Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Surry Elementary School
Theme: “Camping Under the Stars”
Featuring interactive literacy stations, stories, crafts, and
activities for the whole family.
Food will be provided, and each child will receive a free book to
take home.
Link to RSVP: https://forms.gle/AbXBdBccneQvyLY78
*If you've already completed the paper RSVP, you do not have to complete the form.*
Today, we celebrate and honor our amazing Cougar Custodial Team!
Your hard work, dedication, and behind-the-scenes care keep our schools clean, safe, and welcoming for every student, staff member, and visitor.
From early mornings to late nights, you go above and beyond with pride and professionalism. You are truly the unsung heroes of Cougar Nation, and we are grateful for everything you do each and every day.
Thank you for your commitment, your teamwork, and the positive impact you have on our entire school community. We appreciate you today and always!
👏💛 Let’s give a big Cougar shout-out to our custodial staff! 💛👏
We want to share the following important upcoming events and reminders for September:
Interim Reports - will be available in the Parent Portal app on Thursday, September 18, 2025. These reports provide a mid-term update on your child's academic progress. Please review them carefully and feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
Parent-Teacher Conferences - teachers will contact parents directly to set up virtual parent-teacher conferences during the week of September 22 - 26, 2025. This is a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress and address any questions or concerns you may have with your child’s teacher(s).
September is Attendance Awareness Month - In celebration of attendance awareness month, the following spirit activities will take place during the week of September 22 - 26, 2025:
Monday- Bright Start Monday- Wear neon or bright colors to start the week strong.
Tuesday- Twin Day- We show up together. Dress like a friend or classmate.
Wednesday- “Win-It Wednesday” – Every day counts when we show up to win at school. Show that you are on the winning team with your favorite team's attire
Thursday- “Suit-Up Thursday – Heroes Arrive On Time!”- Wear your superhero gear to save the school day with your attendance.
Friday- School Spirit Friday- Wear your school colors or logo gear
We appreciate your partnership and look forward to working together to support your child's education.
Cougar Pride in Every Stride!
Read with your child for 15–20 minutes each day
Encourage journaling or writing letters to friends/family
Talk about books, articles, or stories together
Share stories from your own culture or explore stories from around the world
Together, we can grow strong readers and lifelong learners! 🌟
#InternationalLiteracyDay #LPJMiddleSchoolReads
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The safety and security of our students and staff are a top priority for Surry County Public Schools. We will be implementing a lockdown drill prior to September 16th to ensure that our school remains a safe place for our students to learn. We are required to have our first lockdown drill within the first 20 days of school and two additional unannounced lockdown drills throughout the school year.
During a lockdown drill, students will remain in the classroom, regular activities will stop, and all doors will be secured. Students will remain inside the classroom until instructed by the safety authority figure to resume activities. Also, all doors will be locked and no one is permitted to enter or leave the classroom and/or the school building for the duration of the drill.
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are exempt from mandatory participation in lock-down drills during the first 60 days of the school session. Each pre-kindergarten and kindergarten student will participate in the lockdown drills after the first 60 days of school.
We kindly ask that you take the time to speak with your child about the lockdown drill and reinforce its importance. Please contact the school if you have any questions.
With Great Appreciation,
Dr. Herbert Monroe
Superintendent
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,
Surry County Public Schools will host a Spirit Activity on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at 3:00 p.m., in the bus loop at Surry County High School to cheer on our Cougar Football Team as they prepare for their first home game!
Parents who pick up students that afternoon are welcome to join in the celebration. To participate, please park in the grassy area near the football field, where you can walk over to view the activity.
We look forward to seeing our Cougar community come together to show support and school spirit!
Thank you for your continued encouragement of our students and athletes.
Cougar Pride in Every Stride!
Surry County Public Schools is proud to partner with Flagstop Car Wash in a fundraiser to support our Athletics Department. Proceeds will directly benefit our student-athletes and athletic programs. We invite our community to join us in this effort to support excellence both on and off the field.
Use this link to participate: https://wlink.live/2025_CougarPride
Next week, some of our students in grades 4–8 will begin taking the VALLSS assessment. If your child is required to participate, you should have received an informational letter last week.
✔️ This assessment helps us better understand how students are progressing in reading and spelling.
✔️ Results give teachers valuable information to support each child’s literacy's growth.
✔️ Not all students will participate, but those who do will take it during the school day.
Thank you for encouraging your child to do their best and get a good night’s sleep before testing days! 🌟📚
Picture Day for LPJ Junior Cougars will be September 3, 2025. Packets were sent home by students with all details.
We have had a great start to the new school year and have enjoyed welcoming students back as they Return to Learn with Excellence! We would like to remind parents that Surry County Public Schools will be closed for the Labor Day Holiday on Friday, August 29th, and Monday, September 1st.
As we begin this academic year, we want to emphasize the vital role that consistent attendance plays in your child's educational success. Regular attendance is not just about being present in the classroom; it's about ensuring that your child doesn't miss out on crucial learning experiences and opportunities to develop important academic skills.
We understand that occasional absences are unavoidable, but we encourage you to prioritize your child's attendance as much as possible. If your child is facing challenges with attendance, please reach out to us. We are here to support you and our connection, collaboration, and communication will ensure the CARE needed for our Cougars to be successful in school and in life!
Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to your child's education. Let's make this school year a fantastic one, filled with learning and success!
Cougar Pride in Every Stride!
Here are a few ways to make daily reading fun at home:
👉 Pick a book you’re excited about (sports, mystery, fantasy—your choice!)
👉 Set aside just 20 minutes a day 📖
👉 Find a cozy reading spot (bonus points if it’s a blanket fort 🏰)
👉 Talk about what you read with a friend or family member 💬
This year, let’s open more books, grow our brains, and let our imaginations fly! 🌟
#FirstDayOfSchool #ReadersAreLeaders #LPJMiddleSchoolReads
📚 Keep your child reading this summer! Check out the flyer for summer reading resources to support summer learning. 🌞📖 #SummerReading #LPJMiddleSchoolReads
Please click on the links for summer reading resources:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-literacy/literacy/literacy-resources-for-families-and-communities
https://blackwaterlib.org/kids/
