Justice Junction - Community News & Updates - October 24, 2021

October 24, 2021

 

Hello Justice HS Students, Families, and Community Members:

Parenting is one of the most complex yet rewarding roles ever.  I returned back to Virginia this afternoon after taking a trip to Baton Rouge, LA to visit my middle daughter to see her perform with her college band (Southern University) during their homecoming.  It’s always gratifying to see your children thriving and doing what they love.  “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents.” ~Jane D. Hull

 

This Friday marks the end of the first quarter of the 2021-2022 school year and is a 2-hour early release day.  It also marks the end of October, which means Halloween is near! This Thursday, October 28^th will be a Halloween color out. Freshman wear black, sophomores wear green, juniors wear purple and seniors are orange. On Friday, October 29^th, we invite students to dress up for Halloween on with their best pun, pop culture reference or ghoulish garb for a fun, festive send-off of the first quarter! The costume must be appropriate for school and masks may NOT cover eyes. Please ensure costumes do not impact safety and learning.

 

Students and families are encouraged to check SIS and Schoology to ensure all assignments have been turned in and any assessment retakes have been completed. Once again this year, we are using a rolling gradebook. This means that a student’s final grade is not an average of the grades from each quarter, but an average of all assignments completed throughout the year. Quarter grades provide a snapshot of the student’s progress and are not used to determine final grades. We encourage you to reach out to your student’s teachers if you have questions. Finally, November 1^st and 2^nd are teacher workdays, which means there will be no school for students.

 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Tiffany I. Narcisse, Principal

Justice High School

703-824-3900 | https://justicehs.fcps.edu/

Empower our school, embrace our community, and educate to build positive futures as global citizens together.

 

 

9^th – 12^th Grade Class Meetings – POSTPONED:  The decision has been made to postpone the upcoming 9^th -12^th grade class meetings that were originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 26^th and Wednesday, October 27^th.  This decision was made based on the following factors:

• Our field hockey and volleyball teams are doing extremely well and have advanced to the playoffs and this requires adaptability in planning and execution of events.
  • Due to our space limitations, we must remain flexible and postpone the previously planned class meetings as one of the intended presentation locations will be used for volleyball and parking for simultaneous events may pose a logistical challenge.
• My original messaging was unclear and many parents were under the impression they would meet their child’s teachers and this would not be the case.
  • Although the purpose of the meetings were stated in the past two weekly newsletters; in hind sight, I admit I should have done a better job of advertising the event and thoroughly explaining its intended outcomes.
• I would like to go back to the drawing board and convey with the Justice HS Instructional Council to plan a mid-second quarter or 2^nd semester BTSN type event that includes parents meeting teachers, in addition to obtaining critical information from campus personnel to support your child’s academic and social/emotional needs for the 2021-2022 school year.

 

 

WorkKeys:  Business Writing and Reading (October 25-29): If your senior did not take the Reading and/or Writing SOL last year as a junior to earn two verified credits in English 11, then they will have an opportunity to take the substitute Business Writing and/or Reading exam(s) the week of Oct. 25-29 to earn those English verified credits.  All students scheduled to test have been notified.  If you have questions or concerns about this assessment, contact your student’s counselor or Ms. Terry at sdterry@fcps.edu.

 

 

Opt-In AP Exams: November 1 Deadline: Reminder the deadline for your student(s) to opt-in to take AP exams for college credit is November 1. The fee is $95 per exam.  Please make checks payable to Justice High School.  You may mail payment to the school or drop off in H135.  Please note:  If your student is currently enrolled in AP Statistics or online AP courses, then they do not need to opt-in to those exams.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact Shelley Terry, AP Coordinator, at sdterry@fcps.edu.

 

Underclassmen Photos: All 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th grade students will have their school pictures taken through their English classes on October 26^th and 27^th.   Students should come prepared that day for their pictures.  Information on different packages that may be purchased will be made available through students’ fourth period classes. 

 

Senior Portraits: Seniors will have another opportunity to have their school portraits taken during the week of November 29^th through December 3^rd.  Seniors will receive another email reminding them of the sign up process for a time slot on one of those days.   Students should check their email later this week for details.  This will be the same sign up process as before.  Pictures will be taken in the Little Theatre. 

 

Athletic Updates

• Congratulations to our Varsity Cheer team who completed their competition season. They finished as the National District Champions and placed in the top half of the Occoquan Regional meet.

 

• Congratulations to our Varsity Field Hockey team who won the National District Championship Friday night! Back to Back titles for this program after winning last year’s tournament for the first time since 1984. The girls will advance to the Occoquan Region tournament and host a 1^st round game against Lake Braddock next Tuesday.

 

• Congratulations to our Varsity Volleyball team who for the first time in school history finished the regular season with an undefeated district record. They are the #1 seed going into next week’s National District Tournament. They will host a 1^st round game on Monday against Mt. Vernon.

 

• VACCINATION REMINDER (Sent via News You Choose on 10/21)

 

Justice High School Families,

 

Starting November 8, students who are 16 years or older are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical or religious exemption on file in order to participate in Virginia High School League (VHSL) winter and spring sports for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.

 

Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination will also be required for participation in any other activity that requires a physical. This includes dance team and step team, as well as out-of-season practices and workouts. Unvaccinated students 12-15 years of age must provide a negative COVID-19 test weekly to participate in team activities. 

 

Justice High School is now accepting proof of vaccination or qualified exemptions for students.

 

Proof of vaccination is provided by sending a copy of the student’s vaccination card to our head athletic trainer. Korey Berg at kbberg@fcps.edu . Copies can also be dropped off in the activities offices.

 

Medical exemptions must be submitted through a letter from the student’s doctor, on the doctor’s office letterhead, stating the student has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Students who are not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine due to documented health or medical reasons will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test every week. To provide documentation of a medical exemption please send to Korey Berg at kbberg@fcps.edu or drop off in the activities office.

 

Religious exemptions must be submitted using the Commonwealth of Virginia Certificate of Religious Exemption form and must be notarized. Students who are not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test every week. To provide documentation of a medical exemption please send to Korey Berg at kbberg@fcps.edu or drop off in the activities office.

 

Proof of vaccination or exemption must be submitted by November 1, 2021. Testing will begin the week of November 1st.

Weekly testing will be required for unvaccinated students 12-15 and those who qualify for medical or religious exemptions. The test will need to be either a rapid test or a PCR test. Home testing using over-the-counter testing products will not be accepted.

 

For more information about the vaccination requirement for student-athletes, visit the FCPS website.

 

If I may be of assistance, please feel free to contact me at bdgarvey@fcps.edu or at 703-824-3960.

 

We are looking forward to a great winter and spring sports season. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement of all students participating in sports and activities.  

 

 

Welcome Kimberly Figueroa – School Counselor!

Kimberly Figueroa is joining the Justice Family as the School Counselor for Grades 9-11 with the last names of Moran-Q. Kimberly is a military spouse who was recently stationed in Georgia but is now stationed in Northern Virginia. She has two children who are enrolled at FCPS schools. She has a Master’s of Science in School Counseling with a specialty in Play Therapy. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Counseling Education & Supervision. We are very excited to have her join us!

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the Choirs of Justice HS for performing a fantastic Fall Concert on October 7^th! If you were unable to join us, you can watch the videos here. Hope to see you at our next concert on Wednesday, December 2^nd.  Mark your calendars!

 

Senior, Fay Khateeb from Justice High and Saige Stinson from South County High interviewed with Fox 5 DC to talk about our 2021-2022 homecoming preparation and celebrations.

https://www.fox5dc.com/video/992418

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Youth Night at Justice High School

Justice High School will be hosting our annual “Youth Night” for our Justice Pyramid at our Home Varsity Football Game on Friday October 29^th @ 7:00 PM. All staff, families, and students are invited from our feeder schools! We are looking forward to an awesome night with our community.

  

 

The Wolfpack Theatre at Justice High School proudly presents The Mousetrap, by Agatha Christie.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a stately countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve the mystery before another “mouse” goes SNAP? Join us at The WP Theatre to find out what happens next! 

There will be four performances of  The Mousetrap:           

            Thursday, November 11 at 7 PM

Friday, November 12^th at 7 PM

Saturday, November 13^th at 2 PM

Saturday, November 13^th at 7 PM

 

Tickets will be available as of October 25^th for advance purchase on the Wolfpack Theatre website.  Please use this QR code to reach our website or visit https://wolfpacktheatre.org/

* This is a murder mystery intended for mature audiences. All audience members will be required to wear masks during the performance and adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

* The Mousetrap is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc ~ www.concordtheatricals.com

 

 

 

 

NoVa District PTA Presents

Emotionally Naked Truth About Suicide Monday, November 15^th at 7:00 PM

Online & Free

Pre-register here

Based on the book, Emotionally Naked: A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk, this presentation will empower parents, educators and the community to reduce this threat to life. Attendees will learn the cryptic and often veiled ways youth cry for help, how to respond and what to do. Speaker and Advocate Anne Moss Rogers will offer suggestions and resources to help people recognize what's normal teen angst versus what might be a warning sign as well as tips to help teens develop coping skills during and after the pandemic. The conversation will include topics on substance misuse, mental health, suicide prevention in teens/young adults including insight into those times when young people are more vulnerable. Learning outcomes: • Real life signs of suicide in youth and what to say/do • Lesser-known periods when adolescents are more vulnerable • How to build relationships that help adolescents develop resilience Audience: Parents, educators, educational leaders, policy makers, coaches, advocates, community members. Questions? Contact Jenna White vp.communications@fccpta.org

 

 

Driver Education - Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD)

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).

• All 10^th, 11^th, 12^th grade students are invited. The PSTD presentations will be virtual ZOOM sessions from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on the following dates: Wednesday Sept 29th, 2021, Wednesday November 17th, 2021, Wednesday January 12th, 2022, Wednesday March 16th, 2022, Wednesday May 11th, 2022.
• For current 10^th grade students, all session LINKS, additional information, & instructions will be posted on your teacher’s SCHOOLOGY page.
• If you are a current 11th or 12th grade Justice HS student seeking to attend a PSTD session, please register by completing the Google Form using your @fcpsschools.net GMAIL Account. PSTD REGISTRATION: https://tinyurl.com/PSTDJusticeDriverEd2122

Please email Greg Weisbecker at gpweisbecker@fcps.edu with any questions.

 

 

UPCOMING DATES

Friday, October 29^th

• End of 1st Quarter; 2 Hour Early Release for Students

 

Monday, November 1 & Tuesday, November 2^nd

• Teacher Workdays (no school for students)

 

Thursday, November 11^th

• End of 1st Quarter; 2 Hour Early Release for Students

 

Wednesday, November 24^th – Friday, November 26^th

• Thanksgiving Break

 

 

 

 

 

HELPFUL RESOURCES

SIS ParentVue Account

Parents and Guardians: Please follow this link for information on how to obtain and access a SIS ParentVue account.  This account will enable you to see your student’s grade and attendance information in SIS as well as access your child’s Schoology page.

 

Digital Resource Consent

At Justice High School, our teachers will use a variety of powerful digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. Without consent, teachers will need to plan additional lessons or deviate from a useful application altogether. You can find our school’s list of the resources here: https://justicehs.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources

Please follow this link to indicate whether or not your student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval.