Important Upcoming Dates
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03/18/25- 6:45pm- Partners for Safe Teen Driving
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03/20/25- Nowruz
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03/21/25- Spring Program Senior Ads: Deadline
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03/26/25 7:00pm- College Night
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03/28/25- Quarter End
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03/31/25- Holiday | Eid al-Fitr (begins sundown 3/30 – sundown 3/31)
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04/01/25- Student Holiday (Teacher Work Day for Staff)
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04/07/25- Deadline for Grad Yard Sign Sale
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04/07/25 7:00pm- Partners for Safe Teen Driving
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04/14-04/18- Spring Break
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04/26/25- 9am-3pm- Lorton Spring Fling (Rain Date 05/03)
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04/30/25 3:15pm- Collegiate Signing Ceremony- Main GYM
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05/20/25- South County Athletic Booster Club's 18th Annual Golf Classic
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06/04/25- 7:00pm- Class of 2025 Graduation (Eagle Bank)
Message from Dr. Khoshaba
Greetings, SoCo Nation!
March is one of my favorite months of the year, and for good reason! It’s a time of renewal and energy, as the days grow longer, and signs of spring begin to emerge. In our school community, March is also packed with excitement—students are hitting their stride in academics and activities, winter sports have wrapped up while spring sports are kicking off, and so much more! Whether it’s the fresh start that comes with a new season or the sense of momentum as we head toward the final stretch of the school year, March always brings a special sense of possibility and growth. Now, onto this week’s reflections.
Student and Staff Belonging
Honoring Leadership and Excellence
I'm thrilled to share some exciting news from the West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference, which some of our most talented Stallions and their sponsor, Mr. Velazquez attended. Four of our outstanding juniors joined 200 local students in thought-provoking discussions on ethical decision-making, teamwork, and leadership. A special congratulations to Ariyana Faroq, whose team placed 3rd in the skit competition, and to Rayan Hih and William Corner, who were nominated for a prestigious scholarship opportunity based on their exceptional leadership. Their achievements showcase the strength and character of our students—please join me in celebrating their success!
High Quality Instruction
Students in Mr. Kingston and Ms. Hill's classes took collaboration and creativity to the next level as they designed spectacular, one-of-a-kind theme park models inspired by the Gilded Age. This highly engaging project challenged students to bring history to life by incorporating key themes of industrialization, innovation, and societal change into their park designs. The experience culminated in an impressive and immersive gallery walk, where students showcased their hard work, admired each other’s creations, and reflected on their growth in critical Portrait of a Graduate skills. It was a fantastic, hands-on way to make history both educational and exciting!
School Culture:
March Into Reading: A Month to Turn the Page!
March is Reading Month, and South County High School has even more reason to celebrate—we were recently recognized in the national publication Principal Leadership for our innovative literacy strategies. One of our highlighted approaches is the growing popularity of Novels in Verse, which have proven to be an excellent option for reluctant readers. Books like Long Way Down, Full Cicada Moon, and Lifeboat 12 provide a rich, engaging reading experience without overwhelming students with dense text. To further support literacy, SCHS has introduced two game-changing “Literature Lab” courses—one for freshmen and one for other grade levels—designed to strengthen reading and writing skills. With class sizes capped at just 12 students, these courses offer a level of personalized instruction that isn’t always possible in standard English classes. As the saying goes, budgets reflect values, and at SCHS, we believe that investing in literacy is one of the most important commitments we can make to our students’ success.
Your Voice, My Leadership: Principal Feedback Survey
On Monday, March 24, parents and guardians of South County High School will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form.
This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment.
Topics covered in the survey include:
- Instructional leadership
- School climate
- Management (human resources and organizational)
- Communication and community relations
- Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
- Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open March 24 – April 4 and will be collected online. Keep an eye out for an email from FCPSSurvey@fcps.edu and take a few minutes to complete it.
Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and feedback!
Capitol Gains: Advocating for Public Education
This week, I had the incredible opportunity to take a stand in the heart of our democracy, joining principals from across the country at the Capitol to advocate for public education. Meeting with congressmen, congresswomen, and their dedicated staffers reinforced the importance of amplifying the voices of educators and students at the national level. My heart was overflowing with joy as I championed the needs of our schools and brought attention to our noble profession. It was truly an honor to put principal leadership into action where policies are shaped, and futures are influenced!
Empowered Voices: Celebrating Women's History Month
March is a time to honor the trailblazing women who have shaped history, broken barriers, and paved the way for future generations. At South County High School, we celebrate Women's History Month by recognizing inspiring leaders, thinkers, and change-makers through classroom discussions, special projects, and schoolwide activities. From literature and science to activism and athletics, we highlight the remarkable contributions of women across all fields. By learning their stories, we empower our students to embrace resilience, ambition, and the power of their own voices.
Secure Start: A Safer Way to Begin the Day
To enhance school security, all students arriving late to South County High School must now enter through Door 1, even if they drive to school and park in the Student Parking Lot. This new process, whereby Door 12 will now be locked at 8:10am, ensures that all late arrivals are properly checked in, helping us maintain a safe and structured environment for everyone. We appreciate our students' cooperation as we continue to prioritize safety, accountability, and a secure learning space for all.
I hope everyone enjoys a relaxed weekend!
Kambar
#StandStrong
Congratulations to the 8 South County students and 4 alternates who were selected to perform with the 2025 All-State Band, Choir, and Orchestra. This is a highly competitive audition and we are very proud of our SoCo Musicians. These talented young people will perform with the 2025 All-State ensembles the weekend of February 21 in Richmond. We are confident that they will make us proud!
Vanya Balakersky - Trumpet
Yasha Balakersky - Percussion
Junhee Sim - Cello
Elena Kim – English Horn
Amana Haque – Alto
Lea Ahrens – Soprano
Aannali De Franco – Alto
Vincent Snow – Bass
Alternates:
Leila Slye - Alto
Sarah Tracy - Soprano
Kyra Ellwood - Soprano
Gavin Flynn - Bass
SCHS Leadership is looking to show appreciation to our staff with the help of our community. Each week during the month of march, SCHS staff will be engaging in multiple fun and competitive scavenger hunts. Leadership is looking for donations for our prizes. All prizes will be sent to the school and used in March for the scavenger hunts or in May with our raffle baskets for staff appreciation week.
Gifts will have a tag identifying the SC Family that donated the item(s). AMAZON WISHLIST: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3GBYGGGRFQ6LS?ref_=wl_share
99 Pledges is LIVE!
The Stallion Bands annual virtual fundraiser 99 Pledges just kicked off and will be open until April 2nd. Click Here to get to the main page. You can search for a band student or click “donate to main fundraiser page”. Parents / Guardians also received a personalized student link in your email. Please help us spread the word by sharing this with friends and family!
We are so grateful for everyone who can help us spread the word, and support our students' amazing musical talents. (Fun note: Mr. Engdahl will be rewarding the class with the highest percentage of participation!)
Five Guys Night on 3/18
Please join us on Tuesday March 18th between 4-8PM for a delicious meal at Five Guys Lorton at 8971 Ox Road Suite 240! Five Guys will donate 20% of the purchases to the SCHS Theatre Boosters. Thanks for your support!
Spring Concession Stand Sign Up
Spring Sports are underway and we NEED your help! In order for us to keep our concession stand up and running we need volunteers to assist us on game nights. The revenue generated through concession serves as the SCHS Athletic Booster Club's primary source of funding. The money earned goes right back to the sports teams to cover the costs of equipment, uniforms, and more! Any family can volunteer! You do not need to have a student participating in Sports to make an impact! Visit the link below or the QR code and consider helping us out one night! Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48ABAB22A5FD0-55500344-2025
Save the Date – College Night – March 26th at 7:00 PM
South County is partnering with Lake Braddock to host a virtual panel of College Admission Representatives. This program is best suited for sophomores, juniors, and their families, and it will be recorded for those that are unable to attend live. Participation link will be sent out closer to event date.
The topics to be covered include:
- Junior Year and the College Search
- Community College Options
- How Do Colleges Make Admission Decisions?
- Financial Aid/Scholarships & Private Schools
- Managing the Process and Student Decisions
Celebrate your Seniors participating in Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Track, and Crew with a Group or Individual Senior Ad in the Spring Sports Program!
Deadline is March 21, 2025!
Please order on the SCABC Square site: https://south-county-athletic-booster-club.square.site/athletic-programs
Please contact Elena Jordon at scabcsponsorship@gmail.com for more information.
SAVE THE DATE!!
The South County Athletic Booster Club's 18th Annual Golf Classic is Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at Laurel Hill Golf Club!
Registration and sponsorship options can be found on our website: https://birdease.com/schsgolf
Graduate Yard Sign (GENERIC) - class of 2025
Graduate Yard Sign (STUDENT NAME) - class of 2025
Buy your tickets today!
ANGP Ticket Sales
Your ANGP ticket ensures an evening packed with fun activities, including:
- Volleyball and Pickleball
- Basketball
- Soccer and Football
- Ice Rink
- Photo Booth 📸
- Cash Giveaways 💵
- Casino & DJ 🎶
- Obstacle Course & Bull Riding 🐂
- Video Games 🎮
- Lots of Food 🍕🍔
Plus, it’s the Last Stampede with friends — the perfect way to celebrate and make lasting memories!
We are also looking for sponsors and gift cards. Your generous donations will help us cover costs and provide a memorable event.
ANGP Committee
angp@southcountyptso.org
Buy your tickets here
PTSO
South County High School PTSO is partnering with Seasonal Roots, a local online farmers market, to bring healthy, delicious food to our community, to support local farmers and artisans, and to raise money to support the All Night Grad Party for our seniors!
Seasonal Roots is an online farmers market that delivers “dirt to doorstep” to families in Maryland and Virginia. Each week the market offers more than 150 items that are all grown and produced locally, sustainably, and ethically. Market items include fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, vegan specialties and more.
As part of this fundraiser for ANGP - new customers can join Seasonal Roots for 50% off the membership fee (a $25 savings!)
PLUS for every new customer who signs up (and places their first order), a $20 donation will be made to South County PTSO! WIN-WIN for everyone! Be sure to use promotional code SOCOANGP at https://www.seasonalroots.com/socoangp.
2025 CTE Summer Enrichment
We’ve got an engaging summer planned for your students!
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office will offer two enrichment camps this summer - Tech Adventure Camp and CTE Summer Academy. For details on the activities we have planned, please read below.
All information can be found on our webpages! For Tech Adventure Camp go to bit.ly/FCPS_TAC. For CTE Summer Academy go to bit.ly/FCPS_CSA.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR ALL OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS! Click here to register!
READY TO REGISTER? GO ONLINE NOW!
Tech Adventure Camp | CTE Summer Academy
2025 CTE Summer Academy Flier.pdf
2025 Tech Adventure Camp Flier.pdf
AWARENESS
The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety. The program provides a medium for recognizing skills developed through visual arts experiences unlike any other curriculum subjects, including:
- Problem solving
- Creativity
Art shows, special exhibits, fundraisers, and school and community activities take place annually, traditionally during March, to celebrate visual art education for grades K-12.
March has also been designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is an opportunity for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community, and to display the benefits that school music brings to students of all ages.
Theatre In Our Schools (TIOS) is a celebration of theatre in our schools and schools in our theatres. Sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the goals of TIOS are to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs in and out of school for all students. While TIOS presentations and advocacy may happen anytime in schools, theatres, and other public spaces, AATE and EdTA will recognize and promote March as the official Theatre In Our Schools month.
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Quarter End, Eid al-Fitr, and Student Holiday
Friday, March 28, is the last day of the third quarter. It is a full day of school for students.
All FCPS schools and offices are closed on Monday, March 31, for Eid al-Fitr. Tuesday, April 1, is a student holiday and teacher workday. See the complete school year calendar.
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We are excited to announce that parents are now able to enter ONLY full day absences through ParentVue.
Please be sure to specify in the notes the reason for the absence. If you have to report a late arrival, early release or an absence longer than 2 days, please call or email the attendance office at 703-446-1625 or southcountyhigh.attendance@fcps.edu. Thank you!
Phone: 703-446-1625
OPTION 1- ALL DAY ABSENCE
OPTION 2- LATE ARRIVAL
OPTION 3- EARLY RELEASE
(CALL OR EMAIL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TO REPORT EARLY RELEASE)
- Handwritten notes are acceptable*
- Call/email/note must come from parent/guardian, NOT the student*
- Please always leave a message, they are checked constantly*
South County ATHLETICS
Important SoCo and FCPS Resources
How to Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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