Justice Newsletter - November 22


A Note from Principal Eck


Dear Justice Families,   

          As we approach the end of a year that has presented challenge after challenge, Thanksgiving provides a welcome opportunity to reflect on the many things for which we are most grateful.

        I am overwhelmed with gratitude, both personally and professionally. I have my good health and the health of my family. I have the great pleasure of being part of this amazing school community filled with extraordinary people. Thank you for your support of our school.

       Traditionally, Thanksgiving has meant travel for many of us. We know that this week will look and feel different from those in the past. As a reminder, we encourage our entire community, students, and staff, to take next Wednesday through Sunday off--with no large assignments given just before the holiday and due in the first few days afterwards.  We all need the time for self-care and reflection.

       Also last week, the return to school metrics have been published by FCPS.  Superintendent S. Brabrand announced "that the current health metrics for COVID-19 cases in our community now exceed the threshold to expand our in-person learning. Therefore, we are pressing 'pause' and will delay expanding in-person instruction to Group 5, which includes Early Head Start, pre-K, kindergarten and select students who receive special education services, who were scheduled to return on Tuesday, November 17. We are monitoring health metrics daily, but Group 5 will remain virtual until at least November 30. We will communicate additional updates closer to that time."

See the complete letter from Superintendent Brabrand.

            Enjoy the rest of your weekend. As always, please feel free to reach out to me or a member of the admin team.


IB Internal Assessment Calendar

Please find below the IB Internal Assessment Calendar with a list of due dates for all IB classes.  The calendar is designed so that no student has more than one IA due on any given day.

IB

Daily Health Screening Requirement

daily health screening, using Covid-19 Health Screening Questions, will be required for all students prior to coming onto school grounds (this applies for Material Distribution Days, in-person instruction, and co-curricular/extra-curricular activities). The health screening tool is available in EnglishAmharicArabicChineseFarsiKoreanSpanishUrdu and Vietnamese.

As indicated in the Parent/Guardian Health Screening Commitment form, parent/guardians, will complete the health screening each morning, prior to sending the student to school. In order to reduce the spread of communicable disease to student and staff, it is critical that parents/guardians accurately complete this screening daily and keep students home from school when exhibiting any symptoms. These health screenings will be done on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school. 

Parents or guardians will be required to make this commitment for all school-aged children in their household.


Senior Transcripts/Letters of Recommendation

Students must turn in their transcript requests to the Student Services office 30 days in advance of the college deadline. Students who are applying to colleges with a December and January deadlines need to submit their requests to the transcript assistant in Student Services promptly. These reminders are sent in an effort to avoid unnecessary stress. The transcript request form is available on the counselor’s Google Classroom and by clicking here: JHS Transcript Request Form. Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions.

Scholarship Transcript Requests- Students who would like an unofficial transcript to use for scholarship applications, must request them on the JHS Transcript Request Form and indicate it is for a scholarship.


The Future of College Admissions

Langley High School's PTSA is pleased to invite your high school to participate in our upcoming free live webinar, "The Future of College Admissions," presented by Jeff Selingo, best-selling author, engaging speaker, and college admissions expert, on Tuesday, December 8, at 7 pm. 

Mr. Selingo immersed himself in the world of college admissions for a year to answer a question on the minds of many high school students and parents alike: How do colleges select their freshman class? The result is his latest book, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions

In his presentation, Mr. Selingo will dispel entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the college admissions game, reveal why families have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good college," and explain how the pandemic is impacting college admissions. The session will wrap up with a Q&A.

Participants may register by clicking on this link: The Future of College Admissions. To submit questions for the webinar in advance, click here

 


FCPS - College Week Recordings 

  • To access this video in closed caption in another language please do the following.
  • Click on video→ once video is up, click on CC at the bottom right hand side
  • Click on settings→ click on subtitles→ auto translate-->click on your language
Date Title Video Link

10/19/2020

5:00 PM

Paying for College

https://bit.ly/3lNPEC4

10/19/2020

7:00 PM

Exploring Naviance Student

https://bit.ly/36PE9nk

10/20/2020

5:00 PM

Are You Common App Ready?

https://bit.ly/2UDVZnF

10/20/2020

7:00 PM

The Role of Standardized Testing in College Admissions

https://bit.ly/35EVoZb

10/21/2020

5:00 PM

Attend College in Europe - What you Need to Know

https://bit.ly/2HeckMR

10/21/2020

7:00 PM

Dual Enrollment

https://bit.ly/3lPdtcU

10/22/2020

5:00 PM

Scholarship 101

https://bit.ly/3lLoYln

10/22/2020

7:00 PM

Applying to a Military Academy

https://bit.ly/3lItAbT

10/23/2020

5:00 PM

5 Pasos para Ir a la Universidad - Consejos para Estudiantes del 9o. y 10o. Grado (Session in Spanish: 5 Steps Towards Attending College – Advice for 9th and 10th Grade Students)

https://bit.ly/3fdOkGk

10/23/2020

7:00 PM

Considerations for Students with Disabilities in the College Search & Beyond

https://bit.ly/3kClQXK

 


Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD)

 Justice High School – Driver’s Education

The state of Virginia requires students and their parents or legal guardian to attend ONE session of Partners for Safe Teen Driving in order to receive their Pink Card (DEC-8). The 90 minute session requires participants to be actively involved during the presentation. All session LINKS, additional information, & instructions will be posted on your teacher’s Google Classroom. All session will run from 6:30pm-8pm. Attendees must be logged into the entire session to receive credit. If you are a current 10th, 11th or 12th grade Justice HS student seeking to attend a PSTD session, please email Greg Weisbecker at gpweisbecker@fcps.edu for information.

Upcoming Dates – Dec 9th  


SENIOR T-SHIRTS AND CELEBRATION

We have ordered special t-shirts for our seniors and they are available for purchase!  We will also be celebrating our seniors with a special drive-thru event on December 7th from noon to 2pm.  See details below:

    • How can my student purchase their senior t-shirt? 
      • Go to MySchoolBucks.com and look for the senior t-shirt icon.  More details are at the bottom of this email if you have trouble finding it.
    • How much are the shirts?
      • We are doing a special $5.00 discount for students between now and December 7th, selling the shirts at $10.00 each
      • Any shirts purchased on December 8th or later, the cost goes to the regular price of $15.00 each
    • When can you pick it up?
  • Monday, December 7th we’re having a senior celebration drive-thru!  
    • Come between noon and 2pm to get your shirt and also have the opportunity for a photo by the spirit rock*  (*everyone must wear a mask when they come onto school grounds and students will stay in their cars other than to take the photo opportunity at the rock)
  • Can students purchase more than one?
    • Absolutely.  Some family members may want one to honor their seniors and that’s cool.  You can order as many as you’d like on MySchoolBucks.  Purchases online require a credit card.
  • What does it look like? 
Senior T-Shirt

From Bryan Villalobos, Our Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist:

November is the month to remind ourselves to be thankful for the many positive things happening in our life.

Vape-Free Fairfax Text Message Support Program


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WARNING – Sleep is Fundamental


From the way we interact with others to the amount of time we spend in front of screens, COVID-19 has changed many aspects of our lives. Less noticeable, but equally as important, are the impacts a global pandemic has had on our sleep schedules. With Daylight Saving Time having ended on November 1st, it is important to be mindful of how crucial sleep is in our daily functioning.

Sleep is important for the continuing development of teens and adolescents, yet they are often the population that gets the least amount of sleep. According to the CDC, the average adolescent requires roughly nine and a quarter hours of sleep to enrich healthy brain and emotional development, yet only about 15% of adolescents actually get that much. A lack of sleep can make it harder for teens to form long term memories of what they have recently learned. Moreover, it can also contribute to depression, high blood pressure, impulsivity, risky behavior, and cardiovascular disease. [Source: “The Teenage Brain” by Frances E. Jensen, MD and Amy Ellis Nutt]


Remember, substance abuse thrives in times of stress, vulnerability, and isolation. If you need support with your child, please feel free to reach out to me at bvillalobos@fcps.edu and we can discuss options that may be of help to you and your family.  Additionally, the Community Services Board (CSB) is still providing general mental health and substance abuse services. Their information can be found by clicking the following link: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Mr. Villalobos
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Justice Pyramid
bvillalobos@fcps.edu
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness: (571) 423-4270.


Help Wanted - Classroom Monitors

Justice High School is hiring classroom monitors to provide in-person classroom assistance for students when a staff member remains virtual. If you would like more information about the position, please review the job description and qualifications online and apply if interested. Please feel free to share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested.

Please contact Katie Vandawalker for additional questions/information.


In Person Tech Support at Justice

Students and families are encouraged to come to Justice HS, if there’s a tech issue that can’t be solved remotely.  In-person tech support is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7:30-2:30pm.

Families can also call the tech hotline: 833-921-FCPS for additional support.


Justice Virtual Bell Schedule

Bell Schedule

Important Dates

November 25-27 - Holiday (Thanksgiving)

December 21 thru January 1 - Winter Break


Be Informed, Stay Involved @ Justice!