Excel in Mind, Body and Character

George Mason High School Newsletter

Tyrone Q. Byrd, Principal December 2010

Dear Mustang Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to winter in beautiful Falls Church! As the temperatures outside drop everything else
appears to be heating up. We have enjoyed an amazing first semester filled with academic, artistic, athletic,
and social successes. On Wednesday morning December 15th you will have an opportunity to view your
child’s interim grade. Our teachers are working diligently to ensure that grades are current and that families
will have an accurate picture of their academic standing. The second quarter of the 2010 -11 school year
marks a change in our operating procedures in that you will not receive a hardcopy of the interim report.
Instead families will utilize AccessGM to view this important information. We encourage you to direct your
children to make effective use of the many resources Mason has implemented. This is especially true of
Mustang Block. We are committed to providing support and guidance to all of our students during this
valuable time each day, and we need your support. Together we can ensure that your child is able to reach
her/his academic potential.

A quick glimpse of George Mason’s first semester accomplishments:

¾ Girls Cross County State Championship

¾ Boys Bull Run Championship
¾ Les Miserables
¾ Fall JV Show
¾ It’s Academic Victory
¾ Successful Football, Volleyball and Cheerleading Seasons
¾ Successful Blood Drive
¾ Successful Winter Wishes Campaign
¾ Successful Food Drive for the Capital Area Food Bank
¾ Amazing Winter Band and Choral Concerts (Thursday night…Don’t miss it!)
¾ Scholastic Bowl District Championship (States Pending)
¾ More to Come…

George Mason offices will be closed from Thursday, December 23 through Sunday, January 2.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to Excel in Mind, Body, and Character. Have a
perfect holiday and we look forward to everyone returning in 2011.

Sincerely,

Tyrone Q. Byrd
Principal

GO MUSTANGS!
PAGE 2 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Pedestrian Safety…Notes from Officer Rau…

Your student’s safety is our number one concern! Staff members, parents and community members have
brought to our attention some dangerous behaviors of some George Mason student pedestrians as they travel
to and from school! Students have been seen crossing Route 7 directly in front of the school and standing
on the median strip as opposed to using the crosswalk. Others have been seen running in the crosswalk when
they do not have the right-of-way causing vehicles to slam on brakes or use other aversion tactics! Yet
others have been seen crossing Haycock Road without the crosswalk protected by Falls Church Police
Crossing Guards. These careless and reckless behaviors can easily result in a tragedy!

Not only is this behavior dangerous, it is also illegal. The Code of Virginia states that pedestrians “shall
cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks…” A pedestrian who violates the law
can receive a summons to appear in court and be fined for violating the law. Please review these legal, safe
and common sense practices with your student. His/her safety is far more precious than the seconds "saved"
by crossing illegally.

Instruction is our business and our number one priority!

You can help us keep it that way…
If your student needs to leave school during the day for a medical appointment or any other reason, please
send a note with him or her that same day stating the time of and the reason for the departure. In this way,
the student can notify the teacher before class starts of his/her early departure; the teacher can apprise
him/her of assignments or other vital information before class starts, and your student can quietly depart at
the appointed time.

If the first we know of your student’s need to leave is when you arrive in our office, we must phone the
classroom which unfairly disrupts instructional activity and the pace of the teacher’s lesson. If the teacher
does not answer, we must find a staff member to send down the hall to knock on the door to disrupt
instruction and request that your student be excused. (Sometimes the disruption comes right when a student
or group of students is in the midst of an important presentation to classmates.)

We know that sometimes there will be changed appointments or emergency scheduling over which you have
no control. When that happens, we must be understanding and we will be.

For the same reasons stated above, our firm policy in the high school with regard to forgotten items brought
from home is this: We will post the student’s name in the main lobby to indicate that s/he needs to stop in to
see the secretary to retrieve the item.

Your understanding and cooperation in this is greatly appreciated. It is the integrity of each student’s
academic experience that we must always seek to protect. Thank you!!!
PAGE 3 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Important Dates
January 25
Please note that some of these dates have Special Education Parent Meeting
changed since the beginning of school and some Mustang Café – B121
other changes may still occur. 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
January 27
December 15 End 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
Interim Grades Available on AccessGM January 28 and 31
December 15 Professional Days
Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m. No School for Students
December 16 February 1
Chorus Concert Begin 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester
7:30 p.m. – Auditorium February 2
December 22 PTSA Meeting
Holiday Early Release—1:45 p.m. 7:30 p.m. – Library
December 23- January 2 February 3
Winter Break Report Cards Distributed
December 25 February 3, 4 and 5
It’s Academic (Airing) District Band
NBC4 Hayfield High School
11:00 a.m. February 9
January 3 Parent Walk-In (PWI)
School Reopens 7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
January 5 Mustang Café
PTSA Meeting February 9
7:30 p.m. – Library Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m.
January 6 February 9, 10 and 11
· IB Forum District Chorus
9:30 a.m. –Auditorium West Potomac High School
· IB Awards Ceremony February 21
7:00 p.m. – Auditorium President’s Day
January 12 All-Staff Holiday
Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m. February 22
January 11 Special Ed Parent Meeting
IB Information Night 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Mustang Café – B121
Mustang Café February 23
January 12 Early Release Wednesday – 1:45 p.m.
Parent Walk-In (PWI) February 26
7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. State Band Auditions
Mustang Café James Madison University
January 15
IB Information Night
VCU Festival of Winds and Percussion
January 17
Martin Luther King Day Parents of students in eighth, ninth and tenth grade who are
All-Staff Holiday interested in learning more about the International Baccalaureate
January 24, 25, 26 and 27 Diploma Program at George Mason High School are invited to
Semester Exams 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.
PAGE 4 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Junior College & Career Unit

Juniors recently completed the college and career unit through English classes. Students were reintroduced
to the career and college search program in Naviance. If you are interested in receiving your own log-in for
Family Connection contact Judy Bracken at brackenj@fccps.org. Be sure to include your student’s full
name and grade.

Every junior will receive a pass to meet with Mrs. Bracken for a one-on-one appointment to discuss their
post secondary college and career plan within the next few months.

THE FOLLOWING ARE STEPS TO BE TAKEN WHEN YOUR

CHILD IS WITHDRAWING FROM SCHOOL:

STEP 1: Notify the registrar in writing by sending an e-mail to birdb@fccps.org

STEP 2: Pick up a Withdrawal Form in the counseling office and schedule a withdrawal appointment (*required).

STEP 3: The student is to take the Withdrawal Form to each teacher and return his/her books at that time. A
current grade will then be given for each course.

STEP 4: The student visits the school nurse, librarian, and financial secretary to sign the form; ensuring that all items
have been returned and no fines are due.

STEP 5: Parent completes the school/forwarding address sections and signs the form.

STEP 6: Return this completed form at your Withdrawal Appointment, in which a formal withdrawal packet will be
given to the student. *Note: If the form is not complete, the withdrawal packet will not be released.

* End-of-Year/Summer Withdrawals

• Follow steps above, eliminating Step 3.

• Withdrawal appointments will begin the first Tuesday after graduation.

PAGE 5 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

A Message from the Clinic

Now that the cold/flu season is here many students will become ill. If this happens at school, please arrange
to have your student picked up as soon as possible. Space is limited in the Health Room and a sick student
will be more comfortable at home. Parents, please remind your students if they are feeling ill to go to the
Health Room and follow proper check-out procedures.

Please check your student in the morning before s/he comes to school. If s/he has been ill during the night
with flu-like symptoms and complains of not feeling well, throwing up and/or has a temperature of 100.0˚ F,
please keep him/her at home. S/he is not likely to start feeling any better. Just a minute or two in the
morning may save you a trip to school later in the day to pick up a sick child.

Remember, fever is an important symptom. During illness your student's temperature may be normal in the
morning, but will usually rise during the day. When temperature is elevated, it is important to keep your
child home until it has been normal for 24 hours. Students who come back to school too soon can have a
relapse and then lose additional time from class.

If you have any questions, please call the Health Room at 703-248-5530.

GMHS Physical Education Locker Room Hygiene

Provided by GMHS Physical Education Staff

PARENTS

Health experts say the best way to prevent MRSA and other staphylococcus (staph) infections at home and
school is to practice good personal hygiene consistently. In an effort to support good hygiene within our
Physical Education (PE) facilities and locker rooms, our PE instructors will inspect locker rooms at the
conclusion of PE classes and at the end of the regular school day to ensure all personal belongings have been
removed. This practice will enable our custodial staff to thoroughly clean the PE facilities unhindered.
Items of value (purses, cell phones, iPods, etc.) will be securely stored by the PE staff until those items can
be reclaimed. Shoes and clothing left behind will be discarded to minimize potential health risks. Your
assistance in reminding our students to check for their personal belongings prior to leaving PE class will be
appreciated.

STUDENTS
PLEASE PICK UP ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO DISCARD
ANY OF THEM. LOOK AROUND FOR ALL OF YOUR BELONGINGS, AND THEN LOOK
AROUND AGAIN! THANK YOU!!!!
PAGE 6 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Semester Exam Information

On Monday, January 24, students will begin taking their semester exams. Semester exams will count 20%
of the final semester grade. (Each of the two quarter grades constitutes 40% of the semester grade.) It is
very important that your students be well rested and prepared for these exams.

Please note the following about exams week:

· Monday, January 24, is a regular "even day" with the exception of the slightly longer Block 2 to
accommodate the day's only exam. On this day any student who does not have a Block 2 exam (i.e.
open study or study hall) should report to school by 10:16 a.m. in time for Block 3 which starts at
10:26 a.m.

· Tuesday is the first of three exams-only days. No classes are held. As in the past, on these three
days (Tuesday-Thursday) students are only required to be in attendance for the exam sessions
themselves. During the exam schedule, students who have two exam periods during the day will be
permitted to leave campus during the break time between exam periods and return to campus after the
break. All school conduct rules apply during the period of time off campus. Students who only have
one exam period are expected to be on campus only for that exam period. Eighth graders are not
allowed off campus.

· On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the Mustang Café will be open for students between exams
(10:05 – 10:25 a.m.) The usual nutrition break fare will be available for purchase.

· Upon completion of exams on those three days at 12:30 p.m., students will be dismissed.

· Make-up sessions for students with EXCUSED ABSENCES ONLY must be individually arranged
with the teacher during the unscheduled afternoons of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

· Upon completion of examinations on Thursday, January 27, the students have a four-day weekend as
the school staff will be involved in professional development activities on Friday, January 28, and
Monday, January 31.

· Buses will be running on a modified and reduced schedule following exams on Tuesday through
Thursday, January 25 – 28. Buses will depart from GM at 12:37.

· Should a snow day shift the schedule such that January 24 is odd the classes following EXAM 1 will
be 3, 5 & 7. January 25 exams will be BL 2 and BL 3. January 26 exams will be BL 5 and 7 and
January 27 exams will be BL 4 and BL 6.

· Regardless of snow cancelation, the second semester begins with an “odd day” on Tuesday,
February 1.
PAGE 7 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

1st Semester Exam Schedule

(subject to revision for snow days)
January, 2011

Even Day
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Jan. 24 Jan. 25 Jan. 26 Jan. 27

BLOCK 2 BLOCK 1 BLOCK 4 BLOCK 5

EXAM EXAM EXAM EXAM
8:00 – 10:00 8:00 – 10:00 8:00 – 10:00 8:00 – 10:00
Mustang Block
(26 minutes)

BLOCK 3 BLOCK 3 BLOCK 6 BLOCK 7

Class EXAM EXAM EXAM
10:26– 11:06 10:30 – 12:30 10:30 – 12:30 10:30 – 12:30
BLOCK 4
Class & Lunch
11:13 – 1:18
BLOCK 6 HS released HS released HS released
Class Make-up Make-up Make-up
1:25– 3:00 session for session for session for
dismissal excused excused excused
at 3:00 p.m. absences absences absences

First day of new semester (February 1) will be an ODD day

If snow cancelations change the odd/even sequences then:

Monday, January 24 (odd) Exam Block 1, Class 3, 5, 7

Tuesday, January 25 Exams Block 2 and Block 3
Wednesday, January 26 Exams Block 5 and Block 7
Thursday, January 27 Exams Block 4 and Block 6