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Dear Justice Families,
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the last week following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin case. Our families, students, and staff have been carrying a lot with us, especially with the trial and its events being played non-stop for the better part of a month. I want you to know that you are not alone in your feelings and it’s okay to not be okay. Take time to take care of yourselves. If you need resources to support your family or your student, please reach out to a counselor or an administrator. We are here to support you.
Last week we provided opportunities, time, and space for our staff and students to process the trial and verdict. On Friday, we held a student optional listening session. We had many students participate and share their experiences. We want to continue these conversations. In collaboration with the FCPS Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Team, we will provide additional opportunities for students to process and reflect. These student listening sessions are optional, but in order to attend, students must register using the links below.
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Student Listening Sessions – group opportunities to engage respectfully with others by sharing and listening to many perspectives.
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Counseling Conversations – individual opportunities to speak one-to-one with a member of the counseling staff about your experiences and feelings. Click here to register.
We remain focused on ensuring that we have a strong finish to the school year. We are in the home stretch with about 7 weeks left to go in the 20-21 school year. We are focusing on instruction, preparing for the testing season, and starting to plan for the end of the year and next school year!
We welcomed back a good portion of our in-person student population for four days of in-person instruction last week. The admin team worked collaboratively to ensure we maximized staffing and capacity to have as many of our students as possible.
On Wednesday, April 21st, we celebrated a special group of people, our AMAZING Administrative Professionals. Justice High School owes a debt of gratitude to Miriam Bernal, Grace Boinay, Robert Jimenez, Caroline Joya, Debbie O’Rourke, Maddie Orozco, Tracey Sollers, and Anna Scavuzzo. These hard-working Wolves keep the building running smoothly (which has been a colossal undertaking during this unique year). One day (or week) is not enough time to honor them!
Finally, please mark your calendars as May 3-7th is Teacher Appreciation Week! I know we are all excited to show our appreciation for the hard work, dedication, perseverance, love, care, and devotion our teachers have demonstrated this year!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or any member of our admin team.
We are One – We are Justice!
Monday, April 26th: Senior Parent Information Night
- Please join us for a virtual Senior Parent Information Night starting at 6:30pm. We will be reviewing the information regarding graduation, senior dues, convocation, laptop return, updated information regarding prom, and more! Please email Class of 2021 administrator Colleen Lally at clally@fcps.edu for a link to this virtual session.
Senior Rock Painting Social
- Seniors came by Friday after school and were able to select a rock to paint. Students chose words of strength, perseverance, their initials, and/or a peaceful picture to paint on the rock. The rocks will be added to our new sensory garden and beautified courtyard near the cafeteria. Many thanks to senior Caroline Tredeau for making this event possible as she developed the idea and helped beautify the courtyard. Thank you to our staff Ms. Lunger, and our Class of 2021 sponsors Ms. Parkins and Ms. McIntosh, for helping supervise and provide materials for the event.
Prom
- We are very excited to announce that this year’s senior class will have a prom! Please save the date for May 22nd (a Saturday). This is a formal affair. To allow the opportunity for all of our seniors to attend and still adhere to the governor’s guidelines on social distancing, this event is strictly for Justice High School seniors. As we gain additional information we will share it with seniors and families.
Graduation Signs & T-Shirts
- Graduation signs are available for pick-up in the main office. Students may come by Monday through Friday between 8am and 3:30pm to pick up their signs.
- Senior t-shirts are still available for purchase. The shirts are $15.00 and may be purchased on MySchoolBucks.com or in person.
Graduation
- The Class of 2021 will be graduating on June 7th at Fairfax High School’s outside stadium. All seniors must be arrive at 7:30am; guests must be in their seats by 8:50am. The ceremony will commence at 9:00am.
2021 End of the Year Events
- In addition to graduation, FCPS and Justice High School are committed to holding as many as possible traditional end of the year events. We are currently working through these new guidelines to understand the health and safety requirements and laws for culminating events such as prom, and other end- of-year celebrations. FCPS will promptly notify school staff, students, and parents as soon as they have the additional updates and plans.
Senior
Algebra, Biology and Geosystems Super Saturdays
Yesterday we hosted Algebra 1 and Biology super Saturday. Teachers provided in-person and virtual support to students in preparation for their upcoming SOL. On Monday, April 26th and Saturday, May 1st, we will host additional support sessions for Algebra, Biology and Geosystems. If you are interested in attending, please contact Colleen Lally.
Senior Parent Meeting - April 26 @ 6:30 PM
Please join us for a virtual Senior Parent Information Night starting at 6:30pm. Please see above for additional information.
Rescheduled: April Fire Drill
Our next fire drill for in-person students has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 28. In-person students will need to exit the building, while virtual students should remain logged into their BBCU class.
All students (and their parents) who are eligible for an end of course SOL test received a notice via email outlining the tests they are eligible to take and the process to notify us if they are choosing to refuse or defer their SOL this year. Please remember that SOL graduation requirements have not been waived. If a student needs the SOL for graduation and choses to defer or refuse their test this year, they will need to test in a new SOL class next year or take their SOL for this year’s class next year. We realize there is a lot of information around testing. Please read all the resources included in the testing notice. We also developed SOL Testing Resource slides (in English/ en español) to help better understand May SOL Testing information. If you believe you may wish to defer or refuse one or more SOL tests this spring, please fill out this Google Form or contact our Assessment Coach, Shelley Terry, at sdterry@fcps.edu.
SOL testing will begin on Monday, May 3rd and our schedule is listed below:
| Date |
SOL |
| Monday, May 3 |
Reading |
| Monday, May 10 |
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
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Monday, May 17
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Algebra I
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| Monday, May 24 |
Geometry
Algebra 2
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Wednesday, May 26
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Math & Science retakes
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Friday, May 28
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Reading retakes
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We have completed optional vision and hearing screenings for all in-person sophomores. We have extended time slots until the end of the year for any virtual students who wish to participate in the screening.
Opt-In Procedures: Virtual students who wish to participate in the screening need to complete the COVID-19 Health Screening Questionnaire and sign up through one of the following links:
Students should bring the COVID-19 Health Screening Questionnaire and glasses/contacts (if applicable) and report to the clinic.
Opt-Out Procedures: There are three ways to opt your student out of the screening:
- Indicate your preference online through @wecare.
- Complete the opt-out form and email it to Ebony High at ephigh1@fcps.edu.
- Turn in the completed form in the Main Office.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Ebony High at ephight1@fcps.edu or (703) 824-3910.
1-on-1 virtual FAFSA help
Virginia College Access Network and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) are partnering on a statewide FAFSA completion effort meant to address disproportionate effects of the pandemic on low-income and underrepresented students in the class of 2021 and 2020. Five college access organizations have banded together to offer one-on-one FAFSA assistance from March 15th – June 30th. Use the link below to access thei site and schedule a meeting. You will be connected with an access provider from Access College Foundation, ECMC’s The College Places, GReat Aspirations Scholarship Program (GRASP), the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA), or the Virginia College Advising Corps (VCAC).
Students/families can go to www.virginiacan.org/fafsa for more information.
2021 Virtual Career Exploration Fair Monday, April 19, 2021 – Friday, April 30, 2021
The event will be completely VIRTUAL with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions and workshops. Arlington Public Schools (APS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are teaming up to host a Virtual Career Exploration Fair. High school students will be able to connect with over 100 local industry professionals from in-demand career fields. Additionally, students can attend college and career-ready workshops and information sessions. High School Students can take part in the following ways: ▪ Learn about work-based learning (WBL) opportunities. ▪ Attend industry panel discussions. ▪ Take part in mock interviews. ▪ Attend resume workshops. ▪ Learn about postsecondary education, training, and apprenticeship opportunities.
Register for the Virtual Career Exploration Fair now! by visiting bit.ly/2021careerexp. You can email workbasedlearning@fcps.edu with any questions.
Opportunities offered by organizations other than Fairfax County Public Schools are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or a specific school.
JEI Mini-PhD Program: Learning the Scientific Method from Hypothesis to Publication (Rising 8th through 10th grade students)
The Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) team at Harvard University is conducting a FREE Mini-PhD program (virtual) this summer. Review this website to learn more. Application deadline is May 1, 2021
NOVA JumpStart Summer Program
This summer, Northern Virginia Community College will offer a selection of online, tuition-free classes to Northern Virginia high school graduating seniors. Students must meet placement requirements and understand there may be textbooks or other material fees associated with courses. Since these classes are all online, students will need access to a computer and the internet. Students may take a maximum of two JumpStart courses.
Important Dates:
- JumpStart applications will open April 5th and close April 30th.
- Classes will run from June 1, 2021 till August 9, 2021Details about the JumpStart Summer Program including placement requirements and material fees can be found Here and on the flyer here NOVA JumpStart Flyer
COVID-19 Vaccines and the Vaccination Process in Fairfax County: A Webinar for Families
Join the Fairfax County Health Department and Fairfax County Public Schools Parent Resource Center for important updates about COVID-19 and the vaccines that have been developed to help prevent disease. Topics will include: COVID-19 impacts (health, economic, education), The Vaccine (Community Immunity, Different Types of Vaccines, and Safety of Vaccines), Vaccination Process (Eligibility and How to Register). Sessions are subject to change or cancellation based on number of registrations. Please RSVP for the session:
- Tuesday, 5/4 – Session in Vietnamese - RSVP
- Tuesday, 5/11 – Session in Korean - RSVP
- Tuesday, 5/18 – Session in Arabic - RSVP
May 31 - Holiday (Memorial Day)
June 7 - Graduation
June 11 - Last Day of School
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