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! 

A Message from the PTSA

This week the PTSA will be sponsoring a staff lunch to celebrate our amazing teachers. We still need your support to make these events successful. 

The PTSA is still accepting donations to our staff appreciation fundraising drive. Your generous donations will enable us to organize a memorable Staff Appreciation event, where our teachers and staff will be celebrated for their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our students' success. Please click HERE and make a donation.

If you have not done so yet, please join our Facebook - Seneca Valley High School PTSA | Facebook

Have questions, comments, feedback for the PTSA? Email us at svhsptsapres@gmail.com 

Need to join the PTSA click here - Join Now

Have a great week 💚💛

SVHS PTSA 

#SVPROUD 

A Message from the Boosters

The Boosters wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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.

Use sign up genius link below or contact Rob Duda-  boosterssenecavalley@gmail.com or robduda@verizon.net

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

Seneca Valley High School Sophomore, Sanaa Chege, Writes Children’s Book

Sanaa Chege, a sophomore at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, has written a children’s book about her experiences on the diving team at school. She began diving just last fall and now dives year-round. After seeing a lack of diversity on her team, she decided to write a book to share her journey to encourage and inspire others. Her children’s book, “A Diver Like Me” will be published in February 2024.  For more information about Sanaa and her experiences, click here.

Notes From the SVHS College and Career Center

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 full announcement

We also received information about a new FSA ID process.  For those students, parents, or spouses who have Social Security Numbers (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

Upcoming Scholarships 

• • November 30 - MoreWithUs Spring 2024 Scholarship Competition - 2-$500 awards; grades 9-12; Submit a one-page essay OR a short video (about 2 minutes) about a work or volunteer experience; Create a free MoreWithUs profile.

  • November 30 - National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship* - (*5pm ET deadline on 11/30) awards ranging from $3,200 - $25,000; senior; active NHS member in good standing; currently enrolled at a school with an affiliated NHS chapter; planning to enroll at a postsecondary college or university in fall 2023; student membership must be verified by an active NHS adviser at an affiliated NHS chapter. 

  • December01 - American College Foundation Visionary Scholarship - multiple winners ranging from $1,000 to $2,500; grades 9-12; must be United States Citizens or Eligible Non-Citizens; copy of most recent unofficial high school transcript; 500 word essay; entrants may be asked to participate in a qualification interview as part of the application process to assist the ACF in ultimately determining the winners. 

  • December 01 - Towson UTeach Program & Kahlert Foundation Scholarships - $3,000 per year for up to four years; awarded to incoming freshmen who enroll at Towson University in Fall 2024 and plan to pursue a career in secondary school mathematics or science teaching; streamlined teaching degree plans that allow you to complete both a bachelor’s degree and all coursework for teacher certification (grades 7-12) in Maryland in four years; Towson students talk about the advantages of Towson’s UTeach program in this short video.

  • December 01 - Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team - College Scholarship - 2-$1,000 awards; senior; min 2.8 GPA; submit a 500- to 750-word essay on how you are driven to innovate, how you plan to influence progress on any level in any space or how you have already affected positive change with creative thinking. 

  • December 01 - Hagan Scholarship Foundation - 1000 awards of up to $7,500 each semester for up to 8 consecutive semesters and other benefits; senior; U.S. Citizen; min 3.5 GPA; enroll at an Eligible Four-Year college or university in the fall; must maintain a four year or less graduation schedule in college; must work 240 hours from January 1, 2024 until commencement of the 2024 fall semester in college (all paid employment counts & students can work in the summer; see website for details); applicant’s Adjusted Gross Household Income reported for 2022 Federal Income Tax Purposes must not have exceeded $85,000;  Finalists must provide a copy of their FAFSA SAI; must apply for Federal and State grants if eligible; must not have a felony conviction; personal essay; four year plan.

  • 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!

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

Other Info & Opportunities

MoComCon 2024 - Essay & Art Contests

MoComCon is back Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Germantown Library! MoComCon 2024 Art and Essay contests also return as part of our celebration of all things comics, graphic novels, and fandoms! Both contests open November 1st and close at 5pm on Friday, December 1, 2023. 

What is the MoComCon Art Contest? 

• Combine your love of art and fandoms by entering MoComCon’s 2024 art contest! Create artwork of your favorite character from any fandom, book, television show, movie, game, or invent your own original character!  

• Art Contest will be split into three age groups: Child (5–12); Teen (13–17); Adult (18+).  

What is the MoComCon Essay Contest? 

• If you love to write, then MoComCon’s essay contest is for you! Anyone between the ages of 8 – 14 can write a 300-500 word essay on what their favorite fandom is and why.

Click here for entry forms and more information

SVHS College & Career Monthly Newsletter - November, 2023-24

Library Media News: Best Wishes to Ms. Rossman!🌠

After two years of service as media assistant extraordinaire at Seneca Valley High School, Ms. Rossman is moving on.  She recently accepted a promotion to the position of Media Services Technician at Northwood High School, where she will have the opportunity to further her career goals and pursue her interest in working with students on TV productions.  While at Seneca, Ms. Rossman was an invaluable member of the library media team; as a writer and avid reader, she provided great advice to students searching for their next read, she curated book lists for purchase, she was the creative force behind our book displays and promotions, and she co-sponsored our book club, which included challenging students to think critically during monthly book discussions.  In addition, Ms. Rossman delivered the “Chromebook Care” portion of library media orientations to 9th grade and EML students, provided instructional support to classes whose project aims were to create video PSAs, and this year, she has been offering guidance to students in our TV production classes.  All of this was on top of simply being a friendly presence who helped manage the many visitors to the LMC and patiently provide tech support.  We will miss the many ways she contributed to the library media program, and will always be grateful for her friendship and the relationships she has built with staff and students over the past two years.

Book Club Update!🌻

In response to reports of slow progress, on Monday, November 20th, we will be discussing ONLY the first half (Part I) of the One Maryland One Book, There There by Tommy Orange.  During the meeting, we will select a date to discuss Part II.  This book follows twelve characters from Native communities en route to a powwow in Oakland, California.  It is a powerful book with a prologue that presents a Native American perspective on the celebration of Thanksgiving.  Free copies of the eBook are available to Maryland residents HERE.

Creativity Contests 🎥

• MoComCon, a celebration of comics, graphic novels, and fandoms, is coming back to the Germantown Library on January 20, 2024.  Students are invited to enter MoComCon art and essay contests between now and December 1st, and a cosplay contest on the day of the event.  For more information and contest entry forms, click HERE.   

• 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.