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Happy Friday Wolverines,
LATE CAR RIDER PROCEDURE
After much discussion and brainstorming (thanks Ms. S.) we have developed a workable plan for car riders who are late due to excessive traffic moving forward. We already provide late bus passes to students at Door 1 when busses come in late. This will be our marker for car riders as well. An administrator, usually Mr. Henrich, is posted outside daily to provide these passes. If he is out when you arrive, he will provide you a pass. We will use the marker; if at least two busses are late, we can safely assume car riders will also be late and caught in the line. If there is no administrator at Door 1 by the time you come in, that means you are late and will need to check in either at the sweep station or the main office if it is past 8:25 am.
S ROTATION PROCEDURES
We are now at mid quarter and this is usually the time that we begin to allow students to move during S rotation. For those new to WPHS S rotation happens every Silver/ODD day after Advisory. In the past, students could arrange with their teachers to move from their assigned class to another teacher to get help, make up or retake tests, etc. Giving our constraints with COVID, we are responsible for contact tracing, and that would be almost impossible with students freely moving. Instead, starting the week of 10/18, teachers will have Office Hour Zoom links available in their class Schoology. Students will stay in Advisory and log on to zoom if they need support from their subject area teachers. If they need to make up or retake tests, teachers will arrange for students to report to the cafeteria (testing center) where they will take their tests and be monitored by staff. We will be able to keep records of who was in the testing center allowing us to contact trace there if necessary. We know this is not a perfect solution, but we believe it is a viable stop gap to still allow students to get help while keeping us all safe following COVID protocols.
GRADING FOR EQUITY Q/A PANEL
As we continue our grading practices for equitable grading, I would like for you to save the date of Tuesday October 19th at 6 pm. We will host an Equitable Grading Q/A Panel. We are planning for it to be hybrid; you can come in person or join us on zoom. We will give a brief overview of the why, what, and how of our journey and then open up to questions for our teacher panel. There will be teachers representing each department to allow for specific questions and answers. Stay tuned we will provide a location and a link later next week.
Have a safe weekend and take good care,
Ms. Millard
- Important Dates
- School News Update
- PTSA Updates
- College and Career Center
- SAT/ACT Test Prep
Important Dates:
October 11: Student Holiday (Prof. Development Day - Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
October 13: WPHS will be administering the PSAT 10 and 11 to all 10th and 11th graders and administering the SAT to 12th graders who have pre-registered. (2 HR Early Release)
October 13: 9th Graders will not report to school this day
October 16: FAFSA Line-By-Line, Virtual Session
October 19: Q&A panel with Ms. Millard and school community to discuss new grading
October 20: PTSA – Chick Fil A Fundraiser – see details for ordering
October 27: Underclassmen Pictures Make-up Day (8:00 am – 12 noon)
October 29: End of 1st Quarter (2 HR Early Release)
Nov. 1 & 2: Student Holiday (Teacher Work Day)
November 8: PTSA Membership Meeting at 6:30 PM – (Zoom and Face Book live)
Student Activities/School News Updates:
Share the Joy of Thanksgiving with a Neighbor! What does Thanksgiving look like for you? Visiting with loved ones? Watching parades and football? Enjoying the sights, smells, and flavors of some favorite foods? Help create these memories for one or more school families who struggle with food security. Donate to the Food For Neighbors Holiday Meals Program! Donate: https://www.foodforneighbors.org/home/holiday-meals/ West Potomac HS is partnering with Food For Neighbors to provide some of our students and families with a $50 gift card to a local grocery store. Your gift will help your neighbors to put food on their tables this Thanksgiving. The goal is to raise enough money for Food For Neighbors to provide a total of nearly 700 of the $50 grocery store gift cards to 24 participating schools, which includes ours! Donate: https://www.foodforneighbors.org/home/holiday-meals/ Thank you for anything you can do. Every donation counts. Together, we can make a big difference!
Message from WPHS Band Boosters:
Wolverine Band Sandburg Night, Friday, 10/8 - At this Friday's football game we will welcome Sandburg band students for Sandburg Band Night. The Sandburg band students will shadow Wolverine Band members to get a taste of all the fun and spirit involved at Friday Night Lights at Dietze Stadium, including marching in, sitting in the stands with the band, and playing pep songs. We look forward to welcoming our future Wolverines!
Join Choir Boosters!
WPHS Choir Boosters is dedicated to helping enrich student’s music experience. Boosters help with chorus activities and fundraising events. You can join boosters or make a donation by following link: https://forms.gle/VricURxaZbx86C7VA Donations support ongoing program activities as well as our annual scholarships for graduating seniors. Boosters meet monthly – invites are sent to all booster members.
Support WP Orchestra: Ad astra, et calidum! As the temperature starts dropping, let us help you stay warm and comfortable amongst the stars! Our Wolverine Pride blankets are perfect for outdoor events, indoor study sessions, and make great gifts! All proceeds benefit the orchestra. Please see attached flyer for details. Planning to watch the Wolverines win the game this Friday? Blankets will be available for sale during the game! Please see attached flyer for details.
WP Orchestra. Wolverine Pride Stadium Throw 2021.pdf
Support WP Dance Team: Clean out your closets for a good cause! On Wednesday, October 13 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, the West Potomac Dance Team will be collecting clean, gently used clothing and soft furnishings (bedding, pillows, etc.). These items will be donated to the Unique thrift store in Falls Church later in the month. Proceeds from that donation will go to the Dance Team based on the total weight of the items donated, so more is definitely better! Pack items in clean trash bags and drop them off during that time window at the big blue bin outside entrance 3A of the Springbank building at West Potomac. Tax receipts will be available at drop-off. Please share this information with others! If 10/13 is too soon, drop off items at the same location on Saturday, October 23 between 8:30 and 9:00 am. Questions? Contact Carrie Sessine at carriesessine@gmail.com.
Are you a new family to WP? Wondering what is the PTSA – PTSA stands for Parent, Teacher, Student Association – through the collection of member dues and fundraising, PTSA supports academic enhancements and programs, helps promote student welfare, provides teachers grants to enriches classroom environment and more. Please join online today at https://westpotomacptsa.memberhub.store. Questions? Contact Libby at MearesTeam@gmail.com.
Check out what your PTSA has planned…
PTSA Event Highlights.pdf
October 20: Chick Fil A PTSA Fundraiser: Pre-order only event, orders due by 10:00 p.m. October 17. Pickup will be at WPHS “Kiss and Ride” from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
October 20. PTSA Chick-Fil-A Fundraiser.pdf
November 8th - PTSA Membership Meeting, (Zoom and Face Book live).
Topics: “Study in DC” Presentation, Mental Health, Meet the Counselors, Academic Support
** Nov. meeting was originally scheduled for Nov 1st. Due to student holiday- this meeting has now been r/s for Nov 8th.
Thank you to many families who joined us for the OCT PTSA meeting, if you missed it, click here to catch up on what happened :
Oct. 4. 21 PTSA Membership Meeting Minutes.pdf
PTSA Direct Donation Campaign: The PTSA is seeking your support with donations for instructional resources. Every donation counts. 100% of your donation is tax deductible!
PTSA Direct Donation Flyer.Final.jpg
https://westpotomacptsa.memberhub.com/store
Minted Fundraiser: https://www.minted.com. Minted offers beautiful senior announcements, holiday photo cards, wedding stationery, fine art, personalized gifts, and more designed by independent artists! WPHS families receive 20% off holiday cards and gifts - 15% will be donated back. Use PTSA's promo code is: FUNDRAISEPOTOMAC.
COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER:
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CAREER WEBINAR: The Virginia Tech Landscape Architecture Program is hosting a career webinar about Landscape Architecture Careers specifically for FCPS middle and high school students. The session will be presented by Mr. Chuck Ware, Landscape Architect. The session will highlight opportunities in landscape architecture careers and include time for questions. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 12, from 7-8 pm. Students need to register using the google form linked in the program flyer. Registration deadline is Monday, October 11.
FCPS VIRTUAL COLLEGE WEEK will take place Monday, October 18 - Thursday, October 21, 2021. FCPS families are invited to attend virtual sessions on a variety of topics, including how to pay for college, dual enrollment, AP/IB, how to apply to a military academy, and college essay writing. Registration is now open, and students and families can sign-up for as many sessions as they wish. Don’t forget to check out the FCPS Virtual College Week webpage for updates and to learn about various college fairs available to students. Contact Karen Huffman at kshuffman@fpcs.edu if you have questions about Virtual College Week.
JUNIORS: The Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program is designed to educate and motivate high school juniors to become engaged citizens and leaders in the community. Please visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget/youth-leadership for more information.
If you are interested, apply by Nov. 5 using this link: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcylp/. Email martha.reed@fairfaxcounty.gov with questions.
SENIORS & SENIOR PARENTS:
In partnership with FCPS, College Access Fairfax is presenting information sessions to help seniors and families learn about paying for college. Registration is not required.
October 16th OR November 9th: FAFSA Line-By-Line Webinar: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on 10/1. Plan to join one of the virtual sessions to find out what questions are asked and what information will be needed to complete the FAFSA. *Seniors, check your fcpsschools.net email account for Zoom links for each session. Zoom links for each session were also emailed to any senior parent with an email address on file with FCPS.*
Remember College Access Fairfax is a free and available resource to answer questions about the financial aid process. Please don’t hesitate to contact them at info@collegeaccessfairfax.org. College Access Fairfax also offers one-on-one help to families who are interested in receiving assistance in completing their financial aid forms. Appointments can be requested with Financial Aid Champions by sending an email to appointments@collegeaccessfairfax.org
SENIORS & JUNIORS: Seniors & juniors should continue to pre-register for college visits and come prepared to ask questions. College representatives are still scheduling visits so please encourage students to check Naviance for the most up-to-date list of colleges coming to visit WPHS.
To sign up for a college visit, log into Naviance: fcps.edu/Naviance
Select: Colleges>College Visits> View Details>Register.
CCC Hours: Monday – Friday from 8 am – 4 pm. Mrs. Karen Young, WPHS College & Career Center Specialist, is available to meet with students and parents virtually or by phone. To schedule, please send an email to Mrs. Young at kbyoung1@fcps.edu or she can be reached via phone at 703-718-2548.
Test Prep Classes and Mock Tests - View full schedule and Register Here.
More Resources available on the Test Prep Program Web Page
Questions? Contact Marilyn Aboff, marilynaboff@yahoo.com.
Scholarships - WPHS student need-based scholarships for mocks and classes are available through the WPHS College and Career Center Specialist, Karen B. Young, kbyoung1@fcps.edu
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