SVHS Green and Gold
Dr. Cohen/Mr. Smith's Newsletter to the SVHS Community
March 7, 2021- Edition
NEW: This Week's Notes from the College & Career Center
FAFSA & MSFAA - Seniors
If you have created an MDCAPS account to apply for financial aid and need to upload your transcript, send Mr. Nalda an email with your MHEC ID Number. He will be able to upload your GPA information directly to MHEC.
Montgomery College Board of Trustees (BOT) Scholarship - Deadline extended to March 8th!
The deadline for the 2021-2022 BOT Scholarship has been extended to March 8th. Students will be able to submit their application until midnight on the 8th.
Please note that transcripts and letters of recommendation must be emailed to botscholarships@montgomerycollege.edu no later than close of business on Friday March 12th.
The Board of Trustees Academic Specialty Scholarship is for talented Montgomery County high school graduates who plan to enroll at any Montgomery College campus. This is a one-year scholarship that covers the full-time cost of tuition and fees at the county resident tuition rate, up to a maximum of 15 credits per semester.
To be considered for a BOT Academic Specialty Scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:
- May/June 2020 Montgomery County high school graduate
- Admitted to a degree program at Montgomery College
- Minimum 3.0 high school grade point average (weighted grade point average)
- Plan to attend Montgomery College for both fall 2020 and spring 2021. Recipients who do not enroll for fall 2020 will lose their award
Click here for more information and application instructions
Additional Note: Students who applied for the Montgomery Scholars Honors Program for fall 2020 do not need to complete a BOT Academic Specialty Scholarship application. Montgomery Scholars applicants who are not admitted into the Scholars program may be considered for BOT scholarships based upon the complete application materials submitted to the Scholars program.
College Acceptances & Scholarship Awards - Seniors
Have you applied and been accepted to a college or university? Have you been offered any scholarships? Please keep track of this information and update in your Naviance account. At some point soon, we will be distributing a Senior Survey asking for this and other information. All seniors in MCPS will be asked to complete this survey.
Keeping track of this as you go along will make it easier to fill out when it is time to fill out this survey. If possible, please share you acceptance(s) and scholarship award letter(s) with Mr. Nalda. You can forward, take a picture of, or scan your letter(s) of acceptance and add as an attachment. Thank you!!
Upcoming Scholarships
- March 11 - Lockheed Martin Vocational Scholarship Program - over 100 $6,600 awards; senior; plan to enroll part- or full- time at a U.S. accredited vocational technical school, trade school, two-year community college or state college; pursue an associate degree, credit-bearing certificate or an industry-recognized credential in one of the specified fields of study; see link for eligible fields of study.
- March 13 - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority County-Wide Scholarship - senior; min 2.5 GPA; all students welcome to apply; 2 letters of recommendation; community service; submit two 300-500 word essays; transcript.
- March 13 - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Career/Vocational Technical Scholarship - senior; min 2.0 GPA; all students welcome to apply; 2 letters of recommendation; community service; submit two 300-500 word essays; transcript; apply to an accredited career/vocational/ tech school as a full-time student.
- March 14 - Choose Respect Video Contest - 1st-$1,000, 2nd-$750, 3rd-$500, and honorable mention awards; open to 6th-12th grade students living in Montgomery County; create an original video to promote awareness of dating abuse and domestic violence among teens; all submissions must: have a title, be in either English or Spanish, be 50-70 seconds in length, be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or similar program; see link for full rules and guidelines.
- March 15 - 2021 Lawrence Hamm, Sr. Scholarship for Minority and Disadvantaged Youth - deadline at 5pm on 3/15; senior; U.S. Citizen and resident of Montgomery County; demonstrate volunteer and community service involvement; apply and receive acceptance to a college or university; 4 essays; resume; copy of most recent grade report card; signed media release; official transcript; 2 letters of recommendation.
- March 15 - ScooterInside Scholarship - 1-$1,200 award; senior; write an essay of 700-1500 words.
Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.
Next Week's College Visits - Juniors & Seniors
Allegany College of Maryland
Sean Aurigemma
3/9/21 11:30 AM
Virginia Commonwealth University
Frederick Lyles
3/12/21 11:30 AM
*Register in Naviance to access zoom links to meetings.
To see a full list of College Visits, see click the link: List of College Visits
Upcoming Events
Moving Forward College and Career Readiness - For Juniors
Juniors, let's start planning! We enthusiastically invite you all to participate in the following workshops to get a head start in planning for life after high school!
All workshops are from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. Click here to see the flyer. Click Here to Register.
§ Wednesday, March 10 - Resume/Interview Skills
§ Wednesday, April 7 - Apprenticeship/Trades
§ Monday, April 19 - College Essay Writing
§ Wednesday, April 21 - Tips on Common Application
§ Wednesday, April 28 - Intro to Financial Aid and Scholarships
ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics)
Wanted: High School Students. Show Your Talent with ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics)
Competition Categories listed here:
§ Brochure - Page 1, Page 2 - Application - Parent Consent Form
§ https://twitter.com/ACTSOMOCO/status/1365870629233303554
§ Deadline for All Applications and Projects: March 22, 2021
Attend Final ACT-SO Information Session - March 14, 2021
§ Flyer - Register via Zoom Today
NACAC College Fair - March 21
NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) will be sponsoring a virtual College Fair on March 21st. The Fair will take place from 1:00pm - 7:00pm. There will be over 600 colleges represented at this event. Please visit the link below to register and see which institutions will be in attendance.
§ https://virtualcollegefairs.org/events/43/exhibitors
Opportunity Knocks Career Fair (All Grades)
We enthusiastically invite you all to participate in the Opportunity Knocks Career Fair to learn about potential job and career training opportunities!
- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1PM - 3PM
- Click here for the flyer
NEW: Student Parking
There is a limited number (12) of student parking spaces for the remainder of the school year. Seniors only, may apply for one of the spaces using the online parking permit registration form. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/pdf/215-6.pdf
Parking permits will be issued by lottery with priority preference for students with internships. If you are interested in applying for the lottery, please complete the parking permit registration form. Submit a copy of the student’s driver’s license and a copy of the car insurance documentation. Please contact Monique_N_Riddick@mcpsmd.org with any questions or concerns.
NEW: Materials Distribution THIS WEEK
There will be limited materials distribution on Wednesday, March 10th and Thursday, March 11th between the hours of 11:30 am – 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. The following teachers have items to distribute during materials distribution March 10th and 11th:
Patterson/Frendlich – Adaptive PE
King/Rose/Sisson/Schindler – SCB
Hess/Boyer/Moran/Yoder – Art
Taylor’s IB Language and Literature 1 periods 2 and 8 (Limited copies available on a first come, first serve basis)
Weinstein’s IB Literature 1 periods 1, 3, and 8
Students may also return materials during this time.
NEW: IB/MYP Spotlight
As we focus on IB each month, we will provide quotes to support the ATL skill category, ATL skill cluster, and LP of the month.
ATL Skill Category Quote for THINKING SKILLS:
“Children must be taught how to think not what to think.” - Margaret Mead
The development and enhancement of critical thinking abilities is a foundational goal of IB. By learning a wide range of thinking skills, students will be able to conceive different ways of looking at things. Students will be guided to think of ways to solve problems, develop creative ways to make and propose solutions, and above all integrate their understanding and the knowledge they obtain in all the subjects they study.
ATL Skill Cluster Quote for CREATIVE THINKING:
“Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking, thinking provides knowledge, knowledge makes you great.” -Abdul Kalam
We strive to equip I students with the tools to encourage thought and creative behaviors. Students are encouraged and enabled to take creative risks and explore ideas - through both conventional and unconventional approaches. Our IB programs focus on thinking critically and creatively, such that students can analyze situations, revisit challenges, create possible solutions to problems, and be innovative.
Learner Profile Quote for THINKERS:
“Education is not the learning of facts but training the mind to think.” -Albert Einstein
As thinkers, we want students to exercise the initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems and make reasoned, ethical decisions. We want students to contribute to discussions in a meaningful way. We encourage them to not shy away from challenging questions and once they know an answer, to go deeper and ask and search for “why?”
Payment for IB Exams
Although the May component of your IB exam is cancelled this year, IB will grade Internal Assessments and issue exam scores (1-7). In order to obtain an IB score, you must submit your Internal Assessment for each IB course for which you are registered to “test.”
As IB is still grading student assessments and issuing scores, students must still pay for their exams by April 9th. All students who do not pay for their exams by April 9th will be withdrawn and will not receive an IB exam score. IB Exam scores can be used for potential college credit, depending on your score and the college you are attending, as usual.
To pay your exam fees - please follow the following steps:
Once there click on “High”and scroll down to “Seneca Valley High School"
Scroll down to “IB Exam Fee Approved Payment”
Please enter the name of your exams and the amount you are paying. Each exam is $119. Remember if you qualify for a fee waiver, each exam is $20.
We understand the past year has been extremely challenging, so please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Ezerski with any concerns you have regarding IB exam fees at Natasha_L_Ezerski@mcpsmd.org. Remember to do your absolute best on your IB Internal Exams - YOU CAN DO THIS!!
REMINDER: AP Exams Update
This is a reminder to submit your payment for Advanced Placement exams. The deadline to submit payments for AP exams is: MARCH 29, 2021. Payments can be submitted through our Online Student Payment system (OSP). To make payments, please follow the instructions below:
- Go to the SVHS website
- On the left-hand side in the green bar find "School Payments" (CLICK)
- Find "Online School Payment" (CLICK)
- Find "High" in the upper toolbar in Blue with WHITE letters
- Select Seneca Valley High School
- Select the specific AP exam(s) OR
- NOTE: If you are requesting a Payment Plan or Fee Waiver based on income, you will select that option
NEW: SVHS Students Give Back
Mrs. Wideman wants to give a big shout out of thank you to Mr. Fernando Maturana for connecting her with Ms. Faith Whang, leader of the Montgomery Village Resource Center! Also, another big thank you to Dr. Marc Cohen and Mr. Scott Smith for allowing our Seneca Valley scholars the rich opportunity to help the community and earn Student Service-Learning hours at the same time! We love taking an active role in serving our SV families and community and it shows!
Some of Mrs. Wideman's homeroom and honors biology students, along with her son, volunteered to collaborate with Ms. Whang to make bags containing diapers, assorted dry foods, tampons and pads, assorted bras, toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, face cream, mascara, and toilet paper. This wonderful event took place on February 24th and they are looking forward to doing it again on March 24th and each month to come.
YES!! The Screaming Eagles have done it again! #GO #EAGLES #FOR #THE #COMMUNITY! The students expressed their feelings of being privileged to serve and help others and she was just overwhelmed at having the opportunity to take part as well! GIVING BACK IS WHAT WE LOVE TO DO AT #SVHS!
Big Shout Outs Of THANK YOU To Ms. Faith Whang, Mr. Jay Han, and Pastor Ben Wikner!!!!!
NEW: SMOB Candidate Town Hall
REPEAT: 2021-2022 Course Requests
Greetings SVHS students and parents,
You may now view course requests for the 2021-2022 school year by logging into StudentVUE/ParentVUE and clicking "Course Requests" on the left side of the screen. The information listed on the screen only represents the courses in which students have been enrolled for next school year. Students have not yet been assigned to specific teachers or class periods.
If students have questions or would like to make changes to their course requests, they must contact their counselor no later than Monday, March 8, 2021. Finalized student schedules will be sent during summer 2021.
Kind regards,
LaDonna A. Crawford
Assistant Principal
Seneca Valley High School
REPEAT: More on Course Requests from Counseling Services
Students and Families,
As you review course requests for the 2021-2022 school year, please consider the following:
- Students entering grades 9 - 11, MUST be registered for 14 courses (7 semester A and 7 semester B), including
- English
- Math
- Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and/or IB Science)
- Social studies (on-level, honors or AP/IB USH, NSL or MWH )
- Students entering grade 12, MUST be registered for English and Math.
Please use THIS link to access the HS Course Bulletin for graduation requirements found on page 9).
If you notice any discrepancies, or if you have questions or concerns, please contact the student's counselor as soon as possible.
SVHS Counseling Department
REPEAT: ATTENTION SENIORS: Names on Diplomas
Greetings SVHS Class of 2021,
Earlier this year, you may have received communication regarding how you would like your name listed on your diploma. Unfortunately, the staff member responsible for processing those requests had to go on leave. Therefore, we are resending this information to ensure that names are listed accurately on diplomas. To access your diploma order, please complete the following steps:
- Log into StudentVUE/ParentVUE.
- Click on "Documents" from the menu on the left.
- Select "Diploma Order 2021".
Your name listed at the top of the document will be the name to appear on your diploma or certificate. PLEASE REVIEW THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY.
If you find a misspelling of your name, or if you would like your diploma printed without a middle name or you would like to use only your middle initial on your diploma, please email Ms. Rogena Parrish at rogena_o_parrish@mcpsmd.org by 3/9/2021. ?Changes to your first or last name can only be completed with a birth certificate or court order.
Completing a diploma order request does not guarantee that a diploma will be issued. Students must complete all courses required for graduation in order to receive a high school diploma.
If you are uncertain about the number of credits you have earned, or if you have and questions or concerns, please contact your counselor.
Best regards,
LaDonna A. Crawford
Assistant Principal
Seneca Valley High School
UPDATED: Book Club and Library/Media Center Updates
· The next meeting of the Black-Eyed Susan Book Club will take place during Advisory on March 23rd, from 9:05-9:40 am. One of our student leaders, Etmy, will lead a discussion about the book What If It’s Us? By Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. To learn how to access this book in eBook or audiobook format, please visit the “Read Online” flag in the Virtual Library Media Center.
· The next Project LIT book discussion will take place on Wednesday, April 21st, at 2:00 pm (a virtual check-in day). We decided to read and discuss the book Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, a story about a teenager who won’t give up on investigating the disappearance of her best friend. Borrow this book in eBook or audiobook format in Sora.
· Please take a look at our curated Women's History Month books & resources and other collections in Destiny, our online library catalog. The collections include eBooks students are able to read online by logging in to Destiny using their student IDs and passwords. If you have any trouble accessing Seneca’s online resources, please contact Ms. Little.
REPEAT: Internship Applications
If you are junior who has signed up for an internship for senior year or plan to complete an internship during this summer, you must complete the SVHS Senior Internship Application. The application form and all components are due Friday, March 26, 2021.
Helpful Links & Resources:
Link to Instructions for Completing the Internship Application and its Components
Link to join the Internship 21-22 myMCPS classroom tile (you must join the classroom in order to submit components for the application)
E-mail Mrs. Skufca (Kimberly_K_Skufca@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.
All of the information & links above are also posted on the myMCPS Internship Information 21-22 classroom.
UPDATED: Creativity Contests
· Gandhi Brigade Youth Media (GBYM), an organization of students who use digital media to advance social justice, are inviting artists and filmmakers to submit work for an upcoming “Empathy to Solidarity” exhibit that will run through April. Submissions are due by March 8, 2021. For more information and to submit work for consideration, click HERE.
· The 12th Annual Choose Respect Montgomery video contest is accepting entries of original, 60-second public service announcements (PSA) that promote awareness of dating abuse and domestic violence among teens. Submissions are now due by March 14, 2021. Click HERE for entry rules and to see past winners.
· The Montgomery County Youth Media Festival invites all middle and high school students, plus young adults ages 18-25, in the DMV to submit original works of video and art for consideration. Selected entries will be shown at the festival in April, when winners will be announced. Submissions are due by March 20, 2021. Click HERE for contest rules and the submission form.
· NEW: The NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) invites students of African descent to submit projects in the following categories: STEM, Humanities, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Business. To learn more about project requirements, click HERE. The deadline for all applications and submissions is March 22, 2021. There will be a Zoom information session hosted on March 14th at 3:00 pm - register HERE. For more information, contact Pat Price at actsomoco@gmail.com.
· The Keeping It Safe (KIS) Coalition invites teams of two or more students to create and submit 30-second videos on one of three topics related to the risks and dangers of underage drinking. Entries are due by March 26, 2021. Click HERE for contest rules.
REPEAT: SAT School Day
Montgomery County Public Schools is planning to offer SAT School Day for Grade 11 students. Seneca Valley High School will administer the MCPS Countywide SAT to all juniors.
As part of a comprehensive strategy to open access and opportunity for all students, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) provides important college readiness examinations to all students. This includes the SAT School Day for Grade 11 students. Not only does this approach allow greater access to these important examinations, but it supports efforts to remove barriers associated with college entrance examinations and ensures equitable access to these important steps to college and career readiness.
As a result, MCPS is moving forward with plans to offer the following assessments in spring 2021, depending on health and safety conditions:
The SAT during the school day on April 13, 2021 (make-up date April 27, 2021), at no cost to any Grade 11 student.
Students opting to take these assessments during the school day will be automatically registered. Students and parents/guardians will be able to elect to participate in the assessments regardless of their selected preference for in-person learning.
While the goals for these assessments are for maximum student participation, as a result of the pandemic, these are considered optional assessments.
Please note that students taking the tests during the school day must adhere to the same testing protocols that take place on national testing dates, including approval of individualized accommodations and adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.
If you are interested in taking the SAT (Grade 11) in-person on April 13, 2021, please complete:
SAT (Grade 11)
More information will be forthcoming as we approach the spring test administration. More information can also be found here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/careercenter/testing/sat-school-day.aspx
If you have any further questions, please contact your child’s school counselor at 240-740-6420.
REMINDER: Counselor LIVE Chat
Counselors are now available for live chat sessions EVERYDAY via Zoom. Please use your student's sign in credentials to access the session. Click HERE to access counselor's availability. *Please note that you may be required to wait briefly in the waiting room while the counselor is meeting with another parent and/or student."
REMINDER: Where do I go for help?
We are here to support you in any way that we can. for more information about who to go to for the most commonly asked questions, please visit this link. There you will find resources for the topics listed below. We will continue to add to this list as needs evolve.
- Community Resources
- Wellness Resources
- Student Support
- Counselors
- Class Sponsors
- Technology Reminders
- Ask Your Librarian
For spirit wear purchases:
Seneca Valley Online SPIRIT WEAR!!!
Seneca Valley is excited to offer online sales of the spirit wear we used to sell on-site (and more!) through our local vendor, VerTee Shirts. Check it out!
VerTee Shirts: https://svhs.spiritsale.com (T-shirts, sweatshirts, lounge pants, fleece jackets, and masks)
SVHS Spirit Wear can also be purchased at the following sites.
Squad Locker: https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/eagles-287838
BSN: https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/maryland/germantown/seneca-valley-high-school
Want a SVHS License Plate? Please visit the School website for details. https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools//senecavalleyhs/about/ptsa/spiritsales/
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