Mustang Weekly, November 10, 2023

principal's message

Hello Mustangs,

First and foremost, Happy Veterans Day! It has been a short but busy week at South County Middle School. We have welcomed new members to our administrative team: Meredith Norris (Assistant Principal) and Jenny Payne (Director of Student Services). Both bring a unique skill set and passion that will be utilized to support all students within our community. Additionally, while we received the Purple Star award in October, we were recognized by the School Board last night and were truly honored to be there. Lastly, thank you for your support and all you do for our students and the school community. We could not do this without you, and as always, I hope you enjoy your weekend and please contact us to share any feedback, questions, or concerns.

Justin Simmons | Principal | South County Middle School


Calendar

UPCOMING DATES

11/22-24 Thanksgiving Break, NO SCHOOL

12/14 - Winterfest (More information to come.  Sponsored by the PTSO)


Vision and Hearing Screening

Vision and hearing screening will be held on November 14th & 15th for all 7th graders and students who are new to FCPS.  The purpose of the screening is to identify students who need further evaluation due to difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones.  If your child wears glasses, please be sure that glasses are at school on the screening days.

Parents will be notified by letter if the screening results indicate that further evaluation is needed.  Prompt follow-up with your health care provider is recommended as vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning.

If you would like to assist as a volunteer with the screening process, please contact the school health aide, Mr. Tony Cross at 703-690-5510.


pictures

School Pictures are Ready!

If you had your picture taken on Picture Re-take Day or haven't had a chance to wiew and order your pictures yet.  Please click on the link  https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

  • SOUTH COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • Event Code: FE220823
  • Also Needed: Synergy Unique Student ID

Full-time AAP Referrals Closes on

December 15, 2023

Parents/guardians of students in seventh grade who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time (Level IV) Referral Form to our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, Dana Gorman dwgorman@fcps.edu, no later than December 15, 2023

The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually.  Forms for full-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted. 

Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement.  Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Dana Gorman dwgorman@fcps.edu.

Referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific AAP or part-time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for full-time AAP next fall. 

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs Website


community

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

  • 2023 School Bond Referendum Passed
  • Students Named National Merit Commended Scholars
  • SAT/PSAT School Day Scores

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.  


South County High School Home Football Games

South County High School has recently changed their rules on middle school students attending their home high school football games. For the remainder of the football season, the safety protocol established by the high school states that students who wish to attend must arrive with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and that individual must remain for the time that their student is there. Students who are left unattended and either display misconduct or are not picked up immediately after the game is over will not be permitted to return to future games.


Educational Tours

We are following up on a previous email about our school’s upcoming partnership with EF Tours

Working closely with EF Tours, we would like to provide interested SCMS students and their families with more information about the possibility of traveling abroad. An interest meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, November 16th from 6:30 to 7:30 in the South County Middle School Lecture Hall. If you would like to attend and to find out more information about these two travel opportunities, RSVP here. Registration for this meeting is mandatory, so please do not wait. A brief synopsis of these trips has been provided below.

Trip 1: Spring Break 2025

Rome and Athens: Explore the wonders of Athens and Rome, along with the stunning Greek islands, diving into arts, culture, food, and history.

Group Leader: Keddie McKnight

Trip 2: Summer 2025 

Central Europe and the Holocaust: Embark on a meaningful journey to historic Holocaust sites in Europe, paying tribute to the victims and gaining a deeper understanding of this dark chapter in human history.

Group Leader: McKenzie McLeod

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Ms. McKnight, English Teacher & Mr. McLeod, History Teacher