Important Upcoming Dates
2023-2024 School Year
March 5 - Student Holiday (see below)
March 4-8 - National School Social Work Week (see below)
March 10 - Daylight Saving Begins - Spring Forward (see below)
March 11 - First Full Day of Ramadan (see below)
March 13 - Lighthouse Schools Parent Coffee (see below)
March 14 - Lighthouse Schools Parent Meeting (see below)
March 22 - End of Quarter
March 25-29 - Spring Break - MHS offices will be closed (see below)
March 29 - Good Friday, falls during Spring Break (see below)
March 31 - Easter falls during Spring Break (see below)
DECA State Leadership Conference
March 1st – 3rd, students attended the DECA State Leadership Conference in Virginia Beach. Individuals and teams competed in various Marketing and Business presentation events. McLean had 16 students receive awards for top 10 performances in either the exam or role play portion of their event: Giri Allamsetty, Maged Alqabany, Mo Anam, Aditya Bendre, Hemin Cai, Nico Christofferson, Sebastian Cohen, Kyle Jones, Mathilde Lavigne du Cadet, Yantang Li, Drew Lineweaver, Georgio Skordalakis, Gary Tomasulo, Sydney Walker, Eric Yeom, and Sophie Zhang.
The following five people finished in the top eight of their respective categories and will have the opportunity to attend the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim in April.
Giri Allamsetty - Retail Merchandising
Aditya Bendre - Principles of Business Management and Administration
Hemin Cai - Restaurant and Food Service Management
Fatih Kalci - Business Finance
Mathilde Lavigne du Cadet - Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Congratulations to these students for their achievements!
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Model UN Conference Success
This past weekend Model UN students participated in the Virginia Invitational Model UN Conference (VIMUNC) at Langley High School. Through hard work and dedication, they won Outstanding Large Delegation. Go Highlanders!
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AP Exam Self Study Deadline - 3/8
The deadline to enroll in self-study for an AP exam is this Friday, March 8. To register, complete the self-study form and submit the $138 per test fee by this date. If you have any questions, email Ms. Donlen (ekdonlen@fcps.edu).
Volunteers Needed for Proctoring
McLean HS is giving almost 4,000 AP exams between May 6-May 24. We are asking for parents/guardians to volunteer their time to help proctor so testing can run effectively and smoothly. Parents/ Volunteers are not allowed to assist with an exam for an AP class their student(s) is currently taking. Sign up here to volunteer your time. Proctoring assistance days and times will be confirmed the week of March 18. If you have any questions, please contact the Assessment Coach Elly Donlen (ekdonlen@fcps.edu).
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2024-2025 FCPS School Year Calendar
Preparing for the summer months? The 2024-2025 FCPS school year calendar is available for your planning purposes. Please note the first day of school next year is August 19, 2024.
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Immunization Non-compliant Notifications
As required by the Code of VA, all students entering 12th grade are required to receive one dose of Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) administered at age 16 or older. Letters have been sent to home addresses if this immunization is not currently on record at McLean High School. If you have questions, please contact our Registrar, Cindy Ramos, at cpramos@fcps.edu. For reference, the vaccination schedule from the Virginia Department of Health can be found here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/11/2021/03/VDH-Vaccine-Schedule.pdf
Upcoming Student Job Fair
Is your student looking for a summer job? Explore the upcoming summer job fair on March 21st at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) from 4:00-6:00pm. Various businesses will be represented including grocery stores, summer camps, retail and restaurants.
College Partnership Program
 Any student is eligible to apply to the College Partnership Program (CPP). This program is designed to support students interested in exploring, applying to, and enrolling in college. In accordance with FCPS' goal to eliminate gaps in opportunity, access, and achievement for all students, CPP focuses on academic advising, college visits, family engagement, and preparation beyond high school. CPP was created to systematically mitigate the impact of barriers to access and opportunity, and support students who are from populations that are historically underrepresented on college campuses (including those who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S., economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and English language learners) but all students are encouraged to apply.
Student Holiday - 3/5
The Fairfax Board of Elections has requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the safe and efficient administration of the 2024 presidential primary election.
Therefore, March 5 will be a school holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day. As outlined in Regulation 4421, School Planning Days are directed by school-based Administrators in order to devote time to school improvement efforts, including collaboration around data, common assessments, responsive instruction, etc.
Central offices and school offices will remain open. SACC will remain open, as on other professional work days.
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Daylight Saving Begins - 3/10
Daylight Saving Begins (Spring Forward) Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time begins. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour! As a result of the time change, many students will be walking to school or to bus stops in the dark. Help your child stay safe by having them wear reflective clothing and bright or light colors, or add reflective items to their backpacks or clothes. Also, encourage your child to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up and not to run into the street or cross between parked cars.
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First Full Day of Ramadan (Observation Day) - 3/11
This year, the first full day of Ramadan is Monday, March 11. Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year, a time for spiritual discipline for Muslims, who believe it was during this month that God revealed the first verses of the Quran to Mohammed. Read more about Ramadan in National Geographic Kids. March 11 is an O day. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days. Half-O days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
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Lighthouse Schools Parent Meeting - 3/13 & 3/14
We are excited to share that McLean High School has been selected as a Lighthouse School in FCPS. As one of seven FCPS secondary schools, this designation gives us the opportunity to reimagine the school experience for our students and community at large. As such, we are looking for input from our families to gain insight into the current experience of our community and solicit ideas for innovative improvements. Therefore, we cordially invite our families to attend a town hall on this topic. We will host a parent coffee on March 13th from 8:30-9:30a.m. and an evening meeting on March 14th from 6:30-7:30p.m. We’d love to see you at either of these meeting options to discuss your feedback and ideas. Questions to be discussed include:
- What do you expect a public education should provide your child?
- How is our school system currently serving you and your family?
- What needs does our district currently fail to meet that you believe it should be meeting?
- What resources do you believe could be reallocated for other purposes?
- If you could re-envision your child’s school experience, what elements would you like to see incorporated?
Thank you in advance for being part of this process; your feedback and insights are invaluable to the success of this initiative.
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SEL Screener - 3/14
FCPS approved a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener that students use to share their perspectives on their development of skills such as achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. More information, including a short video about the SEL screener in FCPS and the screener questions, can be found on the SEL Screener webpage: https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener
All students in grades 3-12 have the opportunity to participate in the screener twice a year, in the fall and spring. At McLean High School, we intend to implement the SEL screener on March 14 during Highlander Time. If you do not want your student to take part in the SEL screener, complete the opt-out by March 8, 2024 via your SIS ParentVUE account, or complete the opt-out form and deliver to the main office. The opt-out form can be located in various translations here: https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener/notification-letters
*If you opted your student out from the Fall 2023 administration, they will continue to be opted out for the remainder of this school year. You can review your student’s opt-out status in SIS ParentVue on the “Student Info” tab. SEL Screener Participation will say “no” if the opt out has been completed.*
Contact Jenna Jablonski, Director of Student Services, with any questions regarding the SEL Screener.
Spring Break - 3/24 through 3/29
🌷 March 25-29 is spring break. Schools and school offices will be closed. We wish our students and teachers a happy and restful Spring Break! See the complete school year calendar. McLean HS offices will be closed.
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Good Friday (falls during Spring Break) - 3/29
Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the day on which Christians annually observe the commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is a day of mourning. During special Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith. Read more at Britannica.com.
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Easter (falls during Spring Break) - 3/31
Learn more about Easter in NatGeo Kids.
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Do You Know Where FCPS Funding Comes From?
The majority of FCPS funding is requested from the Fairfax County government, which generates its revenue from real estate and personal property taxes. The Commonwealth of Virginia provides the next largest source of revenue to FCPS through state aid and sales tax. The rest of the funding comes from a variety of sources, including federal aid and tuition for non-county residents. (The numbers above represent the FY 2025 proposed school operating fund in millions.)
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✅ Look for the FCPS Family Engagement Survey
Parents/caregivers received the FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey Sunday, March 3, from independent research firm K12 Insight. Please participate — your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve practices to best support our students.Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and our school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, better social skills and behavior, and an increased likelihood of graduating high school. The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete and will be available in 10 languages. Please visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage for more information. Your voice matters!
🎤 Join a Community Conversation on Fentanyl and Other Drugs
A community conversation addressing the opioid crisis within Northern Virginia and Fairfax County Public Schools will be held Wednesday, March 18, 6:30-8 p.m., in the auditorium at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Please enter through Door #14.
All attendees will receive a free REVIVE! Narcan training during the event and learn about support services currently available within FCPS and Fairfax County.
This discussion will provide families, staff, and students with valuable knowledge about the dangers of drugs and deadly fentanyl. The material discussed is suitable for students in grades 6-12. Together as a community, we aim to explore collaborative strategies to minimize the impact of these harmful and too-often fatal substances.
Language interpretation services are available as well as American Sign Language accommodation. Childcare and transportation will also be provided, as needed. Learn more about the event and register online.
Learn About Pathways and Opportunities at Virtual Military Night
FCPS School Counseling Services is hosting a Virtual Military Night on Wednesday, March 20, 6-8 p.m. This event is designed for high school students and their families who are interested in learning more about the military pathways and opportunities. Enlistment, service academies, and ROTC pathways will be represented.
💜 Purple Up! on April 17 to Support Military Families
Join our community and turn FCPS purple on Purple Up! Day, Wednesday, April 17. Wear purple in recognition of FCPS’ 14,000 enrolled military-connected students.
Purple Up! T-shirts are available for purchase through Friday, March 8.
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FAFSA Resources
The Department of Education has reported that FAFSA applications are low this year.Here are some helpful links for families:
Weekly Reminders
Partners in Safe Teen Driving Seminar
As part of the FCPS Health and PE curriculum, all 10th grade students enrolled in Health & PE 10 complete one quarter of classroom Driver Education. As part of the Driver Education curriculum, students are required to attend the Partners in Safe Teen Driving Presentation, in person, with at least one parent or guardian. Successful completion of classroom Driver Education AND attendance by the student and parent/guardian enables the student to obtain the DEC-District 8 completion card needed to pursue obtaining a Virginia driver’s license. While it is recommended that the PSTD seminar requirement be satisfied during the quarter in which the student is taking classroom driver education, students are welcome to attend any quarter within their 10th grade year. All seminars will be held in-person from 6:30-8:00 PM in the auditorium. Please arrive early. Doors will close promptly at 6:30. Attendees who arrive late will not be allowed entry and will not earn credit for attending.
The 90-minute PSTD presentation will be offered once per quarter throughout the school year. McLean High School’s dates for the 2023-2024 calendar year are below.
May 13th
Important: Students who successfully complete their classroom driver education quarter but have not satisfied the PSTD requirement will have earned an incomplete for the class grade until the requirement is met.
This program is available to FCPS students enrolled in grade 10 health and physical education at no charge. Students who are completing classroom instruction through a commercial driving school, are home schooled, are enrolled in another school division, or are FCPS students in grade 11 or 12 must register to attend the 90-minute PSTD seminar. A $30 fee applies, and registration is available through FCPS Adult and Community Education (aceclasses.fcps.edu). Please reach out to Brian Slay (bkslay@fcps.edu) with any questions.
McLean HS Tech Support for Students
If you are experiencing issues with your FCPS issued laptop, please use the link below to enter your information. The tech support team will then get back to you as soon as possible.
We will continue to support students remotely as much as possible. If a computer has been identified as needing hands-on repair, we will schedule an appointment for you to come to the school to exchange it.
Description: This form should be filled out by a student if they are experiencing issues with their FCPSOn laptop.
Please click on the link below to access the Tech Support Request Form.
Parent/Student Support Portal Link:
https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/
McLean High School PTSA Information
Here are some quick links:
Social-Emotional Support Information
Mental Health and Wellness Support Services and Resources
McLean’s Clinical Staff are available to consult with parents and students regarding mental health related concerns and behaviors. They are also able to provide community resources as needed. Please see their contact information below:
Carol Ann Forrest, School Psychologist, CMForrest@fcps.edu
Beverly Parker-Lewis, School Psychologist, baparkerlewi@fcps.edu
Marly Jerome-Featherson, School Social Worker, mjeromefeath@fcps.edu
For more Mental Health and Wellness Information, please check out these Student Wellness Resources, FCPS’s Healthy Minds Blog and the FCPS’s Parent Resource Center.
Emergency Resources
Crisis Link Regional Hotline 703-527-4077
Crisis Text Text NEEDHELP to 85511
Dominion Hospital Emergency 703-536-2000
INOVA Emergency 703-289-7560
Merrifield Center Emergency 703-573-5979 TTY dial 711
Life Threatening 911
FCPS Cares
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