Mustang Weekly, February 3, 2023

Principal's Message

Dear Mustang Community-

South County Middle School had a great start to the second semester of the school year. It was great seeing all our mustang faces after the long weekend. Our 8th graders also started the new semester by attending a presentation by the student services department from South County High School. The amazing team from SCHS went over all the important information that students will need to know when choosing courses for the upcoming year. Academic advising for all grade levels will take place over the next few weeks, so please have conversations with your students about the courses they want to take!

On Tuesday, we also kicked off Black History Month. At SCMS, we will take the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month by affirming African American accomplishments, milestones, and contributions to our nation’s history. Black History Month is an annual celebration that started in the US in 1926. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, the US President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and Frederick Douglas, an African American orator, social reformer, writer and abolitionist. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Health and Wellness” and will focus on the contributions and breakthroughs of Black professionals as well as speaking to the cultural richness of practitioners.

Lastly, next week, February 6-10, we join with other schools in celebrating National School Counselor Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking Ms. Johnson, Ms. Maxwell, Ms. Spingler, Mr. Harris and the Director of Student Services, Ms. Reese for all that they do to support our students. We are truly grateful to have such a dedicated and caring Student Services Department.

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. 

Peter Kownacki

Principal

South County Middle School

703-690-5500

@pakownacki


Mark Your Calendar

Dates to Remember

February 6 - Report Cards go home with students

February 16 - School Climate Survey

February 20-24 - 7th Grade FLE

February 28 - PTSO Meeting

March 8 - SEL Screener

March 16 - Preparing Families for Difficult Conversations about Drugs & Alcohol at South County Middle School

 

News Show 2/2/23


horsecard

CONGRATULATIONS

To our Horse Card Winners this week:  K. Barnes, K. Butler, M. Stevens, S. Patel, N. Noriega, C. McEntee


Report Cards

Report Cards will go home with students on Monday, February 6.  They will be distributed during the student's 7th period class.


Tardy Sweeps

Thank you for your support as we continue to ensure students are arriving to ALL classes on time—this includes 1st and 2nd period. This week, we have reduced unexcused tardies by more than half! Please continue to speak to your child about the importance of arriving to all classes prior to the bell.

 


language

FCPS Website in

Multiple Languages

Did you know that the FCPS website and the SCMS website give you access to the information in multiple languages? To choose a language other than English, simply click on the flags in the upper left corner of the website to select another language.


Eating Disorder Parent Information

The Code of Virginia, 22.1-273.2, requires Virginia Public Schools to provide, on an annual basis, parent educational information regarding eating disorders for pupils in grades five through twelve. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA 2022),

“Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights. While no one knows for sure what causes eating disorders, a growing consensus suggests that it is a range of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Eating disorders are not fads or phases, and can have serious consequences for health, productivity, and relationships.”

In collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, FCPS has developed a webpage with detailed information and resources to be provided to parents and guardians of Fairfax County Public Schools. This information may be found at the following link:

https://www.fcps.edu/node/37440


library

Library Information

The library would love your help reminding your readers to please return their books! We currently have 803 overdue books, so please look in backpacks, under beds, on bookshelves, and in closets and return any library books that you find. Our eager readers at SCMS thank you!


Academic Advising Dates to Remember

Rising 9th Grade Academic Advising

Week of February 6th-10th

  • Middle School Counselors will be visiting 8th graders during sciences classes and meeting with students one on one to discuss courses. 
  • Courses will be entered online.  If changes need to be made after meeting one on one with the counselor, please return the paper course form by Feb. 14th.

Rising 8th Grade Academic Advising

  • Counselors will provide information about choosing courses and meet one on one with each student during science classes. 
  • Purple team: week of Feb. 13th-17th
  • Red and Blue teams: week of Feb. 21st -24th
  • Please return the paper course forms the following science class after meeting one on one with the counselor, and no later than Feb. 28th. 

 

If you have questions, please contact your child’s School Counselor.  


Tutor.com graphic

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here. 


REMINDER

Students should not use body sprays and perfumes in school as it can aggravate other students and staff that have respiratory issues such as asthma, etc.


CDC No-Cost COVID-19 Testing Locator

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a COVID-19 Testing Locator website, which can help families find no-cost COVID-19 testing sites: 

The locator is part of the CDC’s Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, which focuses on at-risk communities. Testing is available at pharmacies and other locations and is provided at no cost to individuals with or without health insurance and in areas with an increased demand for testing. 

More information via the CDC’s recent announcement is available at the following link:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0124-testing.html


Quick links