As we start this week, we have several important updates and reminders to share with you below.

Family Engagement Survey: Prince William County Schools (PWCS) is conducting a Family Engagement Survey to gather your valuable feedback on how connected you feel to our school and other schools your children attend. You should have received the survey via text and email from PWCS. If you haven't completed it yet, please take a moment to do so using this link: Family Engagement Survey. Students will complete the student survey this week during WIN blocks.

No School Tomorrow: A reminder that schools will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Presidents' Day.

Free Programs and Opportunities: Please see below for information on free sports physicals, a free dental camp, and a free flight academy program this summer.

Tardy Sweeps and Special Saturday School: Additionally, we have important information below regarding tardy sweeps and an additional Special Saturday School session for 12th graders.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Have a great week ahead!

• February 17: No School - Presidents Day Holiday (Schools And Offices Closed)

• February 19: Winter Athletic Awards Banquet, 6:00PM

• February 20: Free Sports Physicals 5:00-8:00PM (Gar-Field HS)

• February 22: Drone Competition @ URHS, HBCU College Fair, 9:30AM

• February 24: Spring Sports Tryouts begin!

Arriving on time is a life skill that we want to instill in our students. It is important for students to arrive to class on time and ready to learn as every minute counts in support of student's' academic success. Students are given 5 minutes to get to each class, and warning bell rings 1-minute prior with music playing to remind students to hurry to the next class before the tardy bell rings.

To help motivate students to arrive to class on time, we will begin to conduct frequent tardy sweeps through the day. Students who are late to class and caught in a tardy sweep will be sent to the cafeteria to be issued a consequence. The consequences are as follows:

• 1st offense: Warning
• 2nd offense: 1-hour detention
• 3rd offense: 2-hour detention
• 4th offense: Saturday School

• *Accumulated offenses and/or refusal to serve may lead to more severe consequences to include loss of privileges and exclusionary discipline.

  
  

Please help remind your students of the importance of being to class and school on time.

Old Dominion University School of Hygiene, the Virginia Community College System, and the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation have teamed up to launch the Dental Health Summer Institute. The five-day camp will be virtual with an in-person lab day option the week of June 23, 2025. Students will learn about different aspects of dentistry and receive a lab kit for hands-on lab activities.

• Interested? Apply now at Dental Health Summer Institute.
• Application deadline: March 7, 2025.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s Pathways Flight Academy program offers students, ages 16 and older, a unique opportunity to explore their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This program allows students to explore aviation career fields while learning to fly! This opportunity is FREE for participants. Visit the website for more details and to apply.

Use the link below to sign up for your Free Sports Physical, just in time to be prepared for Spring Sports Tryouts. These are for PWCS Students only and hosted at Gar-Field High School, this Thursday, February 20th. Time slots are available from 5:00 - 8:00pm.

The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc will host the HBCU College and Career Fair on Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 9:30am – 12:30pm at the Kelly Center, featuring over 25 HBCUs from across the country.

This is a free event but registration is required.

Spring sports tryouts are right around the corner! We are excited to announce that spring sports tryouts for baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys soccer, girls soccer, tennis, and track & field will begin on Monday, February 24. The full spring tryout schedule as well as more information on the current athletic participation requirements can be found on our website here: URHS Athletics 2024-25 Participation Requirements

Please note that in order to participate in tryouts, students MUST have a current sports physical dated on or after May 1, 2024 and current concussion training on file with the URHS Activities Office before they will be permitted to participate in tryouts.

Participating in sports not only promotes physical health but also fosters school and community spirit, teamwork, developing life skills, social skills, leadership skills, cognitive skills, and stress and pressure management.

If you have any questions about getting involved in spring sports at Unity Reed, feel free to stop by the URHS Activities Office. We are on the first floor right across from the cafeteria.

• Saturday, March 15, 2025

• 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School

Learn about employment opportunities and support services available to help youth and adult students with disabilities as they plan for the transition to life after high school.

The Annual Transition Fair is free and welcomes all students in grades 6-12+, along with their families, educators and community members. For more information and registration, please visit the Career and Transition Services webpage.

12th graders only are offered an additional 2 hours of extra help time (8:00 - 10:00AM) during Saturday School before regular hours open for the rest of the student body (10:00AM - 1:00PM). Saturday school offers an opportunity to complete missing assignments, get help with school work, study with classmates, and complete credit support if needed. Open to all 12th grade students - no registration is necessary. Located in the 1st floor computer lab

Don’t miss out on the chance to showcase your adorable baby photos in this year’s high school yearbook! Celebrate your journey from cute toddlers to amazing graduates.

Why Include Your Baby Photo?

• Nostalgia: Relive those precious childhood moments.
• Fun: Share a laugh with friends over your cutest baby pics.
• Memories: Create a keepsake that you’ll cherish forever.

Print and complete the form: Baby Ads Yearbook

• For more details, contact the Yearbook Staff or Mr. Hyde.

View the recent scholarship opportunities shared with URHS! Students should also use the Scholarship Search feature in Naviance for a complete list of local and other scholarships.

• Scholarship lists are also posted outside of Mrs. Nash’s office on the 3rd floor.

• If you need assistance applying, make an appointment with Ms. Jung, Mr. Lawrence, or your guidance counselor.
• Keep checking the wall for updates!

• Order here: CAP, GOWN & TASSEL UNIT
• All other graduation related items - Order here

• ALL students are invited and encouraged to participate in the various opportunities available for academic supports. Please see the various options available below:

• 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 Polanco
Principal, Unity Reed High School