Good evening Seneca Valley Community,

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  We have a packed schedule this week with girls basketball home opener on Monday, course registration night, and boys basketball on Wednesday night, plus a choral concert and art show on Thursday.  Come out and support our Screaming Eagles!!

Make sure to read the newsletter for all the updates this week.

Have a great evening and start to the new week.

Ricardo Hernandez

Acting Principal

Seneca Valley High School

Seniors Save the dates!!

December 10, 2023

Dear Seneca Valley High School Community,

We are delighted to announce our prom and graduation dates for the Class of 2024.

Our Senior Prom date is Friday, May 3, 2024 from 8pm until midnight at the Doubletree by Hilton in Gaithersburg. The After Prom celebration is Saturday, May 4, 2024 from midnight until 3:30 am at Seneca Valley High School.

Graduation for the Class of 2024 is Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 2:00pm at University of Maryland Baltimore County Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, 1000 Hilltop Cir, Baltimore, MD 21250, this is a change from recent years and based on feedback from a senior student survey.  We are excited to have graduation in a new venue and will provide more detailed information in the months to come. There will be no school for students in Grades 9-11 on Wednesday, June 5 to allow our staff to attend the Commencement Ceremony. School will resume on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

In the meantime, please contact our graduation coordinators Leeann_Wolfe@mcpsmd.org and Mark_C_Stein@mcpsmd.org, our prom coordinators Paige_M_Wolfe@mcpsmd.org, and Leeann_Wolfe@mcpsmd.org, or our senior class administrator Michael_T_Kim@mcpsmd.org with any questions. . 

Have a wonderful winter holiday and go Eagles!

Sincerely,

Ricardo Hernandez

Ricardo Hernandez

Acting Principal

Seneca Valley High School

A Message from the Boosters

The Boosters wish you a joyous Holiday Season

Winter Meeting- will occur at the school on January 11th- Make plans to attend-more detail will follow

This week's events:

     Monday 12/11- Girls JV and Varsity Basketball vs B-CC 5:30 PM

     Wednesday 12/13 Boys JV and Varsity Basketball vs Paint Branch 5:30 PM

JOIN THE BOOSTERS:

2023-2024 Booster Membership is now open to join!

Please use this QR code or link to sign up and send your $15 membership fee

https://square.link/u/7qiWt8kq

Membership gives you voting rights for decisions in Boosters, changes, and how to disperse money to clubs and athletics. You will also receive a Seneca Valley bumper sticker.

VOLUNTEER WITH THE BOOSTERS:

VOLUNTEER. We are currently trying to fill volunteer positions for the 27-winter sports home activities.  Parents and kids (SSL hours given) are encouraged to volunteer.  With a little help we will have concession and spirit wear sales open at each event.  As you know, the money we make goes back to the kids.

PLEASE contact Rob Duda at 301-523-2781, robduda@verizon.net, boosterssenecavalley@gmail,com or use the sign up link below.

Sign up genius is LIVE for our winter season:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4fadaf2ca1fc1-svhs#/

Please know that Boosters needs a ton of volunteerism and in turn, this allows our clubs and teams to achieve requested grants.

Visit us on social media!

IG: #seneca_boosters and #stormtheeagle

Facebook: Seneca Valley HS Boosters

Twitter: @svhsbooster

Rob Duda  

SVHS Boosters

IB Projects

Our students had their 5th SEL lesson on the IB Projects last Wednesday. At this point, your student should have: a learning goal, product goal, success criteria, and be working towards creating an action plan. For more information, please see this handout! Please visit our SVHS IB Program website to check out the lesson and materials from last week.

• IB Learner Project: This project is for all 9th, 11th, & 12th graders, who can earn 10 SSL hours upon completion. 

• MYP Personal Project (PP): This project is for all 10th graders, who can earn 15 SSL hours and .5 elective credit for "MYP Research Seminar" upon completion. Different than the IB Learner Project, the MYP PP is an IB requirement for all MYP students. SVHS staff will assess the projects using an IB MYP rubric in March and scores will be submitted to IB. 

Think Big Program

Our Think Big students headed to the Amp by Strathmore music club on 12/6/23 to hear from Gerson Lanza, a Honduran tap-dancer and former ELD student, and Emon Surakitkos, a visual artist who finished a painting during our experience! We also had two student risk-takers who presented their MYP Personal Project goals and success criteria for feedback to the entire group of SVHS and Watkins Mill students. Please congratulate Juliana Mensah and Darlene Penda on fantastic presentations! Lastly, a huge thank you to the Think Big Team who supervised this experience- Ms. Reyes, Ms. Ezerski, Ms. Abercrombie, Ms. Smith, Ms. Billard, Mr. Rubinstein, and Ms. Wolfe.

Course Information Days

SVHS kicks off our Course Information Week from Monday, Dec. 11 through Friday, Dec 15th! 

SVHS partners with Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) to encourage and support underrepresented students in higher-level coursework. Through our data analysis, we found that SVHS students needed more adult encouragement, as well as information and support during course registration. To meet this need, we planned a week of events to help students connect their course choices with their future goals, use our staff's positive relationships with students to guide them through their options, and encourage them to choose to be challenged next year!

Spring Dual Enrollment Information

Registration for the Spring Semester of Dual Enrollment is underway! The classes offered in the building for Spring 2024 will be AOSC 100 (Weather & Climate) and BSAD 101 (Introduction to Business). These classes will be offered during 7th & 8th periods and are open to qualified students in all grades. Students are also able to take classes on campus at Montgomery College as well as virtually.  Tuition and books are at NO COST to students and families. This is a fantastic opportunity to start earning free college credit! Please email Stacey Blaine with any questions at stacey_j_blaine@mcpsmd.org

A Message About Course Registration for 2024-2025

SAVE-THE-DATE! Registration Information Night

Wednesday, December 13th, 2023  6:00-8:00 p.m.

In the Seneca Valley High School auditorium

Please join the Seneca Valley Counseling Services Department and select Seneca Valley staff for an important informational evening about the upcoming registration process for the 2024-2025 school year. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the amazingly diverse course offerings available at Seneca Valley, including our wonderful IB and Career Readiness programs. We're looking forward to seeing you there! 

Notes From the SVHS College and Career Center

In-Class Financial Aid Presentations for Seniors

Attention Seniors!  Mr. Nalda will be visiting all 12th grade English classes within the next few weeks* to share information about financial aid for college.  On the day of your presentation, he also will guide students through the process of creating an FSA ID (required for the FAFSA).  Students will need a valid email address, cell phone number, and Social Security Number in order to create this account.  For students that are not eligible to complete the FAFSA, he will share the process of creating an MHEC account in order to fill out the MSFAA once that application opens.

*Please see your English teacher to find out which date in December Mr. Nalda will be visiting your class.

Applying to Colleges - A Few Reminders

As you continue working on college applications, a few reminders:

• Students should refer to the SVHS College Application Packet as a guide to applying to colleges and for specific instructions.  It is important to follow all of the instructions and steps provided.

• Once you have completed any applications, please submit!  You SHOULD NOT wait for staff to complete their portion of the application (letters of recommendation, etc).

• Whenever you add any new colleges to your list of applications, you will need to do the following:

  • Go into Naviance and re-request teachers for letters of recommendation for these new schools. 

  • Verify the deadlines listed in Naviance for each of these new schools under the ‘Colleges I’m Applying To’ section.  Make sure they match the deadline you intend to meet and/or the deadline you have in Common App (if they are Common Schools).

  • Last, but not least, inform your counselor if you add any new schools!  We want to make sure we are reviewing everything and submitting on time.   

Staff Alma Maters

Curious or want to learn more about a particular college?  Click this link to see where some of our SVHS staff members attended college.  They have volunteered to speak with students about their school and college experience!

More About the 2024-25 FAFSA

Earlier this week, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), also known as the Better FAFSA, will open by December 31, 2023.

• Click here to see the announcement

We also received information about a new FSA ID process.  For those students, parents, or spouses who have SSNs, they should use the current system and get their FSA IDs established now so they are ready when the new FAFSA opens by December 31, 2023. For those who do not have SSNs, the new FSA ID process will launch on the same day as the 2024-25 FAFSA (December 31, 2023). 

• Click here for more information

Montgomery College Special Program & Scholarship Opportunities

December 31 - Macklin Business Institute (MBI) Honors Program at Montgomery College - senior; min 3.0 GPA; provides a collegiate experience that parallels that of the best business schools in the country, bringing together highly talented students with an interest in business; the two-year program is designed for incoming MC freshmen, while the one-year program is for second-year college students; upon completion of the program, students will have had unique opportunities which will expand your transfer options; click on the link for more details. 

December 31- Montgomery Scholars Program at Montgomery College - senior; min 3.0 GPA; the Montgomery Scholars Program is a selective-admission two-year interdisciplinary honors program designed for high school graduates as the first step in completing a four-year degree; each student admitted into the Scholars program is awarded merit scholarships that cover the cost of tuition and fees for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate); click link for more information and details. 

Please note: students must have already applied to MC and received their M Number before they can begin the application for either of these opportunities!  Apply ASAP as it typically takes a few weeks to receive your M Number! (click here for the link to apply)

Upcoming Scholarships 

• December 15* - BURGER KING Scholars Program* - multiple awards ranging from $1,000-$50,000; senior; min 2.0 GPA (unweighted); must enroll at a two- or four-year school full-time next Fall; recipients are selected based on their grade point average, work experience, extracurricular activities and/or community service. 

  • *Apply early as scholarship closes on December 15 or when 50,000 applications are submitted, whichever occurs first!

• December 18* - Equitable Excellence Scholarship (*due at 4pm on 12/18) - 100-$5,000 annual awards (renewable up to for four years) & 100 one-time $2,500 awards; senior; U.S. citizen or legal resident living or claiming residency in one of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico; min 2.5 GPA (unweighted) enroll full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the U.S.; essay; demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in school, community or work activities; willing to provide a release to publicize their identities and other information. 

• December 31 - Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship - $1,000; 9-12 grade; legal U.S. resident; submit a 250 word essay; feel free to use something you have already written! Easy!!! 

• December 31 - Around the Corner from College Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; open to current high school students (9-12 grade); US citizen, permanent resident, or with DACA status; must be planning to attend a college or university in the US;  create a personalized checklist that you can use (max 10 items) to help you best prepare for college. 

• December 31 - NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Youth Essay Contest - 1st-$1,000, 2nd-$600, 3rd-$200, & 4th-$100 awards; ALL students, K-12; 1,000 word essay: "What Does the 2nd Amendment Mean to You?" 

Click here to see the SVHS Scholarships Page for more opportunities.

College Representative Visits in the College & Career Center

Juniors & Seniors are encouraged to participate in college rep visits to SVHS to learn more about colleges and universities.  Students interested in participating in rep visits must register in Naviance.  

Upcoming College & Career Center Visits:

• Montgomery College (Financial Aid Presentation) - Mon December 11 @ 10:30 AM

  • Sign up for this presentation to learn more about financial aid and resources!

• Yale University - Tue December 19 @ 10:30 AM

Other Info & Opportunities

MCPS Regional On-The-Spot Admissions Events

Richard Montgomery High School |  December 13th |  6pm - 8pm 

Click here for the flyer with more information  |  Click here to register

Seneca Valley High School  |  January 11th  |  6pm - 8pm

Click here for the save-the-date (registration information and link to be released soon)

GHS Virtual Financial Aid Night

Thursday, December 14  |  6:00 PM

Gaithersburg High School will be hosting their annual Financial Aid Night *Virtually* on Thursday, 12/14.  There will be a zoom link for the English presentation and one link for the Spanish presentation.  Link will be sent after registering (see link below).  Both presentations will begin at 6pm.  Students and families from all MCPS high schools are welcome.

Click here for the flyer  |  Click here to register

Paying for College and Trade School - Money Smart Decision Making

Tuesday, December 19  |  6:30-7:30 PM

Education is expensive-plan wisely for your future.

Live, Virtual, Interactive Session |  Space is limited, register today! 

Click here for the flyer  |  Click here to register

Questions? dnuckols@umd.edu

GOING TO COLLEGE IS POSSIBLE! 

Wednesday, December 20  |  6pm - 8pm

The SVHS Wellness Center and the PTSA’s Latino and African American Parents Council invite you to join a family session:  Going to College is Possible!  We will have information on:

• How to apply for financial aid with or without legal status

• Dual Enrollment in Montgomery College

• The ACES program

• Resources in school and in the community to benefit students

*We will have refreshments and child care*  |  Click here for the flyer with more information

IR A LA UNIVERSIDAD SI SE PUEDE!

Miércoles 20 de diciembre de 6-8PM  

El Centro de Bienestar de SVHS y el Consejo de Padres Latinos y Afroamericanos de la PTSA lo invitan a unirse a una sesión familiar:  Ir a la universidad si se puede!  Vamos a tener información acerca:

• Como aplicar para ayuda financiera con o sin documentos legales

• Dual Enrollment en Montgomery College

• El programa de ACES

• Recursos en la escuela y en la comunidad para apoyar al estudiante

*Vamos a tener un refrigerio y cuidado de niños*  |  Haga clic aquí para ver el folleto con más información

Library Media News: Come See the Art Show! 

• We are excited to share that the art show will be set up in the LMC from December 13-21.  We love the opportunity to showcase student work and hope to welcome many visitors, but please know that this will impact the availability of tables for lunch, classes, and independent student work. 🎨

• The next book club meeting will take place next Monday, December 18th, when readers will meet to discuss the 2nd half of There There by Tommy Orange.  As always, ALL ARE WELCOME! 🌻

• We are in the process of hiring a new media assistant, but while we remain short staffed we will need to close the LMC a few times in the next few weeks.  We apologize for the inconvenience, but upcoming closures include:

• Monday, 12/11: LMC closed pds. 6, 7, 8

• Thursday, 12/14: LMC closed pd. 6

• Monday, 12/18: LMC closed periods 1, 6, 7

Creativity Contests 🎥

• High school students from across the Washington Metropolitan Area are invited to submit poems to the Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest. This year’s theme is Envision a Better Future.  Entries must be no longer than one page, single spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, and are due by February 22, 2024. 

• 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 31, 2024.  Click HERE for more information and contest rules.