SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
January 16, 2022 Edition
NEW: Return to In-Person Instruction - Tuesday, January 18, 2022
As we march towards the end of the semester, I wanted to provide you some important date reminders:
REPORT CARD TIMELINE
1/21/22-- Last day of MP2
1/24/22-- No Students, Teacher Work Day
1/25/22-- First day of MP3, Altered Schedule (Advisory before 1st period) for students to receive their Schedules
1/27/22-- Report Card Grades Due in Synergy by End of Duty Day
2/3/22-- Report Cards will be posted in ParentVue
2/7/22-- Students receive Report Cards- Altered Schedule: Homeroom (advisory) last 10 minutes of the day.
NEW: SVHS REGISTRATION INFORMATION NIGHT FOR SY 22-23
Rising 10th, 11th & 12th Grade Students and Families:
Save the Date: Seneca Valley HS Registration Information Night for 2022-2023 School Year
- Tuesday, January 18, 7:00-8:00 PM
Please join the Seneca Valley Counseling Services Department and select Seneca Valley staff for an important informational evening about the upcoming registration process for 2022-2023.
Zoom link will be available at a later date.
NEW: This Week's Notes from the SVHS College & Career Center
On-the-Spot Admission Event at SVHS - Friday, January 21
Hey Seniors! Want to apply for a college for FREE and receive an immediate admissions decision? Shepherd University will be in the Career Center on Friday, January 21, from 10:22am - 12:47pm (4th - 6th period). The process is VERY EASY! Stop by the Career Center at some point during that time frame, fill out an application, they review your transcript, and you will get an immediate admissions decision!
What Shepherd University is typically looking for in terms of GPA requirements: min 3.0 GPA for students who do not have any test scores. For those who have taken the SAT or ACT then they may accept as low as a 2.75 GPA. They are very flexible, so if you are close, I would recommend you applying anyway! Take advantage of this free opportunity to potentially get accepted into a college in a matter of minutes.
Click here to learn more about Shepherd University.
The Virtual MCPS 14th Annual HBCU College Fair - On the Spot Interviews!
The Virtual MCPS 14th Annual HBCU College Fair will take place on Friday, February 18, 2022, from 6pm - 8:30pm. Virtual On the Spot Interviews for Seniors will take place Monday - Thursday of that week, Feb 14 - 17. In case you are unfamiliar with On the Spot Interviews, these are events where you meet with a college admissions representative and receive an immediate decision regarding acceptance.
Seniors - if you are interested in participating in the On the Spot Interviews, please watch the video linked below to learn more. After watching the video, please reach out to Mr. Nalda for assistance. Please note that students interviewing must complete an online application on each college’s website before February 4 (Feb 1 for Bethune-Cookman) and more colleges are being added (see list of schools below).
More information regarding on the spot interviews (video) (as of Jan 11, 2022)
Latest List of Schools Participating in Interviews
Moving Forward College & Career Readiness Series for Juniors
Juniors, let's start planning! We enthusiastically invite you all to participate in the following workshops to get a head start in planning for life after high school! Seniors are also welcome to attend the sessions on Jan 25, Feb 15, Mar 15, and Mar 22. Once registered, a zoom to link will be sent to you 2 days before the workshop and 1 day before the workshop again.
Unless noted, all workshops are from 11:30 am - 12:00 pm.
Tuesday, January 25 - HBCU (Historically Black Colleges) Information Session
Tuesday, February 8 - Narrow Down Your College List
Tuesday, February 15 - Military Recruitment Information Session
Tuesday, March 1 - Explore Application Types and Deadlines
Tuesday, March 15 - Resume/Interview Skills
Tuesday, March 22* - Alternative Career Fair (*10:30am - 11:30am)
Thursday, April 7 - College Essay Writing
Thursday, April 21 - Tips on Common Application
Tuesday, April 26 - Intro to Financial Aid and Scholarships
Click here for the flyer
College Applications
If applicable, please keep working on your College Applications. Refer to the College Application Packet when applying. Everything you need to do for submitting college applications, including instructions, is on this document.
If your list of college applications changes or you plan to apply to any new schools, please communicate with your counselor!
Financial Aid for College!
ALL Eligible Seniors should complete the 2022-23 FAFSA, regardless of income. Maryland state deadline for the FAFSA is March 1, 2022!
If you plan on attending a college or university in the state of Maryland, you should fill out this application.
Once you have created a login, send Mr. Nalda your MHEC ID in order for him to upload your transcript/GPA Information.
For students not eligible to complete the FAFSA, you may be able to complete the MSFAA if you plan on attending a college or university in the state of Maryland.
Need help? Register for one of MC’s FAFSA/MSFAA Assistance Days starting Feb. 1!
Upcoming Scholarships
January 20 - Montgomery Scholars Program - senior; Montgomery Scholars scholarships cover the cost of full-tuition and fees, for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate); must fill out MC Application prior to submission as you need your M Number included on your application; two high school teacher recommendations; high school transcript; photocopy of your SAT and/or ACT scores (optional for this year); resume (optional but highly recommended); photocopy of AP scores and/or SAT II Scores.
January 20 - C-SPAN Student Cam 2022 - prizes totaling $100,000 each year, prizes to the top 150 documentaries; open to students in 6-12 grade; create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic related to the competition theme, "How does the federal government impact your life?"
January 25* - Dominion Energy Educational Equity Scholarship Program - (*deadline 4pm on 1/25) 20-$5,000 awards for 2-year programs and 40-$10,000 awards for students pursuing 4-year degrees (renewable); senior; historically underserved students who self-identify as Black/African American, Hispanic or Latino, America Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; min 3.0 GPA; enroll full-time at a two or four-year college, university, or tech school in the fall; transcript; copy of first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040.
January 25* - Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program - (*deadline 4pm on 1/25) up to 100 awards of $40,000 for college and a guaranteed paid internship at Amazon; senior; min 3.0 (unweighted); U.S. citizen, permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card), or Employment Authorized to work in the U.S.; financial need; have taken computer science classes in high school or at a college dual program, or currently be enrolled in one (if not, may take a take a qualifying exam); plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in a computer science related field of study from an accredited 4-year college or from a 2-year college intending to transfer to a 4-year college; transcript; copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040.
January 26* - Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund - (* deadline is 5pm on 1/26) $2,500 - $20,000 awards; senior; min 2.7 GPA; be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by U.S. Census; be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States; attend a U.S. accredited college or university in the Fall of 2022; must apply for FASFA by early April 2022; submit one letter of recommendation online.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
Upcoming Events
The Virtual MCPS 14th Annual HBCU College Fair - Seminar Series!
Seminar Series - these free virtual events provide students in Grades 9–12 an opportunity to learn about HBCUs, scholarship opportunities and connect with HBCU alumni.
Saturday, January 22, 2022 10:00am - 11:30am - UNCF Scholarship Information Session
Saturday, January 29, 2022 10:00am - 12:00pm - Overview of HBCU's Seminar
Tuesday, February 16, 2022 6:00pm - 7:30pm - HBCU Homecoming Edition Seminar
Click here for more information about and to register for any of the seminars.
Virtual Rockville USA Gap Year Fair 2022
Join us for this combined webinar & virtual gap year fair on Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 1:00 – 4:00pm, to get the most up to date information about planning a gap year.
Whether you're dreaming of Spanish language immersion in Costa Rica, rock climbing in the American Southwest, or pursuing a virtual internship from the comfort of your living room, there are so many gap year options to choose from!
Click here to learn more and to register
SVHS College & Career Newsletter - December/January, 2021-22
NEW: Legacy Brick Program
Order a custom engraved brick to be installed by the ticket booth on the stadium plaza. Mark your place in Seneca Valley history.
Bricks can be purchased for students, alumni, staff, coaches, clubs, or teams. Bricks will be engraved exactly as ordered - be mindful of spelling!
Payment is available on this webstore by PayPal, Credit, or Debit. If you select "Pay with Credit or Debit", you will see a PayPal guest page to enter your card numbers. (Having a PayPal account is not required to complete the purchase.)
There are a dozen brick spots left - click here to order yours before this opportunity closes:
NEW: Testing Updates
Hello Seneca Valley High School Community,
This email is to inform you about upcoming testing. Due to our school being virtual for two weeks, our test dates had to be adjusted.
- We will be administering the MCAP testing on January 18 – 25, 2022 beginning 2nd period. We will conduct Make-Up testing on 1/31, 2/2 and 2/3 (if necessary). An updated email regarding MCAP Make-Ups will contain details.
- Students participating in the Seal of Biliteracy will test on January 26, 2022 in Room 1601. Students participating in this test have already received information from Ms. Hanford pertaining to the Seal of Biliteracy test.
- ACCESS for ELLs WIDA testing will be administered from February 2 – 18, 2022. Further details for ACCESS WIDA testing will be in upcoming communication.
Materials needed: Students should bring Chromebooks, earbuds (with a plug in jack) that compatible with their Chromebooks, pencils and calculators.
Students and parents will be notified via MCPSMD.net email and Connect Ed messages of the test and locations to report. As a secondary reminder to students testing, first period teachers will receive passes/rosters of students testing on specific days. Ms. Perfetto, our attendance secretary will update the attendance for students testing daily.
MCAP AND SEAL OF BILITERACY TESTING:
- 1/18 and 1/19 – ELA 10
- 1/20 – ALGEBRA
- 1/21 – GOVERNMENT
- 1/25 – MISA
- 1/26 – SEAL OF BILITERACY
- 1/31, 2/2 and 2/3 – MCAP MAKE UPS
ACCESS FOR ELLs WIDA TESTING:
- 2/2 – 2/4 – WIDA 1 (Reading /Listening)
- 2/8 – 2/9 – WIDA 1 (Writing)
- 2/14 – 2/18 – WIDA 2 (Speaking)
Please contact Ms. Kisheena Wanzer or Dr. Michael Kim if you have questions.
NEW: Message from MCPS - SIX THINGS TO KNOW
Dear MCPS Community,
Here are six things you need to know for Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Included below is a recap from the Jan. 12 MCPS Community Conversation, key factors considered for any individual school to move to temporary virtual learning, information about students’ masks, take-home rapid COVID-19 testing kits, and more.
- MCPS Community Conversations Address Overarching Community Questions
School district leadership and county leaders participated in a live online community conversation on Jan. 12 that can be viewed here. Elected officials and school system leaders answered questions on school health and safety protocols, coronavirus testing, and guidance for transitioning to virtual learning.
Following the community conversation, the dialogue continued with students live on Instagram, in a discussion between Student Member of the Board Hana O’Looney. Watch here. - Possible Future Transitions to Virtual Learning
To determine if any individual schools will transition to virtual learning in the future, MCPS will be looking at trends in: staff absences; unfilled substitute teacher requests; student absences; unserved bus routes; and positive case rates for students and staff over a 10-day period. See a visual example of these key factors. When a school is high in multiple areas as compared with other schools, MCPS will confer with the Department of Health and Human Services and then convene a team including central office representatives, the school’s principal, staff representatives, and parent leaders at the school. This team will make a recommendation to the Superintendent’s Cabinet.
If an individual school is determined to transition to virtual learning, notification to staff, students and community will occur on the website, through email, Connect-ED, and school-based social media, if it exists. The entire process of decision-making, notification and transition will take no longer than two business days, and parents will be notified at least one day in advance of a school transitioning to virtual learning for 10 calendar days. - Plans for Students to Access Instruction Virtually
During the Board of Education meeting on Jan. 13, MCPS staff presented instructional plans for any students not in school due to isolation and quarantine. Watch that presentation here.
At the Elementary Level (Beginning Jan. 18):- Students at home can access on-demand video screencast recordings of class through their MCPS Canvas portal (not through Zoom)
- Instruction will prioritize literacy and math
- There will not be interaction with teachers or high-stakes assignments
- This model will apply for any student in quarantine learning beginning Jan. 18
- Individual teachers are currently serving students in quarantine through either: Zooming students into their class for live streaming or meeting with them during a non-instructional period of the day
- KN95 Masks for Students
This week, all staff members at schools and central office locations received KN95 masks. KN95 masks for students were delivered to secondary schools. MCPS is procuring child-sized KN95 masks for younger students and those will begin to arrive at elementary schools next week. We strongly encourage students and staff to wear them when inside MCPS facilities, where masks continue to be required. - Take-Home Test Kits
Students and staff have received take-home rapid test kits. Parents are asked to help students administer these tests at home and to report whether their child has tested positive or negative using the MCPS COVID-19 Reporting Form. (You may also call your child’s school if you are not able to submit the information electronically.) All students and staff are strongly encouraged to use these kits and report all results, both positive and negative, by Friday, Jan. 14. Please also continue to report all positive test results for students and staff that come from tests not provided by the school system. Any student who tests positive will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the positive test, or 10 days from the onset of symptoms, whichever is earlier. Central office and non-school based staff also received masks and rapid test kits this week and are strongly encouraged to use these kits if showing any symptoms and to report positive test results. Tests for both students and staff will continue to be distributed over the coming weeks. - Bus Transportation Disruptions Decreasing
Since returning to school on Jan. 5, staffing shortages due to COVID-19 illness and vacant positions have caused disruptions and cancellation of multiple routes. Those numbers are trending downward, declining from a peak of over 100 routes affected to only 29 today, Jan. 13.
Staff in the MCPS Department of Transportation are continuing to recruit, hire and train bus drivers. The Department of Transportation continues to:- Communicate specific routes and affected schools by posting daily updates on this page.
- Prioritize routes that serve students with special needs.
- Continue to use available staff to drive multiple routes serving one school.
REPEAT: Resources for Families
Mental health / crisis resources:
- Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Program: For more information on family-focused outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents and their families, visit here or call 240-777-1450.
- Screening and Assessment Services for Children and Adolescents SASCA: For information on confidential screening for substance abuse for children, and mental health and substance use assessments for children up to age 18, visit here or call 240-777-1430.
- Minority Health Services: Many of our Minority Health Initiatives have excellent resources and partner with nonprofit and community organizations to offer free mental health counseling. Explore more:
- ACCESS to Behavioral Health Services: For assistance with obtaining appropriate outpatient mental health or substance abuse services for individuals eligible through the public behavioral health system. Walk-In assessments and evaluations available Monday - Friday at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. Learn more here or call 240-777-1770.
- EveryMind: For direct mental health services to youth, adults, older adults, families and veterans, visit here or call 301-424-0656.
- Crisis Center: For 24/7 free crisis services visit here or call 240-777-4000
- Crisis text line: Text "home" to 741-741 for free 24/7 support
- ChildLink: Early childhood services for children ages five and younger and their families. Learn more here or call 240-777-4769.
Family grief supports:
Seneca Valley High School
Email: marc_j_cohen@mcpsmd.org
Website: www.senecavalleyhighschool.com
Location: 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-6400
Twitter: @SenecaValleyHS