Weekly News From South County High School

In this issue:

• From The Principal
• Masks
• Attendance Office
• Testing Corner
• Senior News
• From the Yearbook Staff
• Edison Academy Open House RESCHEDULED
• Stallion Spirit Store 
• Learner's Permit Testing

From the Principal

Family,

I truly hope that each of you are safe and warm over this weekend.  I want to continue to thank you for the patience and flexibility that you have displayed as we all are working through the minefield of changes that continue to come our way.  Please know that I understand the frustrations that can arise as I and others continue to send changes about policies and protocols, so feel free to share those frustrations with me (you don't have to if you don't want to however) so that we may come to an understanding sooner than later and continue to move forward toward success in this school year.  

I have just a few items for you this weekend, so let's get right to it.  First the great stuff.  I am excited about the opportunity that I will have in the near future to congratulate a large number of students who have earned entry into the South County Chapter of the National Honor Society.  This is a wonderful accomplishment for our students as I am sure you know, and I am proud to be able to welcome this group of young adults into this next level of academic success! The ceremony is scheduled for this coming Tuesday the 18th, however, we may have some difficulty carrying this out if Mother Nature has her way as it is anticipated.  Should the date have to change again, we will get that word out as soon as possible. 

I hope that you were able to tune in to see the success of our Quiz Bowl Team as they competed on It's Academic which aired on Saturday.  The Stallions earned a fantastic win over Herndon High School and Whitman High School out of Maryland.  Congratulations to Claire Gribschaw, Elliot Evans, and Mackenzie Williams on their performance, as well as the rest of the team who helped to prepare them for the competition!  Also, let's not forget our outstanding coaches, Mr. Eric Greiling (Mathematics Teacher) and Mr. Chris Bird (Assessment Coach) who continue to share their time with this awesome group of students!

We have been experiencing an uptick in students who are leaving school grounds during the day unauthorized.  We have noticed that this occurs mostly during our lunch periods.  I do understand that students may be concerned about the health conditions that exist in the cafeteria related to masking protocols in that area.  However, we have just as much of a concern with the accountability and safety issues that are presented in the unfortunate event of an accident that could occur while they are on our watch.  Please help us to maintain a safe environment by having the conversation with your child about remaining on campus at all times during the school day.  Students who have paid for a parking pass are subject to have that pass suspended or revoked when they elect to not abide by this policy.

As we prepare to observe the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 17, we are also watching for the potential of winter weather early in the week. We used all of our traditional snow days during last week’s snowstorm. Any future inclement weather days will include virtual learning whenever possible. 

We all need to prepare in order to have a successful inclement weather virtual learning day. South County HS teachers and staff are working hard to ensure students have the devices and accessories they need and have worked with students to make sure they know how to access their assignments in Schoology and log into Zoom.  

At home, we ask that you do a few simple things that will make an inclement weather virtual learning day run smoothly:

• Make sure students charge their devices.
• Remind your child that the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule includes a two-hour delay so they can check their devices and make sure they are able to log in properly. (See schedule below)
• Remind your child that attendance will be taken on inclement weather virtual learning days.
• Please also complete the Technology Readiness Steps for Students with your child:

1. Log onto your laptop with your student ID and password.
2. Connect your laptop to your internet connection.
3. Login to Google account.  In the Chrome browser, go to fcpsschools.net, sign in with your fcpsschools.net account.
4. Log into Schoology. Make sure you can access your courses.
5. If you have any issues with these steps from home, go to the Tech Support for Families page, to submit a ticket for support.

SCHS Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Bell Schedule 

Well that is all that I have for you this week. Thank you once again for all of your support.  You really do matter to me and the rest fo the facutly and staff here at South County HS.  Take care and continue to be safe!  #OneStallion

Gar

MASKS, MASKS, MASKS

Please help your student adhere to our mask policy. Masks are still worn at all times by both staff and students indoors and on school buses, but are not required when eating or when outside during recess, PE, or other activities.

Students should be sure to leave home with a mask as they head out to school

and a spare back-up in their backpack would be a great idea.

Please help us keep all students and staff safe!

Gary

From the Attendance Office

Thank you for your patience! Please know we are working hard to answer all the calls as they come in. However, if you do receive an answering machine, please leave a message and it will be taken care of in the order it was received.  To avoid delays in having your student check out, please plan ahead and send a note with your student first thing in the morning, or email ,or call the attendance line at 703-446-1625 as soon as possible so we can insure timely attendance and dismissals. We try very hard not to interrupt instructional time to deliver messages.

Also as a reminder, if you send a note, email or call, you do not need to come into the building. Your student will meet you at the curb at your requested time.

Testing Corner

Testing Accommodations for Advanced Placement Exams in May

Students with IEPs or 504 plans are not automatically granted their testing accommodation on College Board exams such as Advanced Placement exams. If your student requires accommodations in the testing environment, they must to apply to College Board by January 18th. . Please contact Telia Johnson, our Services for Students with Disabilities Coordinator, at 703-446-1911 or tmjohnson2@fcps.edu  for more information on the accommodation application process.  More information can also be found on the College Board website at https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-accommodations/request-exam-accommodations

Senior News

Attention Class of 2022 Parents/Guardians!

Senior Dues have been approved by the county. They are $75 and can be paid using MySchoolBucks. Senior Dues are used to pay for the graduation venue, caps and gowns, diploma covers, and other senior class expenses. If you have any questions, please contact Kaitlyn Price at kaprice1@fcps.edu.

From The Yearbook Staff

Students who have not had their senior photos taken, have three more dates in which to do so at the Lifetouch studio in Annandale (studio is located at 7128 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003)

To schedule an appointment (you no longer need a code):

• Go online to prestigeportraits.com/studio or click here. 
• Click the blue 'Book Appointment' button to get started (you do not need to log in). 
• Select the Virginia – Northern Virginia location.
• Search for South County in the search bar. 
• Select South County High School when it comes up
• Select the sitting level and appointment date and time from there.  You can skip the sitting level if you are not sure.  
• You do not have to buy photos or pay for a session if you just want them taken for the yearbook.  Just choose the no charge sitting level.

***DO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  NO PHOTOS TAKEN AFTER THE FEBRUARY 5 DATE WILL BE IN THE YEARBOOK.***

Edison Academy Open House

RESCHEDULED TO JANUARY 29

10 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Edison Academy invites you to attend our in-person Open House event on Saturday, January 29, 2022 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  We are located at 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA.  Our entrance is located at Door #13. You will have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our instructors and current students, and learn more about our incredible courses!  Please feel free to contact Cassandra Deedy at (703) 924-8101 or cjdeedy@fcps.edu if you need any additional information.  Thank you and we’ll look forward to meeting you on January 29th.

SoCo Merchandise Available at the Stallion Spirit Store

Website, Kiosk and Vending Machine!

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.

Learners Permit Testing at South County

Dates: 2/17/22 and 3/9/22

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.

Parental Consent form: 

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dts41.pdf

If you have any questions please contact Ms. Saale

8501 Silverbrook Road, Lorton, VA 22079 | Main Office: 703.446.1600
Attendance: 703.446.1625 | Web | Twitter