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Majors achieve and thrive together with purpose and pride!
Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native Americans. It is also a time to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges they have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Major Pride!
FCPS Students Selected for 2023 All-Virginia Jazz Band, VMEA Senior Honor
Congratulations to Godwin Mensah for being selected for the Virginia Music Educators Association Senior Honors Choir. He will be performing tomorrow, Saturday, November 18th, beginning at 1:00 p.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m. The concert will be held in the Richmond Convention Center. See the full list of students selected for these ensembles and a list of concerts that are open to the public.
MVHS Drive-Thru food pantry
Mount Vernon Food Pantry – Drive Thru; This is a “first come first served” event as supplies are limited. We will be giving away bags of non-perishable food items for families of four. Since this is a drive-thru event, MVHS Food Pantry volunteers will deliver items directly to your car.
When: Tuesday, November 21st from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Where: Mount Vernon High School, Door #1 (by Flag Pole), Car Drive Thru
Please mark your calendars with the important dates below.
Outstanding Employee Awards
Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for the Mount Vernon High School Outstanding Employee Awards, please complete this Google Form. You may nominate an employee in one or more categories. 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 has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
Outstanding Teacher nominee must:
- Have completed at least three full years of teaching (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category.
- Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.
Outstanding New Teacher nominee must:
- Be within the first three years of their teaching career (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category.
- Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.
Outstanding Leader nominee must:
- Currently work as a full-time or part-time Schedule C or School-Based administrator who has completed at least one contracted year of employment with FCPS in this position.
- Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.
- Common positions in this category: Associate Principal, Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services, Director of Student Activities.
Outstanding Professional Employee nominee must:
- Have completed at least one year of contracted full-time or part-time professional employment in FCPS in their current position.
- Currently work as a Schedule-B employee in an FCPS school or center, or in a non-instructional position that supports school leadership.
- Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.
- Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, Speech Pathologist School Counselor, Systems of Support Administrator, Safety and Security Specialist other employee paid as a Resource Teacher who serves in a non-instructional or administrative role in the school.
Outstanding Operational Employee nominee must:
- Have completed at least one year of contracted full-time or part-time operational employment in FCPS.
- Currently work on the Schedule-A, Schedule-H, or Classroom Instructional Support (CIS) Scale in an FCPS school.
- Be aware of and in agreement with this nomination.
- Common positions in this category: administrative and office assistants, custodial staff, food service staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, all parent liaisons.
Note: The deadline to submit a nomination has been extended to November 30, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Haeyoung Lee at hlee@fcps.edu.
Winter Wonderland Breakfast
Student Services Updates
College Visits
11/20/23 - Goldey Beacom University - 9:45 am - College and Career Center
11/21/23 - Steamfitters Local 602 Information Session
11/29/23 - United States Naval Academy - 10am - College and Career Center
12/4/23 - Northern Virginia Community College Application Session - 9:45am - College and Career Center
Scholarships
The Michell Merhige Scholarship :: Deadline :3/8/2024 Amount :: $1,500 Application in Naviance.
SAVE THE DATE - 2024 Gap Year Fair (HS)
CPS School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00 to 8:30p.m. This event is for high school students and their families who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities. Student registration will open on November 20, 2023. Contact Pamela White, Postsecondary Special Projects Liaison, at pcwhite@fcps.edu or 571-393-1102 if you have any questions.
NOVA Early Online College – Spring 2024 Semester (HS)
NOVA Early Online College (EOC) allows current high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take up to 2 tuition free college courses. EOC courses for the Spring semester begin on January 30, 2024, and end on April 22, 2024. Registration opened on October 23rd. Deadline to register is January 8, 2024 at 5pm. Courses are asynchronous, online, and for college credit only. 13 different courses are offered along with courses that fulfill the IT Technical Support Career Studies Certificate. EOC courses are selected because they meet the requirements for most of NOVA’s associate degrees as well as being highly transferable as general education requirements for most colleges and universities.
Recordings from FCPS College Nights
In October, FCPS held Virtual College Nights which allowed students and families to attend 12 virtual sessions related to postsecondary success. Please see the flyer below or visit the Look to the future website for links to the recordings from the virtual sessions.
Special Education Resources for Families
Fairfax County Public Schools has the following resources available to assist families of students with special needs.
- The Office of Special Education Procedural Support helps staff, families, and students with the implementation of and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended.
- Kathy Murphy, the assistant ombuds for special education, provides information and support to caregivers and students regarding special education and Section 504 services. Contact the Ombuds Office by submitting a question, calling 571-423-4014, or emailing ombuds@fcps.edu.
Additionally, the Virginia Department of Education has updated the Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This state guide was developed to help those involved in special education including families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, and students.
Student Attendance and Engagement
During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.
Data shows that:
- Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
- Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
- By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Attendance is critical for academic success!
Missing School Over the Holidays
Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.
Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.
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