Important Upcoming Dates
2022-2023 School Year
October 31 - Student Holiday
November 1 & 2 - Cultural Observance - Día de Los Muertos
November 4 - Picture Retakes (see below)
November 5 - Plogging - Help Beautify our School (see below)
November 6 - Daylight Savings Time
November 8 - Student Holiday/Election Day
November 10 - Cake Decorating for St. Vinson Hall (see below)
November 11 - Student Holiday/School Planning Day
November 23 - 25 - Thanksgiving Break - Schools and offices closed
Día de los Muertos - 11/1 & 11/2
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Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. To learn more about Día de los Muertos, watch this video.
While Día de los Muertos is largely celebrated in Mexico and Latin America, it also coincides with All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). These days are celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestants worldwide to honor those who have died and gone to heaven (All Saints Day) and those who may still be in purgatory (All Souls Day).
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Picture Retakes - Grades 9, 10 & 11, 11/4
If you missed picture day, your chance to get your yearbook picture taken and receive your student ID will be on Friday, November 4th.
JUNIORS will check in with their 2nd period teachers and be photographed during period 2.
Sophomores will check in with their 5th period teachers and be photographed during period 5.
Freshman will check in with their 8th period teachers and be photographed duirng period 8.
Questions? Please email Ms. Percival - mjpercival@fcps.edu
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Plogging - 11/5
Students will have the opportunity to help beautify our school and by plogging on November 5th from 10:00 am - 12 pm. Students will earn service hours for picking up litter around our school. Email zhangolivia10@gmail.com with any questions.
From Wikipedia - Plogging is a combination of jogging and picking up litter
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Native American Heritage Month
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Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. It is also a time to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. |
Faculty & Staff Award Nominations - 10/31 through 11/14
Nominations for the 2022-2023 Outstanding Teacher & Staff Awards are now bing accepted in the following categories.
1. Outstanding Teacher/librarian: At least (3) three years teaching experience.
2. Outstanding New Teacher/librarian: At least 1 year teaching experience but less than (3) three years teaching experience.
3. Outstanding Professional Employee: At least 1 year in their position as a: Technology Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Psychologist, Social Worker, Counselor, SOSA.
4. Outstanding Operational Employee: At least 1 year in their position as a: Administrative Assistant Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service, IA's, Parent Liaisons.
5. Outstanding Leader: At least 1 year in their position as a: Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services, Director of Student Activities.
All nominations for McLean Teachers & Staff are due by Monday November 14. Please feel free to nominate in one category or all of them; it is up to you!
If you have any additional questions about the categories or which category a specific staff member should be nominated in, please e-mail ADSA Tzeitel Barcus at tabarcus@fcps.edu.
Thank you so much for taking the time to recognize our McLean High School staff. Your input is highly valued and greatly appreciated.
Daylight Savings Time - 11/6
Sunday, November 6th, at 2 am, daylight savings time ends. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour.
National School Psychology Week - 11/7 - 11/11
During the week of 11/7 - 11/11, we will celebrate the important work school psychologists do to help all students thrive. Learn more from the National Association of School Psychologists.
Election Day - 11/8
Don’t forget to get out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8! The day will be observed as a holiday for students and teachers. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
Veterans Day - 11/11
As a reminder, Friday, November 11, is a student holiday/school planning day for the Veterans Day holiday. Veterans Day provides a great reason to pause, reflect, and recognize the extraordinary sacrifices our Veterans and their families have made on our behalf, and we thank them for their service.
Cake Decorating - 11/11
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Students will have the opportunity to help decorate cakes for residents in the St. Vinson Retirement Community and earn service hours on Novemebr 11th at 3:00 pm in the MHS Cafeteria.
Sign up HERE!
PTSA will provide masks and gloves to protect the health of the retirement home residents. Please make sure you display no signs of sickness or have been in close contact with any sick person. Email zhangolivia10@gmail.com with any questions.
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American Education Week - 11/14 - 11/18
For American Education Week we celebrate ALL who work in our school community: our bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, support staff, teachers, leadership and more! Learn more from the National Education Association. Want to recognize someone from our school who goes above and beyond? Submit a nomination to FCPS Cares.
Thanksgiving Break - 11/23 - 11/25
Updates
SIS ParentVUE Access
ParentVue and StudentVue will be closed from Friday, October 28, at 4:00 pm until Tuesday, November 9, at 6:00 am.
Strageic Plan Student Survey - Coming Soon
Students will soon be shown a short informational video at school and be asked to complete a survey providing feedback on their experience at school. This feedback will be used to help inform FCPS leadership as they work on planning for the future of the school system. Parents are invited to view the survey questions and get more information.
Feedback Welcome on Proposed FLE Changes
The Fairfax County School Board is reviewing recommended changes to the Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum and invites public feedback as part of the review process. In May 2022, the Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC) presented recommended curriculum changes, to go into effect for the 2023-24 school year. Those changes include adopting gender-combined instruction, and exploring instruction of gender identity, recommended media, and other instructional changes.
The recommendations reflect leading education and child development research and expert advice. According to research cited in the recommendations, these changes will create a more inclusive learning environment, result in higher academic achievement for students, and improve school climate.
Public feedback will be shared with FLECAC and the School Board. FCPS staff and the School Board will consider all feedback but are unable to reply to individuals.
Learn more about the recommended changes on our website. The public feedback form will be available on our website and will be open October 31 through December 1.
Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
The Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid was given to all McLean High School students on October 20. FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your child's school. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by November 4. All results are confidential.
Fluent Spanish Speaking Family Liaison Needed
McLean High School is seeking applicants for our Family Liaison position. Our Family Liaison supports administrators, counselors, and school staff through meetings and communication with families to share resources as needed. This role is in-person at McLean High School on a part-time basis.
Click HERE for the job description.
Click HERE to apply.
PSAT & SAT Score Report Dates
-PSAT Scores will be available to sophomores and juniors on December 6th
-SAT Scores will be available to seniors on November 3rd
Students can access their scores by logging into their College Board account. Students who do not currently have a College Board account will need to create one to view scores. Students should use a personal email address, not their fcpsschools.net email for their College Board accounts, as FCPS email may send College Board emails to spam.
 September Students of the Month
Each month, we ask our faculty and staff to nominate students who go above and beyond to make our school community engaging, caring, and inclusive. Please join us in congratulating our September winners!
Elizabeth Cedrone, Aria Colaco, Victoria Daniels-Gregory, An Doan, Dalia Fishman, Delilah Frey, Alexandria Greenstone, Thomas Ham, RJ Hernandez, Tristan Jander, Conner Li, Jessica Lin, Jack Rafferty, Sky Rath, Leah Sexton, Wesaam Tayeb, Hope Titus, Nathaniel Tsitsibelis, Isabelle Vanegas, Sevyn Walton
Weekly Reminders
Strategic Planning - Student Opportunity
You may have heard FCPS is developing a Strategic Plan that will serve as the school division’s roadmap for the future. We encourage every parent/caregiver, student, employee, and community member to participate in this important work.
The first engagement opportunity will be an optional survey, which will be open to students in grades 3-12. Knowing what is important to students will be very helpful to Dr. Reid, as she leads the planning of FCPS’ future. All schools, including ours, will schedule a date and time during the school day to administer the survey between November 2-18. If you would prefer that your child not participate, you may opt your child out of taking the survey. Please visit FCPS’ website for more information.
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Talking Points for Families |
McLean High School in cooperation with Fairfax County Public Schools will begin using Talking Points to communicate with families about student performance in school throughout the remainder of the year. We recommend families download the free TalkingPoints for Families mobile app. You can also opt in to text messages (standard message fees apply) or you can sign up online at families.talkingpts.org/welcome. To get started, please follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Use the QR codes or the icons in your phone to visit the App Store or Google Play on your phone and download the Talking Points for Families app.
 Step 2: Choose your preferred language and then enter your phone number in the app. You will receive a code to enter next.
Step 3: You should see your student’s classes in your app and can begin receiving messages from teachers. When you receive a message you will be able to conduct a 2-way conversation via text or the app with your student’s teachers.
2023 FAFSA is Open
Parents of current high school seniors—did you know that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1? Parents are encouraged to work with their students to complete the FAFSA as early as possible—definitely before March 1, 2023—as you prepare for your child to begin college in the fall of 2023. Some schools have even earlier priority deadlines, so check the individual college’s financial aid office website for deadlines and specific forms to complete. Parents and students should start by creating an FSA ID and then begin the FAFSA.
The Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application is available for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA. To help determine which aid option is right for you, visit the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website.
Our partners at College Access Fairfax will be offering a number of programs on completing the FAFSA/VASA and finding/applying for scholarships over the next two months. Information on these programs and how to access them can be found at the College Access Fairfax website.
In addition, College Access Fairfax staff are available for virtual one-on-one help sessions to complete the FAFSA/VASA. Interested families should email appointments@collegeaccessfairfax.org to request an appointment.
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 online 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.
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 to opt out your child.
The survey will be administered between November 7 – November 22, 2022, in all 10th and 12th grade English classes. A copy of the survey will be available to parents and/or guardians online at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/youth-survey and in the school counseling office of your child's school beginning October 7, 2022. An e-notify message was sent to all 10th and 12th grade parents on Friday, October 7, 2022. If you do not wish for your child to take part in the survey, please complete the opt-out form found HERE and return it to your child’s counselor no later than November 7, 2022.
Partners in Safe Teen Driving Seminar (PSTD)
As part of the FCPS Health and PE curriculum, all 10th grade students enrolled in Health & PE 10 complete one quarter of classroom Driver Education. As part of the Driver Education curriculum, students are required to attend the Partners in Safe Teen Driving Presentation, in person, with at least one parent or guardian. Successful completion of classroom Driver Education AND attendance by the student and parent/guardian enables the student to obtain the DEC-District 8 completion card needed to pursue obtaining a Virginia driver’s license. 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 within their 10th grade year. All seminars will be held in-person from 6:30-8:00 PM in the auditorium. Please arrive early. Doors will close promptly at 6:30. Attendees who arrive late will not be allowed entry and will not earn credit for attending.
The 90-minute PSTD presentation will be offered once per quarter throughout the school year. McLean High School’s dates for the 2021-2022 calendar year are below. Please make sure to use your student’s fcpsschools.net account to log in and fill out the form.
January 9th - 1/9 Sign-Up Sheet
March 6th - 3/6 Sign-Up Sheet
May 1st - 5/1 Sign-Up Sheet
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 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. A $30 fee applies, and registration is available through FCPS Adult and Community Education (aceclasses.fcps.edu).
Parent Information Phone Lines
FCPS language lines are available in eight different languages to assist parents who do not speak English as their first language.
A school system employee will respond to your call in your preferred language within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. The caller will provide you with the requested information, arrange for you to speak with the appropriate school employee, or connect you with the resource that you are looking to find.
To use the parent information phone lines please call:
Amharic: 571-423-4957
Arabic: 571-423-4952
Chinese: 571-423-4953
Farsi: 571-423-4954
Korean: 571-423-4951
Spanish: 571-423-4950
Urdu: 571-423-4955
Vietnamese: 571-423-4956
Click HERE to be directed to the FCPS Parent Information Phone Lines site.
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
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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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