SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
November 7, 2021 Edition
Summary of Dr. Cohen's Newsletter
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!
REPEAT: Door Dash, Grub Hub, and Other Food Deliveries
All visitors to the school, even those attempting to deliver food, must use the main entrance only. Please discourage your students from attempting to have food delivered at other doors around the building. This creates a significant safety and security concern for your student and our school. Violations of this create a drain on resources and at times have caused such alarm that we have had to engage additional security and the police. Please help us continue to focus on the safety and security needs of the school by not bringing these meals to the school and by discouraging your child from ordering from a delivery service.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Cohen at marc_j_cohen@mcpsmd.org.
NEW: Seal of Biliteracy
Seneca Valley High School is preparing for the 4th annual MD Seal of Biliteracy tests for December 8th and January 12th. The test recognizes students' proficiency in English and another language. Students who score intermediate high proficiency on the test receive a seal on their diploma plus an award to wear at graduation. The test is FREE for all seniors and costs $16.90 for juniors. Registration is available on the school website or students may see Ms. Rebecca Hanford in 3120A with questions. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Dec. 10th.
NEW: Student Service Learning (SSL) Opportunity
For Mental Health Awareness Week opportunity, students will go to the website, choose 5 videos that are marked SSL, watch the videos, and reflect on them in the SSL Google form provided on the website throughout the week. If students wish to attend the live virtual events to earn an additional 2 SSL hours per event, they will need to click on the dropdown for each day of the week to find the various live events and information on how to attend.
- MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week - November 8-13, 2021 - Middle school and high school students will have opportunities to earn up to 11 SSL hours total during this year’s MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week! Live virtual events will take place on Tuesday, 11/9, Thursday, 11/11, and Saturday, 11/13 -- each of these three events will serve as 2-hour SSL opportunities for students! In addition, students may also earn up to 5 SSL hours for viewing videos tagged as SSL and participating in follow-up advocacy action throughout the week! To view the full schedule and learn more about the SSL opportunities offered, please visit https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/mental-health/fair/index.aspx
NEW: IB Spotlight
We are so proud of our 10th grade students who started their MYP Personal Projects in Advisory last week! The MYP Personal Project is an opportunity for students to explore a passion, interest, or topic of their choice with guidance and support from SVHS staff. Our next Personal Project Advisory is on Tuesday, Nov. 9th where students will be completing their Project Proposals. We are so excited to see how our students translate their passions into a project! Check out THIS FLYER for more information on the Personal Project!
IB Student Corner:
Congratulations to Full IB Diploma Candidate, Lauren Seib! She won the MHSA Horsemanship Challenge that required her to take a written test on horsemanship and take part in a practicum with a veterinarian. We are #SVProud!!
In Junior year IB Theory of Knowledge, students have been discussing how concepts, such as power, perspective, or culture, impact knowledge in order to create a poster representing their ideas. Junior Sai Lakshmi Gollapudi (Siri) created a poster analyzing power and knowledge that was thought-provoking. Great job, Siri!
NEW: Library Media News: One Maryland One Book Club
Students: Do you like to read? Do you like to write? Would you like a chance to be published? Join the One Maryland One Book Club! The 2021 One Maryland One Book is The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay. Please stop by the library media center to pick up a free copy of the book and plan to attend our book discussion on Thursday, November 18th, at 2:45 pm. If you are an aspiring writer, please also stop by to learn about an opportunity to have a 750-word essay about something that brings you joy published by Maryland Humanities. For more information, please contact our new media assistant, Ms. Rossman.
NEW: Visit our Virtual College and Career Center
This Week's Notes from the SVHS College & Career Center:
Applying to Colleges & Universities - READ CAREFULLY
Students applying to any four-year schools should be referring to the SVHS College Application Packet document as a resource. If you have not started working on this yet, I advise that you start ASAP.
- If you have a NOVEMBER or December deadline and have NOT submitted your BRAG SHEET to your counselor, do that ASAP!!! Your counselors and teachers need time to write these letters for you!
Changes or Adding New Schools to your List of College Applications
If your list of college applications changes or you plan to apply to any new schools, please communicate with your counselor! You want to make sure your counselor is aware of all of your college applications to ensure you are meeting deadlines. You should also make sure that all colleges you plan on applying to are included in your list in Naviance.
College Application Deadlines in Naviance - Please Review
Please take a few minutes to double-check your application deadline dates in Naviance and make sure they are correct. Some students had different deadlines listed in Naviance than they had planned for. For example, a few students interested in University of Maryland had the January deadline listed, but wanted to apply by the November 1 deadline. This is very important in order for your teacher(s) and counselor to submit your application materials on time. If a staff member sees a later deadline, they may wait to submit your materials, thinking they have more time. Make sure you are communicating with staff members assisting you with this process.
How to check or change deadlines in Naviance:
- Log into Naviance
- Click on "College"
- Click on "Colleges I'm Applying To"
- Review each of your college's deadlines
- If a date needs to be changed, click "Edit", make the change, and make sure you save!
MD Seal of Biliteracy
Registration is now open for ALL seniors and juniors to take the MD Seal of Biliteracy. Deadline to register is November 10. Click the link below for more information.
The application for the Montgomery Scholars Program Fall 2022 is now live!
The application for the Montgomery Scholars Program Fall 2022 is now live! The deadline for applying to the program is Thursday, January 6, 2022. Interested students must also submit a general Montgomery College application by December 1, 2021!
The FAFSA Application - Financial Aid for College!
- SVHS Financial Aid Information
- Access the FAFSA Here
- ALL Eligible Seniors should complete the FAFSA, regardless of income
- Class of 2022 Seniors will fill out the “The 2022–23 FAFSA form” as that is the school year in which they will start college.
A Reference Sheet to Filling out the FAFSA for the 2022-23 School Year (first year you will be in college) - Checklist
Creating an FSA ID - Steps to creating an FSA ID
For those not eligible to complete the FAFSA, you may be able to complete the MSFAA if you plan on attending a college or university in the state of Maryland:
- Although you would not be eligible for federal aid, the MSFAA form could qualify you for many of the same State financial aid awards. In some cases, the state awards are larger in amount than federal awards.
- MSFAA - FAQs
MDCAPS
This is the application for financial aid from the State of Maryland. If you plan on attending a college or university in the state of Maryland, you should create an account and fill out this application. MDCAPS uses your financial information from the FAFSA to determine if you qualify for aid. If you qualify for a Pell Grant on the FAFSA, you may also be eligible for state aid. If you qualify for the MSFAA, you would fill out this form. More information below.
§ Click on “Create a Student Login”
- Once you have created a login, send Mr. Nalda your MHEC ID in order for him to upload your transcript/GPA Information
- DO NOT submit or request to submit a transcript as an attachment
College Representative Visits at SVHS
College representative visits are a great opportunity to learn more about a college, directly from the admissions representative. You can also ask questions. Note that these are the same people that will typically read your college applications. It can be beneficial to meet these people in person.
Students interested in participating in college visits should register in Naviance and clear their absence with their teacher ahead of time. The list of college visits is available in Naviance or on the link below.
Unless noted, visits will take place in the College & Career Center, Room #2113.
Upcoming College Visits
Coppin State University Marcus Edwards Tue November 9, 2021 9:59 AM
U.S. Navy - Recruiter Visit Timothy Marchini Tue November 9, 2021 11:20 AM - 12:10 PM
McDaniel College Katherine Ridgway Wed November 10, 2021 9:35 AM
Fairmont State University Lauren Tennant Thu November 11, 2021 8:34 AM
Upcoming Scholarships
- November 10 - Regeneron Science Talent Search - 300 awards of $2,000, top award of $250,000; senior; students will be given the challenge of conducting independent science, math, or engineering research; to be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions; research must be the work of a single individual, group and team projects are not eligible; see link for full details and guidelines.
- November 14 - Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards - awards of up to $1,000 to use for college education or to fund a community service effort; U.S. permanent resident, U.S. citizen, or qualify under the DACA; be of Hispanic heritage (includes Spain, Brazil, Philippines); min 3.0 GPA (unweighted); essay questions; letter of recommendation; school transcript; if selected, attendance to virtual regional awards ceremony is mandatory.
- November 15 - Elks Most Valuable Student Award - 500 awards ranging from $1,000-$12,500 per year for four years; senior; U.S. Citizen; judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need; top 20 national finalists traditionally win a leadership trip to interview for $20,000 - $50,000 awards; flyer.
- November 18 - Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship - over 100 awards of up to $55,000/year to attend a four-year accredited undergraduate school; senior; min. 3.5 GPA (unweighted); judged on persistence, service to others, and leadership; essays, letters of recommendation; application also available on the Common App.
- November 30 - MoreWithUs Spring 2022 Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award for high school students; senior; in one standard double-spaced page, talk about an everyday Job or volunteer position you’ve had; create a MoreWithUs profile; see link for full details and guidelines.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
FAFSA & MSFAA Days
Get Help Completing the FAFSA or MSFAA! For those interested in receiving (or need) help with filling out the FAFSA or MSFAA, I would strongly encourage you take advantage of the opportunity below. Even though Montgomery College is sponsoring the event, you DO NOT have to ultimately attend MC to register.
Remote sessions are available every Monday from 1 - 4 p.m. and Tuesday from 4 - 7 p.m. starting November 1st to 30th, 2021, and then again February 1st to 28th, 2022.
Upcoming Events
Navigating & Belonging: A Special Session for First-Generation and Low-Income Students
In the spirit of cooperation, six of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges—Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams—are leaving our rivalries on the sidelines to help answer your questions about college search.
§ Monday, November 8 at 07:00 PM - Navigating & Belonging: A Special Session for First-Generation and Low-Income Students
16th Annual "Go to High School, Go to College" Virtual College Fair
A variety of over 100 colleges and universities are anticipated to participate. Financial aid workshops. Free admission.
§ Saturday, November 13, 2021, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
§ Click here for more information and to register
NACAC Virtual College Fair
Don’t miss this one-day event! Drop in on Zoom sessions from all of your favorite colleges… without leaving home. You’ll hear about programs and majors, scholarships, student life,and more. View videos, ask chat questions, and explore your options. Sign up now to get started on your college dreams!
§ Sunday, November 14, 1pm – 6pm
§ Registration: https://virtualcollegefairs.org/
International College Fair
Meet with over 25 international colleges from around the globe!
Friday, Nov 19, 2 PM – 6 PM (ET)
§ Live orientation on study abroad opportunities. Interactive sessions on different destinations and majors.
§ 25+ universities from UK, Spain, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, USA and more
MCPS Virtual Hispanic College Fair
The Hispanic Virtual College Fair will be held on Tuesday, November 30th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. All middle and high school students are invited, with a strong emphasis on our 11th and 12th grade students.
Below are documents provided from the National Hispanic College Fair to provide step by step instructions on how to register. One is in English and one is in Spanish. This can begin now, and students will receive reminders and tips as we get closer to the event. Parents and counselors may also register themselves using this same link. The link is found on both attachments and also found here.
Similar to last year, students can log back in to the fair at any time through December if they want to revisit some colleges or request more information later. However, the in-person chats will only be available during the advertised fair day and hours.
REPEAT: Activities at SVHS
If not, make sure you visit the ExtraCurricular Activities spreadsheet to find out about all the great clubs and activities SVHS has to offer!
You'll also find a meetings calendar, activity bus routes, and the required ECA and Covid 19 forms you'll need to participate.
Reach out to Ms Chilcoat Fellows at joanna_c_fellows@mcpsmd.org if you want more information about our extracurricular activities!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14x2SuorOXyA70BLCagtlLlklkVkUPOb0hJR36_EQmhk/edit?usp=sharing
REPEAT: Resources for Families
Mental health / crisis resources:
- Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Program: For more information on family-focused outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents and their families, visit here or call 240-777-1450.
- Screening and Assessment Services for Children and Adolescents SASCA: For information on confidential screening for substance abuse for children, and mental health and substance use assessments for children up to age 18, visit here or call 240-777-1430.
- Minority Health Services: Many of our Minority Health Initiatives have excellent resources and partner with nonprofit and community organizations to offer free mental health counseling. Explore more:
- ACCESS to Behavioral Health Services: For assistance with obtaining appropriate outpatient mental health or substance abuse services for individuals eligible through the public behavioral health system. Walk-In assessments and evaluations available Monday - Friday at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. Learn more here or call 240-777-1770.
- EveryMind: For direct mental health services to youth, adults, older adults, families and veterans, visit here or call 301-424-0656.
- Crisis Center: For 24/7 free crisis services visit here or call 240-777-4000
- Crisis text line: Text "home" to 741-741 for free 24/7 support
- ChildLink: Early childhood services for children ages five and younger and their families. Learn more here or call 240-777-4769.
Family grief supports:
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