Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the day on which Christians annually observe the commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is a day of mourning. During special Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith. FCPS has designated Good Friday as a religious and cultural observance day designed to allow students the opportunity to miss school for observances not already designated as school holidays.

Theravada New Year

April 16, 2022

In countries where Theravada Buddhism is the most dominant religion, April is the month of celebration. It marks the end of the lunisolar calendar and the beginning of another just like January 1 for most people in the world, and is why this holiday is termed the Theravada New Year. The Theravada New Year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon in April. Theravada means “the teachings of the elders”.

Celebrations begin with people attending the local temple in the morning for chanting and meditation. In the afternoon they have a water festival in which they meet the Buddha image and pay respect to the elderly by watering their hands together. Building sandcastles is also one of the most popular activities during this day of celebration. (This holiday occurs when school is not in session.)

Change in Observance Day

Eid al-Fitr will be observed by Muslims around the world this May 2nd and May 3rd. The date of Eid services/celebrations can shift due to the lunar calendar and can vary by community and country. At the time the FCPS calendar was developed, local Eid observances were expected to occur on May 3rd, but because local Eid observances shifted to May 2nd, the FCPS Employee Newsletter on February 8th announced a change in the Religious and Cultural Observance day in FCPS for Eid-al-Fitr from May 3rd to May 2nd, 2022.

SIS ParentVue and StudentVue Access Unavailable March 31 - April 16

Due to grade preparation for third quarter marks, SIS will be unavailable to all FCPS parents and students from Thursday, March 31 at 4pm until Saturday, April 16 at 6:00am.

AP Exam Information

AP Exam Schedule

After careful consideration, FCPS leadership decided to continue with the established AP exam schedule for May 2, 2022. Students registered for AP exams on May 2nd (Chemistry, Spanish Literature, Japanese Language, US Government) will need to request late testing if they are unable to attend due to the Eid religious observance. May 3rd exams that were previously rescheduled for May 17th will remain on May 17th.

Requesting a late AP Exam due to May 2nd Eid Observance

Students who are unable to attend May 2nd AP exams (Chemistry, Spanish Literature, Japanese Language, or US Government) at McLean High School due to the Eid religious observance need to contact Jennifer Beach, Assessment Coach (jabeach@fcps.edu) no later than April 22nd to request late testing. Late testing follows the College Board Late Testing Schedule. The dates and times for the May 2nd late testing are listed in the table below.

Early Release/Late Arrival Permission Slips for AP Test Days

If students have a morning exam and wish to go home after its completion, or if they wish to come late to school to report for their afternoon exam only, they must submit a signed permission slip for each exam to Renee Yates in the Attendance Office by April 22nd.

Early Release Permission Slip.

Late Arrival Permission Slip.

Parent Events

McLean Student Services Book Talk, April 12

The McLean Student Services Department is excited to announce that Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, the authors of the book, What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home will be speaking in person at McLean. Last fall, these authors spoke virtually to our Longfellow and McLean parents. The event was very popular and parents wanted a chance to ask the authors more questions!

Our in-person author talk will take place on Tuesday, April 12 at 7 PM in the McLean Lecture Hall. The authors will discuss how parents can engage in respectful and effective dialogue with their teens, discuss boundaries around technology, and improve communication. Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice from the experts.

We invite all parents from McLean and Longfellow to attend! Purchasing the book is not required, but if parents do want to purchase they can do so at this link. Please fill out this form to register for the event. If the link is giving you trouble, you can show up to the event without registering, we welcome all parents! Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

April 26 - Book Talk with Julie Lythcott-Haims

Former Stanford dean and New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult Julie Lythcott-Haims explains why our culture of over-parenting is hurting our children and making them ill-equipped for college and adulthood.

Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings, How to Raise an Adult is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.

This FREE program takes place April 26th from 7-9pm at Temple Rodef Shalom. It’s open to all, but registration is required. Visit the Safe Community Coalition website for more information and registration: http://mcleanscc.org/.

Brought to you through a partnership between the Safe Community Coalition and The Potomac School.

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 last date for the 2021-2022 calendar year is:

April 18

To register for the April 18 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.

Student Achievements

McLean High School student, Ava Macomber, particpated in a White House roundtable on Mental Health

On the last day of Women’s History Month, Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice and Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein hosted a roundtable at the White House with young women leading their communities in improving mental health. Participants were joined by the leadership of national girl's advocacy organizations, each of which have prioritized mental health policy and supported young women leaders tackling this issue.

Click HERE for the White House Briefing Room statement.

Weekly Reminders

Virtual Helping Highlanders

Beginning in March, math and English teachers began hosting virtual study sessions via Zoom in the afternoons/evenings. Subjects offering study sessions include: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Precalculus, English 10 and English 11. The schedule for each session and Zoom links are posted to the All Students course in Schoology each week for all students to access. Please consider encouraging your student to attend a study session for extra support in the offered subject areas!

After-School Counseling

The Department of Student Services will be offering counseling opportunities for all students every Wednesday and Thursday after school. Select counselors will be available to meet with students until 4:30pm. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this extra availability and can meet with the counselors on staff regardless of their alphabetical designation. Late bus transportation will be provided every Wednesday and Thursday for all students.

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

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.

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