Please click HERE for the overall MVA calendar for October.

Montgomery County Public Schools will observe Remembrance and Reconciliation Month by supporting local Emancipation Day celebrations, providing schools with age-appropriate lessons on local historic African American communities, and virtual changemaker workshops for students and their families in English and Spanish on November 15 - 17, 2022.

Read the full message and access translation here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2022-2023/Community-Update-20221028-november.html

Looking to get a head start on some holiday or winter season shopping! Don't like going out to stores? Then our Fall Fundraiser just might be the answer! Our online fundraiser store has all occasion and holiday items, apparel, bags & totes, candles, floral items, sweet & savory snacks and treats, popcorn, jewelry, kitchen items, kids & pet items, magazines, gift wrap, and more!

With your help, we will be raising funds to be used to support Montgomery Virtual Academy K-12 students and teachers through general school-wide purchases that would otherwise not be funded by available school funds. We are encouraging every family to participate. We will reach our first goal when each student registers and shares the fundraiser with 5 or more supporters.

There are 2 ways to participate:

A) DIRECTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES:

1. Please register your student(s) at www.ShopFund.com. After registering, you will get a link/code to share with family & friends
2. Send your link/code to 5 supporters
3. Consider making a purchase

B) Not interested in registering, but still interested in supporting? Use this direct shopping link set up for MVA K-5 Admin & Staff: https://www.shopfund.com/Shop?sid=1611436&t=EM

Any purchase made will generate funds for the benefit of every child. Your participation is very appreciated. Thank you for your help and support! All purchases will be shipped directly to purchasers in time for the winter holidays! There are prizes for the highest sellers. See the linked letter for details.

Click to view the Believe Fall Fundraiser Parent Letter for more details

Gear up for Semester 2 Materials Distribution! Ms. DeLucia needs student volunteers.

Interested in helping prepare for second semester distribution and earning SSLs? Sign Up Here!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094bafa92cabf94-mvavolunteer4

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is ready to collect survey data from parents to gather input from families about their experiences in MCPS, per the Center for Applied Linguistics Evaluation of the English Language Development (ELD) program for Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) and instruction/supports for Latina/o/e in MCPS.

Participation is completely voluntary, and any parent can withdraw from the survey at any time with no negative consequences. All information will be confidential. Names will not be used in reports or papers about this project. Additionally, personal information will not be shared with MCPS schools, teachers, or administrators.

Please note that the deadline for all parent responses is November 11. Thank you for your participation and feedback! Your voice matters and can help make the change you want to see.

CAL Parent Survey Links Below:

English: Parent Survey

Spanish: Encuesta para padres

Amharic: የወላጅ ጥናት

Chinese: 家長調查

Korean: 학부모 설문조사

Portuguese: Pesquisa de Pais

Vietnamese: Khảo sát phụ huynh

French: Enquête auprès des parents

Inspiring Person of the Week

The Virtual Academy has launched the Inspiring Person of the Week Campaign. The campaign is designed to elevate the diverse people who have contributed their knowledge and talents to the United States.

Students can earn 2 SSL hours by submitting an slide to the Inspiring Person of the Week committee. Student submissions must have the student's name and MCPS ID number, a title, a summary, a picture of the inspiring person, and links to additional information about the inspiring person.

Students can email their slides or Canva poster and reflections to Mr. Henrique Vissotto: henrique_vissotto@mcpsmd.org. Because this is a school-hosted SSL opportunity, we will keep a log of the students who submit posters along with their reflections.

Here is this week’s Inspiring Person of the Week: Angeline Jolie

*Link for the Transgender Awareness Week Rally*

The Montgomery Virtual Academy’s World Languages Department has a new website!

MVA language learners and anyone interested in American Sign Language, French, and Spanish can access a rich database of digital resources. Fostering our MVA vision for an innovative, personalized virtual learning community, this website enables students to engage with the MCPS World language curriculum outside of the “traditional” modes.

Students will receive up-to-date announcements on all the happenings in our department and ways they can engage with their peers in the virtual or in-person community. The website has over 30 web pages, a growing database of videos, and a plethora of stock images to engage our Gen-Z learners.

Please watch the following promo video and access the website.

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and human service professionals refer families in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form to provide the required information. Resources are limited: please apply only if you and your family are truly in need. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow.

Due DATES: Thanksgiving Holiday OCT. 31st [Extended deadline]

For December: NOV.16th

Please complete the GOOGLE parent consent form if you are interested.

English

https://forms.gle/CsbtrMM3dBJ1Fbqu8

Spanish

https://forms.gle/NmEjZbXwEaRwf1Yu8

The deadline is approaching for Regional/Countywide Programs for 8th graders. All students who are interested in applying to Regional or Countywide Programs, please access your Program Eligibility Letter through Parent Vue.

Due Date for applications: NOVEMBER 4th

Here are some helpful links about the programs.

MCPS Website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/

8th grade Parent Presentation on High School Programs:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tbXJCxsGvUBKCJr78ms3OaciNz_pkjpLP-DLPYKZU0U/edit?usp=sharing

MVA Letters of Recommendation for College Applications

The process for students requesting a letter of recommendation from their Virtual Academy teacher is as follows. Virtual Academy students may choose one of these options below.

1. The VA student will add the VA teacher to their Common Application.( if the college uses Common Application) The student will be able to request a recommender through their personal Common application account. Then the student will inform the teacher to check their email for a request from Common Application.
2. The VA student will provide their VA teacher with the college admission counselor’s email to their teacher. The teacher would then email their recommendation letter directly to the college admission counselor or admissions office email.

The Montgomery County Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services program offers mental health services for children and adolescent residents of Montgomery county who are uninsured or have Medical Assistance. We try to help as many people as possible, because we know how challenging it is to find mental health services. This list is intended to help you find treatment elsewhere if we are unable to help you. We hope you find it useful. Please see this link for more information!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RXnchVKKvLyPlUIG_4O4HwnvmMBhqvK7FlNoNAGGn2I/edit?usp=sharing

Virtual Cafe Zoom Link

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!

Virtual cafe is held from 11:45 to 12:30 each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you are interested in being a student leader to help host, please let us know. Clubs are starting this week, see your sponsor for more information!

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

Use this link or click the logo to the left to access a full list of Virtual Academy teachers with their Zoom links and Outlook email addresses. If you have general questions, or you need a live human to assist you, please call us at 240-740-6060 during school hours.

Students need 75 student service learning (SSL) hours to graduate from Maryland public schools. Every month, Dr. Simarjeet Sandhu, the Virtual Academy SSL Coordinator, provides a listing of SSL opportunities that are virtual and in-person. Click on the link and get your child involved in these fun and rewarding service opportunities.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1764q8pQb_cmLSrj8X05ZV_eHaPc0skgSlxdAy2HoBAc/edit?usp=sharing

MORE OPPORTUNITIES:

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.

Project Linus

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. See our previous newsletters (linked below) for more information.

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.

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

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.

If you are having technology issues, please submit an e-ticket by emailing your question or issue to communitytechsupport@mcpsmd.org or submit a ticket via the Community Tech Support portal. This account is monitored daily and you will receive email notifications throughout the process.

For helpful support guides and screencasts in English and Spanish, please visit https://montgomery.service-now.com/csm.

A support guide for the Community Tech Support portal is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cczbhEXF7x3TBquSMQGUGsxIcqsm_BtG2KBBi_bA0_0/edit

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 October 31, 2022
• Week of October 24, 2022
• Week of October 17, 2022
• Week of October 10, 2022
• Week of October 3, 2022
• Week of September 26, 2022
• Week of September 19, 2022
• Week of September 11, 2022
• Week of September 5, 2022