McLean HS: Dr. Reilly's Monday Message 10/12/2020

Important Upcoming Dates

October 29 - PSAT for Juniors

October 30 - Two-hour Early Release

October 30 - End of the first quarter

November 2 and 3 - School Planning Day - Student Holiday/Teacher Workday

November 11 - Veteran's Day - 2-hour Early Release

November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Holiday

December 21-January 1 - Winter Break

January 18 - Martin Luther King Day Holiday

January 22 - End of 2nd quarter - 2 hour early release

January 25 - Student Holiday/Teacher Workday


Important Links

Virtual Back to School Night

Teacher Office Hours

Bell Schedule

Red/Silver Calendar

Office and Support Staff

Attendance

Student Services

Student Activities


General Information

Freshman Unit Part Two

On Monday, October 19th, from 1:00 – 2:00, school counselors will be presenting part two of the Freshman Unit to all freshmen. In this presentation, students will learn about the roles of school counselors, graduation requirements, transcripts, and participate in a student-led discussion on equity at McLean. All freshmen are expected to participate. The specific links for each counselor’s session will be mailed out later this week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Greg Olcott – gtolcott@fcps.edu, or Jennifer Fernandez - jcfernandez1@fcps.edu.


Advanced Placement Test Opt-Out Forms

Parents will receive an Advanced Placement Test Opt-Out Form in the mail this week listing the number of AP tests for which their student is currently registered, as well as the total number of tests their student has taken. Students have the opportunity to opt out of any test(s) using the online AP Opt-out form available on the McLean Website:  https://mcleanhs.fcps.edu/ap-opt-out.   The online AP Opt-out form must be submitted by Friday, October 23rdNote: Students planning to take all of their AP exams this May should NOT complete this form.  Please contact Sara Wheeler, AP Test Coordinator, at sewheeler@fcps.edu with any questions regarding the AP Opt-out process. 


Free and Reduced-Price Meals

If you submitted an application for Free or Reduced-Price Meals last school year for your child(ren), please remember to submit a new application for this school year. The current eligibility status will expire on October 20, 2020.

Apply for free and reduced-price meals by visiting www.MySchoolApps.com. Eligibility may also provide your child(ren) other important benefits. Be sure your child(ren) are approved for the 20-21 school year. 

The online application is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Tagalog, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. Paper applications are available to complete and submit in English upon request at FCPS food distribution sites. 


PSAT Registration for Juniors

On Thursday, October 29,  the PSAT/NMSQT will be administered at McLean High School to eleventh grader students who registered for the test by the October 9th registration deadline. Due to health and safety protocols, FCPS sites cannot accept walk-ins on the day of the exam.  

General information about the PSAT/NMSQT test format is available on the College Board webpage (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10). Thursday, October 29 has been designated for asynchronous learning in FCPS high schools, so students who choose to take the PSAT/NMSQT will not miss synchronous learning time with their teachers.

For more information regarding test day protocols, please see the McLean HS website . The FCPS health and safety protocols for PSAT/NMSQT administration are available online (https://www.fcps.edu/node/41891). 

If you have questions about the PSAT/NMSQT administration at McLean High School, please contact Sara Wheeler (sewheeler@fcps.edu)


Go Paperless

To take advantage of the paperless options, parents and/or guardians will need to log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless"  All parents who live with the student and share the same address must have a SIS ParentVUE account and must select the paperless option to prevent mailing of the printed report cards. The “Go Paperless” option will apply to all their associated students, no matter what school level.


Parent Required Signatures

1. Digital Tool Permission

2. Student's Rights and Responsibilities 

1. Parent Digital Tool Permission Application

In an ongoing effort to protect student data, FCPS is required to secure parental permission for student use of software/applications for which FCPS does not have a confidentiality agreement.  An online process has been developed to collect this information digitally and provide school-based reporting.  This process has been designed to meet the legal requirements for authenticating parent identities under FERPA.  The MHS Website has a list of all of the digital tools used at McLean.

2. Student's Rights and Responsibilities Signature Page

Students will review the SR&R on September 11, 2020.  The SR&R booklet can be found on the FCPS website (Sept. 2).  FCPS will release the link to the SR&R Signature page once the SR&R is finalized and updated on the website.  Please review the SR&R with your student.  The final SR&R will be available online at  

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/policies-regulations-and-notices/student-rights-and-responsibilities/video-and-resources


Behind the Wheel and PSTD Information

McLean High School will be offering Partners in Safe Teen Driving (PSTD) seminars twice during first quarter. These seminars will be held virtually through BBCU from 7:00-8:30 PM on Monday, 10/19 and Monday 10/26. Students must virtually attend with a parent or legal guardian and fill out an attendance form at the end in order to earn credit. Attendance of a PSTD seminar is a state requirement in order to pass classroom Driver Education as part of the Health and Physical Education 10 curriculum and obtain a DEC-8 (pink) card. While this seminar is intended for and free of charge for students currently enrolled in Health and Physical Education 10, any juniors who were unable to satisfy this requirement during the 2019-2020 school year are welcome to attend free of charge as well.

Students can register to attend with a parent or legal guardian for one of these two dates HERE. Prior to the seminar date, the STUDENT will receive a BBCU invite to the virtual seminar that will be sent to their fcpsschools.net email account. The student must sign into the seminar before 7:00 PM and a parent or guardian must watch the seminar with them. Virtual Attendance after 7:00 PM will not be permitted. PSTD seminars are only available for attendance by students in grades 10-12. Any 9th graders who attend will not receive credit, as they are not enrolled in the Health and Physical Education 10 course.

If students or parents cannot virtually attend a PSTD seminar during the week, FCPS ACE (Adult and Community Education) will be offering Partners in Safe Teen Driving seminars on Saturdays beginning in October. These seminars are only open to students grades 10-12. Students who attend these Saturday seminars regardless of grade, must register online through the ACE website and pay the $30.00 registration fee, as these seminars are held on the weekend.

Lastly, FCPS ACE is now accepting registration for behind-the-wheel (in-car portion) Driver Education classes.  Registration is available on the ACE website.

The FCPS ACE website can be found here:

https://aceclasses.fcps.edu/CategorySubjectListing.aspx?ProgramID=28&ProgramName=Driver+Education&IsCourse=1.

Questions related to ACE classes ACE seminars may be directed to Jard Shoemake at: wcshoemake@fcps.edu.


Club Participation Information

  1. Go to Clubs-and-organizations for a list of all of our clubs.
  2. Each club will have a Google Classroom link
  3. If you are interested in that club, click on the Google Classroom Link to join the club classroom
  4. In the classroom, there will be a link to join club meetings during Highlander Flex Time(Only FCPS students can enter)
  5. 9:45am-10:25am- Clubs that start with the letter A-L

    10:25am-11:05am- Clubs that start with the letter M-Z

  6. If the Club says “Inactive” that means we have the club, but currently do not have a sponsor. If a student is interested in activating the club a teacher sponsor would need to be identified.
  7. To learn more about student clubs at MHS, as well as information on the process of starting new clubs, please join Mr. Hays’ MHS Clubs class in Google Classroom using class code: euwkxvv

McLean HS Tech Support for Students

If you are experiencing issues with your FCPS issued laptop, please use the link below to enter your information.  The tech support team will then get back to you as soon as possible.

We will continue to support students remotely as much as possible. If a computer has been identified as needing hands-on repair, we will schedule an appointment for you to come to the school to exchange it.  

Description:  This form should be filled out by a student if they are experiencing issues with their FCPSOn laptop.

Please click on the link below to access the Tech Support Request Form.

Parent/Student Support Portal Link:

https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/


FCPS Help Desk for Tech Support for Parents and Students

To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, FCPS has launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk, effective Monday, August 24. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Parents or guardians can call this number for basic tech support with parent accounts, help with FCPS student devices and technical assistance with other FCPS applications. If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will enter a support ticket on behalf of the parent/guardian to escalate the issue to the appropriate FCPS team. Parents who need help in a language other than English can inform the help desk staff when they call of their preferred language, and an interpreter will join in on the call.

FCPS has also set-up Parent and Student Technology Support portal at https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/ to allow older students and parents/guardians to request technology help directly. When a support request ticket is entered through the portal, it is auto-routed to the TSSpec at the appropriate site to expedite service. text.


Social-Emotional Support Information

Mental Health and Wellness Support Services and Resources

McLean’s Clinical Staff are available to consult with parents and students regarding mental health related concerns and behaviors.  They are also able to provide community resources as needed.  Please see their contact information below:

Carol Ann Forrest, School Psychologist, CMForrest@fcps.edu

Beverly Parker-Lewis, School Psychologist, baparkerlewi@fcps.edu

Marly Jerome-Featherson, School Social Worker, mjeromefeath@fcps.edu

For more Mental Health and Wellness Information, please check out these Student Wellness Resources, FCPS’s  Healthy Minds Blog and the FCPS’s Parent Resource Center.


 Emergency Resources

Crisis Link Regional Hotline            703-527-4077

Crisis Text                                       Text NEEDHELP to 85511

Dominion Hospital Emergency       703-536-2000

INOVA Emergency                         703-289-7560

Merrifield Center Emergency         703-573-5979  TTY dial 711

Life Threatening                             911


FCPS Parent Sessions

Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home Series 

9/24 Setting the Stage for Good Behavior: Routines, Procedures & Expectations                              

  • Overview on establishing and maintaining routines, procedures, and expectations. 
  • Strategies to teach and reinforce routines, procedures, & expectations   

10/22  Challenging Behaviors: Prevention Strategies and Teaching Self-Control

11/19  Challenging Behaviors: ABCs of Behavior & How to Respond

12/17  All Behavior Happens for a Reason: Behavior as Communication        

01/21  Strategies for Increasing Replacement Behaviors 

02/18  Teaching your Children to Follow Directions 

03/18  Effectively Communicating with Your Child 

04/22   Minimizing Prompts and Maximizing Your Child’s Independence           

Thursday September 24, 2020, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Register for Setting the Stage for Good Behavior: Routines, Procedures, & Expectations


FCPS Cares

FCPS Cares

Do you know a McLean High School or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.


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