- Important Dates
- Principal’s Message
- Student Services News
- School Information
- PTSA Update
- Senior Class Update
- SAT/ACT Test Prep
- College and Career Center
- National Honor Society Update
- Beyond The Page Theatre Update
- Choir Update
- FCPS Cares
- West Potomac High School Predator Yearbook Info
Important Dates:
- April 15 - 19: Spring Break
Happy Spring Break West Potomac Families!
Whew!!! Are you ready for some downtime with family and friends? I know I am 😊. When we return from break the mad dash to the end of the year will begin. Please encourage your students to get some rest over break in order to end the year on a strong note. It will be extremely important that students are attending school daily during 4th quarter as we will also be entering testing season. Enjoy your Spring Break!
Ms. Millard
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Student Services News
Senior Convocation
Attention SENIORS - Class of 2019 Convocation Ceremony June 5th 9:00-11:00AM Springbank Auditorium. Convocation is our Senior Honors and Department Awards ceremony where seniors are recognized for their academic accomplishments and scholarship received. PLEASE turn in copies of scholarship awards you will be using to attend college Fall 2019 to Mrs. Carter in the College and Career Center (Rm 332) by May 22nd. I must have documentation of scholarship awards in order to include in awards program. Questions contact Mrs. Carter. Thank you!
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The College Experience and Substance Safety Series
Where: Career Center Room 332 Time: During all lunch periods
Thank you to those students who participated in Session 1 this past week. A reminder of our 2nd and 3rd Session dates:
Session 2: April 30— Bring your lunch and come discuss how alcohol and other chemicals impact our bodies, brains, and college success. Session 3: May 28—Accepted: Now What? - Bring your lunch and come discuss “the college experience” and how to make it a safe and successful college experience that YOU determine.
Questions? Contact our West Potomac Pyramid Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Elizabeth Knudson
Spring break is quickly approaching and can be a great time for students to recharge and refocus to finish out the school year strong. However, Spring Break is also often associated with an increase in substance use by adolescents. I just wanted to provide a little information for students and parents to discuss prior to departing for any tropical destinations. The good news is that overall underage drinking trends are down nationally. However, according to Youth Survey 2017 statistics, in our WPHS community 22.3 percent of students reported using alcohol in the last 30 days. This is higher than the Fairfax County statistic of 15.5 percent. Adolescents are also more likely to engage in binge drinking, which is consuming 4 (women) or 5 (men) drinks in a short period of time. According to the CDC, binge drinking is responsible for an estimated 4,300 deaths among youth under 21 every year.
It is very important for parents to know that there is a steep increase in the number of students using substances from 10th grade to 12th grade. For example, in 2017, 5.5 percent of WPHS Pyramid 8th graders reported using alcohol in the last 30 days compared to 20 percent of WPHS 10th graders and compared to 43.9 percent of WPHS 12th graders. Parents, please keep talking with your children because your attitude toward alcohol and substance use makes a difference. For information about the effects of alcohol use on the teenage brain and body and how to talk with adolescents about them, there are many great sources such as www.responsibility.org and www.drugabuse.gov. If you have any questions or want to refer your student to speak with me please reach out to me at eaknudson@fcps.edu or 703.718.2749. If you have an 11th or 12th grader that you would like to have more information about the dangers of binge drinking in college there are still two sessions remaining in the Lunch and Learn: The College Experience and Substance Safety Series. The remaining sessions will be April 30, 2019 and May 28, 2019 in the College and Career Center during lunch.
School Information and News
FCCLA Chapter Update
The West Potomac FCCLA chapter earned the silver medal at the state competition this past weekend in Virginia Beach! Winnie Mikulski, Carolena Schlater, Isabella Irwin and Henry Porter have qualified to compete in the National FCCLA competition in Anaheim in July!!
AP Pre-arranged Absence Form
AP students who wish to leave immediately after a morning AP exam, or come-in late for an afternoon AP exam, must submit an AP pre-arranged absence form to their Alpha-Administrator, no later than April 26. Pre-arranged students will be able to leave campus immediately after the exam, instead of going to the attendance office to “check-out”. Students who test in the afternoon, will be able to go directly to their test site as opposed to having to “check-in” at attendance. See your Alpha-Administrator or the West Potomac Home Page for more detail.
Forms are available in Student Services, and on the West Potomac Home Page under Announcements: AP Exam Schedule and Pre-Arranged Absence Form.
AP Testing Volunteers
AP Testing is quickly approaching. In addition to the counselors, who act as lead proctors, the Student Services department needs PARENT VOLUNTEERS to serve as proctors for the duration of each AP test. Your support is essential to our test security and ability to implement a successful program.
Please review the AP Testing Schedule and consider signing-up via the PTSA volunteer web-page. Except for Comparative Government, all exams will be held in the Main Gym. Please note: You may not proctor your own child during an exam. Please feel free to contact Adriana Meeks, the AP Testing Coordinator with any comments, questions or concerns. Thank you for your continuous support.
PTSA Update
We need a Corresponding Secretary for the 2019-20 PTSA Board. The vote will take place at the May 6 meeting. Please contact Tanya Stamos. This position can be mostly done at your home or other place of convenience. Duties include:
- Gather information for the weekly News You Choose.
- Send out announcements, calendar events via PTBoard communication.
- Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence and other items as delegated.
- Provide advance notice to members of regular and special general membership meetings.
- Notify the executive committee in advance of its meeting.
Junior Parent Volunteer Needed for Baccalaureate, June 2.
We need the parent of a current Junior student to help with organizing the Baccalaureate Ceremony, June 2. This parent will observe and learn the ropes from the current Senior-parent organizers, with the intent to lead Baccalaureate ceremony planning next year. The Junior parent is mainly in charge of setting up and collecting food for the reception at 2:00, June 2. The PTSA sends out a volunteer request for reception food.
The Baccalaureate is a one-hour interdenominational service honoring the graduating Senior class. We rely on parent involvement to continue this tradition. Please reply to Julia MacDonald.
Princess For A Night Update
We want to thank everyone who helped support our tremendously successful 2019 Princess For a Night event. To all those who donated beautiful dresses (we collected well over 600!), business wear, shoes and accessories, the 104 girls we served truly appreciated the vast selection. To get an idea of the scale, see photos here. A special thank you to our neighborhood and business drop-off sites, which made it convenient for donors to get merchandise to us, including:
- Top It Off fashion accessories, 7968 Fort Hunt Road
- Just Dance studio, 1606 Belle View Blvd.
- Planet Fitness gym, 5960 Richmond Highway
We would also like to extend our thanks for support from:
- West Potomac High School administration
- West Potomac High School PTSA
- Katie Basinski, Mount Vernon High School, who supports many local PFN programs
- Belle View Jewelers, 1604 Belle View Blvd.
- South Valley Cleaners, 7732 Richmond Highway
- Zips Cleaners, 6216 North Kings Highway
- Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road
- Fazackerley family for hosting a successful PTSA fundraiser event that also brought in many makeup donations that the students loved, including lots from the local Beautycounter team, as well as a large assortment of casual clothing and business wear.
We could not have offered the students such an inviting, free pop-up Prom shop without our many volunteers (you know who you are, would hate to leave anyone out!) who helped us publicize, set up, assist “shoppers,” defray expenses, and clean up afterward. In addition to serving our student population, we donated leftover items to:
- Groveton Baptist Church, less than 2 miles from WPHS – casual clothing and jewelry for their weekly clothes closet
- Fairfax County Police Department – business wear for its teen business clothing drive
- WPHS’ Beyond the Page Theatre Company – some dresses for its Cinderella production
- Heart of God International Church in Springfield – some jewelry and handbags for a similar event for high schoolers
Margaret Rizzi and Christy O’Farrell, Princess For a Night co-chairs
Class of 2019 Update
All the info you need for Graduation Night is on our website. Check it out!
www.AngcWestPotomac.com
AP Review Sessions by Applerouth
AP Exams are just around the corner and our team of AP experts is here to help your students get ready for test day! To help students kick-start their study process, we’re hosting live online AP Review Sessions throughout the month of April. Register here. Cost is $125.00
Each session covers test-specific strategies that will enable students to prepare effectively and excel on test day.
SAT/ACT Test Prep-Upcoming Mocks, Classes and Events
Summer test prep classes WILL be offered. Register here. The registration and schedule should be posted this week. Classes start with benchmark mock on July 27.
Last Chance to take a mock test this school year!!
SAT Mock Tests offered April 6 and May 4.
ACT Mock Tests offered April 13 and May 11.
PTSA Program Manager – Marilyn Aboff
Test Prep Scholarships: WPHS student need-based scholarships for mocks and classes are available through the College and Career Center Specialist, Liz Carter.
College and Career Center
For the latest information including the College and Career Center newsletter, click here!
National Honor Society Update
If you need help with a subject, National Honor Society tutors are here to help! For more information and to sign up.
Beyond the Page Theatre Update
THE SLIPPERS ARE BACK!
Beyond the Page Theatre Company at West Potomac HS is once again opening the curtain on their annual spring musical.
Cinderella - April 26th and runs on select days through May 4th. Tickets are available here.
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical. This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It's Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside a hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane, as well as some new characters and surprising twists.
Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA was twice re-made, first in 1965 for Lesley Ann Warren and then again in 1997 featuring Brandy and Whitney Houston. The original Broadway production opened in 2013 and starred Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Victoria Clark and Harriet Harris.
Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes, including one intermission.
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FCPS Cares
Do you know a West Potomac HS or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share
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From the West Potomac High School Predator Yearbook Staff
Dear Parents and Guardians of West Potomac Students,
These are the days your teen will want to remember forever. Help make the year unforgettable by purchasing a 2018-19 West Potomac High School Yearbook!
For only $80 your child will have a book that will be enjoyed now and forever. Our books are created by a dedicated staff of your student’s peers who work hard all year long.
You can buy your book online with credit card, debit card or PayPal at yearbookforever.com or at school with a check in at the Publications Lab (Room 418). If you are ordering online, all you have to do is go to the website yearbookforever.com, and search for West Potomac High School. Order now, so your teen won’t miss out when the yearbook is distributed in the end of May, when the price increases to $85.
As an adult, you know how important high school memories become. Don’t let your child’s memories fade; make sure they get a yearbook!
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