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JAGUAR COUNTRY

Parent Resource Center (PRC).  The PRC is located inside the Little Theatre at Falls Church High School and has been buzzing with activity since opening its doors on October 8th.  In an effort to bring topics of interest to our community we have hosted several presentations with many more planned.  EVERYONE IS WELCOME!   Seminars will be held the third Wednesday of every month during this academic year and are presented in English and Spanish.  Please check back regularly to view schedule of Upcoming Events. 

Can You Help?  The PRC is looking for volunteers to help staff the center on Wednesday evenings.  If you are interested please contact Maria Mateus or Mason Howard by e-mail or call 703-207-4074.

Hours of Operation.  The PRC is here to help you become more involved in your student’s life at FCHS.  Staffed by Parent Liaisons Maria Mateus and Mason Howard, along with parent volunteers, the Center will be open five days a week from Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to better serve the needs of the community  Please stop by and learn how you can become an important part of your child’s high school career.

Parental Involvement not just in Elementary School.   Please keep in mind that evidence supports a positive correlation between student success and parental participation throughout a student’s academic career.  Studies show, “during the high school years, the most effective types of parental involvement are those that help steer teen’s academic decisions (Taylor, T. and Dounay, J.  2008)”.   

Are you Overindulging Your Children?  Cathy Benner’s December Principal’s Message provided research on the negative impact of overindulgence.  As parents we need to keep in mind that overindulgence doesn’t always apply to material things.  Failure to set expectations both behavioral and academic can also be defined as overindulgence.  Many indulged children are not showered with gifts and expensive activities.  Indulgence is often in the form of not having to clean, budget, organize, complete projects and not develop social skills (Clarke and Dawson, 1998).  The entire message can be found by visiting the Principal’s Corner at www.fcps.edu/FallsChurchHS.   

The PRC would like to thank the Guidance Department for their generosity in adopting a FCHS family in need for the holidays.  Everyone gave generously and the family of five was overwhelmed with joy.  Next year we hope to have several other departments participate in this activity.

The entire FCHS community would like to thank Raytheon, our business partner, for their very generous support of our families.  In addition to adopting five families for the holiday season they also donated several VISA gift cards for needy families.  Thanks Raytheon!

On December 11th the PRC opened its doors to visitors from Chambersburg, PA guided by representatives from the Fairfax County Family and School Partnerships Department of Communications and Community Outreach.   They are interested in opening several Parent Centers in their area and were happy to learn how successful our PRC has been to date.

Special thanks to Mr. Lynch's student, Esmeralda Morales, and her family for playing the guitar and joining in caroling during the Hispanic Parent Meeting on December 10th.    In addition we hosted two speakers:

Monica Gomez, “Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program,'" Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC): 

• options children have after finishing high school;
• application process;
• Former FCHS student currently attending NVCC shared his experience and life goals.

Ximena Mendez, counselor Transitional High School, FCHS:

• evening English classes for beginners;
• registration requirements ;
• benefits and opportunities for parents;
• FCHS parents who participate in the program shared their success with the program.  

Please contact Monica Gomez  mogomez@nvcc.edu or Ximena Mendez ximena.mendez@fcps.edu if you would like additional information. 

In December Parent Liaison, Mason Howard, along with Lee Bailey attended a presentation hosted by the Department of Systems Management for Human Resources of Fairfax County.  During this event the results of the Fairfax County Youth Survey 2008 were presented.  The survey, completed by 22,251 students, provides a wealth of information related to youth behaviors.  A complete copy of the report can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/youthsurvey. 

On December 17th Dr. Debra Lane offered a presentation on Cyberbullying, a fast growing problem among the 97% of adolescents 12-18 years of age currently logging onto the internet.  Dr. Lane covered a range of topics from cyberbullying to social networking pages to texting.  She encourages parents to learn more about how their children are using the internet and offered strategies for keeping them safe and secure online.  If you were unable to attend the presentation and would like additional information please contact Mason Howard at mason.howard@fcps.edu or 703-207-4074.

The Next Step.  On November 5th, Carlos Ampuero presented “The Next Step” to a group of more than fifty parents. Mr. Ampuero discussed the many types of post secondary education institutions and opportunities that exist after high school, financial aid eligibility, admission requirements and scholarship opportunities. Our parents have expressed great interest in their student’s future after FCHS and were pleased to have Mr. Ampuero with us.

Financial Aid Workshop.  On November 19th, Rodrigo Cruz of Long and Foster Realtors and Aida Toledo of Prosperity Mortgage addressed a diverse group of FCHS parents.  Mr. Cruz and Ms. Toledo, in an informal, small group setting, explained the state of the real estate market, foreclosures and opportunities available to families.  Both Mr. Cruz and Ms. Toledo made themselves available for questions in an effort to help our families understand their particular housing and/or credit situation.  Parents who were unable to attend requested we repeat this seminar so please check the calendar of upcoming events posted on our website at www.fcps.edu/FallsChurchHS.

Bullying Isn't Just on the Playground Anymore.  Dr. Debra Lane, Principal, Rolling Valley Elementary provided presentations on internet safety since a cyber-bullying incident affected her school community in 2005.   She is committed to raising awareness on this issue and teaching families the skills necessary to have a secure, positive, online experience.  Interpreters for Spanish and Vietnamese speaking families were available. 

Giving Thanks.  On November 24th, thanks to the generosity of The Capital Baptist Church in Annandale and FCHS social worker, Adrian Ortiz, the PRC was able to distribute thirty-five turkey baskets to families in need.  We were thrilled to give these families an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the trimmings! 

PRC Inauguration.  On 8 October, FCHS celebrated the "Grand Opening" of its’ PRC among parents, community members, dancers from around the world and School Board members. Traditional dances from Vietnam and Bolivia were performed by FCHS students wearing the national dress of those countries. Fairfax County School Board Members shared their education stories to a large audience of interested parents. Principal, Cathy Benner, and Cluster Assistant Superintendent, Phyllis Pajardo were on hand to offer welcoming remarks and Maria Mateus, Parent Liaison, served as the Master of Ceremonies for this exciting event.

Shared Vision.  Principal Benner and longtime Parent Liaison, Maria Mateus, have a shared vision for the success of this center.  It is designed to welcome parents to a room of their own where they can engage in the education of their children.  Parents will have opportunities to get to know each other, communicate with school staff, use computers for their needs, and attend educational and social programs.  

Future Seminars.  The PRC plans to offer engaging and informative seminars on topics of interest in the community ranging from "Internet Bullying", "Communication with Teenagers", "Financial Aid for College" to "Family Reunification."  Plans to create a Parent Advisory Committee are also in the works.  Please visit the website for additional news and schedule of upcoming events.