HUSKY HIGHLIGHTS NEWSLETTER
January 2021
Principal's Message
I hope you and your loved ones are being safe and staying healthy.
Reflecting back on the past year, 2020 brought so many changes, many unknowns, and tested all of us in multiple ways. What has been heartwarming for me is to see our Tuscarora community work together to get through the challenging times as best as we know how.
Kudos to the students who completed their Credit Recovery assignments. You did not let a setback keep you back and I am proud of you for getting back on your feet, seeking the help you need, and putting in the extra work to catch up on missed learning.
Three cheers to the teachers who continue to work diligently every day to provide the best instruction they can during distance learning. Whether you are teaching from your empty classrooms, or from a quiet corner of your home, you continue to explore new ways to engage students and help them succeed!
Rockstar status goes to the parents and the community. Your words of encouragement to the students builds their confidence to continue trying during these difficult times. Your kind words of appreciation to the teachers and staff feeds our souls so that we can keep trying. You have been a wonderful and important partner in our day-to-day work and we appreciate you.
I hope each of you took some time during the winter break to pause and appreciate the blessings that we have. As we settle into 2021, please remember to provide yourself with patience, kindness, and grace.
May this New Year bring you and your loved ones new opportunities of joy and peace.
Pamela Croft
Principal
Just and Workman Bring Home First Place!
On Thursday, December 10th, Tuscarora HS senior Keslar Just and sophomore Michaela Workman brought home first place honors at the STEM for Her/Audi of America's Drive Like a Girl Innovation Competition 2020.
Since 2017, Audi of America and STEM for Her partnered to offer the annual Drive Like a Girl STEM Innovation Challenge. The 2020 competition officially kicked off in October, when STEM scholars Just and Workman teamed together to address a challenge facing the automotive industry. With the support of faculty sponsor and physics teacher, Kristine Heaver, and the mentoring support of Audi employees, this STEM focused duo identified an authentic challenging problem, conducted research, designed proposals, engaged in feedback protocols, and presented their solution of innovation.
Just and Workman focused their work on improving the car buying experience for female consumers and leveraging the digital world for convenience and safety during these uncertain times.
This innovation team presented a plan to provide consumers with a digital needs assessment, virtual access to a car salesperson, and the option to schedule test drives of sanitized vehicles delivered to the consumer's home. Presenting their SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threat), Just and Workman, demonstrated a solid understanding of how their proposal compares to the digital vehicle purchasing experience provided by other competitors and an authentic understanding of how this proposal may impact consumers during the pandemic.
When asked about the experience, senior Keslar Just indicated that "the most impactful thing I experienced was working with professional women from Audi internationally and nationally who highlighted the importance of STEM."
Reflecting on the collaboration in this innovation challenge, sophomore Michaela Workman explains that "the most impactful thing that I took away from this project was the amount of teamwork that we needed to make it happen. When I first heard the prompt, I was a little intimidated because the question was so open-ended and there were so many different ways to go. However, with Keslar's and our mentors' help, we were able to think of an idea and create a project that I never could have done alone...so it was very nice to experience what we could do when we all worked together!"
Congratulations to Keslar Just and Michaela Workman on their first place win! We are extremely proud of these two outstanding scholars. This honor includes a $100 prize to each student and a $2,000 donation to Tuscarora High School in support of STEM education.
Keslar Just
Michaela Workman
Drive Like a Girl 2020
Quarter 2 Reminders
- Check Schoology and StudentVue for any missing assignments or assessments. If you are missing any assignments or assessments, work with your teachers to complete these assignments/assessments.
- Take advantage of the reassessment policy. Check with your teacher to see if you have the opportunity for reassessments and demonstrate that you obtained missed learning from earlier in the quarter.
- Stay during Learning Lab to ask your teachers questions and check for understanding of the course content. This is a great way to make sure you have a solid understanding of the course materials and end the second quarter strong.
- Schedule time to work with teachers during your Study Hall. This may be the perfect time to have a teacher answer any questions, re-explain different concepts, or to help you with assignments and practice work.
- Schedule a small study group to meet with your teachers during their "Office Hours". If you thrive on collaboration with your peers, this is a great way for you to get extra help from your teacher and work with your classmates.
The Latest from School Counseling!
Happy New Year!!
Counselors will begin one on one scheduling for the 2021-2022 academic year in February. Please make sure you view the outstanding Electives Fair videos from our great teacher so you can learn about all the great electives THS has to offer. This will make scheduling with your school counselor go much smoother.
Seniors: Please be sure to check the scholarship emails that Mr. Newkirk sends out to you through Naviance. College deadlines. Here is a the most recent email from Mr. Newkirk:
Tuscarora Students and Parents,
As students begin to receive admissions decisions for college, the conversations of how to pay for college become more prevalent. Considering the uncertain times, we are experiencing, being financially prepared for college is vital more than ever. There are various ways to absorb the financial strains of college. Whether it is scholarships, grants, loans, or work study, they are all designed to provide financial assistance for college expenses.
The purpose of this e-mail is to identify some of the resources students and parents can utilize in this regard. Below are links and resources that can help in identifying funds for college. Given the COVID-19 disruption most scholarship donors have adjusted deadlines and submission criteria, please look closely at each scholarship opportunity.
- Local Scholarships: The below link for local/county-wide scholarship opportunities. https://sites.google.com/lcps.org/lcps-scholarship-site/home/list-of-scholarships
- Scholarship Search Engines: List of Scholarship and Financial Aid Planning Search Engines https://sites.google.com/lcps.org/lcps-scholarship-site/home/list-of-scholarships Scholarships can be searched in the NAVIANCE STUDENT app in LCPSGO or visit https://student.naviance.com/tuscarora
- FAFSA: Students and families are encouraged to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) More information visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
- University Scholarships: Search scholarships at the schools you intend on applying to. Most colleges require you apply by a particular deadline. Each college is different so inquire accordingly.
Any questions, comments, or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Newkirk at michael.newkirk@lcps.org
Good Luck
-THS School Counseling
Math - Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
Winter MAP Testing - Algebra 1 and Geometry students will take the winter administration of the MAP between January 21, 2021 - February 19, 2021. Teachers may utilize Monday to administer the test in one sitting. Your student teacher will give the date for the test.
News from English Learners Department
The EL Department has been busy as usual! Our December 21st Holiday Gift & Food was a Huge Success!! We would like to thank McLean Bible Church, Loudoun Hunger Relief and the Tuscarora Staff & Students for their generosity!! It takes a village is a saying that is extremely relevant to this month’s distribution. We all came together to provide a much needed supplement to 70 of our in need students. The EL Department is Proud to be a Part of Such An Amazing Community! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Student Technology Support
Student Tech Support Help
Is your child experiencing problems with their Chromebook or how to do something in Google or Schoology? This handy guide provides steps to solving common issues with Chromebooks and a how to guide for basic things in Google and Schoology, along with how to get help with broken devices.
Tuscarora PTSO News!
Hello Husky Families!
Thank you for supporting your PTSO even in this Distance Learning environment! Here’s a recap of our Fall fundraisers and activities:
- J.Crew Shop and Share raised over $650!
- Mickman Holiday Greens fundraiser made homes beautiful near and far and raised over $150!
- Our HoneyBaked Ham fundraiser ran through 12/3. Thank you for your participation!
My favorite bit of PTSO news: our very generous THS Families donated enough gift cards/funds to give EVERY THS Staff member a holiday gift! How wonderful is that?!
Thank you to all who donated/participated in our fundraisers!
To stay up to date on THS/PTSO happenings join us on PTBoard:
https://thsptso.ptboard.com/home
On behalf of our PTSO Board, we wish you Happy Holidays and a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Warm Regards,
Heather Gonzalez
PTSO President
Tuscarora Athletics
Upcoming Tryout Dates:
Competition Cheer and Football: February 4
Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Volleyball: February 15
All Spring Sports - April 12
You must have completed the online registration at www.huskyathletics.info and turned in a current (dated after May 1) VHSL physical to be eligible for tryouts.
Please contact Tony Tallent, Athletic Director (tony.tallent@lcps.org) or Scott Valyear, Assistant Athletic Director, (scott.valyear@lcps.org) with questions.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@TuscaroraHusky) and Instagram (TuscaroraHusky).
The Husky Athletic Booster Club is on Twitter (@AthleticHusky) and always has great information on Spirit Nights and Spirit Wear!
Updates from the Testing Office!
AP Registration and payment has closed for full year AP courses.
January 18th to March 12th: ACCESS for ELs window.
January 25th to February 5th: Senior testing for SOL verified credits.
January 26th: PSAT for 10th graders only. Registration closed on December 2nd.
As a reminder at this time, diploma and state testing requirements have not changed, you will need to test at school, in person, regardless of concerns. Questions regarding this requirement may be addressed to Leigh.Bennett@lcps.org, Supervisor, Assessment Services, and/or the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Assessment and Student Achievement at (804) 225-2102.
Please reach out to sommer.crawfor@lcps.org with any questions.
New from World Languages and Culture
Seal of Biliteracy Testing Registration for Seniors is now closed. Parents have received instructions for testing through the email they submitted. Test window is Dec. 7th-14th. If you missed this window, the timeline for the spring testing session will be posted on the school website soon. Questions can be directed to catherine.haney@lcps.org.
Applications to Governor’s School for the World Languages are due to your teacher ASAP! Please coordinate with your language teacher for more information.
New Tunes from Fine Arts
A PEEK AT NEXT MONTH
December 23 - January 1 - Winter Break
January 4 - Asynchronous School Day
January 18 - Student Holiday
January 19 - Movable Teacher Workday
January 20 - Student Holiday
Tuscarora High School
Website: lcps.org/Tuscarora
Location: 801 North King Street, Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone: (571)252-1900