MHS PTSA eNews, May 4 , 2022

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

Thank you for making this Appreciation Week the best one yet!

Go Highlanders!

It is Your Opportunity to Thank a Teacher, Now Through this
Friday, 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.

Upcoming Last General
Membership Meeting
for the Academic Year 2021-2022

Our last PTSA General Meeting will take place on May 18th in the MHS Cafeteria from 7:00 pm-8:15 pm.

Come join us to celebrate a wonderful year! We are also going to thank all the PTSA volunteers for their amazing generosity and dedication. In addition, the members will vote on the 2022-2023 slate of PTSA executive officers.

Details are provided on our site.

See you on the 18th!

Friday Breakfast Station Sign-Up

May 6, 13, 20, 27th

Last chance to sign up for the school year!

May is the last month for the PTSA's Friday Breakfast Station for teachers and staff! And what a busy month it is: Appreciation Week, AP Exams, SOLs, Final Exams, end of 4th Quarter.

Let's show our appreciation and treat our wonderful teachers and staff to breakfast treats in May.

Sign-up here for the week that best suits your schedule in May. 

Thank you!

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-Elect
• VP Fundraising

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

Graduation Party Tickets are on Sale!

Attention McLean Agents-Class of 2022! 

Click here to purchase.

What:   Graduation Party for Class of 2022 - Diamonds are Forever

When:  June 1st, 9:00pm - 1:00am

Where: McLean High School

Your Mission: Purchase Tickets NOW.

Tickets will NOT be sold at the door and cost $75. Click here to purchase.

You will have a chance to Win Raffle Prizes and
Grand Prizes such as a $250 gift card,
all whilst you sip on mocktails,
mingle and munch on hors d'oeuvres 
when you purchase tickets!

This "Diamonds are Forever" party will have casino games, fun activities, DJ, a photo booth, a hypnotist show, and much more. You don't want to miss a fun time with your friends and fond memories of your high school graduation.

We are currently doing a raffle for all seniors that purchased their 2022 Graduation Party tickets. This week's winners are:

• Eve Ginsberg
• John (JT) Fulkerson
• Laine Phillips
• Tobias Thierer

Please reach out to Pam Williams at angp@mcleanptsa.org to claim your prize. 

Seniors - Make sure to purchase your tickets for a chance to win. The next raffle winners will be announced on May 11th.

Click here to purchase

Local Restaurant Fundraisers

Show Highlander Spirit and Support Your Community

While Dining In or Carrying Out

Theatre McLean's Production of  Head Over Heels - New Dates!

Visions, vacations, and a vapid princess.

Experience Theatre McLean’s production of Head Over Heels the musical. Featuring music from the Go-Gos, this jukebox musical follows the journey of the royal family of Arcadia as they leave their kingdom to flee from the unfavorable prophecies prescribed to them by the Oracle. Watch as King Basilius and Queen Gynecia, accompanied by their daughters Pamela and Philoclea, try and escape their fate, learning lessons of love, loss, and loyalty along the way. 

The production runs from May 4-6th at McLean High School.

“Get Up and Go” buy tickets, $8 for students and $15 for adults, which can be purchased at theatremclean.org.

McLean Juniors Win 1st Place in Diamond Challenge

The team of McLean Juniors Zoe Li and Ben Woods, with TJ Junior Myles Bao, won 1st place ($11,000 prize), Social Innovation track, in the 2022 Diamond Challenge Summit, April 21 – 23, at the University of Delaware.

The Diamond Challenge is an annual international entrepreneurship competition where high school students present innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. This year’s participants numbered 2,000 teens comprising 700 teams from 37 countries and 28 states competing before 300 judges.

The McLean/TJ team – with its proposed solution to plastic pollution – was among the 64 teams that advanced from the semi-finals back in February before capturing 1st place in the final rounds of the Summit in April.

Congratulations to Zoe, Ben, and Myles on their Outstanding Achievement!

FIDM Entrepreneur of Tomorrow Challenge

Olivia Zhang and Morgan Link tied for 2nd place in the FIDM Entrepreneur of Tomorrow Challenge sponsored by the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.  

Here is the link announcing our students as 2nd place finishers and a link to their video submission. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SPlz5TFMM0  

U.S. News & World Report
High School Rankings are Out!

https://patch.com/virginia/fallschurch/these-va-high-schools-are-among-2022-s-best-u-s-news

Learn how U.S. World News finds their rankings 

MHS is listed #3 public high school in Virginia, take a look here. 

In the Jay Mathews Challenge Index, MHS has the ranking of FCPS high schools on the list, which is based on a formula devised by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews. The index is designed to identify public schools that challenge average students. The list is available here. 

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 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.

Join us in celebrating and all of the culture, accomplishments and history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities!

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 this Friday, May 6th!

SEAL Information

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