MHS PTSA eNews, March 2, 2022

Celebrating 
Women’s History Month!

During this entire month, we celebrate women’s contributions to history, culture and society.

Learn more about this celebration here.

McLean Giant Community Bag Program Fundraiser has Started!

The Giant on Chain Bridge Road has chosen McLean HS as the March recipient for their Community Bag Program donations! 

MHS will receive $1 for every $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold at the McLean Giant location only, during March. 

For more information click here.

March Friday Breakfast
Station Sign-Up

Baccalaureate Service
Volunteers Needed for
Class of 2022

Each year, McLean High School senior parents organize an interfaith Baccalaureate service of prayer and music for seniors and their families featuring representatives from local Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations.

Volunteers are needed to plan the Class of 2022 Service.

Details from past services are available to share.

Please email Elizabeth Hale at halefamilyva@gmail.com if interested. 

Local Restaurant Fundraisers

Show Highlander Spirit and Support Your Community

While Dining In or Carrying Out

Silver Diner is Tomorrow!

March 3rd, 5:00pm - 8:00pm

8101 Fletcher Street
McLean, VA 22102

Pie-tanza - 2nd Thursday of Month

March 10th, 11:30am - 9:30pm

Lee Harrison Center
2503B N. Harrison Street
Arlington, VA 22207

General Membership Meeting

Our next PTSA General Meeting will take place on March 16th in the evening. 

Details will be provided on our site soon.

FCPS Superintendent Brabrand Student Q & A 

March 9, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m.

This is an opportunity for our students to ask questions of the Superintendent. Students rarely get an opportunity to ask questions about general education policy, and their perspectives can be both interesting and valuable. 

The event is scheduled to be in person at the McLean Community Center.  Registration is not required. 

Please see the McLean Community Center website for the latest COVID policy.

Student Volunteer Hours Opportunity

Are you a student who needs volunteer hours? 

Do you remember all the FUN of going to the Fun Fair in elementary school?

We would love for you to volunteer your time to support Fun Fair at Spring Hill Elementary School. Volunteers are needed to help set up the day before, run games/activities, and break down after the event. We will provide all verification you need to earn your service hours. We can’t make Fun Fair a success without your help! 

Event Date: Saturday, March 19th, 10am - 4pm

Volunteer shifts available: Set up on Friday, March 18th, 4-6pm and all-day Saturday

To sign up: https://springhillpto.org/fun-fair/volunteer/

Questions? Contact springhillptofunfair@gmail.com

Safe Community Coalition (SCC)
Book Talk on
How to Raise an Adult

In anticipation of best-selling author Julie Lythcott-Haims’ April visit to McLean to present the talk, “Throw out the Checklisted Childhood: Tips and Strategies for Raising Successful Kids,” McLean psychologists Heather Tedesco, Ph.D., and Melissa Sporn, Ph.D., will host a virtual parent book club on Julie’s most-acclaimed book, How to Raise an Adult on Friday, March 18, at noon. 

Dr. Tedesco and Dr. Sporn will share their thoughts on the aspects of the book that are especially relevant to families in our area. Click here to purchase the book from bookshop.org, which can connect you with a local bookstore anywhere in the country. 

Find the Zoom link on the SCC website just before the event.

FCPS Special Education Conference- March 26

FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions.

Registration for this free conference will begin in March. 

More information on the Special Education Conference is available online

First Amendment Press 
Freedom Award

For the fifth year in a row, McLean High School is being recognized with the First Amendment Press Freedom Award. A committee with representatives from the Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society chose 18 winners nationwide for the 2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award. George C. Marshall High School and Chantilly High School are also among the schools being recognized.

The award recognizes public high schools that actively support, teach and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, with an emphasis on student-run media where students make all final decisions of content.

As in previous years, schools competed for the title by first answering questionnaires submitted by an adviser and at least one editor; those who advanced to the next level were asked to provide responses from the principal and all media advisers and one student editor per student media. Media staff also submitted their policies. Winning applications showed strong support for the First Amendment.

McLean’s journalism programs are very lucky to have such strong administrative and community support and we are so pleased that we continue to be recognized at the national level.

McLean will be honored on April 7 at the opening ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Los Angeles.

Click here to read more about this prestigious award. 

PTSA Board Nominations
for 2022-2023

Are you interested in being on our PTSA Board or do you know someone who would be great in a Board position next year?

Please take a quick look at the Board positions and their related job descriptions on our website  and let us know who would fit any of these positions. If you know of someone who would generally be a great Board member, but you are not sure in which specific position, we also want to hear from you!

Starting in late January, the Nominating Committee will be collecting the names to slate for our 2022-2023 PTSA Board and we always want to get a diverse group of members from our broad community on the Board. 

Please contact the Nominating Committee at nominate@mcleanptsa.org with names and referrals.

Thank you in advance.

Earn Money for the PTSA When You Purchase through our Amazon Link

Simply bookmark: Amazon 

And use the link to access Amazon BEFORE you add items to your cart and check out promptly. 

Items that are left in your cart for 24 hours or more do not qualify. To save items to purchase later, please use your Wish List.

Every Purchase Counts! Thank you!

MHS Sophomore Parent Podcast
is Available!

The McLean Student Services Department is excited to share our sophomore parent podcast, featuring Paul Stansbery, Director of Student Services, and Kathleen Otal, School Counselor. 

This podcast shares how parents can set their children up for success as they build independence, choose their junior year courses, and explore interests.  You can listen to our podcast here.

Links to several resources mentioned in the podcast are below.

• McLean HS College Planning Timeline
• Author Talk

Stay tuned for our final parent podcast of the year, which will address the college planning process.  This podcast will be sent out by the end of May.

Date Change for Eid-al-Fitr for the 2021-22 School Year Calendar

The current “O” (religious and cultural observance) day for Eid-al-Fitr on FCPS’ 2021-22 School Year calendar was incorrectly listed as Tuesday, May 3. 

Please note that the correct date is Monday, May 2.

FCPS apologizes for the error.

View the updated 2021-22 School Year Calendar.

"Collect for Kids" is Going Strong!  

Students in need will require fresh school supplies to "Return Strong" in the fall. Your contribution to the Collect for Kids campaign will purchase pre-made, grade-level appropriate school supply kits for students. 

A donation of $50 will provide 5 FCPS students with supplies to help them succeed in school. 

Click here to donate!

Celebrating Our Area's Extraordinary Teens

Do you know an amazing teen who deserves recognition? Arlington Magazine is now accepting nominations for its annual Extraordinary Teen Awards.

Arlington Magazine is looking for candidates who excel in academics, extracurriculars and service, as well as individuals who have overcome significant life obstacles. Click here to read about previous years’ winners.

To be eligible, a candidate must be a senior in high school (public, private or home school) and must be a resident of Arlington, Falls Church or McLean.

Nominations may be submitted by anyone who knows the student well. All nominations must be submitted via the online nomination form. No attachments will be accepted. Winners will be notified in late March and profiled in the July/August 2022 issue of Arlington Magazine.

The deadline for nominations is March 4, 2022.

Nominate a teen here.

MHS Students -
Tell Us Your Story!

How Has the Pandemic
Impacted Your Life?

Complete the application by March 15th, using this link to participate.

NOVA District PTA is pleased to announce our 2022 NOVA District PTA Student Essay Program (previously called Citizenship Essay).

This year's District theme is, "Tell Us Your Story" - a look at how the past couple of years during the pandemic has had an impact on your life (i.e., education, family, community, after-school activities).

The Black/African American Experience Project

It is a joint effort among Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, Public Schools, History Commission, and

Neighborhood and Community Services.  There are 3 parts of this effort:

• Neighborhood and Community Services is Collecting Stories from the Black/African American Community.
• FCPS will provide Project-Based Learning Resources to support students researching untold local stories of Black/African Americans.
• The Historical Marker Project will allow students to become historians while they research and advocate for new historical markers in the county.

The goal is to capture, communicate, and preserve the Black/African American experience throughout Fairfax County’s history for future generations. 

For more information, and to complete a Historical Marker Submission Form visit the Historical Marker Project website.

Submissions will be accepted until March 31. 

FCCPTA Scholarships

Each spring, FCCPTA awards (5) PTSA member students with $1,000 scholarships to assist in their pursuit of post-graduation learning.  Scholarship Criteria:

The Institute for the Arts Summer Program (IFTA)

IFTA is a popular arts enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select 4 classes which they choose from art, dance, music, theatre, health, economics and personal finance courses.  

This program will be held from July 5-29, 2022 (four-week program) or from July 5-15, 2022.

Registration opens on March 1, 2022.

For information about FCPS' summer enrichment camps and learning programs visit here.

National Cyber Cup

A free, 100% online Jeopardy-style Capture the Flag competition for students in grades 4-12 to sharpen their problem-solving skills through cyber-based challenges. 

For more information, please look here. 

Registration opens on March 1, 2022. 

Envirothon Competition for
High School Students

As we determine best practices for reaching Zero Waste goals in Fairfax County, let's engage our high school students' voices! This year’s Envirothon Special Interest topic is “Waste to Resources” and the Oral Presentation question has just been announced! Visit the VA Soil and Water Conservation District’s Envirothon competition page to explore resources on waste and other competition topics and to learn how to participate in the Envirothon competition.

Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) provides training trunks on aquatics, forestry, soils, and wildlife available teachers to borrow. Each trunk is full of dozens of valuable resources like guides, hands-on tools and equipment, and specimen samples. NVSWCD will also be hosting local training and will be providing more details soon.

Contact Ashley Palmer to learn more.

Scholarship Information

You can access here a comprehensive list of scholarships for high school students to help pay for school their freshman year of college and beyond.

A list of 70 academic competitions and contests selected by the College Transitions.

Weather Cancellation Procedures

Be informed in the case of inclement weather or other emergency situations.          

Visit this site for more information.

Fairfax County Public Schools has a well-established policy and protocol for responding to threats of violence in our schools. We have collaborated with the Youth Violence Project of the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education as part of our efforts to educate parents and students on how to help reduce threats and increase safety in our schools.

We invite parents and students (12 and older) to view the training modules on threat assessment here. These brief modules will help you understand the threat assessment process used in our schools and how it can help prevent violence.

Substance Abuse Prevention Support at McLean High School McLean High School has a Full-Time Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist

Kelly Rankin serves as a resource for students and parents interested in finding out more information on substance use or discussing concerns of use and addiction.

FCPS Parent Resource Center Workshops

The FCPS Parent Resource Center is offering workshops, information and resources to support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.

For a list of upcoming events click here. 

Guidelines for School Visitors, Volunteers and Guests

FCPS asks guests to follow a few guidelines to help keep our schools safe and healthy. If you are visiting, please review the health and safety guidelines for visitors in advance to prepare.

Multilingual Parent Podcast

Listen and subscribe to an FCPS multilingual family podcast to hear timely, important information related to school news. The podcasts are produced in conjunction with the Office for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement.

Listen and subscribe: https://www.fcps.edu/blog/multilingual-family-podcast-arabic-korean-spanish

Get Your Child’s Online
Activity Report 

FCPS has tools to help parents and guardians know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided by Lightspeed, their 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 details 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 the FCPS website.