Dear Parents and Friends,

With the coming of the holiday season and the conclusion of 2018, we have much to look back on with pride. Our fall athletic teams had successful sea- sons. The Girls’ Cross Country team won the Battlefield District Champi- Inclement Weather 2 onship and the Region 3 Championship, and finished sixth in the VHSL Announcements Class 3 Meet. The Boys’ Cross Country team finished second in the Battle- General Announce- ments field District, first in the Region 3B Meet, and fourth in the VHSL Class 3 Meet. The Varsity Field Hockey team won the Region 3B Tournament and Athletics 3 the VHSL Class 3 State Championship. This accomplishment is the second All Seasons Sports state championship title for the team in the past two seasons! Passes

Athletes of the 4 The month of December brings a flurry of activity. We will recognize all Month for Novem- fall sports athletes on December 13 at 6:30 P.M. with a reception and ber awards ceremony. Winter sports teams have been selected, and competition Field Hockey Wins is underway for Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball, Swimming, and the Scholastic Back to Back State Titles Bowl team. The choral department, concert band, and orchestra will per- form their Winter Concert on December 10 at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium, Football 3rd Annual 5 and admission is free. Artwork by many of our students will be on display Turkey Drive in the library windows beginning on December 10. We hope you will be IB Personal Project 6 able to attend one of the many events taking place this month. Information FBLA Chipotle 7 With warm Holiday Greetings, we ask that you enjoy the information in- Fundraiser cluded in this newsletter. Interim reports for all classes will be distributed Project Discovery on December 12. School will be in session until December 19 when we will Senior College News 8 conclude our day with a spirited Winter Sports Pep Rally. The Winter Lifetouch + Shutter- 9 Break will take us through the New Year celebration, and classes will re- fly Offer sume on January 3, 2019. Enjoy your family and friends and have a safe holiday season.

With best regards,

Dr. Taneshia Rachal Principal Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 2

Information concerning school closings or delays for Fredericksburg City Public Schools may be found by checking one of the following:

• Fredericksburg City Public Schools web- site: www.cityschools.com • Fredericksburg.com • FCPS TV (Local Educational Access) – Channel 83 • WFLS Radio - (FM 93.3) • WVBX Radio - (FM 99.3) • WWUZ Radio - (FM 96.9) • WFVA/B 101.5 Radio (FM 101.5 and AM1230) • WGRQ Radio - (FM 95.9) • WGRX Radio - (FM 104.5) • WTOP Radio (FM 107.7) • WTVR Television - Channel 6 (Richmond) • WRIC Television - Channel 8 (Richmond) • WRC Television - Channel 4 (DC) • WUSA Television - Channel 9 (DC) • WJLA Television – Channel 7 (DC) We encourage parents to visit our website or listen to one of the radio or television stations listed above. Announcements are posted as quickly as possible.

• Senior Cap and Gown orders—Thank you to the Seniors who have already placed orders with Jostens. Cap-gown-tassel units and any announcements ordered will be delivered to the school in the spring. Any senior who has not placed an order should call 1-800- Jostens and speak to a customer service representative. No money is required at the time of order. Payment for regalia must be made directly to Jostens.

• Seniors—In order to be considered a Monroe Scholar and/or an Honor Graduate, stu- dents must have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or higher.

• Graduation for the Class of 2019 will be held at the University of Mary Washington’s An- derson Center on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

• Remember to purchase a 2018-19 yearbook for $65! This price will increase in January! Please see Mrs. Nichole Cunningham to buy this year’s edition of the Echo.

• The Junior Class will hold the Jingle Bell Jog on December 8, 2018. The start and finish line will be at JMHS. The Jingle Bell Jog is a 5k run. There will also be an Elf Run for those that are 10 and under. The Elf Run will start at 8:00 A.M. and the Jingle Bell Jog will begin at 8:30 A.M. To register go to Eventbrite.com. Search for James Monroe High School for further information.

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 3

The Fall Sports Awards Evening will be held on December 13 at 6:30 P.M. in order to recognize the fall sports teams’ accomplishments. The competition this fall was excit- ing and eventful as the Yellow Jackets enjoyed another successful sports season. A reception will be held in the commons area, followed by the presentation of letters and certificates to individual players, M.V.P. Awards, Coaches’ Awards, and Incentive Awards in the auditorium. Please make plans to attend.

All Seasons Sport Passes are on sale now. An entry fee is charged for boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse games. The cost per ticket in the Battlefield District is $6.00. We are offering All Seasons Sports Passes for $40.00, this is a savings of $2.00 per admittance to each event. The pass is good for ten (10) admissions to any JMHS home athletic event during the 2018-2019 school year, but will not be accepted at District, Regional, or State tournament competitions. JMHS students may purchase an All Season Sports Pass for $30.00. The passes will be hole-punched at the gate, so more than one person can be admitted at an event off of one All Seasons Sports Pass. Passes will be sold at the door of basketball games, or can be purchased from Mrs. Crismon (372-1100 ext. 2363). An order form is includ- ed below. Checks are to be made payable to J.M.H.S.

ORDER FORM

NAME ______

ADDRESS ______

Return form with payment to ALL SEASON SPORTS PASS $40.00 # ______Mary Crismon

James Monroe High School ALL SEASON JMHS STUDENT SPORTS 2300 Washington Ave. Fredericksburg, VA 22401 PASS $30.00 # ______

TOTAL ______

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 4

Tyler Whitman, junior guard for the Boys’ Basketball Team, has had an impressive offseason. He has looked good in preseason camp and scrimmag- es. Coach Evans says that he looks forward to Tyler having a breakout season this year. In addition to his on the court game, Tyler is a great student in the classroom with over a 4.0 GPA.

The Senior Captain led the Varsity Field Hockey Team to their 2nd consecutive state championship, defeating Poquoson in the final. Rigual scored the OT goal in the state semi-final and netted the lone goal in the state championship to give the Jackets the crown. Morgan was named 1st Team All District, Region, and State and will certainly be a 1st team All Area selection as well. Morgan recently signed on to play Division 1 Field Hockey at Delaware and is a very strong student as well. Congrats to Morgan on her success this season!

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 5

As we enter the Christmas season, the JM Football program is preparing to host their 3rd Annual Turkey Drive & Community Service Dinner Giveaway. The team will donate complete turkey dinners to the less fortunate in the community as a way of giving back and saying thank you for years of support. Last year the football program un- dertook its second Turkey Drive, a community service project that would generate a donation of one hundred turkey dinners to the local community. This effort was made possible by the generous donations from the com- munity of friends and families of JM Football. Thanks to the generosity of donations, volunteering, and financial contributions the team met their goal and were able to present Christmas dinner baskets containing a large tur- key and many side items for an enjoyable, wholesome meal.

The team is endeavoring to repeat the success of last year and serve one hundred families again. Their 3rd Annual Turkey Drive and Community Service Dinner Giveaway will be held on December 22, from 12:00-4:00 P.M., at James Monroe High School. They are currently accepting dona- tions of turkeys, side items, and monetary contributions. In addition, they are requesting the names of families within our community in need of these baskets. The cost of each basket is $25.00. To reach this goal sup- port from the community, family, and friends is necessary. Please assist the 2018 Yellow Jacket Football team and spread the word.

To make a donation, please contact Richard Serbay, Head Football Coach, at:

Phone #: 540.907.8969 Email: [email protected]

Checks are to be made payable to: JMHS, and on the memo line specify 3rd Annual FB Turkey Drive.

Checks can be mailed or dropped off at: James Monroe High School Attn: Coach Richard Serbay 2300 Washington Ave Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 6

Tenth Grade Personal Project Scholars and Families,

Personal Project Supervisors, Mrs. Shawn Barnard, project liaison, and Ms. Quincy Click, MYP Coordfinator, are excited to join Sophomores in their personal project jour- ney and to document progress on a topic completely chosen by the individual student. If personal choice isn't enough to motivate, be advised that a tangible outcome can help a student stand apart in job, scholarship, club, and college applications. It doesn't have to be something extra; a student can choose a topic or activity he/she is already in- volved in, cares about, and wants to complete with purpose. The IB staff is here to help.

Details on the personal project can be found on the www.cityschools.com website under the IB Programme tab. It is not too late to get started and grow through a process that can culminate with a product the student is proud to show off!

Thus far students have risen to many challenges such as learning to read in elementary school, learning middle school math, and preparing for high school final exams. This is yet another hill to ascend to enjoy the expanded view of a new vantage point. The ad- ministration and faculty applaud the efforts of all Sophomores as they embark on this personal learning journey. Personal Project supervisors can be found in Managebac and are ready to answer questions and give direction.

Beginning Steps: Visit the website to read the Personal Project Student Handbook, to use the Managebac Quick Reference Guide to log on, and to obtain resources from the first seminars.

Remaining Seminars will be held on the following Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30 P.M. and buses are provided for transportation. • December 18 • January 29 • February 26 • March 12

For more information please contact Quincy Crecelius Click FCPS IB MYP Coordinator (grades 6-10) [email protected] (540) 372-1145 x2273

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 7

Project Discovery is a program that helps students in grades 9-12 prepare for life after high school. Be the path a trade school, a four-year university, a two-year college, a branch of the military, or just moving away from home, Project Discovery helps students build the hard and soft skills they will need to discover, to plan for, and to achieve their post-secondary goals through bi-monthly workshops, college visits/tours, and attending cultural events.

Last year, Project Discovery was able to award graduating seniors with $11,000 in scholar- ships towards their post-secondary endeavors. Below are the Project Discovery Eligibility Requirements: • First generation potential college attendee OR • Eligible for free/reduced lunch OR • 200% below federal poverty guidelines

Additionally, up to 10% of enrolled students may not meet the above criteria, but could greatly benefit from Project Discovery programming.

Please feel free to email Janae Williams, Project Discovery Coordinator, ([email protected]) for more information.

Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 8

Senior College News "What do I need to be doing now?" WORKING ON YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS!! Most of the bigger schools are on the Common App (commonapp.org) or the Coalition App (mycoalition.org), others have their own individual applications on their websites

WRITING YOUR PERSONAL ESSAY This essay cannot only be used for your college application but you can also use it for scholarship applications. So make sure it is your best writing ever and get feedback from people you trust!

ASKING FOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Find out what your school requires on their websites. If you need a letter of recommen- dation from your counselor or a teacher you need to have already made the request in advance of the application due date.

REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS If you wish to have your counselor send things like the Secondary School Report, your transcripts, and or teacher/counselor recommendations you need to meet their dead- lines so they can accommodate everyone. If you wish to have your applications sent you need to have your requests in online (if through Common App or the Coalition) and in person if the college requests them to be mailed ($2 fee) • By Winter Break - December 3, 2018 • By the January 15th Deadline - January 4, 2019 • By the February 1st deadline - January 18th, 2019

COMPLETING YOUR FAFSA!!!! The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and any post-secondary insti- tution is going to want to see it. This is how you get money for college! Complete yours at fafsa.gov with your parent/guardian and their 2017 tax forms or listen to the an- nouncements and come to one of our Financial Aid nights for assistance in completing it!

TALK TO YOUR PARENTS/GUARDIANS Have an honest conversation about what could be overriding factors in your college choice. Keep them in the loop in all you do because most likely you will need their sup- port in making this decision!

Make sure to check the counseling website and websites like collegegreen- light.com and unigo.com for scholarship opportunities to help make the conversa- tion about finances easier. Principal’s Newsletter, December 2018 PAGE 9