Archive 2008-2009
2008-2009 PTSA Newsletters and Minutes
Volunteers Needed for Back to School Packet Stuffing
Parent
and student volunteers are needed for the Back-To-School
packet stuffing on Tuesday, August 25 at 8:00 am in the
Library. Community service hours will be given to
students. No need to RSVP, just come on down. Please join
us and help get the year off to a great start!
FAIRGRADE
Update on Dr. Dale's Recommendation to
Change Honors Course Grade Point
Weight
On June 25th, Superintendent Dale recommended that FCPS
retroactively provide an extra weight of 0.5 quality points
to courses in math, science, english and social studies
taken for high school credit during high school or middle
school. Superintendent Dale did not recommend that FCPS
weight any foreign language courses or music/art/drama
courses, other than AP or IB courses in those disciplines.
According to Assistant Superintendent Peter Noonan, the
general idea was to weight core academic and not to weight
"electives."
Superintendent Dale did not recommend weighting science or
technology electives such as DNA science and quantum physics
at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJ),
but recommended weighting all of TJ's social studies
electives. School Board members questioned why FCPS should
weight an unlimited number of TJ's social studies electives
but not TJ's challenging science and technology electives,
many of which are prerequisites for TJ's required senior
research laboratories.
The complete list of courses recommended for 0.5 honors
weighting, the list of approved dual enrollment courses that
are retroactively weighted by 1.0 quality points, and the
official FCPS news release on weighting are posted on
FAIRGRADE's website at www.FAIRGRADE.org
FAIRGRADE will send an additional update as soon as we
obtain accurate and consistent information about the
implementation process and timeline that FCPS will follow in
weighting honors courses.
• CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN
In response to FAIRGRADE's request, FCPS has stated that it
is planning for post-implementation analysis of the new
grading scale and grading policy. FCPS officials
informed FAIRGRADE that FCPS will analyze how grade
distributions under the new grading policy compare to grade
distributions under the old grading policy. FAIRGRADE will
also continue urging School Board members to establish a
task force that includes parents and FAIRGRADE
representatives, to ensure that the post-implementation data
is collected in a transparent and unbiased manner. FAIRGRADE
will also urge FCPS to make this data available - by high
school - to parents in the years to come.
• FAIRGRADE's FUTURE
FAIRGRADE will continue to keep parents informed of all
developments surrounding implementation of the new grading
policy. In the coming weeks, we also will send an update
about FAIRGRADE's plans to transition into a broader
organization that will continue serving the parent community
by providing information about the many policy and budgeting
issues challenging our school district in these difficult
economic times, and information about upcoming School Board
elections.
Thanks to you and the 10,000+ coalition of FCPS students,
parents, supportive teachers and principals, we all made
real and positive changes to Fairfax County Public Schools
through FAIRGRADE!
Please stay involved! FAIRGRADE needs you and our schools
need you!
• QUESTIONS FOR FAIRGRADE?
Contact Co-founders Megan McLaughlin at macfiveva@gmail.com,
Louise Epstein at lepstein@cox.net, or Communications
Director Catherine Lorenze at clorenze@verizon.net.
Volunteers Needed for Back to School Packet Stuffing
Parent volunteers (not students) are also needed for the
Guidance Mailing on Thursday, August 13 at 8:00 am in the
College and Career Center. If you can help, please contact
Susan Perla at
susan.perla@gmail.com.
Marty Smith Named Asst Superintendent of Cluster I
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack D.
Dale has named Marty Smith, director of Cluster I since
January 2007, as the new assistant superintendent for
Cluster I, effective July 1. Smith replaces Audra Sydnor,
who is retiring from the school system.
“Marty Smith is very well-suited and well-prepared to lead
Cluster I,” says Dale. “He began his career as a classroom
teacher and has a working knowledge of the challenges faced
each day by teachers and principals as well as experience
dealing with issues at the cluster level. We congratulate
him on his new position.” (SOURCE: FCPS)
Host a High School Student from Spain
Compass USA needs families in Fairfax County to host a high
school student from Spain from July 6 to July 27. They
are also looking for American students to volunteer as
“American Buddies,” and participate in a service project in
conjunction with the Spanish students. For
information, go to
www.hostfamily2009.blogspot.com or contact Kelly
Gerstenberg at 571-228-2931 or
hostfamily2009@gmail.com.
The
Safe Community Coalition (SCC) Needs a
Recording Secretary
Are
you interested in an opportunity to volunteer with an
organization that "works together for our youth?" If so,
the SCC needs you!
The
Recording Secretary is an elected officer position on the
Board and is responsible, "for accurately recording,
disseminating, and maintaining the minutes of all membership
and Board of Directors' meetings." There are seven
Executive Board meetings starting September 3, 2009, and
four Community Meetings during the school year. The last
meeting of the year is May 20, 2010.
For
more information on the mission and work of the SCC, please
visit the website
www.safecommunitycoalition.net. Interested people may
contact Cameron Edgar, President, at
cameron.edgar@safecommunitycoalition.net; 703-356-4677.
College Career
Center
The College
Career Center, located in Student Services (formerly Guidance),
is the hub of all post secondary resources at McLean High
School. The Center hosts over 125 colleges yearly as well as
providing information and material for college and career
planning. Mrs. Rahn, College Career Center Specialist, works
with students and families to help navigate the college process
as well as to advise students about post secondary choices and
decisions. She can be reached at
Isobel.Rahn@fcps.edu.
You can get to
the College
Career Center web site by clicking on the following link:
http://www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS/guidance/New%20Career%20Center/Newcareercenter.htm. There is general information and
links to sites having to do with the college planning and
application process, testing, and college funding as well as
career and military information. Information
specific to McLean High School students is located in the
students’ Blackboard (Bb) account by grade level. Forms for the
college admission process as well as local scholarships, jobs,
summer programs, volunteer programs, testing, grade level plans,
on and off campus college programs If you don’t have access to
your student’s Bb account, please go to
http://www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS/parents/To%20get%20your%20own%20FCPS%2024.htm
Family
Connection (FC) is an FCPS
sponsored web-based resource that supports academic, career, and
college planning. FC is specific to McLean High School and is
linked with Counselor’s Office, a service we use in the
counseling office. It is accessed through the students’ Bb
account. For more information on using FC visit
http://www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS/technology/co_fc_presentationtostu_parent_ppt.pdf
Don't forget about Career Connections
www.fcps.edu/ss/CareerConnections.
This site, maintained by FCPS, provides a variety of
resources for students and their families to assist with career
and post high school planning. The scholarship and summer data
bases are searchable. Some of these resources are web based
software programs that require school-specific logins and school
IDs. Others are free. For more information, contact Mrs. Rahn
at
Isobel.Rahn@fcps.edu
FCPS Superintendent Recommends
Changes to Honors Course Grade Point
Weight
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack
Dale presented his recommendations on increasing the grade
point weight for honors courses to the Fairfax County School
Board at its business meeting on June 25. Dale’s
recommendations were based on the findings of a committee
formed—at the request of the Board—to address issues related
to honors courses and the weighting of grades for FCPS
students. The change in the weighting for honors courses is
part of a revamped grading scale and weighting system that
the School Board approved in January.
These changes to the FCPS grading policy include a modified
ten-point grading scale that uses pluses and minuses and an
increase in the weight for Advanced Placement (AP) and
International Baccalaureate (IB) courses from 0.5 to 1.0.
Dale recommended that honors courses in mathematics,
science, English, and social studies receive a 0.5 weight.
The weighting of honors courses will begin during the
upcoming 2009-10 school year and will be retroactive. As an
example, a student who is a junior during the 2009-10 school
year who took an honors course as a freshman will receive an
additional 0.5 weight for that course added to his or her
transcript retroactively. Dual enrollment courses that are
currently weighted will continue to be weighted.
In addition, students at Thomas Jefferson High School for
Science and Technology (TJHSST) will receive a weighting of
0.5 for all required math, science, English, and social
studies courses. The weighting of 0.5 will be awarded to all
math courses above the level of AP courses that are not dual
enrollment and to all science, math, and technology research
and mentorship courses.
“This is a work in progress,” said School Board chair Dan
Storck. “All schools will have the opportunity to appeal
decisions on individual classes, and staff will provide the
Board with a revised list of courses which are to be
weighted each spring.”
The new FCPS grading policies will benefit students who
challenge themselves by taking higher-level courses as part
of their programs of study. (SOURCE: FCPS)
Dr. Jackson Named McLean Chamber of Commerce
Educator of the Year
It is
with great pleasure that we announce that Dr. Deborah
Jackson has been awarded the McLean Chamber of Commerce:
Educator of the Year Award. The award encompasses Dr.
Jackson's passion and commitment to student achievement and
the McLean Chamber. She has fostered the development of a
partnership that has created a community of learners. The
benefits of this relationship will be realized for years to
come. Congratulations to our #1
HIGHLANDER! View the McLean Chamber link:
http://www.mcleanchamber.org/
Understanding and Motivating the Adolescent
Brain
Parents: You knew how much growth was possible in your young
child's brain, how dangerous even a slight head injury could
be. So you read to them to promote language and reasoning
skills. You put bicycle helmets on them to safeguard from
falls. Guess what? Science is learning that a teenager's
brain is just as impressionable--capable of tremendous
growth in performance and dexterity--and just as vulnerable
to permanent damage from risky behaviors.
On May 18th,
Neuropsychologist William R. Stixrud summarized what is
now known about the enormous developmental and biological
changes taking place in a teenager's brain and what you and
your student can do to tap into that potential.
If you
missed Dr. Stixrud's informative presentation at MHS, you
can
click here
to view the notes from the presentation. You can Learn how to
foster self-motivation, to recognize and facilitate
individual differences in academic achievement, and to help
your teenager develop critical self-regulation patterns for
healthy sleep, study, eating, and stress management before
he or she goes off to the pressures and irregular schedules
of college life. Above all, Dr. Stixrud's tour of the
teenage brain will help you deal with the challenges of the
teenage years with humor and optimism.....
McLean PTSA April/May 2009 Newsletter
Click here to read the
April/May 2009 PTSA Newsletter which includes
great information including a message from MHS PTSA
President, Susan Perla; information on upcoming activities
at McLean High School; an update on the FCPS grading
scale; Senior Class Activities; Fundraising and Logistics
for the All Night Grad Party; Class Notes; information on Student Services; information on PTSA, club
and school fundraisers and more!
FCPS Proposing
ES/MS Bell Schedule Changes for Fall 09
FCPS staff have proposed significant changes to many
elementary and middle school start times.
FCPS document
Iteration #5
(posted
4.21.2009) lists changes in school start times that may be
coming next fall. Under the plan, Longfellow's start time
will move to 7:50. Unfortunately, the proposed changes DO
NOT improve high school start times. The FCPS School Board
may consider new proposed bell changes as part of its budget
plan in May.
SLEEP
High School Pilot Plans: Move Times Later, Save Millions to
Reduce Class Size
SLEEP has developed pilot proposals that would either
replace the FCPS staff's transportation plan or supplement
it. The pilot proposals would move some high school start
times and save millions of dollars for the FCPS budget at
the same time. These millions could be used to reduce class
size and retain more excellent teachers. Both of SLEEP
proposals continue current levels of service to and from TJ,
magnet schools, and GT centers.
"Pool Pilot”: This proposal keeps ALL elementary schools at
their current times and moves only 9 high schools and one
middle school to between 7:50 and 8:30 am. (Click link below
to see details.) Using a software tool developed by former
School Board member Steve Hunt, SLEEP estimates this pilot
would SAVE about $11 million, enough to avoid a half-student
increase in class size (and about $6 million more in savings
than FCPS’ current proposal, I-5). The name refers to the
fact that it allows swim/dive practice times to remain
intact, because it moves only those high schools that
currently have later swim/dive practices at RECenters. It
would replace staff’s Iteration 5, which moves 122
schools--most of them later--including 47 that change by 20
minutes or more. (FCPS staff, like SLEEP, found that moving
schools later in the morning reduced bus costs. Unlike
SLEEP, they chose to move elementary schools and middle
schools.)
“I-5-Plus-5 Pilot”: If staff’s latest draft (Iteration 5)
is adopted, we can still pilot later high school start times
and save about $5 million MORE. This pilot uses the I-5 bell
schedule but also moves 4 high schools and one middle school
to 8 am. The schools used in this example are: Mt.
Vernon,Madison, Hayfield and Woodson HS and Frost MS. Other
high schools could be used and achieve similar savings.
Click here to see more details and graphs.
McLean
HS All-Night Grad Party Committee Fund-Raiser
Pillowcasegrams are
personalized custom-made pillowcases that are fun for all
ages. They make beautiful keepsakes that the recipients
will keep for many years.
Pillowcasegrams can be sent in a special gift box
and will include your personal message typed out on a
telegram. They make great gifts for graduation, birthdays,
anniversaries, or any special occasion.
Pillowcasegram has designed a few McLean High School pillowcases with our
school colors. Each pillowcase can be embroidered with the
student’s name and graduation date. This is a great idea
for a gift for current students and past students as a
remembrance of their years at McLean High School. HOW IT
WORKS: Go to Pillowcasegram’s
web site at
www.pillowcasegram.com.
Order any pillowcase(s). You can find custom-made MHS
pillowcases by chossing Catalog and then “School Spirit” (or
by
clicking here). Be sure to put “MHS” in the comments
section when you are checking out so they will know that it
is a purchase from our school community and will credit the
ANGP Fundraiser. The pillowcases will be sent directly to
the purchaser or to the person you request it be sent to.
Questions? Contact Alicia Shalhoup at 703-442-4702 or
a.mordente@verizon.net.
Click here
for more information.
Graduation Ticket Policy
Tickets are required for the graduation
ceremony on June 15, 2009. Each senior who has met his/her
financial and academic obligations will receive seven (7)
tickets for the event. If you require extra tickets, or
know that you will not be using all of your tickets, a blog
has been set up at
http://mhs09.blogspot.com to allow you to notify other
members of the McLean High School community. Be aware,
however, that neither McLean High School nor Fairfax County
Public Schools are responsible for the content of the site.
If you require tickets in the handicapped
accessible section of DAR Constitution Hall, you must send
an email request with both your graduate’s name and
“handicapped accessible” in the subject line to
Patricia.McNeill@fcps.edu by Friday, May 29th. Because the number of seats is limited, please
understand that your entire family may not be able to sit in
this area. Also, be aware that even with handicapped
accessible tickets, the maximum number of tickets for each
graduating senior is still seven (7).
Baccalaureate Service – June 12, 7:00 pm
Graduating students, parents and families,
are invited
to attend this year’s Baccalaureate Service to be held
Friday June 12, 7:00 pm at the Lewinsville Presbyterian
Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA 22101.
The Baccalaureate Service is an ecumenical ceremony held
yearly within a few days of graduation, in a different
church or faith center of our community. This service gives
everyone interested the opportunity to gather in a spiritual
atmosphere, rejoice in music and reflect on inspirational
memories.
This year's keynote speaker is McLean resident, John
Calhoun; former President and CEO of the National Crime
Prevention Council, U.S. Commissioner of the Administration
for Children, Youth and Families, and author of the recent
book
Hope Matters.
John challenges our teenagers, whether Christian, Jew,
Muslim, Baha’i, or Hindu to live out their faith, to become
an active part of their communities, and to contribute from
the hope given to them by their faith.
No school funding is provided for this event, it is solely
based on parents’ donations. Small contributions will be
accepted. Checks should be written to the order of
“MCHS/Baccalaureate Service” and forwarded to McLean High
School, 1633 Davidson Rd., McLean VA 22101.
To volunteer, please contact either Reg Devlin
(703/734-2754;
rddevlin@cox.net) or Basia Manitius (703/533-0515;
bmanitius@gmail.com).
MESSAGE FROM FAIRGRADE 5-19-09
-
OVERSIGHT URGED FOR NEW 10-POINT GRADING SCALE
On May
7th, the FCPS School Board voted 11-1 for a new 10-point
grading scale. FAIRGRADE and the Business Alliance for
FAIRGRADE applauds this historic vote and continues to lobby
FCPS officials for a "Change Management" plan to ensure the
new scale is properly implemented. (For details on this new
scale, go to our website at:
www.FAIRGRADE.org)
-
RETROACTIVE WEIGHTS FOR HONORS COURSES REMAIN UNRESOLVED
During
the May 7th meeting, Superintendent Dale told the School
Board that he and his staff will provide recommendations at
the June 8th School Board work session on which advanced
courses should be considered honors courses and weighted by
0.5 quality points. In response to a question posed by
Chairman Storck, Dr. Dale said that he anticipates ALL
courses currently labeled "honors" will be weighted
retroactively.
However, until FCPS officially presents their formal
recommendation at the June 8th School Board Work Session,
the issue of retroactive honors remains at risk. As noted in
the FCPS Grading Policy Report, it is critical that FCPS
students receive this retroactive weighting for all honors
courses taken prior to Fall 2009.
Therefore, if you haven't already done so, please email the
School Board about your support for full retroactive
weighting of honors courses, and ask for their position on
this issue. Email addresses for the School Board are on our
website at:
www.FAIRGRADE.org.
PTSA Student of the Year Awards
Every
year, each academic department selects a senior student to
receive the “student of the year” award. At the Academic
Awards Night on May 26, the following students were
recognized for their achievements. Their names will be
engraved on a plaque to be added to the wall outside the
auditorium. Congratulations on your accomplishments!
Art:
Miles Zinni
CTE: Chelsea Shalhoup
CTE: Evan Blackwell
English:
Yumee Cho
Foreign Language: Colleen Devlin
Math: Jessie Nucho
Performing Arts: Jackson Langevoort
Science: Anthony Charles (Chemistry)
Science: Zachary Charles (Physics)
Social Studies: Sam Shanker
"Parents Who Host Lose the Most"
What parents should know about underage drinking:
• It
is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.
•
Under age 24, the brain is still growing and negatively
affected by alcohol.
•
Parents can be prosecuted under the law for hosting underage
drinking parties.
• It
is unsafe and illegal for persons under 21 to drive after
consuming alcohol (.02 blood alcohol content or above).
•
Don’t risk living with the burden of an unnecessary death or
accident because you provided or allowed alcohol use by
someone under the age of 21.
For
more information about what you can do as a parent:
http://www.fcps.edu/ss/translations/PDF_FILES/publications/drinkingfactcard/english.pdf
Tips from the Safe Community
Coalition
to keep your teens safe during this wonderful, yet
dangerous, time of year.
McLean HS All-Night Grad Party Registration Forms
Students who haven't signed up for the All Night Grad Party
can still do so. But you need to hurry! Completed form and check must be sent to the McLean High School
front office
by June 12th.
Click here
to print your ticket order form for the All Night Grad Party! f
you're not sure if you signed up,
click here to see the list of students
not yet signed up.
Parents Who Host Lose the Most
FCPS and
Fairfax County designate May 2009 as "Parents Who Host Lose
the Most Month" in an effort to reduce underage drinking as
prom and graduation season approaches.
Read the press release.
Prom
Update (from Dr. Jackson)
Information about this
year’s prom can be found on the newly created prom website
located at
www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS. Look for the flickering flames.
This site contains general information about the prom,
tickets, limousine services, tuxedo rentals, florists and
salons. You can also find a link to view this year’s
fabulous fashion show.
Although the students
and teachers have done a tremendous amount of work, parent
involvement is essential to the success of our prom. The
junior class is seeking parents to chaperone, sell tickets
and make donations to help defray the cost of the evening.
Please volunteer to chaperone for a few hours, so we can
ensure that our children have a fun, safe evening. We also
are asking parents to consider making a tax-deductible
donation to offset prom expenses. The Class of 2010 has
decided not to raise the ticket prices to our students this
year despite rising costs. Visit the parent section of the
website for specific details about helping.
Lastly, please remind
your students that the consequences of substance abuse or
other risky behavior can ruin what should be a joyous time
for all students. We are asking our students to Be Smart. Be
Safe. Be Sober.
FCPS Update on H1N1 Virus
Please
continue to monitor the latest news and information
regarding the H1N1 virus on the FCPS website. Attached are
links to the lastest FCPS update (5/5/09), Dr. Dale's letter
to parents (5/4/09), and the most recent CDC guidance
(5/5/09) pertaining to schools and childcare facilities. At
this time, the CDC is not recommending school closures,
unless there is a "magnitude of faculty or student
absenteeism that interferes with the school's ability to
function."
http://www.fcps.edu/news/swineflu.htm
http://www.fcps.edu/news/documents/L-SwineFlu_Parent_Letter_April29_updated_May_4.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/k12_dismissal.htm
Safe Community Coalition Announcements
The annual meeting of the Safe Community Coalition will
take place on Thursday, May 14th at 7:30 pm at the McLean
Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue. Following election
of the Board of Directors, we will begin discussion of plans
for the 2009-2010 school year. Everyone is invited to
attend and participate in planning.
Parents of high school students are invited to participate
in a one hour George Mason University focus group on the
teen drinking culture in the United States. The anonymous
and confidential results will also become part of the
countywide community assessment on teenage drinking. All
participants will receive dinner and other incentives.
Please contact Amy Reif at
amy.reif@safecommunitycoalition.net, if you would like to participate. It is anticipated that
the focus group will take place during the week of May 18th
or 25th.
Langley –
McLean School Pyramid results from the 2008 Fairfax County
Youth Survey are now available at
www.safecommunitycoalition.net.
Chaperones Needed for the 2009 Prom at Westwood Country Club
Parents, please consider donating some time on Saturday
evening, May 30, to serve as a chaperone at the McLean
HS prom. We are looking for singles or couples of juniors
and/or seniors for one, two, three or four hour shifts to
check coats and make sure the various doors and exits are
secure and do not allow prom goers to exit and return. Only
in this way can we help ensure that students have a fun,
safe evening. Please e-mail Jay Bass, at
jbassfcva@aol.com with your names and preferred time
slot and duration by April 1, if you are able to help out.
McLean PTSA Armchair Fundraiser
We are truly fortunate that our
children attend McLean High School – one of the top high schools
in Fairfax County. The high standard of achievement, the
commitment to excellence of our faculty and staff, the
impressive accomplishments of our students and staff and the
ongoing involvement of you, ensures that McLean High School
continues to rank among Virginia’s best. The McLean High School
PTSA raises funds each year to provide educational enhancements
and opportunities for our children that are not
financed by Fairfax County. This year our fundraising goal is
$12,000. >>>
More
PTSA Meeting – May 11, 7:30 pm, Library
The
last PTSA meeting of the year will be held on Monday, May
11, at 7:30 pm in the Library. School Board member, Jane K.
Strauss, will speak to the members at approximately 8:00
pm. In addition, the PTSA will hear a presentation on a
proposed web-based payment system by McLean High School
parent and entrepreneur Jay Bass. The election of officers
for 2009-2010 will also take place at the meeting. All are
welcome to attend!
Update on School Board
Action on Grading Issue 4.22.09
Please
see the attached link from the FCPS website for the latest
news on the grading issues.
http://www.fcps.edu/news/grading.htm
To
briefly summarize, at the April 20th School Board
work session, Dr. Dale and his staff presented a recommended
modified 10-point grading scale (with pluses and minuses)
that is based on The College Board grading scale. The
School Board has added this item to the agenda at its April
23 meeting under New Business. The vote is expected to take
place at the May 7 regular School Board meeting. If
adopted, the new grading scale will be implemented at the
beginning of the 2009-10 school year
AP
courses which, prior to January 2009, had been granted an
additional .5 weight, now receive a 1.0 weight. The change
was retroactive for all AP courses on a student’s
transcript.
Regarding weights for honors courses, no decision has been
made yet regarding whether the .5 weight for honors courses
will be retroactive for current high school students.
Action
Requested:
Please continue to make your voices heard regarding the
retroactive weighting of honors courses by writing your
School Board members and/or attending the School Board
meetings. The retroactive weighting of honors classes would
follow the same rationale and logic for the retroactive
weighting of AP, IB and Dual Enrollment courses. The
students should receive the credit for taking the harder
courses and should receive the extra weight to be able to
compete more fairly with students in our neighboring
jurisdictions such as Montgomery County.
H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) - FCPS News Update - 4/29/09
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is collaborating with
the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) to monitor the
H1N1 virus (swine flu) situation in the country and locally
in Fairfax County. The health of our students and employees
is our first priority as we deal with this evolving
situation and continue to provide instruction and support to
our students. For more information, visit
http://www.fcps.edu/news/swineflu.htm
Parent Awareness Program on
Substance Abuse and Depression, 7:30 pm, Lecture Hall
Dr.
Jackson’s Keep-in-Touch e-mail of March 27 invited parents
and guardians to participate in this session to learn more
about the issue of substance abuse among teens.
This is especially timely in view of the upcoming spring
and end-of-year activities such as exams, prom, graduation,
athletic activities, etc. Recent events at high schools in
our area remind us that none of our schools are immune to
this activity.
We have also added depression and suicide to the panel
topics to raise awareness of these issues. The panel
discussion will take place on April 28, at 7:30 pm in the
Lecture Hall. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend
this important session.
Participants will be:
-
Thomas Kobylski, M.D., Past-President, Child and
Adolescent Psychiatric Society of Greater Washington;
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown
University
-
Mr. Michael Torres, MS, CAS, Substance Abuse Counselor
with Fairfax County
-
Dr. Deborah Tucker, School Psychologist, McLean High
School
News from FCPS in Latest Issue of FamilyGram
Check out
the latest issue of
FamilyGram, a newsletter for Fairfax County Public
Schools parents that is published by the Department of
Communications and Community Outreach. Highlights include:
* Direct
From the Superintendent: FY 2010 Budget Update
* Summer 2009 Program Information—What You Need to Know
* Fairfax County School Board Votes to Reject Later High
School Start Times Proposal
* FCPS to Change Weighting, Grading Scale Starting in
2009-10 School Year
* FCPS Superintendent Reduces FY 2010 Budget Transfer
Request
* 2009 High School Graduation Schedule
* Keep in Touch Subscription Service Is Here
PTSA Officers Nominated for 2009-2010
At the
April 13th PTSA meeting, the following were
nominated to serve as officers for the year 2009-2010:
President: Susan Perla
1st Vice President: Peggy
Vans
2nd Vice President: Jihui Kim
3rd Vice President: Jacky
Longwell
Treasurer: Rebecca Davis
Recording Secretary: Wilma Bowers
Corresponding Secretary: Catherine Slotkoff
Elections
will take place at the PTSA meeting on May 11, 2009. This
is the last PTSA meeting of the year; all are welcome to
attend! In addition, there are vacancies on the board
next year for the following positions: Building and
Grounds, Directory, Membership (co-chair) and Volunteers
(co-chair). If you are interested, please contact Susan
Perla.
Paul Capp – Virginia PTA Essay Award Winner!
Congratulations to Paul Capp – his VA PTA Citizenship Essay
has been selected as a Virginia PTA award winner! He has
been awarded 3rd Place in the High School Division and will
receive a $250 U.S. Savings Bond.
School
Board Voting on 10-Point Grading Scale
This Monday, April 20th, the School Board will review
Superintendent Dale's 10-point grading scale
recommendation(s) at their work session. The discussion is
currently scheduled to begin at 3 pm. While no date has
been set yet for the School Board to officially vote on a
new grading scale, FCPS officials have assured FAIRGRADE
that a new 10-point grading scale with pluses and minuses
will be in place by Fall 2009. Regrettably, FCPS officials
remain noncommittal about whether FCPS will weight honors
classes taken before 2009-2010. FAIRGRADE's leadership
continues to press for a resolution on this important aspect
of the grading policy reforms.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this School
Board work session. It will take place at the FCPS
headquarters located at 8115 Gatehouse Road in Falls Church,
VA - just off of Gallows Road and Route 50. FAIRGRADE's
leadership team will attend this work session and provide
you with a detailed report about the School Board's
discussion and viewpoints.
QUESTIONS FOR FAIRGRADE? Contact Co-founders Megan
McLaughlin at
macfiveva@gmail.com or Louise Epstein at
lepstein@cox.net.
RETROACTIVE WEIGHTING OF HONORS AT RISK
FCPS'
website states that the issue of retroactive weighting for
honors has not been decided. However, several FCPS staff
have expressed reluctance for retroactively weighting
"honors caliber courses" taken prior to September 2009. This
decision could deny students the valuable weights they need
when competing for college admissions, academic scholarships
and college honors programs.
At the
January 22nd School Board meeting, Dr. Dale said he would
like to weight honors retroactively, as is being done for
AP/IB, "if practicable". Barring no technical impediments,
FAIRGRADE views this as an equity issue. The students who
took an honors caliber course pre-Fall 2009 should be given
the same weight on their transcripts as the students who
take the same honors course beginning Fall 2009.
When
students apply to colleges, over half the advanced courses
on their FCPS transcripts typically come from honors courses
rather than AP or IB courses. The FCPS college survey
revealed that the vast majority of high schools provide 0.5
weights for honors courses and FCPS should be doing the
same.
QUESTIONS FOR FAIRGRADE? Contact Co-founders Megan
McLaughlin at
macfiveva@gmail.com or Louise Epstein at
lepstein@cox.net. Thank you for your continued
support.
“What
Are Our Kids Really Telling Us?”
Find out on Monday, April 20 at 7 pm
Denise
Raybon, Fairfax County Prevention Coordinator, will present
the Langley/McLean School Pyramid findings from the 2008
Fairfax County Youth Survey at 7 PM in the McLean HS Lecture
Hall. This is the first time that
the county is releasing information specific to our
community from this highly regarded survey. The survey
covers both healthy and risky behaviors by teens in 6th,
8th, 10th and 12th grades.
This will
be an outstanding opportunity to learn how our youth fare in
terms of stress, body image, alcohol, drugs, bullying and
depression among other things (both good and bad).
Following the presentation, Diane Eckert, FCPS Prevention
Specialist will facilitate a discussion on the ways that we,
as a community, can address areas of concern. We encourage
everyone to attend this important program. If you are
interested, the county wide (but not pyramid wide) results
have already been made public and you can go review them at
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/demogrph/youthpdf.htm. This
event is sponsored by the Safe Community Coalition and
Longfellow Middle School PTSA. For more information,
please click here to
view the flyer or contact SCC Board member Michelle Sandler,
michelle@sandler.org.
School
Board Voting on 10-Point Grading Scale
This Monday, April 20th, the School Board will review
Superintendent Dale's 10-point grading scale
recommendation(s) at their work session. The discussion is
currently scheduled to begin at 3 pm. While no date has
been set yet for the School Board to officially vote on a
new grading scale, FCPS officials have assured FAIRGRADE
that a new 10-point grading scale with pluses and minuses
will be in place by Fall 2009. Regrettably, FCPS officials
remain noncommittal about whether FCPS will weight honors
classes taken before 2009-2010. FAIRGRADE's leadership
continues to press for a resolution on this important aspect
of the grading policy reforms.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this School
Board work session. It will take place at the FCPS
headquarters located at 8115 Gatehouse Road in Falls Church,
VA - just off of Gallows Road and Route 50. FAIRGRADE's
leadership team will attend this work session and provide
you with a detailed report about the School Board's
discussion and viewpoints.
QUESTIONS FOR FAIRGRADE? Contact Co-founders Megan
McLaughlin at
macfiveva@gmail.com or Louise Epstein at
lepstein@cox.net.
WANTED: A Few Good Volunteers!
McLean
High School will be administering over 1,600 Advanced Placement (AP)
exams in 25 subjects to over 820 McLean HS students this
May. They are in need of volunteers to supplement the
Guidance Counselors in proctoring the two weeks of AP exams.
They are asking for a commitment of a four-hour shift,
either AM or PM, during the weeks of May 4 to May 15. In
choosing your volunteer slot, you may not proctor an exam
your child is taking. We will be providing a 30 minute
mandatory proctor training session at a variety of times the
week prior to the test window.
Three proctors are
still needed as follows:
|
Date |
Time |
Subject |
# of Proctors Needed |
|
Wed., May 6 |
AM - 7:30 to 11:30 |
Calculus BC |
1 |
|
Fri., May 8 |
AM - 7:30 to 11:30 |
US History |
1 |
|
Thurs., May 14 |
AM - 7:30 to 11:30 |
World History |
1 |
Please consider volunteering for a four-hour shift, though
we would love to have you for as much time as you are
willing and able to give. Contact Crissie Ricketts, MHS
Assessment Coach, to schedule your shift at:
crricketts@fcps.edu
or (703) 714-5713. Thank you in advance for your
support!
UVA Center for Alcohol &
Substance
Abuse Education Presentation
Prepare Your Child to
Face the College Drinking Culture. Monday, March 30, 7:00 p.m., Arlington
Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy Street. Is the “Animal House”
image of college myth or fact? Susie Bruce, director of the Center for
Alcohol & Substance Abuse Education at the University of Virginia, will give
an insider’s perspective, discuss student resources on college campuses and
answer questions. U-VA’s Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Substance Abuse
is charged with minimizing drinking and substance abuse among underage
students and tackling abuse among students of legal age. As part of the
presentation, parents will be invited to share opinions using anonymous
audience response “clickers” (like the ones used on Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire). Both parents and students are welcome to attend. Questions?
Contact margiebell@juno.com.
What Today's Youth Need to Know
The Fairfax County Public
Schools (FCPS) Safe and Drug-Free Youth Section and its Unified Prevention
Coalition (UPC), in collaboration with Fairfax County agencies and
organizations in Northern Virginia, are organizing the first county-wide
substance use and violence prevention conference,
“What Today’s Youth Need You to Know.”
The conference, designed for Fairfax County residents and employees, will
focus on educating adults, youth, and professional service providers on
current trends recently reported in the 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey, as
well as issues pertinent to raising healthy families. The Conference will
take place on Saturday, March 28th from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at
Oakton High School at 2900
Sutton Rd., Vienna, VA 22181. The UPC 2009 prevention conference task force
is already working with county agencies and organizations, many of whom plan
to sponsor the conference and provide exhibits.
McLean PTSA March 2009
Newsletter
Click here to read the March 2009 PTSA Newsletter which includes great
information including a message from MHS Principal, Dr. Deborah Jackson;
information on upcoming activities at McLean High School including McLean
Theatre, Orchestra and Band, Chamber Soloists, AP Testing, Prom, Senior
Events, the All Night Grad Party, parent coffees and more; Class Notes;
information on Student Services and the College Application Process;
information on PTSA, club and school fundraisers and more!
FCPS Budget Cuts: Teacher and Parent Panel Discussion
FCPS has published its FY 2010 budget, which increases class sizes.
Teachers and custodians are being reassigned to other schools or will be
let go if vacancies aren’t created by attrition. Bus service is being
reduced for magnet students. This FY 2010 budget is still tentative,
and the School Board will be considering changes in the FY 2010 later
this spring.
On Tuesday night, March 24th, at 7:30 PM, hear from all the teachers
unions and the Fairfax County Council of PTAs about how the School Board
could balance the FCPS budget without increasing class sizes or making
some other cuts. Panelists include Leonard Bumbaca (Fairfax Education
Association), Dr. Mark Glaser (Fairfax County Federation of Teachers),
Mary Kaye Downes and Vern Williams (Association of Fairfax Professional
Educators) and Michele Menapace (Fairfax County Council of PTAs). After
short presentations, there will be an open question and answer session.
This meeting is free and open to the general public. It is located at
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock
Road, Alexandria, in the auditorium. For more information, contact
Louise Epstein, president of Fairfax County Association for the Gifted
and VP of FAIRGRADE, at 703-917-7960.
Fairfax County School Board
Votes on School
Start and Dismissal Times
The Fairfax County
School Board has voted to confirm the existing school start time structure
for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Generally, under this existing
structure, high schools open first, then middle and elementary schools. The
Board rejected a possible bell schedule, known as Iteration 3, which used a
three-tiered approach that would have started some elementary schools first,
high schools second, and middle schools and other elementary schools last.
(Source: FCPS)
Start Later for
Excellence in Education (SLEEP) reports that "While the board agreed
unanimously that the staff draft bell schedule (Iteration 3) wasn’t the
answer, Tina Hone and Kaye Kory voted against the main motion to show their
support for continued action on this issue. For our part, we’ll continue to
fight for the health of our kids." They also reported that the Board
session will be replayed at 7:30 pm Tuesday, March 24, on Channel 21.
Capitol Steps Performance to
Benefit
MHS' All Night Grad Party
Support the Class of 2009's All Night Graduation Party and
enjoy the best political satire around: Don't miss the Capitol Steps'
annual performance at McLean High School on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now to benefit the ANGP 2009. This important fundraiser
helps provide our seniors a safe, fun, alcohol- and drug-free graduation
night to remember. To order tickets, click
here. Tickets are $35 each and will also be available for purchase at
the door or directly from Stefanie Schoepfle if you drop by the MHS Guidance
Office. Tickets to the Capitol Steps make great gifts for Valentines Day,
birthdays, anniversaries and graduation. Questions can be directed to
Stefanie Schoepfle at
stefanie@pcgrp.com.
Update
on Later Start Times (March 2009)
Let your School Board members know they need to keep working
on solving the too-early high school start time problem!
This issue won’t go away until all our students have healthy
schedules.
But opponents want to close the door forever on improvements
and will try to do so at this Thursday’s School Board
meeting.
Recap of last Monday’s work session: Board members agreed
that Iteration 3 (the first no-cost staff draft) will be
rejected because of specific problems with the
school-by-school bell schedule and that change won’t occur
in the 2009-10 school year. But there are other solutions,
and FCPS needs to explore them.
Move forward or entrench status quo? Several School Board
members stated their strong commitment to fixing the
too-early high school start time problem and are working on
ways to move forward. They need YOUR support.
Other Board members simply want to leave families and high
school students to fend for themselves with the health and
academic consequences of the current bell schedule. These
School Board members want to take no responsibility for
predawn bus pickups that force teen students to cut their
sleep short every day and leave them exhausted and sleeping
in class. Opponents argue that all teens are doing fine and
that inadequate sleep is just a “perceived” problem.
Thank School Board members for working on this and let them
know they're responsible for setting school schedules that
are healthy for all of our students. They should use what
they’ve learned from consultant studies, a Task Force and
public input to fix our school transportation system and
create healthy bell schedules for all. Tell them that on
Thursday you expect them to support ways to keep moving
forward toward solutions and best practices.
Elizabeth.Bradsher@fcps.edu, jane.strauss@fcps.edu,
ilryong.moon@fcps.edu, brad.center@fcps.edu , James.Raney@fcps.edu,
kaye.kory@fcps.edu, kathy.l.smith@fcps.edu, pneichner@fcps.edu,
tessie.wilson@fcps.edu, Martina.Hone@fcps.edu,
stuart.gibson@fcps.edu, arvin.ahmadi@yahoo.com,
daniel.storck@fcps.edu, Jack.Dale@fcps.edu
Survey/community dialogs: An FCPS online survey and
community dialogues were highly flawed and told us very
little. Even if taken at face value, they point to problems
with the staff draft bell schedule (Iteration 3), not to
opposition to later high school start times. Unfortunately,
both took place in an environment filled with gross
misinformation and fear-mongering. Both took a
thumbs-up-thumbs-down approach rather than one of
collaboration and problem-solving as recommended by SLEEP.
There was no way to show support for later high school start
times without also supporting the Iteration 3 staff draft.
Neither tool even attempted to capture the desire of an
overwhelming majority of parents, teachers and students to
fix today's too-early high school times.
Colleges that Change Lives Parent Program
Sophomore and Junior Parents - The Colleges That Change
Lives Program "It's the Journey, Not the Destination:
Finding the Right Fit" has been rescheduled for Tuesday
evening, March 17 at 7:30 pm in the Auditorium. Please join
McLean High School in welcoming Marty O'Connell, executive
director of Colleges That Change Lives, in a lively
presentation about surviving the college search and
admission process.
Capitol Steps
Performance to Benefit MHS' All Night Grad Party
Support the Class of 2009's All Night Graduation Party and
enjoy the best political satire around: Don't miss the
Capitol Steps' annual performance at McLean High School on
Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now to
benefit the ANGP 2009. This important fundraiser helps
provide our seniors a safe, fun, alcohol- and drug-free
graduation night to remember. To order tickets,
click here.
Tickets are $35 each and will also be available for purchase
at the door or directly from Stefanie Schoepfle if you drop
by the MHS Guidance Office. Tickets to the Capitol Steps
make great gifts for Valentines Day, birthdays,
anniversaries and graduation. Questions can be directed to
Stefanie Schoepfle at
stefanie@pcgrp.com.
McLean Crew Club's Annual Mulch Sale
Support the McLean Crew Club's annual mulch
sale. Top quality shredded hardwood mulch is available in three cubic foot
bags.
Order by March 15th. Order includes free delivery to your driveway on
March 21 or 22, 2009. For more information or to print the order form
click here.
Upcoming Community Service Opportunities
Chesterbrook Elementary Fun Fair - March 14th
Chesterbrook PTA Fun Fair Committee is offering Community
Service opportunities during its Saturday, March 14th Fun
Fair. Set-up starts at 3:30 PM on Friday, March 13th. The
Fun Fair will have two shifts on Saturday: 9:45 AM to Noon,
and 11:45 AM to 2:00 PM. The clean-up shift runs from 2:00
to 3:30 PM. Sign-up now by following this link to an online google.doc
form,
http://tinyurl.com/FunFairStudentVolunteers or email Greg
Brandon at president@chesterbrook.org
or call 703-848-4796
(leave a detailed message, if necessary) to volunteer.
Lemon Road Fun
Fair – March 21
Earn Community service hours at Lemon Road Elementary School’s Fun
Fair, Saturday, March 21st. Moon bounce, cotton candy, balloon
darts, zoo dip, DJ, face painting, bake sale, lollipop tree and much
more! Shifts are morning (9:45 to noon), afternoon (11:45 to 2:00),
full day (9:45 to 2:00) and/or cleanup (2:15 to 4:00). You can also
earn hours for baking for our bake sale. Please contact Dawn Jacobs
at 703-883-0415 or
dawn-jacobs@verizon.net to sign up. We still need 30 more
volunteers!!
Haycock
Elementary Fun Fair – March 21
Student volunteers needed for Haycock Elementary Fun Fair on March
21st. McLean HS students can get community service hours in a fun
way! Volunteers can assist with a variety of fun games and other
activities. The Fun Fair hours are between 10:00 and 2:00. You can
choose from several different time shifts, including set up and
clean up. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. Student volunteers can sign up
to volunteer by visiting the following website,
http://tinyurl.com/HaycockFunFair2009SignUp. If you have any
problems with this website, please contact
JulieHusk@hotmail.com
Kent
Gardens March Madness Basketball Game – March 27
Do you need to earn community service hours? Then volunteer to help
with the Kent Gardens March Madness basketball game. This staff
versus parents basketball game will be held in the McLean High
School gym on Friday, March 27. Volunteers are needed from 6:00
until 9:00. We need your help with selling concessions, directing
traffic inside the school, and cleaning up after the event. Please
contact Diana Kost at
dkost@cox.net with availability and/or questions.
Lose the Training Wheels –
April 6-10
McLean High School Students (Age 15 and older):
Earn Community Service Hours By Volunteering For "Lose the Training
Wheels" During Spring Break (April 6 to 10). For More Information,
Click HERE
http://www.losethetrainingwheels.org and HERE
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ada/lose-the-wheels.htm.
To volunteer, click HERE:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ada/downloads/LTWvolapp.pdf.
Contact Emily House at
emily.house@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Multicultural Night – March 6 from 6 – 9 pm
March 6,
2009 will be an exciting night! It's Multicultural Night at
McLean High School from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We all have
an ethnic heritage, so come celebrate yours and enjoy the
flavors of other cultures. It's a potluck dinner (bring a
favorite international main dish or dessert to share) with
great entertainment from the school and community. If you
have traditional clothing, please wear it! Bring your food,
family and friends. Drinks will be provided! It's a great
chance to know each other better.
WHAT: Multicultural Night with Family Potluck
dinner WHEN: Friday, March 6, 2009 WHERE: McLean High School Cafeteria TIME: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. (dinner & entertainment)
QUESTIONS- Call Wafika Albani, the PTSA Multicultural
Liaison at 571-232-0132 or Dr. Alba Ben-Barka, The ICU Club
Sponsor, at 703-714-5918.
Don't Miss Out On This Year's
BOAR'S HEAD DINNER
Invite your relatives,friends, & neighbors
for a fun night out ...
GREAT
ENTERTAINMENT and DELICIOUS FOOD. CHECK OUT THIS
YEAR'S GOURMET MENU:
-
Cheese Board Appetizer
-
Green
Salad w/Garden Vegetables (Choice of Ranch or Vinaigrette
Dressing)
-
Entree Choice of Pecan Crusted Chicken w/Honey au Jus
-
OR
Roasted Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto w/Basil
-
Garlic Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
-
Green
Beans & Carrots
-
Dinner Rolls
-
Delicious Texas Sheet Cake for Dessert
The McLean High School Choral Department will present the
57th Annual Boar's Head Feast on February 27th and 28th.
Hosted by the Madrigals, this year the Women's, Men's and Armonia choruses will also showcase their singing talents.
The catered feast will begin at 7:30 pm and will be held at
the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
(at the corner of Chain Bridge Road and Westmoreland)
Click
here to print out the flyer for reservations. If
you have questions, please contact
Patrice Comey at
comey8@mcleanchoral.org.
It's a
great deal at just $25 per adult & $20 per student/child!
MAKE YOUR BOAR'S HEAD DINNER
RESERVATION NOW!!!
Reminder
- Survey and Community Dialogue Meetings
Re: Proposed Changes to School Start Times
Parents and guardians of FCPS students are encouraged to
make their opinions known about proposed changes to school
start times during the week of February 23-28 in one of
several ways:
1.
Complete a survey about the proposed changes at
http://www.fcps.edu/survey in English, Korean, or
Spanish. The survey will close on Saturday, February 28.
2.
Please attend one of seven community dialogue meetings on February
24, 25, and 26. Details at
http://www.fcps.edu/news/start.htm
Show your support for healthy start times for our
students. At the first meetings on February 24, there was a
lot of misinformation about SLEEP's role, including such
astonishing statements as SLEEP wouldn't allow changes to
the current plan! For the record, please note that Iteration
3 is a STAFF DRAFT and SLEEP supports revisions based on
community input. Please let people at your table know that
SLEEP is working on our suggestions for changes. Please
print out the new SLEEP
Fact Sheet
and bring it with you as guidance on SLEEP's positions and
the science behind the need for change.
3.
Contact your School Board members to share your opinions.
Contact information is available at
http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/members.htm
For more information about the
proposed changes to school start times, visit
http://www.fcps.edu/news/start.htm.
McLean PTSA Adopts a Resolution in Appreciation
for Sara Pacqué-Margolis' Work on FAIRGRADE
At Tuesday's PTSA meeting, the Board adopted
a
resolution in appreciation for Sara
Pacqué-Margolis'
tireless work on FAIRGRADE.
FCPS
Budget Overview
Click
Here to view a Budget Overview prepared by a Emily Slough, a parent
who lives in the Braddock District. The overview summarizes the budget
situation. While we are still a long way from making decisions and
certainly hope the worst case scenario doesn't come to pass, the
possible extent of the cuts is dramatic. Contacts are
Jane.Strauss@fcps.edu and Supervisors John Foust,
dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov
Thank You FCPS School
Board!
Results of FCPS School Board
Vote - 1.22.09
The amended motion on the FCPS grading policy passed
UNANIMOUSLY by FCPS School Board members Thursday
(1.22.09) evening.
The amended motion directs Dr. Dale to report back to
the School Board by the end of March 2009 with a version
of the 10-point scale with pluses and minuses to be
implemented at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school
year and that AP/IB weights would be increased to 1.0
and weighted retroactively for classes taken up to Jan.
09 and that qualifying Honors courses would be weighted
0.5 beginning the 2009-2010 school year.
Dr. Dale said he would "ideally" like to retroactively
weight qualifying Honors courses, but FCPS is uncertain
at this time if that is technically feasible. FCPS will
investigate this issue as they conduct their overview
this summer to determine which courses will qualify as
Honors.
FAIRGRADE is very pleased with the outcome from the
1.22.09 School Board meeting. The School Board
exhibited strong leadership in crafting an amended
motion that addresses community concerns, but still
gives Superintendent Dale enough room to leave his
thumbprint on the policy by refining exactly what the
10-point scale with pluses and minuses will look like
and where the pass/fail bar will fall.
THANK YOU FCPS SCHOOL BOARD! THANK YOU
FAIRGRADE SUPPORTERS!
(Text from www.fairgrade.org)
FAIRGRADE Explains Why Letter Grades Matter
Understanding the Impact of Grading Scale vs. Weights
Fairfax County, VA –Tuesday, January 6, 2009—
FAIRGRADE expressed concern today that Fairfax County Public
Schools (FCPS) has not clearly outlined for School Board
members that the number one factor for college admissions is
NOT grade point average (GPA) but high school letter grades
in core classes – a fact cited in FCPS' own report. (FCPS
Report: National Association for College Admissions
Counseling – NACAC, & The College Board)
...more
Proposed Changes to School Start Times
The SLEEP (Start Later for initiative gained
considerable ground in the past few weeks following
the release of a report by the FCPS Transportation staff in
early January 2009 outlining a plan for implementing
reasonable bell schedules with no added cost. The latest
solution (Iteration 3), posted on the FCPS website, would
require 1,128 buses, fewer than the current 1,144 being used
in the 2008-9 school year. To see the full staff
report,
click here.
The latest draft succeeded in placing all elementary
schools between 7:50 am and 9:25 am, the same basic
timeframe as now but with more on the earlier end in keeping
in young-child biology. Most high schools were set to
start at 8:30 am and end at 3:20 pm.
(The
proposed new start time/end time for McLean High School
would be 8:45 am - 3:35 pm.)
Most
middle schools would start at 9:40 am and end at 4:30 pm. A range of start times is needed to enable buses to do
several runs each morning and afternoon for efficiency.
FCPS
invites community members to attend one of seven community
dialogue meetings in February on proposed changes to the
school start times.
Citizens are invited to attend a community dialogue to
discuss the change and to
take an online survey.
For more
information, please see the attached link to the FCPS
website article.
http://www.fcps.edu/news/start.htm. Local meeting
will be held on February 24th at Longfellow Middle School,
2000 Westmoreland Street, Falls Church, VA.
Please mark your calendar and attend one of the seven Town
Hall Meetings on the latest bell schedule draft.
Don’t count on others to show up. Your presence is critical
to our fight for later start times.
“What Drives Our
Decisions”
Langley High School Cafeteria -- February 18
Program for Parents and Students
Is
talking with your teens and keeping them safe a priority for
YOU? Like most parents of teenagers, you probably answered
'yes' to the question above and know how hard it can be to
help navigate your teen through the high school years. The
Langley PTSA has extended an invitation to the McLean High
School community to join them at a program that can help you
AND your teen get on the same page.
Conversations that Count: “What Drives Our Decisions” is a
90 minute program being offered to the sophomore and junior
class students and parents. This program centers on the
challenges and opportunities that come with learning how to
drive. The discussion focuses on making healthy driving
decisions: identifying our core values, knowing the law,
avoiding underage drinking, and managing peer influence.
Students and their parents attend the program together. The
structure of the program encourages open communication by
separating parents from their own teens at the discussion
tables.
The
program will be held on February 18, @ 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Langley HS Cafeteria. Please RSVP to Mary Monferdini at
garrett649@aol.com.
McLean PTSA February 2009 Newsletter
Click here
to read the February 2009 PTSA Newsletter which includes
great information including a message from MHS PTSA
President, Susan Perla; information on upcoming activities
at McLean High School; an update on the FAIRGRADE
initiative; Class Notes; information on Student Services and
the College Application Process; information on PTSA, club
and school fundraisers and more!
Colleges that Change Lives Presentation
CANCELLED DUE TO SPEAKER ILLNESS
The program "Colleges that Change Lives" scheduled for
tonight, Feb. 9th has been cancelled due to illness of the
speaker. We are working to reschedule this presentation in
the near future. Details will be sent when they become
available.
Virginia PTA Essay Project for Students - Deadline Feb 2
Students in grades
9-12 are eligible to participate in the Virginia PTA Citizenship Essay
Project. The theme for this year’s project is “Our Earth – Our Future.”
Savings bonds in the amount of $1,000; $500 and $250 will be awarded for
first, second and third place essays. Entries must be postmarked by
February 2 and sent to: Debbie Kilpatrick, District Director, Northern
Virginia District PTA, 13301 Green Mallard Court, Clifton, VA
20124. More information, including the entry form can be found on
the following link.
http://www.novadistrictpta.org/documents/2008-2009DistrictCitizenshipEssayForm.pdf
Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors Candidate Debate
January 30th 7:30 pm
Luther Jackson Middle School
Sharon Bulova and Pat Herrity, candidates for Chairman of
the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, will debate issues
specifically related to Fairfax County schools and FCPS’
proposed budget cuts. This is your chance to ask
questions about the education issues that are important to
you.
Also, please mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 3,
the date for this special election. Voter turnout will
be key - please come out to vote!
FCPS Transportation Report Update
Report Provided
by: Barbara M. Hunter, Assistant Superintendent, FCPS available at
571-423-1218 or Barbara.Hunter1@fcps.edu
This information
is important to share with your building staff, because there is a lot
of misinformation in the community. As you may be aware, the School
Board discussed the possibility of changing school start and dismissal
times at its work session on Monday, January 12. At that meeting, the
Transportation Office provided a third iteration of a bell schedule that
is now being explored. No decision has been made on changing the
bell schedule. Likewise, no decision has been made on any programs
that could be impacted such as after-school activities and athletics.
Before making a
decision, the School Board will explore how parents, staff, and
community members feel about such a change. Six community
dialogues are being scheduled the last week in February to invite
families and community members to share their thoughts on such a change.
In addition, we will be inviting families and our community to complete
a survey that will be posted on our web site the first week of February.
The employee voice
is critical in this process. An employee survey will be posted on the
front page of the FCPSNet site at
http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu beginning in early February. Employees
can sign up to receive Keep In Touch messages on this topic
https://signup.blackboardconnect.com/fcps and select to receive
“School Board News and Updates” which will contain all the updates as
they become available.
Complete
information on the Transportation Task Force and FCPS Transportation
Department reports can be found at
http://www.fcps.edu/fts/taskforce07/ .
Confused About AP and Honors Classes
For Next Year?
Come to AP Night

Who:
Students 9-11 and their parents
When: January 22nd 7:00-8:30
Where: McLean HS Cafeteria
What: Ask questions of the AP teachers
All AP Classes Will Be Described. See typical assignments and
textbooks.
FAIRGRADE UPDATE
School Board members acknowledged today that
parents have lost confidence in the current grading system. Their work
session in early January yielded the following results:
GRADING SCALE:
The consensus among a majority of School Board members is that a grading
scale change is needed. But there was no consensus on what type of scale
change is needed. It appears a motion will be presented next week on
January 22nd that will task Dr. Dale and FCPS staff to study the pros
and cons of available grading scales and report back to the School Board
within 2 – 2 1/2 months. Their goal is to implement a grading scale
change for the 2009-10 school year. FAIRGRADE will remain engaged in
this process, providing high school profiles from schools currently
using the more standard 10-point grading scale (with pluses and
minuses). FAIRGRADE will continue to lobby FCPS officials for this
specific grading scale.
WEIGHTS FOR AP/IB:
The School Board was in agreement with Dr. Dale's recommendation to add
extra weights for advanced courses. The discussion focused on adding 1.0
extra weights for AP/IB coursework and applying those weights
retroactively for AP/IB courses taken up through this school year
2008-09. The School Board's discussion today implied this motion would
pass when a vote is taken next week, January 22nd.
WEIGHTS FOR HONORS:
The School Board was in agreement with Dr. Dale's proposal to POSTPONE
adding a 0.5 extra weight for Honors coursework for THIS year. Instead,
they agreed with Dr. Dale's proposal to begin weighting for Honors
coursework starting with the 2009-10 school year. Because of the various
types of Honors-level courses across the county, FCPS officials stated
they need to spend several months determining which courses will fall
under the "Honors" designation and receive the additional 0.5 weight.
School Board officials reiterated they want parents to have reasonable
expectations about implementation timelines and what affect, if any, a
grading scale change might have on a student's individual letter grades
and GPA. The School Board will discuss these
issues further and vote on the weighting proposal next Thursday, January
22nd. YOUR ATTENDANCE REMAINS CRITICAL AT THIS MEETING. Parents must
remain active to keep FCPS officials focused on grading scale changes.
Click here to view McLean PTSA President Susan Perla's letter to the
Editor in response to the Washington Post Editorial published on January
12th
Update on Later Start Times (January 2009)
Some wonderful news for the New Year! FCPS
Transportation staff released a report outlining a plan for implementing
reasonable bell schedules with no added cost. The latest solution
(Iteration 3), posted on the FCPS website, would require 1,128 buses,
fewer than the current 1,144 being used in the 2008-9 school year.
To see the full staff report,
click here.
The latest draft succeeded in placing all elementary schools between
7:50 am and 9:25 am, the same basic timeframe as now but with more on
the earlier end in keeping in young-child biology. Most high schools
were set to start at 8:30 am and end at 3:20 pm. Most middle schools
would start at 9:40 am and end at 4:30 pm. A range of start times is
needed to enable buses to do several runs each morning and afternoon for
efficiency.
Later start time advocates still have
significant work to do before bell schedule changes can become a
reality. SLEEP members can help in several ways in the next two months,
which we will detail in another communication soon. These include
attending a Monday, Jan. 12, work session at which the School Board will
discuss the latest draft and how to take it to the public. If you are
available that day, please mark that on your calendar: 3-6:30 pm, Jan.
12, Gatehouse Administrative Center, 8115 Gatehouse Rd., room 1600,
Falls Church. MORE
FAIRGRADE UPDATE (December 2008)
Since Thanksgiving, the
FAIRGRADE leadership team has dedicated over 60 hours editing FCPS
drafts and submitting our suggestions to FCPS administrators for
inclusion in the final report about the FCPS Grading Policy. In our
comments, FAIRGRADE repeatedly asked FCPS to clearly identify the
negative impacts of the current policies, as demonstrated by the data.
Because FAIRGRADE was
sufficiently troubled by the December 12th FCPS draft we were shown, we
asked FCPS to remove the names of FAIRGRADE's leadership team from the
FCPS report. We do not know the extent to which FCPS subsequently
changed its draft report, because FCPS will not provide FAIRGRADE with a
copy of the draft report sent to Superintendent Dale earlier this week.
(We have been told the report will become publicly available online at
www.fcps.edu on January 2, 2009.) Thus, FAIRGRADE's comments are based
on the December 12th FCPS draft report.
Despite FAIRGRADE's concerns that the December 12th FCPS draft report
UNDERSTATES the magnitude of the negative impacts of FCPS grading
policies, we believe that the research gathered over the last eight
months overwhelmingly supports FAIRGRADE's original findings that:
1. The existing FCPS grading policy disadvantages students for
admissions, merit scholarships and honors program placement,
2. FCPS provides less weights for advanced courses than most comparable
school districts,
3. A majority of colleges surveyed do not recalculate GPAs,
4. Nationwide, high school grading policies are trending towards the use
of a 10-point scale with pluses, minuses and extra weighting for
advanced courses, and
5. It still remains to be seen what evidence supports current FCPS
grading policy.
FAIRGRADE will issue its own Executive Summary of the research findings
for the School Board's consideration in early January. We will also post
on our website the data, analyses and background research literature
requested by FAIRGRADE, but not included by FCPS in its final report.
According to FCPS
officials, the January 8th regular School Board meeting agenda will
include the grading policy issue, and the public can sign up in advance
to speak about the FCPS report and the FCPS grading policy. On January
12th, Superintendent Dale is expected to present his recommendations at
the School Board work session where the public may observe the
proceedings, but may not comment. And it's possible that the School
Board could vote on Dale's recommendation(s) at the January 22nd Regular
School Board Meeting. Because this is a regular meeting, the public may
sign up to speak and address the Board.
Your support during
the first three weeks in January is critical. While extensive research
demonstrates the need for changing to a 10-point grading scale (with
pluses and minuses) and increasing the weights for honors and AP/IB
courses, SCHOOL OFFICIALS APPEAR UNCONVINCED.
The two most effective things you can do
are to attend the three January School Board meetings (Jan. 8th, 12th &
22nd), and email Superintendent Dale, your individual School Board
Member and all three Members-at-Large for the School Board.
SCHOOL OFFICIALS NEED TO
HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR CHANGE. If you have
personal experiences about lost opportunities for admissions,
scholarships or honors program placements, please email FCPS officials
and/or sign up to speak at the regular School Board meetings and tell
Board Members your story. (Go to
http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/requestspeak.htm) Your personal testimony may
be the single most important factor in persuading the School Board.
Don't leave action to others. Please get involved and convey your
personal story of lost opportunity.(Please send a copy of your story to:
fairgrade.anecdote@gmail.com.)
Finally, we remain
closely engaged with our Business Alliance for FAIRGRADE team, receiving
advice on a daily basis. The Business Alliance for FAIRGRADE will also
be launching some additional lobbying efforts of their own and we'll
keep you informed of these activities as they unfold.
IT Experts Dispel Notion that
FCPS Grading Policy Changes Would be Costly
Business Alliance for FAIRGRADE says IT
Experts Dispel Notion That FCPS Grading Policy Changes Would Be Costly.
Read attached text of
press release.
McLean High School
Ranks #55 in the Nation
Gold Medal School!
This year’s U.S. News and World Reports ranks McLean Lean
High School #55 in the nation. McLean is one of only four FCPS
high schools included in the top 100 school nationwide which makes
McLean a Gold Medal school. (TJ is ranked # 1; Langley #76; and Woodson
#90.) Congratulations to all the students, faculty, staff and
administration – Go Highlanders! To read Dr. Jackson’s message
click here.
Subject: FAIRGRADE ACT NOW:
Two
Simple Steps (Two minutes to read!)
Superintendent Dale only wants to
change the weights for advanced courses, but not change to the 10 point
grading scale. Here's what you can do to advocate for both
changes:
1. Attend the School Board
Meeting on January 8th at 7:00 PM. The location is: Luther Jackson
Middle School, in the auditorium, located at 3020 Gallows Road in Falls
Church. Bring your friends and parents. Wear white. Hundreds
of people will send the right message.
2. Send an email to the
School Board members and to the Superintendent urging them to read the
FCPS report, which clearly provides evidence for both increasing the
weights for advanced courses and changing to the 10 grading scale.
Letter grades should also include pluses and minuses. Make sure
you remind them to review Figure 6 on page 49 of the FCPS report.
Here are all the school board members' and the Superintendent's email
addresses:
Jack.Dale@fcps.edu,
daniel.storck@fcps.edu,
kathy.l.smith@fcps.edu,
elizabeth.bradsher@fcps.edu,
brad.center@fcps.edu,
stuart.gibson@fcps.edu,
Martina.Hone@fcps.edu,
kaye.kory@fcps.edu,
ilryong.moon@fcps.edu,
pneichner@fcps.edu,
james.raney@fcps.edu,
jane.strauss@fcps.edu,
tessie.wilson@fcps.edu,
Click here to view the FAIRGRADE Press Release that was issued on
January 2, 2009 in response to Superintendent Dale's recommendation that
the grading scale not be changed. Also,
click here to view the Fact Sheet supporting the change to the
grading scale and weights.
Panel Discussion on High School Education in Fairfax County with respect
to Achievement by Gender and Income Level
The McLean Chapter of
the AAUW (American Association of University Women) will sponsor a panel
discussion on the topic of high school education in Fairfax County,
particularly with respect to achievement by gender and income level.
The event will take place at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside
Avenue, McLean, Virginia, at 9:30 am.
Click here for
more details.
McLean
PTSA December/January Newsletter Posted
Click here to read the
December/January PTSA Newsletter with the latest school news including a
message from MHS Principal, Dr. Deborah Jackson; information on winter
activities at McLean High School; an article on the Tree of Life Mosaic
installed by the MHS Art Honor Society; an update from FAIRGRADE;
information on Student Services and class notes; and information on
PTSA, club and school fundraisers.
Article on Revised Bell Schedules
Check out this guest column in The Connection newspapers on
the issue of how better bell schedules are a win-win for students and
the budget situation:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=322225&paper=68&cat=110
REMINDER: School Board Meeting – Thursday, Jan 8th – 7pm
YOUR
ATTENDANCE IS CRUCIAL TO THIS EFFORT!
ADDRESS: Luther
Jackson Middle School - 3020 Gallows Road in Falls Church
PROTOCOL: Emotions
on this issue are running high throughout the community. It will benefit
our cause if all participants, especially member of FAIRGRADE, act
professionally, respect the protocol of the meeting, and exit the room
quietly. It is important we leave the School Board with a good
impression.
PARKING: Large
crowds and the press are expected. We recommend you arrive early and
carpool. Additional parking is available behind Luther Jackson MS, the
shopping plaza next to the Luther Jackson MS, and the parking lot near
Sweetwater Tavern. If the auditorium is crowded, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Please WEAR WHITE. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00pm. At least
seven of the 10 available speaker spots have been secured by people
speaking about the FCPS grading policy. The speakers will go first.
Typically, the Chairman of the School Board will ask that anyone
supporting the speaker’s position respectfully stand while the speaker
presents their statement. At the conclusion of the speaker’s list, you
are welcome to leave, or you may stay until 9:00pm when the grading
policy is formally discussed by the School Board under “New Business."
Testimonials Needed for FAIRGRADE
With the FCPS final report nearly complete, your help is critical in
persuading the School Board about the need to change existing grading
policies. FAIRGRADE is seeking detailed testimonials and factual
anecdotes that detail how FCPS' grading policies have impacted your
family and your experiences with honors or AP/IB high school classes,
college admissions officers, financial aid/scholarship offices, NCAA
eligibility, etc.If you have an interesting or moving anedote, we want
to hear it. Many of you personally told us stories at FAIRGRADE
presentations. Please write them down and send them to us now. We are
bundling these poignant and distressing anecdotes so that School Board
members may comprehend the reality of how current grading policies are
impacting families and so they will better understand the community's
support for change. Please be as specific as possible, recording
any known dates and providing contact names you have had in these
interactions. Send your testimonials and anecdotes to FAIRGRADE
Co-founder Marcy Newberger at:
fairgrade.anecdote@gmail.com. Please do not delay. You stories are
needed as quickly as possible.
Status of the FCPS Grading Policies Report
On Thursday, November 20th, FCPS officials gave FAIRGRADE a
draft of its 100+ page staff report. FAIRGRADE will meet with Assistant
Superintendent Murphy and other FCPS staff on December 2nd to discuss
the staff's draft. However, FCPS may or may not accept FAIRGRADE's
suggested changes. FCPS staff expects to present the final report to
Superintendent Dale the week of December 8th. Superintendent Dale is
expected to publicize his recommendations at a FCPS School Board work
session on Monday, January 12th, 2009. The time of the work session
is not yet available, but we are told that it is likely to be scheduled
in the late morning.
FAIRGRADE recommends that interested parents try to attend
this FCPS work session. Work sessions normally are scheduled at the
Gatehouse administrative building in Merrifield, and are open to the
public. Although members of the public are not allowed to speak during
work sessions, it will provide a valuable opportunity to hear School
Board members discuss their views with respect to Dr. Dale's proposed
changes to FCPS grading policies.
FAIRGRADE encourages all of you to continue emailing your
School Board members (one for your district, plus the three at-large
members), to let them know how you feel about this issue.
ANGP
White House Christmas Tree Ornament Sale
Purchase a 2008 White House Christmas Tree Ornament (see below) for
$20 and help raise money for the All Night Grad Party. To print
the order form,
click here.
Questions? Please contact Reg Devlin at
rddevlin@cox.net.

McLean Crew Club Christmas Fundraiser
Want to shop in
style? Feel the need to go green? Order our exclusive McLean Highlanders
recyclable tote. The black bag has a red McLean Highlanders logo on it
and is the size of a regular grocery store tote. Not only is it perfect
for groceries, but farmers markets, craft fairs and even the library.
The price is $4.00 each, but with an order of 5 you get one free!
Delivery will be December 13th at the Winter Bazaar. Order forms are
found on the McLean Crew website.
FAIRGRADE Lobbying Efforts
Your generous donations were put to good use this month.
Last week, our press kits were delivered to eight Cluster Assistant
Superintendents, eight cluster directors, all School Board members, all
high school and middle school principals, all directors of high school
student services and selected other FCPS assistant superintendents.
These substantial press kits include copies of all press clips about the
FAIRGRADE issue, FAIRGRADE research materials, and fact sheets and
information about our leadership team and support network.
This week, FAIRGRADE's comprehensive "iPetition Special
Report" was also delivered to members of the Board of Supervisors,
School Board members, Superintendent Dale, Deputy Superintendent
Moniuszko, all Cluster Assistant Auperintendents, selected other
assistant superintendents, high school principals and the press. The
80-page "iPetition Special Report" contains over 350 public testimonials
that demonstrate the impact FCPS grading policies are having on FCPS
students and families.
FAIRGRADE recently met with Board of Supervisor (BOS)
Member Pat Herrity to discuss the current FCPS grading policies, along
with FAIRGRADE's research and grading policy recommendations. The
Business Alliance for FAIRGRADE is also meeting with BOS members as well
as some School Board members who have accepted invitations for
one-on-one meetings with our Business Alliance team.
FAIRGRADE
Parent Advocacy Efforts
The Cooper Middle School PTA is circulating a "Resolution
for Change" and encouraging fellow PTA/PTO/PTSA organizations to adopt
this resolution. FAIRGRADE believes that gathering and documenting the
strong community support for grading policy changes is vital BEFORE the
School Board votes on these issues. Please encourage your PTA/PTO/PTSA
leadership to seriously consider this resolution. It is available on our
website under the category "Downloads" – then go to the subcategory
"FAIRGRADE Fact Sheet".
The Woodson High School parent community is sponsoring a
parent-led initiative to support FAIRGRADE at the FCPS School Board
meeting on December 4, 2008, 7:00 PM, at Luther Jackson MS in
Merrifield. Organizers are calling the event "Project White Out." They
ask that you wear a white shirt to visually support the FAIRGRADE
movement. You may also sign up to give remarks to the School Board about
the grading policies issue. Contact Project White Out organizer Sandra
Hoch at hochrs@verizon.net for more information. Hoch says this is the
perfect opportunity for stakeholders looking to volunteer their time and
efforts for influencing key decision makers.
Thank you for your continued support!
McLean High School
Holiday Bazaar
Come support the many
McLean HS Clubs and PTSA at the MHS Holiday Bazaar on December 13th from
9 am till 3 pm in the front lobby of the school. Some of the items that
are being sold include:
-
Fruit
-
Wreaths
-
Candles
-
MHS Booster
Spirit Wear
-
Gift Basket
Raffle
-
TV Raffle
-
McLean license
plate frames
-
Poinsettia's
-
Silpada Jewelry
-
White House
Ornaments
-
Chatter Box Game
-
Coffee/Bake Sale
-
Sees Candy
-
McLean Key Chains
and scarves
-
Pre Registration
for Crew Mulch Sale
-
McLean Track
Clothing
-
First Aid Kits
-
India and South
Asia jewelry and painted gift glass articles
-
McLean Decals
-
McLean Teddy
Bears
Project White Out -
Help Support FAIRGRADE
What: Project White Out is a parent-led initiative to
visually and verbally support FAIRGRADE at the next FCPS School Board
meeting.
Visually: Wear Something White
Verbally: Speak Out - 10 speaker slots
available (Click
Here to View Guidelines) Everyone will have the option to submit
written comments. Written comment forms will be available at the
meeting.
When: December 4, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Jackson Middle School,
http://www.fcps.edu/maps/jackson.htm
3020 Gallows Road,
Main Entrance, Room 302 – Auditorium, Falls Church, VA 22042
Why: Impact. A large group of
Students, Parents and Community Members will deliver a powerful message
to the FCPS Superintendent and School Board.
Please wear something white to support FAIRGRADE at Jackson
Middle School on December 4th at 7:00 p.m. Questions can be directed to:
Sandy Hoch:
hochrs@verizon.net or Donna Greer:
donna.greer@verizon.net
Grade Distribution Data on School Profile
Many thanks to Dr. Jackson and the Guidance Department for
taking swift action last week to update McLean High School’s profile to
include grade distribution data. Approximately 600 updated school
profiles were mailed out to colleges on November 3.
As you may know, when student transcripts are sent to
colleges, the mailing includes a school profile which includes
information about the school and community, AP and honors courses
offered, SAT/ACT/AP exam scores, grading scale, etc. One
additional item that Dr. Jackson wanted to include (but was told no by
FCPS) was the grade distribution, which would help demonstrate to
colleges the extremely rigorous curriculum and grading policies at
McLean High School.
During a simple internet search by a parent, we discovered
that there was a Virginia Department of Education regulation which
requires high schools to include grade distribution data on the school
profile. This state regulation was to go into effect for the
2008-2009 school year. After continued conversations with FCPS,
the county approved McLean High School’s updated school profile on
Friday afternoon, October 31.
The PTSA Executive Board met and decided to send out a
press release as well
as
a letter to the
School Board to express concern that FCPS had not implemented this
regulation in a timely way (see attached links). The county is now
addressing this issue by developing a standardized grade distribution
report for all of its high schools.
We want to thank Dr. Jackson for her leadership, the
Guidance Department counselors and staff for their extraordinary
efforts, and our parents for their advocacy on behalf of all the senior
class of 2009 in FCPS.
McLean PTSA November 2008 Newsletter Posted
Click here
to read the November 2008 PTSA Newsletter which includes a message from
MHS PTSA President, Susan Perla; information on fall activities at
McLean High School; an article about the SLEEP initiative to get later
start times for high schools; information on Student Services; and
information on PTSA, club and school fundraisers.
Update on Later Start Times (November
2008)
Per The Washington Post
article Saturday morning, we're still a long way from our goal and face
many challenges in this terrible budget year. One key challenge is
getting accurate figures for how much the bell schedule change itself
costs, as opposed to how much it costs to fix a number of problems with
the current transportation system. Dean Tistadt, COO for FCPS,
acknowledges that “The current bell schedule was created in something of
a chaotic, reactive manner over a great man[y] years. It does not
provide for an efficient movement of buses between schools and service
areas.” More
McLean Baseball Team's See's Candy Sale
With the
holidays coming up, we have the perfect gift for family, friends,
and coworkers. With our wide variety of chocolate, gift giving is
easier than ever. To view the brochure
click here. To
view and print the order form
click here.
Orders must be placed by November 17th. Candy must
be picked up at McLean High School on December 13th at the McLean
High School Bazaar. Any questions please call Lisa Nelson
703-533-0376. Thank you for supporting McLean High School
Baseball!
Orchestra Holiday
Greens Sale
Go to the MHSO
website—www.mhsorchestra.org—to
view the festive products and download an order form. The greens
will be
delivered
the week before Thanksgiving—you may either pick up your order at MHS,
or you can
choose to
have them direct-mailed, a great gift idea. A sample wreath is on
display in the MHS Orchestra room.
McLean Theatre
"Romeo and Juliet"
Come see "Romeo and Juliet" November 20-22 at 7:30 PM. Starting on
Tuesday, Nov 18, tickets will be available for sale at lunch (pre-sale
tickets for students are $5). Tickets will be sold at the door on
the night of the performances starting at 6:45 pm. Ticket prices
the night of the performance are $7 for students and $10 for adults.
For more information please call 703 714 5821.
Click here to view the flyer.
Honor Code Survey
The Honor Code
Committee is currently conducting a survey of the opinions of MHS
parents in regard to the MHS Honor Code. All answers are anonymous.
Thank you for your participation. Your opinion as parents of McLean High
School is a very valuable part of this process. If you would like to
participate in the survey, please click on the link below. The survey
will be available until midnight, Nov 18th.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ARk7i_2bx5JAW6wl5yvauDlw_3d_3d
Safe Teen Driving
Presentation
The Partners for Safe Teen Driving presentation will be
held on Monday, November 17 in the Cafeteria at 7:30 pm. Information
will include: driver education and the licensing process, insuring the
teen driver, important traffic laws, and parent tips for coaching the
teen driver.
Winter Sports Parent Meeting
This is a reminder that there will be a WINTER SPORTS
PARENT MEETING for all parents of students participating on a Winter
Athletic team on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH at 7:00 p.m. IN THE
CAFETERIA
Volunteers Needed
to Assist with Senior Ethics Day
We still need
at least 20 parent volunteers--no matter what grade your teen is in!--to
serve as "table leaders" at the MHS annual Senior Ethics Day event at
Marymount University on November 11 (the Veterans Day federal holiday),
which all MHS seniors are required to take part in. The event involves
student discussion of ethical dilemmas within smaller, assigned groups
that are facilitated by an MHS student "McLeader," with the assistance
of a parent volunteer. Lunch is provided for everyone. There will
be a training session for table leaders Monday, November 3, at 7:30-8:30
a.m. The Senior Ethics Day program wraps up in the early afternoon
on the 11th, in time for students to return to MHS at the close of
school. If you can help out with this important program--no prior
experience is needed!--or if you would like more information, contact
Jennifer Kobylski at
tpkoby@aol.com or Betsy Smith at
bletsmith@aol.com, by October 23.
SLEEP UPDATE (Start
Later for Excellence in Education Proposal)
The School Board
made important decisions on our issue at its Monday Sept. 8 Work
Session. We are moving forward, but there is more advocacy to be done if
later start times are to become a reality in fall 2009.
-
With the
latest version, a second draft, estimated to cost $4.3
million a year, way down from the first version, the Board asked
that staff look at ways to save more money and give them a
third
draft.
SLEEP supports this and believes it’s possible to turn later start
times into a cost-saver.
-
The Board also
asked staff to give them a
“drop-dead” date
for when they would have to make a decision in order to implement
later start times in fall 2009. SLEEP supports this as guidance for
Board action.
-
The Board
postponed public input
from this fall to early next year, after they get through a long
series of budget hearings. SLEEP would have preferred to see the 3rd
draft in October and public input in November.
Next steps:
Recommendations for Iteration 3, pushing for early public input and
action
For more
information
click
here to view the fact sheet. To sign the online petition,
visit
www.SLEEPinFairfax.org
Parent Coffees – October 30 and 31 in the Lecture Hall
Come and meet members of the Administration Team and Guidance Staff to
learn about what is happening and have your questions answered. 9th
and 10th grade parents will meet at 7:30 a.m. on October 30th
; and 11th & 12th grade parents will meet at 7:30
am on October 31st.
Safe Community Coalition (SCC) Parenting Program
October 30, 7 PM
The SCC will
present a parenting program featuring nationally renowned ethics expert
and author Rush Kidder. The program, “Good Kids, Tough
Choices, Ethical Parenting in a Messy Age,” will take place on
October 30, at 7:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1545 Chain Bridge
Road, McLean. As the
attached flyer
details, parents of middle and high school students will have the
opportunity to return on Friday, October 31 (10:30 – 12:00 noon for
middle school parents, and 12:30 – 2:00 pm for high school parents) to
participate in focus group discussions which will assist Dr. Kidder’s
research for his new book.
Fairfax County Government FY 2010
Budget
Community Dialogue Meetings
Fairfax County is projecting a budget deficit of
more than $400 million for FY 2010 (beginning
July 1, 2009) which must be addressed through a
combination of spending reductions and other
strategies. Fairfax County Government and
Fairfax County Public Schools will host 20
community dialogue sessions to gather comments
from the public. There are several
meetings that will be held in or around the
McLean area: Tuesday, October 21 at Marshall
High School (7:00 –9:30 pm); Saturday, October
25 at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (9:30 am –
12:00 noon);
and Wednesday, October 29 at the McLean
Community Center (7:00 – 9:30 pm). For
more information on how to register to
participate in the Community Dialogue meetings,
please visit the Fairfax County Government
website at
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/budget/.
Athletic Booster
Annual Fundraiser
The McLean High School Annual Golf Classic will be
held at the Reston National Golf Course on Thursday, October 24th.
Click here to view the flyer and registration form
or contact Cyndee Cannon at
cyndeecannon@juno.com.
Spirit Week at McLean
The week of
October 14 leading up to Homecoming is Spirit Week at McLean.
Students have been asked to show their school spirit by participating in
the following theme activities each day:
-
Tuesday
Tacky Tuesday (wear mix-matched clothes)
-
Wednesday
Pajama Day (wear “tasteful” pajamas)
-
Thursday
Jungle Day (wear jungle theme/print clothes)
-
Friday
Big Red Day (wear red!)
The Homecoming
football game (against rival Thomas Jefferson High School) will take
place on Friday, October 17 at 7:30 pm. Classes and clubs have
been working on their banners for the parade. We hope everyone
will come out to support the football team and enjoy the award-winning
Highlander Marching Band at half-time.
The Homecoming
Dance will be held on Saturday, October 18, from 8:30 pm – 11:30 pm in
the Gym. The theme of the dance is a jungle theme: “Take a Walk on
the Wild Side.” Tickets are $15.00 per person and must be purchased in
advance during lunch hours in the cafeteria. (Tickets will not be
sold at the door.) Parents, please remind your students to act
(and dance) responsibly – not too wild – and be safe!
Parent volunteers are needed to help chaperone and man the
coat check at MHS’s “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” homecoming dance this
year, on October 18. If interested, please contact Ms. Wagoner at
Lori.Wagoner@fcps.edu.
Junior Class (Class of 2010)
Presents

The Class of 2010 is selling
INNISBROOK WRAPS for their Fall Fundraiser. The entire fundraiser is
being conducted ON-LINE. The sale runs from
August 20 to October 3, 2008.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to defray the cost of the
Jr./Sr. Prom. Please support our efforts by sharing the Innisbrook
catalog with family, friends and co-workers. Every orders helps us—we
receive 50% PROFIT on each order. Go to
www.innisbrook.com, fill your shopping cart and when prompted, enter
McLean’s customer number 108809. Your order will be shipped
directly to your home—no pesky school pick-up required! If
you have any questions, please contact Parent Sponsor Gayla Hassett at
703/534-7480 or
ghassett@cox.net.
Internet Safety Town Hall Meeting
The
Virginia PTA and Enough is Enough
present an Internet Safety Town Hall Meeting on Monday, October 6, 2008
at in the Russell Theater, Robinson Secondary School (2035 Sideburn
Road, Fairfax). PTA members and the General Public are invited to
attend. Registration and Refreshments 6 – 7 p.m. Internet Safety
101: Empowering Parents presentation 7 – 9 p.m. Online registration is
available through
http://www.novadistrictpta.org/events/EIEtownhall.htm
For
more information, you can download
the flyer
Online Database Information Session
On Back-to-School night at 6:00 p.m. all parents are
invited to an online database information/training session in the
Library. The McLean librarians, Mrs. McCarthy and Ms. Cuccia, will be
conducting a half hour session to familiarize parents with the online
subscription databases and online catalog that are available to students
24/7.
McLean
PTSA sponsors
Dialogue with FAIRGRADE
The PTSA Ad Hoc Committee on FAIRGRADE invites the McLean
High School community – in particular, families with seniors – to an
evening dialogue with Sara Pacqué-Margolis. Sara, one of the FAIRGRADE
co-founders and a parent of two current MHS seniors, will update
families on the status of FAIRGRADE and the FCPS response. We want
to encourage an open, informal conversation that will provide insights
for the current senior class applying to colleges, as well as share
strategies for how you can continue to support FAIRGRADE this fall.
All are invited to attend the session, which will be held in the Lecture
Hall at 7:30 pm on September 22. Please visit FAIRGRADE’s updated
website at:
www.fairgrade.org.
Senior Parent Night – Monday, September 15, 7:30 pm
Senior parents and
guardians are invited to the annual Senior Parent Night, Monday,
September 15 at 7:30 pm in the McLean High School Auditorium. This is a
parent/guardian program only as your students will be attending their
grade level unit starting September 22. Hear about the resources
available to you and your student as you navigate the college admission
process and post secondary planning. Meet with your student's counselor
in small group discussion. Please contact Mrs. Rahn in the College
Career Center at
Isobel.Rahn@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
McLean High School PTSA support of FAIRGRADE
At its March 10
meeting, the McLean High School PTSA voted to endorse and support the
mission of FAIRGRADE: “…to revise FCPS grading policies so that
FCPS students are no longer at a disadvantage in competing for college
admissions, merit-based scholarships, and admissions to honors
programs…”.
FAIRGRADE was created in January 2008 to advocate for major
revisions of the current grading policies in Fairfax County Public
Schools (FCPS). The four Co-founders include a former Admissions
Officer for Georgetown University and Admissions Reader for Duke
University, a demographer, a former FCPS special education teacher, and
a longtime FCPS volunteer and current president of the Fairfax County
Association for the Gifted.
FAIRGRADE supporters believe that FCPS' current 6-point
grading scale and weighting disparities between Honors and AP/IB classes
hurt our kids. FAIRGRADE's immediate goal is to persuade FCPS to join
the majority of American high schools who have implemented the more
commonly used 10-point grading scale with added weights for Honors and
AP/IB classes or a straight numeric scale with added weights for Honors
and AP/IB classes.
FAIRGRADE's extensive research shows FCPS' current grading
policies put FCPS students at a disadvantage for the following:
-
College
admissions
-
Receipt of
valuable merit-based academic scholarships
-
Admissions to
college honors programs
-
NCAA athletic
eligibility
-
Car insurance
"good student" discounts
Following initial refusals from FCPS officials to address
FAIRGRADE's findings and concerns, FAIRGRADE took its research directly
to PTA's and PTO's in Fairfax County schools in the spring of '08.
After successful presentations at numerous FCPS schools, hundreds of
parents flooded the FCPS Administration with e-mails and phone calls and
a grassroots movement was born. As a result, FCPS Superintendent
Jack Dale assembled an FCPS research team to provide analysis about how
FCPS grading policies compare to other school districts regionally and
non-regionally, the impact of these policies division-wide and to
determine what, if anything, supports current FCPS grading policies. FAIRGRADE
participated in an FCPS Forum on Grading Policies at Luther Jackson
Middle School on August 25th.
Click here to read the Washington Post article about this meeting.
Other Coverage:
FAIRGRADE Co-founder Marcy Newberger appeared on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on
WAMU 88.5FM– The Politics Hour – on Monday, June 16th. To listen
to the segment
click here.
Sign the FAIRGRADE Petition
See the Channel 9 Article by Peggy Fox and View
the Video
For more
information, or to find out how you can help please visit the FAIRGRADE
website
www.fairgrade.org
or contact FAIRGRADE at
fairgrade.fcps@gmail.com.
PTSA
Newcomers Potluck Dinner – Friday, Sept 12th 6 pm
All 9th grade
students and families and new 10-12th grade transfer students and
families are invited to attend a potluck dinner on September 12, at 6:00
pm in the Cafeteria. This will give everyone a chance to meet
members of the PTSA board, administrators, and class parents, and learn
more about McLean High School! There will be an opportunity to
have your questions answered. Please bring a dish to share that will
feed 8-10 people, along with a serving spoon. For last
names beginning with: A-K - main dish or pasta; L-R
- salad, vegetable or fruit; S-Z - dessert. For questions,
please contact: Sally Evans (703) 556-8624 or Susan Hekking (703)
827-9054.
September
2008 PTSA Newsletter Posted
Click here to read
the September 2008 PTSA
Newsletter which includes welcome notes from MHS Principal, Dr.
Deborah Jackson, and PTSA President, Susan Perla; information on fall
activities and promotions; and the membership form to join the
McLean PTSA.
Volunteers Needed to
Help with Freshman Orientation
Parent Volunteers
are needed to help with the Freshman Orientation on September 5.
The students will be going off-site to the Capital One Bank building for
this program. Capital One is located at 1680 Capital One Drive,
McLean, VA 22102 (right off 123 near the Beltway). Parents are
needed to help serve box lunches, etc. from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Parking will be available, but we need to provide the list of parent
names to Capital One for parking and security. If you can help, please
RSVP to Susan Perla via e-mail by Wednesday, September 3 (susan.perla@gmail.com).
Volunteers Needed to Help Sort Back to School Forms
In
addition, volunteers are needed to help sort the many forms that come
back to school with the students on the first day of school. Sorting
will take place in the conference room in the main office (near the
kitchen) starting on Wednesday, 9/3. Volunteers can come any time - no
RSVP is required.
Guidance Packets
Mailed out to McLean Students
Click to view the
letter and
FAQs sent to freshman families. Click to view the
letter sent to families of sophomores-seniors.
Click here if you have misplaced your blue student directory form.
In order for students to receive their schedules, they must bring an
updated emergency care form (included in the mailed materials).
Blank emergency care forms are available by
clicking here.
Summer Reading
Assignments
McLean High School
has published a list of summer reading assignments for students. For
your reference, attached are links for English and AP classes:
http://www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS/academics/english/Summer%20Reading%20List2008%20(2).htm
http://www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS/academics/AP%20Summer%20Assignments%202008.htm
Roundtable on
research of FCPS Grading Policies
Grading Policies Roundtable:
At 1:00
p.m. this Monday, August 25th, FAIRGRADE is participating
in an FCPS sponsored Roundtable panel discussion regarding the
impact of grading policies on college admissions and scholarships.
This event is open to the public. Questions may be submitted
in advance at the FCPS web site and the public may question the
panel following the Roundtable. Your attendance is STRONGLY
encouraged. This issue makes news because of concerned parents
like you.
The Roundtable
is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Luther
Jackson Middle located on Gallows Road at Route 50 in Merrifield.
The address is: 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church. Go to
the FCPS homepage to submit questions and for additional details:
www.fcps.edu. You may copy FAIRGRADE with your questions
at: fairgrade.fcps@gmail.com
Roundtable
Pre-Rally:
FAIRGRADE
needs students and parents like you for a pre-Roundtable Rally.
Many television and newspaper cameras are expected to cover the
Roundtable. This is your opportunity to personally show the press
and Fairfax County officials how much this issue means to you.
Don't leave action to others. Please get involved.
Make signs and come rally with other
students and parents at
NOON
in front of Luther Jackson Middle School located at Gallows Road at
Route 50 in Merrifield.
The time and effort you invest now could save you thousands when
your child goes to college.
The address
for Luther Jackson Middle School is 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church.
Please email FAIRGRADE
Communications Director, Catherine Lorenze at
clorenze@verizon.net to notify us of your intention to rally
outside of the school.
Click here
to read FAIRGRADE's press release.
Research of FCPS Grading Policies
FCPS is collaborating
on a research study of FCPS grading policies. A roundtable with college
admission officers is planned for Monday, August 25, 1 p.m., at Jackson
Middle School. It is open to the public.
Details.
Volunteers Needed for
Packet Stuffing on August 19
Parent and student
volunteers are needed for the Back-To-School packet stuffing on August
19 at 8:00 am in the Library. Community service hours will be
given to students. Please join us and help get the year off to a
great start!
MHS Prep Summer Institutes
The Summer
Institutes: MHS Prep (Transition to McLean for rising freshman) and MHS
Prep PLUS (Prepare, Learn, Understand and Succeed for Students enrolled
in Honors and AP classes) wlll take place at McLean HS on August 18-21.
Please note students must have registered for this program in June 2008.
Click here for more information on the
MHS Prep schedule and for
MHS Prep PLUS schedule.
Parent Volunteers
Needed for Guidance Packet Stuffing
We need 12-15
parent volunteers (no students please) to help stuff Guidance Packets on
Tuesday, August 12, at 8:00 am in the College and Career Center. The
project will likely be finished by noon, but your assistance is
appreciated even if you can only stay for an hour or two.
Please email
susan.perla@gmail.com if you're able to assist.
Volunteer to Help Kids with Disabilities Ride a Bike!
The Fairfax County Park Authority is sponsoring a bike camp
called Lose the Training Wheels, a program where children with
disabilities learn to ride a standard 2 wheel bicycle without training
wheels. This life changing program will run for three weeks during the
summer: July 14-18 2008 at Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy in
Chantilly and July 21-25 & July 28-August 1 at Herndon High School. They
are recruiting volunteers to commit to at least one 75 minute session
for at least one week to be one of two roles: spotters or
administrative. They have a greater need for spotters. The session times
are:
-
8:15-9:45 a.m.
-
9:45-11:15 a.m.
-
12:00-1:30 p.m.
-
1:30-3:00 p.m.
-
3:00-4:30 p.m.
Additionally, they are looking for individuals to assist with
the loading and unloading of bikes and equipment for the weeks of July
21-25 and July 28-August 1st for the times of 7:15-8:15 am and 4:30-5:30
pm.
This is a great volunteer opportunity for groups, families,
and individuals. You can really make a difference in a child's life.
Volunteers receive lunch, RECenter passes, and a Lose The Training
Wheels bike camp t-shirt as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
Follow-Up to Teen
Summit
Parent Task Force
Volunteers Needed
The 12th
Annual Safe Community Coalition (SCC) Teen Summit was held on February
5, 2008. Over 100 teens discussed problems facing the teens in our
community and brainstormed solutions using the following framework: 1)
What can I do to help myself? 2) What can my family do to help me? 3)
What can my school do to help me? 4) What can my community do to
help me?
Following the Teen
Summit, the SCC established task forces in each of the six topic areas:
Academic Pressure and College Stress; Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking; Values
Clarification; Safe Social Alternatives; Mental and Physical Health; and
The Internet and Technology. The task forces will include SCC members,
parents, teachers and school administrators, students, and community
members. Parent volunteers are needed to serve on the six task forces to
help respond to the needs and suggestions developed at the summit.
If you would like
to volunteer for one of the task forces, please contact SCC Board Member
Laura Zoll at
laurazoll@hotmail.com. You can learn more about the Summit and
read the students’ statements by visiting the SCC website
www.safecommunitycoalition.net
FCCPTA Survey re:
Later Start Times for High Schools
The Fairfax County
School Board believes that later start times would be beneficial for
high school students and is looking into the possibility of changing
school start times to better correspond with children's sleep cycles.
The primary reason for the change would be to improve student health
and academic performance.
A
Transportation Task Force composed of parents, principals, teachers,
coaches and representatives from a wide range of community groups
recently proposed changes to transportation and bell schedules.
The Task Force considered an incredibly broad range of issues related to
these subjects over a 6-month period. To review the recommendations
presented to the School Board, please visit:
http://www.fcps.edu/fts/taskforce07/documents/finalreport/majorityfinalreport.pdf.
The
Fairfax County Council of PTAs (FCCPTA) has asked us to help promote a
survey they are doing to learn more about parent perspectives with
regard to school start times and the daily schedule.
Please take a few
minutes to fill out this survey
http://www.fccpta.org/trans_survey/ start_time_survey.htm It takes
about 3 to 5 minutes to complete—depending on how much thought you put
into your answers.
Background:
Here are some items to keep in mind as you take the survey:
~ Bell schedules (start and end times of the school day) are
based on using buses to make more than one trip.
~ Now, buses are used 2 or 3 times each morning, so start times
are staggered across three basic time frames.
~ Elementary schools are in all three time frames from 7:50 am to
9:25 am.
~ If bell schedules change, elementary schools would still be in
all three time frames, but more elementary schools would start between
7:50 am and 8:55 am.
~ Some elementary schools would still be in the latest time
frame, starting between 9:00 am and 9:40 am.
The Fairfax County Council of PTAs (FCCPTA) would like to know about
your student's school-related habits and your views on this issue.
Responses are anonymous. Please submit one survey per household.
If you have questions, please contact the FCCPTA School Start Survey
Coordinator.
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