If you missed our picture day last month, don't worry -- Barksdale will be back on September 30 for make-ups. Please see the information below and use this link to sign up for a slot. Photos will be taken at 15 West Gude Dr., Rockville MD 20850. If you have questions, please call us ats 240-740-6060.

See below for the calendar for this upcoming week. Please note that Monday, September 5 is a holiday; schools and offices are closed. Also, MAP-R takes place this week for grades 6 and 7. More testing information is coming via email and through classes. For the full May calendar, click the link below:

Virtual Academy Daily Calendar

Student Service Learning, or SSL, is an important graduation requirement. Check out these important September 2022 SSL updates to learn more about SSL opportunities, forms and how secondary students can stay up to date on their SSL record and activity. And, read on below for some special opportunities available countywide and specifically for Virtual Academy students!

You can now access many important resources for Student Service Learning (SSL) at our new website: ​​https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mva-ssl-opportunities/home.

Here you'll find...

• Contact information for our SSL Coordinator (Dr. Simarjeet Sandhu) and our counseling team
• An introductory video about SLL hours and how to complete them
• The official submission form for reporting hours
• Timely updates on service opportunities within and outside of the Virtual Academy
• and more!

• Navigate to https://md-mcps-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login.aspx.
• Select "I am a parent" or "I am a student."
• Enter your User Name and Password, then click "Login."
• Click "Course History" from the left-hand navigation.
• The Course History page shows the student's graduation progress, test requirements, and SLL hours earned. (Students need 75 hours for graduation.)
• Toggle on "Detail" to see full Service Learning details.

Attention families and students: More SSL opportunities are available through Project Linus, an organization that provides handmade blankets to children experiencing trauma in Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

Project Linus is a national organization with chapters across the country (www.projectlinus.org). Their Montgomery County Maryland chapter works with partner organizations like Holy Cross Hospital, Children's Hospital, A Wider Circle, and the Montgomery County Department of Social Services, to distribute blankets to children who are in the hospital, homeless, in foster care, in shelters, and in other situations where just a small comfort can make a major difference. All these blankets are made by volunteers.

Middle and high school students can earn SSL hours with Project Linus in 3 ways:

1. Attending one of their monthly meetings and helping to make blankets. They meet on the 4th Monday or every month (except December, where it’s the third Monday) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Richard Montgomery High School. They provide all the necessary supplies, and their adult volunteers supervise the blanket-making activities. No special skills or experience required. Meeting dates are listed on this flyer.

2. Students can also earn SSL hours remotely by making blankets at home. When they drop off the blankets, they also need to send a picture of them with the blanket(s) they made. We ask that students making blankets at home first attend one of their meetings, or contact the organization at projectlinus.mc@gmail.com, to make sure they are following the proper instructions. Project Linus does not provide supplies for blankets made at home.

3. Finally, they are always looking for volunteers to help with blanket pickup and delivery and other activities.

Virtual Academy students in grades 6-12 who need to speak with a counselor
can reach out to the counselor listed below (alphabetical by last name). Please note that during these first few weeks of the year, all counselors are inundated with schedule requests and questions -- thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to serve the needs of our 1,800 students and families! (Click the image of the list below for a web browser version, for easier viewing.)

The deadline for students and families to request changes to schedules and classes is this Friday, September 9. After this date, classes will have been in session for two full weeks, and moving between sections and teachers is not possible without significant disruptions. Please contact your counselor as soon as possible (see the chart above) with any questions or requests. Thank you!

Families of students who may qualify for free or reduced-price meals can now apply for assistance for school meals. Eligibility is based on family size and gross income. Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive free breakfast and lunch meals.
Apply here. Learn more about the program.

If you have any questions about your child's attendance, or if you need to report an excused absence, please contact our Attendance Secretary, Ms. Hikeyya Falden:

• Hikeyya_A_Falden@mcpsmd.org
• 240-740-6060

Every student in the VA is scheduled for Advisory (indicated as "Homeroom" on their schedules).

Advisory meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Students are able to:

• connect with peers from their home school
• receive Virtual Academy updates and information
• participate in fun and interesting advisory lessons

It is important for students to log in each Advisory day for learning and attendance. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, asynchronous activities are provided for students; completion of these activities counts for Advisory attendance on these days.

Contact your advisory teacher for information and to answer questions.

Activate Your ParentVue Account

This important tool will provide near real-time access to information on assignments and scores, attendance, class schedules, transcripts, graduation status, and more. You may access ParentVUE online, but for the best mobile experience, we encourage you to download the ParentVUE App from the Google Play Store or Apple Store, as this app will replace the current myMCPS mobile application.

Contact Your Child's Administrator or Counselor for your activation letter

ParentVue Directions

Log in to ParentVue

In collaboration with MCPS, the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) is offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for MCPS parents. The classes will be held virtually and there will be options for all levels of English speakers. They are available to any MCPS parent for whom English is not their first language.

Please see this flyer for details:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CWxRzof4pPS95Fi7SjEadPgf3_w39orL/view?usp=sharing

Parents can complete this Interest form to receive a placement test.

Click here to review the updates that we share with students each week in our student newsletter Google Site.

When you submit your SSL forms, it’s really important that you complete all sections properly, so the form does not get returned to you. Check out this video from our SSL committee that demonstrates how to complete the SSL form in its entirety.

Thank you, Ms. Marks, for the helpful video!

https://www.loom.com/share/a9aafe11b7c7475caa166006528bf823

The Montgomery County government has received grant funding to provide a computer to residents who do not have one. All you need is a valid Montgomery County library card and a photo ID to register. Click here for more information: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/obp/computer-for-you.html

You can now easily review previous publications of the Weekly Navigators online:

SEMESTER TWO

• Week of June 13, 2022
• Week of June 6, 2022
• Week of May 31, 2022
• Week of May 23, 2022
• Week of May 16, 2022
• Week of May 9, 2022
• Week of May 2, 2022
• Week of April 25, 2022
• Week of April 18, 2022
• Week of April 4, 2022
• Week of March 28, 2022
• Week of March 21, 2022
• Week of March 14, 2022
• Week of March 7, 2022
• Week of February 28, 2022
• Week of February 22, 2022
• Week of February 14, 2022
• Week of February 7, 2022
• Week of January 31, 2022

SEMESTER ONE

• Week of January 25, 2022
• Week of January 18, 2022
• Week of January 10, 2022
• Week of January 3, 2022
• Week of December 20, 2021
• Week of December 13, 2021
• Week of December 6, 2021
• Week of November 22, 2021
• Week of November 7, 2021
• Week of October 31, 2021
• Week of October 25, 2021
• Week of October 3, 2021