Important Upcoming Dates
December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break - MHS Offices will be closed
December 25 - Christmas
December 25 - Chanukah
January 1 - News Year's Day
January 13 - Partners in Safe Teen Driving Seminar
 Congratulations MHS Outstanding Employees!
Please join us in congratulating McLean High School's outstanding employees. They were voted for by Highlander faculty, staff and the community. Thank you to those who voted for this amazing group of people!
Emily Bradshaw - Outstanding Leader
Elly Donlen - Outstanding Professional
Cat Gamboa - Outstanding Teacher
MacKenzie Rankin - Outstanding New Teacher
Jose Martinez - Outstanding Operational Employee
 MHS Ethics Bowl Team Success
Congratulations to the McLean High School Ethics Bowl team! The group particpated in the Virginia High School Ethics Bowl in Richmond last weekend and made it to the finals.
McLean HS Partners with Food For Neighbors
McLean High School is partnering with Food For Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity outside of school hours. Even in an area as wealthy as Northern Virginia, one in four kids are struggling with hunger.
Our school is partnering with Food For Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity outside of school hours. Even in an area as wealthy as Northern Virginia, one in four kids are struggling with hunger.
Food For Neighbors is a local organization addressing this problem by collecting food from our community via the Red Bag Program and donating directly to our local schools. The food is then distributed to the students every week through our food pantry. We hope you will consider participating in the Red Bag food collection program. You can make a difference in a local student’s life by simply adding a few extra items to your shopping cart every two months.
Here’s how it works:
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Request a reusable Red Bag and Food For Neighbors will drop it off at your house.
- Fill the Red Bag with food items that are listed on a tag on that bag.
- Put the Red Bag outside your front door in the morning on the next bag collection day. Collection dates are also listed on the bag tag. And don’t worry, FFN will send reminders.
Your Red Bag will be picked up from your house, the food sorted at a local school and delivered directly to our school food pantry. As an added benefit, you can get a tax deduction for the food that you donate!
As we partner with FFN, other critical volunteer opportunities include driving to pick up filled Red Bags and sorting the donated food during the Red Bag Day events. Visit the FFN FAQ page to find out more and to sign up to volunteer in these two very important roles. These are great opportunities for our students to receive volunteer service hours, too.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer Hill jjhill1@fcps.edu or Lisa Dean Lisa@foodforneighbors.org.
Thanks for helping us provide food to students who need that extra support!
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College Board Testing Accommodations for AP Testing
Students who would like to apply to the College Board for AP testing accommodations must submit their application forms to the school by January 10, 2025 to meet the College Board deadline. Please note that testing accommodations listed on IEPs or 504s are not automatically granted by the College Board for AP testing, so families must apply separately to the College Board. If a student already has College Board accommodations approved from a previous PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, or AP test, then no further action is needed. Once instated, accommodations remain in place for all College Board testing throughout a student’s high school career.
Please submit College Board AP Testing Accommodations application forms by January 10, 2025
- Students with IEPs to Mr. Rob Bouchard at rabouchard1@fcps.edu
- Students with 504 to Ms. Bethany Davis bsdavis@fcps.edu
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Winter Break - 12/23 - 1/3/25 (MHS Offices closed)
As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 23, to Friday, January 3. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.Classes resume on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. See the complete school year calendar.
Please note that McLean High School offices will be closed during the break.
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Financial Aid Night - 12/3
Annual Financial Aid Night will be Tues Dec 3rd at 6:30 PM at Langley High School. The focus is on FAFSA, VASA and a general overview of financial aid. The target audience is senior families but also a good start for junior families.
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Christmas - 12/25
🎄 A very Merry Christmas to those in our community who celebrate! Christmas is an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the person who stands at the heart of the Christian tradition. It is celebrated in many unique ways across the U.S. and the world, most commonly by the joyous giving of gifts. Learn more about Christmas.
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Chanukah - 12/25
Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Wednesday, December 25. See the complete school year calendar.
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New Year's Day - 1/1/25 |
 Extended! McLean Matters Holiday Gift Card Drive for Our Students-in-Need
It is our last call for this calendar year to support 300 MHS Students-in-Need, 10% of the student body. Thank you to the 105 generous donors that have signed up to donate gift cards. We still need 274 gift cards for $25 and $50. All gift cards go directly to the families for their grocery needs. This year has been a struggle for many but elimination of federal support programs and rising costs of living have adversely impacted families who are already at, or below, the poverty line. There are fewer weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break this year.
If you would like to contribute to this important community effort to support our MHS students in need, please click HERE to Sign-Up to donate $25 or $50 gift cards to Safeway, Target, or Walmart. All donations go directly to McLean High School families to assist them over the winter holiday.
There are three ways you can purchase Gift Cards:
- Go to a Safeway, Target, or Walmart store and purchase gift card(s) for $25 or $50
- Go online to Safeway Gift Cards, Target Gift Cards, or Walmart Gift Cards and purchse "plastic gift card(s)" to mail/drop off to Jennifer Hill
- Go online to Safeway eGift Cards, Target eGift Cards, Or Walmart eGift Cards and purchase "electronic gift card(s)" print out the paper copy and mail/drop off to Jennifer Hill
Please use the following address for all mailed gift cards:
c/o Jennifer Hill
McLean High School
1633 Davidson Road
McLean VA 22101
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please indicate the $ amount of the gift card(s) on the card or envelope when you mail/drop them off.
Gift cards are needed by Friday, December 13th!
Let's show our fellow Highlanders some love this holiday season because McLean Matters!
If you have any questions, please contact McLean Matters Chair, Emma Blankenbaker at eblankenbaker@verizon.net.
McLean High School PTSA Information
Here are some quick links:
2025-26 FAFSA Form Now Available
The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available. Any college-bound high school senior — regardless of income — who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs should complete a FAFSA form.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to work with their children to complete the FAFSA as early as possible. Check each college’s financial aid office webpage for deadlines and financial aid forms. Then, create an account, if you have not already done so, and fill out the FAFSA.
The Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application will be available in late January for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA. To help determine which aid option is right for you, visit the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website.
Get Help Filling out FAFSA From College Access FairfaxOver the next few months, College Access Fairfax will be offering several programs on completing the FAFSA/VASA and finding and applying for scholarships. Get information on these programs and how to access them on the College Access Fairfax website.
In addition, College Access Fairfax staff are available for virtual one-on-one help sessions to complete the FAFSA/VASA. To request an appointment, families should email appointments@CollegeAccessFairfax.org.
💻 No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for All High School Students
Is your student experiencing anxiety, behavior changes, or challenges with peer and family relationships? If so, you may refer your child for weekly therapy with a licensed therapist through Hazel Health. Visit the Teletherapy webpage for information on this service.
🍲 Food Assistance and Resource Guide
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. There are many resources available to support those who need food assistance. Learn how to help these families and the many resources available to support those who need food assistance on Fairfax County’s website or view the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
📚 Bundle Up With Books Over Break
Fairfax County Public Library’s (FCPL) winter reading adventure has begun and will continue through Friday, January 31, 2025. Visit your local FCPL library branch or visit their website to register and get a sneak peek at the prizes being offered. Check out their Winter Reading Events webpage to learn about laser tag, movie nights, crafting sessions, Noon-Year Eve celebrations, and book discussions.
⛄ Get Outdoors for Winter Fun!
The Fairfax County Park Authority has rounded up its seasonal fun into a handy list of events happening across the county.
Learn more about the Winter Wonderland and the Holiday Train at Burke Lake Park, Holiday on the Farm at Frying Pan Farm Park, and many more fun events.
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.
January 13, 2025
February 24, 2025
May 12, 2025
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 Marissa Gaines (MAGaines@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
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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Do you know a McLean High School or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone. |
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