 Dear Mustang Families-
We had a great four-day week at South County Middle School! The week got off to a great start on Sunday, October 2 with the celebration of National Custodian Appreciation Day. At South County Middle School, we don’t think that one day is enough, so we honored our hard working staff throughout the week! Students decorated the building with signs of appreciation and our amazing staff was treated to a lunch on Friday. Our building and grounds are always in pristine condition because of the tireless work of our staff. Each and every member of the team takes enormous pride in our building and it shows! Thank you to the SCMS Custodial Team.
Looking ahead, Indigenous Peoples' Day will be celebrated on Monday, October 10. This holiday honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples, past and present. While students are enjoying the three-day weekend, I encourage them to spend some time thinking and examining one of the more than 2000 tribal groups that are indigenous to North America. Each one has a unique culture and ways of life that span history from time immemorial to the present day, and should not be thought of as one big, faceless, unchanging group.
On a personal note, this upcoming weekend has always been one of my favorite weekends of the year. The weather is officially brisk, and I will spend the majority of the weekend outdoors at two different soccer tournaments (as many as EIGHT games)! Good luck to all the Mustangs playing in athletic competitions. Maybe I’ll see you at the fields!
Thanks for your continued partnership and please email me with your questions, suggestions and concerns.
Peter Kownacki
Principal
South County Middle School
703-690-5507
@pakownacki
Dates to Remember
October 10, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Student Holiday, No School
October 12, Walk to School Day
October 24, Diwali, Student Holiday, No School
October 28, End of 1st Quarter, 2 Hour Early Release
October 31, Professional Workday, No School
Here is this week's news show:
October 7 News Show
This episode contains:
News Anchors: Jazmit Khaur and Amiyah Curry
Editor - Jazmit Khaur and Amiyah Curry
Opening Mental Health Awareness - Victoria Eller
Pledge -Mr. Niehoff's 2nd Period - Amiyah Curry
Horsecard Winners - Jazmit Khaur
Tacos vs Quesadillas -Produced and edited Chase Blosser
Breaking News 2 - Produced and edited by Victoria Eller and Liam Howard
Teacher Trivia - Edited by Victoria Eller
Birthdays -Jazmit Khaur
Weather - Anchored and edited by Emmanuela Amartey
Dance it Out - Edited by Chase Blosser
|
Indigenous Peoples' Day
Honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples, past and present. This year, Monday, October 10, is a student holiday (no school for students only) and staff development day.
Visit this site to learn more about the cultural heritage of Fairfax County. Read this story in Smithsonian Magazine for ideas on how to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day.
|
Walk to School Day
Fairfax County Public Schools will participate in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 12, in an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools. Students and employees are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work where safe to do so on October 12. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school, and to work with their school and PTA or PTO to assemble bike trains or walking groups for the event. Schools are encouraged to register online with Walk and Bike to School. Get more information about Walk to School Day.
|
CONGRATULATIONS to our Week #5 Horsecard Winners:
E. Yu, J. Hunt, D. Makedonska, D. Christou, S. Solomon, M. Sylvesdter-Shaver
Fairfax County Youth Survey
The Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work together to administer the Fairfax County Youth Survey. The results of this survey are published each year on https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health-humanservices/fairfax-county-youth-survey and are used by school officials, youth leadership classes, youth-serving county agencies, and local non-profits to determine the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs offered in schools and communities. It is also used to identify changing trends and areas of need. The survey is anonymous and no individual information is reported.
Online responses will not be traced back to your child's personal information or linked to a computer, email address, or other electronic identifiers. No personally identifiable information or IP addresses will be recorded. Survey responses will be stored in a secure server which is compliant with federal data security standards. To protect students' anonymity, the responses will be read and analyzed only by the researchers and summarized in a report with no personal identifiers.
The Fairfax County Youth Survey asks questions about risky behavior, mental health, physical health, and safety. There are questions about behaviors related to alcohol, illegal drugs, or misuse of prescription drugs. Additional questions about depression, student stress, bullying and harassment, personal health, and - for students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade only - sexual behavior, will be included in the survey. Students are also asked about specific protective factors concerning health and safety.
You have the right to preview the survey and may deny permission for your child to participate if you desire. If a student is uncomfortable with any question on the survey, the student does not have to answer that question or may elect to discontinue the survey. While it is hoped that as many students as possible will participate, you have the option of completing the attached form if you wish to opt out your child.
The survey will be administered at South County Middle School during Learning Seminar on November 15, 2022.
A copy of the survey will be available to parents and/or guardians on line at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/youth-survey.
If you do not wish for your child to take part in the survey, please complete the attached form and return it to your child's school counselor no later than November 7, 2022.
If you have questions about the survey, please contact Stefan Mascoll, coordinator, Student Safety and Wellness Office, at 571-423-4270.
Career Fair- Friday, December 2nd
Calling all SCMS Parents and Guardians! SCMS will be hosting a Career Fair for our students on Friday, December 2nd and we would love to have you participate! The SCMS Career Fair is designed to expose our students to the world of work. We are looking for a wide-range of professionals to share their background, skills, and experiences.
Participants would be asked to have displays and/or items related to their industry/profession and come ready to share your professional experiences with students. Students will have the opportunity to walk around and speak with professionals from various industries to learn more about what types of careers they are interested in.
Participants are asked to arrive at SCMS by 8:30am. Students will attend the expo from 9:05-10:30.
If you are interested, please fill out this link to sign up.
If you would like more information, please contact Mr. Harris (mwharris1@fcps.edu) and Ms. Spingler (mmspingler@fcps.edu)
|
7th Annnual Tour de Mount Vernon
Join Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck for the 7th Annual Tour de Mount Vernon, Community Bike Ride on Saturday, October 22 at 8:30 a.m.- starting and ending at the Workhouse Arts Center. Riders have the option of riding the full 38 mile route or a shorter 19 mile route. The Tour de Mount Vernon brings cyclists on a fun ride through the southern and central portions of the Mount Vernon District including a scenic route through Fort Belvoir. The route consists of paved roads, paved trails and has several challenging sections. Ride monitors and Fairfax County Police help with directions and keep everyone safe. The rides ends with music, famous sweet potato chili, beverages, fun and comradery! For more information and to register click the link! https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mountvernon/tour-de-mount-vernon-2022
|
Red Ribbon Week – October 23-31
Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Mexican-American man working for the DEA after serving in the Marine Corps, being a fireman, police officer, and deputy sheriff in California. While on assignment in Mexico for four years, he was on the trail of the country’s biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. He was getting close to exposing a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline in 1985, until he was kidnapped that February. He was headed to lunch with his wife when he was last seen being thrown into a van by masked men, his body wasn’t discovered until a month later.
After his death, “Camarena Clubs” were launched in his hometown of Calexico, California. Hundreds wore red ribbons and pledged to lead a drug-free life in his honor. Then President Ronald Reagan was in office, so club members presented a proclamation to First Lady Nancy Reagan which brought it national attention. The campaign became official in 1988 by the National Family Partnership with President Reagan and “Just Say No” creator Mrs. Reagan as honorary chairpersons. Red Ribbon Week is celebrated annually from October 23-31st.
Check out this Google Earth video on “The Life of DEA Special Agent Kiki Camarena”.
Sources & Resources:
DEA
Fairfax CSB Opioid Info
REVIVE Training for Opioid Overdoses
Medication Disposal
Teen Substance Use
FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program
DEA Drug Take Back Day
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270 and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @FCPSSAPS.
For further Information & support:
Catric Marshall, MS., LRIC., CCC.
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
cwhaleymarsh@fcps.edu
|
 |
|
