January 30, 2026

Happy Friday, Panthers!

I hope you enjoyed the unexpected gift of snow days and time to recharge! We are excited to welcome students back to school on Monday, February 2, 2026, which will be a gray day.  Students will attend bells 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.   Although second semester is officially underway, students will remain on their first-semester schedules on Monday, February 2, and Tuesday, February 3. Second-semester schedules begin Wednesday, February 4, 2026. 

This week, we proudly celebrate our incredible Student Services Team—our school counselors, psychologist, and social worker—who truly amplify student success every day. Their work is vital to our students’ academic growth, career readiness, and social-emotional well-being. Thank you for all that you do!

Mark Your Calendar!
Our 2nd Quarter Honor Roll Celebration will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026. An RSVP link will be shared soon; stay tuned!

8th-Grade Yearbook: “Then & Now” Photos
To celebrate our 8th graders and their middle school journey, the yearbook staff is collecting toddler and early childhood photos (ages 2–6) for this year’s yearbook.

• Submission deadline: February 12, 2026.
• Submit photos using this link.
• If needed, our school code: hughesms.
• Questions? Contact Ms. Kristina Burke, Yearbook Advisor, at ktburke@fcps.edu.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy the rest of the snowy weekend; we can’t wait to see our Panthers on Monday!

Principal Mizell

IMPORTANT DATES PTA Meeting: Monday, February 2, 2026 End of 2nd Quarter (revised): Tuesday, February 3, 2026 2nd Quarter Honor Roll Celebration: Friday, February 13, 2026 President's Day/Student Holiday: Monday, February 16, 2026 Teacher Workday/No School: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 Chorus Concert: Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 7:00 p.m in LHMS Lecture Hall

STUDENT SERVICES

Second Semester Starts February 4, 2026

Students will follow their first semester schedules on Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3.  To allow for gradebook processing, the ‘Grade Book’ and ‘Report Card’ tabs in ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be unavailable from February 3 at 4:00 p.m. through February 9 at 6:00 a.m. 

The second semester will begin on Wednesday, February 4 (gray day).  Second semester schedules will be accessible in StudentVUE and ParentVUE on February 3 at 4:00 p.m under the ‘Class Schedule’ tab. All students should check their schedules to see if their 2nd block has changed. For some students taking semester electives, their Health and PE period may change to accommodate their new elective. Staff will be available in the halls to help students locate their new classroom. All students will receive a new paper schedule in their 2nd block class on February 4. Please keep in mind that we are not able to make class changes at this point of the school year.

Academic Advising for the 2026-27 School Year

Planning for the 26-27 school year is underway! Parents are encouraged to review our LHMS Academic Advising website to review course offerings and important dates. 

Rising 9th grade: All rising 9th graders have started to select their courses. Students who are zoned for South Lakes will meet with their SLHS counselor in February to finalize their course selections. Please review the Herndon High School and South Lakes High School websites for additional details.  Information about the high school transfer process can be found here: FCPS Transfer Process.

Rising 8th Grade Curriculum Night- February 4, 6:00pm-7:30pm

Is your child a current 7th grader?  If so we invite you, along with your child, to attend our Rising 8th Grade Curriculum Night!  This evening will cover information specifically pertinent to rising 8th graders. Please RSVP so that we can plan accordingly. This is an open house-style event with three components:

Rising 8th Grade Course Selection: LHMS counselors will conduct a classroom lesson about course selection on February 5 and 6.  Students will meet with their counselor individually to finalize course selections from February 9 to February 12.

National School Counseling Week

National School Counselor Week is February 2-6, 2026. The purpose of this week is to highlight the unique contributions of school counselors. We would like to thank our school counselors: Ms. Arnaud, Ms. Bach, Mr. Blocker, Ms. Fadden, along with our school psychologist, Ms. Norris, and school social worker, Ms. Smalls. Their commitment to supporting the mental wellness and academic success of all students is greatly appreciated by the Langtson Hughes school community.  We invite families to share a message of thanks with their child’s counselor here: LHMS Counselor Week.  Additionally, we are hosting breakfast for our Student Services team on Friday, February 6. If you would like to contribute a grocery store gift card for this event, please contact Marissa Brooks (MLBrooks@fcps.edu).  Thank you!

South Lakes International Baccalaureate Information Night

Parents are invited to attend an IB information session at SLHS on Monday, February 9 from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm in the SLHS Cafeteria. Topics include: IB Middle Years, Career-Related, and Diploma Programs at South Lakes High School. 

AVID Elective Application 26-27 SY

AVID is a college readiness program that helps students build strong study habits, stay organized, and gain confidence as learners. It’s designed for motivated students who are ready to challenge themselves and grow with the support of a close‑knit classroom community. If your child is eager to stretch their potential, we encourage you to read more about the AVID elective and application process here (do not send until link provided). The AVID application opens February 2 and must be submitted by February 13, 2026. Please contact Ms. Burke at ktburke@fcps.edu with questions.

Career Day Speakers Needed

We are excited to host our upcoming Career Day on March 6, 2026.  Our school community is filled with talented and accomplished professionals, and we would love for you to share your expertise with our students.  Please consider serving as a Career Day speaker to inspire and educate our future leaders. Your insights and experiences can make a lasting impact.

If you are interested, please register here.  Should you need more information, contact our school counselor, Lea Fadden, at LTfadden@fcps.edu.   Thank you for your support; we look forward to an engaging and enriching Career Day!

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

American Mathematics Competition 8

Langston Hughes will be offering the American Mathematics Competition 8 (AMC 8) test!  This test is an international competition given at schools around the world with over 300,000 participants across the three tests in the AMC series.  

The test will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, after school in the Library/Room 201.  The timed test is 40 minutes for 25 questions and does not allow the use of a calculator.  Late buses are available for students on this date.  Interested students should sign up by completing this form.  https://bit.ly/AMCatHughes26 by noon on Monday, January 5th.  t

You can read more about the AMC 8 at by clicking here,and a free resource to help students prepare is available here.  There are many more online resources, including previous tests and practice tests, that you can find by simply searching for "AMC 8".   Questions can be directed to our IB Coordinator, Chris DelGrosso, at cjdelgrosso@fcps.edu.

SibTeens Workshop: January 29, 2026

SibTeens is a community-building group for Middle School siblings of children with support needs in grades 6-9 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences. Register here

Details: January 29, 2026 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Jim Scott Community Center, 301 Vaden Dr. Fairfax, VA.

LANGSTON HUGHES MIDDLE SCHOOL - PTA

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Registration for the Carcassonne Tournament- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegjo540M_HrLEE6HSetVu4FDaWFAYzHkdQO0NqT_YkILzajg/viewform?usp=header

It’s not too late to join a club!  Join the fun after school. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkDtOVASo9Dvoamwm4h56r84B5gWzoR6dX6iawunMiU/edit?tab=t.0