In this issue:
- From The Principal
- Stallion Spirit Store
- From the Theatre Department
- Learners Permit Testing
- From the PTSO
- Activity Office News
- Yearbook News
- From the Library
- Choral Department
- FCPS Cares
- Lorton Community Action Center
From the Principal
Family,
I hope this message finds each of you safe and well. I am writing you with a sense of excitement after what I feel has been a great week of school. There are weeks when I am able to spend lots more time in classes and to observe the instruction that takes place in classrooms. That is a lot of the time the job. But this week, I just felt more connected with students. Lots of conversations took place with them. Lots of smiles, and even some tears. But in every one of those situations I felt like we walked away knowing that we were a little bit closer. This doesn’t happen if you don’t send them, so for that reason alone, thank you.
So, I learned something this week when I received an email from another school about their Cappies. Everyone knows what Cappies are right? Well, what I didn’t know was that we are required to have students, “Cappies Critics”, go out and see at least 5 shows put on by other schools and to write reviews for them. The school putting on the show selects reviews to send to news outlets like FCPS Community News, The Connection, The Fairfax County Times, The Washington Post, etc. Well, it was shared with me that 3 of our students will have their reviews shared with the media. To top it off, it will be their 1st reviews being posted! Please congratulate Caprice Aspland, Zibby English, and Aeryn Dahm for having their reviews sent on to media outlets for publishing on Lake Braddock’s production of the Heidi Chronicles! This is so awesome!
Speaking of theatre and awesomeness, I hope that you all get the chance to come out and see our theatre production of Puffs. Curtains will open November 18th at 7:00pm. I am looking forward to this great show!
We had the unfortunate circumstance of one of the South County Middle School students to be involved in a car to bike accident on Wednesday afternoon. Luckily, it was a fairly low-speed collision, and all parties are safe and well. But this is just another reminder of the importance for us to all be very cognizant of our surroundings as drivers and pedestrians and to ensure that we are following all of the posted traffic patterns.
Lately we have been experiencing more and more students who are contacting home to have a parent come pick them up to go home, but not making the school aware of any issue that may exist. Please assist us in our accountability of your children by checking your child out in the appropriate manner:
- A note, use of online form, or phone call into the attendance to inform the school your child is going to go home early in advance of the preferred dismissal time (this allows us to essentially pre-arrange the dismissal).
- Student letting their teachers know that they will be missing class (shows accountability on the student’s part and gives the teachers a heads up)
- Student ensuring they do indeed check out through the attendance office (allows for us to accurately account for the time when the student leaves the building).
I would appreciate your cooperation with this so that our attendance team can gain a better handle of the traffic going in and out of their office because this is indeed a high volume area in our building believe it or not.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the fortunate opportunity to spotlight a few students who have been recognized outside of the walls of South County for achievements they have earned in areas of their passions. This week I have one more student to spotlight. Ms. Claire Choe, a South County freshman earned the title of Champion of the USA Taekwondo Grand Slam Tournament in the minus 47-kilogram division in Colorado Springs, CO! If you're interested, her interview can be found here (https://fb.watch/990arbnsVu/). Congratulations Claire, and the best of luck to you going forward in this amazing sport!
The Club Fair was moved to this week Monday. So everything I said about it last week, remember that for this week! 😊 We will have over 50 clubs represented so encourage your child to get involved in something. Our goal is to have 100% of our students involved in a club or activity associated with the school.
The Department of Aviation has shared with us that they are sponsoring the 2022 International Aviation Art Contest where the theme is to “Design Your Perfect Aircraft”. It is open to students ages 6 – 17 and submissions must be postmarked by January 10, 2022. Please have interested students stop by the main office for details.
Students can also stop by the career center for information on the 2021/22 John R. Lillard Aviation Scholarship, 2021/22 Kenneth R. Scott Aviation Scholarship and the 2021/22 Willard G. Plentl Aviation Scholarship. The scholarships range from $2,500 - $3,000 and have a March 11, 2022 deadline.
Well, that is all that I have for you this week. Thank you once again for all of the support you have provided and for just being a great school community. As always, I am honored to work with you. Give a hug to your children for me and tell them to keep their masks up in the building! Take care and continue to be safe! #OneStallion
Gary
SoCo Merchandise Available at the Stallion Spirit Store Website, Kiosk and Vending Machine!
Great Holiday Gift Ideas
South County’s Stallion Spirit Store has a variety or ways you can purchase items for the school year. We have a website where you can browse our spirit wear and find a PDF Order Form for download; invoicing for payment on MySchoolBucks will be sent after your order is fulfilled. You can also find our kiosk in the cafeteria during lunches on odd days (5th period) as well as in the gym lobby by way of a retail vending machine!
Thank you in advance for supporting the Entrepreneurship & Marketing program as well as the Work and Transition program here at South County. The students from these programs typically work the Spirit Kiosk at lunches to build customer service skills as well as count inventory, review financial records and create promotional plans. These work-based learning opportunities allow students to connect classroom lessons to actual scenarios.
From the Theatre Department
LIVE THEATER IS BACK AT SOCO!!!
Our State Championship winning Theater Department is so excited to invite our friends, family and community to attend an in-person performance of “Puffs”! You will laugh, you may cry, and you will cheer our Puffs House heroes on their many adventures! These students from a well known wizarding school will face the “horrors” of a high school dance, battle powerful & evil wizards, and along the way discover the value of loyal friendships. And at the end, your mind will race as several surprising twists unfold!
Dates: Thursday Nov. 18th 7pm; Saturday Nov. 20th 2pm and 7pm.
Price: $12.
Location: South County HS Auditorium.
**Please see the SoCo Theater website https://www.schstheatre.com and our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/southcountytheatre for purchasing tickets ahead of time. Also, please note how to donate to our program and enjoy the many benefits of becoming a SoCo Theater Patron!
Learners Permit Testing at South County
Dec 7 ( 2022 dates will be announced at a later date)
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Location- SCHS- room F107
POC: Ms. Saale mgsaale@fcps.edu
How do I register:
Please register at both the DMV and ACE sites below. YOU MUST REGISTER AT BOTH. If you are having trouble with the ACE site it is recommended to call them at the number on the web site.
Registration links….
ACE: https://aceclasses.fcps.edu/SubjectListing.aspx?CategoryID=10643&ProgramID=28&ProgCatgName=DMV+Learner%27s+Permit+Test+(HS+students+only)&IsCourse=1&SubjectID=11088&AreaName=DMV+Learner%27s+Permit+Test+(HS+students+only)
DMV: https://vadmvexam.com/AT_Remote/ApplicantPortal/ApplicantPortal.aspx
You must register at BOTH sites. ( You may have to copy and paste the first link)
Please bring parental consent form with you on the day of testing AND your school issued laptop.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Saale
From the PTSO
16th Annual
Lorton Holiday Extravaganza and Craft Show
We have sold out for vendors, we have Santa, we have a Silent Auction & Santa’s Book Emporium, and now we need you to help make the 16th Annual Lorton Holiday Extravaganza & Craft Show a success!!
Please take an hour or two of your time by signing up to distribute flyers or post signage to promote this event. Proceeds benefit the All Night Party, PTSO, Choral Boosters, and Band Boosters .
We can’t make this a success without your help. Student volunteer hours given for your assistance!
Sign below via our Sign Up Genius link.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0949ACAF2BAAFD0-publicity1
Activity Office News
All Access Pass
The South County Athletic Booster Club (SCABC) is excited to share with you that we have merged what we formally called "Booster Passes" with the new digital ticketing system, E-Tickets. Now available online is our 2021 - 2022 All-Access passes for the upcoming school year! This pass(es) purchase will give you admission to ALL home regular season athletic events. Please click the link below to check out which package is right for you, your student(s), and family.
All-Access Passes: https://www.etix.com/ticket/m/5817/south-county-athletics
Once you purchase your pass(es), you will receive an eleven-digit personalized code to redeem the number of purchased tickets to any scheduled home regular-season event for the upcoming school year. You may redeem your tickets by visiting South County's home E-tickets page - https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/18639/south-county-high-school-athletics
All this information and more is located on South County's Athletic Home Page - www.stallionnation.com.
Yearbook News
Senior Quotes
Senior quotes are due NO LATER than November 23. Once submitted, they will be looked over by editors. We will not accept links, time stamps, or any questionable material that is not school appropriate. Students can only submit ONE time and cannot change their quotes once submitted. To submit your quote, use the google link below:
https://forms.gle/TgJwBSmRjeLnpso49
Senior Portraits- New Dates
We would like to apologize for the confusion regarding senior portraits. Lifetouch has added more dates for portraits over the next three months. The new dates to get portraits taken (for the yearbook and to buy) are as follows:
November 6, 13, - Multipurpose Room - Door #13
December 1, 2, 3, 11- Multipurpose Room- Door #13
To register, visit https://prestigeportraits.com.
Students will need an eight digit code they received in the mail to register (if you do not have your code, please email jldelinski@fcps.edu).
Students who have previously taken a photo and want to schedule a retake, should email crocca@lifetouch.com
Purchasing Senior Ads and/or
Yearbooks for 2021-2022
Yearbooks and senior ads can be purchased online at https://yearbookforever.com/
Yearbooks for 2020-2021
If you would like to buy a yearbook for the 2020-2021 year, you may bring $85 to Jennifer Delinski in room D108 to purchase a book.
If you pre-ordered a book last year but did not pick it up, please see Jennifer Delinski in room D108.
Summer Pics
The yearbook is looking for pictures for the summer section. Specifically, we need pictures of students working summer jobs, going on summer trips, participating in summer camps or summer sports activities. Please email any pictures you may have to Jennifer Delinski at jldelinski@fcps.edu
From the Library
In addition to our school’s library, all Fairfax County Public School students have accounts(LEAP accounts) with Fairfax County Public Library(FCPL) to checkout materials from their libraries also! A student only needs their name, not a physical library card, to check out materials at any of the Fairfax County Public Library branches. Just as our school doesn’t charge fines or fees, students will not be charged when checking out materials using their FCPL Leap account. These accounts are only for print books, and students would still need to register for a standard FCPL library card to access the public libraries’ databases. Please see this LINK for more information and contact Ms. Strong erstrong@fcps.edu or Ms. Romney rromney@fcps.edu for more information.
From the Choral Department
Donations Needed for the
Book Emporium at the Holiday Craft Fair
Are you looking to clean out your closet? The South County High School Chorus Department is thrilled to be hosting the Book Emporium at the PTSO Craft Fair on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at South County High School and need several donations for this annual Holiday Book Sale.
Items sought include books on all subjects: cooking, baking, historical, military, political, self-help, exercise, teen, young adult, mystery, romance, children’s books, DVDs and Blu-Rays; board and video games; and puzzles. Donations can be dropped off at the Chorus donation box at Door 1 at SCHS during school hours.
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. See how you can acknowledge an FCPS employee who has gone above and beyond.
Lorton Community Action Center
Please see LCAC’s website for updates (ever changing information) regarding COVID-19 and our current donation needs.
Client Services
Have you heard Samira’s story? Samira needed help with two months’ rent after domestic violence & job loss left her family reeling. LCAC was able to help with rent, food, and other needs. Samira also participated in our computer class and was given a computer to practice her new skills and to aid in her job search. The ability to meet a large need like Samira’s is possible because of support like yours. Please consider giving to the fall appeal to ensure that families, children, and seniors in our community can continue to receive assistance. All donations will be matched by Suzanne and Bob Klein up to $7,000.
Upcoming Events
Thanksgiving Outreach is happening on Sunday, November 21st from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. We need 350 baskets to support our families. For more information on donating, visit the event page. Download the Thanksgiving basket list here.
Lorton’s Attic
Lorton’s Attic hours:
Shop The Attic and support local families Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Donation drop-off hours are Mondays (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.), Wednesdays (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.), and Saturdays 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We are in need of volunteers! Volunteers will be working modified hours and the store has been prepared, in accordance with CDC guidelines to protect the health and safety of all volunteers and shoppers. If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity with us, learn more here.
November 24-26 Thanksgiving Holiday
December 20-31 Holiday (Winter Break)
Classes resume 1/3/2022
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