MHS PTSA eNews, April 20, 2022

TODAY!!!

Health & Wellness Therapy Dogs

Our therapy dog friends return from 11:00am-1:30pm.

We are expecting five or six pups, some “old” familiar furry faces, and some “first-timers” dog visitors to MHS!

Our thanks to the PTSA Health & Wellness Committee for organizing!

Please contact health.wellness@mcleanptsa.org for more information.

Congratulations to the
MHS Librarians

We our MHS Librarians! 

National School Librarian Day was Saturday, April 16th.

It is always a great time to acknowledge and appreciate all librarians who have inspired us with our love of reading. 

A big thank you to our MHS school librarians, Joan McCarthy and Morgan Popma!

AP Exam Proctors: 
Parent Volunteers Wanted!

Due to the large number of AP exams being given this year, we are in search of parent volunteers to help with proctoring between May 2nd  and May 17th. 

Primary responsibilities include:

• Monitoring test takers and
• Assisting with material distribution/collection.

All proctors will be asked to review a brief virtual training and sign a non-disclosure agreement from the College Board.

Please be advised that parent volunteers CANNOT proctor their own children (if your student is taking an AP exam, you cannot proctor that specific test).   

If you would like to volunteer your time to help proctor an AP Exam, please see the link below to a sign-up form including dates and times we are in need of volunteers. 

AP Proctor Volunteer Sign-Up Link. 

Forms should be submitted by TODAY, Wednesday, April 20th.

Thanks in advance for your help!  

Donations &Volunteers Needed 
Appreciation Week Luncheon for MHS Teachers & Staff
Friday, May 6th

MHS PTSA is hosting an Appreciation Week Fiesta Luncheon honoring our Teachers and Staff on Friday, May 6th.

To make it a success, please donate an item from the SIGNUPGENIUS to compliment a taco bar catered by Taco Rock. 

Volunteers to help set up, serve and clean up are also needed. 

Friday Breakfast Station Sign-Up
April 22nd & 29th

eNewsletter Team Needs Volunteers

Without Help the Last eNews is June 8th

Training, tools, and support are available to ensure a smooth transition into the next school year. 

Please contact enews@mcleanptsa.org if you are interested in any of the following positions:

eNews Co-Chair and Members

Responsible for sending weekly PTSA e-newsletter. Share relevant information, promote events and enhance parent engagement.  Proofreading skills are a plus.

eNews Proofreader

Review draft of the e-newsletter to test links, catch typos and verify consistency with format standard.

eNews Publisher

Use the GovDelivery tool to enter prepared content, images, links, and .pdfs provided. Follow committee-developed format standards. Send a test version to the proofreader and incorporate changes. Schedule the final version in the tool for publishing at noon on Wednesdays.

Thank you in advance for volunteering!

Seeking PTSA Executive Board Volunteers

The PTSA works to directly benefit the teachers, students, parents and staff at McLean HS.  It is also a wonderful way to meet other parents, get to know our staff and students, and give back to our school. 

We are 100% volunteer driven!  Please consider one of the following open positions:

• President
• President-Elect
• VP Fundraising

For more information click here or contact: nominate@mcleanptsa.org

Graduation Party Tickets
are on Sale!

Click here for more information.

Local Restaurant Fundraisers

Show Highlander Spirit and Support Your Community

While Dining In or Carrying Out

It's Your Chance to Thank a Teacher, Now Through May 6th!

Each year, students, parents, and the general public are encouraged to send thank-you notes to Virginia’s deserving public school teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

This year, three student artists won the contest to have their artwork featured on thousands of thank-you notes distributed across the state!

The deadline to send a teacher a thank you note and enter them to win a vacation and $2500 to the school is May 6th.

For more information visit here.

Fairfax County Youth Substance Use Trends and Support Webinar

Due to the rise in opioid overdoses in the Fairfax Health District, which is consistent with national and state trends, Fairfax County Public Schools has partnered with Fairfax County Government to provide an educational webinar on youth substance use trends and supports.

The topics covered will be:

• Most Commonly Used Substances
• In-Depth Opioid Information
• Reasons Why Youth Use Substances
• Ways Parents Can Support Their Children
• Available FCPS and Fairfax County Resources
• Ways Students, Parents, and Community Members can connect with Support Providers

It is being offered virtually in every language at 7:00pm on April 20th, April 26th and April 28th. Kelly Rankin, McLean's Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, will be one of the presenters. 

Here is the link if you are interested.

FREE Event April 26th!

Julie Lythcott-Haims, NYT Best-Selling Author of How to Raise an Adult Returns to McLean

In partnership with The Potomac School, the Safe Community Coalition is pleased to share with you details of an upcoming FREE event on Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Temple Rodef Shalom.  

Back by popular demand, former Stanford dean and New York Times best-selling author Julie Lythcott-Haims presents “Throw Out the Checklisted Childhood: Tips and Strategies for Raising Successful Kids.”

This FREE program is open to all and the link can be found on our website http://mcleanscc.org/ 

Congratulations to our Latin Students Who Placed in the National Latin Exam

John Farrell (9th) – summa cum laude, gold medal, perfect score

Amelie Yan (9th) – summa cum laude, gold medal

Karina Bhatt (10th) – summa cum laude, gold medal

Vidya Suri (11th) – summa cum laude, gold medal

Zhicheng Zhao (12th) – summa cum laude, gold medal

Elliott Berry (9th) – maxima cum laude, silver medal

Abigail Sterner (10th) – maxima cum laude, silver medal

Eleanor Ague (10th) – magna cum laude

Taylor Konditi (10th) – magna cum laude

Olivia Anglin (10th) – magna cum laude

Ethan Zhou (11th) – magna cum laude

Philip Rotondo (10th) – cum laude

Ryan Chun (9th) – cum laude

Meghana Thondaiman (10th) – cum laude

Jane Smith (11th) – cum laude

Eli Cartwright (11) – cum laude

National Scholastic
Art Award Winners

Kudos to Elisabeth Eick, Cherry Lee, Jackie Palmer and Stefan Van Biljon for Earning a National Scholastic Art Award!

Original works of art by students from Fairfax County Public Schools earned 30 national medals in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. 

National medalists will be celebrated at an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Select national award-winning work will be included in an exhibition in New York, and a traveling exhibition over the coming year. 

See who received an award.

22 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards

Daniel Ahn, Mackenzie Chen, Rose Chen, Marley Derienzo, Elisabeth Eick, Luke Felix, Runa Fujimagari, Minsong Ha, Yeonsu Ju, Sigrid Kim, Youngjae Kim, Taylor Konditi, Jennifer Li, Sherry Li, Zhiyi Li, Ellen Pan, Sophia Pandit, Emily Reisman, Vachel Thevenot, Doris Zhang, Megan Zhang, Olivia Zhang, Aileen Zhao and Jiayin Zou for Receiving the 2022 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards.

Fairfax County Public Schools student writers won 50 Gold Key awards in the 2022 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards competition. In all, 226 Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mentions were earned by FCPS students.

Winners in the regional competition came from 24 Fairfax County middle and high schools

CPS Advisory Committee for Students With Disabilities Announces

2021-2022 First Class Award Winners

Kudos to Dr. Ellen Reilly and Alma Ortiz-Tellez

The FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) presented their First Class Awards at the 17th Annual Special Education Conference on Saturday, March 26th. Each year, the ACSD celebrates and recognizes the inclusion efforts of educators, administrators, and students in FCPS. Winners of a First Class Award demonstrate the following skills:

• Positive impacts on student(s) due to inclusion activities.
• Commitment to creating an inclusive environment. 
• Promotion of diversity and a culture of inclusion.
• Raising awareness of the benefits of inclusion for students with and without disabilities.

We are excited to celebrate two of this year’s winners: 

• Ellen Reilly, principal, McLean High School. Reilly has created a culture where students with disabilities are no longer thought of as participating with their general education peers, but a culture where students of all abilities participate together. She allows all students to showcase their unique abilities by supporting inclusive programs.

• Alma Ortiz-Tellez, special education instructional assistant, McLean High School. Ortiz-Tellez seeks out opportunities for students with disabilities to be included in activities around the school and can be seen every day at lunch creating opportunities for students to interact and develop relationships with peers and staff, promoting inclusion. Also, by accompanying special education students to local job sites, Ortiz-Tellez has supported local businesses’ hiring of persons with disabilities

The Tartan and The Highlander
Receive Top Recognition

McLean High School’s literary magazine, The Tartan, and news publications, The Highlander newsmagazine and website, earned national recognition from both the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) over the past few weeks.

The Tartan, advised by Lindsay Benedict and Seth LeBlanc and led by Editors-in-Chief Hyohyun Jung and Marina Qu, was one of just six literary magazines in the country and the only one in Virginia to receive the prestigious 2021 NSPA Pacemaker at an awards ceremony on April 9th. 

https://studentpress.org/nspa/2021-literary-arts-magazine-pacemakers/

In addition, The Tartan was named a 2022 CSPA Gold Crown recipient in the literary magazine category at an awards ceremony on March 18th. McLean’s literary magazine was one of three Virginia literary magazines and the only one in FCPS to earn this award from Columbia University. 

The Highlander newsmagazine and website (thehighlandernews.com), advised by Lindsay Benedict and led by Editors-in-Chief Akash Balenalli, Heran Essayas, Marina Qu and Jack Shields, received a 2022 CSPA Gold Crown Recipient in the hybrid news category. The Highlander was one of three hybrid news publications in Virginia to earn this award from Columbia University.

https://cspa.columbia.edu/recepient-lists/2022-awards-student-work-crown-awards-scholastic-recipients

Kudos to all involved in these MHS publications!

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 
• Precalculus
• English 10
• 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.  

Free Online Tutoring Services

As of April 14, FCPS students have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families.

Student participation is optional, and parents/guardians can opt their student(s) out of accessing the services.

Detailed information and FAQs are available on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.

Students can to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology.  Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following instructional videos: 

• Tutor.com: How it Works-Middle and High School. 

Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu.

April - Month of the
Military Child

April is the Month of the Military Child, providing an opportunity to recognize and honor the service of Virginia’s youngest heroes, over 80,000 military-connected children.

Wear purple TODAY to celebrate military kids!

Purple references the joint environment of the military, encompassing all service branches, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. Purple combines each branch’s colors into one: the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard all use shades of blue, the Army uses green, and the Marines use red.

Arab American Heritage Month

An estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots, according to the Arab American Institute, with ancestries traced to 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and others. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. 

Please join us in celebrating the rich history, contributions, and culture of our diverse population of Arab Americans.

Student Equity Ambassador Leaders

Students' voices are imperative for the implementation of Equity centered work we strive for in FCPS. Our students have the answers and it’s time that we empower them.

Student Equity Ambassador Leaders is a leadership program that amplifies students' voices and provides an increased understanding of diversity, inclusion, and equity through leadership development, projects and relevant experiences.

The goal is to empower students to take an active role in fostering a school culture of inclusiveness and creating a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for students, families and staff.

All applications are due by May 6th

SEAL Information

Students!
Apply to be the Next EQAC Student Representative

The Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) is accepting applications for its student member term running from July 2022 through June 2023.

EQAC’s primary function is to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for improving environmental protection and enhancement.

The student member application is open to all interested high school sophomores and juniors who are in good standing. Interested students should apply by May 4th.

 Learn more and apply to be the next EQAC student member.

Youth Conservation Camp Applications are due April 29

Applications are now open for Youth Conservation Camp, held July 10-16 on the Virginia Tech campus.

The program brings together 70 students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural resources from hands-on experience with conservation professionals and faculty from Virginia Tech.

Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply and may receive a partial scholarship from NVSWCD. 

Learn more about Youth Conservation Camp, including how to obtain an application. 

Contact NVSWCD with questions.

CBF Leadership Expeditions
for HS Students

Registration for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2022 Student Leadership Summer Expeditions is now open!

Do you know a motivated high school student who wants to get involved with environmental education, advocacy, or leadership?

This program is open to students in grades 9-12 and financial aid is available.

The Virginia expedition will take place July 11-15, the watershed-wide expedition will take place July 25-29, and the orientation for both expeditions will take place May 25. 

Learn more and spread the word about CBF's 2022 Student Leadership Summer Expeditions!

Scholarship Information

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

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

Parent's Guide to College Admissions

The college admissions process was stressful enough before the pandemic, and now it is more confusing than ever.

Fiona Rees, Board Chair of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), shares her top tips for supporting your teen.  

Listen now.

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 about 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. 

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