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"Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month (History Channel website)."

For more information on Black History Month, visit the History Channel website HERE.

Our January issue of The Pen & Palette was published last week.

• HERE is the link to the website.

We got so many incredible submissions from both the Creative Writing class and the general MVHS student population. The Creative Writing students worked hard to create and select 12 pieces for our first issue of the 24-25 school year, most of which are horror stories! Please be sure to check out your students’ incredible work and congratulate all students who worked on and had their writing published in The Pen & Palette 😊

Any creative written work is accepted as well as songs, photography, digital art, and more.

• Students are able to submit their work using THIS LINK.

• Our next issue will be in April and will focus on poetry.

• Please encourage any poets or musicians to submit their work.

Thank you so much for supporting creative writing and arts here at Mount Vernon High School!

Carmen Pulupa

Mount Vernon HS

English 10 | Creative Writing

Special thanks to the MVHS Black Student Union, Ms. Patnett and Ms. Torres (BSU sponsors) and all of the fraternities and sororities that participated in our annual Divine 9 event!

1st Place:

• Chantel Bondziedu, Makayla Perez & Kaelin Walker

2nd Place:

• Leah Chicoine & Michaela Dresch

3rd Place:

• Danna Hernandez, Brody Rhoads & Thalia Webb

Honorable Mention:

• Sofia Chavez, Ian Hamilton, William Staten II & Yuri Sagastume Fonseca

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Isabella Valencia Guzman

2nd Place:

• Faith Djamson, Gissele Velasquez Hernandez & Timmy Truong

3rd Place:

• Darpan Barua, Abdoulaye Boiro & Kwame Amoah-Ofori

Honorable Mention in Biochemistry & Medical Sciences:

• Matthew Britton

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

** Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above **

1st Place:

• Tabitha Fulmer & Stefan Honcharov

2nd Place:

• Ihsaan Badal, Lilaa Hall and Yohanes Aparicio-Tekle

3rd Place:

• Nuha Saed

Honorable Mention:

• Ismail Javed

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Anthony Nangauta

2nd Place:

• Lacey Murphy & Shayna Pielech-Chiappettta

3rd Place:

• Elijah Fortes

Honorable Mention:

• Brandon Asumadu, Mrittika Chowdhury & Genesis Cruz

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Emily Blalock

2nd Place:

• Samya Adyel, Emeli Cruz Cedillo, & Lauren McVaney

3rd Place:

• Ella Lytkowski

Honorable Mention:

• Reese Field & Liliana Johnson

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Juliet Pascoe

2nd Place:

• Jesus Jimenez Acevedo

3rd Place:

• Elijah Wilson

Honorable Mention:

• Chantelle Boahen, Kloe Conforti, Kathia Cruz-Coto, Isabella Dikibo, Ayelen Rivera-Giron, Ibrahim Masoud, Mariam Masoud, Audrey Peterson & Valeria Ribera.

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Ryan Carrado

2nd Place:

• Claire DeRose

3rd Place:

• Joseph Nangauta

Honorable Mention:

• Maley Ernst and Tiffany Tran

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

1st Place:

• Chantel Bondziedu, Makayla Perez & Kaelin Walker

2nd Place:

• Juliet Pascoe

3rd Place:

• Ryan Carrado

* Award Winners are referenced in alphabetical order above, not necessarily in order in the picture *

* Due to scheduling conflicts, all awards winners may not be pictured above *

Special thanks to Ms. Duchaine and Ms. Dresch - as well as all of our Science Teachers - for an amazing Science Fair this past Tuesday!

Congratulations to MVHS Orchestra Mr. Al Rodriguez, who is featured in the Yamaha Music "40 Under 40" in Music Education article! Mr. Rodriguez will be honored alongside other incredible music educators from across the country.

Mr. Rodriguez shared "I'm fortunate to do what I do in such an incredible county, and in my opinion, one of the best high schools and communities that Fairfax County has to offer."

• Click HERE to see the Yamaha Music "40 Under 40" in Music Education article

The Yamaha Music Education blog will be featuring individual stories of the teachers, so please keep an eye out for some of the videos that Mr. Rodriguez submitted (featured there later in the month).

All FCPS students in grades 9-12 will be receiving an email from FCPS inviting them to participate in the inaugural FCPS Student Summit, a Superintendent-led leadership and engagement initiative designed to elevate student voice across FCPS.

The Student Summit will bring together students in grades 9–12 to share ideas, perspectives, and recommendations directly with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Students will engage in meaningful conversations on important topics, including access to programs and resources, skills building and micro-credentials, AI literacy, and other student-identified priorities.

The Student Summit will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the new FCPS high school in western Fairfax County (2949 Education Drive, Herndon, VA 20171).

Students who attend will earn three hours of community service credit and receive a certificate of participation.

• Registration for the Student Summit Event opens Monday, February 23, 2026.

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Do you want to help plan the Student Summit?

The Student Summit will include a planning committee made up of two students per high school, a key component of this event.

• Students now have the opportunity to apply to participate in the FCPS Student Summit Planning Committee.

• The application form is now open and will close on Monday, February 16.

The Sophomore class needs your help!

Please consider ordering some delicious Double Good popcorn!!! Every purchase helps!!!

• To order, click here: https://s.dgpopup.com/dq8od809

Thanks for taking a look!

Ms. Rich and the Class of 2028

From February 18 to March 19, 2026, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits.

• These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.

Important Meal Kit Information:

• Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
• Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
• Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
• Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.

IMPORTANT:

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

• February 11, 2026 for week of February 18, 2026
• February 16, 2026 for the week of February 23, 2026
• February 23, 2026 for the week of March 2, 2026
• March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
• March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026

** Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week. **

** Parents/guardians must submit a separate request form for each student, every week, to participate, according to the deadlines above **

Youth Advisory Council of the DC Metro Transit Police Department will be hosting the MTPD Youth Advisory Council of VA on Thursday, February 26th at Metro’s Alexandria Headquarters (located at 2401 Mill Road, Alexandria, VA) from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Students who attend the meeting will receive five (5) hours of community service as well as a FREE dinner.

MVHS Military Families living on Base:

Ft. Belvoir leadership asked that we share the important information below:

"Fort Belvoir SHARP will be hosting the SAAPM 5K on April 10, 2026. We kindly request your assistance in informing all parents, staff, and students who may be affected by increased traffic and temporary road adjustments on the installation that morning.

The run will begin at 0800, and road guards will be positioned at each intersection along the route to ensure safety.

• A map of the 5K course is below for your reference.

Please share this information with your school community so families can plan accordingly and avoid unexpected delays when entering the installation."

Opportunity to Apply for Student Representative to the School Board

Each year, in accordance with Policy 1802, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students have the opportunity to apply for the position of Student Representative to the School Board. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a non-voting, advisory capacity, representing the interests of students in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Students who are currently in grades 9, 10, and 11 are eligible to apply and do not need to be current members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC). The student representative shall be a resident of Fairfax County or Fairfax City and a student in FCPS.

The application involves two components. Both are required to be considered for the election.

• Written Applications are due Monday, February 23, 2026. 2026 Student Representative to the School Board
• A thirty-second candidate video statement is due March 16, 2026.

The 2026 election will consist of two parts:

• The first part of the election is a virtual Primary Election held on April 23, 2026, using FCPS Zoom. Candidates have the option to attend this event. Candidates will be notified by email regarding the Primary Election results.
• The second part of the election is a General Election held in person on April 30, 2026, at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Candidates who advanced from the Primary Election are required to attend the General Election on April 30, 2026.

Additional information and details regarding both the Primary and General Elections will be shared with candidates via email.

** All completed applications must be submitted by February 23, 2026. **

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning engaging summer enrichment programs for students! For our current 6th to 11th grade students, we have CTE Summer Academy.

2026 CTE Summer Academy

CTE Summer Academy is a weekly enrichment program that allows students to dive deeper into CTE program areas, and encourages skill development and career exploration.

Students choose 4 classes each week they participate and learn new content, discover interests, and build their skills.

• Eligibility: Current 6 to 11 graders
• Time - 8:30 am to 2 pm*
  *Early drop off begins at 7:30 am; after care ends at 5 pm

New to 2026! We’re offering after care!

• Location - Robinson SS
• Transportation from select FCPS schools is provided!
• Cost - $300 per week
  Back for 2026 programs, we will be offering tuition assistance. More information on our webpages.
• Dates -

1. Week 1: July 6 - 10

1. Week 2: July 13 - 17

1. Week 3: July 20 - 24

1. Week 4: July 27 - 31

New to 2026! We’re offering a 4th week of our programs!

• Different weekly offerings; weekly themes and class offerings can be found on our webpages!

Students will choose four (4) classes each week to build their own specialized summer learning program. Courses are available in all CTE program areas: Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Medical, Marketing, Technology and Engineering, and Trade and Industrial.

Classes offered through CTE Summer Academy are introductory and do not require previous knowledge of the content.

For the list and schedule of classes being offered, please visit our webpage!

Registration is open from February 2 to June 5, 2026.

Students can register online by visiting the CTE Summer Academy webpage and clicking on the register button.

Visit the CTE Summer Academy webpage: bit.ly/FCPS_CSA for more information!

For questions, please contact Beth Mehr at bgmehr@fcps.edu

Our MVHS Student Activities Website will be full of important information for our students and families.

HERE is the link to the 25-26 MVHS Activities Calendar

HERE is the link to the MVHS Student Activities Website.

HERE is a link to the 2025-2026 Athletic Coaches List

Dear MVHS Community,

Support our student-athletes by becoming a proud member of the MVHS Athletic Booster Club!

There are many ways you can support MVHS Athletics:

👉 Click here to become a member, make a donation, become a sponsor, and purchase your Athletic Season Passes

👉 Click here to purchase MVHS Spirit Wear

Season Passes – valid for all regular-season home games

• Student - SILVER passes are $30
• Adult - MAROON passes are $75

By purchasing a Season Pass, you’re making a direct impact on our athletic programs. Season passes are not only a convenient and cost-effective option for families and fans, but they also ensure that 100% of gate sales go directly to MVHS.

Game day ticket sales are split 50/50 with the visiting team — so your support goes further with a pass!

Let’s fill the stands and show our school spirit.

Go MAJORS!

MVHS Late Busses will only run on Thursdays this 2025-2026 SY.

Please plan with your teachers to arrange any after-school support on Thursdays.

The MVHS cafeteria will offer breakfast and lunch daily. If your student plans on purchasing food through the cafeteria, please be sure to load money on their meal account or bring cash.

Breakfast:

• Students, grades K-12—$1.75
• Reduced-price breakfast for qualifying students – no charge
• Adults or 2nd student meal—$3.00

Lunch:

• Secondary and high school —$3.50
• Reduced-price lunch for qualifying students – no charge
• Adults or 2nd student meal —$5.00

More information on FCPS Food Services (including payment options for meal accounts, daily menus, free and reduced meal programs, etc.) can be reviewed on the FCPS website.

Early Release Days

In the event of a 3-hour early release, lunch service will still be available between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. FNS proposes to offer grab-and-go meals for students, allowing them to go through the serving lines, choose items, and put them in provided meal bags. Both cold and hot meal options will be available. Students are still required to pick up complete reimbursable meals; otherwise, à la carte charges will be applied. All meals provided by FNS must be consumed on-site.

School Nutrition Accounts, PINs, Prepayments, & MySchoolBucks

FNS will be emailing student PINs via e-Notify and in advance of the first day of school. MySchoolBucks should be promoted and is now available for account prepayments. State legislation and the FCPS Meal Charge Policy direct all school nutrition account negative balance communication to parents/caregivers. Additionally, students may not be denied a breakfast or lunch meal for any reason. FNS will work with school administrators to communicate low/negative account balances.

Menus

School menus offer a variety of entrees, fruits, and vegetables that meet or exceed USDA guidelines, including nutrient standards. Menus, allergens, and nutrition information are all available online at LINQ Connect. School menus will be published monthly, starting one week before the first day of school. FNS makes every effort to offer items as listed on the planned menu. Unanticipated substitutions are published on LINQ Connect whenever possible.

Please check both the Student Services: Mount Vernon High School Schoology pages and the Scholarship tool in Naviance. You can also always visit Mrs. Whitehouse in the College and Career Center to learn more!

For more FCPS Scholarships, please visit: Scholarships for FCPS Students | Fairfax County Public Schools

Harris Goodall Squires Memorial Scholarship Amount:

• $5,000 Deadline: 4/1/2026

• Application in Naviance

[Click on Resources Below for Websites]