SVHS Green and Gold

As the children and community read, hear and watch in horror about the recent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it is our moral imperative to speak out. The Montgomery County Board of Education condemns the senseless killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis and Ms. Taylor in Louisville. That their killings are committed by a law enforcement officer is beyond the pale. These acts have focused our nation on the longstanding historical injustices that have plagued our nation since its founding. As the leaders of the largest school system in the state, and as those charged with supporting and guiding the development of our children's future, we cannot be silent. Together, with one voice, we must speak out and let all of our children know that we will not tolerate our students feeling unsafe in their skin.

All of our children deserve a future untainted by the despair and rage that are inherent byproducts of racial injustice. Our work is essential for securing that future. These tragedies are a stark reminder of the importance of our work building safe, welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environments where all children can reach their full potential. We are also reminded how important our work is in supporting our black and brown boys who see this savage act through a lens of fear and sadness. We must let them know that we see them, we accept them for who they are as individuals, we will support them and we will protect them.

We will continue and intensify our commitment to equity and excellence, ensuring we are building a school system where all truly means all is paramount. This means we will continue to build a culturally proficient staff who are able to provide the support, guidance and protection our students deserve. We will continue our work with the Black and Brown Coalition and other allies to ensure that our policies, practices and procedures are equitable. We will continue our restorative justice work, ensuring that schools are healthy learning communities where members understand and embrace mutual responsibility and fairness.

Our classrooms serve as gathering places for students from all races, ethnicities, religions, nationalities and identities. Their very diversity is the power of our community. How they learn together will determine the future of our county, country, and world. Knowing each other matters, seeing each other matters, working together matters.

None of the sorrow, despair or rage will bring Mr. Floyd or Ms. Taylor back, but in their deaths let us renew our purpose, our mission, to provide every student with what they need to thrive. We urge those as unsettled as we are by these events to join with us in advocating for supporting, loving and protecting all of our students every day.

For several weeks, I’ve been writing about how we are “all in this together" as we continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is another crisis in our country that I must address now. It’s a crisis of justice and equality that we are all facing and, while we are all in it together, we are not experiencing this crisis in the same way—not even close.

The recent events in New York, Minneapolis, Georgia, Kentucky and other places are not new to our society, but they have once again forced us to see the pervasive injustice, inequality and hate that African Americans face every day in our communities. Events like these impact us and our society as a whole but, depending on our race, we do not experience them in the same way.

I cannot refuse to understand the problem or feign confusion about the issues. These events do not affect my family and me in the same way as they affect my dear friend and colleague, Henry, when he sits and watches the television and sees the stories unfold with his son and grandson. These events do not impact me in the same way as they do my dear friend and colleague, Linda, as she talks to her daughter and looks with joy and anxiety at her two young grandchildren as they grow up in this country as African Americans.

Our more than 165,000 students do not experience these events in the same way. They aren’t affected in the same way by these events. I am heartsick because I know that our students of color, particularly African-American students, have real fear and deep anxiety. They fear for family members, friends and for themselves, and that fear drives intense anger.

This must change. We must work harder to achieve a better, more equitable and just society for our children, for our families and for ourselves. We cannot stand idly by while members of our communities suffer injustices and live in fear. If we are all in this together, we must all take responsibility and do our part.

| Recovery Plan | Summer School | Extended School Year Programs for Special Education Students | Virtual Commencement Ceremonies for Individual High Schools | Districtwide Boundary Analysis | Student Service Learning Forms Due June 5 | Kindergarten Registration | Pride Town Hall Held May 27 | Census 2020: Your Voice Counts | 2020 Primary Election |

SVHS is beginning the process of allowing students and staff to pick up personal belongings and materials. Staff and student safety will be a top priority in this process. Staff using protective equipment will prepare materials for curbside pickup. Students and families will not be allowed to enter the building. This process will be staggered and will extend beyond June 15. Dr. Cohen will be informing you about timing and logistics as soon as final logistics have been determined.

To facilitate the clearance process this year, please complete this form by Monday, June 8. Information about when and how clearance will occur will be forthcoming. https://forms.gle/zdGqcyBYYx2d3KQU6

All financial obligations should be paid through the Online Student Payment (OSP) site.

https://osp.osmsinc.com/MontgomeryMD/ as soon as possible.

If you need additional time to pay for any obligations, please contact Ms. Riddick at monique_n_riddick@mcpsmd.org immediately and she will work with you on a plan.

MCPS will honor the Class of 2020 with a systemwide live Universal Graduation Celebration on Sunday, June 7, featuring Jose Andres, world-renowned chef and founder of World Central Kitchen as the commencement speaker.

The event will pay tribute to our more than 10,500 high school graduates. Produced in collaboration with NBC4, it will air at 6 p.m. on Cozi TV (broadcast over-the-air channel 4.2, Verizon Fios channel 460 and Xfinity channel 208). The ceremony will be emceed by NBC4 anchor Leon Harris. Replays of the ceremony will be available on the MCPS website and the MCPS YouTube channel after the event.

Additionally, individual school virtual graduations will be held June 8-12. A schedule of each school’s virtual graduation will be posted on the MCPS website.

The live Universal Graduation Celebration will also feature remarks from Superintendent of Schools Jack Smith and Board of Education President Shebra Evans.

Schools will distribute caps and gowns May 26 through June 5. Your child’s school will provide details on their specific distribution plans. Please note that MCPS intends to provide modified in-person celebrations (once public health restrictions are lifted) for each school.

Seneca Valley High School Virtual Graduation Ceremony will be available for viewing on our website at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, June 10. This ceremony will feature Seneca Valley students prominently and each senior's name will be called as their pictures are displayed. Please note that there are several seniors who chose not to sit for senior portraits. In these cases, we will be displaying their junior picture or just their name and the SV logo. Additional details about the ceremony will be shared in the coming days. A huge thank you to Dr. Kim, Ms. Ezerski, Ms. Nodine, Ms. Wanzer and the rest of our graduation team for putting together a wonderful virtual ceremony.

On May 12, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved a revised grading policy for elementary and secondary students. As part of this change, high school students will be able to earn a letter grade, or elect to have a “Pass” as the final second semester grade, on a course-by-course basis. Below is a summary of important components of the grading policy for secondary students that are now in effect and next steps:

• Resolving Incompletes from the 3rd Marking Period: Students have until May 29, 2020 to resolve remaining Incompletes from the 3rd Marking Period (MP3) in order to raise their MP3 grade in a course. After May 29, MCPS will automatically convert all remaining Incompletes to the grade the student had as of March 13, 2020.
• Passing the 4th Marking Period: For the 4th Marking Period, all middle and high school students will be issued a marking period grade of Pass or Incomplete, based on established criteria.
• Semester Grade Calculation: Based on the Board’s decision for middle and high school grading, the tables below will be used for semester and final grade calculation in middle and high school.

• Making the Choice: In all high school credit courses, students will be able to earn a letter grade, or elect to have a “Pass” as the final semester grade. We are currently developing systems to ensure that students are able to take advantage of a grading option that is to their benefit. In general, students/families can expect:
  
  • An online portal for students/families to make their initial grading option choice for each course will be available on June 4 and will close on June 12.
  • Graduating seniors will also make their grading choices during the June 4-12 window.
  • More information will be sent in the next two weeks to prepare for this process and to ensure that students/families have the information they need to make informed decisions.
  • Students who want to revisit their choice selections and make changes to their initial choices will be able to do so by working with their counselor within the current grade change processes.
  • Students who receive a final grade of Incomplete for the semester will be provided opportunities to earn a passing grade during a summer program and/or learning recovery period. The grading choice will not be applied until the Incomplete is resolved.

The Board of Education voted on May 12 to temporarily waive academic eligibility currently required under Board Policy IQD, Academic Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities. Academic requirements for students’ participation in extracurricular activities will be waived for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

Parents and students are encouraged to watch this informational talk show about navigating the college admissions process during COVID-19. The program is geared toward high school juniors and their families. Guests on the show, which included high school counselors and college representatives, discussed grading and reporting; the SAT and ACT; Advanced Placement tests; and other college admission and application topics.

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

College and Career Signing Day for seniors will take place from May 14th to May 22nd. We will celebrate our seniors on social media. During that time, staff are encouraged to share messages and best wishes to seniors on Twitter through short videos or photos using the hashtag #MCPSClassOf2020.