News You Choose

MVHS students, staff & families -

The weekend, the forecast is calling for possible significant amounts of snow - which may impact school. Please make sure you are checking your emails, text messages and/or the FCPS website each evening & morning - beginning on Sunday night into Monday morning.

FCPS will monitor the weather very closely and let our communities as early as possible about any closings or delays.

The FCPS website is HERE.

Stay safe!!

The MVHS Art Department received almost 300 submissions from our amazing art students. From these works, 89 artworks were selected to move forward to represent MVHS at the ARTiFAX competition.

• We are thrilled to announce that 13 artworks received ARTiFAX awards!

Our Best in School Artwork was selected by a panel of MVHS faculty - including Adrian Williams, Anne Stewart, Rocco DeBonis, Sarah Freeland, Hayley Edwards, Julia Tate, and Jess Shaw.

Best in Show artists are:

• Haja Mariama Dumbaya - Best in School
• Kinley Miller - Emerging Artist
• Abigail Griffin - 2 awards for Creative Process
• Gabriella Merwin - Creative Process
• Amber Lee - Reflective Voice
• Nohely Arteaga - Artistry in Photography
• Osmin Benitez - Artistry in Photography
• Ozzy Drobitsky - Artistry in Ceramics
• Analise Paone - Artistry in Photography
• Hiba Qumar - Artistry in Digital Art
• Marissa Ramirez - Artistry in Sculpture
• Caleb Walker - Artistry in Drawing

These students will be recognized at an awards ceremony on February 25, 2026 at the Ernst Cultural Center at NVCC Annandale Campus, where their artwork will be displayed from February 2- March 13.

All MVHS Finalist artworks will be on display at the Mount Vernon High School Art Gallery, and students will receive certificates of recognition during Major Time on February 26.

Congratulations to all our artists and teachers!

Congratulations to the following MVHS Girls Wrestlers who placed in the Mount Vernon Mashup Tournament last weekend:

• Maryori Ferrufino-Bonilla -2nd place
• Khloe Okiyama - 3rd place
• Bridget Baah - 4th place
• Danica Brown -1st place

And a 5th place finish as a team!

Northern VA TJSM #8:

• Madison Burks took 1st overall in the 55m Dash(8.08)
• Girls 4x200m relay took 1st place overall(1:56.60)
• Saieda Reynoso ran a personal best in the Girls 500m Dash(1:37.07) taking 5th overall.
• Audrey Burks ran a personal best as well in the Girls 500m Dash(2:05.26)
• Rachel Vann ran a personal best in the Girls 1000m Run(3:18.54) taking 2nd place overall.
• Our girls took 4 of the top 5 places in the Girls 300m Dash. 1st place Madison Burks(45.98), 3rd place Kaila Barnes(47.62), 4th place Audrey Miller(47.69), 5th place Makayla Davis(48.20)
• Girls 4x400m Relay took 2nd place(5:17.23)
• Naomi Martinez took 4th place in Girls Shot Put(24-6)
• Lila Hall threw a personal best in Girls Shot Put(17-0)
• In the Boys 55m Hurdles Christian Deal took 1st place(9.44) and ShaRoyal Wright took 2nd place and ran a personal best(9.66)
• In the Boys 55m Dash Siaffa Willi took 1st place running a personal best(7.15) and Dylan Thompson took 2nd(7.23)
• Boys 4x200m Relay took 2nd place overall(1:44.51)
• Matthew Brown took 1st place in the Boys 1600m Run(5:05.30) and Yohanes Aparicio Tekle ran a person(5:20.67)
• In the Boys 500m Dash Oliver Raak took 2nd overall running a personal best(1:13.20). Abdoulaye Boiro took 3rd place(1:14.77
• In the Boys 300m Dash Nathan Mushalalusa ran a personal best taking 1st place overall(40.11) and Abdoulaye Boiro also ran a person best taking 4th place(41.28). we had a couple more personal best times from Antonio Rivera-Vazques(42.54), Nathaniel Pearson(43.04) and Mohammed Ibrahim(45.13)
• In the Boys 3200m Run Adrian Morales-Urrtia ran a personal best taking 1st place overall(11:23.88). Tristan Perkes also ran a personal best(12:23.09) and took 4th place
• Boys 4x400m Relay took 1st place(4:10.58)
• In Boys High Jump Arion Cole, Miles Ward and Siaffa Willi tied for 1st(5-6). Dylan Thompson took 4th place(5-4). Siaffa Willi and Dylan Thompson’s jumps qualified them for the National District Championship Meet.

Post Season Auto-Qualifiers

DISTRICTS:

• 55m Hurdles - Erick Yanes Flores, Christian Deal, Ali Ascher
• 55m Dash – Aveon Cole, Micha Anitche, Axel Ferrufino, Dylan Thompson, Madison Burks
• 300m Dash – Aveon Cole, Micah Anitche, Axel Ferrufino, Erick Yanes Flores, Madison Burks
• 500m Dash – Abdoulaye Boiro
• 1000m Run – Oliver Raak, Rachel Vann, Lacey Lussier
• 1600m Run – Rachel Vann
• 3200m Run – Rachel Vann
• High Jump – Arion Cole, Miles Ward, Dylan Thompson, Siaffa Willi, Kaila Barnes, Ali Ascher
• Long Jump – Demontrez Bannister, Arion Cole, Dylan Thompson, Michael Bates, Miles Ward, Dawit Volcy, Briannah Brayboy, Frannie Miller, Madison Myers, Ali Ascher
• Triple Jump - Demontrez Bannister, Arion Cole, Dylan Thompson, Michael Bates, Miles Ward, Dawit Volcy, Briannah Brayboy, Frannie Miller, Madison Myers, Kaila Barnes

REGIONALS:

• 55m Hurdles - Erick Yanes Flores,
• High Jump –Miles Ward, Kaila Barnes
• Long Jump – Demontrez Bannister, Arion Cole
• Triple Jump – Demontrez Bannister, Michael Bates, Arion Cole

MVHS is proud to partner with the One Brotherhood organization - a local mentoring program made up of MVHS alumni - that support safe spaces for our male students to have conversations about all aspects of life.

One Brotherhood was recognized by WJLA in a recent article HERE.

Do you have a student between grades 8 through grade 11 - and enrolled after January 1, 2025?

If so, they should consider applying to the College Partnership Program (CPP), which offers support from exploration to application!

• The deadline to apply is February 20, 2026.

CPP offers programming to help prepare students and families from 9th grade all the way through applying to and enrolling in college, including:

• Academic counseling
• College visits
• Help with completing college and scholarship applications
• Monthly meetings
• Experiences on college campuses
• News and information related to colleges and careers via Schoology

All students are eligible and encouraged to apply to this program, and are expected to meet the following requirements:

• Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Attend monthly CPP meetings
• Are willing to pursue advanced coursework
• Demonstrate leadership in school or community activities

T

he goal of the program is to systematically mitigate the impact of barriers to access and opportunity, and support students who are from populations that are historically underrepresented on college campuses.

This includes students who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S., Multilingual learners, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities.

• Application Here: https://tinyurl.com/CPPAPP2026

• The application is only open 1/16-2/20 2026 for students using their FCPS Google account.

• All applications will be submitted ONLINE ONLY.

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)

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is excited to announce the opening of our 8th Annual Marine Corps Student Art Competition, titled “Heroes.” We invite educators, schools, homeschool families, and young artists to participate in this nationwide opportunity celebrating creativity, history, and service.

Beginning February 1, 2026, the competition will be open to all U.S. students in grades K–12, including public, private, and homeschool students.

Student artists are encouraged to create an original 2D art piece inspired by the theme of Heroes. Artwork may highlight:

• An individual Marine or group of Marines (past or present)
• Acts of bravery, leadership, or service
• Wounded warriors or combat veterans
• Animals in Marine Corps history
• A Marine the student knows personally

Awards & Recognition

Thanks to the generous support of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, student winners will receive:

• 1st Place: $300
• 2nd Place: $200
• 3rd Place: $100
• Best in Show: $500

Winning artwork will also be reproduced and displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps from June 15, 2026 through June 14, 2027.

Important Dates

• Submissions Open: February 1, 2026
• Submission Deadline: April 15, 2026
• Winners Announced: May 1, 2026

Artwork must be submitted digitally along with a completed official entry form.

We would greatly appreciate your help in sharing this opportunity with your students, families, and school community. The full competition flyer and entry forms are attached for your reference.

For questions or additional information, please contact Anna Polanco at anna.polanco@usmcu.edu, Nicole Lutz at nicole.lutz@usmc.edu or nmmcartcontest@gmail.com.

Thank you for supporting student creativity and helping us honor the heroes of the United States Marine Corps.

Dual Enrollment (DE) courses allow high school students to earn credit toward their high school diploma and college credit at the same time. The number of credits that a student may earn in a high school course varies from course to course.

MV students courses are completed through Northern Virginia Community College.

Please see the DE course options at MV below:

The MVHS Department of Student Services is proud to once again partner with Edu-Futuro for our 2nd Annual MVHS Engaged Parent Workshop series.

Our MV family liaisons will be leading sessions for our Spanish-speaking families to help them build their knowledge and confidence around supporting children throughout the educational process – including effective communication with the school, knowing your educational rights, supporting social-emotional development, and connecting with other parents and caregivers.

The workshop series will be every Tuesday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, beginning on February 10th and running through March 24th. The first session will be in G100 (enter through the main entrance – door #1).

See the informational flyer below:

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.