McLean HS: Dr. Reilly's Monday Message 10/4/2021


Important Upcoming Dates

October 4 - Partners in Safe Teen Driving - 6:30-8:00pm - VIRTUAL

October 11 - Teacher Work Day/Student Holiday

October 13 - PSAT/SAT Day - 2 hour-early release

October 29 - End of 1st Quarter - 2-hour early release

November 1 & 2 - Teacher Work Days/Student Holidays

November 4 - Diwali - Religious and Cultural Observance Day

November 11 - Veteran's Day - 2-hour early release

November 24-26 - Thanksgiving Break

December 8 - Bodhi Day - Religious and Cultural Observance Day

December 20-31 - Winter Break

June 1 - Graduation at 2:30 at Constitution Hall


Links

Bell Schedule

Schoology Information

MySchoolBucks

ParentVue Information

Recordings 

Schoology Training - recording

Back to School Night


Wednesday October 13- PSAT/SAT Day Reminders

October 13th is a two-hour early release day. Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 will be testing during the day rather than reporting to classes. All 9th grade students in FCPS will work from home on October 13th. Students in grade 9 will complete asynchronous lessons at home assigned by their Red Day teachers.  Students in grades 10 and 11 will report to their first period classes at 8:10 for attendance, and then will move to their assigned testing rooms for the PSAT test. Grade 12 students who signed up in advance for the SAT will also report to period 1 for attendance before moving to their SAT testing rooms. Seniors who did not sign up in advance to take the SAT will not report to the building on October 13th but instead have the opportunity to spend the day working on college and career planning or civic engagement. High school academy courses will not be held on October 13. Lunch will be provided by the cafeteria after the PSAT/SAT test, but students may also choose to bring a snack to eat during testing breaks. 

Testing day tips include getting a good night’s sleep the night before, eating a heathy breakfast, dressing comfortably in layers, and making sure #2 pencils, erasers, a peanut-free snack, and a calculator with fresh batteries are all packed and ready to go. Pencils and calculators will not be available on test day. Students should check their FCPS email on October 8th for details about their testing locations for the day. Please contact jabeach@fcps.edu with any questions. 


AP Test Fees and Opt-Out Timeline 2021-22

As part of the FCPS FY 2022 Approved Budget, FCPS is continuing to assess Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test fees. As in previous years, the fees for the first six AP tests taken for courses in which students are enrolled for high school credit will be paid for by FCPS. Students taking AP tests without enrolling in the corresponding FCPS course are responsible for the test fee(s). 

FCPS encourages all students to take AP tests for courses in which they are enrolled. However, students will have the opportunity to opt-out of the test(s) by filling out an Opt-Out form to be provided by the school. To assist in the decision-making process, students will be provided a report with their previous tests and current AP course enrollment. AP students must make Opt-Out decisions and return the form to Student Services by Monday, October 18, 2021. Parents will be billed a non-refundable test fee of $95.00 in December 2021 for tests that exceed the six FCPS funded tests. For the 2021-2022 school year, there will be no spring cancellation option for AP/IB exams. AP students who do not complete the Opt-Out form by the October 18th deadline and cancel an AP exam after that date will be assessed a $40 cancellation fee by the College Board.  AP students who register or opt back in for an AP exam after November 10th will be assessed a $40 late registration fee by the College Board. 


COVID-Like Symptoms - return to school

Effective Monday, October 4, the Sick Student Return to School Form will be retired. In its place, parents of students who are sent home with COVID-like symptoms will receive an information form called the “FCPS Guidance for Student Sent Home with COVID-Like Illness”.  A doctor’s note will no longer be required (but still may be submitted if the physician feels that the symptoms are caused by something other than COVID), and families may instead have their student return to school when their symptoms are improved, and they have not had a fever without fever-reducing medications for 24 hours AND they have proof of a negative COVID test.  Parents will not need to return the information form.  This change is being made in response to the difficulty for families to get medical evaluations and the widespread availability of testing.  Home test kit results will be accepted with a note from the parent attesting to the administration and results.


Book Talk 

The authors of the new parenting book What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and Happy Home will be speaking on Tuesday, October 26 from 6:30 – 8 PM in the McLean High School Auditorium.

Dr. William Stixrud and Mr. Ned Johnson, who also wrote The Self-Driven Child, are parenting experts who live in the DC Metro area.  Their latest book provides much-needed practical parenting tips as our children come back to school.  Parents learn how to engage in respectful and effective dialogue with their teens, improving communication and the parent-child relationship.  Boundaries around technology, family problem-solving, and anxiety around current events are addressed.

We invite all parents of McLean students to hear the authors speak!  Purchasing the book is not required, but if parents do want to purchase they can do so at this link.  Please fill out this google form to register for the event.  It’s important to register so that we have an accurate count as well as emails for all parents who plan to attend.   Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!


World Languages Credit Exam Registration Open

The 2021 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered on November 16, 17 and 18, 2021.  Students who have experience with languages other than English can earn up to three high school credits through this assessment. Thirty languages will be included: American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), Farsi, French, German, Greek*, Hebrew*, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese*, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish*, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Please reach out to your school counselor for more information and to get registered. Registration closes on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.  Late registrations will not be accepted. Additional credit exam information can be accessed at: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/world-languages/credit-exam-world-languages


New Vaccination Policy for Athletes

Starting November 8th all athletes who plan on participating in a winter sport, spring sport or out of season workout (fall, winter and spring sports) will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate. Any athlete who has not been vaccinated will be required to submit a weekly negative test in order to participate. Below are details concerning this new initiative:

  • Starting October 4th athletes can bring their vaccination card or a copy of their vaccination card to the Activities Office for verification. This should be brought in by the student athlete and not a parent/guardian
  • For athletes who have not been vaccinated, more details will be communicated in the coming weeks concerning how a negative test will be submitted. What we do know now is that they will be required weekly
  • Medical and religious exemption forms can be found in the FCPS FAQ’s concerning this topic- https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/communications/athletics-vaccination-requirement-questions-and-answers. There is a specific form for the Religious exemption while the medical exemption will need to be on a doctor’s office letterhead.  Students who have an exemption will be required to submit a weekly negative test

More details will be forthcoming as they are made available. Please reference the above link to the FCPS FAQ’s for any questions that you may have.


Testing Center Information

Students who need to make up or retake a test or quiz, or who have accommodations, can make an appointment for the Testing Center in one of three ways:

 Online via this link:  https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/McLeanHSTestingCenter@fcps.edu/bookings/

  1. By scanning the QR code here (also posted outside the Testing Center):
  1. By seeing Mrs. Bruins in Room 135 weekdays between 8:15 am and 2:45 pm.

 If a student is going to miss a class to take a test in the Testing Center, they are reminded to get permission from that period’s teacher.  Also, no appointments can be made for Highlander Time Advisory.  If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Bruins at elbruins@fcps.edu. 


Partners for Safe Teen Driving - Virtual

McLean High School will be offering Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD) seminars throughout the school year. All students enrolled in classroom driver education must attend one 90-minute PSTD presentation. The presentation is connected to classroom instruction and must be completed in addition to successful completion of classroom instruction in order for a student to receive a DEC-District 8 (pink) card.

McLean High School’s dates for the 2021-2022 calendar year are:

October 4

November 8

February 7

April 18

To register for the October 4 PSTD seminar, students can register with a parent or legal guardian here. To access the registration form, students must be logged into their fcpsschools.net account.

All seminars will be held from 6:30-8:00 PM virtually via Schoology Zoom. Registrants will receive an email with the PSTD ZOOM Meeting Link prior to the meeting. We encourage registrants to enter the meeting ten minutes prior to the meeting to avoid technical issues. Attendees who arrive late will NOT BE allowed entry and WILL NOT earn credit for attending. Students and a minimum of one of their parent/guardian(s) must attend a presentation during the calendar year in which the student is enrolled in 10th grade Health and PE. While it is recommended that the PSTD seminar requirement be satisfied during the quarter in which the student is taking classroom driver education, students are welcome to attend any quarter. Important: Students who successfully complete their classroom driver education quarter but have not satisfied the PSTD requirement will have earned an Incomplete for the class grade until the requirement is met.

This program is only available to FCPS students enrolled in grade 10 health and physical education at no charge. Students who are completing classroom instruction through a commercial driving school, are home schooled, are enrolled in another school division, or are FCPS students in grade 11 or 12 must register to attend the 90-minute PSTD seminar through FCPS Adult and Community Education (aceclasses.fcps.edu); a $30 fee will apply. Students enrolled in grade 10 health and physical education do not have to register.


Helping Highlanders

Helping Highlanders

Weekly Reminders

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/


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 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