Good evening Seneca Valley Community,

I want to again introduce myself.  I am honored and privileged to be the acting principal of Seneca Valley High School.  I look forward to working with you to help our students achieve their fullest potential.  In the upcoming weeks I will be having meet and greets at school to provide you with an opportunity for us to gather and get to know each other.  As I attend athletic events, concerts, and other school functions please do not hesitate to come up and say hello.  We have an exciting year ahead.

Have a good Monday, on purpose!

Ricardo Hernandez

Acting Principal

#SVPROUD

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! 

Save the date: Course Information Days!

This year's Course Information Days are Monday, Dec., 11 through Friday, Dec. 15.  

SVHS, along with other select MCPS high schools, partner with Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) to ensure underrepresented students have access to and the support needed in higher level classes. Each year, we give an EOS-developed survey to staff and students. Utilizing this survey data, Course Information days provide structures to help SVHS leverage important relationships by having multiple adults guide students through the registration process and help students connect their choices for next year with their future college & career goals.  

More information is coming soon! 

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 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

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.

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.  

Click here to learn more and see who is scheduled to visit SVHS this Fall!

Next Week’s College & Career Center Visits:

• Continental Pools, Lunch Visit (Lifeguarding/Summer Jobs) - Tue November 28 @ 11:12 AM - 11:54 AM

  • No registration in Naviance needed. Stop by the SVHS cafeteria anytime during lunch to learn about summer job opportunities (lifeguarding and more) from Continental Pools.

• MD Army National Guard, Lunch Visit - Thu November 30 @ 11:12 AM - 11:54 AM

  • *No registration in Naviance needed. Stop by the cafeteria anytime during lunch to learn more about the MD Army National Guard or the military.

• NewU University - Fri December 1 @ 9:40 AM

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: Just Keep Reading!

Last Monday readers met to discuss the first half of the One Maryland One Book, There There by Tommy Orange, with the opportunity to reflect on the celebration of Thanksgiving and to acknowledge Native American history.  We will meet again on Monday, December 18th, to discuss the rest of the book.  This book follows twelve interconnected characters from Native communities en route to a powwow in Oakland, California.  It’s not too late to join the next discussion; contact Ms. Little for more information!  Free copies of the eBook are available to Maryland residents HERE. 🌻