SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
September 6, 2021 Edition
A Message from Dr. Cohen
Reminder - No School Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Important Updates from MCPS re: COVID Protocols
Please see this important message from MCPS with information about updated quarantine guidance, COVID-19 screening testing and upcoming vaccination clinics.
Read the message here https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2021-2022/community-update-interim-superintendent/9-03-2021.html
School Wellness Center
Student health services are now being offered at the Wellness Center! Other services will be coming soon.
Attendance Notes
- If a student must be absent for all or part of the day OR if students need to leave school early, please complete an attendance note and have your student turn-in the note to the Attendance Office PRIOR to the date(s) of the absence.
- If an absence is unexpected, please submit an attendance note within 3 school days of the absence to the Attendance Office. Doctor’s notes are required after 3 consecutive absences and must list all dates of the absence.
- Sending in an early dismissal note will help us to have your student ready for pick-up by the indicated dismissal time.
Student Opportunities
Do you like to volunteer? Do you need SSL Hours? Key Club is a volunteer club. Our first meeting is on Tuesday, September 14th at 11:40 AM in Room 3407. All are welcome. Get excited for service!
If you would like to tutor and compete in the wonderful world of mathematics, then apply to be in the Math Honor Society. We have an interest meeting on Thursday, September 30th at 11:40 AM in room 3407. Here is the application: https://forms.gle/Yt38GdzqW5YHzo5Y7
Back to School Night
THIS EVENT IS VIRTUAL!
Pre-Meetings begin at 5:30 p.m.
Opening Meeting with Dr. Cohen begins at 6:00 p.m.
Class Rotations begin at 6:20 p.m.
You will need to be able to access your student’s Canvas Classrooms using their student username and password.
You will visit each of your child’s classes following the schedule listed below.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENING.
Required State Testing
Dear Seneca Valley High School Community,
Beginning September 20-24, 2021, students in grades 9 and 10 will participate in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing for Reading and Math. The MAP exam is a computer based diagnostic assessment and is designed to inform instruction, recovery and intervention, and account for learning loss, as well as determine present performance levels on math and literacy standards. MCPS wants to ensure that we have full participation to accurately assess student progress and achievement. Student attendance and participation is important so that we can assess the performance data to implement supports for student´s academic success. Students will test during their Homeroom/Advisory classes beginning Monday, September 20-24. Here is the MAP testing schedule:
- MAP – Reading will be administered September 20-21
- MAP – Math will be administered September 22-23
- Make-Up Testing will be on September 24
MAP testing will be conducted digitally on electronic devices (e.g. Chromebooks). Students received new Chromebooks this year and these devices are setup and prepared for MAP testing.
Parents, here is how you can help, please mark your calendars from September 20 - 24 for the MAP Testing administration through Homeroom/Advisory classes. Please encourage your child to get good rest and eat breakfast as they prepare for each day.
Later in September, certain students will also take the WIDA Model, MCAP English, Math and the MISA exams. More information will be sent closer to those test dates.
If you have any questions, please contact Kisheena Wanzer at Kisheena_J_Wanzer@mcpsmd.org or Dr. Mike Kim at Michael_T_Kim@mcpsmd.org.
Meet your IB Coordinators:
Kim Becraft (MYP Coordinator, IB Theory of Knowledge 1 and IB Personal & Professional Skills 2 Teacher)
I am excited to continue the 2nd year of our launch of the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) to create a wall to wall IB school at Seneca Valley! I previously worked at Albert Einstein HS where I served as the Science Resource Teacher and spent the last 4 years as the AP & IB Coordinator. My content background is Biology and IB Environmental Systems & Societies. I graduated from Poolesville High School before majoring in Biology and Psychology at University of Mary Washington, where I also played field hockey and lacrosse. After college, I worked at an environmental not-for-profit before earning my Master’s degree at George Washington University in Secondary Education. I have a three-year old daughter and am building a new house this year. I am passionate about the benefits of an IB education and I look forward to working with the entire Seneca Valley community to bring IB to the 9th and 10th grade. I am also excited to teach IB Theory of Knowledge 1, a core requirement for the IB Diploma Program, and to teach our first class of IB Career-related Program students in IB Personal & Professional Skills 2, a core requirement of the IB CP. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions at Kimberly_M_Becraft@mcpsmd.org.
Natasha Ezerski (DP and CP Coordinator)
This is my 18th year at Seneca Valley High School - I love the diversity and the family atmosphere at our amazing school!! I was the science RT prior to becoming the Coordinator and now enjoy being able to work more closely with all departments. I graduated from Gaithersburg High School and continued my undergrad at UMBC. After I graduated from UMBC I spent a year in Charlotte, NC working with HIV/AIDS clients and did HIV/AIDS education through AmeriCorps. I earned my Master's degree at Columbia in NYC and considered the medical field, but education tore at my heart. In my free time I love walking, running, or cycling for an assortment of causes or walking/running with my four furry babies (you can often find me pushing one or two of them in their doggy stroller 🙂). I look forward to working with you and your students this year as we become a wall to wall IB school. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at Natasha_L_Ezerski@mcpsmd.org.
Please visit our new IB Programs website to learn more about IB teaching & learning at Seneca Valley HS!
IB Approaches to Learning & Learner Profile Spotlight: IB Programs are grounded in the idea of teaching the whole student with a focus on curricula content, skills, and each individual student. To support this philosophy, IB created 5 Approaches to Learning skill categories (Communication, Social, Self-Management, Research, & Thinking) that all IB schools work to develop. MYP further breaks-down these categories into 10 skill clusters. Additionally, IB identifies 10 Learner Profile attributes to help shape, “ internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.” (The Learner Profile. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2013) We will be highlighting an ATL skill category and cluster, and a Learner Profile attribute each month. To launch this year, we will focus on the ATL category of SELF-MANAGEMENT, specifically of the MYP skill cluster of ORGANIZATION SKILLS. Our Learner Profile attribute will be BALANCED.
When we look at self-management, we focus on how to help students manage their time and tasks effectively through organizational skills. This includes helping students plan short and long term assignments through chunking and checkpoints, while also encouraging them to track assignments through a weekly planner. In order to develop REFLECTIVE students, we can encourage them to think about how they will maintain a planner in this new digital work, and encourage them to plan goals, supported by strategies and action steps, that are challenging and realistic. We also need to be cognizant of how to support an organized and logical system of information files as our previous systems have changed drastically.
As BALANCED individuals, we, “understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.” (The Learner Profile. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2013) As we all start a new school year, it is crucial that we support these ATL skills to help students become BALANCED as they develop time management, organization, persistence and goal-setting skills that allow them to enjoy and excel at all facets of their life.
School Administration
Click here to learn about each member of our administrative team. Please make note of your specific administrator. You can reach out to your administrator in regards to any items and/or concerns.
School Counselors
Click here to find out who your child's counselor is and how to reach them. To learn about the rest of our counseling services team, please visit our counseling services website.
Visit our Virtual College and Career Center
This Week's Notes from the SVHS College & Career Center:
Naviance & Applying to Colleges
As some of you already know, Naviance is an important part of applying to colleges. Through Naviance, you can request letters of recommendation, request transcripts, and complete other key parts of your college applications. You should begin familiarizing yourself with Naviance and start working on the SVHS College Application Packet document ASAP. This document is a step-by-step guide to applying to colleges.
Feel free to reach out to Mr. Nalda or your counselor if you have any questions.
FARMS - Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application
Even though MCPS will offer meals at no charge to all students for school year 2021–22, we strongly encourage students (especially Juniors & Seniors) to apply for FARMS status if they qualify. Why? FARMS status provides the opportunity for students to qualify for ACT/SAT testing and/or college application fee waivers. Students who plan on playing sports in college can also qualify for a waiver for fees associated with creating an NCAA Certification Account.
Questions? Reach out to your counselor or Mr. Nalda for more information.
College Application Fee Waiver News
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University:
Fee waiver code-(DBPC)
College Representative Visits at SVHS - Juniors & Seniors
Students interested in participating in college visits should register in Naviance. The list of college visits is available in Naviance or on the link below. Visit dates can also be seen on the SVHS College & Career Center Calendar.
To attend a college visit, students must clear their absence from class with their teacher ONE WEEK ahead of time. It is the responsibility of each student to make-up any work you may miss. Before signing up, ask yourself: Does the college have your major? Can you afford to miss class that day to attend? How many visits have you already made this week?
Unless noted, visits will take place in the College & Career Center, Room #2113.
College Testing - Juniors & Seniors
Anyone interested in taking the ACT or SAT this year, please visit our ‘College Testing’ page on College & Career Center website for more information:
If you qualify and need a waiver to test for free, reach out to Mr. Nalda. Unsure if you qualify for a waiver? Reach out to Mr. Nalda or your counselor for assistance.
Upcoming Scholarships
September 15 - Notorious RBG Women Of Tomorrow Scholarship - 10-$1,000 awards; rising high school students graduating in 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025, and recently graduated 2021 seniors (female-identified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply, however applicants of any gender are eligible!); 500-800 word essay; pictures/videos/media showing your leadership in action; color headshot; academic resume; current transcript (can be official or unofficial); educator recommendation.
September 15 - The Gates Scholarship - top 300 students receive funding for full cost of attendance; this is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households; US citizen, national, or permanent resident; from at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American; min 3.3 GPA; financial need; Pell-eligible; must enroll full-time in a four-year degree program; outstanding academic record; demonstrated leadership ability; personal success skills.
September 17 - We The Future Contest - 1-$1,000 award for each project categories; grades 9-12; ages 14-19 at time of entry; U.S. Cit. or legal res.; submit an original work one of the following about America: essay, song, STEM, short film, or PSA; see link for full rules and guidelines.
September 27 - Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest - 1-$10,000, 3-$2,500, and 5-$500 awards; senior; submit an 800-1600 word essay on Ayn Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged; choose 1 of 3 topics to write about; see link for guidelines.
September 30 - Don't Text and Drive Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; 9-12 grade; U.S. Citizen; 140-character message about texting while driving; top 10 selected as finalists; finalists asked to write a 500- to 1,000-word essay about texting while driving; 1 winner chosen from 10 finalists' essays.
September 30 - Easterday Poetry Award - awards ranging from $100 - $500; all U.S. high school students are eligible to enter this contest; poems must be 20 lines or less (title and spaces between stanzas do not count), unpublished, the sole work of the entrant, and not be entered in any other concurrent contest; see link for full rules and guidelines; only ONE poem per poet may be entered during any 90 day span.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
Upcoming Events
NACAC Virtual College Fair - September 12
Featuring college advisers from hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide. Sign up now for free!
Don’t miss these one-day events! 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!
For more information and to register:
Registration: https://virtualcollegefairs.org/
Click here for the flyer / Click this flyer to see all 2021-22 NACAC Fair Dates
How-To Video - This short video provides an overview of how students can make the most of their virtualcollegefairs.org experience.
Quick Start Guide - This one-page quick start guide describes the major features of virtualcollegefairs.org.
Financial Aid Night for Seniors & Parents - September 23
Are your first two years of college really free in Maryland? This webinar will not only introduce the concepts of financial aid and scholarships to your students and their parents, but we will also explore key deadline dates, MD State grants, and Institutional scholarships. We will give a general overview of options for paying for college. There will also be a live question and answer period afterward.
Sept 23rd, 6 to 7:30 pm
Presented by Montgomery College - Online via Zoom Webinar
MCPS Code of Conduct and Student Rights & Responsibilities
The MCPS Code of Conduct and A Student's Guide to Rights & Responsibilities will be distributed to all students in September. They are also online at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights.
Wellness Resources
The safety and wellness of our students remains a top priority. Below are resources to support the physical, social and psychological well-being of our community. If you believe your child is in crisis, please contact the Montgomery County Crisis Center at 240-777-4000. Students can also reach out to their counselor and school psychologist to set up a confidential appointment.
Waymaking Video Series
- Suicide Awareness
- Managing Stress and Anxiety for Students
- Managing Stress and Anxiety during Social Distancing
Tips on Addressing Student Grief
Tips for Preventing Youth Suicide
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