|
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
Public Schools Week
 Public Schools Week is an annual celebration that brings together school leaders, educators, parents & community leaders to recognize the importance of our nation’s public schools.
February 21-28: Rising Sop:homore and ELs Level 1 & 2 Freshman Individual Academic Advising & Course Selection (Biology, Environmental Science, and ELD Level 1)
March 01: Read Across America Day
March 02: The Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge, 10:45 am, Hayfield Secondary School
March 02: Fairfax County Teen Job Fairs and Career-Building Workshops, 11:00 am, Chantilly High School
March 3-22: Family Engagement Survey
March 08: Heritage Night, 6:00 pm, Auditorium
March 09: Fairfax County Teen Job Fairs and Career-Building Workshops, 11:00 am, West Springfield High School.
March 13: VA DMV Permit Test, 3:15 pm, Herndon HS - Room J104
FCPS Calendar | HHS Red and Black Calendar
🩺 Career and Technical Education Courses Prepare Students for the Future
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. Hear from students how CTE courses and Academies are helping them explore and prepare for careers while still in high school. One student has earned more than 20 industry certifications in two years!
Watch this video to learn more about opportunities in Fairfax County Public Schools’ CTE and Academy programs.
Academic Advising and Course Selection for 2024-25
Rising 10th-12th grade students are discussing course selection for next year with their school counselors. Parents/caregivers should discuss this process with their children to ensure students select courses that align with their interests, career goals, and postsecondary aspirations. Our course catalog, course selection sheets and other information are available on the Student Services Academic Advising webpage.
As they choose courses, students should also consider their personal well-being, as well as extracurricular activities and commitments. School-life balance is an important consideration. Parents/caregivers are welcome to contact their student’s school counselor in Student Services with questions.
Review the Graduation Requirements and Course Planning webpage to help make informed decisions for high school and beyond. Refer to our school-specific course catalog and advising information.
During the first week in January we will hold events to help students in their selection of appropriate courses for next school year. They are listed below.
🗓️ Save the Date: Academy Open Houses Begin This Month!
Is your child interested in architecture and construction, information technology, or health science? FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January.
A high school Academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
Learn more and view the calendar of Academy open houses.
Open House Details
Read Across America Day (Observed Friday, March 1)
Read Across America Day was established by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 to help get kids excited about reading. Learn more about Equitable Access to Literacy in this video.
Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge
The Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge will be held on Saturday, March 2, at 10:45 a.m., at Hayfield Secondary School. The event features a public tasting of student dishes and demonstrations from two local celebrated chefs.
The student challenge at the heart of this event is to create healthy, delicious, and culturally diverse school menu items that meet USDA guidelines. Entries will be judged by a panel including celebrity chefs, school food professionals, and local food producers. The public is invited to vote for their favorite dish.
Chefs Najmieh Batmanglij and Chris Morgan of Joon will offer a demonstration at 11:15 a.m. Public tasting of student dishes will get underway at noon.
Student-created dishes from this annual event have been featured on school menus throughout the Greater Washington Region. It is free to attend, but registration is required.
💼 Fairfax County Teen Job Fair
Fairfax County Teen Job Fairs and Career-Building Workshops will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, at Chantilly High School, and Saturday, March 9, at West Springfield High School.
Student registration is free and open to all teens in Fairfax County seeking employment, volunteer opportunities, or tips on building their resume. Business registration is also free and open to any organization providing positions for students.
Family Engagement Survey to Open March 3
FCPS is partnering with independent research firm K12 Insight to administer a Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Sunday, March 3, to Friday, March 22. Your feedback is critical in helping FCPS to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs throughout the district. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers will receive the survey link via email from K12 Insight. A public link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available in our front office. Please stay tuned for more information.
Heritage Night
💭 Share Your Thoughts on Schoology
FCPS will be conducting voluntary, anonymous surveys on the use of Schoology from Monday, March 11, to Friday, March 22. Surveys will be delivered to:
- Elementary students (grades 3-6) through the Schoology App Center.
- Secondary students via email from Naviance.
Student feedback will inform the school division’s use of Schoology and help improve its processes, communication, and professional learning for staff. FCPS’ Instructional Services Department will also be reaching out to families through focus groups.
Please contact Schoology@fcps.edu if you have questions.
VA DMV Permit Test
Throughout this school year, Herndon HS will now offer the Virginia DMV Permit test to all students who meet the criteria, have parent permission and successfully register for the test. Students will need to meet the following criteria and registration tasks:
- Be at least 15 years and 6 months old to register and take the permit test.
- Obtain a signed DTS 41-Parent Consent Form (DTS 41- Parent Permission Form Link)
- Register on ACE Online for Herndon High School (there is a $20 fee due at registration) (ACE Online Registration Link)
- Register for the test on the Virginia DMV Online Knowledge Testing System (Virginia DMV Test Registration Link)
- Students MUST bring their FCPS school issued laptop on the day of the test.
- Students MUST bring a picture ID to verify identity. If the student does not have a picture ID, take a picture, print the picture, write the student’s full legal name under the picture and have a teacher sign it to verify identity.
Test Dates: March 13, April 18, May 9, May 23, June 5
Test Location: Herndon HS - Room J104
Test Time: 3:15pm (DO NOT BE LATE)
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Quirine (jquirine@fcps.edu).
Fairfax County Science and Engineering Fair Open House
Members of the general public are invited to attend the science fair open house at Robinson Secondary School on Sunday, March 17, 1-3 p.m.
NOVA Virtual Sessions for Seniors and Their Families
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is offering virtual information and application sessions. Information sessions will provide an overview of NOVA and the opportunities, services, and resources designed to connect high school seniors to the NOVA Nighthawk Community.
Sessions are open to all FCPS seniors and their families. For questions, email admissions@nvcc.edu or call 703-323-3000.
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Continue
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future – A Community Conversation. Your voice matters! Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to a conversation on:
-
Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Graham Road Elementary School.
- Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South County Middle School.
- Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Terraset Elementary School.
- Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Hybla Valley Elementary School.
- Thursday, May 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Poe Middle School.
- Tuesday, May 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help FCPS plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. Events are open to all. Learn about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
From the Library
Did you know that libraries are places to create? Through February, we’re encouraging students to share their creativity with us by participating in our Whiteboard Mural Contest. Students can sign up for a specific time before school, after school, or during a Stinger. They can work individually or with a friend. We will post pictures of the murals on the Herndon HS Library Instagram feed, and a group of staff members will determine the winners after the end of the month. Students can get more information at tinyurl.com/hhslibrarymural.
February is Black History Month, and the library is highlighting books that celebrate Black lives. Many of these books are recent or past winners of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, which “are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values” (American Library Association). Books will be highlighted in displays around the library and through the library’s Instagram feed.
The Herndon HS library welcomes students before school, after school, and during the school day with a pass. Students looking for a lunch option other than the cafeteria can often get a pass to spend their lunch block in the library. Many classes incorporate research units throughout the year. We work with classes on developing research skills, and are available to meet individually with students. The library’s Schoology course has a variety of resources to help students find reliable information that they can use to create new learning. If we can answer any questions for you, please contact us at hhs_library@fcps.edu.
FAFSA Updates for Seniors and Their Parents/Guardians
There have been several technological challenges with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) since its launch on December 31, 2023. The latest news is that colleges will not get FAFSA summaries from the U.S. Department of Education until mid-March at the earliest. As a result, colleges won’t be able to give students financial aid award letters based on their FAFSA information until late April to May, at best. Students who applied to a college that uses the CSS Profile may receive financial aid information sooner.
Different media outlets are reporting a growing list of colleges that will push back deadlines for students to accept offers of admission into May and even June. The American Council on Education has a database of colleges and universities that have extended their deadline to commit to enroll. We recommend that all information obtained by a secondary source be confirmed directly with the college or university.
If you are a caregiver or student with questions or persistent issues filling out the FAFSA, consider scheduling a free appointment with our partners at College Access Fairfax. Email Appointments@CollegeAccessFairfax.org. All FAFSA help provided by your school or College Access Fairfax is free.
☑️ School Board Adopted Fiscal Year 2025 Advertised Budget
At last week’s regular business meeting, the School Board voted to adopt the Fiscal Year 2025 Advertised Budget.
The Advertised Budget is a needs-based budget that represents the funding needed to
support schools in the upcoming year. It focuses on educational excellence for each and every student and competitive compensation for our hard-working, dedicated, and results-driven staff.
The budget is closely aligned with FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which seeks a strong academic start for our youngest students and prepares our graduates for a thriving future. Nearly 86% of the budget is focused on instruction.
Learn more about the budget and stay up-to-date by following the budget development calendar.
Stress, Trauma & Coping
The experience of traumatic events shapes us, no matter if they happened during childhood or as an adult. Trauma is an event or series of circumstances that have lasting effects on mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. Stress occurs from our minds and bodies identifying an event as physically or emotionally life-threatening. The situation triggers our survival instincts and our natural fight-flight-freeze response. But our minds and bodies cannot sustain being in survival mode for extended periods of time. Sometimes, those who experience high amounts of stress and traumatic situations are unable to process or move past what has happened and are stuck in a loop.
Childhood trauma manifests in many ways and when carried into adulthood, it can create a cycle of adverse experiences that affect future generations. The effects of traumatic events place a heavy burden on the individual, connected families, and communities. Responses to stress and traumatic experiences are personal. There is an intersection between trauma, coping, and substance misuse. Studies show that about 61% of adults have had at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) according to the CDC. Historical trauma is critical to understanding the progress and plight of African American mental health and wellbeing. During February, the contributions into the culture and history of the United States of America from African Americans are highlighted and celebrated.
Trauma prevention and intervention strategies are important. Creating a strategy of helpful coping skills to pull from prepares us to face difficult moments while increasing levels of resilience and feelings of wellbeing. Here are a few tips to add to your coping strategies:
- Seek mental health and/or substance use treatment.
- Identify one or more people you feel safe with who can help to hold you accountable.
- Develop, repair, or maintain healthy relationships for internal and external support.
- Learn and practice self-regulation skills.
- Encourage yourself and others.
- Find ways to increase your self-esteem.
- Focus on your strengths.
- Model healthy behavior when dealing with difficult situations.
- Identify your triggers and practice ways to work through them.
Resources:
Why Historical Trauma is Critical to Understanding Black Mental Health
Addressing Childhood Trauma Starts with Family Support
Violence Prevention
ACEs and Minorities
Quick Links
|
