Important Upcoming Dates
January 28 - Last Day of 2nd Quarter
January 29 - Lunar New Year/Teacher Work Day
February 3-7 - National School Counseling Week
February 15 - National SRO Appreciation Day
February 17 - Presidents Day - Student Holiday
Student Artwork Spotted at Dulles Airport
As McLean Philharmonic Orchestra members were walking to heir gate in Dulles Airport, students spotted a familiar face on the wall. Jacob Xu’s Scholastic Art Competition winning self portrait is displayed right outside the KLM check-in area. Congratulations Jacob!
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McLean HS All-District Bands Results
Congratulations to all our students who auditioned for the All-District Bands! McLean High School, once again, has the most number of students in All-District and the highest number of students eligible to audition for All-Virginia.
These students will be participating in the event January 30 - February 1 at Oakton High School and working with some of the best guest conductors in the United States. Dr. Kevin Sedatole from Michigan State University will be conducting the Wind Ensemble. Dr. Chris Cicconi from James Madison University will be conducting the Symphonic Band. William Owens, composer and conductor, will be conducting the Middle School Band.
Congratulations to all!
Model UN- Best Small Delegation
McLean High School participated in the Columbia Model UN Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE) in NYC. It was a 4-day conference where we brought 20 talented students. In addition to all the individual awards, the team won the Best Small Delegation award, which is the one of the most prestigious awards. We can be proud of our Highlanders and how they represented McLean. Please congratulate the following students for their outstanding achievements: Maged Al Qabany, Andrew Egorin, Minsong Ha, Arsen Hakobyan, Jane Hirschberg, Aanya Jain, Lucas Jones, Daniel Kim, Isabel Li, Diego Lowe, Emily Ma, Mia Mortman, Jad Osta, Daanial Pasha, Ravi Reddy, Artin Safaie, Ariona Shaughnessy, Jack Tanner, Saachi Thomas, and Nora Venetianer.
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Scholastic Art Awards
We have good news from the Visual Arts Department! Our students had another successful year at the Scholastics Regional Art Awards. Over 1400 teen artists submitted 3500 artworks to the awards in our region. We had a total of 136 awards including gold key, silver keys and honorable mentions by McLean students. Our students had more awards than any other school in the county. Please click the link below to see the awards list.
Scholastic Awards by School 2025
We also had two students who were recognized as American Vision Nominees: Cindy Chan and Alan Wang. Our region only sends 5 such nominees to be reviewed during National adjudication when a panel of judges will choose one of these works to receive the American Visions Award for our region. The American Visions Award is considered the best individual artwork from our region so it is a huge honor to have 2 out of the 5 nominees come from our school!
End of Quarter - 1/28
Tuesday, January 28, is the last day of the quarter. See the complete school year calendar.
Report cards are scheduled to be available to students and parents in SIS ParentVue and StudentVue by February 5th, 2025.
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Lunar New Year (Teacher Work Day) - 1/29
Lunar New Year falls at quarter end on Wednesday, January 29. The day will be a teacher work day and there will be no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.
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National School Counseling Week - 2/3-2/7
February 3-7 is National School Counseling Week, and highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career. School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS.
National School Reource Officer Appreciation Day - 2/15
The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) encourages schools and communities to recognize the valuable work of their school resource officers (SROs) during National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day on February 15 of every year. National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day was established in 2022 to recognize the valuable work of School Resources Officers. Learn more about NASRO and SRO Appreciation Day.
Course Selection and Curriculum Nights
Students are meeting with their counselors to discuss course selection for the next school year. Please consider attending our upcoming events below. Families can learn more about course offerings and programs at these events.
- Wednesday, January 22nd @ 6:00pm in the McLean HS Cafeteria – Advanced Academics Night: Topics will include the difference between advanced placement, dual enrollment, and honors level courses, and important considerations when signing up for classes.
In addition, students will be meeting one-on-one with their school counselor based on the below schedule.
- 1/17-1/31 – Current 10th graders through science classes
- 2/4-2/20 – Current 11th graders through history classes
- 2/21-3/6 – Current 9th graders through science classes
🎓 Graduation Requirements and Planning
Planning which courses to take next year — and in future years — must be given considerable thought. Students and families should review the Graduation Requirements and Course Planning webpage to make informed decisions while planning for success in high school and beyond.
School-life balance is an important consideration for students as they strive for academic and personal success. Resources to support course selection for next year include our Academic Advising website (which includes our course catalog and course selection sheets), your student’s current teachers, and your student’s school counselor. This FCPS Curriculum webpage may also be helpful.
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVue Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
7th Semester Transcripts for Seniors
Senior 7th semester transcripts will be sent to all colleges where seniors have requested transcripts be sent between February 10th and 13th.
January is National Mentoring Month
Imagine a world where young people feel empowered, encouraged, and understood. Mentors can make that world a reality by helping young people find and follow their passions, excel in school, and thrive wherever they are. Learn more about Mentoring Month.
Research has shown that young people with at least one trusted mentor are less likely to skip school, less likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, and more prepared to enter college or the workforce. Yet one in three children lack a mentor.
All it takes is one person to serve as a trusted adult to help change a young person’s path in life. Mentors provide attention, support, and enrichment, and help connect their mentees to resources that may help them on their journey in life.
The FCPS MentorWorks program matches mentors with students in schools near where they live or work. They meet for at least 30 minutes a week. Learn more about how to become a mentor for an FCPS student. Contact Martha Macdonald, mentoring specialist, for additional information at mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
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McLean High School PTSA Information
Here are some quick links:
📝 Application for the 2025 Student Representative to the School Board
The School Board student representative represents the interests of Fairfax County Public Schools students. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a nonvoting, advisory capacity. Students currently in grades 9, 10, and 11 are eligible to apply.
Watch this video to learn about the student representative experience from the current representative, Megan Sawant.
Application Information and Deadlines
To be considered for the election, students are required to provide:
- A written component, which is due Monday, February 24.
- A 30-second candidate video statement, which is due Wednesday, March 26. Candidates will be emailed a link to record their video on Monday, March 17.
Both application components are required to be considered for the election. Read more about the election process.
🏗️ FCPS’ Proposed Construction Projects Offer Community-Wide Benefits
Fairfax County Public Schools updated plans for new school construction, capacity enhancements, and renovations are outlined in the proposed FY 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Projects include constructing two new elementary schools; renovations at 18 elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools; and relocation of modular buildings.
The proposed CIP was presented to the School Board at the January 14 work session. A public hearing was also held January 14. The School Board will take action on the proposed CIP at its Thursday, February 6, meeting.
SR&R and Cell Phone Policy Survey Coming Soon
All FCPS families and middle and high school students will be receiving an email invitation on Tuesday, January 21, to participate in a survey about FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R), cell phone policy, and cell phone storage options. The survey will be available from January 21 to February 3. Please take a few moments to share your feedback and help FCPS make informed, inclusive decisions for all of our schools!
Opioid Awareness
What Families Can Do to Fight Drug Misuse
FCPS is committed to raising awareness about the opioid epidemic with our educators, parents/caregivers, and students. Together, we can help ensure our students thrive.
What can families do?
- Show you disapprove of underage drinking and other drug misuse. More than 80% of young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision whether to drink.
- Show you care about your child’s health, wellness, and success.
- Show you are a good source of information about alcohol and other drugs. Find helpful resources on the FCPS Opioid Awareness webpage.
- Pay attention to your child and discourage risky behaviors.
- Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding drinking and drug use. Talk with your child about what they would do if faced with a decision about alcohol and drugs, such as texting a code word to a family member or practicing how they will say, “No thanks.”
📍 Virtual Community Boundary Review Meetings
If you have not been able to attend a Community Boundary Review meeting yet, it’s not too late! The following virtual meetings will have the same format and information available as the previous in-person meetings:
Click one of the dates above to register and receive your unique Zoom link. Please note that each virtual meeting will be capped at 400 participants to help provide a meaningful experience for all. Language interpretation will be available. Learn about FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.
📈 Virginia’s Student Assessment Summary for Families
This month, families of students who took any Standards of Learning (SOL) test between school years 2015-16 and 2023-24 will receive a Student Assessment Summary Report. The report shows a student’s state percentile ranking for each test. This allows families to see how their child ranked compared to all Virginia students who took the same test that year.
Reports are available now in SIS ParentVUE Documents. They will be distributed by schools this month to students whose families do not have ParentVUE access. Learn how to access ParentVUE.
The report is intended to help families reflect on how their child performed across all tested subjects over the years. Our schools and staff are committed to working with families to support every student to succeed at their highest potential. Learn more about student assessments in FCPS.
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.
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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