The Mustang Newsletter
Dear SCMS families,
I hope that students and families enjoyed the three-day weekend in celebration of Indigenous People’s Day! I spent my weekend at the soccer field rooting for my daughter’s team. I experienced the highs and lows associated with youth soccer! In heartbreaking fashion, they lost in the final of the tournament on Sunday night, 3-2. The pouring rain during the game made the loss even tougher. Even though the long drive home was not celebratory, I loved every minute that I was able to spend with her creating memories of an amazing weekend that will last forever. This is a great way to frame the importance of self-care and prioritizing family, especially during these unprecedented times. I encourage all Mustangs (students, staff and families) to make time for each other and create lasting memories! Have a great week at school!
I welcome your feedback, suggestions and questions. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
@pakownacki
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Upcoming Dates
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- October 30th. End of first quarter. Two-hour early release.
- November 2nd. School Planning Day. No school for students.
- November 3rd. Teacher Workday. No School for students.
- November 11th. Two- hour early release. Veteran’s Day
- November 25th-27th (Wed-Thurs-Fri) Thanksgiving Holiday. No school for staff or students.
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: |
Thomas Jefferson is still working on a plan for the 2020 application process. They will post the press release containing links to all the School Board sessions/Town Hall meetings for parents to view.
Based upon the School Board Work Session discussion on October 6th, the school board consensus was that testing (Quant-Q, ACT Aspire Reading and Science) will be eliminated for this year, the application fee will be eliminated and there will be an increase in student enrollment at TJHSST. We do not have a window for the application process at this time. The next scheduled School Board Work Session to discuss additional changes is currently set for November 17th. You may always check TJ’s website, https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-admission for current information.
SCMS Thomas Jefferson HS Liaison: Jennice Johnson: JLJohnson2@fcps.edu
Monday Procedures:
All SCMS students will connect with teachers each Monday by noon. This is a required activity for all students! Students will connect/check in either by attending the 8:00-8:30 AM Check and Connect session (via link from 3rd period teacher) or by filling out the Google question they received from their 3rd period teacher. Each Monday teachers will share important school announcements and check in with students to support their learning for the week. Teachers at SCMS are asked to enter all student attendance by noon on Mondays so we ask that each student check in with their teachers by noon as well.
Individual teachers will hold additional office hours for student support Mondays. Students should check their teachers' schedules and procedures for attending office hours.
SIS Weekly Progress Reports to Parents
If you have registered for SIS ParentVUE and have a primary email address recorded in ParentVUE, you can receive your student’s Weekly Progress Report via email. For the 2020-21 school year, Weekly Progress Reports are scheduled to begin on Monday, October 5, 2020. This report provides a summary of your student’s grades for the current quarter. To activate the Weekly Progress Reports via email, login to your SIS ParentVUE account and verify that you have a primary email address within the system. It is listed under the “My Account” tab.
If it is blank, enter the email address where you would like to receive the progress reports, and click on “Update account.” Once your email is confirmed, return to the “My Account” tab to activate and select your preferences for receiving these reports. Emails will be sent according to your selected preferences. Weekly Progress Reports for all of your middle and high school students will be included in one email. For additional help, refer to the quick reference guide for FCPS parents/guardians.
Parents can also access student grades through ParentVUE via the Grade Book tab.
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Go Paperless Report Card Option |
Parents click on GO PAPERLESS in ParentVUE to get your online report card. Please log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless". This will not impact other FCPS mailings. Parents who do not choose this option or who have not yet set up their ParentVue account will continue to receive a paper copy of their child’s report card by mail this year.
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SCMS Library Offering Curbside Pickup |
Readers rejoice! Students can now check out books to take home from the South County Library. We're offering curbside pickup every Monday from 7:30-10:30 AM and 3:30-6:30 PM. Requests are made in advance: books selected by Thursday night will be ready the following Monday. Students must log into our library catalog (instructions here) with their fcpsschools account to place a hold.
All pickups will take place at the school, so be sure students can get a ride or can get there independently. Curbside will take place behind the school at Entrance 6, and we'll have signs out to help direct you. Books can also be returned to the school during curbside hours.
Grab and Go Food Sites and Breakfast Bus Routes:
All FCPS students (regardless of age) are eligible for free grab and go breakfast and lunch, as well as other county children, under the age of 18. Adults picking up meals for children should let staff know how many children meals they need. Adults may pay $2 for the meals as well. The service will be available Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM only.
New for this fall: breakfast and lunch meals for Saturdays will be distributed at all sites and bus routes each Friday.
South County area Grab and Go centers are Burke School, Lorton Station ES, Oak View ES, South County High School.
In addition, FCPS has some breakfast bus routes set up for students in some areas. Please click on this link to see bus routes for the South County Community Service time for buses are between 6:00 and 8:30 AM.
https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/food/bus
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Parent and Student Technology Support Portal |
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, FCPS has launched a Parent Technology Help Desk. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7:00 AM and 11 PM seven days a week.
FCPS has also set up a Parent and Student Technology Portal at https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/ to allow older students and parents/guardians to request technology help directly. When a support ticket is entered through the portal, it is auto-routed to the Tech Team at the appropriate site to expedite service.
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