McLean HS: Dr. Reilly's Monday Message 12/13/2021

Important Upcoming Dates

December 20-31 - Winter Break

January 6 - Three Kings Day\Epiphany

January 7 - Orthodox Christmas

January 17 - Martin Luther King Day - Holiday

January 20 - End of 2nd quarter - 2-hour early release

January 21 - Teacher Workday/Student Holiday

January 24 - Teacher Workday/Student Holiday

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


Winter Break Expectations

At McLean High School we have many students who work hard and spend a great deal of time outside of school on assignments and on school activities during the school year. We would like to help our students find a healthy balance of school, work, and family/friends time during the two week Winter Break. Similarly, we would like our staff to do the same. We would like for everyone to spend this precious time with your family, friends and loved ones.

Teachers should not issue any homework that students must complete over the Winter Break. Specifically, teachers will not assign homework that is due on the first two school days we return to school - January 3 and 4.  Assessments should also not be conducted the first two days returning from a long break. Additionally, our school’s offices will be closed over the holiday.

The McLean High School faculty and staff wish you and your family a safe, happy winter vacation!


Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity

FCPS has new tools to help parents and guardians know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided by Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, at no cost to families. You may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. If you want more detailed information, sign up for the Internet Use Parent portal and log-in anytime to see more detail about your child’s browsing and “pause” access to the internet during non-school hours. Find out more and sign up for these services on our website.


SAT Accommodations - Deadline January 4

Students with disabilities who have testing accommodations documented in a 504 Plan or an individualized education program (IEP) may be eligible for testing accommodations on the Advanced Placement (AP) exams. The College Board must approve a formal request for each student. Please note that testing accommodations listed on IEPs or 504s are not automatically granted by the College Board for AP testing, so families must apply separately to the College Board. If a student already has College Board accommodations approved from a previous PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, SAT, or AP test, then no further action is needed. Once instated, accommodations remain in place for all College Board testing. Students who would like to apply to the College Board for testing accommodations must submit application forms to the school before January 4, 2022 to meet the College Board deadline.   Please visit the McLean Testing page  for more information and application forms.


Cultural Observances

January 6 - Three Kings Day\Ephiphany

Three Kings

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.

In Western Christianity,  the feast commemorates principally the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. It is sometimes called Three Kings' Day.

January 7 - Orthodox Christmas

Orthodox church

Many Orthodox Christians annually celebrate Christmas Day on or near January 7 to remember Jesus Christ's birth, as described in the Christian Bible. 


Recognitions

A Journey Back to FCPS - Destiny DeMarino

Destiny DeMarino

Please take a moment to check out this video about Destiny DeMarino, a McLean High School graduate. She is a 1st Grade teacher at Westgate Elementary School and winner of the Westgate ES Outstanding New Teacher of the Year award!


Congratulations to James Hoadley

Please join us in congratulating one of our students - James Hoadley. He is a current senior at McLean HS and has also attended classes at NVCC.  James will receive his Associates Degree in Engineering from NVCC this week. He is graduating Summa Cum Laude with highest honors. Congratulations James!


Weekly Reminders

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:

February 7

April 18

To register for the February 7th 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

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.