Incredibly, we are already three weeks into the school year! Things are moving quickly, and by now, students should be seeing evidence of learning and mastery reflected in their grades for each course. We are having deep conversations across all departments in the Academy about what grades mean, and I want to highlight here some of the most salient pieces of the upgrades and adjustments we're putting in place for this year. The Grading, Reporting, and Feedback (GRAF) project team intends to share a variety of resources with families over the next few months to help everyone understand not only HOW we approach grading, reporting, and feedback, but also WHY. As well as solicit your feedback for ongoing improvement. For now, here are some important things you need to know...

• Teachers are using a 4-point scale to provide feedback and grades on significant assessments. This lines up with the overall letter grades we're all used to -- A, B, C, and D... with an E indicating that there is not enough evidence to assess for mastery.
• Each assignment is worth a specified number of points in the grade book: 10, 20, 30, 50, or 80. This scale helps to clarify how "weighty" each assessment is, in comparison with everything else in the gradebook. Students who are missing work should always discuss their plan with their teachers, but in general, it's best to focus on the assessments that have the highest number of "points possible."
• Each course should have between 9 and 14 total assessments in the 90% "All Tasks" category by the end of each marking period -- these are core assessments such as essays, performances, projects, unit tests, etc.
• Each course should also have between 5 and 10 total assessments in the 10% "Practice and Preparation" category -- these are smaller assignments such as exit tickets, quizzes, reflections, practice drills, etc.
  
• Late work is not penalized in the gradebook in the Virtual Academy. There are two deadlines each quarter: just before interims and just before the end of the marking period. After these dates, teachers can choose not to accept late work for a grade.

These updates and changes to how we report grades will take everyone some time to adjust to, but we firmly believe they will help our ongoing pursuit of making grading practices as transparent, useful, and equitable as possible. You can review our GRAF Core Beliefs below, the cornerstone of our philosophy around the complex system of grading and the values it entails. More information will be coming throughout the year!

Thursday, September 15- October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

Friday, September 16- Thursday, September 29 - MAP Testing (High School)

Monday, September 26- No School for all MCPS Students and Teachers

Friday, September 30- Early Release Day

Friday, September 30- Picture Make-up Day (15 West Gude Drive)

Saturday, October 8- MVAPTC Craft Fair from 12:00 to 5:00 PM at Earl B Wood Middle School

Research indicates that meaningful personal engagement with their teachers and peers is one of the most important predictors of student learning and achievement.

As a result of a review of the research, the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) presents the following revisions to its policies and expectations around student engagement, participation, and attendance for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond.

1. All students are expected to appear on camera for the majority of every class
2. Students should actively demonstrate engagement throughout each lesson.
   
3. Students who demonstrate no engagement for the entire class period may be marked “Absent” for that class period.
   
4. The MVA continues to expand opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with teachers, staff, and each other outside of the classroom.
   

For more detailed information on these expectations, please see this document. Thank you for your support and encouragement as we work together to connect students with their teachers and each other!

MAP Testing continues this week! Please see the schedule below for when your child’s grade will be testing:

• Tuesday, September 20th 7th Grade MAP-M @ 12:35
• Wednesday, September 21st 6th Grade MAP-M @ 12:35
• Thursday, September 22nd 8th Grade MAP-M @12:35

Make Ups for 9th and 10th Grade MAPR testing will be announced through English classes.

If you missed Back to School Night last week, don't worry! The slide deck from our Welcome session are available right here. Additionally, you can "meet" your child's teachers using this alphabetized collection of teacher videos. These are shorter presentations than were shared on Thursday, but they will give you a sene of each teacher's style, classroom setup, and course content. If you have questions or want more information, you are encouraged to reach out directly to teachers via Outlook or Synergy (ParentVUE).

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 at 240-740-6060.

Did you know we have a separate newsletter for students, to help them keep up with all the important events and offerings in various areas of the MVA? Use this link to visit, and make sure your children are getting our updates each week.

Each school year, families are asked to communicate updates about contact information, health, directory withholdings, emergency contacts and more. These updates are now processed in ParentVUE using Online Registration to access MCPS Form 281-13 “Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy.”

Using this form, parents/guardians may also indicate that the student does not want to be recorded during virtual classroom sessions for future viewing by students in the same class. Completing this form does not exclude a child from having a camera on during non-recorded instruction. Parents/guardians who choose to complete this form should do so by September 12, 2022. Please use the following guide to support you in this process: https://montgomery.service-now.com/csm?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010232

To kick off the school year, our media specialist, Tracy Jeffcott, and Lower School media assistant, Ellen Rahr will be visiting lower school classrooms to introduce students to our new MVA Library Media Center Website. Visits to our middle and high school students will be coming soon!

Click here to view the site! The Media Center Website is also linked at the top of the Montgomery Virtual Academy website.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) 2022 Youth Awards educational grants program is now accepting applications! Our 24th Annual Youth Awards will award students who are in the graduating Class of 2023 with up to $4000 in educational grants to fund their higher education or to fund a community-based project.

Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue.

Once selected, recipients will be celebrated in 10 virtual ceremonies and will become part of our broader HHF network of 200,000 professionals and fulfill our unique cycle of leadership where we meet America’s priorities in the classroom and workforce.

The Youth Awards program is the main pipeline to Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) system of talent that prepares and positions Latino youth through the award-winning Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) program as they transition from high school, to college, to graduate school, and into their careers.

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

Use the links below to access important SSL opportunities and resources. Contact Dr. Sandhu with any questions!

Simarjeet_K_Sandhu@mcpsmd.org

Check out these important September 2022 SSL updates to learn more about SSL opportunities, forms, and information about staying up to date on their SSL records and activity. And, read on below for some special opportunities available countywide and specifically for Virtual Academy students!

SSL Updates:

The Student Global Ambassador Program is offering 4 SSL hours for students ages 12+ to help with our Fall Clean-up on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Please distribute the following flyer (attached). Do share the following message with students: Middle and high school students: Kick-off Back to School with the SGAP Leaders' FALL CLEAN-UP! Bags, gloves and grabbers provided. Meet us at one of the following parks from 9-12 on Saturday, September 24, 2022. We will provide light refreshments. Grab a friend and come! Earn 4SSL hours. Age 12+ ONLY 50 VOLUNTEERS PER PARK

@ Parklawn Park

@ East Norbeck Park @ Winding Creek Park

Latino Student Fund Tutoring

Four Seasons World Dance Auditions

Arise & Flourish:

Students will need to visit the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/) and in the red box “Find a Volunteer Opportunity”, type in Arise and Flourish. Students will find the volunteer opportunity for the cycle of addiction video review project. This SSL opportunity has been approved by the MCPS SSL department. Please let the students know NOT to use their MCPS email address as we will not be able to respond to them.

Once students respond for the volunteer opportunity on the site, we will send the student/parent permission slip and detailed volunteer information. Please make sure the students do NOT use their MCPS email address as we will not be able to respond to them. Students will watch two video presentations provided by our organization. One video is our speakers who are people in recovery who share their personal experience. The second video is the presentation on the cycle of addiction which has information on how addiction happens.

Students have the ability to earn the following for the quality completion of this project:

1) Earn 1 SSL hour for watching one speaker video and the video for the cycle of addiction and completing one paper or artwork or;

2) Earn up to 4 SSL hours for watching up to 4 speaker videos along with the one video for the cycle of addiction and completing 4 papers or 4 artworks.

Students can watch anywhere from 1 - 4 speaker videos and the video for the cycle of addiction and completing one paper or artwork for EACH speaker video watched.

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.

You can also stay up to date with SSL reminders, dates, and deadlines using this resource, and. contact Dr. Sandhu with any questions!

Virtual Academy students in grades 6-12 who need to speak with a counselor can visit the open Counseling Zoom session every weekday using this link!

Office hours are:

• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:35 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Students and families can also reach out to their counselor using this resource or consulting the list 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.)

Please use this link to access important information about connecting with school counselors.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15JPCfPdlYMinomSC-JsT_F6kEHvoHABUk7oOMG3_qF0/edit?usp=sharing

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.

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 this year's Weekly Navigators online:

SEMESTER ONE

• Week of September 19, 2022
• Week of September 11, 2022
• Week of September 5, 2022