MHS PTSA eNews, September 16

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September 16, 2020

Your Source for News about the Highlander Community


Coming Soon: Our First Virtual PTSA Meeting

Wednesday, September 23, 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Join Assistant Principal Jeff Barham and the PTSA for our first General Meeting of the year. Following the meeting, hear from our guest speakers: Paul Stansbery, Director of Student Services; and Nick Corsi, Systems of Support Advisor (SOSA), who will provide information that will benefit both parents and students. Come learn about various systems of support available to students (academic, behavioral, social, and emotional) as well as the different roles that Student Services, the SOSA, and the Clinical Team play here at MHS. This is your opportunity to get your questions answered about resources available for students and help your child reach their potential.

You can also send us your questions here. The meeting link will be sent an hour before the meeting. Please enter your full name when joining the session, as it allows us to obtain quorum for our meeting.


Parent Volunteer Opportunity—Prep and Distribution of Class Materials

Starting next week, please help our McLean HS teachers and staff pack and distribute over 2,300 bags of class materials. Sign up here.

Bag Stuffing (Sept 25-28)

The goal is to have bags with each student’s schedule, along with the items they need, printed on the outside of the bag. Staff and volunteers will take empty bags to the lower gym where all materials will be located. Each bag will need to be stuffed with the appropriate materials.

Distribution (Sept 29-Oct 2)

The plan is to have students drive up Westmoreland to Door 9/the Rock Entrance. Here, each student will stay in their car and have their name prominently displayed on a car window. When they pull up, staff and parent volunteers will retrieve the material bag for that student and take it to the car. We will have approximately 130 kids an hour if everyone comes through.


Upcoming Mock ACT & SAT Tests

EC Tutoring is offering a mock ACT test on Oct. 3rd and a mock SAT test on Oct. 17th. These tests are available to students at area schools for $20. Please remember to identify yourself as an MHS student on the sign up form so that the PTSA gets credit; the fees support our programs.

Mock ACT, October 3: Sign up here

Mock SAT, October 17: Sign up here


Support your school community

You are invited to connect, support, and engage with our McLean community! Learn how your support helps here. Only 18% of McLean families have verified their information. If you haven't already, please take five minutes to verify your contact information for the school directory and  join and support the PTSA by logging into AtoZ Connect. Please contact fundraising@mcleanptsa.org if you have questions or need assistance.

Donate: Please consider making a tax free donation. This is our only annual fundraiser. Your contribution translates directly to academic enhancements, programs in the virtual environment, improved technology, and courtyard and facilities renovation for our student body to bolster support during this pandemic. Click here to donate. As a token of our appreciation, our Silver level donors ($100) get a magnet and our Red level donors ($200) get a face mask. Make your donations by September 27th to receive your gifts by the end of the month!

Submit Employee Matching Contributions: Many companies sponsor the Employee Donation Matching Program for non-profit organizations, such as McLean High School PTSA. You can DOUBLE your contributions to McLean Highlanders.

cause

Help Our Cause (NEW this year!):  Check out a one-stop shop to earn rewards while shopping at 1000+ stores online or on your phone. Simply register once and use it often to get shopping discounts, travel rebates, and much more – all while supporting your PTSA! Learn more about the program here.


New McXDance Club

Did you know that Mclean High School has a new dance club?  "The McXDance Club" offers a new way to be active while still staying safe. Dance classes/meetings will be held online, and all Mclean High School students are welcome to attend!  Google form link to sign up: https://forms.gle/aPF6nngLYYx5H9Cb8  


MHS Parent Meetings

  • PTSA General Meeting 9/23 @ 7 p.m.
  • Senior Parents University 10/2 @ 12:00
  • Junior Parents University, 11/8, time TBD, topic is testing 101

Links will be sent one-hour prior to the meeting

Many meetings can be found on the MHPTSA calendar page at https://mcleanptsa.org/calendar/


The MHS Virtual Learning Info You Need, All in One Place

Go to https://mcleanhs.fcps.edu/academics/virtual-learning and find the Bell Schedule, Virtual Learning Guide 20-21: Student Edition, teacher office hours, Student Services Support, Tech Support, Administrative Support, and Virtual Learning Resources.


Discussion Group for Families of MHS Students with ADHD

The McLean HS ADHD Forum is a venue for parents to share strategies and resources with the common goal of managing the challenges presented by ADHD and celebrating the unique talents of their children. Interested in learning more about the group? Check out https://mcleanptsa.org/special-education-resources/.


refle

 

Art Competition: The Theme for the 2020-21 School Year is I Matter Because

Students can submit their completed works of art in one or all of the six available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Student winners from the local level have the opportunity to move up through their district, region, and state PTA programs to the national level. Several MHS students won awards last year.  

Submissions will be done online. All submissions are due by Friday, October 2nd.  Judging will take place in the fall and all students will be notified before Thanksgiving break. Please access the website for submission rules and Student entry forms here.

Questions? Please contact Reflections Chair Sarah Liberatore at reflections@mcleanptsa.org.  


Volunteer Openings

The McLean PTSA is an all-volunteer organization. Whether you have the time and energy to chair a committee or prefer to volunteer an hour at an occasional event, YOUR PTSA NEEDS YOU and appreciates all that you do! 

All open positions can be found here: https://mcleanptsa.org/volunteer/

Additionally, we'll highlight one open position each week until all are filled:

President Elect

Serve our Highlander community before stepping into the role of President. Share your valuable insights and contributions and shape the following year, while allowing time to learn on the job.


Did You Know...?

The FCPS website (https://www.fcps.edu) has daily updates, and a special education planning update was recently added (https://www.fcps.edu/node/40612).


Meetings and Events

Sept 23 - PTSA General Meeting 9/23 

Oct 2 - Senior Parents University 10/2 

Nov 8 - Junior Parents University

 

 

Link to Special Education Resources

Special Education