SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen/Mr. Smith's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
March 14, 2021- Edition
Update Video from Dr. Cohen
SVHS BUS ROUTES
Click below to view SVHS Bus Routes for students returning March 15 and beyond:
NEW: Community Update on TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Please read this important update that clarifies expectations regarding travel during the pandemic and its impact on participation in in-person learning: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus/travel/
NEW: Community Update on the MCPS REOPENING PLAN
NEW: IMPORTANT: Chromebook Pick-up Information
If a student does not have an MCPS issued Chromebook and is returning to school, Chromebooks will be issued from SVHS directly and on a daily basis.
For any questions around this change, please reach out to the school directly at 240-740-6400.
NEW: Community Update on A SHARED COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SAFETY
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Montgomery County Public Schools is committed to providing a safe environment for our students and staff as we transition to in-person learning. To ensure schools are safe, we must all do our part to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. By selecting an in-person learning experience, you are agreeing to take key precautions and actions to keep schools safe.
Please follow this link to learn more about this shared responsibility: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) (montgomeryschoolsmd.org)
NEW: This Week's Notes from the College & Career Center
College Acceptances & Scholarship Awards - Seniors
Have you applied and been accepted to a college or university? Have you been offered any scholarships? Please keep track of this information and update in your Naviance account. At some point soon, we will be distributing a Senior Survey asking for this and other information. All seniors in MCPS will be asked to complete this survey.
Keeping track of this as you go along will make it easier to fill out when it is time to fill out this survey. If possible, please share you acceptance(s) and scholarship award letter(s) with Mr. Nalda. You can forward, take a picture of, or scan your letter(s) of acceptance and add as an attachment. Thank you!!
FAFSA & MSFAA - Seniors
Reminder - If you have created an MDCAPS account to apply for financial aid and need to upload your transcript, send Mr. Nalda an email with your MHEC ID Number. He will be able to upload your GPA information directly to MHEC.
Upcoming Scholarships
- March 15 - 2021 Lawrence Hamm, Sr. Scholarship for Minority and Disadvantaged Youth - deadline at 5pm on 3/15; senior; U.S. Citizen and resident of Montgomery County; demonstrate volunteer and community service involvement; apply and receive acceptance to a college or university; 4 essays; resume; copy of most recent grade report card; signed media release; official transcript; 2 letters of recommendation.
- March 15 - ScooterInside Scholarship - 1-$1,200 award; senior; write an essay of 700-1500 words.
- March 15 - HBCU Alpha Wives Club Scholarship - 1-$2,500 award; senior; U.S. Citizen; min. 2.5 GPA; min 2.5 GPA (weighted); will attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the fall; participation school activities; community involvement; evidence of SSL hours; essay (goals statement, about 750 words); 2 letters of recommendation; resume; official transcript; signed release form.
- March 21 - Masonic Charities Scholarship - awards ranging from $500 - $7,000; senior; applicants considered from the following criteria: leadership in school and community; participation in school activities; personal resume; academics; financial need; references / recommendations; overall neatness of application; click here for electronic copy of application; once completed, RETURN application and supporting documents to Mr. Nalda by Sunday, March 21.
- March 23 - Apartment Guide Student Scholarship - 2-$2,500 awards; senior; U.S. Citizen or legal resident; at least 17 years of age; min 2.5 GPA; accepted as a full-time student at an accredited college or university for the Fall 2021; submit a 500-600 word essay; 10 finalists chosen will then submit a video illustrating their essays; see link for full rules and guidelines.
- March 29 - Boule' Foundation Scholarship - $4,000 awards; senior; African American/Black; be of African descent; U.S. Citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident, a resident of London, England, or a citizen of the Bahamas; min 3.0 GPA (unweighted); enter a four-year school full-time in the fall; one letter of recommendation; participation in extra-curricular activities, academic/civic honors and awards, community service, and work experience; 2 essays.
- March 31 - Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Eta Pi Zeta Chapter Scholarship - Book and regular scholarships of up to $1,000; senior; min. 2.5 GPA (unweighted); accepted at a (2) or (4) year Not for Profit College or University; provide proof of community service hours; essay; 2 letters of recommendation; official copy of transcript; copy of acceptance letter; must participate in an interview by the Eta Pi Zeta Scholarship Committee.
- March 31 - The National Society of Black Engineers Future Innovators Scholarship Award - multiple $1,000 awards; senior; African-American; must have applied for admission to a college/university for a degree program in engineering, computer science, mathematics, technology, or an applied science; extracurricular activities; two essays; official transcript; letter of rec.; copy of acceptance letter (if available).
- March 31 - Legacy of Life Scholarship - 2-$5,000, 2-$3,000, and 6-$1,000 awards; senior; write an essay or produce a video convincing others to register to be organ, eye and tissue donors; winners must attend a "Donation 101" training and participate in one WRTC-approved event in the community.
- March 31 - Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships - 4-$20,000 awards over 4 years ($5,000 per year, renewable), 8-$10,000 awards over 2 years ($5,000 per year, renewable), & 15-$1,000 one-time awards; senior; min 3.3 GPA; must be of African descent (African American or African); attend four-year school in the fall; major in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or select business programs (see link for majors); passion for technology; leadership; financial need; 2 letters of rec.; resume; transcript; two essays; color picture.
- March 31 - Cirkled In "No Sweat" Scholarship - $2,500 award; grades 8 - 12; must be at least 13 years old; legal U.S. or DC resident; create a free Cirkled In account; complete your portfolio; no essay or min. GPA requirement!
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
Next Week's College Visits - Juniors & Seniors
Immaculata University Jon Campione 3/15/21 11:30 AM
Advanced Technology Institute James Larrison 3/17/21 10:00 AM
Shepherd University Kayla Yost 3/18/21 11:30 AM
*Register in Naviance to access zoom links to meetings.
To see a full list of College Visits, see click the link: List of College Visits
Upcoming Events
Black College Expo Virtual College Fair - March 19
Friday, March 19, 3pm - 7pm - click here for more information - click here for the flyer
The Virtual Black College Expo is an ONLINE Experience for students to get access to colleges, highlighting HBCUs, historically black colleges and universities, and other educational programs. Virtually you can GET:
§ Accepted to colleges on The Spot
§ College Application Fees Waived
§ Scholarships on the Spot
§ Informative Seminars and Workshops
NACAC College Fair - March 21
NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) will be sponsoring a virtual College Fair on March 21st. The Fair will take place from 1:00pm - 7:00pm. There will be over 600 colleges represented at this event. Please visit the link below to register and see which institutions will be in attendance.
§ https://virtualcollegefairs.org/events/43/exhibitors
ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics)
Wanted: High School Students. Show Your Talent with ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics)
Competition Categories listed here:
§ Brochure - Page 1, Page 2 - Application - Parent Consent Form
§ https://twitter.com/ACTSOMOCO/status/1365870629233303554
§ Deadline for All Applications and Projects: March 22, 2021
Opportunity Knocks Career Fair - March 24 (all grades)
We enthusiastically invite you all to participate in the Opportunity Knocks Career Fair to learn about potential job and career training opportunities!
- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1PM - 3:30PM
- Click here for the flyer
Your Major Decision is a Minor Factor
Join Dr. Dedra Eatmon, founder of Tassel to Tassel, as she discusses post-secondary planning for high school students.
§ Wednesday, March 24, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
§ Click here for more information and to register
NEW: IB Exams
“It(IB) is the ‘best’ high school prep curriculum an American school can offer.” -Director of Undergrad Admission, MIT.
Universities and colleges tend to admit IB students at a higher rate than their non-IB competitive counterparts.
An IBO survey showed that the acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League universities is up to 18% higher than the total population acceptance rate. The gap is even more significant for top-ranked universities outside of the Ivy League.
IB courses and IB programs show colleges/universities that you are:
- Challenging yourself
- Exhibiting hard work and dedication
- Have a breadth of knowledge’
- US colleges encourage “intellectual exploration”
- A well-rounded person
- Showing achievement not only academically, but non-academically, as well
Payment for IB Exams
Although the May component of your IB exam is cancelled this year, IB will grade Internal Assessments and issue exam scores (1-7). In order to obtain an IB score, you must submit your Internal Assessment for each IB course for which you are registered to “test.”
As IB is still grading student assessments and issuing scores, students must still pay for their exams by April 9th. All students who do not pay for their exams by April 9th will be withdrawn and will not receive an IB exam score. IB Exam scores can be used for potential college credit, depending on your score and the college you are attending, as usual.
To pay your exam fees - please follow the following steps:
- Go to https://osp.osmsinc.com/montgomerymd/
- Once there click on “High”and scroll down to “Seneca Valley High School”
UPDATED: Creativity Contests
· The Montgomery County Youth Media Festival invites all middle and high school students, plus young adults ages 18-25, in the DMV to submit original works of video and art for consideration. Selected entries will be shown at the festival in April, when winners will be announced. Submissions are due by March 20, 2021. Click HERE for contest rules and the submission form.
· The NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) invites students of African descent to submit projects in the following categories: STEM, Humanities, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Business. To learn more about project requirements, click HERE. The deadline for all applications and submissions is March 22, 2021. There will be a Zoom information session hosted on March 14th at 3:00 pm - register HERE. For more information, contact Pat Price at actsomoco@gmail.com.
· NEW: The Keeping It Safe (KIS) Coalition invites teams of two or more students to create and submit 30-second videos on one of three topics related to the risks and dangers of underage drinking. Entries are due by March 26, 2021. Click HERE for contest rules.
REMINDER: AP Exams Update
This is a reminder to submit your payment for Advanced Placement exams. The deadline to submit payments for AP exams is: MARCH 29, 2021. Payments can be submitted through our Online Student Payment system (OSP). To make payments, please follow the instructions below:
- Go to the SVHS website
- On the left-hand side in the green bar find "School Payments" (CLICK)
- Find "Online School Payment" (CLICK)
- Find "High" in the upper toolbar in Blue with WHITE letters
- Select Seneca Valley High School
- Select the specific AP exam(s) OR
- NOTE: If you are requesting a Payment Plan or Fee Waiver based on income, you will select that option
UPDATED: Book Club and Library/Media Center Updates
· The next meeting of the Black-Eyed Susan Book Club will take place during Advisory on March 23rd, from 9:05-9:40 am. One of our student leaders, Etmy, will lead a discussion about the book What If It’s Us? By Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. To learn how to access this book in eBook or audiobook format, please visit the “Read Online” flag in the Virtual Library Media Center.
· The next Project LIT book discussion will take place on Wednesday, April 21st, at 2:00 pm (a virtual check-in day). We decided to read and discuss the book Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, a story about a teenager who won’t give up on investigating the disappearance of her best friend. Borrow this book in eBook or audiobook format in Sora.
· Please take a look at our curated Women's History Month books & resources and other collections in Destiny, our online library catalog. The collections include eBooks students are able to read online by logging in to Destiny using their student IDs and passwords. If you have any trouble accessing Seneca’s online resources, please contact Ms. Little.
REPEAT: Internship Applications
If you are junior who has signed up for an internship for senior year or plan to complete an internship during this summer, you must complete the SVHS Senior Internship Application. The application form and all components are due Friday, March 26, 2021.
Helpful Links & Resources:
Link to Instructions for Completing the Internship Application and its Components
Link to join the Internship 21-22 myMCPS classroom tile (you must join the classroom in order to submit components for the application)
E-mail Mrs. Skufca (Kimberly_K_Skufca@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.
All of the information & links above are also posted on the myMCPS Internship Information 21-22 classroom.
REMINDER: Counselor LIVE Chat
Counselors are now available for live chat sessions EVERYDAY via Zoom. Please use your student's sign in credentials to access the session. Click HERE to access counselor's availability. *Please note that you may be required to wait briefly in the waiting room while the counselor is meeting with another parent and/or student."
REMINDER: Where do I go for help?
We are here to support you in any way that we can. for more information about who to go to for the most commonly asked questions, please visit this link. There you will find resources for the topics listed below. We will continue to add to this list as needs evolve.
- Community Resources
- Wellness Resources
- Student Support
- Counselors
- Class Sponsors
- Technology Reminders
- Ask Your Librarian
For spirit wear purchases:
Seneca Valley Online SPIRIT WEAR!!!
Seneca Valley is excited to offer online sales of the spirit wear we used to sell on-site (and more!) through our local vendor, VerTee Shirts. Check it out!
VerTee Shirts: https://svhs.spiritsale.com (T-shirts, sweatshirts, lounge pants, fleece jackets, and masks)
SVHS Spirit Wear can also be purchased at the following sites.
Squad Locker: https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/eagles-287838
BSN: https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/maryland/germantown/seneca-valley-high-school
Want a SVHS License Plate? Please visit the School website for details. https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools//senecavalleyhs/about/ptsa/spiritsales/
Are you #SVPROUD?
- Tweet, Snap, IB, FB, etc., a pic of you repping "The Valley" by wearing your Seneca gear.
- And don't forget to use #svproud. Go Eagles!
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