October 25, 2026
Message from Ms. Vélez, Principal
October 25, 2026
Welcome to the final week of Quarter 1! It’s hard to believe how quickly the school year is moving. As we wrap up the first quarter, we want to remind families that Quarter 1 ends this Friday, October 30.
Please also note that there will be no school for students on Monday, November 2, and Tuesday, November 3, as these are Teacher Workdays. Our building will be open to families on Monday, November 2, for Touchbase Conferences, providing parents and guardians an opportunity to connect with teachers. Please see the information below for additional details.
🏆 Congratulations to Our All-District Athletes!
We are excited to celebrate several outstanding URHS student-athletes! Congratulations to Tyler and Leila for earning 1st Team All-District Cheer honors and to Emely and Jackie for earning 2nd Team All-District Cheer honors. We also congratulate Elijah for being selected to 1st Team All-District Boys Volleyball! These are tremendous accomplishments, and we are incredibly proud of each of you. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment have paid off and these honors are well deserved! Way to represent URHS!
🎃 URHS Trunk-or-Treat — This Thursday!
Join us for our URHS Trunk-or-Treat on Thursday, October 29! We are excited to welcome our URHS families as well as families from our feeder elementary schools, Ellis and Innovation Elementary Schools, for an evening of community fun. We invite families, staff, clubs, teams, and community members to get involved by signing up to decorate a trunk and provide candy for our trick-or-treaters. Help us make this a fun, festive, and memorable evening for students and families throughout our community! If you would like to participate by decorating a trunk, please contact Lydia Armour at armourld@pwcs.edu. Additional event information is also included below.
👻 Student Costumes — Friday, October 30
Students are welcome to wear costumes to school on Friday, October 30. We love seeing our students participate and have fun, but safety remains our top priority. We also have a Costume day theme for our home football game this Friday evening. Please remember that lookalike weapons of any kind are not permitted on school grounds. Full-face masks are also not permitted, and face paint may not cover more than half of the face. All individuals in the building must remain easily identifiable throughout the school day. Thank you for helping us keep the celebration fun, appropriate, and safe for everyone!
In This Week’s Newsletter
Please take a few moments to review this week’s newsletter for important updates, opportunities, and reminders for our students and families, including:
URHS Trunk-or-Treat with Ellis & Innovation Elementary Schools
Touchbase Conferences — November 2
Counseling Connection
Class of 2027 Cap & Gown Orders and Final Senior Portrait Session
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
And much more!
Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students and the URHS community. As we close out our first quarter, we are grateful for everything our students, families, and staff do to make URHS such a special community. Let’s finish Quarter 1 strong and have another great week! Go Lions!
This Week's Bell Schedule
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
- October 29: Trunk-or-Treat
- November 2: No School for Students - Touchbase conferences
- November 3: No School for Students - Teacher Workday
- November 11: No School - Veteran's Day
- November 25-27: No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
Athletic Games for the Week
Touchbase Conferences - November 2, 2026
This year’s Touch-base will happen on November 2, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This event is an opportunity for parents/guardians to come to school to meet individually with any or all of their student's teachers for a brief 3–5-minute conference. No appointments are needed.
During the conference, parents/guardians can expect a current and accurate assessment of their student's grade and progress from each of his/her teachers. Additionally, teachers can discuss strategies for student success in the classroom.
REAL-WORLD LEARNING—RIGHT HERE AT UNITY! 🏗️ 👷
This past week, students in our Construction Tech class had an incredible opportunity to connect with PWCS Facilities and the project managers and contractors working on our new practice turf field, currently under construction behind our Driver’s Ed lot and tennis courts.
Students had the chance to hear directly from the professionals managing the project, ask questions, learn about the different careers involved, and gain a behind-the-scenes look at how a major construction project moves from plans to reality.
The conversation was outstanding, but even more exciting are the connections that were made. As construction continues, our students will have opportunities throughout the year to take what they are learning in the classroom and connect it to real-world, hands-on experiences happening right on our own school grounds.
This is what career-connected learning is all about—giving students opportunities to learn from industry professionals, see their coursework in action, and explore the possibilities available to them beyond high school.
A huge thank you to PWCS Facilities, our project team, and our Construction teachers for creating this experience for our students. We can’t wait to see what they learn as the project—and these partnerships—continue to grow!
📸 School Photos Are Now Online!
School photos are now available online! Families should have received an e-proof via email with information about viewing and ordering their student’s photos. If you have not received the email, please be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
For questions or assistance regarding your student’s school pictures, please contact underclass@vosphoto.com.
Counselor Connection
High school counselors support students as they work toward graduation and prepare for life after high school. They partner with students, families, teachers, and staff to support academic success, social and emotional well-being, and college and career planning. For more information and links to school resources, including how to contact your child's school counselor, please visit our Unity Reed High School Counseling webpage.
Counseling Lesson and Insight Meeting Schedule for October
Grade 12 Insight Meetings (by appointment)
Grade 9 Insight Meetings through Health and Physical Education 1 WIN periods
Dual Enrollment
The College and Career Ready Virginia (CCRV) Program is a statewide initiative designed to expand access to dual enrollment for high school students at no tuition cost to students. The Spring 2027 declaration will open on October 15, 2026, and will close on December 15, 2026. There will be a registration help session for students on November 6, 9-10:30 AM. For more information on eligibility and the program, go to the CCRV webpage or contact your school counselor.
College and Career Planning
Virginia College Application Week is October 19-30. This is a great opportunity to submit applications to most Virginia colleges with no fee! There will also be college application assistance, workshops on financial aid/scholarships and essay writing, and on-site admissions opportunities. Students are encouraged to check their email and Canvas announcements for more details leading up to the event.
The following materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by PWCS:
Financial Aid Officers from Northern Virginia Community College’s Manassas Campus will be helping students and families submit their FAFSA forms for the 2027-2028 school year at the Manassas City Library (10104 Dumfries Road). The next session will be Saturday, November 14, 11 AM-2 PM. See the attached flyer for more details (in English and Spanish).
Alfred Street Baptist Church presents its 24th Annual Historically Black College & University (HBCU) Festival, a hybrid (in-person and virtual) event being held November 13-14, 2026. The festival is dedicated to connecting high school students and their families to over 70 HBCUs, and scholarship opportunities. On-site admissions, music auditions, waived application fees, and scholarships will be offered, in addition to workshops on the college application process, financial aid, scholarships, and acclimating to campus life. Information and Registration
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. At Unity Reed High School, we are committed to ensuring that all Lions in our Pride are treated with kindness, respect, acceptance, and inclusion. Please visit the PWCS Bullying Prevention webpage for information on what bullying is, how to report it, and learn about support resources for students and families.
Family Engagement Series
Specialty Programs Information Session for High School Students
6-7:30 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 – Live Zoom Webinar Registration
All requests for language accommodationsare due by October 22, 2026.
URHS Blankets for Sale!
Senior Class Fundraiser
Fall weather is here you can never not have enough blankets! We’re selling ultra-soft, plush blankets for just $20, and every purchase helps support our Senior Class of 2027. Perfect for chilly days, movie nights, game nights, or gifting to someone special! Support our graduating Senior Class with their second fundraiser for the year! Blankets are $20.
Ways to grab yours:
- Purchasing online through GoFan at the following link: https://gofan.co/app/school/VA24954
- At lunch: Find us during all lunch periods at the 3rd-floor Admin Office.
Sales are live and items are available now! Don’t wait—secure yours today. Thank you for supporting our Seniors and helping make this fundraiser a warm success
🎓 Class of 2027 - Important Updates!
Order your Cap & Gown by December 1st
Josten's URHS Store is Now Open!
Order your Cap and Gown early. Visit Josten's URHS Store today!
The students will not need to add a tassel because the unit already comes with the tassel needed for graduation. The cost until December 1st is $25.75. The items will be picked up from the school in Spring when the Representatives come to deliver.
Senior Portraits - Last Session in November!
Victor O'Neill Studios will be in the auditorium for Senior portraits:
Session C - November 12, 13. URHS Auditorium
Please follow the link below to choose your session type and appointment time:
As a friendly reminder, appointments are needed for Senior Portraits.
If you have any questions, please email our Senior Portraits Team: seniors@vosphoto.com. Please kindly include your senior's First and Last Name and "Unity Reed HS Class of 2027" when emailing, for faster assistance.
Athletics and Activities Updates 🦁
The Virginia High School League AND Prince William County Schools set requirements and standards for students to be eligible to participate in high school athletics. It is important for student-athletes and their families to be familiar with these requirements. Below you will find information on 2026-27 tryouts, as well as details on the requirements that MUST be completed by ALL student-athletes that plan on participating in school athletics during the 2026-27 school year.
Discounted Yearlong Ticket Passes Available
Support the Unity Reed Lions!
Show your Lion pride all year long by purchasing a Yearlong Athletic Pass! These passes provide discounted admission to regular season Unity Reed High School home athletic events, making it an affordable way to cheer on our student-athletes throughout the school year.
Whether you're a student, parent, family member, or community supporter, your presence in the stands makes a difference. Come out, support our teams, and help create an exciting home-field advantage for our Lions! Tickets can be purchased on GoFan (click the picture linked below for direct access).
Join the Booster Club!
Welcome to the new school year! Whether you are joining the Lions Activity Boosters Club for the first time or returning for another dynamic year, thank you for stepping up to support our students. Your time, energy, and dedication directly enrich the educational, athletic, and extracurricular experiences of every student at Unity Reed.
For more information, contact The Lions Activity Boosters Club Board
How to Stay Connected with URHS!
Weekly LIONS’ ROAR: This will include the latest updates with pertinent information for the upcoming week and will be emailed to students and families every Sunday. This information will also be posted on our school website.
URHS website: This will be updated more frequently so that we can share the most up to date information with you. In fact, click here to view our school website.
School Status: This is our messaging system, and it allows staff to send text messages, emails, or make phone calls to families. When an email comes to your inbox with this system, the sender will be listed as School Status or Teacher name. A text message will include the staff member’s full name in the message but will be a random number. This system allows the recipient to respond directly to a message.
The PRIDE Newsletter: This is a monthly newsletter where we celebrate and highlight the incredible accomplishments of our students, staff, and community at Unity Reed High School. Each month, we will showcase achievements, events, and milestones that make our school proud. Stay tuned for inspiring stories, academic successes, athletic triumphs, and much more. All this information will also be available on our school website for easy access and sharing.
I encourage you to continue to stay in touch with important updates by visiting our website. We are here to support you. Please reach out throughout the school year with any questions, concerns, or to share general feedback, and thank you for being part of our school community, as our STRENGTH is IN UNITY!
Sincerely,
Milagros Vélez
Principal, Unity Reed High School