SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
November 21, 2021 Edition
Summary of Dr. Cohen's Newsletter
Are you #SVPROUD?
- 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!
Thanksgiving Week Bell Schedules
NEW: Attendance Issues
- Parents, if you need to pull your child for an early dismissal, please send them to the attendance office first thing in the morning with a note. This will allow us to have the student ready for you when you arrive. We cannot promise that our attendance secretary will be immediately available to assist in signing your student out as quickly as you may need if the first we learn about the early dismissal is when you arrive to pick your child up.
- As much as we understand and appreciate that many of our students participate in club sports outside of school, absences for tournaments, practices, and showcases are not approved reasons to miss school. While we can, and will, encourage our teachers to allow your student to make up any missed work, the day(s) will be logged as unexcused absences.
NEW: Library Media News
One Maryland One Book: We hosted a fantastic One Maryland One Book discussion this past Thursday. The timing was perfect -- this year’s selection, The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay, focuses on things bring joy, which are also things for which we are thankful. We are looking forward to continuing the conversation on Wednesday, December 15th, during lunch. It’s not too late to stop by the library media center to pick up a free copy of the book and participate! If you are an aspiring writer, please also come to learn about an opportunity to have a 750-word essay about something that brings you joy published by Maryland Humanities. For more information, please contact our new media assistant, Ms. Rossman.
Black-Eyed Susan Book Club: The Black-Eyed Susan Book Club is a year-long reading program through which students read three of ten nominated books by April, and then vote to help select the best book for Maryland’s high school readers. Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to read one of the selections, especially the autumn-themed graphic novel adventure. Stop by the Library Media Center on Monday or Tuesday to borrow a book for the break, or read or listen to a book online using Sora, our virtual reading platform. To learn more about the Black-Eyed Susan Book Club or reading online in general, visit the Virtual SVLMC in myMCPS Classroom/Canvas or contact Ms. Little, our school library media specialist.NEW: Juke Joint
NEW: Auditions for The Little Mermaid
Take a dive under the sea with the Birds of Play!
Auditions for the Spring musical, "The Little Mermaid", are right after Thanksgiving break!
Check out the welcome packet where you'll see directions on how to audition and find the link to sign up for tech crew!
See Ms Walker in the choir room, 0753 or Ms Fellows in the theatre classroom, 0901 if you have any questions.
NEW: IB Spotlight
MYP Personal Project update: This week, our 10th grade students had their first MYP Personal Project meeting with their SVHS supervisor! The MYP Personal Project is an opportunity for students to explore a passion, interest, or topic of their choice with guidance and support from SVHS staff. We are so excited how our students are beginning to translate their passions into a project. Check out THIS FLYER for more information on the Personal Project!
How can you support your 10th grader through the MYP Personal Project?
Ask them about their project. At this point, students should have chosen a topic they are interested in and started to develop an idea for their learning goal and product. The learning goal is the skills or knowledge a student will learn by completion of the project. The product is what students will produce by the end of the project (video, journal, art piece, event, etc.). Here is a list of product ideas in case your student is stuck!
Remind them to check out our MYP Personal Project Canvas course. The course has videos of each advisory lesson, along with support materials to help guide the students through the process. Students should already be enrolled in the course, but they can always email Mrs. Becraft if they do not have access.
Attend our IB Information night. We will start the evening at 6:30 discussing our school-wide Middle Years Program (MYP) for 9th and 10th graders, as well as the MYP Personal Project. We will then provide a more general overview of an IB education, before ending with information on our 11th and 12th grade IB programs- the IB Diploma and the IB Career-related Program. Please see our flyer below for more information!
Mr. Adelson lead his IB Geography students in collecting data from the surrounding SVHS community that they will analyze for their Internal Assessment (IA).
NEW: Visit our Virtual College and Career Center
This Week's Notes from the SVHS College & Career Center:
Changes or Adding New Schools to your List of College Applications
If your list of college applications changes or you plan to apply to any new schools, please communicate with your counselor! You want to make sure your counselor is aware of all of your college applications to ensure you are meeting deadlines. You should also make sure that all colleges you plan on applying to are included in your list in Naviance.
Refer to the SVHS College Application Packet as a resource when applying to four-year colleges.
Financial Aid for College!
- FAFSA Information
- ALL Eligible Seniors should complete the 2022-23 FAFSA, regardless of income.
- MDCAPS Information
- 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
- MSFAA 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.
Upcoming Scholarships
- November 30 - MoreWithUs Spring 2022 Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award for high school students; senior; in one standard double-spaced page, talk about an everyday Job or volunteer position you’ve had; create a MoreWithUs profile; see link for full details and guidelines.
- November 30 - International Bipolar Foundation’s High School Essay Contest - $1,000, $500, and $250 award; 9-12 grade; submit an essay between 500 and 1,000 words on the following topic: create a virtual mental health campaign or program, including how you would implement it, by working with your school staff.
- November 30 - Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. Scholarship For Young Hispanic Leaders - $1,000; senior; at least one parent must be of Hispanic ancestry; Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply (DACA or Undocumented); accepted for enrollment as at a two- or four-year school in the U.S. or U.S. territories; must attend full-time; demonstrated financial need; 2 essays; 2 letters of recommendation; resume; transcript; portrait.
- December 01* - National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship - (*deadline for this scholarship is 1pm); awards ranging from $3,200 - $25,000; senior; active NHS member in good standing; currently enrolled at a school with an affiliated NHS chapter; planning to enroll at a postsecondary college or university in fall 2022; student membership must be verified by an active NHS adviser at an affiliated NHS chapter; click here for an overview with application instructions.
- December 01 - Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team College Scholarship - 2-$1,000 awards; senior; min 2.8 GPA; submit a 500- to 750-word essay on how you are driven to innovate, how you plan to influence progress on any level in any space or how you have already affected positive change with creative thinking.
- December 01 - WiseGeek Nursing No-Essay Scholarship - 1-$500 award; senior; must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident; plan to study nursing in college.
- December 01 - WiseGeek Community Service No-Essay Scholarship - 1-$500 award; senior; must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident; have an outstanding record of community service.
- December 01 - WiseGeek Cosmetology No-Essay Scholarship - 1-$500 award; senior; must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident; planning on enrolling in cosmetology school.
- December 01 - WiseGeek Law No-Essay Scholarship - 1-$500 award; senior; must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident; plans to study law in college.
- December 01 - East Rock Films Essay Contest - 1-$500 award; grades 10-12; plan to study or co-study Arts or Humanities (see link for list of majors); submit an essay (500 – 1000 words), video essay (about 3-10 mins), or performance essay (about 3-10 mins) describing someone from the past who especially inspires you and describe your educational plans; see link for full rules and guidelines.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
Montgomery College Scholarships
Montgomery Scholars Program - The deadline for applying to the program is Thursday, January 6, 2022. Interested students must also submit a general Montgomery College application by December 1, 2021!
Macklin Business Institute (MBI) Honors Program - The deadline for applying to the program is Thursday, January 18, 2022. Interested students must also submit a general Montgomery College application by December 1, 2021!
Upcoming Events
Black Friday Scholarship Virtual Boot Camp
In addition to career simulations and ACT/SAT Prep Sessions for students, parents will have an opportunity to discuss FAFSA, student loan debt.
The Black Friday Scholarship Bootcamp is a fun day of learning and college planning that you don't want to miss!
§ Fri, November 26, 8am – 5pm and Sat, November 27, 9am - 12pm
§ Click here for more information and to register
MCPS Virtual Hispanic College Fair
The Hispanic Virtual College Fair will be held on Tuesday, November 30th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. All middle and high school students are invited, with a strong emphasis on our 11th and 12th grade students.
Registration is now open, and students will receive reminders and tips as we get closer to the event. Parents and counselors may also register themselves using this same link. The link is found on both attachments below and also found here.
Similar to last year, students can log back in to the fair at any time through December if they want to revisit some colleges or request more information later. However, the in-person chats will only be available during the advertised fair day and hours.
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