create a meaningful display that recognizes veterans who are part of our school building, as well as the veterans who have made a difference in the lives of our students and families. Walls in our hallways (one in each grade) will demonstrate gratitude to veterans at home and on staff.
- THANK YOU VETERANS!!
Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game
October 28 was the Staff vs. Student Volleyball game.
Picture inset shows school Security Officer (SSO), Mr. Josh Stillwell, aka our school climate magician, firing up the student section, as he ran down the court getting them to cheer.
After he did, students rallied from down 20 to 14 and tied the game 20 to 20. But the teachers then demonstrated what "slow and steady wins the race" really means. They went on a tear and won the game.
Staff Team: David Bell, George Cassutto, Meghan Dahnert, Justin Dailey, Jodi Hillebrand, Melissa Murray, Cassie Ransbotham, Nick Wozney, Casey Gernerd
Student team including Caroline McDaniels, Callie Littlefield, Greylin Tonking, Makenna Alford, Reese Groenhout, Alicja Dolega-Jasinski (Ala), Tessa Adlung, and Mila Peters.
Advisory Lessons
This week, staff worked with students on a strategy designed to stop and reduce bullying and other innapropriate comments. The main strategy this time was called the "30 Second Rule." This is basically that if a comment you are about to make is something that cannot be changed, do not say it. They can't change it. Don't talk about it.
Samples include hair color, hair texture, skin color, body type, or facial features.
Students also discussed landguage that can be considered "hate speech." Hate speech uses words to describe a group in a way that is meant to harm or hurt. This can include slurs, epithets, or statements that promote harmful stereotypes.
Please talk to your child about what they've learned and the importance of eliminating hate speech at Harmony.
Staff Chili Cook - Off
The annual Staff Chili Cook - Off was held this week and our first Four-Time Champion was announced.
Congratulations, again, Mr. Richard Hough, Head Custodian, and repeat amazing cook. Results are through votes by the staff as they eat their way through lunch break, compare flavors, notes, and joy, and then pick their Top 3.
Top three were:
1st Pace - Mr. Richard Hough
2nd Place - Mr. Joshua Stillwell
3rd Place - Ms. Chelsey Mattingley
(Current staff who were Past Champions include Meghann Donohue, Eric Stewart, Emily Eden, and Karen Grubbs)
In other news, Mr. Howard Hodges, our ubiquitous Daytime Custodian, declared Ms. Misty DiPietro's pecan pie the best he's ever had in his life. He ate two pieces and wanted more.
Staff Activity Highlight
Staff held their Annual Fall Pickel Ball tournament this week and crowned new team champions. Congratulations to all teams and the top three listed below. (picture with AI assist)
1st Place - Ms. Amy Duellman and Cassie Ransbotham
2nd Place - Mr. Justin Dailey and Ms. Kristen Hepner
3rd Place - Mr. Josh Stillwell and Mr. Eric Stewart
IMPORTANT YEARBOOK INFORMATION
Interested in purchasing a yearbook this year? For a limited time, the yearbook will be $35, until the price goes up on December 1. To guarantee your student receives a yearbook, please go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and type in school code 21667 to order.
We also need 8th Grade students’ baby pictures! To submit your picture, please follow the guidelines below. Emailed photos will not be accepted. Photos must be uploaded to eShare no later than Friday, 12/4. PLEASE UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO WITH YOUR STUDENT’S NAME!
Here are some guidelines to ensure your student’s picture is successfully included in the Yearbook:
- Send only one baby picture of your 8th grade student.
- The photos will be square in the yearbook, so a close-up of the face is better than a full-body photo.
- Send a picture of your student by themselves. If the picture includes a sibling or parent, the other people will be cropped out of the photo which may detract from the quality of the image.
- If you have more than one student in the 8th grade, please send each student’s picture individually, not together.
- Follow the prompts in eShare to identify the student by first and last name. You can access eShare by going to www.yearbookshare.com and enter school code 21667. You can also click on this link https://yearbookshare.com/eShare/?code=21667.
If you have questions about anything yearbook, please contact Jennifer Heffron, Yearbook Adviser, at jennifer.heffron@lcps.org.
Inramural Volleyball Starts Soon
Volleyball registration is live and can be found by using the QR code on the attached flyer or by the clicking on the following link:
https://students.arbitersports.com/programs/harmony-intramural-sports-2026-2027
We will have our first Volleyball meeting on Wednesday, November 11th, in the main gym. At this meeting students will pick their teams, we will go over the rules, and with any time left the students will play scrimmage games in the main gym.
If you have any questions, please email at joshua.young@lcps.org. I’m looking forward to a great Volleyball intramural season.
Josh Young / Intramural Coordinator
Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
Applications for the 2026–2027 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition opened on November 3, 2026, for middle and high school students.
Presented by Loudoun Youth, Inc., Morven Park, and PCRS, Step Up encourages students to identify a community challenge, develop a creative solution, and turn their ideas into action.
Visit their website at https://www.loudounyouth.org/programs/step-up/ for more information.
Principal News:https://www.lcps.org/o/hrm/article/1802790
School Website: https://www.lcps.org/o/hrm
LCPS School Calendars: Documents | Loudoun County Public Schools
Everything You Need to Know About Dismissals, Buses, Car Rider Lines, and More
Sign up for ParentVue: https://www.lcps.org/PVUE
Join the PTA or Order Spirit Wear: https://www.lcps.org/o/hrm/article/2360486