We are blazing through the school year; students have certainly settled back into their learning. The first few weeks of school can seem easier because we are building our community and providing some time for review. As the coursework gets more challenging, please encourage your child to ask questions, ask for help, and use the resources we have to help them be successful.

Being in school on time, every day, for every period is also key. If students are out or miss a class period, they should sign up for their teachers' Mustang Morning to get caught up. Counselors and administration can also help. We are here for your student; all they need to do is ask.

PSA: If you child is out or misses a class, please email mohsattendance@k12albemarle.org to excuse it. We are tracking class period attendance and are monitoring students so that they don't get to 10 missed classes and become at risk for denial of credit. Students have been "making up time" to avoid this from occurring, but as a whole, the percentage of students in classes every day is very high.

Monday is Halloween. Students may dress in costume as long as it aligns with the dress code embedded within ACPS's Student Conduct Policy. A few highlights-students may not have a mask that covers their face or prevents us from identifying them and they may not wear a costume that promotes anything illegal (e.g. underage drinking or smoking). We want everyone t have a fun day, so please review the policy before picking your costume.

School Board Policy JFC: Student Conduct

Families, we need your help.

Mustang Morning (MM) is a dedicated block of time in our school day where students can get extra support for a class, make up a test or assignment, retest for improved learning/grade, or receive enrichment through a project or club. We put MM first this year for a couple of reasons, most specifically to ensure students didn't miss instructional time because of late buses.

If a student does not have MM because they have not been requested or they have not selected to go to one of their teachers for help, they remain in Homeroom if they are on campus or they can check into school at 9:45. Families have been given the option to exempt their student from MM (MME) for two weeks at a time to help with accurate attendance. All of that has been going well, but here is where we run into an issue.

Teachers have been asked to pull students with a D or an F. It's an indication that something isn't going right with the course; however, if a student is MME, they are not coming to school. We also have students who would rather be in homeroom than working on the work, so they just don't go. On our end, we are working to solve the latter problem by having Homeroom teachers check students' assignments, but we could use your help with the MME.

Please encourage your child to use MM as an aid if they are not doing well. Teachers make intentional plans to support students during this time and your support is critical. We hope to do a reset with students on Monday as we start the second nine weeks. When "teacher requested," Mustang Morning is like any other instructional block and we want to ensure that students attend. Teachers will be reaching out if students are absent or choose not to attend. We hope we have your support in this reset. Many thanks!

Teachers had a work day yesterday to finish their first nine weeks grading and to plan for the upcoming weeks. Grades should be accurate, despite not being "stored" or averaged. Students grades will not be stored in Power School until the semester and then the grade becomes 50% of the final grade.

Thank you to all who have dropped off snacks for our students! Please keep them coming, if you are able.

The other thing that we could use is small cups for water. We appreciate your support. Thank you, again.

This Friday in seminar, students will take the DESSA (9th/10th only) and Peer Nomination surveys. Each one will take about five minutes.

We should be receiving the Panorama Survey results soon and we will share them out.

Many thanks to our PTSO for their support at our Parent Teacher Conferences.

Stay tuned for a Zoom link for our November meeting.

With the Virginia High School League (VHSL) winter sports tryouts and season soon upon us, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important information and steps necessary for participation.

First, it is our mission to share the values of respect and fair play with every student, every day through participation in VHSL athletics and activities. Finally, I encourage you to carefully review the information below and reach out directly to our coaches for sport-specific questions or contact us here in the athletics office if we can be of any assistance.

Students – make sure you have three things… 1. Bring a VHSL Physical form (if it’s not already on file in our athletics office), 2. Bring a water bottle, 3. Bring a positive attitude.

Parents – please make sure your child is registered for participation online at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘REGISTRATION’. We have a computer available in the athletics office during regular school hours if you need assistance and/or internet connectivity.


Athletics Department Requirements
Students must have a current VHSL Physical Form on file in the athletics office, dated on or after 5/1/2022 and all four pages of the form must be complete. Hard copies of the VHSL Physical Form are available in the school office from 8:00am-4:30pm and can be submitted by email as a PDF to mpearman@k12albemarle.org, Fax to 434-244-3118, or in-person in the school office.
VHSL Physical Form link

Students must be registered online for participation. Registration is online at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘REGISTRATION’. For technical support if necessary, please email support@rschooltoday.com or call the rSchoolToday support line at 612-605-1623.
Online Registration Form link

ACPS Athletics Participation Fees are no longer mandated by Albemarle County Public Schools as of the 2022-2023 school year. If you are willing and/or able to make a direct contribution to the Monticello Athletics Department in lieu of the athletics participation fees, donations will be accepted online anytime for the upcoming school year.
Donations in lieu of Athletics Participation Fee payment link


Where Can I Get A Sports Physical?
Families are encouraged to contact their Pediatrician or Primary Care Physician to complete VHSL Physical Examination requirements. If something more timely is necessary, MedExpress offers convenient and affordable sports physicals without advance appointments required (CLICK HERE for information on MedExpress sports physicals).

Please take your own copy of the VHSL Physical Form to your physician. Some physicians complete the medical part(s) of the form, which does not complete the entire four (4) pages required for participation. Please note that sports physicals do not take the place of annual visits to the doctor for a comprehensive health and wellness examination. It is recommended that children receive such examinations at least once a year.

First Tryouts/Practice Information & Coach Contact Info
Winter Sports tryouts/practice begins in mid-November. Dates and times of the first official tryout/practice date for each sport is below. Coaches will provide dates/times for tryouts/practices after the first day. Please contact the coaches directly to express interest in trying out or for more information about the upcoming season. Students in 8th grade may try out for Junior Varsity teams in all sports. Roster availability for 8th grade students may vary from sport-to-sport per tryouts guidelines as outlined in the ACPS Athletic Department Handbook.

• Boys Basketball – Gary Spry, gspry@k12albemarle.org
• Varsity, JV & Freshman: Wednesday, Nov. 9 – 4:30-6:30pm in Main Gym
• 8th-12th grade
• Girls Basketball – Juwuhn Smith, jsmith5@k12albemarle.org
• Varsity, JV & Freshman: Monday, Nov. 7 – 4:30-6:30pm in Main Gym
• 8th-12th grade
• Swim & Dive (Boys & Girls) – Jen Csapo, jcsapo@k12albemarle.org
• Varsity: Wednesday, Nov. 9 – 7:00-8:30pm at Brooks Family YMCA
• 9th-12th grade
• Wrestling (Boys & Girls) – Rodrigues Williams, rwilliams2@k12albemarle.org
• JV & Varsity: Wednesday, Nov. 9 – 4:30-6:30pm in MHS Wrestling Room
• 8th-12th grade
• Track & Field (Boys & Girls) – Steve Ivory, sivory@k12albemarle.org
• Varsity: Monday, Nov. 14 – 4:30-6:30pm on MHS Track
• 9th-12th grade
• Sideline Cheer – Veronica Price-Thomas, vthomas@k12albemarle.org
• JV & Varsity: Tuesday Nov. 15 – 4:30-6:30pm in Auxiliary Gym
• 8th-12th grade

Academic Eligibility
All students that intend to try out for a sport/activity must be in good standing at Monticello High School in-person or virtually. Students must have PASSED a minimum of five (5) classes from the 2021-2022 school year. ‘Incompletes’ are NOT passing grades. Students must be currently enrolled in a minimum of five (5) classes for the 2022-2023 school year. Please contact your School Counselor for scheduling questions or information, or contact the athletics office regarding VHSL Eligibility requirements.


Game/Contest Schedules
Schedules for the upcoming season are posted online as they are available at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘CALENDAR’. As always, schedules are subject to change. This online schedule is updated in real time with updates from the athletics department. There are options to download the schedules from www.GoMonticello.org to Google, Outlook, iCal and other electronic calendar platforms.


Activity Bus
Activity Buses are intended to assist parents by providing transportation to pre-determined locations, and are not a school-to-home means of transportation. Students should confirm with the driver(s) that they are on the correct bus. Activity buses depart from the bus loop at Monticello High School promptly at 6:45pm on all regular school days. Activity Buses are not provided for days students are not in school.
Activity Bus Routes – Monticello High School


VHSL Activities/Club Sports
VHSL Activities/Club Sports offer students opportunities to represent our school in competitive, non-athletic, activities. If you are interested in joining any of our VHSL Activities/Club Sports programs, please contact the respective coach.

• Scholastic Bowl – Barry Keith, bkeith@k12albemarle.org
• Debate/Forensics – Jennifer Timms, jtimms@k12albemarle.org
• Theatre – Madeline Michel, mmichel@k12albemarle.org
• Literary Magazine – Thomas Warren, twarren@k12albemarle.org
• Yearbook – Shannon Deegan, smound@k12albemarle.org
• eSports – Krishan Leong, kleong@k12albemarle.org
• Mountain Biking – Rachel Miller, monticellomtb@gmail.com
• Champions Sports (Special Olympics) – Sarah Miller, smiller@k12albemarle.org

Admission Ticket Update
Digital/Mobile Ticketing is the safest, fastest and most efficient way for you to receive your tickets to Monticello athletics events. Please download the TicketSpicket app on your mobile device and/or CLICK HERE for Monticello’s digital ticketing site. All digital ticket purchases are guaranteed and will be refunded if a game is canceled or remain valid in the event of a rescheduled game. Tickets and season passes for the 2022-2023 winter season will be available online by November 1.


FREE Ticket Opportunities
Looking to save some $$$ while supporting our Mustangs? Complete an online course at www.nfhslearn.com, download and email the certificate to mpearman@k12albemarle.org, tell me which upcoming home game for which you’d like a FREE ticket, and we’ll send your ticket directly to your TicketSpicket account! There are over 50 courses to choose from, each of which will enhance your experience as a parent, student-athlete, or coach. Implicit Bias, Title IX, NCAA Eligibility, Concussion in Sports, Positive Parenting, and Sportsmanship are just a few of the courses available. Or, perhaps you’re curious why officials make certain decisions – there are a number of sport-specific officiating courses available as well. No matter which course (or 10 or 30) you choose, each course is worth one (1) FREE home game admission.


Athletics Booster Club
Monticello High School Athletics Booster Club (MHS ABC) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes and financially supports every Monticello High School sports team and student-athlete, assists teams with fundraising, builds school pride and advocates constructive, dedicated parental and community involvement. The Monticello High School Athletic Booster Club typically meets once monthly, and is always seeking new members and volunteers to fill much needed roles that are vital to the enhancement of our athletics programs and the mission of the club. For more information, please contact mhsathleticboosters@gmail.com.

Voluntary ‘Out-of-Season’ Workouts Information
Many teams scheduled voluntary out-of-season workouts. These dates can be located at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘CALENDAR’, or by contacting our coaches directly for sport-specific information (CLICK HERE for coach contact information). All out-of-season workouts are voluntary and optional for student participation. Students should bring own water bottle and dress appropriately for the weather and level of activity. After out-of-season workouts, all personal equipment should be taken home with each student.
QUESTION: What if ‘my team’ isn’t offering workouts?
ANSWER: No problem! This is a great opportunity to try another sport, make new friends in a low risk environment with no long-term commitment.

On November 7, Monticello will host Making Connections, the division's professional development conference. On November 8, the school will be open for elections. Students do not have school either day.

For the third consecutive year, the school division will be offering, free of charge, the College Board’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to all juniors on Wednesday, March 22nd. The test will be administered at all of our high schools on the morning of a regular school day. We will be providing registration information to families well in advance of the registration deadline.

We hope that, by sharing this information now, your family will not register and pay the $60 fee for the Saturday, March 11th SAT administration since the March 22nd administration is free to families.

While many colleges and universities no longer require SAT scores and families have a choice whether or not to include scores on student transcripts, taking the SAT can be helpful to college and university admission. Whether to report your test score to the college or university to which a student applies, is completely voluntary.

A strong test result can improve a student’s application for admission and also can enhance a student’s chance at earning scholarships. Often SAT test scores will advance a student’s candidacy for admission if the student’s GPA does not accurately represent the quality of their work or potential.

Kahn Academy, which is a non-profit dedicated to supporting students in their preparation for college, offers free SAT practice tests. Click here https://www.khanacademy.org/about to learn more about Kahn and here https://signup.collegeboard.org/official-sat-practice/ for information on practice tests.

For more information on the SAT, please contact your student’s school counselor.