Highlander Happenings

McKean School Community,

November is a whirlwind of a month for educators and students; it feels like it's over before it even begins! With how fast our lives move, it is easy to forget to stop and offer gratitude for the things we appreciate most. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it's easy to focus on what needs improvement or what's lacking. However, taking a moment to reflect on the positive aspects of our lives can be a powerful remedy to stress and negativity. I encourage you to take a moment each day to express your thankfulness to those around you and appreciate the little things in life. For me, I appreciate coming to work every day with a wonderful staff and amazing students. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making McKean High School the best it can be. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.

We A.R.E McKean!

• Wednesday, November 20: Report Card Distribution
• Wednesday, November 20: 10am Cecil County Community College
• Friday, November 22: Honor Roll Celebration
• November 25-26: Parent Teacher Conferences in person or on zoom
• November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School for Students)

December 2024

• Wednesday, December 18: McKean Winter Concert @ 6pm
• December 23- January 5th- Winter Break

The McKean PTO is organized for the purpose of supporting the education of students at Thomas McKean High School by fostering relationships among the school, parents/guardians, and building-level faculty. The organization also strives to promote community engagement. Fundraising efforts go towards supporting the staff, assisting with or donating towards school events for students, and building level projects per administrative request.

Everyone who joins the PTO will get a McKean water bottle!

NEW LOCATION!

• Students can sign-up for an appointment with their school counselor in their "Class of 202_" page on Schoology. If a student does not have a Class of 202_ page, please see the front desk to be added.

• This year’s FAFSA for students attending college next year will open on December 1st.

Hello McKean Highlanders!

We are pleased to introduce Naviance Student – a mobile-friendly website that you can use to plan for college and a career. Naviance Student is linked with Naviance™, a service we use in our office to track and analyze data about college and career plans, so it provides up-to-date information specific to our school.

Naviance Student allows you to:

• Get involved in the planning and advising process – Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers

• Research colleges – Compare GPA, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past

• Research careers – Research hundreds of careers and career clusters, and take career assessments

• Create future plans – Create goals and to-dos, and complete tasks assigned to you by the school to better prepare yourself for your future college and career goals

Naviance Student also lets us share information with you about upcoming meetings and events, local scholarship opportunities, and other resources for college and career information. You can also use the site to stay in communication with the counseling

Office.

You have access to your Naviance account on ClassLink.

We hope that you will find this resource helpful. If you have questions about Naviance Student, please contact us.

~McKean School Counseling Team

If you would like to order any sports or event pictures, please use the code below

"AVID stands for 'Advancement via Individual Determination.' AVID is a comprehensive program that assists underrepresented students in applying to, and prepares them for, the rigors of four-year colleges and is available to 9th through 12th graders at McKean. Students in AVID live by the WICOR strategies; WICOR stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading. Students are assisted in their high-level classes through tutorials, given help with organization by keeping a binder, and supported in their time management. Additionally, the program provides opportunities for personal growth through guest speakers, college field trips, tutoring, and community service, all of which contribute to building a competitive college application. AVID graduates enroll in college at higher rates than the national average and persist into year 2 of college at higher rates. In 2016, 88% of AVID seniors applied to and were accepted to a four-year college. Why is this important? According to a study completed by the Economic Policy Institute, college graduates annually earned 56% more than someone with only a high school diploma.

Here is a link to a video clip that was created when our AVID program earned a SuperStars in Education Award from the DE Chamber of Commerce in the spring of 2018. The video shows our students and teachers in action and offers their perspectives about the program.

Spread the word! Tell your friends and family members! We provide childcare and real-life work experience for our students!

Winter Sports begin November 12

Boys Basketball: Stephon Johnson

Girls Basketball: Ricky Brown

Swimming: Aleecia King (G) & Jaxon Brown (B)

Cheerleading: Sienna Nelson

Indoor Track: Lakayla Williams (B) & Shakir Ali (G)

Wrestling: Nick Dorda

Unified Basketball: Ryan Mayville

Please be advised that for all sports events, no tickets will be sold after the conclusion of halftime. We encourage you to purchase your tickets early to ensure entry and to avoid any inconvenience.

1) McKean Sportsmanship Policy

• Students must attend a presentation on Sportsmanship with Ms. Dukuray
• All students must sign McKean Sportsmanship Contract prior to competing in games/practices. Form can be found on the bottom left of the Highlanderssports.com page under Forms.

2) DIAA Physical

• Students must have a DIAA physical on file with the school to be eligible for practices, scrimmages, and games.
• Physicals must be completed on the approved DIAA Physical Forms.
• Physicals must be completed after April 1st of the year that the school year begins.
• Physicals may be uploaded to Family ID or submitted to the school nurse.

3) Academic Eligibility

• Academic eligibility is determined each marking period.
• Students must be passing 5 classes to be eligible to participate in athletic activities.
• 2 of the 5 classes must be in the core subject areas: Math, Science, English, or Social Studies.
• Seniors must also be passing all classes needed for graduation.

Athletic Director Dorda would like to share the following information regarding Fall Sports:

• After-school buses are reserved for active roster student-athletes only. NO STUDENT FANS PERMITTED
• Highlander Sportsmanship is expected from all athletes, student fans, and family fans at all sporting events. All Highlanders are expected to adhere to the codes of conduct set forth by Thomas McKean High School, Red Clay Consolidated School District, and the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Questions - Contact Mr. Dorda - Athletic Director

Highlander Family,

It’s hard to believe that the end of this month also brings us to the close of the first marking period – time truly flies!

As the weather cools down, I’d like to remind everyone that hats, hoods, and ski masks are not permitted inside the building. Parents, please take a moment this weekend to speak with your students about following this policy while at school. We will continue to enforce this rule daily and begin giving students consequences if they do not comply.

I hope everyone is feeling healthy, happy, and motivated as we continue the school year on a strong note. Our climate and culture team is here to support every student daily. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Quig at the school or via email.

Warm regards,

Mr. Quig

Assistant Principal

Cody.Quig@redclay.k12.de.us

November 13, 2024

McKean Days, throughout the year students from McKean will be working at the Prices Corner Car Wash. On those days friends and families of McKean Will be offered 50% off and wash! The last one was Wednesday November 13th. The next event will be 11/26. Be sure to check out our social media pages for future dates!

McKean's magnificent marching band celebrated the end to a great season along with Mr. Reeves birthday! Thanks for bringing joy and music into the fall season!

Fall Fest 2024! McKean MTSS team celebrated students with 0 referrals, 0-1 unexcused absences and 0-1 unexcused tardies. We A.R.E. McKean