Wild Cat ROAR! October 12, 2025

Our fifth grade teachers from left to right are: Amanda Lyne, Caroline Harbert, Erin Zane, Anne Marie Skeen, MaryAnn Mazza, and Kate Stewart. Mrs. Harbert is new to Steuart Weller this year. She previously taught at Rolling Ridge Elementary School.

Effective October 1, 2025, DDI will implement a new Lightspeed content filter feature to enhance student safety and focus.

What's Changing? For students in grades 3-5, all non-educational videos hosted on YouTube will be blocked.

YouTube access will continue to be completely blocked for students in Pre-K through 2nd grade.

This update is part of DDI’s goal of continuous improvement and is designed to protect our youngest students from inappropriate content and help them stay on task when using YouTube.

You can find more information about our filtering policies and a detailed breakdown of allowed and blocked content categories by grade level at: https://www.lcps.org/o/ddi/page/student-online-monitoring

While we are seeing a lot of growth in the Weller boundary zone which stretches from Lansdowne to Ashburn to Sterling, other schools are experiencing a decline in enrollment. I have included the message sent by the district. It is important to note that any changes that are made in December will take place next school year.

District message:

On August 12, 2025, the Loudoun County School Board adopted a calendar to review elementary school attendance zones in the Ashburn and Dulles North areas. This process will include: Ashburn, Belmont Station, Cedar Lane, Creighton’s Corner, Discovery, Dominion Trail, Elaine E. Thompson, Hillside, Legacy, Madison’s Trust, Mill Run, Moorefield Station, Newton-Lee, Rosa Lee Carter, Sanders Corner, Seldens Landing, Steuart W. Weller and Waxpool Elementary Schools.

Any adopted changes to the attendance zone will take effect with the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

To support this process, the School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to share information, hear feedback and facilitate potential attendance zone changes for some or all of the schools listed above. The meeting dates are:

• Tuesday, October 28, 2025* - Elementary School Attendance Zone Overview

• Wednesday, November 5, 2025 - Elementary School Attendance Zone Public Hearing & Work Session

• Monday, November 24, 2025 - Elementary School Attendance Zone Public Hearing & Work Session

• Tuesday, December 2, 2025* - Review of Elementary School Attendance Zone Recommendations

• Monday, December 8, 2025 - Elementary School Attendance Zone Briefing & Public Hearing

• Tuesday, December 16, 2025* - Adoption of Elementary School Attendance Zone Changes

All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and be held at the LCPS Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn). These meetings will also be broadcast live on Comcast channel 18 or 1070 (HD) and Verizon Fios channel 43 and streamed via simultaneous webcast on the LCPS website. Meeting dates noted with an asterisk (*) are in conjunction with a regular School Board meeting.

We encourage and recommend public comment throughout this process. All written comments will be shared with the School Board and can be submitted to the LCPS Division of Planning & GIS Services at lcpsplan@lcps.org.

All attendance zone information and data, as it becomes available (including potential attendance zone changes being considered or reviewed by the School Board), will be posted on a dedicated Fall 2025 – Ashburn & Dulles North School Attendance Zone Change Process web page. You can also access the dedicated webpage by clicking the ‘Fall 2025 ES Boundary Process’ link on your elementary school’s homepage ribbon.

If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Planning & GIS Services at lcpsplan@lcps.org or 571-252-1050.

We appreciate your partnership and look forward to working together to support our students and school communities.

The Department of Support Services

• K -Encourage your child to choose something they want to get better at (such as tying their shoes, adding or subtracting, writing their name, dribbling a ball). Set aside a few minutes each day for them to practice the skill, and highlight the progress they’re making.
• 1 - Ask your child to suggest some helpful thoughts to encourage you or a family member to complete a challenging task (ex: a school/work project or an exercise routine)
• 2 - Ask your child how they might change an unhelpful thought into a helpful thought. Encourage them by using helpful thoughts at home.
• 3 - Ask your child to tell you what a practice plan includes.
• 4 - Ask your child about what their group did really well. What did they learn about working in a group? What would they change if they did the project again? Share a time when you worked with others and had to adjust your approach to be successful.
• 5 - Ask your child to share any obstacles they’ve faced and how they’ve worked to overcome them. Talk about a challenge you’ve overcome in the past and the strategies you used to succeed.

• We have several fun events coming up this month! Dine at Chipotle this Wednesday from 4:00-8:00 pm and 25% of sales will benefit Steuart Weller. Cheer on the Riverside Rams high school football team on Friday. Arrive by 6:30 pm if your student would like to join the festivities on the field ahead of the game. It'll be especially fun as the ASAP cheer class joins the cheerleaders on the sidelines during the first quarter! Families are invited to TWO trunk-or-treating events. 1) Oct 22 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Riverside high school and 2) Oct 26 from 4:30-6:00 pm at Christian Fellowship Church. Both events are free and costumes encouraged!

  
  

  Finally, don't forget the BOO BASH at Weller on Friday, Oct 24. You won't want to miss this ghoulishly fun evening filled with dancing, games, costumes, and more! Concessions will be available for purchase. The PTO needs your help with this event. If you're interested in volunteering, please email infoswespto@gmail.com.

  
  

  Looking ahead to next month - we hope you will save the date for the next PTO meeting on Wednesday, Nov 12th at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria. This meeting will feature a guest speaker, Dr. Lindsey Hoskins, a clinical therapist specializing in family counseling.

  
  

  The Weller PTO relies on parent volunteers like you! Our goal is to strengthen the school community and support student success. We provide resources, supplies, and enrichment opportunities; serve as a bridge between teachers, leadership, and families; host events to facilitate school spirit and build community; and coordinate volunteer engagement. We are always looking for new volunteers. If you have any questions about the PTO or would like to join the team, please reach out to Krysti Lloyd (lloyd.krysti@gmail.com). If you are not able to volunteer your time, you can also financially support the PTO. Remember that many employers match your contribution!

  
  

  We hope to see you throughout the month!

Riverside is excited to announce the date of their annual Trunk or Treat and canned food drive for 2025! On October 22nd, Riverside will be having a spook-tacular time in the main parking lot from 5:00 to 7:00PM. No registration is necessary, just bring a canned food donation to benefit Loudoun Hunger Relief.

There will be hot dogs and juice for the kids as well as candy and small games for fun!