Updates from the Student Services Department

Updates from Lee HS's Student Services Department

Week of October 7, 2019

 

Calendar:

October 8:             Juniors meet with their Counselors through Advisory Classes

October 14:           Student Holiday

October 16:           PSAT/9th Grade Transition Day

October 20-21:      College Fairs

October 21-31:      FCPS Federal Survey Form/Impact Aid Collection

November 1:          End of 1st Quarter (Study hard, Lancers!)

PSAT Day & 9th Grade Transition Day: October 16, 2019

On Wednesday, October 16, Lee High School will operate on a two hour early release schedule. School hours will be from 8:10am-12:55pm and school buses will run as usual. All FCPS Academy classes are cancelled so that academy students may participate in planned activities at their base schools. 9th graders will work with teachers on college/career/future planning and should bring their laptops to school. They will complete lessons and activities through Naviance Student, located in Blackboard. 10th and 11th grade students will take the PSAT Test (free of charge). They need to bring #2 pencils (not mechanical) and an approved calculator. Students may not have electronic devices (phones, SmartWatches, timers, laptops) in the testing rooms and the recommendation is to leave these items at home for the day. Students need to know their home mailing address, FCPS ID number, and a personal email address on test day. 12th grade students will meet in the Auditorium at 8:10 for a class meeting, followed by taking their class panoramic photo (wear a white t-shirt), and finally, for select students, CPR Training (a graduation requirement) will be held. Seniors may work on college/career planning at home when these planned activities are completed. School lunch on October 16 will be available to all students.

 

Parent Meetings: You are invited!

FCPS College Fairs

Fairfax County Public Schools high school students and their families are encouraged to attend the 2019 College Fair on Sunday, October 20, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Fair Oaks Mall, and College Night on Monday, October 21, 7 to 9 p.m., at Hayfield Secondary School. Both events provide opportunities for college-bound students and their families to gather information from a variety of schools. Details and registration are available online

 

The 2020-21 FAFSA Form Is Now Available; College Access Fairfax Is Here to Help

Parents of high school seniors—did you know that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open? Parents are encouraged to work with their students to complete the FAFSA as early as possible and definitely before March 1, 2020, as you prepare for your child to begin college in the fall of 2020. Parents and students should start by creating an FSA ID and then begin the FAFSA.

 

Also, thanks to our partners at College Access Fairfax, there are a variety of workshops available at multiple locations throughout the year to help you plan and prepare. Workshops are open to parents and students of all ages and include both information seminars as well as one-on-one help to complete the FAFSA. Individual schools will also host annual college planning nights. It’s never too early to start learning about how to pay for college. Get more information at the College Access Fairfax website and read your school newsletter to find more information about events near you. 

 

Student Schedules

Student Schedule Change Process

Beginning Tuesday, October 1, students may email their counselor to initiate a schedule change request. Forms will be available to students and the input of the student and different adults (including parents, teachers, counselors, Case Managers, and IB Coordinators) will be required. We want students to excel in the courses they selected. Therefore, a schedule change is a last resort option, after multiple attempts have been made to reach success. Please know that many of our classes are at capacity. If a schedule change cannot be granted, other options will be reviewed. To discuss the process or to receive a form, students should email their counselors. Requests to change a schedule should be received by October 31.

 

Grading & Reporting

We are now past the interim point of the first quarter. Parents and students are encouraged to review student academic standing in all courses and begin planning for the final weeks of the quarter. The end of the quarter is on November 1, and many teachers close gradebooks prior to that date. Study hard, Lancers, and let’s make it a successful first quarter!

 

Student Health & Wellness

E-Cigarette (“Vape”) Health Advisory

In light of recent cases of severe respiratory illnesses associated with the use of e-cigarettes and “vaping” among youth and young adults, the Fairfax County Health Department has posted a health advisory.  The advisory can be found here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/severe-lung-illness-associated-vaping-what-you-need-know. As well, parents are encouraged to review the following website, compiled by FCPS, to better understand vaping and available resources. https://www.fcps.edu/vaping/parents

 

SAPS Position in FCPS (Substance Abuse and Prevention Specialist)

As a support to students and families across all of FCPS, Regional SAPS have been hired. Marty Joyner is the SAPS for our Region of the County, and is available to help students with any substance abuse/substance abuse concern. Students and parents should contact the school counselor to receive the referral form. This service is free and confidential.

 

Lee HS Career Center

College representatives coming to Lee HS

Juniors and seniors may attend these college information sessions. Students need to register for these events in their Naviance Student, which is located on their Blackboard Site. Please check Naviance Student now and register, sessions are limited to 35 students and held in College & Career Center

College Rep Visits for the week

Monday, October  7: Longwood University at 9:00 am

Wednesday, October 9: George Washington University at 9:00 am

Wednesday, October 9: Shepard University at 9:30 am

Thursday, October 10: Roanoke College at 2:15 pm

 

Student Meetings with Counselors 

Junior Class Meetings

School counselors have completed their class meetings with seniors and freshmen. We will be meeting with juniors through their advisory classes beginning on October 8.

  

Federal Survey Forms (Impact Aid)

During the week of October 21, all students will receive an Impact Aid form for their parent/guardian to complete. Fairfax County Public Schools receives $3,000,000 annually as a result of this federal funding. These forms are important to us and we request one back from each student. Forms will be due by October 30, 2019. For information on this program, please go to https://www.fcps.edu/impact.

  

Volunteer Opportunities for Students

All Lancers are encouraged to participate in community service to learn new skills, address their career interests, and give back to their community. Students who complete at least 50 hours of community service in high school are eligible for honors when they graduate (such as the State Civic Seal and the FCPS Service Learning cord). Students should track their hours, obtain supervisor signatures for hours completed, and save their records. Below are some volunteer opportunities:

 

Rolling Valley's Haunted House and Fun Fair will be on Saturday, October 26th.  We are in need of teen volunteers to make this event a success!  All volunteers will receive credit for volunteer hours. Please sign up at the following links.

Haunted House: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4daea82ba5fc1-20191

Fun Fair: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4daea82ba5fc1-20192

Wounded Paw Project - They are in search of volunteers to assist with following:

- Social Media postings

- Research on military, working, celebrity dogs

- Google Analytics

- Campaign Writings

- Donations Letters

- Media Outreach

- Sports and Dogs

- Grant Research

- Pawblications

Any questions please contact Ernesto Hernandez III (ernesto.hernandez@woundedpawproject.org

 

Jewish Community Center - The Adapted Sports program offers a variety of sports and recreational activities to individuals ages 5-18 with special needs. Through weekly engagement in sports, players will gain confidence, social skills, gross motor skills, behavior skills, and the opportunity to be part of community-based settings.

This fall we will be offering a 5 week session of TOPSoccer and a 8 week session of Adapted Basketball. We are looking for volunteers to help support the athletes from week to week. The role of volunteer buddies is under the lead of the coach and assist participants with follow through of skills/activity, socialization, engagement, and ultimately making sure all are having fun! Consistency is key, so we ask that you be able to make the full season commitment.

Outdoor TOPSoccer at Sprague Center, will meet on Sundays from 4-5pm, September 15- October 27  (5 weeks; no practice Sept. 29, Oct. 13)

Indoor Adapted Basketball at The J, will meet on Saturdays from 3:15-4pm and 4:15pm-5pm, October 19- December 14 (8 weeks; no practice Nov. 30)