News You Choose

As part of FCPS’ ongoing layered safety and security efforts, schools across the division will be increasing the sensitivity of the weapons detection system beginning on Monday, December 15.

• This is not in response to any specific incident, but rather a way to make the weapons detector even more effective now that students are comfortable with the process.

With the increased sensitivity, we wanted to make you aware that some accepted items like 3-ring binders, laptops, metal eyeglass cases, umbrellas, and metal lunchboxes or pencil cases may be more likely to alert the system - and students should remove all these items BEFORE they begin to pass through the Detection System.

FCPS schools will be closed for the Winter Break from Monday, December 22nd, 2025 through Friday, January 2nd, 2026.

• The MVHS Main Office will be closed as well due to staffing shortages.

School will resume on Monday, January 5th.

On Wednesday, December 10th, MVHS held our Joint Honor Society Induction Ceremony to celebrate our 2025 Inductees!

While not all of our students were able to attend, we were able to honor the work of many of our students.

Special THANKS to Ms. Freeland and Ms. Dooley for all their hard work in coordinating the nomination and review process for this year, as well as plan our amazing ceremony.

Please see our 2025 Joint Honor Society Induction Ceremony slideshow HERE, as well as pictures of our attendees below.

Congratulations to all of our coaches and student-athletes on a very successful Fall Sports Season! We had a lot of successes both on and off the fields and courts. We recognized student-athletes from all of our fall sports - as well as two coaches - Jessica Edwards (field hockey) and Drew Holland (football) who won Coach of the Year Honors.

And congratulations to ALL of our student-athletes! Our average GPA for all sports was a 3.6!

Congratulations to the following Mount Vernon HS band members who will be representing MVHS at the 2026 District X Band Festival on February 6th-8th, 2026 at Hayfield Secondary School:

WIND ENSEMBLE:

• Baraka Matowo
• Edwin Castellon Rodriguez (1st chair, ContraBass Clarinet)

SYMPHONIC BAND:

• Michaela Dresch
• Jimmy Rangel Perez
• Daniel Gutierrez - alternate

Special thanks to Mr. DeBonis, our School Librarian, who has offered to keep our MVHS Media Center open until 4:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to allow our students a comfortable study environment after school.

Special thanks to Dr. Reid for visiting our PTSA and Class of 2028 annual Santa's Workshop and Holiday Vendor Sales last Saturday, December 6th.

Dr. Reid gave MVHS a shout-out in her weekly Newsletter stating "I went to the Mount Vernon High School PTSA's Annual Holiday Market. Learning happens best in community, and I remain so grateful for so many in our community who continue to show up for our children. Many of the funds raised will support the MVHS Class activities."

Special thanks to our PTSA President Lauryn Sheiry - our amazing PTSA Board Ms. Maria Grinstead, Ms. Pam Henry and Ms. Julie Thomas - as well as Class of 2028 administrator Ms. LaTrease Rich and Class Sponsor Mr. Tyrone Reid - on an AMAZING annual Santa's Workshop and Holiday Vendor event. As Dr. Reid referenced, this is an amazing community event, and we appreciate all those who make this happen!

Congratulations to MVHS assistant principal Ms. Adrian Williams - who on Thursday, December 4th was named the new Principal of the Quander Road School.

Ms. Williams has been an integral part of the MVHS administrative team for several years and her leadership at MVHS will be greatly missed.

Ms. Williams will begin her principalship at Quander Road in early January 2028.

FCPS’ School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event is for high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities.

The evening will begin with a presentation in the auditorium from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Immediately following, the program fair will be held in the cafeteria from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with representatives from over 30 programs offering gap year opportunities. Students and their families are encouraged to meet the representatives and learn about the variety of experiences available.

Students are encouraged to pre-register for this event. For more information, visit: USA Gap Year Fairs.

**In the event of inclement weather on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The Gap Year Fair will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the same time and location.

Contact: Ms. Pamela White (pcwhite@fcps.edu or 571-393-1102)

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]

[Click on Resources Below for Websites]

[Click on Resources Below for Websites]

[Click on Resources Below for Websites]

SIS ParentVUE: Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

Parents and care-givers -

SIS ParentVUE is the info-central for all the MVHS and FCPS information you will need.

Track your student's attendance, view grades, get information from the school, and much more!

Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.

Please call the school at 703-619-3100 if you need your Activation Code for SIS ParentVUE.

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE.

To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE.

Log in and click “Report Absence.”

Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office.

Parents/caregivers can also call the school at 703-619-3100 to report absences.

Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system.

This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account.

Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your children’s buses.

• HERE is the bus route information for this school year.

If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report.

Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays.

Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2150 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

Regrettably, we are seeing a rapidly growing increase in students illegally parking on campus during the school day. These student vehicles are being parking in reserved staff spaces & visitor parking.

This is a safety issue and needs to stop immediately.

Students - Please see the main office if you would like to purchase a parking pass.

REMINDER: All parking passes are for a semester only. Anyone wishing to have a semester 2 parking pass will need to purchase one at the end of January 2025.

Optional FREE Parking: Students may also park along (a) Old Mount Vernon Road, (b) Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, and (c) Maryland Street.

Students MAY NOT park at the Rec Center or in community areas that block private driveways.

Is your high schooler experiencing anxiety, behavior changes, or challenges with peer and family relationships?

If so, parents/caregivers can refer their children for weekly therapy with a licensed therapist through Hazel Health.

Visit the Teletherapy webpage for more information on how to access this service.

FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning.

Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.

Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

The Library of Virginia has archived the old Mount Vernon High yearbooks— starting with 1940!

• See the link HERE.

In addition, the Fairfax County Collection can be found in within the Fairfax County Public Library archives. They are all stored on the Internet Archive.

• See the link HERE.

Mount Vernon High School is a vibrant educational environment characterized by commitment to excellence. Located less than a mile from George Washington's home, Mount Vernon High School is steeped in tradition. Founded in 1939, its long history of excellence is evident in its current students, faculty, and staff. Mount Vernon High School has a world-class curriculum. Students choose from a wide range of course offerings, including International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The International Baccalaureate Program is a rigorous advanced-level program that is an option for students in their final two years of high school. Individual needs are accommodated through three special education programs, an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program, and advanced or accelerated courses in all disciplines. At Mount Vernon High School, technology enhances and adds dimension to instruction in all curricular areas.

In addition to outstanding academic programs, Mount Vernon High School offers students a broad range of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities designed to meet and extend the broad range of student interests. Fine and performing arts students and athletic teams have received numerous awards and recognition. Contributing to Mount Vernon High School's unique character and strength is its diversity. More than 50 countries and 30 languages are represented in its student population. This diversity is enjoyed and celebrated daily, as well as through a series of cultural events that bring students, parents, and faculty together and demonstrate cooperative living in a multicultural world. Mount Vernon High School is further enriched by the support of an active community.

At Mount Vernon High School, we value and believe members within our community should be:

• Supportive,
• Passionate,
• Responsible,
• Looking for Continuous Growth, &
• Culturally Responsive

We know that our Majors achieve and thrive together with purpose and pride.

Please click HERE for more School Profile Information

As we begin a new school year, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid reminds us of the goals of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, , which guides us in delivering excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every one of our students.

• Watch Dr. Reid’s message.

Please visit the FCPS Webpage for all FCPS-related Information

A special THANK YOU to Howard "Chip" Hall, a 30-year Marine Corps Veteran - and MV Community Member - who is generously volunteering his time to capture our Majors in action.

Please visit Chip's website HERE for more amazing pics!