October 22, 2018

Dear Mustang Families,

We hope you’re enjoying this brisk fall weather!

We’re excited to inform you of our process for strengthening communication between parents and teachers. Tomorrow you will receive an email that will include information regarding your child’s standing in their classes. If your child is experiencing difficulties in a class, you will be asked to request a conference on November 5th via a link provided. If your child is in good standing, you will also receive an email with further instructions.

Thank you for engaging in a our new collaborative process.

The Admin Team

Please take a moment to review Principal Hardy's Husky Herald. We are looking forward to engaging in further conversations with Henderson and Mason students around these sociocultural issues.

News from our Director of Instructional Technology Steve Knight

Staying Connected & Informed

George Mason High School offers the following services to assist you in keeping track of your students’ progress:

PowerSchool Online Gradebook:
There is no need for the paper report cards or interim reports. FCCPS' student information system shows real-time student attendance, grades, and allows for future course registration and returning student enrollment. This parent portal also offers email notifications, which you may configure to your preferences.

PowerSchool Video Tutorial - https://vimeo.com/114371561

Schoology:
An online learning, classroom management, and social networking platform that improves learning through better communication, collaboration, and increased access to curriculum and supplemental content. On Schoology you will see much of the instructional resources shared by our teachers and more details about homework, class projects and tests and quizzes.

Schoology Video Tutorial - https://vimeo.com/80269635

To set up your accounts today, please send a request to Knights@fccps.org (Mr. Steve Knight, Director of Instructional Technology) and provide the following details (one email per parent, please):

-Parent name and relationship to the student

-The full email address you would like used for the accounts

-The full name(s) of your FCCPS student(s)

October 25, Thursday
Underclassmen Make-Up Portraits

October 26, Friday
Senior Portraits Make-Up Sessions

October 26, Friday
Halloween Hootenanny
Do you love carnival games, raffles, or haunted houses? Join us on Friday, October 26, from 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. at George Mason’s fifth annual Halloween Hootenanny! There will be a haunted house, food, games, raffles, and lots of fun. This family-friendly event will be held in the Mason cafeteria and auxiliary gym and will benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Still looking for 1 family to host a French Exchange student!
October 26, Monday through November 5, Monday
Please email Rene Piard at renepiard@alacartetravel.com or visit
https://www.alacartetravel.com/exchange-france-2019 to register. Students are arriving this Friday, October 26th and leave Monday, November 5th! This is a great opportunity for cultural exchange. This trip is privately sponsored
by A La Carte Travel.

October 27, Saturday and October 28, Sunday
GMHS PTSA Hosts
ACT and SAT Bootcamp Next Weekend
Catalyst is offering a two-day boot camp to benefit the GMHS PTSA on Saturday and Sunday, October 27-28. Both days the sessions will be held at GMHS from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The goal is to offer strategies for the kinds of questions students see on the ACT and SAT and to prepare them for the test that suits them best. The fee is $195. See complete details below

Click Here for ACT and SAT Boot Camp Flyer

November 2, Friday
End of 1st Quarter

November 5, Monday
Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences
No School for Students

November 6, Tuesday
Professional Day for Staff
No School for Students

November 7, Wednesday
Beginning of 2nd Quarter

November 8, Thursday
1st Quarter Report Card Grades Available in PowerSchool by Noon

November 8, Thursday
Taiwan Teaching English Service Program for Students
Interest Meeting
6:00 p.m. -- Room D127
The program includes Fourteen Days Teaching English in Aboriginal Tribe, Dong'Ao, YiLan and Exchange Activities in Taipei, Taiwan. Here is the flyer for more information, and online form https://goo.gl/forms/4savHJV040OjBUil2. *This is a privately sponsored trip.*

November 8, Thursday
Joint PTSA/PTA Meeting
7:00 p.m. -- MEHMS

November 10, Saturday
District Chorus Auditions
Mt. Vernon High School
Alexandria, VA

November 13, Tuesday
District Orchestra Auditions
Justice High School
Falls Church, VA

November 14, Wednesday
Early Release
Dismissal is at 12:10 p.m.

November 15, Thursday;
November 16, Friday; and November 17, Saturday
Musical -- Chicago
7:30 p.m. -- Auditorium
General Admission Tickets $10
Student Tickets $5

November 21, Wednesday; November 22, Thursday; and November 23, Friday
Thanksgiving Holiday

December 6, Thursday
Winter Band Concert
7:00 p.m. -- Auditorium

December 8, Saturday
District Band Auditions
West Potomac High School
Alexandria, VA

December 11, Tuesday
Interim Grades Available in PowerSchool

December 12, Wednesday
Early Release -- 12:10 p.m. Dismissal

December 12, Wednesday
Winter Chorus Concert
7:00 p.m. -- Auditorium

December 21, Friday
Early Release -- 12:10 p.m. Dismissal

December 24, Monday --
January 1, Tuesday

January 2, Wednesday
School Reopens
Block 2

January 9, Wednesday
Early Release -- 12:10 p.m. Dismissal

The Fairfax County Health Department recommends that you and your students receive this year's Flu Vaccine.

Please help us prevent the spread of illnesses by doing the following:

>Keep students home until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications.

>A 24 hour period is also recommended if your student suffers from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

>Please keep your student home if they are sick to reduce further spread of the illness.

>Home sick: Please call the attendance line 703-248-5501 or email attendancegm@fccps.org the day of the absence and report all symptoms. Be specific! This helps the Health Department track potential outbreaks in our schools.

>If your student contacts you while ill at school, please remind them to go to the School Clinic and follow proper check-out procedures. Your student should call you from the Clinic.

>At home remind your student to practice good health hygiene: frequent hand washing, coughing or sneezing into their sleeve or a tissue. No sharing of personal items with other students, such as drinks or eating utensils.

Students who need to take medication at school MUST have a medication authorization completed, signed and brought to the Clinic. Prescription medications require a physician’s and parent’s/guardian’s signature.

Please call the Clinic at 703-248-5530, during school hours, if you have any questions.

2019 Summer Residential Governor’s
School Programs in Academics

The Summer Residential Governor's Schools (SRGS) are month-long residential programs for current year tenth- and eleventh-grade gifted students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The goal of each Governor's School is to provide those who [are selected and] attend opportunities for intellectual as well as social and emotional growth. In the company of dedicated, highly skilled professionals representing a variety of careers, selected students are encouraged to establish and fulfill their academic goals. The programs are housed on various college campuses throughout the Commonwealth and are funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, participating local school divisions and private schools, and the hosting institution.

Event	Dates
Interest Meetings for Students	Thurs., Oct. 25, 2018 at 9:45am in B-121 Thurs., Oct. 25, 2018 at 3:10pm in B-121 Fri.., Oct. 26, 2018 at 9:45 in B-121
Applications Due to Mr. Coast at GMHS	Fri., Dec. 14, 2018
School-based Committee Decisions	Fri, Jan, 18, 2019
FCCPS Submission Deadline to VDOE	Mon., Feb. 25, 2019
VDOE Notification Sent to Each Student	Mid-April 2019
Summer Residential Academic Governor’s Schools	Agriculture (AG) (4 weeks) June 23-July 20, 2019 Virginia Tech Program Humanities (HUM) (4 weeks) June 23-July 20, 2019 Radford University Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST) (4 weeks) June 30 – July 27, 2019 University of Lynchburg Medicine and Health Sciences (MHS) (4 weeks) June 30 – July 27, 2019 Virginia Commonwealth University NASA/NIA Mentorship (NASA/NIA) (4 weeks) July 7 – Aug 3, 2019 Christopher Newport University Virginia Institute of Marine Science Mentorship (VIMS) (4 weeks) July 7 – Aug 3, 2019 Christopher Newport University

For more information:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/

All Night Grad Celebration Update

George Mason's All Night Grad Celebration is in its 30th year of keeping our kids safe on graduation night, with a six-hour party at Mason featuring casino games, food & refreshments, a comedian, temporary tattoos, and prizes. But we need your help to make it a success -- please help "pay it forward" with a donation supporting the 2018/2019 graduating class! Questions? Contact Laurie Clark, 2019 ANGC Chair, at clarks208@gmail.com.

An Important Message from Athletic Director Julie Bravin
Winter 2018 Practice Information

You can find current and past issues of the GMHS Hitching Posts
from Principal Hills on the GMHS website at the link below:

Principal's Newsletter

Does your student need a tutor or a quiet place to study?
Check out the link below:
Saturday Learning Lounge