They placed first in their divisional competition and will be going to the state championship in a few weeks! Details below!

This week is a very abbreviated week - early dismissal on Wednesday and no school on Thursday and Friday! Have a wonderful holiday!

The annual SCA Food Drive wraps up this week, but there is still plenty of time to donate an item (or a case!) of non-perishable food for families in need in our community. Suggested items include canned goods, uncooked pasta/rice, soups, sauces, baking supplies. (Please do not send cereal, ramen noodles or sugary items)

Consider the items your family enjoys, especially at the holidays, and add an extra can or two to your shopping cart. Something that easy for you will make a world of difference to a family in need.

For more details, please contact the SCA Faculty Sponsor, Ms. Dail (vicky.dail@fcps.edu) at 703.326.3500.

Mom's Apple Pies will be ready for pick up at 5:00 p.m.

If you ordered one (or one dozen) delicious pies, come to the cafeteria on Tuesday between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to pick up your order.

Questions? Please contact pie-licious Cheri Danaher (kdanaman@erols.com) at 703.709.5283.

Early dismissal to begin the Thanksgiving holiday. Students will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. Questions? Please contact the Front Office at 703.326.3500.

No School on Thursday November 22 and Friday November 23 in observance of Thanksgiving. Have a safe and restful holiday!

Congratulations to the Lake Anne Sea Monsters!

The Lake Anne Sea Monsters robotics team finished *FIRST PLACE* overall in the Division I FIRST Lego League regional competition this Sunday at Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn. Not only that, they earned *FIRST PLACE* in the Robot Performance with a score of 385 out of possible 400 points.

They earned a trip to the Virginia state finals to be held on December 8 and 9 at James Madison University.

In addition to the robot they built, they also did a research project on energy conservation and solar power. Their work can be viewed online on YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=GDKkVhY911E

This is a great accomplishment for Lake Anne!Congratulations and good luck in the next round to the Lake Anne Sea Monsters:

Adam Gallelli

Brentan Walter

Amaani Sirajuddin

Charley Thaler

Ekaterina Vlasova

Ian Aponte

Mia Rickenbach

Natalie Schauer

Ryan Barrett

Sonya Keefer

A thank you goes to the parents of each Sea Monster who have given untold hours of support and encouragement to this team of creative and dedicated students.

Kendall King and Alison Mackey, authors of the book "The Bilingual Edge - Why, When, and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language " will speak at Lake Anne Elementary on Thursday December 6th from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The 'edge' or 'advantage' that comes with bilingualism is a valuable resource for everyone. In their discussion of the Bilingual Edge, Drs. King and Mackey (linguistics professors at Georgetown University) will translate the latest research into interactive strategies and quick tips that even the busiest parents can use.

As a Spanish immersion school and a school with great diversity, the Lake Anne PTA is excited to welcome the community to hear the insight of these two speakers. Feel free to invite a friend or neighbor who might have an interest in this topic.

The book, The Bilingual Edge, will be available for purchase that evening.

(Unfortunately childcare will not be available this evening and the event is for adults only.)

For more information, please contact Erin Schultz (pres@LAESPTA.org) at 703.464.0448 or Carla Briceno (Carla.briceno@gmail.com) at 703.383.1115. For more about the authors, please visit www.thebilingualedge.com.

Many thanks to all the parents who have chosen to drive slower on North Shore, turn around in a safe location, stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks, observe the drop off and pick up zone and show their appreciation to the Lake Anne staff and crossing guard who, with a smile, every day help our children be safe.

There is a noticeable positive change in the Kiss and Ride area lately. People are a bit more patient, the process is running more smoothly and the system is working better. Thank you all for your efforts and encouragement.

If you have any questions or concerns about safety at Lake Anne, please contact Erin Schultz (pres@LAESPTA.org) at 703.464.0448.

Three classes do not have GRACE Art docents and have already missed out on two months of the very popular GRACE Art programs.

If you have any inclination to try out GRACE Art, now is the time to step up. Try just one month and see if you don't love the interaction with the students, the easy program (with fun projects) and the appreciation of the teacher and the students for bringing this program to them.

If you want to try it - just for a month - please don't hesitate to contact Maureen Barrett (maureenhbarrett@yahoo.com) at 703. 281.5552 to talk about how you can be involved with this popular program.

Get your skates and helmets out! Mark your calendars. Are you ready to have another great night of fun on the ice? Come join us for Lake Anne's Family Fun Night on Ice at SkateQuest of Reston.

This year a hat trick of school will be on the ice (Lake Anne Elementary, Terraset Elementary and Sunrise Valley Elementary) - families will get the whole skating rink to themselves! This is a great opportunity to see all your friends and brush up on your skating skills. Please come out and support your school through this fun fundraising event!

More information and ticket reservation forms will be sent home in your child's backpack soon! If you have any questions or would like to help at the event, please contact Carla Watkins (watskinscj3@aol.com) at 703.437.1974..

December 1st will be here before you know it!

Mark your calendars for Skate Night at SkateQuest in Reston, Saturday December 1st from 6:10 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Fairfax County Public Schools Inclement Weather and Emergency Closing plan is available online at http://www.fcps.edu/news/weather.htm.

Several times a year (frequently after an unusually high number of children wear their pajamas inside out), the weather gets unpredictable and a decision about closing schools, opening late or sending students home early. Take a moment to go over this plan so you know how the decisions are made, when to anticipate these decisions and how the information is shared. A little planning now can save a lot of confusion on our first snowy day.

WLAS Crew Needs Some Morning Help Ms. Dail has asked for some help in the morning during WLAS time. WLAS is the in-house TV program that makes morning announcements to the entire school. Hosted and run by Lake Anne students, it is a great communication tool and learning experience for the students. Ms. Dail needs a volunteer first thing in the morning to help her expand the WLAS "reports" to include in-school interviews, segments, etc. Please contact Ms. Dail (vicky.dail@fcps.edu) at 703.326.3500 to see how you can help

Reading Resource Room Can use volunteers at any time but especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Someone who can regularly come in for a set time would be wonderful, but drop-in helpers are also welcome. Please contact Lauren Williams (pi@laespta.org), Emelie Parker (emelie.parker@fcps.edu) or Michelle Taylor (Michelle.Taylor1@fcps.edu).

But you don't have to be too technical! When the younger students come to the tech lab, they need lots of basic help to get started: clicking on the right icon, navigating to the right page, sending docs to the printer, etc. They spend under an hour in the lab and an extra pair of hands would be a huge bonus to the tech teachers and make their time more fruitful. If you can help, please contact either Lauren Williams (pi@LAESPTA.org) at 703.787.9056 or Mr. Weber (chris.weber@fcps.edu) at 703.326.3500. Mr.Weber has the schedule for all the classes and can let you know when your help is needed the most.

The Music Department is searching for a pianist to accompany the 5th and 6th grade chorus. You would need to be available for our concerts on Thursday December 13th and a few rehearsals on Monday mornings in December. Please email Ms. Bostron at rebecca.bostron@fcps.edu or Mr. Laster at james.laster@fcps.edu if you're interested.

500+ students check out 2 books per week= 1000 books to process and shelve every week. Want to lend a hand? Flexible schedule, quiet environment. Contact Cathy Arney (cathy.arney@fcps.edu) at 703.326.3500 for more info

December 1 Skate Night at Skate Quest 6:10 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

December 6 "The Bilingual Edge" speakers 7:30 p.m.

December 11 PTA Meeting

December 24 - January 1 Winter Break

January 11 Bingo Night

If your child has "graduated" to middle school or you have moved or left Lake Anne, and you no longer would like to receive these weekly email updates, please send a quick "unsubscribe" message to Carolyn Low (carolyn@familytalk.org) and we'll remove your name from the email list. We'll miss you - but we understand!