December Newsletter: Winter Break!
WMS School Counseling Newsletter 2020
NATIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION DAY – December 2
On December 2nd, National Special Education Day commemorates the anniversary of the nation’s first federal special education law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law on December 2, 1972.
IDEA made education available to all American children and this day honors the progress that has been made in special education. Before IDEA, many individuals with disabilities received little to no education. Schools were not required to make accommodations for children with disabilities. While some states offered special schools, the education and resources were not necessarily equal. Additionally, many parents couldn’t afford to send their children away to a special school.
The law stipulated that children with disabilities had a right to the same free education that every other child had access to. Between the ages of 3 and 21, there are 13 different areas where children may qualify under the IDEA for services. IDEA was instrumental in increasing graduation rates for students with disabilities.
IDEA resulted in many changes beyond bringing students equal education. The integration of students also helps to remove the stigma of disabilities. Another result of IDEA was the stimulation of technology for students with disabilities and for the classrooms. These technologies improved the education of all students.
HOW TO OBSERVE #SpecialEducationDay
Things to do:
- Share how IDEA impacted your life or the life of a family member.
- Use #SpecialEducationDay to post on social media.
Know the history of National Special Education Day
- Special Education Day was first celebrated in 2005 which was the 30th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. President Gerald Ford sign the law on December 2, 1975.
Retrieved from https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-special-education-day-december-2/
NATIONAL INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS WEEK- DECEMBER 7-11
Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc., which is held each year during the first full week in December. Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors. The Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children.
This year, the Inclusive Schools Week’s theme is “The Time for Inclusion is Now!” Join us in celebrating Inclusive Schools Week December 7-11, 2020!
during Inclusive Schools Week and anytime throughout the year
COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK- DECEMBER 7-13
Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field. As part of the #CSforGood movement this year we’re proud to elevate #CSforSocialJustice.
Social justice, as a concept, arose in the early 19th century primarily focused on economics- capital, property, and the distribution of wealth. By the mid-20th century, social justice expanded from being primarily concerned with economics to include other spheres of social life including the environment, race, gender, and other causes and manifestations of inequality.
Now, the concept of social justice often refers to human rights, centered around improving the lives of groups historically marginalized based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion and disability. As part of the #CSforGood movement, we decided to shine a light on how Computer Science can serve as a catalyst for social justice. #CSforSocialJustice. Without access to rigorous computer science and STEM courses, underrepresented students have limited opportunities and aspirations to develop computing knowledge.
HOW TO OBSERVE COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK
- TEACH how computer science can be a tool for social justice
- INSPIRE students and their families to learn about computer science
- ADVOCATE for policies supporting #CSforAll
- INVOLVE the school community, partner with families and the community
- CELEBRATE computer science teachers and computer science education
What's Going on WMS?!
SPECIALTY PROGRAMS NIGHT @ Freedom High School December 1st at 7pm!
Freedom High School will be hosting their first Specialty Programs Information Night December 1 at 7:00 pm via Zoom –
Zoom Meeting: Accessed via the Freedom H.S. website
WEBSITE: https://freedomhs.pwcs.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=415830&pageId=44224103
ZOOM LINK: ID 837 6097 3267
Password 948068
The virtual information night will include:
- Welcome from Program Administrator
- Overview of the Program Offerings at Freedom H.S.
- Overview of the Application and Transfer Process
- Advanced Placement/Dual Enrollment NOVA
- Air Force JROTC
- Criminal Justice
- Center for Environmental & Natural Sciences
- Medical Billing & Coding
- Pharmacy Tech
- Dual Enrollment Photography 101
Nominate teachers and principals as outstanding educators—deadline to apply is December 16
Nominations for the PWCS Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year Awards are due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
The 2020-21 PWCS Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year will be submitted as finalists in The Washington Post’s Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year Award Programs for next year.
Please contact the Office of Communications Services with any questions by calling 703-791-8720 or emailing communications@pwcs.edu.
Winter Break! December 21, 2020-January 1, 2021
School reopens on January 4, 2021!
CELEBRATING THE DREAM! Check out this Oratorical Program! Monday, January 18 at 11 a.m.
The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (PWCAC-DST, Inc.) in affiliation with the Delta Research and Educational Foundation will host its 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Oratorical Program
Visit the YouTube channel (PWCAC-DST-MEDIA) here https://youtu.be/81bPQMl85Yk to see the MLK promotional video and subscribe to our channel to receive frequent updates on the event.
SPECIAL GUEST ALERT!!!
Rev. Al Sharpton President and Founder National Action Network.
This year’s theme is “Beyond the Dream – Young Voices With Something To Say”.
NEW FEATURE ALERT!!!
The audience will have the chance to vote and select their favorite orator with a new text-to-vote option.
GET READY TO BE ENTERTAINED:
Always an audience favorite, the MLK Community choir will be virtual this year offering thematic selections that will also recognize the Honorable Congressman John Lewis.
In keeping with tradition on January 2, 2021 at 3:00pm the Chinn Library will virtually host the MLK Community Choir’s preview concert that will also be broadcast on our YouTube channel.
For more information visit: https://www.pwcacdst.org/mlk
WMS Same Gender Specialty Night
This is a Zoom event! See you in the Zoom Room!
Zoom link included!
CALLING ALL 8TH GRADE FAMILIES! WOODBRIDGE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (W S H S) IS HAVING A SPECIALTY NIGHT! CHECK THEM OUT ON JANUARY 19, 2021!
WSHS will be hosting our second Specialty Program Info Night on January 19. Families will need to register in order to participate. The program will include an overview of the AP Scholars Program and application process. This will be followed by a Special Programs Fair. Families can choose which programs they would like to investigate further and attend those sessions.
Please follow WSHS on Twitter and Facebook. More information will be posted here as well as their school website! For more information you can contact:
Kathleen Hugh, M.Ed., NBCT
Specialty Program Coordinator
Woodbridge Senior High School
Cultural & Diversity Corner
ROSA PARKS DAY – December 1
Rosa Parks Day honors an American Civil Rights hero. On either February 4 or December 1, the holiday recognizes the civil rights leader Rosa Parks.
On December 1, 1955, after a long day of work, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She took her seat in the ‘colored’ section. As she rode the Cleveland Avenue bus home, the bus began to fill.
The Montgomery city ordinance allowed bus drivers to assign seating. However, it did not permit them to demand passengers give up their seats. Despite this, bus drivers customarily required black passengers to give up their seats to white passengers when public transportation became full.
When the bus driver asked Rosa Parks to give up her seat, she refused. Police arrested her, and what followed is Civil Rights history. On December 5, 1955, Rosa Parks was found guilty of violating the city ordinance and fined $10 plus a court fee.
African American leaders, including E.D. Nixon and Martin Luther King, Jr. (see Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott for the day of Rosa Park’s trial. The boycott succeeded and lasted several months, devastating the transportation system in Montgomery.
HOW TO OBSERVE #RosaParksDay
Learn more about Rosa Parks, that day in Montgomery, Alabama, and her role in the Civil Rights movement. Discover how the Montgomery Bus Boycott affected the bussing system. Several books and films offer insight to this day in history and the Civil Rights movement to follow.
- Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation by Gregory J. Reed and Rosa Parks
- Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks
- She Would Not Be Moved by Herbert R. Kohl
- Boycott (2001)
- Selma (2014)
Use #RosaParksDay to post on social media.
Know the History: ROSA PARKS DAY HISTORY
The California State Legislature created Rosa Parks Day and first celebrated February 4, 2000. California chose to recognize the date of Rosa Park’s birth. Ohio and Oregon celebrate on the day of her arrest, December 1.
Retrieved from https://nationaldaycalendar.com/rosa-parks-day-december-1/
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!
THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!
FAMILIES IN NEED OF SUPPORT
During the Thanksgiving holiday, many families are in need of support. Are you interested in holiday support? Please contact a member of Student Services (School counselors, nurse, social worker or psychologist), your administrator or a teacher. We are here to support you and your family. Supports are confidential. Complete form to let us know how we can help!
CONFIDENTIAL: Please note that any information provided will be kept with the highest level of confidentiality. Student Services would like to help/support you during this difficult school year. Please let us know if you may need any or all of the following: Academic Support, Social/Emotional Support, and/or Personal (Student/Family In Need).
Should your student be in need of immediate assistance regarding social/emotional/mental well being or immediate physical/medical health please STOP and do not complete this form at this time. Please follow emergency and medical protocols (i.e. 911, community medical/mental health personnel).
Student Services will try its best to provide school supports/resources as needed throughout the year. We are here for you!
CONFIDENTIAL: Please provide student services with any information pertaining to students that may be in need of the following: Academic Support, Social/Emotional Support, and/or Personal (Student/Family In Need). Student Services will tier students and provide support as needed throughout the year.
Please note that all social/emotional/mental health and or child abuse/neglect concerns that involve harm/danger to self/others or require immediate attention should follow all PWCS/WMS policies and procedures before completing this form.
Thank you for your support and collaboration to ensure students needs are met.
From the District
“Graduation Success and Beyond” newsletter provides resources for grade 8-12 students and their families
View the “Graduation Success and Beyond” newsletter, published by the School Counseling program in the Office of Student Services, for resources and events that help students research career opportunities, prepare for college, and find ways to pay for college.
Questions? Contact Anne Stuart Henry, administrative coordinator of school counseling, Office of Student Services, at 571-402-3896 or henryas@pwcs.edu.
Never Too Early to Start Planning! Check Out the PWCS Parent Learning Series (PLS)
The new PWCS Parent Learning Series (PLS), formerly the Parent Summit, will continue helping families learn how to support their students as they navigate high school and beyond.
Upcoming Live Sessions:
- Paying for College Workshop - December 17, 2021 (6-7 p.m.)
- MyOptions College Planning - January 7, 2021 (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
- Northern Virginia Community College Programs and Admissions - January 12, 2021 (6-7 p.m.)
- MyOptions College Planning - January 19, 2021 (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
Health Metrics
Reminder: All PWCS employees are mandated reporters
State portal for reporting suspected abuse or neglect
The Virginia Department of Social Services’ (VDSS) Division of Family Services (DFS) has launched a Mandated Reporter Portal that went into effect October 30, 2020. The Mandated Reporter Portal provides a streamlined and easily accessible way for mandated reporters in Virginia to submit reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. View the Mandated Reporter Porter YouTube video for an overview of the new portal.
Child Protective Services (CPS) continues to accept child abuse and neglect reporting through its hotlines by contacting Prince William County CPS DSS at 703-792-4200 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and 24/7 Virginia Child Abuse Hotline at 800-553-7096.
Additional information on mandated reporting requirements in public schools can be found in the Code of Virginia (§ 63.2-1509) Mandated reporting, and PWCS Regulation 771-1, "Child Abuse and Child Neglect Procedures."
If you have questions about your obligations as a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect, please contact Anthony Clark, administrative coordinator for school social work services, at clarkax@pwcs.edu.