Important Upcoming Dates
Message from Dr. Khoshaba
Dear SoCo family,
I know I’m repeating myself, but we have had another busy week of celebrations and positive school events during the past several days. I’m eager to share the latest and greatest happenings with you, so here we go!
Field Hockey had a great final game of the season this past week. I’d like to give a special shout-out to the players who took time to coach me on the finer points of this sport: Sharli, Rory, and Kate. All of you are born to be teachers for the way you helped me learn the ins and outs of field hockey. Look us up in four years after graduation and I’m sure I can find a spot for you on our staff!
During the week, I often enjoy taking my office on wheels by placing my computer on a cart and hanging out with students and staff during and between classes. This week, I was able to slip in a quick survey for students: How many trusted adults do you have at SoCo? The results were outstanding as you can see below. We still have work to do with some students feel connected here, but by and large I was very happy with these results.
Wednesday was the busiest night of the week for me. I was happy to play a double-duty role by attending both the Golf team end of season banquet and the Senior Night for Volleyball. The Golf banquet was one of the most special ceremonies of this type that I have ever seen. Coach Bigus, the Varsity coach, had so many personalized messages and awards for his athletes. I also enjoyed seeing so many parents show up. In addition to the camardarie and conversations, the food was spectacular! Congratulations to all of these SoCo athletes for another great season.
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Late that night as our Freshmen and JV volleyball teams were playing, I risked life and limb as I positioned myself between the two courts. While talking with one of our student alum, a ball “erroneously” hit me on the top of my head! I know. I know. I can already hear the jokes: “Way to use your head, Dr. K!” or “That’s what you get for ‘heading’ down to the gym!” In all seriousness, I’m a huge fan of volleyball in general, and our student-athletes take it to another level. On Wednesday night, however, our fans overtook the momentum by cheering our Volleyball players on! I often remind students that scores don’t always reflect effort, so I know our team should feel VERY proud for how well they played that night! As a special attraction that night, we also had one of our best guitar players in the entire school, Nicole, perform the National Anthem before the Varsity team played. Nicole, thank you for making that very special night THAT much more special!
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The Freshmen and JV teams also played very well earlier that evening!
As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, on October 14, 2023, South County High School hosted to STEM Fest 2023. STEM Fest is a fun-filled, educational even that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for elementary and middle school students. This event provides students with a chance to engage in hands-on activities that are related to STEM fields.
A special thanks goes out to our Mr. Velazquez, who was our staff member who assisted with running the event, as well as the following students who volunteered at the event. Students who are members of our Science Olympiad team are denoted with the (SO) mark.
Ayaan Shaikh(SO)
Claire Anton (SO)
Dan Velazquez (SO)
Alveena Nasir(SO)
Tiffany Ling (SO)
Arman Bajwa(SO)
Jessic Wiriadinata(SO)
Shuborno Zaman(SO
Riley Williams
Noah Potts
Ward Gardimer
Ethan Larimore
Our Social Studies Department Chair, Mr. Sean Miller, and his AP African American studies class appeared in the news this week. Mr.Miller comes across as very knowledgeable and student-centered, so please check out the recording at this link: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/sharing-of-culture-inside-a-virginia-high-schools-ap-african-american-studies-class/3445526/
I also had the chance to see our Key Club students preparing for the October 28 Trunk or Treat event (3:00-6:00pm), which is being hosted by the Best Buddies club. Participating clubs are decorating one to two vehicles, and our Key Club is creating a Candyland car. Look how creative our Key Club students are!
One of the biggest highlights of my week came when I was able to visit Ms. Sholtis’ Spanish 3 class! I have worked with her for more than a year, but I never had the chance to see her “on stage.” One word comes to mind after observing her class: Wow! It’s SO easy to tell how much Ms. Sholtis loves her students and teaching! She regularly refers to students as “geniuses” and “smart ones.” Students thrive by having engaging academic conversations in her classroom as they work in cooperative groups to learn from one another. Ms. Sholtis is a true master teacher in every sense of the term!
Finally, Friday morning we had Fox 5 on campus to discover what SoCo pride is all about! The Band, Football team, Cheerleaders, and Dance team were all interviewed. The link will be coming out to us soon.
That’s it for me! I hope you all enjoy the Fall weather this weekend!
Kambar
#OneStallion
Together As One!
Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a South County High School Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.) All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below:
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding Principal
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):
Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership
Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school.
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee
Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 3.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Beskenis at ltbeskenis@fcps.edu
FOOD FOR NEIGHBORS PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHS
This holiday season, let's come together to make a difference in the lives of food-insecure students in our community. Food For Neighbors plans to provide local families with Holiday Meals at Thanksgiving. Visit the FFN website today and learn how you can help students and their families experience the joy of gathering for a holiday meal. Every $50 donation provides a meal for a family. Your generosity can make a world of difference for local students!
The South County Orchestra Pyramid will perform their annual Masquerade Concert on Thursday, 10/26 here at SCHS.
We invite you to join us for a night of spooky music performed by the South County elementary, middle and high school orchestras. The Concert is free and starts at 7PM.
Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. To make it easier, the form is now available online in SIS ParentVUE.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household 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.
Once logged in to SIS ParentVUE, click “Online Packets” in the top right corner. Then, select “Federal Impact Aid Survey.” Get more information.
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey. Find out how to get technical support for ParentVUE.
PTSO
South County High School PTSO is partnering with Seasonal Roots, a local online farmers market, to bring healthy, delicious food to our community, to support local farmers and artisans, and to raise money to support the All Night Grad Party for our seniors!
Seasonal Roots is an online farmers market that delivers “dirt to doorstep” to families in Maryland and Virginia. Each week the market offers more than 150 items that are all grown and produced locally, sustainably, and ethically. Market items include fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, vegan specialties and more.
As part of this fundraiser for ANGP - new customers can join Seasonal Roots for 50% off the membership fee (a $25 savings!)
PLUS for every new customer who signs up, a $20 donation will be made to South County PTSO! WIN-WIN for everyone! Be sure to use promotional code SOCOANGP at https://www.seasonalroots.com/socoangp.
The Lorton Holiday Extravaganza & Craft Show
It’s time to spread the word…The South County PTSO is in of Student and Parent Volunteers to distribute flyers promoting the 18th Annual Lorton Holiday Extravaganza & Craft Show. Please, take a moment to check out our sign-up genius and see if you could spare an hour or two!
All students will receive volunteer credits. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0949ACAF2BAAFD0-45077117-publicity
The PTSO is collecting gently used books of all types for the Santa’s Book Emporium.
Books may be dropped off in the bins at Entrance 1 at SCHS or if are unable to get them to the school you may email SCHSCraftShow@gmail.com and arrange to pick them up!
Save this code SCSS4010
EVERY Thursday from now until Jun 2024 Papa John's is supporting a restaurant night to support the ANGP.
We raised $70+ in Sep. Let's keep the momentum
The South County High School All Night Graduation Party (ANGP) Committee has secured a year long (school year) fundraiser with our local Papa John's! EVERY Thursday from now until June, if you use the coupon Code SCSS4010, you will get 40% off your order and the ANGP will get 10% of all sales. This is for our local Papa John's only (Off Silverbrook Rd).
So save this coupon code and use it every Thursday you are in the mood for Pizza! This is a great way to support our local Papa John's AND support the ANGP at the same time!
Enjoy!
Your ANGP Planning Committee
The South County Police Station and Animal Shelter (SCPSAS) will official open Saturday, October 28th.
To commemorate this day, we are planning an Open House Celebration in conjunction with the Building Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
In attendance at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be the Chief of Police, command level officers, the County Executive , the Board Supervisors, Senator(s), Congressmen, and other County Officials.
This event will be highly publicized and covered by both the County and Police Department Public Affairs Offices.
I also expect other various news organizations (Connection News Paper, Washington Post, etc.) to cover the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will begin at 10:00 AM; followed by the Police Department and Animal Shelter Open House from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
At that time, the Police Department and Animal Shelter will invite the Lorton Community into the new facility where we intend to stage the back station parking lot with a host of police, fire, and INOVA displays, along with the shelter pet adoption, therapy dogs, and many other vendors who will be provide entertainment, games, and food for the attending community parents and their children.
Awareness Month
Disability History and Awareness Month
In Virginia during October, Disability History and Awareness activities provide an opportunity to create greater public awareness for individuals with disabilities, with the goal of full inclusion in our community.
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LGBTQIA+ History Month
LGBTQIA+ History Month is recognized in October nationwide. We acknowledge and celebrate that LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and families are an integral component of our nation. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
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National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition.
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.
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South County ATHLETICS
 Phone: 703-446-1625
OPTION 1- ALL DAY ABSENCE
OPTION 2- LATE ARRIVAL
OPTION 3- EARLY RELEASE
(CALL OR EMAIL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TO REPORT EARLY RELEASE)
- Handwritten notes are acceptable*
- Call/email/note must come from parent/guardian, NOT the student*
- Please always leave a message, they are checked constantly*
Important SoCo and FCPS Resources
How to Stay In Touch
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