Important Upcoming Dates
October 9 - Wellness Wednesday
October 14 - Columbus Day - Student Holiday
October 16 - PSAT day 10/11 graders/High School Transition Day - 9th graders
November 1 - 1st quarter ends
November 4 & 5 - Student Holidays
November 11 - Parent Safe Teen Driving Presentation - 6:30 pm
General Information
Graduation Moved to June 1
Graduation has been moved from June 2 to June 1 at 2:30 at Constitution Hall.
This date is being moved to a day earlier due to a scheduling error. Currently, the PTSA is looking for a new location for the All Night Grad Party (ANGP).
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause your student and family.
October 16 for Freshman Students
On October 16th sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT. Freshmen will be participating in some transition/career planning activities for half of the morning with our Counselors and McLeaders and also viewing/discussing the movie “Like” for the other half of the morning.
“LIKE” explores the social impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. The goal of the film is to educate, inspire and equip us to self-regulate. After the film, discussion will be led by our Psychologist, Beth Werfel and our Social Worker Marly Jerome-Featherson. Special thanks to the Safe Community Coalition for funding this movie. Additional information will follow regarding the film as well as opt-out information.
PSAT Day - General Information
- The PSAT will be administered to 10th and 11th grade students on Wednesday, October 16th.
- No registration is required. The PSAT is *free* for all 10th and 11th grade FCPS students.
- PSAT day is an early release day for students (1:05).
- PSAT practice materials can be found online at www.collegeboard.org. 10th and 11th grade students will also receive a “PSAT Student Guide + Practice Test” via English classes.
- PSAT testing locations will be emailed to FCPS Gmail accounts in early October.
- Students will need number 2 pencils and a calculator.
- Please contact Mr. Bouchard (rabouchard@fcps.edu) for PSAT/College Board accommodation requests.
- FCPS is no longer administering the PSAT 8/9. 9th grade students will participate in a high school transition program on October 16th.
PSAT Pre-Survey
At the beginning of the PSAT, students are presented with a voluntary pre-survey that asks questions about a variety of topics. Parents have the opportunity to preview this survey, and to opt out, if they choose to do so. Parents/guardians may view the pre-survey questions and access further information about the opt-out process via the “PSAT Pre-Survey Opt-Out Policy” public webpage at: https://www.fcps.edu/node/36639. Pre-survey opt-out forms must be returned to Sara Wheeler, Assessment Coach, McLean High School by Friday, September 28, 2018. If you choose to opt your student out of the pre-survey, please be sure your student knows they should not answer the pre-survey questions at the beginning of the test.
PSAT Day Opportunities for Seniors
On October 16th, MHS will host two optional activities for 12th grade students:
- College Essay Writing assistance with English 12 teachers in the MHS Library from 8:30-11:30 - by appointment only.
- College Application assistance with Mrs. Venos (McLean’s College and Career Specialist) in the Career Center from 8:30 -10:00 (drop-ins welcome).
*PSAT Day Link for Seniors: College Essay Consulting Sign-up Form.
AP Exam Opt-Out Reminder
AP Exam Opt-Out Forms and Fee Reminder
FCPS strongly encourages all students to take AP tests for courses in which they are enrolled, however, AP students have the opportunity to opt out of test(s) by submitting an opt-out form. All AP students will receive an AP exam opt-out form from 3rd period teachers by October 1st.
Please keep in mind that FCPS will pay the test fees for the first six AP tests taken for courses in which a student is currently enrolled for high school credit or auditing. Students choosing to take one or more AP tests beyond the six FCPS-funded tests will be charged a fee of $94 per AP test. For more information about the test fee process visit the FCPS website: https://www.fcps.edu/testfees
No action is needed for students who wish to take all AP tests for the courses in which they are currently enrolled and have registered for their exams via College Board’s “MyAP” platform. To opt-out of an AP test, students/parents must complete the AP opt-out form and return it to the Student Services office by Friday, October 25, 2019. This deadline is much earlier than it has been in past years due to new College Board test ordering deadlines. Students who do not submit the opt-out form by the deadline and later do not sit for an AP test for which they were registered will be charged a fee of $40.00 per unused AP test (or $94.00 if beyond the six FCPS-funded exam limit).
Note for students enrolled in AP Economics or AP US & Comparative Government: The curriculum for these two AP courses is assessed through two separate AP tests. The two tests for these courses will be considered as one test for the FCPS-funded test count and fees.
Note for students enrolled in AP Capstone courses (Seminar and Research): The College Board exam fee for these courses is $142.00, however, FCPS students (beyond the six FCPS funded tests) will only incur a $94.00 fee.
Credit Exam for World Languages
The 2019 Credit Exam for World Languages will be administered November 6 – 8, 2019. Students who take the credit exam will now have the opportunity to earn up to three credits, based on demonstrated proficiency.
Thirty (30) languages will be assessed via the FCPS Credit Exam, including: American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Greek, Hebrew, Portuguese and Turkish languages will be tested using the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), which is a timed test and has a format distinct from the FCPS World Languages Credit Exam. More information on the WPT is available here: Writing Proficiency Test.
Registration opens Monday, September 9, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Late registrations will not be accepted. Student should see their school counselors to register for the exam.
VISION AND HEARING SCREENING – 10th GRADERS AND NEW TO FCPS STUDENTS
Wednesday, Oct. 9th and Thursday Oct. 10th, we will be conducting our Vision and Hearing Screening in the Lecture Hall. All 10th graders and any new to FCPS in 9th, 11th, and 12th will be screened.
If you are interested in volunteering anytime on either or both of these days, please use the “Sign Up Genius” link below to put your name in the time slots that you would be available.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4DADA82EA7FD0-hearing4/4531557
You may also contact Julie Gamboa, School Health Aide by e-mailing her at jgamboa@fcps.edu.
Parents Safe Teen Driving Presentation - 6:30pm
McLean High School will be hosting safe teen driving presentations on
November 11 , February 3 , and April 20
All presentations start at 6:30 pm.
The state of Virginia requires all 10th grade students and their parent/guardian to attend a 90-minute traffic safety program as part of the classroom driver education instruction. This condition must be met before a student will receive a Driver Education Certificate of Completion (DEC-District 8 card).
The Virginia Department of Education has said that students who complete classroom instruction in a public school must also complete PSTD at the public school. It is not acceptable for a student to complete PSTD at a commercial driving school and receive a DEC-District 8 card from FCPS.
No one will be admitted after the doors have been closed. You are strongly encouraged to attend the program at McLean. If you are unable to attend one of these dates, additional program dates and locations can be found on the Fairfax County Public Schools website at www.fcps.edu.
Wellness Wednesday
Join your Wellness Committee and fellow parents at 8:30 am on Wednesdays at Greenberry's in McLean. For the next few weeks we will be discussing Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. Please join us even if you don't have time to read the book – you can still benefit from the discussion.
Mark your calendars for our next formal parent coffee on Wednesday, October 9 at 8:30 am at The StudyPro in McLean. Nick Corsi will again lead the session, this time providing Sources of Strength training for parents. Find more information about Sources of Strength here.
Free and Reduced Meals Application
The Free and Reduced Meals application is now online. Families must re-apply every year to receive this service. More information and a link to the application can be found at: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Please also complete the consent to share information (section 4 of the application) as this can allow the school to waive course fees and receive reduced fees for other activities. If families do not re-apply their number will be inactivated in early October.
Athletics
Varsity Volleyball beat South Lakes in 5 sets.
Varsity Football won the Homecoming game against Wakefield 36-31.
FCPS Workshops for Parents
The sixth annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5th, at Fairfax High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, sponsored by Inova. The morning session will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
A special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, will take place in the morning as well. Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
More information is available at the Mental Health and Wellness Conference website.
FCPS Cares
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My School Bucks
Learn more about this online payment portal for many school fees. Parents can set up an account which they link their student(s) to so there is one account per family. Course fees, lunch funds, some ticket events can be taken care of online. MySchoolBucks eliminates the need for students to carry cash to school and for multiple checks to be written. Learn more and sign up at https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home
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