We wanted to remind you that all deliveries received on Valentine's day will be held in the main office until the end of the day. The main office administrative assistant will be calling students that received deliveries to come pick them up before dismissal. Here are the guidelines for transporting Valentine's day deliveries on the bus:

1. Flowers will need to be in plastic or metal vases. No glass vases are allowed in the school bus.
2. Flowers will need to be drained and no water can be in the vase.
3. Small objects that can be confined in a bus seat can be transported.
   
4. Balloons and objects that can cause distraction or disruption in the school bus are not allowed.

Do you like flowers? Do you know someone who likes flowers and chocolate? Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Relay for Love! Relay for Life Committee members started taking orders this week, and Monday 2/13 is the last day to take orders in the main and senior cafeterias during lunches. Orders will be delivered Tuesday on Valentines Day! All profits benefit the American Cancer Society so place your orders during lunches for your Valentines! (or yourself!)

Parents/Guardians: We want to make you aware of a trend we are seeing surface among students.

What is vaping? Vaping is the act of inhaling a vapor produced by an electric vaporizer or e-cigarette. The vapor can contain nicotine and other substances. Vapes and e-cigarettes can contain harmful or potentially harmful chemicals. We take this issue very seriously due to the negative health effects vaping can have on our students.

At John Handley High School, there are consequences for vaping or possession of a vape. Your child's health is important to us and we want to partner together to ensure they make healthy choices. Should you desire more resources please contact Leslie Stewart, School Social Worker at stewartle@wps.k12.va.us

John Handley High School Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for February 23, 2023 from 4:30-7:30pm. Go to https://pickatime.com/jhhs/2023spring to schedule a conference with your student’s teachers. Here are directions if you need help getting started.

Additionally, all teachers who teach at the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center (EGSIC) will be stationed in John Handley High School's main cafeteria for their conferences. Parents won't need to go to EGSIC on February 23.

The JHHS PTSO is excited to provide a Taco Bar Dinner to our faculty and staff before Conference Night on February 23rd -- and we need your help to make it a success! We are asking for donations of toppings, drinks, desserts, and paper goods for the dinner. Please follow this link for more details and to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094aabab22a0fe3-taco#/

At John Handley High School we are committed to helping our students reach their full potential and to do so we are continuing our after school academic support program and adding a twist. This flier shows the subjects available for after school support and their locations. Additionally, this flier shows the prizes students can earn just by attending after school support! How cool is that?

Students should be in the after school academic support classroom by 3:20 pm and stay until 4:20 pm. After school buses are available. For every day of attendance they will earn a ticket for a raffle prize. There will be weekly prize drawings. Students that attend 5 remediation sessions will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize at the end of the year. For every 5 sessions a student attends after school academic support, they will receive one chance for the grand prize!

Every month there will be Career Exploration Field Trip opportunities for 11th and 12th grade students to sign up for. The next field trip is to Ridgeside K9 on Thursday, February 23. We will get a tour of their facilities and learn about career opportunities in areas such as dog training, boarding, day care, etc.

Parent/guardian signature is required. You must turn in the permission form to Ms. Hall @ JHHS or Ms. Weinstein @ EGSIC to attend by February 20th.

Future trips (more info to come)..

- Thursday, March 30: Tri-State Nissan

- Friday, March 31: Continental

- Friday, April 28: Blue Ridge Technical College (w/ lunch by culinary students)

- Date TBD for April: Jobcorps

Are you interested in becoming a Heavy Equipment Operator?

In partnership with Laurel Ridge Community College, students can earn an industry recognized credential. The Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) program was developed to meet the growing employment demands for equipment operators. **Student must be 18 before August 31, 2023**

The program starts in late March or early April and is 2 nights a week from 6-10pm. Completion will be in June with interviews with companies hiring - you could have access to a high-skilled high-wage career immediately after graduation!

Transportation will be provided by WPS and funding for tuition is being provided by the Schaufeld Family who sponsored the Emil & Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center.

We will be hosting an information session on Wednesday, February 15th during Advisory in the Principal’s conference room. Enrollment paperwork will be due on February 28, 2023.

Please reach out to Ms. Lockhart (lockhartk@wps.k12.va.us) or Ms. Weinstein (weinsteins@wps.k12.va.us) if you are interested in this program.

**There is also a field trip set up for Laurel Ridge next Friday, February 10th from 9-11am. See Ms. Hall or Ms. Weinstein for a permission form if you’d like to attend.**

In February & March we will be hosting a "Coffee with a Company" series for interested 10th, 11th & 12th graders during Advisory on Wednesdays from 11:35-12:05pm.

The format will be a 10-15 min presentation about the company and employment opportunities available (now & in the future) followed by questions and networking over coffee & pastries. Students received an email with a link and MUST sign up to attend. Maximum capacity will be 15-20 students.

The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, February 15: Marlow Auto Group - Marlow Motor, Tri-State Nissan & Marlow Ford

Wednesday, February 22: IBEW - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #26

Wednesday, March 1: Winchester Police Department

Wednesday, March 8 - NO PRESENTATION DUE TO 3HR DELAY

Wednesday, March 15: Continental - Develops and produces functional parts, components, and systems for machine and plant engineering, mining, the automotive industry, and other important industries. They work with Tesla!!

Wednesday, March 22: Valley Health - Winchester Medical Center's School of Medical Imaging

Wednesday, March 29: Navy Federal

See Ms. Weinstein @ EGSIC or Ms. Fradillada at JHHS if you have any questions.

Applications to attend Mountain Vista Governor's School for the 2023-24 school year are now being accepted.

The Student Profile pages (pg. 21-22) of the application are due February 17 to Mrs. Forte in the Counseling Office.

The completed application, including all recommendation forms, is due to Mrs. Forte by March 3.

Valley Health System partners with the public schools of Winchester City, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren counties along with Laurel Ridge Community College to promote interest and education in the health professions. Today’s high school student becomes tomorrow’s health professional engaged in exciting career paths.

During the FOUR day Academy, the selected participants begin their Student Development course (SDV101 – college credit) at Laurel Ridge Community College. This course is designed to assist students with transition from high school to college. Participants also engage in hands-on learning activities at Winchester Medical Center, Shenandoah University, and Laurel Ridge.

Only 3 students will be selected from JHHS to attend. For the 3 chosen applicants, ALL costs will be covered by WPS. Applications are due to the Counseling Office by March 1.

For more information click here. To download the application click here.

The third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. Through this program, high school seniors learn about banking, financial services, career opportunities within the banking industry, and the vital role banks play in their communities. From their experience, the students are required to write essays on their experiences. Thirteen scholarships will be awarded based on the essays.

How much scholarship money is available?

A total of $26,000 will be awarded to twelve students across the Commonwealth.

• Six honorable mention winners, each winning a $1,000 scholarship.
• Six regional winners, each winning a $2,500 scholarship.
• One of the regional winners will also be named the statewide winner, earning an extra $5,000 scholarship for a total of $7,500 in college scholarships.

How can your students participate?

To participate, students must be currently enrolled as seniors in a Virginia high school with cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Interested students must register online by March 3rd through the VBA using the following link: https://www.formpl.us/form/5373805918814208.

For current high school juniors who excel academically despite facing financial challenges. The QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program is now accepting applications! QuestBridge connects academically outstanding students from low-income backgrounds to the nation's best colleges.

Why should students apply? QuestBridge prepares College Prep Scholars to gain admission and full four-year scholarships to 50 top colleges through the National College Match. College Prep Scholars can receive special awards and opportunities, including a full scholarship to a college summer program, up to $1,000 for a new laptop or other educational resources, essay feedback, and more. The deadline for students to apply is March 22, 2023.

https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/college-prep-scholars

Senator Mark Warner invites high school and middle school students, their parents or guardians, and school counselors to Academy Day 2023. Attendees will be provided a comprehensive overview of the United States service academies and their admission processes.

In addition, students will be able to meet with officials from all five academies as well as representatives from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board, ROTC programs, Randolph-Macon College, the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, and the Virginia Military Institute. Staff from Virginia Congressional offices will be available to answer questions regarding the application procedures for congressional nominations.

Save the Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Location: Randolph-Macon College Center for the Performing Arts, Blackwell Auditorium, 205 Henry Street, Ashland, VA 23005

The National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp) is a residential science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) program designed to honor and challenge some of the nation’s rising student leaders and provide them with opportunities to engage with STEAM professionals and participate in exciting outdoor activities. The 2023 NYSCamp, hosted by the National Youth Science Academy, is a hybrid experience, with students participating virtually for the first five days, followed by two and a half weeks in-person.

Two students will be selected to represent Virginia as delegates to the NYSCamp. Eligibility has been extended for the 2023 NYSCamp to include current Juniors and Seniors. February 28th is the deadline to apply, and applicants will be notified by March 15th if they were selected.

• Virtual dates are June 19, 2023 to June 23, 2023
• In-person dates are June 24, 2023 to July 23, 2023.

Application Portal

Superintendent's Memo

The Summer Residential Governor's Schools are month-long residential programs for current year tenth- and eleventh-grade gifted students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Governor’s Schools are designed for highly motivated students who are looking for a challenging summer experience. The selection process is extremely competitive. Most students selected rank in the top 10% of their class and have scored in the 90th percentile on standardized measures of ability or achievement tests. These residential programs run from late June to late July. Only students who are available during that time frame and whose records match these criteria should apply. Please see slide #6 in the slide deck for deadlines.

Summer Residential Governor's School Slide Deck (English/Spanish)

Please continue to report positive COVID-19 tests to the nurse.

Regardless of vaccination status, an individual who tests positive should isolate at home for 5 days. The day your symptoms begin is considered Day 0 (zero). On Day 6, as long as symptoms are improving and you are fever free for 24 hours, you can return to school, while wearing a mask through Day 10.

A quarantine is no longer recommended for an in house contact provided the individual remains asymptomatic. Testing is recommended immediately after the exposure and again between Days 3-5 after exposure, and it is suggested that a mask is worn through Day 10.

When school is closed due to inclement weather, all students will attend classes virtually unless notified otherwise. Below is the JHHS virtual day schedule. Mandatory virtual attendance is expected for all students. Teachers will post Google Meet codes in Canvas and students will be required to attend class during the scheduled assigned times. Attendance will be taken in PowerSchool for each block.

Attend English Club on Wednesdays 3:15-4:15. Get help with your English work, prep for the Writing and Reading SOLs, get feedback and assistance with writing tasks (contests, applications), or spend time reading/writing and talking about your favorite books.

JHHS will begin a virtual rewards program for students during the month of October through the PBIS Rewards platform. This is very exciting news!! Students now earn reward points for demonstrating desired behaviors according to our Handley PRIDE expectations!!

When an administrator, teacher, or staff person acknowledges a student demonstrating these behaviors, they can now award them points through the PBISRewards website. All students have an account that they can access at PBISrewards.com or through CLEVER. At this time, the points that students earn will allow them to qualify for incentives. We hope to expand this effort by finding ways wherein students can “spend” their points, more to come on that! Please support this effort by encouraging your students to meet our school wide expectations each and every day!

Students continue to be out with COVID 19. A Google Meet will be sent from your child's teacher for every block and every day a student is in quarantine.

Students that are quarantined and have classes at John Handley High School will follow the John Handley High School bell schedule.

Students that are quarantined and take courses at the Emil & Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center will follow the Innovation Center bell schedule.

EACH school year, a NEW VHSL physical is required and must be dated after May 1, 2022 for participation in any 2022-20223 sport. You must also complete all athletic forms. All Athletic Forms are found online. Please visit www.Handleypride.org and click on the Activity Registration tab at the top of the page to get started.

Click here to view the Quick Start Guide for Families.

Check out the online store to get your JH gear for the new year!

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/virginia/winchester/handley-high-school

Student Resource Guide

Student Tech Support times are daily 8:15 - 9:00 and 11:30 - 12:15.

Here is the school lunch menu.

Here is the Emil & Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center lunch menu.

For the duration of this school year, Comcast will continue to partner with WPS to provide eligible families with one year of free internet service.

Families can learn more by visiting this webpage. In short, we provide the promo code, and Comcast, ultimately, determines eligibility. School Social Workers will have the necessary information to provide assistance to a family who would like to apply.

Click here for links to the 2022/2023 WPS Calendar and A/B day schedule.

Please refer to this for the 2022-23 JHHS Arrival and Dismissal times and Bus Stops