🍀Husky Highlights🍀

Greetings Tuscarora Family,

As we enter into the month of March, the Tuscarora family has a lot to celebrate! Congratulations to all of our Quarter 2 All A Honor Roll students and RISE Award winners. Congratulations, Husky scholars! We also celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of our Husky athletes. From Indoor track, to gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, and basketball, our student athletes continue to demonstrate excellence, great accomplishments, and fantastic sportsmanship! Kudos to our wonderful Husky scholar athletes!

During the month of March, we also honor and celebrate the contributions of Social Workers. Especially during these challenging times, Social Workers have an essential role in the well-being of our Tuscarora family. During the first full week of March, March 2-8, 2025, we celebrate School Social Work Week. To the Social Workers in our community and to our own School Social Worker, Omega Smith, thank you for all you do to support our Tuscarora community. We appreciate you!

This month we also celebrate Women's History Month. We honor women's contribution to our history, our world, our country, and our community. I am especially proud of the accomplishments of our Lady Huskies in the areas of academics, arts, sports, and leadership. For more information about Women's History Month, please visit womenhistorymonth.gov or womenhistory.org.

Please continue to read on to stay updated on events at Tuscarora HS. Please stay connected with us, let us know how you are doing, and what we can do to support you.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff for assistance.

Pamela Croft

Principal

Pamela.Croft@lcps.org

As we approach the Spring, let's please review our Attendance Processes.

All Attendance requests must be submitted by a parent/guardian. This also goes for students who are 18 years of age or older. Any Attendance notifications submitted by a student will be unexcused.

Attendance requests must include a general reason for tardies, dismissals, or absences. If you are requesting a dismissal, a time of dismissal is needed as well. Please note that students are not permitted to leave the school building for lunch.

The Attendance Hotline is for reporting Absences only. The voicemail is checked frequently throughout the day but if you are reporting a student tardy or needing a dismissal, the request may not be processed in time.

Please read below for Attendance reporting methods:

Tardies - A parent/guardian may:

1. Submit Tardy Notification with the ParentVue app (submit prior to student’s arrival and include a reason)

2. Email THSabsentee@lcps.org (send prior to student arriving in the building and include reason).

3. Send in a signed note with the student.

Dismissals - A parent/guardian may:

1. Submit Dismissal Notification with the ParentVue app

2. Email THSabsentee@lcps.org

3. Send in a signed note with the student in the morning. Students are to stop by the Attendance window before the start of school to pick up their dismissal pass.

All electronic early dismissals need to be submitted by 11:15am if you are notifying the school of a same day appointment. We understand that there are emergencies or last minute appointments scheduled. Please give the Attendance Office notice first thing in the morning or as soon as possible. Last minute requests need to be submitted at least 1 hour prior to dismissal in order to guarantee it is processed in time.

Absences - A parent/guardian may:

1. Email THSabsentee@lcps.org

2. Report absence using the ParentVue “Report Attendance” feature.

3. Leave a voicemail on the Absentee Hotline (571-252-1902). Please speak slowly and clearly. Don’t forget to spell your child’s name and included a general reason of absence.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any Attendance questions as they arise.

ACCESS testing for English Language students continues into March. State and federal law requires LCPS to annually assess all EL students in their English language proficiency. The test provides information about students’ English language abilities in school. ACCESS measures what students know and can do in English in the domains of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

March SOL Testing

All students in English 11 or AP English Language will take the Writing SOL on March 10th and 11th. The Writing SOL is a two part test, multiple choice and short paper, taken over two days. If your student attends the Academies they will complete a make up later in the week. The Writing verified credit is a graduation requirement.

May SOL Testing

On the following dates we will have an adjusted bell schedule for testing.

Questions? Please reach out to Mrs. Crawford, sommer.crawford@lcps.org.

Seniors, this is your last chance to earn a special recognition from the Governor of Virginia on your diploma for being at an intermediate level or higher in a language other than English! Please provide appropriate proficiency evidence or register to be tested by April 3, 2025. The test will take place on April 9th at 9:30 am.

Questions? Contact Ms. Paz (catherine.paz@lcps.org) or see the THS WL Department page for more info.

THS plans to induct over 75 new members to our language honor societies this year. Congratulations to those who have met all of the qualifications to be invited. Our ceremony will be held on March 10th, 2025 in the auditorium at 11:00 am and will also be livestreamed for those unable to join in person. Families, please plan to join us to celebrate your student.

Waylon Malarkey, 10th grade, has been accepted to the prestigious summer Latin Internship this year through Dickinson College where he will have the opportunity to work with professional classicists for 6 weeks over the summer. Congratulations!

Both French and Spanish students attended field trips this month. French students visited the American in Paris exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery and Spanish students had the opportunity to attend the GALA National Hispanic Theater to watch the famous play, Fuenteovejuna. Sign up to take a language class to join us on a future trip!

Do you have questions about what language or level is right for your student? Reach out to Ms. Paz (catherine.paz@lcps.org) to answer your questions and discuss the benefits and opportunities that become available to your student upon enrolling in a language class next year. Want to know why learning a language is beneficial or what languages are offered at THS? See these slides.

THS Guitar collaborated with students from Riverside, Heritage, and Loudoun County High Schools in a performance at Yale University during the Yale Guitar Extravaganza. The program consisted entirely of music written by Virginia-based composers. Here is a photo of the collective ensemble! Thanks to Dr. Palmer for all of the opportunities he creates for his students.

Good luck to all of our music ensembles preparing for their annual assessments (the SOLs of Music)! Thank you to our student musicians for all of your hard work and representation of our school. Come out and support our music programs:

Guitar Assessment Performance: Saturday, March 1 at 2:50pm at Riverside HS

Band Assessment Performance: Thursday March 6th at 8:15am

Choir Assessment Performance: Friday, March 14 at 1:20pm at Briar Woods HS

Orchestra Assessment Performance: Friday, March 14, 6:30 pm at Lightridge HS.

On February 7th and 8th, 2025, four of our most talented and driven choral students performed in the District XVI Honor Chorus at Rock Ridge HS. Sydney Nicklas, Halle Burciaga, and Alara Celebi sang as a part of the SATB chorus led by an esteemed clinician, Elaine Stanford. Some families may know Mrs. Stanford as the Music Specialist for LCPS, but many also know her as the first chorus teacher here at THS when it opened! Alyce Snead also participated in the SSAA chorus under the sought-after baton of Dr. Craig Robertson. Dr. Robertson is the Director of Choral Studies at Virginia State University. The students represented THS with respect, incredibly high skill sets, and positive attitudes that garnered praise from other teachers, parents, and the clinicians. Congratulations and thank you, Sydney, Halle, Alara, and Alyce!!

Congratulations to Dexter Wilkinson, Xander Ulreich, Henry Renauld and Gavin Tribie for the participation and performance in the District XVI Ensembles. Their performance was on February 1st at Riverside HS.

This spring Tuscarora Performing Arts is presenting Addams Family: A New Musical (School Edition) for our community. You’ve seen them on t.v. and film, now see them live on stage. Get your tickets and reserve your seats now at https://tuscarora.booktix.com/

A team of Tuscarora High School students attended the WILD Student Leadership Conference on February 26. WILD stands for We’re Intentional about Leadership Development. This is the third year LCPS has sponsored the conference, which is designed to help students develop their leadership skills, share ideas, and foster connections between student leaders from different LCPS schools.

Everyone came away from this experience enlightened and energized!

Tuscarora HS was selected as one of 25 LCPS schools to participate in the LCPS Office of Sustainability Green Team program. This program focuses on developing sustainable "green" initiatives at our school. Led by Science teacher Norina Treanor, the Environmental Club as our "Green Team" has started emphasizing recycling and are working on an engagement project to "Bring a little of the outside in." Look for more initiatives and student projects in the future!

Starting the first week of March students will embark on an exciting embryology activity where they will monitor the development of chicken embryos. This hands-on project involves observing the stages of growth from fertilized eggs to hatching chicks. Students will learn about the life cycle, anatomy, and development of embryos, gaining valuable insights into biology and animal science. Once the chicks hatch, they will be adopted by local farms, providing a real-world connection, and contributing to the community. This activity promises to be both educational and engaging, fostering a deeper understanding of embryology and the importance of agriculture.

A heartfelt thank you to all the families, parents, and students who attended EL Families Night! It was a pleasure for the EL teaching team and other staff members to connect with the families and parents behind our incredible students.

The information session covered a variety of important topics, including a parent survey. Additionally, we provided an overview of key guidelines and resources available to our students, such as:

• Northern Virginia HealthWorks

• Crossroads Jobs

• Academies of Loudoun

• Northern Virginia Family Services

• W.O. Robey High School

We truly appreciate your participation and support in making this event a success!

Upcoming Family Night:

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and join us for EL Family Night! This event is a great opportunity to learn more about the valuable resources available to support your student’s success at Tuscarora High School.

The School Counseling Department is excited to share the success of our 10th Annual HBCU Fair! This event brought together students, families, and representatives from various Historically Black Colleges and Universities, creating an inspiring environment filled with hope and promise for the future.

From the moment the doors opened, the energy was palpable. Students eagerly explored the tables, engaging with college representatives who were more than happy to provide insights, answer questions, and share the unique experiences that each institution offers. It was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm and determination on the faces of the young people envisioning their futures.

Attendees left with valuable information and resources to guide them on their academic journeys. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive; students expressed how encouraged they felt to pursue higher education, while parents appreciated the guidance available to them.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ryan Desiderio from Rock Ridge High School for attending the HBCU Fair and writing an article about it for The Blaze. You can view the article here .

School Counselors are continuing to meet with students to help them complete their course selections for the upcoming school year. Counselors are calling students down to the school counseling office. Please have your student reach out to their school counselor with any questions.

Special Permission is the process by which families request that their student attend a school other than the assigned school. The Special Permission application window for LCPS families opened on Monday, Feb. 3, and will close on Wednesday, April 30, at 11:59 p.m. Once the Special Permission period closes, requests for Special Permission will not be accepted.

Please note the schools projected to be over-enrolled are posted on the Special Permission website. (This list is subject to change.) Special Permission requests submitted to over-enrolled schools will be voided within 30 days of application. See the Special Permission webpage for more information and to apply.

Parents of high school students may submit a request to renew Special Permission to attend the current school of attendance on or before March 1. Please note the earlier deadline and closing date for applying for and/or renewing Special Permission for next school year.

For more information regarding the Special Permission process and to apply for Special Permission for next school year please visit LCPS Student Services Special Permission webpage at https://www.lcps.org/o/doss/page/special-permission

CAMPUS is a high school college access program designed to meet the specific needs of first-generation college-bound students. “First-generation”: neither household parent/guardian obtained a Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college/university immediately upon completion of high school.

The goal of CAMPUS is to provide first-generation college bound high school students with the resources, guidance, and support they need to successfully navigate the college admissions process and enroll in post-secondary education.

Application Timeline: January 6 - March 7, 2025.

More information: https://www.lcps.org/o/doss/page/campus

If you are interested in joining AVID, please use this link to apply: https://forms.gle/78JTs9h8hB6iFmgf7

Make sure to check out the School Counseling News & Updates newsletter for essential updates on course selections, summer programs, volunteering, job opportunities, and much more. Stay informed and plan ahead by exploring the resources and information provided in the newsletter. Whether you are interested in exploring new courses, participating in enriching summer programs, or giving back to the community through volunteering, the newsletter is your go-to source. Stay connected and engaged with the latest updates and announcements by signing up to have School Counseling News & Updates newsletters delivered to your mailbox!

Finding the right scholarship can significantly ease the financial burden of education. The Scholarship Edition of School Counseling News & Updates is a curated list of various scholarships available to students across different fields and demographics. You can view the newsletter by clicking here.

Welcome to Spring Sports Season Huskies! Time has flown and we are in the home stretch of the 2024-2025 sports seasons.

Here are dates you need to know if you plan to participate in off-season conditioning for next year and what is needed to be ready to play for the upcoming SY 26 seasons:

All physicals for SY 26 must be dated after May 1, 2025 and be on the VHSL Physical Form – VHSL Physical Form

Please complete all four pages thoroughly. Any Physical missing signatures or information will be returned. Page 4 must have insurance information including policy number.

Registration is open for the SY26 school year. Students will need to take the Sudden Cardiac course through NFHS (https://nfhslearn.com/courses/sudden-cardiac-arrest) yearly and upload to the registration. Course length is approximately 15 min. Please create an account, take course, download or save a picture of certificate, you will need it for registration.

Returning Users: go to the website listed, sign in to your account, click ‘Register’ for returning students and ‘Add a New Student’ for new athletes in the family. Update your info and click Pay Later on the last page (there is no fee).

New Users: Please create an account, verify it, and follow the steps from above.

Please visit our website www.huskyathletics.info to contact individual sport coaches to inquire about out of season workout and tryout specifics under the All Sport Coach List.

Mobile Ticket Partner is GoFan: Card and Mobile Payment are now accepted

LCPS is pleased to announce that we will be using GoFan for mobile ticketing athletic events beginning this school year. GoFan is the most used mobile ticketing platform for high schools in Virginia and is our official VHSL digital ticketing partner. This will drive consistency for our communities across schools and with both regular and postseason events. Ticketing information can also be found on our district and individual school websites.

Fans are encouraged to buy tickets online prior to reaching the facility, however, credit card payments will be accepted on site.

BEFORE THE EVENT

1. Purchase your ticket on the GoFan app (icons linked below) or by visiting the LCPS GoFan page

• You can also visit gofan.co and search your respective school.
• Favorite your home school for easy access
• LCPS will now also can take card or mobile payment at our event gates.

2. Once you purchase your ticket online, you will get an order confirmation email and click on the “VIEW TICKET” on your mobile device. Within the app, select Tickets to view your ticket order.

3. Pay attention to the important information shown on the confirmation screen!

AT THE EVENT

1. Before arriving at the gate, access your confirmation email or view the ticket in the mobile app and click on the “VIEW TICKET” on your mobile device.

2. Show your mobile device to gate personnel, who will validate your ticket for admission.

• DO NOT Validate your ticket prior to arriving at the gate. Staff members will validate your ticket.

3. Tickets CANNOT be printed. You must use your mobile device to access your ticket(s).

LCPS can now take onsite card payments, Apple & Google Pay

• Cash App and PayPal available by having digital card option saved to mobile wallet.
• Add Cash App to Apple Pay
• Add Cash App to Google Pay
• Add PayPal to Apple Pay and Google Pay

HOW TO GUIDES

Additionally, you can visit the GoFan How To Guide to access videos for assistance, or can access these quick links below for step by step instructions.

• How to Buy Tickets
• How to Transfer Tickets

Can’t use your tickets?

If you cannot use your tickets, you have the option to transfer those tickets to a friend or another fan.

For more information on how to transfer GoFan tickets, CLICK HERE. Have more questions or need fan support? Submit a request

Online tickets are issued subject to the Rules and Regulations of LCPS Athletics office. Breach of any of these Rules and Regulations or any unacceptable behavior likely to cause damage, nuisance, or injury shall entitle event staff, school administration and/or school safety to eject you from the venue. The venue reserves the right to refuse admission should patrons breach any Rules and Regulations of the athletic event.

School Social Work Week

• March 2 - 8, 2025

CAMPUS Application Deadline

• Friday, March 7, 2025

Writing SOL

• Monday, Tuesday, March 10-11, 2025

• Monday, March 10, 2025; 11:00 a.m.

Holiday - Eid al Fitr

• Monday, March 31, 2025

AVID Application Deadline

• Thursday, April 3, 2025

End of Third Grading Period

• Thursday, April 3, 2025

Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)

• Friday, April 7, 2025

• Monday, April 7

Senior Seal of Biliteracy Test

• Wednesday, April 9, 2025

EL Family Night

• Thursday, April 10, 2025; 6:00 p.m.

• Monday, April 14 - Friday, April 18, 2025