SVHS Green and Gold

We know that there is much uncertainty about what the fall will officially look like when it comes to in-school or out-of-school instruction. We are also aware of some anxiety that students, staff, and parents may feel regarding an official return to school. Our best advice at this point is to review the specific draft “plan,” linked below and provide feedback through the proper channels. Please keep in mind that MCPS Board of Education is meeting this afternoon, July 14 to discuss the proposal and then the Maryland State Board of Education will be discussing specific state guidelines in August. Here is the agenda. The meeting will also stream live on the MCPS website.

MCPS Fall 2020: Reimagine, Reopen, Recover

A significant part of our work as a leadership team in August will dedicated be considering implications for what fall school will look like and developing ideas on how to best accommodate everyone’s needs.

We recognize the uncertainty can also be anxiety-inducing and that our stance on this is less than ideal right now, but also trust that we will keep staff updated on any and all pertinent information as it avails itself. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to your department leaders, RT and/or Administrator, to communicate specific concerns.

As a follow-up to our commitment to Listen, Learn and Act, Already, Seneca Valley’s administrative team has been meeting to plan and discuss what we hope to be a meaningful and memorable leadership week. Over the last few weeks, several members of our staff have stepped up to host book clubs for staff who want to learn more about how to combat systemic racism in our schools and in our communities. Building on the passions of these colleagues, we have decided to engage the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) in a book study of our own. Now, more than ever, we must be ready to Listen, Learn, and Act. We will start this work as a leadership team, looking at our own practices and examining our own personal biases.

During leadership week, we will consider the implications of our learnings from these books and we will work to embed explicitly anti-racist practices into our work. We are also eager to introduce opportunities for students, parents, and members of the broader Germantown community to contribute to this work. Please continue to follow this newsletter for opportunities to get involved.

We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Stouffer to our social studies team. In addition to this responsibility, Mr. Stouffer has signed on to be our new SGA sponsor. He is already hard at work, looking for ways to allow our student leaders to make a difference. Here is a bit more from Mr. Stouffer:

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new SGA sponsor and am eager to meet and work alongside the Screaming Eagle family. Prior to being hired as a social studies teacher at Seneca Valley, I taught four years at Gaithersburg Middle School, conducted my student teaching at Clarksburg High School, and served as a special education paraeducator at Watkins Mill High School. I am very familiar with the Germantown community as I grew up near Route 118 and graduated from Northwest High School. In fact, I was a member of the first class to attend all four years. My experience opening a brand new school and helping to create a school culture that complimented an influx of new students has prepared me for a similar charge as the SGA sponsor. Throughout my tenure as a teacher, I have focused on developing and strengthening relationships with the local community. I plan on using this role to leverage my passion to empower students as we investigate and reinforce what it means to be SVProud!

My name is Carlos Nalda and I am very excited for the opportunity to join the Screaming Eagle Family as the new College/Career Information Coordinator. Growing up in Rockville, Maryland, I attended all MCPS schools, including Richard Montgomery High School to take IB courses. From there, I went on earn my Bachelor's Degree at University of Maryland, College Park. I have been an employee of MCPS since the Fall of 2003 and a College/Career Information Coordinator since July of 2014. Coming from Thomas Edison High School of Technology, I also have had first-hand experience with Career Programs and programs for English Language Learners, such as CREA. I look forward to working with the counseling team and assisting Seneca Valley students with their post-High School plans!

Hello Seneca Valley! I'm excited to join the SV community this upcoming year and co-sponsoring with Ms. Wideman the Minority Scholars Program (while joining the Social Studies dept in my teacher role). I'm eager to be involved in MSP because I believe that it is incumbent on institutions--including but not only limited to public schools--to do the work of examining how they have supported and/or neglected racial gaps and inequities and follow through with creating change within to help eliminate them. In Seneca Valley, this means supporting students of color in achieving their academic goals and overcoming a variety of barriers to success. I hope that SV students will see MSP as a place of both academic support as well as critical social/emotional support as they grow into young adults and prepare themselves for their external lives and their educational and career goals. I want MSP to be not only a place of protected support for students but also an incubator of resources, events, and actions for students in every classroom and throughout our SV community.

It is a great pleasure to inform you that the Montgomery County Board of Education has selected Ruthanne Stoltzfus to receive a Distinguished Service to Public Education Award in the category of School Service Volunteer.

The Seneca Valley community experienced the loss of Christina Ward Morris when she was killed as she walked to school in October of 2012. Ms. Ruthanne Stoltzfus, a retired teacher, felt called to volunteer as a crossing guard at dismissal at the very busy intersection of Middlebrook Road and Rt 118 in the heart of Germantown. Ms. Stoltzfus was very concerned about cars driving too fast here as well as students not crossing properly and that these two factors would lead to another tragedy. Ms. Stoltzfus has stood at the corner of Middlebrook and Rt 118 virtually every school afternoon for the past 7 years. Ms. Stoltzfus met with MCDOT Pedestrian Safety Coordinator Jeff Dunkle for specific training to educate the students. Ms. Stoltzfus engages the students and gets to know them. She chats with students as they wait for the light. She establishes connections and relationships in hopes that they will understand that she is truly concerned for their safety. She has endured the occasional "You are not my mom!" with snappy responses such as "Your mom wants you to make it across this intersection too!" or "No, I am not but I still care about you!" The most harrowing day came a few years ago when the students waited for the walk sign (as Ms. Stoltzfus has instructed literally thousands of times) and started to cross correctly. A car ran a red light at high speed. Ms. Stoltzfus grabbed the back jacket of the student and pulled her back onto the curb to save her from being hit by the car. Standing at this intersection every afternoon for over seven years demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the safety of students crossing these roads. This length of time speaks to an extreme level of dedication. As Ms. Stoltzfus plans her upcoming move to a retirement community, she is hopeful that her time volunteering at this intersection has prevented another student from loss of life.

If you haven't already, please take a look at this compilation of Summer Reading Resources -- it provides links to our summer reading assignments, a recommended reading list, and many other resources through which students can access free eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and other digital content.

We recently added digital copies of all the books on this year's recommended summer reading list and the high school titles from the statewide Black-Eyed Susan Reading Program to our Sora account. Sora by Overdrive is the platform through which MCPS students access digital library content.

Sora can be accessed via the web at soraapp.com or by downloading Sora by Overdrive from the App Store or Google Play. To learn how to log in to Sora and add libraries (this provides access to more content), please view this tutorial.

If you have any questions about summer reading resources, please contact Ms. Little, our school library media specialist.

Coming Soon: The F Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival offers an annual short story contest each year.

This year the contest deadline is early--JULY 31st. Three student winners will receive cash prizes and an invitation to the Festival, which will be digital via Zoom this year. The guest of honor, novelist Barbara Kingsolver, will join Zach Powers (The Writing Center Communications Director and author) for a special workshop for the three short story winners and this year's Montgomery Scholars. This is a terrific opportunity for creative writers to join a master Workshop with professionals.

We have been asked to advertise this via our summer newsletter. For further information, students can check the official web page.

We would love to see more submissions from Seneca Valley in the coming few weeks.

Beginning July 6, 2020, MCPS will provide breakfast and lunch meals to all Montgomery County children and all MCPS students (regardless of age) at more than 60 MCPS sites across the county and 30 community-based programs. Meals will be provided at MCPS sites from 10 a.m.–noon at school sites and from 9–10 a.m. at bus distribution sites. No identification will be required for students/families picking up meals at the MCPS school, mobile or bus distribution sites. Meals will be provided four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information and the full list of sites, click here.

Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) invites all students to participate in this year’s summer reading program, which will run through August 31, 2020. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story.” The program offers children and teens a chance to fill their summer with great books and fun activities. Students will have an opportunity to earn badges and prizes and enjoy fun raffles. For more information and to register your child, visit the MCPL website.

Students who received Chromebooks and MiFi devices at the start of remote learning will be able to keep those devices through the summer for their continued teaching and learning opportunities. Students who are participating in summer programs and still need a device or a mobile hotspot, or need to replace a device that is not working can go to 45 W. Gude Dr. in Rockville, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Please note that as MCPS looks to the 2020–2021 school year, we are planning to move to the use of a single platform (myMCPS Classroom) for learning, based on feedback from students, parents, teachers and principals. Details about that plan will be shared in the coming weeks.

The safety and wellness of our students remains a top priority. Below are resources to support the physical, social and psychological well-being of our community. If you believe your child is in crisis, please contact the Montgomery County Crisis Center at 240-777-4000. Students can also reach out to their counselor and school psychologist to set up a confidential appointment.

Waymaking Video Series

• Suicide Awareness
• Managing Stress and Anxiety for Students
• Managing Stress and Anxiety during Social Distancing

Mindful Moments Video Series
Tips on Addressing Student Grief
Tips for Preventing Youth Suicide

As a reminder, you can pick up or exchange Chromebooks and MiFi devices at 45 West Gude Drive from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. every weekday. Families should wear masks and bring their child’s student ID number with them. For the technical needs of any student or parent during remote learning, please call 240-740-7022

Parents/Guardians - Getting Started [Parent Portal/myMCPS Classroom] - Spanish

Parents/Guardians - Getting Started [Parent Portal/myMCPS Classroom] - English (this one includes links to translated versions in 5 languages)

Below is information regarding food/grocery access beyond the MCPS school meal sites:

Food Assistance Resource Map: The Montgomery County Food Council created an interactive map of food assistance providers and benefits application assistance sites in Montgomery County. It is searchable by location, food assistance type, accessibility and many other special features. This resource can give principals and families a quick view of local resources in their area. The information indicates where, when and how to access the resources. **We would caution parents and staff supporting parents to pay particular attention to how one qualifies to access food as some sites state requirements.

Weekend Bag Program: MCPS, Manna Food Center, and Women Who Care Ministries are distributing weekend backpacks with groceries to the families of MCPS students each Friday. The location of distribution sites and times are listed at the bottom of the webpage.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURECES https://www.sheppardpratt.org/news-views/story/sheppard-pratt-hosts-virtual-lunch-learn-series-for-mental-health-awareness-month/

VIRTUAL CRISIS WALK_IN CLINIC

https://www.sheppardpratt.org/care-finder/virtual-crisis-walk-in-clinic/

https://dominionhospital.com/covid-19/access-to-care/behavioral-health.dot

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT WEBSITES

1. https://www.caringmatters.org/resourcesforschools

2. https://learn.mindwise.org/social-distance

3. https://www.therapistaid.com/

4. https://www.mindfulschools.org/

5. https://www.educatingmindfully.org/

6. https://www.stressedteens.com/

7. http://mindfullifeproject.org/

8. https://centerforadolescentstudies.com/

GRIEF RESOURCE

https://www.caringmatters.org/

Are you proud to be a part of the SV community? We want to let everyone know how much we love being a part of the Screaming Eagle family. We have a challenge for you. Let's go viral!!!

• Tweet, Snap, IB, FB, etc., a pic of you repping "The Valley" by wearing your Seneca gear.
• And don't forget to use #svproud. Go Eagles!

Email: marc_j_cohen@mcpsmd.org
Website: www.senecavalleyhighschool.com
Location: 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: 301-353-8000
Twitter: @SenecaValleyHS

Mrs. Vonetta Wideman

Greetings to all Seneca Valley staff!

My name is Mrs. V. Wideman and I am a very passionate and dedicated teacher of science for twenty-two years right here at Seneca Valley High School! Whoot-Whoot! I am a diligent National Board Certified Teacher/facilitator of student learning with specific goals to close the achievement gap. As an accomplished educator I teach my students to gain mastery in science and motivate my students daily to work to their full potential. I encourage my students to exhibit the IB Learner trait of Balance in order to leverage their interests to be successful and become high achievers.

I volunteered to co-sponsor the Minority Scholars Program (MSP) because I believe that I will strive to ensure progress toward the club's mission. That mission is that all students have the opportunity to have open dialogue about social issues and celebrate the histories, as well as, experiences of the minority groups in our school community.

In this key role, I hope to help students build strong planning, organizational, and leadership skills. I seek to consult all available resources explicitly designed to help our SV students to rise up and overcome challenges; to give students materials on which they can base and achieve future aspirations. Throughout my years of teaching I have surely come to know that student voice is something to share as something we can all learn and benefit collectively. I hope to help students think, care, and work towards their greatest potential best that is in them to make our community better!

I am ready to take on the charge of the mission and bring it to fruition as I collaborate with Mr. Weisberg to fulfill the job description. We vow to co-serve as well informed communicators to ensure our students' success. I am most eager and I plan to effectively interact with our diverse population of students here in the Valley! I will continue to be consistent in maintaining excellent positive relationships with all students, parents, staff, and administrators in upholding my duties. I will try my best not let you all down. GO SV EAGLES! :-)