August 31, 2025

It was wonderful to see and meet so many of you at Back-to-School Night last Thursday—thank you for joining us! That same day, our students launched their first video morning announcements—and they’ll now be airing daily! 🎬 This is a powerful way to empower student voice, build confidence, and develop real-world communication and leadership skills. We’re incredibly proud of their creativity and professionalism! Also, a big congratulations to our JV and Varsity Girls Volleyball Teams for their opening wins against Manassas Park last week! 🏐

We hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend. As a reminder, school will be closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Now that we’re settling into our back-to-school routine, here are a few updates:

• Students will begin rotating through their W.I.N. blocks (What I Need) this week —a flexible 45-minute period on Maroon Days designed for remediation, make-up work, reassessment opportunities and/or enrichment activities.
• Advisory will adjust to rotate on the Maroon Monday or Tuesday each week starting 9/9
• Please refer to the full "Maroon/Gold" Calendar found here

🔔 This Week’s Newsletter Highlights Include:

• 🏈 Athletics Updates – Games this week! 🏐
• 📵 Device Policy Reminder – Update on device collection after 1:40 PM
• 📸 Upcoming Picture Days
• 🚌 After-School Activity Buses – Start date and details
• …and more!

• September 1: NO SCHOOL

• September 2: Golf vs. Osbourn Park, Independence & Battlefield HS @ Westfield Golf Course

• September 3: Home Volleyball Game vs. Meridian (JV @5:45pm; Varsity @7:00pm)

• September 2 & 3: Senior Portraits (book appointment here)

• September 5: Home Football Game vs. Stafford HS @7pm

• September 9-10: Underclass Picture Days

• September 13: Save-the-Date: Senior (12th Grade) Student-Parent Breakfast

📅 Date: Tuesday September 9th & Wednesday September 10th 2025

📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day

🛒 Pre-order Online: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001268992

📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at underclass@vosphoto.com

At least 98% of our students have been doing great with the device policy thus far. However, as we continue to refine our device collection process, we’ve noticed a recurring challenge: students are increasingly taking out their devices toward the end of the day, particularly after 1:40 PM. This timing makes it difficult for security and administration to retrieve these devices in time, as we are already in the process of returning the ones that were collected from earlier in the day.

Starting on Tuesday, 9/2, we are implementing the following updated procedures for students who have violated the policy after 1:40 PM:

Afternoon Device Collection Guidelines:

• Collection ends at 1:40 PM.
• If a teacher/staff member collects a prohibited device after 1:40 PM, they will keep it at their desk and return it to the student at dismissal.

• Teachers/staff member will submit the student’s name and student number to Administration to follow up with consequences as follows:

  Consequences:

• 1st Offense: Student will surrender the phone/wireless communication device the next day and complete the acknowledgment form. Parent/Guardian will be contacted.
• 2nd Offense: Student will surrender the phone/wireless communication device the next day. Parent/Guardian will be contacted.
• 3rd Offense: Student will surrender the phone/wireless communication device the next day, and parent/guardian will be contacted to pick it up.

Please help remind your student(s) that the Wireless Communication Device Policy is in effect from bell to bell. Using or displaying devices before the final dismissal bell — even near the end of the day — is still considered a violation of this policy. Thank you for your support!

Starting Tuesday, September 16, 2025, activity buses will run every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 4:30 PM.

Important Guidelines:

• Only students participating in a supervised after-school activity (such as clubs, sports, or LIONS Den academic support) are eligible to ride the bus.
• Students must receive a bus pass from their supervising adult (coach, club sponsor, or LIONS Den teacher) to board the bus.
• Students may not leave campus and return just to ride the activity bus. Only those who remain on campus for a verified activity will be permitted to ride.
• Activity buses will drop students off at express bus stops.

📘 LIONS Den Academic Support begins September 16

📍 Located in the 2nd Floor Cafeteria

Academic Support by Subject:

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays:
  Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Economics & Personal Finance
  ESOL and Special Education support available daily

📚 Peer Tutoring
Available Tuesdays & Thursdays in the Library only

The Back to School Packet, where parents/guardians can review emergency cards, update contact information, and complete annual policy reviews and acknowledgements, is available in ParentVUE. All families must complete the Back to School Packet as soon as possible. The information you provide will allow school staff to ensure the safety of your student this school year. To access the Back to School Packet:

• Login to your ParentVUE account and go to “Online Records” in the top right corner.

• Written Instructions for completing the Back to School Packet due September 12th

• If a parent/guardian needs to make changes to information once they submit the Back to School Packet, they can resubmit anytime by following the same instructions provided above

• Please contact our Parent Liaisons: Dr. Livia Perez: perezl@pwcs.edu, Michelle Gonzalez: GonzalM6@pwcs.edu, or call 703-365-2900.

Fall sports are in full swing, and our student-athletes have been working hard to prepare for an exciting season! Now all they need is your support in the stands.

This year, Prince William County Schools (PWCS) has transitioned to GoFan for all high school athletic ticket sales. You can now conveniently purchase tickets online for Unity Reed volleyball, football and (new this year) flag football games!

🎟️ Ticket Options:

• Single Game Tickets – Available for each event
• 10-Game Punch Pass – Just $50 for entry to any 10 home games

📲 How to Purchase:

• Visit GoFan.co or download the GoFan App and search for Unity Reed High School

Let’s pack the stands and show our Lion Pride! 🦁 Thank you for supporting our student-athletes and helping make this season unforgettable.

The Class of 2026 Senior Breakfast will be held on September 13th at 9:00 AM in the 1st Floor Cafeteria, inviting both parents and students. The event will cover important topics such as senior events, graduation details, college and career planning, scholarships, and more. A light breakfast will be served. Enter through Door 1.

Attendance is the number one predictor of both dropout and graduation rates. Establishing the habit of daily attendance is more important than ever and helps to reduce stress, strengthen connections with friends and teachers, and support academic success.

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) follows the provisions of Virginia law (Code of Virginia § 22.1-254) regarding compulsory attendance for all school-aged students.

PWCS uses an attendance management system that carefully tracks attendance and ensures that parents are notified in a timely and consistent manner when students are absent from school.

Attendance letters are mailed to notify parents of:

• Truancy status when students accrue three unexcused absences
• Excessive excused absences
• Chronic absentee status when students are absent 10% of instructional days based on where we are in the school year. Learn more about PWCS attendance letters.

Detailed information about attendance communication, types of absences, late arrival/early dismissal, and more is on the PWCS Attendance Guidelines webpage.

Revisions have been made to Regulation 724-1- Attendance, Absences, Excuses, and Tardies.

We encourage families to note the following key updates:

• Schools may require a doctor’s note when a student misses three consecutive days or a total of 10 days during the school year due to illness.
• Family trips or absences related to travel are unexcused absences.
• Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more school days in a school year. Both excused and unexcused absences count towards chronic absenteeism.
• Students are expected to make up all missed assignments and assessments for both excused and unexcused absences.
• Military-connected students may have up to five days of excused absences to visit a parent/guardian called to active duty or on leave from active duty.
• With prior approval from the principal (or designee), absences for college admission visits or to apply for post-graduation employment can be excused for juniors and senior.

• Parents receive automated calls when students miss one or more classes.
• Absences can be viewed and reported the same day via the ParentVUE app or parentvue.pwcs.edu.
• Tardy and early dismissal requests cannot be submitted through ParentVUE · Absences can also be reported by emailing URHS-Attendance@pwcs.edu or calling 571-598-3298.

Email URHS-Attendance@pwcs.edu at least 1 hour before pickup. Include your student’s full name, reason, time, and note if they’re a driver. Use “EARLY DISMISSAL” in the subject line. If picking up in person, bring a photo ID and allow time for processing. Lunch period dismissals may be delayed.

We understand that some absences are unavoidable, however we encourage parents and guardians to schedule appointments on scheduled days off for students throughout the school year. View the 2025-26 school calendar webpage to view days off for students.

We are committed to creating a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment and understand there are times when your child may need to stay home due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances. If you need assistance or resources to have a successful school year, please contact us at 703-365-2900. We value your partnership and look forward to a successful school year together!

Visit the Class of 2026 webpage frequently for updates throughout the year.

Capture your senior year memories with convenient school-held photo sessions by Victor O'Neill Studios! Yearbook poses are included in all session types. Upgraded sittings can have up to four additional outfits. The next dates for senior pictures (2026) are:

• September 2 and 3 from 9:00AM-3:00PM in the Auditorium
• November 17 and 18 from 9:00AM-3:00PM in the Auditorium

Click the link to schedule your session today. Unity Reed Photo Sessions

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 Class of 2026” when emailing, for faster assistance.

Painting will take place September 13th 11:00 am -2:30 pm (following the Senior Breakfast event) Please notify Mrs. Nash of the dates you plan to paint your space. More details on how to get your parking spot reserved and painted are included in the attachments 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