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In this week’s WPHS News You Choose:
- Important Dates
- Superintendents WP Pyramid Community Conversation
- Congratulations WPHS National Merit Semi-Finalist!
- PTSA News
- Update from WPHS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
- School News Update
- Student Services / College and Career Center Updates
- Quick Links/Additional Resources
Important Dates
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September 26 –Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, Religious & Cultural Observance Day (Rosh Hashanah)
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October 5: Student Holiday (Yom Kippur)
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October 10: Student Holiday (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
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October 14-15: Homecoming Weekend
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October 16: FCPS Annual College Fair
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October 24: Student Holiday (Diwali)
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October 27: WP Pyramid Community Conversation with Dr. Reid, 6:30pm
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October 28: End of First Quarter – 2-hour early release
West Potomac Community Conversation with Dr. Reid
Dr. Reid, FCPS Superintendent, is hosting Community Conversations across the division to get to know our communities. The West Potomac Pyramid Community Conversation will occur Thursday evening, October 27 at 6:30pm in Kogelman Theatre, Springbank Building. Each Community Conversation will be held in person, allowing Dr. Reid an opportunity to better connect with participants. If you are unable to attend our pyramid's event, please consider attending another one. Registration information can be found here. Interpretation services, child care, and light refreshments will be provided.
West Potomac National Merit Semi-finalists
Congratulations to Saira Nagda and Fiona French, two of two hundred thirty-eight students from 18 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) who are among the semifinalists named by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for 2023. All semifinalists are eligible to compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarship awards worth nearly $28 million, to be awarded in spring 2023. Semifinalists advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and other requirements including a recommendation from a high school official. You can read more here.
PTSA News
Please mark your calendars for our next meeting on Monday, October 3rd at 6:30pm.
Gifts for Good
Gifts For Good Fundraiser: Tuesday, October 4 from 7-10 PM at The Fazackerley's Home (8418 Stable Drive, Alexandria VA).
Supporting, Swapping, Shopping! The West Potomac community and the WP PTSA invite you to the 2nd Annual Gifts For Good, swap-n-shop open house! Join us for a great night of shopping, friendship, fundraising, and live music by Borrowed Players.
Your $25.00 Entry Fee includes the swap-n-shop gift exchange, eight local artisan pop-up shops, snacks, drinks, and more. To purchase tickets: https://westpotomacptsa.memberhub.com/store . FREE Jute shopping bag donated by Blue Atlas Marketplace to the first 50 tickets sold.
Donations/Volunteer needs: Looking to bring new bling to your home but need to make some space, need a reason to find your inner Marie Kondo - this is THE FABULOUS event you have been waiting for. Please check out the flyer for swap decor/items donations needed and click on the volunteer spot for beverage donations, gift cards, sign-ups etc. WPHS students and teachers need our support more than ever. Please help us blow the roof off this event - #WolverineProud#
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4FA5A829A57-gifts
The PTSA will be offering a quarterly speaker series "Elevate, Educate and Enlighten" for students and families. Our first speaker is Martha Carucci discussing "The Sobering Power of Choice" on Monday, October 17th at 7PM in the Kogelman Theater.
PTSA DONATION
Please help support the PTSA this year so that we can provide our students and staff with support this year! There are 2 EASY ways!
DIRECT DONATION:
https://westpotomacptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/735410
AMAZON SMILE: Did you know that shopping on Amazon can benefit the PTSA? Just go to smile.amazon.com and select "West Potomac High School PTSA" as your charitable organization. The PTSA will receive a percentage of all your shopping, which you can also set up on your phone if you have an Amazon app. Shop away and feel good about it!
WPHS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Update
Rainbow Fentanyl
The DEA has issued a public warning educating the community about rainbow fentanyl. These particular pills are targeted to youth and young adults by its colorful candy-like appearance making them look harmless. Rainbow Fentanyl resembles playground chalk before it is pressed into pills and has been found in 18 states including West Virginia and New York and are sold as low as $17 (Hawaii) per pill making them affordable. In August of 2022 47,000 pills were confiscated at the Arizona border as well as 186,000 “Perc 30’s” or “Blues”, another popular synthetic opioid found in our county.
The trend, as reported by users, is to crush the pills, smoke it off of a piece of aluminum foil, with the theory that it is “safer” than snorting. When burned, it often gives off a distinct odor of burned rubber. While we have not seen Rainbow Fentanyl yet, Perc 30’s or Blues are popular among adolescents and young adults in Fairfax County and the surrounding areas. Fentanyl is also found in counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine, Xanax, and other licit and illicit drugs.
The Medical Examiner from the Virginia Department of Health recently released its 1st quarter data for 2022 stating 483 people have died from fatal fentanyl overdoses in the state. For Fairfax County data and additional information on youth substance use, please see the Fairfax County Youth Substance Trends webinar linked below.
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists (SAPS) provide Tier 1 support throughout FCPS. Each high school pyramid is assigned a SAPS who conducts brief interventions, psychoeducation, and presentations to students, staff, families, and community members. Topics of discussion include alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) as well as current trends on substances. For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Sources & Resources:
DEA Rainbow Fentanyl Press Release
DEA Fentanyl Gallery
Narcan Training (English & Spanish)
Fairfax County Youth Substance Use Trends
Homecoming
Homecoming Week is approaching – October 10-15th! Here are some of the week’s events:
Monday October 10th – Indigenous People’s Day – No School
Tuesday October 11th – Field Hockey Senior Night at 7:30 pm (with senior night festivities before)
Wednesday October 12th – Outdoor Movie Night at sundown in the Senior Lot (movie being voted on)
Thursday October 13th – Dig Pink Volleyball Games starting at 5 pm
Friday October 14th – Pep Rally during 3rd period
Friday October 14th – Homecoming Tailgate in the senior lounge area from 4-6 pm
Friday October 14th – Homecoming Football game at 7 pm, Homecoming royalty announced at Halftime
Saturday October 15th – Homecoming Dance from 8-11pm in the Main Gym
Stay tuned for more specific information on the week!
We need CHAPERONES for the dance! Please fill out this signup genius if you are interested: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ba4a72ea7f5c34-homecoming
The SGA is collecting new or slightly used dresses and makeup for the second annual Homecoming Dress Drive! Please consider donating dresses to be distributed to West Potomac students in the weeks leading up to Homecoming. Donation bins will be located in the front office, Gunston lobby, and room 447. We will be collecting donations from September 12-26! For any questions email hocodressdrive@gmail.com. Please use a personal email address instead of your school email.
El SGA está colectando vestidos nueve o poco utilizados y maquillaje para la segunda annual de vestido de Homecoming! Por favor considere donar vestidos y maquillaje para ser distribuidos a los estudiantes de West Potomac en las semanas previas a Homecoming. Las cajas de donaciones estarán en la oficina del frente, el pasillo de Gunston y en el cuarto número 447. Vamos a estar recolectando donaciones desde el 12 de septiembre hasta el 26 de septiembre. Para preguntas por favor mande un email a hocodressdrive@gmail.com , por favor use su email personal y no su email que usa en la escuela.
West Potomac Band
It is competition season for marching band. We’ll be competing today at The Herndon Showcase at Herndon HS. Come out and see our expanded show, as well as many other marching bands perform. For schedule and other details, click here:
https://www.herndonband.org/showcase
Dance Team Fundraisers
Mum Sale
This Saturday -- Mum Sale and Car Wash!
Stop by the Aldersgate Church Parking Lot on Saturday, September 24 starting at 10:00 am to purchase 8-inch and 10-inch potted mums -- yellow, bronze/orange, pink/purple, and red/burgundy. After your car is loaded up, swing by the car wash and leave for home with wonderful Fall decor and a clean car! Proceeds benefit the West Potomac Dance Team
Class of 2023 Senior Information
Thank you for joining us for our Senior Information Night earlier this month. Counselors also visited 12th grade homerooms for Senior Advisory presentations this month and individual senior meetings are in progress!
Please see below presentations and important college documents that have been shared this month:
If you have any questions, please reach out to your school counselor. We look forward to supporting you all in your post-graduation plans!
College and Career Center Updates
ASBC 20th Annual HBCU Festival:
DATE: October 7-8, 2022
LOCATION: University of DC-Van Ness Campus
This event will bring 83 historically Black colleges & universities to the area. For students attending this hybrid event, some colleges will offer onsite admissions decisions, music auditions, scholarships & seminars. There will be giveaways for the virtual audience, too. Pre-registration is required.
FCPS 2022 Look to the Future Week Events:
Students & families are invited to attend these annual FCPS events. Pre-registration is required for all events, including the college fair. Please see flyers for details and to register.
FCPS College Fair:
DATE: October 16, 2022
TIME: 4 PM – 7 PM
LOCATION: Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University
Approximately 250 colleges will be represented at this annual college fair held on the campus of George Mason University.
FCPS Postsecondary Week:
DATE: October 17 – October 20, 2022
TIME: 5 PM – 8 PM Daily
LOCATION: Virtual
Students & families can attend virtual events each evening to learn about and better prepare for the different types of post-secondary options students may consider.
FCPS News /Quick Links
Quick Links:
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