SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
April 3, 2022 Edition
A few words from Dr. Cohen
NEW: SVHS Student and Family Resources Page
REMINDER: Free, On-Demand Online/Virtual Tutoring Available for All Students, K-12
New Partnerships with FEV Tutor and Tutor Me Education
Beginning on January 25, 2022, all students will have access to free tutoring and 24/7 Homework Help to support success in their current courses/grade level, through two new approved tutoring providers, FEV Tutor and Tutor Me Education. As part of comprehensive strategies to mitigate learning disruption associated with the pandemic, all students will have access to these virtual tutoring services through their MCPS Google Account, using Clever. Some students will also be referred directly by their local school.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/tutoring.aspx
NEW: Upcoming Mandatory MCAP Testing
Dear Seneca Valley High School Community,
Per Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) mandates, students must take the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) assessments to satisfy graduation requirements.
Stay tuned for information on adjustments to the MCAP testing schedule. Updates coming this week.
If you have questions or concerns regarding testing, please reach out to Kisheena Wanzer (Kisheena_J_Wanzer@mcpmsmd.org) and Michael Kim (Michael_T_Kim@mcpsmd.org).
NEW: Summer School 2022 - New Website!
Find information about Summer School opportunities on our new Summer School Website, listed under the "Quick Links" menu. Contact Kisheena_J_Wanzer@mcpsmd.org with any questions.
· https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/summerschoolsvhs/home
Important Dates:
· 3/24 - Regional Summer School Registration Opens
· 4/4 - Seneca Valley Summer School Registration Opens
NACAC College Fair Field Trip Opportunity for Juniors
NACAC College Fair
Interested students and families are welcome to attend the NACAC College Fair with their families on April 5, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. This year's fair will take place at Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse (formerly known as Discovery Sports Center) in Boyds, MD.
During this evening session, there will also be a special workshop presentation:
Explore your Major... to Avoid MAJOR Malfunction Workshop
APRIL 5TH - 6:30PM (In the Grand Room) Learn tips and tools to explore your career goal so that you can choose a college major that fits! Click for the flyer.
For more information and/or to attend the evening session, click here to register
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! 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.
Thursday, April 7 - College Essay Writing
Thursday, April 21 - Tips on Common Application
Tuesday, April 26 - Intro to Financial Aid and Scholarships
College Admissions Decisions & Results - Seniors
Already received admissions results and/or scholarships? Please update your Naviance accounts! Need help? See Mr. Nalda in the College & Career Center, Room 2113.
How to add and update admission decisions/results in Naviance (video)
U.S. Service Academy Summer Programs
Juniors (students in the Class of 2023) who have an interest in learning about opportunities to attend a U.S. Service Academy for college are encouraged to apply to participate in a summer program. Each Academy’s summer program provides a week-long immersion into the academic, military, and social life of that Academy. The Academies are ranked among the top undergraduate public universities in the country. The U.S. Naval Academy also offers a Summer STEM Program for rising 9th-11th graders. (Click here for more information)
Upcoming Scholarships
- April 04 - AFSA National High School Essay Contest - 1st Place: $2,500, trip to DC, and Semester at Sea. Runner-Up: $1,250 and scholarship to attend National Student Leadership Conference; 9-12 grade; submit an essay of 1,000-1,250 words on the strategies and tactics U.S. Foreign Service Officers and American peacebuilders are employing to build successful partnerships with other world and regional powers and with local actors in the chosen current situation.
- April 08 - Dr. Juanita J. Davis Educational Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; senior; female; min 2.75 GPA; attending an HBCU in the Fall and pursue a major in health/medical or educational field; 500-word essay addressing one of three topics; official transcript; resume; two (2) letters of recommendation.; virtual interview; Application Package Completion Checklist.
- April 08 - Goddess of the Arts Book Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; senior; female; min 2.75 GPA; pursue a major in arts, visual arts, fine arts, performing arts, creative writing, music, graphic design, or design; 500-word essay addressing why you want to pursue arts in college; one sample of original artwork, recording of musical composition, creative writing sample, or video of a performance; official transcript; resume; two (2) letters of recommendation; Application Package Completion Checklist.
- April 08 - Trailblazer for the Advancement of Change, Equity and Social Justice Book Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; senior; female; min 2.75 GPA; pursue a major in criminal justice, government, pre-law, public policy, or political science in college or university; consideration will be given to those with financial need, academic achievement, and service to community; 500-word essay; official transcript; resume; two (2) letters of recommendation; Application Package Completion Checklist.
- April 08 - Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Book Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; senior; female; min 2.75 GPA; pursue a major in STEM in college, university, or trade school; 500-word essay addressing one of three topics; official transcript; resume; two (2) letters of recommendation; Application Package Completion Checklist.
- April 09 - DC Area Phi Beta Kappa Association Scholarship - up four $1,000 awards per year; senior; min 3.5 unweighted GPA; students receiving our award must show a commitment to the values and mission of Phi Beta Kappa, including academic achievement, community involvement, and a dedication to the liberal arts and sciences; essay; letter of acceptance from their chosen college or university.
- April 10 - The Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL or the League) Scholarships - awards ranging from $1,000-$8,000; senior; Black/African American, African, Afro-Caribbean, and/or Afro-Latino; min 2.5 GPA (unweighted); permanent resident and/or attend high school in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County; plan to attend a four-year college or university in the Fall of 2022; demonstrate commitment to community service; demonstrate financial need (copy of Student Aid Report (SAR) or first two pages of Federal Tax Return); adjusted gross family income must follow provided guidelines; written essay; video essay; two letters of recommendation; official transcript; official copy of SAT or ACT scores.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
This Week's College & Career Visits - Career Center (Room 2113)
DigiPen Institute of Technology - Mon April 4 @ 9:35 AM (Pd 3)
Interested in video game design? Click the link to learn more.
Suffolk University - Mon April 4 @ 10:22 AM (Pd 4)
University of Advancing Technology (Virtual) - Mon April 4 @ 11:59 AM (Pd 6)
Students are welcome to come to the Career Center to view this virtual presentation.
Upcoming Events
MC Scholarship Series 2022
Students and families are invited to join us for information about scholarships and financial aid. All sessions begin at 6pm. Click Here to Register
April 6: Using Scholarship Search Engines
May 18: Montgomery College Scholarship Programs
Montgomery County Recreation To Host Two Summer Job Fairs
Montgomery County Recreation (MCR) is hiring part-time seasonal employees to work during the 2022 summer season. There are numerous positions available for aquatics and summer day camp staff. The following teams have openings: aquatics, community recreation facilities, senior services, youth development, sports, therapeutic recreation and more.
There will be two job fairs held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. One in Gaithersburg and one in Rockville. Click here for more information.
Click here to see the SVHS Homepage for more upcoming events
NEW: IB Spotlight
MYP Personal Project update: Our 10th graders are working hard on completing their product for their MYP Personal Project before Spring Break. After they complete their product, the students will organize and curate their evidence, and reflect on their learning in their final report. Mrs. Becraft will host two MYP Personal Project workshops after Spring Break to help students complete their final reports by the end of April.
On Thursday, May 19th, the 10th graders who finish their MYP Personal Projects will spend the day at AMP Music Club by Strathmore to see a concert featuring some of our Think Big artists, a catered lunch, and a ceremony to celebrate their project completion! We are so excited to celebrate their accomplishments. Here is a calendar of important dates for the MYP Personal Project.
IB Training: Please complete the IB Training request form if you are new to teaching an IB DP/CP course next year or interested in IB DP/CP or MYP training.
IB in the Classroom: Our IB Art seniors held their Exhibition this week; presenting insightful, creative, and thoughtful work. We are so proud of the culmination of their learning in the course with the wonderful support of Ms. Hess. Please enjoy the photos below of our IB Diploma Program seniors appreciating the artwork, including IB DP senior artist, Olivia Blaner, with her work.
IB Student Spotlight: We would like to congratulate all of our IB students for wonderful performances in the Little Mermaid SVHS theatre production! We are so proud of our well-rounded IB students who take a rigorous course load, while being involved in school activities. The youngest member of our IB Coordinator team, Mrs. Becraft’s daughter Maddie, who is shown below, gave it rave reviews!
REMINDER: Dads on Duty - We would love to have you join the team.
Attention Seneca Dads. If you are still interested in participating in Dads on Duty and you have completed the volunteer training module and COVID attestation form, please consider signing up for a slot using the form below. We still need your support. The dads who have been coming in have reported having a great time while also seeing real evidence that they are making a difference.
Dads on Duty at Seneca Valley HS: Dads on Duty Sign-Up (signupgenius.com)
To access the online volunteer training and COVID vaccination attestation, use this link: Support Guide [Volunteers and Contractors: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect] - Google Docs
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