SVHS Green and Gold

| Virtual Commencement Celebration for the Class of 2020 | Grading and Reporting | Summer School | Retrieval of Items from Schools | MCPS Waymaking Videos Support MCPS’ Efforts to Promote Mental Health Awareness Month in May | Nick Asante Elected Student Member of the Board of Education | #ThisIsWhy Youth PSA Campaign Contest Open to Students | Q&A with Deputy Superintendent McKnight and SMOB Nate Tinbite |

This week we have a revised schedule because of the holiday. We will push out learning tomorrow and continue with live check ins following our normal, marking period 4 distance learning schedule. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mhcgYG-fi-2Ay_gZ5gi8OavB12ltJSp4LC_KXW9pYec/edit

MCPS will offer summer learning and enrichment opportunities to elementary and secondary students through regional, school-based and other districtwide programs. These programs will provide instruction in core subject areas, as well as enrichment opportunities and social-emotional support. As in past years, MCPS will also offer online courses for high school credit.

We do not know if we will be able to provide face-to-face experiences for students yet. Based on state and county restrictions around social distancing, group size, and health precautions and safety, we will make a decision about the format—distance, face-to-face or a combination of the two—in the next few weeks so families can plan accordingly.

Programs will begin in July. Details on available programs, registration dates and program-specific start dates will be shared with families in the coming weeks and posted on the MCPS website. More information for employees about how to apply for summer employment opportunities will be sent next week.

Collection of student obligations and distribution of cap and gowns will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, May 27 - 28, 2020 according to student's last name.

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. This should not keep you from picking up your caps and gowns,

Student Material Obligations:

Parents/Students will drop off material obligations (i.e. Chromebooks, textbooks, uniforms, etc.) belonging to SVHS by placing the items in a bag with the student's NAME, and ID number (INSIDE THE BAG).

ALL ATHLETIC UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT should be placed in a separate bag with the student's NAME and ID number (INSIDE THE BAG).

Hall Locker Items:

Students who were assigned lockers will receive their items at the same time as cap and gown distribution.

Important information about cap and gown distribution.

Cap and Gown distribution will include a yearbook photo (if students took senior photos through SVHS), diploma covers, and tassels. We anticipate yearbooks will arrive at SVHS for distribution to students by the middle of June. You will be notified.

Here is the Cap and Gown Distribution schedule:

Last Names beginning with:

A-F will pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on Wednesday, May 27 from 10 - 11 am.

G-K will pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on Wednesday, May 27 from 11 am - 12 pm.

L-P will pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on Wednesday, May 27 from 12 - 1 pm.

Q-U will pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on Thursday, May 28 from 10 - 11 am.

V-Z will pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on Thursday, May 28 from 11 am - 12 pm.

Students who missed the designated time may pick up their caps, gowns and pictures on

Thursday, May 28 from 12 - 1 pm.

Directions once on site

Students/Parents in cars

• Please enter the campus using the Crystal Rock Drive entrance closest to Wisteria Drive. Security will guide you to tables to return your items and to get your gaps, gowns, locker items, and pictures. You should not get out of your car at any time. You MUST be wearing a mask. Items can be taken from and placed into your trunk if you prefer. If you’d rather, we can take your bags from a back seat (if no one is sitting there). We will place your items there as well.

Students/Parent walkers

• Security will guide you to tables that have been set up to accommodate those of you without cars. You MUST be wearing a mask and you MUST maintain appropriate social distancing.

For the health and safety of our students, parents, and staff, you MUST leave campus immediately after turning in your obligations and collecting your caps, gowns, locker items, and pictures.

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.

MCPS 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. Principals, in coordination with central services, will inform their school communities about timing and logistics when their school is ready to begin this process.

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.

MCPS will host a Pride Town Hall to reconnect with LGBTQ+ students and community members during the COVID-19 crisis. This virtual event will be streamed live at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, on the MCPS website and the MCPS YouTube channel. During this event, panelists will connect with LGBTQ+ youth and their families and members of the community to:

• Share available resources and supports
• Discuss support and resources available for students, parents and families
• Hold a question-and-answer session with guest organizations

Representatives from several organizations including MCCPTA, CASA Ruby, the Montgomery County Family Justice Center, PFLAG, MoCo Pride Center and the MoCo Pride Student Organization will participate in the event.

Participants can join the webinar anonymously by using an incognito window in Google Chrome or an InPrivate window in Internet Explorer, clicking the meeting link, joining from their browser, and specifying the name and pronouns they’d like to use at the “Join a Meeting” prompt.

Participants can also watch anonymously on YouTube and the MCPS website.

Many years ago, SVHS partnered with our PTSA to create the Eagles Bulletin, a yahoo email group designed to help spread the word on important information to our community. As social media began to explode and the school started using these platforms along with Connect Ed for mass emails, we have found membership dwindling significantly on our old listserv. As a result, we have decided that it is time for Eagles Bulletin to go off into the sunset.

Please make sure to follow us on Twitter @senecavalleyhs for important announcements. You may also be interested in @THENEWSVHS and @SVHSathletics, among other handles.

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)

The SMOB election will be held online on May 20, 2020 from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Don’t forget to learn about each candidate for the 43rd SMOB of the Montgomery County Board of Education. They are Mr. Nick Asante and Ms. Vicky Kidder. Mr. Nick Asante is a junior at Richard Montgomery High School. Ms. Vicky Kidder is a junior at Magruder High School.

Here is a link to the official MCPS SMOB Election webpage for you to review and learn about each candidate. The webpage includes links to the SMOB Candidate Profiles, the official Meet the Candidates video and a SMOB Candidates Corona Virus update video. https://bit.ly/SMOBElection2020WebPage

All middle and high school students will receive an email with the link to the ballot, hosted by VoteNet, and their individualized password. Once the ballot has been cast using the individualized password, it will no longer be accessible. The emails will be sent to the student MCPS email accounts on May 20 and the election poll will be open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

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.