Excel in Mind, Body, and Character

George Mason High School Newsletter

Tyrone Q. Byrd, Principal November, 2010

Dear Mustang Parents and Guardians:

We have completed the first quarter of the 2010 – 2011 school year. Your student’s first quarter
report card was printed and handed out during BL 3/Homeroom today (11/16), George Mason students earn
credits by the semester, and this report card represents 40% of their progress toward that semester grade.
The second quarter will represent another 40% and the semester exam will represent 20% of the final
semester grade.

Throughout the first quarter of the school year your student has had unprecedented access to teachers
for enrichment and remediation. While teachers readily volunteer their services before and after school, the
Mustang Block provides students with support during school on a daily basis. Please encourage your student
to utilize this invaluable resource to the fullest extent possible. There should be no excuses for failure.
While I travel the building during Mustang Block, I often ask our students how they are doing. Our
conversations typically head toward academics when I ask for specifics regarding how well they understand
what is being taught. They tell me their grades, which only answers my question in part. It is our collective
expectation that students are not solely focused on the grades they earn, but the knowledge they acquire.
Today I was asked how my grades are. I informed the small group of students that their grades are my
grades and that while I take great pride in their success, I am also responsible for any efforts that miss the
mark.

The George Mason community must work collaboratively to ensure that every student has the tools
they need to reach high academic, artistic, athletic, and social levels of achievement. Compelling students to
Excel in Mind, Body, and Character begins with our commitment to the same principles. This has not been a
perfect quarter, but I’m confident that together we have laid the foundation for an outstanding school year.

The second quarter of the school year encompasses the Thanksgiving and Winter breaks as well as
the Martin Luther King Birthday holiday. We encourage you to utilize the Google calendar on our website
to keep abreast of the numerous activities we have planned for this exciting time of the year. George Mason
has a proud tradition of providing a strong extra-curricular experience while maintaining high academic
achievement. Please help your student manage their time and utilize the resources available so that they can
enjoy all that we have to offer.

Thank you for your continued support. We eagerly look forward to a successful second quarter.

Sincerely,

Tyrone Q. Byrd
Principal

Go Mustangs!
PAGE 2 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Important Dates
Please note that some of these dates have changed since the beginning of school and
some other changes may still occur.
November 16
Report Cards distributed January 12
November 18, 19 and 20 Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m.
Fall Musical – Les Misėrables January 11
7:00 p.m. – Auditorium IB Information Night
November 24 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Holiday Early Release– 1:45 p.m. Mustang Café
November 25 – 26 January 12
Thanksgiving Holiday Parent Walk-In (PWI)
December 1 7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m. Mustang Café
December 8 January 15
Financial Aid Night VCU Festival of Winds and Percussion
7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. – Mustang Café January 17
December 8 Martin Luther King Day
Parent Walk-In (PWI) All-Staff Holiday
7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. January 24, 25, 26 and 27
Mustang Café Semester Exams
December 9 January 25
Winter Band Concert Special Education Parent Meeting
7:30 p.m. – Auditorium Mustang Café – B121
December 11 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
District Band Auditions January 27
West Potomac High School End 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
December 15 January 28 and 31
Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m. Professional Days
December 16 No School for Students
Chorus Concert February 1
7:30 p.m. – Auditorium Begin 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester
December 22
Holiday Early Release—1:45 p.m. Financial Aid Night
December 23- January 2
Winter Break December 8, 2010
December 25 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
It’s Academic (Airing) Mustang Café
NBC4
11:00 a.m. This year’s Financial Aid Night will be presented
January 3 by Raphael Soberano from Northern Virginia
School Reopens
Community College. The program will provide
January 5
PTSA Meeting information about the financial aid application
7:30 p.m. – Library process, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal
January 6 Student Aid), important deadlines and other
· IB Forum relevant financial aid topics for current seniors
9:30 a.m. –Auditorium seeking financial aid for the 2011-2012 school
· IB Awards Ceremony year.
7:00 p.m. – Auditorium
PAGE 3 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards

Again this year the Washington Post is recognizing excellent teachers with its Agnes Meyer Outstanding
Teacher Awards. Completed nomination packets must be received in the Superintendent's office by January
14, 2011. Nomination forms are available in the main office and are posted on the website at
www.fccps.org/agnesmeyer

IB Forum
January 6, 2011 at 9:30 A.M. in the George Mason
Auditorium
Parents are invited to join our tenth grade students for an assembly in the auditorium on Thursday,
January 6, 2011, beginning at 9:30 a.m. to hear from alumni and current students who have participated in
the IB program – both Certificate and Diploma recipients. George Mason High School graduates will
answer questions about their own experiences in our IB program and how those experiences helped prepare
them for college or university. Parents are welcome to this unscripted student forum. Please sign in at the
welcome desk or the main office and obtain a visitor’s badge before proceeding to the auditorium.

IB Awards Ceremony for 2010 Graduates

January 6, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. in the George Mason Auditorium
On Thursday, January 6, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., we will hold our IB Awards Ceremony in the school auditorium
where we will congratulate all GM IB graduates and formally present their IB Certificates and Diplomas.

Community members, family and friends are invited to recognize the hard work and dedication of all IB
2010 graduates - and to join us for a reception afterwards in the Mustang Café. Please mark your
calendars!

IB Information Night
Parents of students in eighth, ninth and tenth grade who are interested in learning more about the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at George Mason High School are invited to attend the IB
Information Night on Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mustang Café. The program is designed for
parents, guardians and students in grades 8, 9, and 10.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
Celebrating Thirty Years of Excellence
At GMHS
PAGE 4 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Governor’s School Summer 2011

Academic Programs,
Visual and Performing Arts
and Language Academies
Students interested in learning more about the Summer Residential Governor’s
Schools Academic, Visual and Performing Arts Programs and Language
Academies must attend the next informational session:

• Monday, November 22, 2010 during Mustang Block or after-school in

Room C102

Please note that if you are interested in auditioning for the one of the Visual and
Performing Arts programs, you must see Ms. West before November 17, 2010

Exceptional juniors and sophomores are eligible to apply for the Governor’s
Residential Summer Schools in the following academic areas:
Summer Residential Governor’s School Academic Programs and Visual and Performing Arts:
• Mentorship in Engineering: June 26-July 23, 2011 at Christopher Newport University
• Mentorship in Marine Science: June 26-July 23, 2011 at Christopher Newport University
• Agriculture: June 26-July 23, 2011 at Virginia Tech
• Humanities: June 26-July 23, 2011 at Radford University
• Mathematics, Science and Technology: July 3-July 30, 2011 at Lynchburg College
• Life Sciences and Medicine: July 3 – July 29, 2011 at Virginia Commonwealth University
• Visual and Performing Arts: Visual Art, Drama, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music and Dance,
June 26-July 23, 2011 at Radford University
o Students that are interested in the Visual and Performing Arts programs must see Ms. MJ
West in the Band room on or before November 17, 2010.

Summer Residential Governor’s School Language Academies:

• French, Spanish and Japanese at VCU

• Virginia Startalk Academies at VCU for
Arabic, Chinese and Russian (Please note that these are not Virginia Governor’s School
programs as they are funded by federal grants; however, they function much in the same as
Virginia Governor School Language Academies)
PAGE 5 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Foreign Language Academies offer a unique opportunity for outstanding students to perfect their skills
in French, Spanish, German, and Japanese or to begin the study of Russian, Arabic, and Chinese.
Interested students should consult their foreign language teachers or Señora Planas. The prestigious
three week Governor’s language academies are residential programs held in the summer at Virginia
Commonwealth University. Ms. Planas will hold practice sessions on November 18 and 22 2010 at
3:15 p.m. in her classroom (C102). Due to the highly competitive nature of the Governor’s Language
Academies, prospective GM candidates (sophomores and juniors) will tryout for the position on
December 9, 2010, at 3:15 p.m. in Ms. Planas’ room (C102). Students will complete tasks modeled
after those used on the actual Governor’s School application. Based on those results, a selection
committee of teachers at George Mason will choose the most qualified candidates who will then
compete for a position at the state level. If selected, students will be notified by the Virginia Department
of Education in April, 2010. Students interested in the program should attend the next interest session
mentioned above on November 22.

Please see the following Virginia Department of Education Web Page to Learn More about Virginia
Governor’s School Academic Programs:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/index.shtml

Please see the following Virginia Department of Education Web Page to Learn More about Virginia
Governor’s School Foreign Language Academies:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/foreign_language/language_academies/index.shtml

For more information about any of these Governor’s School Programs and the application process at
George Mason High School, please contact Asheesh Misra at 703.248.5590.

Parent Walk-In Meetings

Mustang Café
7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.

Wednesday, December 8
Wednesday, January 12
Wednesday, February 9
Wednesday. March 9
Wednesday, April 13
Wednesday, May 11
Wednesday, June 8
PAGE 6 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Language Study Opportunities

Summer
The High School Diplomats International Friendship Program is a cultural enrichment program that brings
together high school students from Japan and the United States for a ten day stay at Princeton University.
Sophomores or juniors interested in participating in this program may visit the website
http://www.highschooldiplomats.com/ or see Senora Planas in Room C102. All application materials for this
program must be completed prior to December 22, 2010.

Youth Exchange Program

Year Long
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program provides 250 scholarships for American high school
students to live with a host family and attend school in Germany for a year. Sophomores, juniors and seniors
who have a 3.0 GPA and will be between 15 and 18 years old at the start of the program are
eligible. No prior knowledge of German is required. For more information, you may visit this
website http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/ or see Sra. Planas in room C102.

News from the Health Room

Please help us prevent the spread of illness by keeping sick students home until they are fever-free for 24
hours without fever-reducing medications. A 24 hour period is also recommended if your student suffers
from an up-set stomach. Also please reinforce our prevention messages at home by reminding your student
to practice good health hygiene, such as frequent hand washing, coughing or sneezing into their sleeve or a
tissue and not sharing personal items with other students, such as drinks or eating utensils. If your student
contacts you when they are feeling ill, please remind them to go to the Health Room and follow proper
check-out procedures.
PAGE 7 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Important Reminders
Students Released During the School Day
Students who have parent permission to leave school before the official end of the school day must
bring to school a document showing parent permission for early departure. Students must show this note to
the teacher before the beginning of class and leave class without disruption to other students. Any student
leaving the building must bring his/her note to the main office before signing out. To protect the integrity of
instruction, main office staff is not authorized to call into a classroom to arrange for student release or to give
messages to students.

Messages to Students

Because we place a high value on the instruction our students receive, we do not interrupt classes to
deliver personal items or personal messages unless there is a true emergency. To deliver routine messages
we will post a student’s name on the white board in the hall outside the library to indicate an item or message
waiting. We are in the process of reviewing our electronics policy and look forward to providing students
with opportunities to utilize cellular telephones and music devices during the school day. You will be
notified when these discussions with students, teachers, and parents have concluded. Until this time we will
continue to adhere to the policy as it is written on page 26 of the student agenda.

Parent/Teacher Mini-Conferences
Friday, March 11
7:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
PAGE 8 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Hey 8th and 9th graders

Need help with homework? Bring it with you!

Want to study for tests or quizzes? Bring it with you!

Need to review for midterm/final exams?

If so, come to Mrs. Tooze’s room, A114, for peer-

to-peer tutoring on Tuesdays during Mustang
Block. Members of the Future Educators of
America will be available to help you succeed in
high school.

Tuesday Tutoring in Tooze’s Room

Mustang Block A114