October 12, 2025

Homecoming Week Highlights!

We had an incredible time celebrating Homecoming Week! From spirited dress-up days and high-energy pep rallies to the big game—featuring special guests, alumni, and a packed crowd—and a lively dance to wrap it all up, the week was filled with joy, pride, and positive school spirit.

Congratulations to the Senior Class of 2026 for winning the coveted Spirit Stick! The Junior Class of 2027 took home the victory in the Powder Puff game, while our Sophomores and Freshmen brought impressive energy to the scream battle, giving the upperclassmen a real challenge. One of the week's most memorable moments was the Staff vs. Student Dance Battle, which brought lots of joy and laughter, especially when staff members got pied in the face!

Important Reminders:

• No School for Students – Monday, October 13
• Picture Day Retakes (Grades 9–11) – Tuesday, October 14
• PSAT Day – Thursday, October 16 (Grades 9–11 will test; Grade 12 will have an asynchronous day and should not report to school)

Academic Updates:

We’re just two weeks away from the end of the first marking period! Please check in on your student’s grades and reach out to teachers with any questions. Academic support is available:

• After School: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
• Saturday Sessions: Saturday mornings, except on Holiday Weekends
• Activity Buses: Run on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
• *See a more detailed schedule towards the bottom of this newsletter

We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of these opportunities for extra help!

📬 In This Week’s Newsletter:

• 🏀 Winter Sports Tryouts Information
• 📝 PSAT Day Information
• 📚 Khan Academy – Free Test Prep Resources
• 🔬 Exciting STEM Opportunities
• 🏫 Virginia College Application Week
• 🕊️ Human Rights Student Leadership Council – Get Involved!
• ➕ And so much more!

• October 13: Teacher Workday - NO SCHOOL for Students
• October 14: Picture Day Retakes (Grades 9-11)
• October 15: Volleyball Senior Night & Band-o-Ween Concert 7:00pm
• October 16: PSAT Day Grades 9-11, Asynchronous Day Grade 12, Spooktackular Orchestra Concert at 7:00pm
• October 20: Senior Portraits (must book appointment)
• October 21: NO SCHOOL - Dwali
• October 31: Last day of 1st Marking Period

Winter sports tryouts are right around the corner! All students must have an Arbiter account. Please see the information below about creating an account if you have not done so already. Also, visit our athletic website for more information: https://unityreedhs.pwcs.edu/student_activities/athletics

• Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Indoor Track, Swim and Wrestling tryouts begin November 10th
  
• Sideline Cheer Tryouts TBD
  

Important Changes to Student-Athlete Participation Requirements:

New Required Student-Athlete Registration

Parents/guardians must register their student-athlete online to participate in PWCS school sports.

• Parents/guardians must create an Arbiter account to complete the online athletic registration process.
• Student-Athlete Education (formerly concussion education) is included in the student's online athletic registration.

New Sports Physical Exam Forms

A new state law that takes effect on July 1, 2025, will result in significant changes regarding sports physicals.

• Student-athletes must use the updated VHSL High School Sports Physical Exam Form (says revised April 2025 in the top left corner).
• Sports physicals using the new form will be valid for 14 months.
• Schools will no longer accept paper sports physical exam forms; only scanned/digital copies submitted through the student's online athletic registration will be accepted.

Learn more

• PWCS' High School Activities and Athletics Eligibility and Participation Guidelines
• PWCS Student-Athlete Participation Requirements

PWCS is pleased to share that all students in grades 9–12 now have access to Khan Academy through the PWCS Portal, powered by ClassLink. This powerful learning platform offers personalized tools, instructional videos, and practice assessments designed to support academic success—especially in preparation for the PSAT and SAT.

Getting Started Is Easy:

1. Visit the PWCS Portal.

2. Log in using your PWCS username and password (do not include “@pwcs-edu.org”).

3. Click the Khan Academy icon to launch the app and begin exploring resources.

Khan Academy is highly recommended for students preparing for standardized tests. Its content is aligned with College Board standards offering targeted practice to help students build confidence and improve performance. The most commonly used SAT preparation courses include:

• SAT: Math

• SAT: Reading and Writing

These courses are selected because they reflect the core sections of the SAT exam. Khan Academy’s SAT Math course covers algebra, problem-solving, data analysis, and advanced math topics. The Reading and Writing course focuses on grammar, vocabulary in context, and evidence-based reading comprehension, all essential skills for the SAT.

To access the SAT Prep courses, click on the “Courses” menu located at the top of the screen. Scroll down and select “Test Prep” from the list of available subjects. Under the Test Prep section, this where you’ll find the two main course options: “SAT Math” and “SAT Reading and Writing.” These courses are designed in partnership with the College Board and provide targeted practice aligned with the actual SAT exam format.

PWCS encourages all high school students to take advantage of this district provided resource to support their learning and college readiness.

On Thursday, October 16th, students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will participate in the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). The Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), is a practice version of the SAT exam. Earning a high score on the PSAT in your junior year could qualify you to receive a National Merit Scholarship. Approximately $180 million dollars in merit scholarships are awarded to students each year.

• All PSATs will be taken on a PWCS device, as the test is only available in digital format. Please ensure students arrive on test day with their school-issued devices fully charged to include the charger.

• Allow approximately three weeks after the PSAT for score reports to be shared with students. Score reports house valuable information that provides an explanation of scoring, displays your student's areas of strength, recommend courses that may be appropriate for your students, and much more.

• October 16th will be an important but busy day at Unity Reed High School. We thank you in advance parents/guardians for the support around students being here on time and ready to test.

To Do List Ideas:

1. Work on any asynchronous assignments your teacher may have assigned you (check canvas and your student emails)
2. Get on Naviance to help you plan for after graduation, look up scholarships and request letters of recommendation.
3. Work on college application essays.
   
4. Visit a college campus either in-person or virtually! Many colleges have virtual tours available that allow you to see their campus from home.
   
5. Look up available trade schools, military options or other career-related fields.
6. Work on scholarship applications!
7. Order your cap and gown unit! (see link at the bottom of this newsletter)
8. Mark your calendars for Virginia College Application Week (VCAW) October 20-24! This is the week where many of the college application fees are waived for Virginia Colleges.

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 last dates for senior pictures (2026) are:

• October 20 and 31 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.

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors with an interest in human rights and civil rights are invited to apply to participate on the Human Rights Student Leadership Council. Learn more about government through the lens of human rights and develop leadership skills. Apply at Student Leadership Council. Applications are due on Tuesday, October 14th.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium provides FREE NASA-related programs for Virginia's high school students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Applications are open for the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS), Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) and the Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) programs. Each program has an interactive online STEM learning experience and is highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA. Visit Virginia Space Grant Consortium for program information and to access the applications. Applications close October 26, 2025.

Virginia College Application Week will be Oct. 20 – 24, 2025. This week is designed to increase the number of students pursuing higher education and to provide support in completing their college application. Many Virginia colleges & universities will waive their application fees this week so students can apply for FREE! More info and a list of participating schools will be shared soon.

One of the many ways that PWCS supports student success is by offering free mental health telehealth services through Hazel Health. Mental health challenges can be tough, but no student needs to face them alone. Licensed therapists can help students with:

• Anxiety, depression, and stress
• Mood and behavior changes
• Grief and loss
• Social skills, bullying, and peer relationships
• And more

Learn more about how to access these no-cost mental health services.

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.

• 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