HUSKY HIGHLIGHTS NEWSLETTER

Greetings Tuscarora Family,

Thank you, Tuscarora Family, for all the ways you have been connecting with the school community since August. It is so wonderful to see the faces of our students, families, and staff in the halls of our school, at various sporting events, and the different school presentations.

A special THANK YOU to our PTSO for the multiple ways you contribute to our school community. The partnership and support benefits our entire school community and words just can't sufficiently express the impact you have.

I'd like to take this opportunity to honor National Hispanic American Heritage Month. From September 15 - October 15, we honor the many contributions of Hispanic Americans and celebrate the history and culture of Hispanic Americans. At Tuscarora, we are honoring National Hispanic American Heritage month with weekly Advisory lessons. In these lessons, we provide all students opportunities to learn more about the Hispanic cultures, histories, and contributions. This year, we are also holding the 3rd Annual Hispanic Heritage Visual Arts contest. A special thanks to Ms. Catherine Paz and our library staff for designing these learning experiences. For more information about National Hispanic American Heritage Month, please click here.

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the CDC, Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. The National Breast Cancer Foundation shares that 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Survival rates have been increasing since 1990, partly due to early detection, increased awareness and education about breast cancer, and improvements in medical treatments.

To support Breast Cancer awareness, I am asking the Tuscarora community to wear pink each Friday in the month of October. For more information about breast cancer, please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

On Monday, October 10th, schools will be closed in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day. I encourage you to take some time to learn about and honor the Indigenous Peoples of our country. To learn more about Native American history and cultures, please click this link.

Please make note that we will host Parent/Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, November 1st from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the school's main gym. Appointments are not necessary. This is a great opportunity for you to drop by and discuss your student's progress with their teachers, meet the school counselors, and get to know the school staff. This is a great opportunity for us to collaborate and partner in support of our students' success.

In this newsletter you will find much information to keep you connected with upcoming events at Tuscarora High School. Please connect with classroom teachers, Advisory teachers, school counselors, assistant principals, staff members, or with me. Let us know how we can support you and help you succeed.

Pamela Croft

Principal

Pamela.Croft@lcps.org

Tuscarora's Teacher Cadet Returns to LCPS

Ena Guevara-Marquez, a 2017 Tuscarora High School graduate, was featured in an NBC4 News spotlight this past August. Ena was a member of the Teacher Cadet Program here at Tuscarora, where she and other juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in education, engaged in college level, Dual Enrollment courses, exposing them to hands on experiences focused on teaching. Ena went on to complete her studies in education at James Madison University and is now a first grade teacher at Potowmack Elementary School in Sterling.

Congratulations, Ena! Your Tuscarora family is very proud of your accomplishments!

Ena was a 2017 THS graduate. She was an early childhood education and teacher cadet student.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/?s=teacher+cadet

Husky Rising-Summer Schwedes

Kudos to Summer Schwedes who uses her time to fight against Alzheimer’s disease. In September, she served as a team captain to raise money on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association in partnership with Chipotle.

While Summer demonstrates a dedicated commitment to SERVICE, this mission is one that has impacted her family. Summer’s mother was diagnosed with Alheimer’s a few years ago, and since that time she and her family have worked tirelessly to bring awareness and resources to those who have been impacted. They have generated $7300 in monies that has been donated to the Alzheimer’s Association this year.

She encourages everyone that can to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on October 8th in Washington, DC. Click here for more information.

❤️A Special Thank You ❤️

Tuscarora would like to thank The Love U More Foundation and Family Mentoring Group for donating backpacks, composition notebooks, binders, and pencils to our school as an effort to start the school year off strong.

The Love U More Foundation prides itself in supporting the essential needs of children- food, clothing, shelter, and education. Family Mentoring Group specializes in mentorship for children in Loudoun County.

We appreciate these organizations, how they support the community, and how they have embraced Tuscarora with their donation.

Hello Tuscarora Huskies! Let's please welcome our new Parent Liaison, Thayanna Delpesche! Ms. Delpesche supports the Tuscarora family by empowering parents and families to become active participants in the education of their children.

Ms. Delpesche provides families with:

• access to school information, resources, and opportunities for engagement
• access and education of school-issued technology and learning management systems
• education and resources to become an independent member of their community in order to further support their child's education

Please connect with Ms. Delpesche at Thayanna.Delpesche@lcps.org or at 571-252-1900.

We will be hosting our 8th Annual Historically Black College and Universities Showcase on Tuesday, October 18th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Tuscarora High School. This evening is designed to expose our school community to the many options that are available at HBCUs. We want to expose and educate our school communities and encourage all students, regardless of ethnicity, to include these institutions during the college selection process.

In addition to the HBCUs that will be in attendance, there will be a NCAA presentation, college test preparation, community scholarships, and on-site application review with college admissions counselors. We hope you make time to come out and get informed about these historic universities.

We will be hosting this event “in-person” this year. This event is open to all LCPS students and families.

This year we are using Victor O’neill Studios for all of our school photography so please be on the lookout in your emails for notifications from them as well as directly from THS.

Picture Day for all students, GRADES 9-11, will be on October 13 & 14 during English classes. Order information will be sent out prior to the event. If a student is absent on those days or requires a retake, the make up day is scheduled for November 16.

The final make-up picture days for SENIORS will be October 27 & 28. Students must have scheduled an appointment! The sign up will be sent out prior to the event. Be on the lookout in your email to schedule your appointment. If you have any questions please email seniors@vosphoto.com .

Any questions about school portraits can be directed to Toni Kelley at toni.kelley@lcps.org .

It’s time to preorder your 2023 yearbook! Order by visiting www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter our school code: 13699

2023 SENIOR BABY ADS - make sure to order your senior baby ads for the class of 2023 also by visiting www.yearbookordercenter.com and clicking on “start an ad.” You will then be prompted to design your ad for your senior. All ad space is sold on a first-come, first-serve basis so be sure to order soon. Deadline for all orders is December 31st.

Email Toni Kelley at toni.kelley@lcps.org with any questions.

September was Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Month. Our American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, Dr. Love, his ASL IV class, Ms. Clark’s students collaborated to design beautiful displays and activities in the library.

Your work raised greater awareness of our diverse community. Thank you!

Thank you to Ms. Paz and the Spanish National Honor Society students for creating the Hispanic Heritage month displays and activities in the library!

Your work was a beautiful honor to our Hispanic community at Tuscarora and provided opportunities for all of us to learn about Hispanic cultures and celebrate the many contributions of the Hispanic community.

One Book One Community is here! Students can pick up free copies of Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee in the THS Library. Read along with your student by picking up your free copy at Rust Library. Activities and reading groups available at all Loudoun County Public Libraries.

Happy Fall Husky Nation!

While we are in the middle of our Fall SY 23 sports please realize that Winter 22-23 is just around the corner!

Online registration is now open for all SY 23 sport is open at www.huskyathletics.info

All physicals must be dated after May 1, 2022 and be on the VHSL Physical Form – VHSL Physical Form. Please complete all four pages thoroughly. Physicals missing signatures or information will be returned.

There is a new requirement this year – you will need to take the Sudden Cardiac course through NFHS (https://nfhslearn.com/courses/sudden-cardiac-arrest). Course is 10 min.

Please create an account, take course, save a picture of certificate, you will need it for registration.

Returning Users: go to the website listed, sign in to your account, click ‘Register’ for returning students and ‘Add a New Student’ for new athletes in the family. Update your info and click Pay Later on the last page (there is no fee).

New Users: Please create an account, verify it, and follow the steps from above.

Tryouts started Aug 1 for all sports. Please visit this link to contact individual sport coaches to inquire about out of season workout and tryout specifics. All Sport Coach List

TicketSpicket is our exclusive online ticket provider. Please follow this link to purchase tickets for all Tuscarora Athletic Events: TicketSpicket. This will be the primary ticket purchase moving forward. Family passes will again be offered in the fall.

Remember to search for the home venue to purchase tickets for Husky events. (Ex. If a game is at Heritage you will look for tickets by typing in Heritage on the school lookup)

Below is the coach contact information for the upcoming Winter Season:

Homecoming is a fun time of year at Tuscarora! The week of October 3rd to October 7th is spirit week with dress up days, hall decorating, a pep rally, and dance.

The Homecoming Pep Rally will be held on Friday, October 7th. The Homecoming game is at 7:00 p.m. and the Court will be introduced and crowned at Halftime.

Homecoming Dance: Ticket Information

Tickets are $20 and available two ways and available for pick up starting Tuesday 9/27 until Thursday 10/6:

1. Pay online via SchoolCash Online. In order to pick up your ticket(s)** you MUST complete the permission form.

2. Pay during lunches with cash/check and your completed permission form. If you need a paper copy please stop by the table at lunch.

**As a Tuscarora student you are able to bring one guest. A permission form must be completed for each ticket purchased.

Please note a message we received from Morven Park:

Morven Park will be CLOSED FOR ALL HOMECOMING PHOTOGRAPHY on October 8th. We are hosting a large equestrian event all weekend. Photography will not be permitted at any time October 3-9.

The PSAT will be given to all students in grades 9, 10, and 11 on October 12, 2022. We will have an adjusted bell schedule that day. Lunch is scheduled to start approximately at 1:40 pm. We highly encourage students to bring their lunch on test day. If they are unable there will be stations to purchase lunch around the building. After lunch we will report to each block for a short period of time.

This year, students in grade 9 will be taking the digital version of the PSAT 8/9. The Digital PSAT measures the same skills and knowledge as the paper test, so students can prepare for it the same way they would prepare for the paper version; however, students should preview the digital test experience and practice interacting with the available tools.

Information about available online tools, such as calculator, highlighter, notes, etc., as well as a Digital Test Preview can be found on the College Board website at https://digitaltesting.collegeboard.org/for-students/practice.

Additionally, the PSAT 8/9 Student Guide for Digital Testing is a great resource for sample test questions, test-taking advice and tips, and an overview of the digital testing experience.

Students must bring their fully charged LCPS issued device to school on the day of the test. Loaner devices will not be provided. Students taking the PSAT 8/9 will have access to a Desmos calculator as part of the digital test format. They should not bring a calculator.

For students in grades 10 and 11 the PSAT/NMSQT will be administered in a paper test form. Per the College Board, calculators are not required for the PSAT 8/9 or the PSAT/NMSQT, however, if a student wishes to use a calculator on the PSAT/NMSQT, they may bring a College Board approved model with extra batteries.

Information was previously sent about those that do not have a calculator. Calculators will not be distributed by any LCPS school on test day.

Additionally, the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide is a great resource for sample test questions, test-taking advice and tips, and an overview of the testing experience. If you would prefer a paper copy they are available in the main office.

Students taking an AP course must register in myAP and select “YES” to register to take the AP Exam by November 5, 2022 at 5:00 pm. Your AP student should have enrolled in their AP Course and indicated their exam decision via the College Board website (MyAP) during class time. Please confirm with your student that they have enrolled in their AP course and indicated their exam decision by asking them to log into their College Board account at https://apstudents.collegeboard.org. Students can reach out to their AP teacher for the exam code to register.

AP Testing Calendar

THS AP Information

ALL EL Parent Nights are in PERSON this year! The first one is:

• When: Tuesday October 4th @ 6:30 pm

• Where: Tuscarora Library

• What: Meet the Tuscarora EL Teachers and Administrators

• Learn about the school, curriculum, grading, activities

• Meet other parents/guardians

• Pizza will be served at 6:30 pm

SEE YOU THERE!!

Our high schoolers in our English classes are starting the year out strong. Each student has already written a baseline essay and taken the I-Ready reading assessment.

During our first quarter, they are applying the 5 Cs of learning (critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and citizenship) by pairing an essential question to their reading and writing.

• In ninth grade, students are discussing the essential question: ”Why do we feel the need to belong?” with the core unit of classic short stories such as “The Necklace'' and “The Most Dangerous Game.”
• Tenth graders’ essential question is: “Why do words matter?” as they read and analyze stories across genres.
• Eleventh is pondering the essential question: “How can we obtain justice for all?” with historical documents and The Crucible.
• Twelfth graders are looking to answer “How can we make sure that we make the right choices?” by reading Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime.

Lastly, in each class across the grade levels, students either have a book club book or an independent reading book. Make sure to ask your teen what they are reading!

First Concert - Come out to the first Music Concert of the Year! Oct 20 @ 7:00 p.m., the Guitar, Orchestra, Chorus and Band programs’ top groups will be performing two pieces to show off their growth and learning with just a month of rehearsal.

All-County Chorus - Congratulations to our All County Singers. These students had to sight read to audition. They will represent Tuscarora at Lightridge High School on October 13th at 7:00 p.m.. Come support them at their concert.

Chamber Choir:

Tyler Steeprow

Ava Peach

Treble Choir:

Sydney Nicklas

Alyce Snead

Carolyn Snead

Kayleen Quintero Hernandez

Alara Celebi

Orchestra Highlights -

• The THS Orchestra is proud to announce that we have a mighty and enthusiastic group of beginner violin students! We are so proud of these students for beginning their journey of learning a new instrument!!! During class, during study hall, and even after school, you will find us practicing!!!

• A small group of students will represent the THS Orchestra by playing the National Anthem for the School Board Meeting, on Tuesday September 27th! We are so proud of our students for continuously challenging themselves by participating in performances and serving our community!

• During the summer, THS Orchestra successfully held the Tuscarora Strings Camp! Here are some videos for you to enjoy of some of our performances:

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CqbYy3Kp0P8U1akOekE2fYTWCOjcYVO2/view?usp=sharing

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cA8FiIpzjjairWJ8XbOdppES-naqmLiq/view?usp=sharing

Music meets Culture - The THS World Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Christine Tarrant, is in full swing this year with over 40 students! They prepared for our world music quiz on Native American and Latin American music with our special guest teacher Ms. Caroline Sar. Ms. Sar shared her knowledge of instruments from her time that she lived in Bolivia. Students also presented music from their own countries including Ms. Tarrant who danced to Greek music. Students also taught Ms. Sar and Ms. Tarrant the salsa and cumbia. What a great adventure sharing our heritages.

Play in a Day - Congrats to our Senior Class for winning this year’s Play in a Day contest. They composed a hilarious comedy about a Zombie Reality Wedding. Congrats to all students that wrote and produced entertaining shows in less than 24 hours (with costumes and scenery). All participants earned points towards Homecoming festivities.

Marching Huskies Place 3rd! - Congratulations to the Marching Huskies for earning 3rd place at the Woodgrove Classic Competition on September 17th! They brought passion, musicianship, and excellent footwork to the field.

We are starting strong this school year and students are progressing well. Parents and students, please contact your math teachers as soon as possible for assistance if you are falling behind.

Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) is looking for students who would like to join.

Qualifications:

1. Be a sophomore

2. Completed geometry

3. See Mrs. Domingue (L409) or Mrs. Schlitzer (L403)

Mu Alpha Theta is a great organization. Students have an opportunity to earn volunteer hours, attend field trips, and compete in competitions. Students also earn a cord at graduation.

Need Math Help?

If your answer is yes, Mu Alpha Theta is your solution. Simply complete this form and we will work to get you a tutor during your study hall.

Performance Assessments in Social Science Courses

This year, our 9th grade World History classes will complete state performance assessments in place of the Standards of Learning Test. Since the vision of LCPS is to develop students as collaborators, critical thinkers, contributors, creators and communicators that can make meaningful contributions to the world, we were excited about the opportunity to align our assessments with this vision.

While traditional multiple choice assessments are an efficient method of measuring what students know, performance assessments allow students to demonstrate what they can do with what they know. They allow students to construct or create an original response rather than just recognizing a potentially right answer out of a provided list. Research has shown that the: “mere acquisition of knowledge and skills does not make people into

competent thinkers or problem solvers. To know something is not just to

passively receive information, but to interpret it and incorporate it; meaningful

learning is reflective, constructive and self-regulated.” (Wittrock, 1991,

Bransford and Vye, 1989, Marzano et al., 1988, Davis et al., 1990).

Our teachers will administer performance assessments at different points throughout the school year as well as collect a “body of work” from the students as proof of their mastery of the course. Families will be provided with student progress on mastery of standards and on state performance assessments through the year in ParentVue Gradebook. The evidence gained through performance assessment is used to guide future classroom instruction and helps teachers understand how deeply students understand a skill/topic. Additionally, families will access a summative report at the end of the school year.

Please encourage your students to be present on the days of the classroom assessments.

PEER

Tuscarora's PEER Program seeks to build a Tusky family environment; program members visit adopted freshman advisory classes daily during the first week of school to welcome new students to the building offering tips and support to help them acclimate to high school. Additionally, program members wear identifying t-shirts daily as a visual alerting any student with a question/concern to stop them and ask for help.

KEY CLUB

Tuscarora Key Club had a trail cleanup on the WO&D Trail at Tuscarora Creek Park on Sunday September 18th. Over 65 members participated. Tuscarora Key Club received a letter of recognition and gratitude from the WO&D Regional Railroad Park manager Kevin Casalenuovo. This was the first club event of the year and it was a huge success.

Also, and really BIG NEWS, Tuscarora Key Club has been chosen to be the Grand Marshall in this years' Halloween Parade! This is an incredible honor, and a recognition of all of the incredible contributions Tuscarora Key Club has made to our local community, as well as the national and global communities.

Seal of Biliteracy for Seniors: If you speak another language at home or have learned another language in school, you may be eligible to earn the Seal of Biliteracy recognition on your diploma when you graduate. See Ms. Paz in L212 for information and to register. Registration deadline is October 28, 2022.

Credit Through Testing for Students 9th-12th: Loudoun County Public Schools allows students with the ability to comprehend and communicate in languages other than English, to earn high school credits through State-approved world language assessments. The Credit Through Testing (CTT) exam measures students’ language proficiency in order to award one, two, or three high school world language credits. The Credit Through Testing (CTT) exam is designed to assess students’ first language proficiency and is available for students in grades 9 through 12 only, whose first language is not English. The exam requires a student to read and comprehend exam instructions and writing prompts in the first language. The student must be able to write two well-developed essays in the exam language, each consisting of at least three cohesive paragraphs on two topics. Registration deadline is October 21, 2022.

ATTENTION PARENTS AND STUDENTS!!

LCPS is partnering with Tutor.com to provide all students with free, online tutoring. Tutor.com, which is a service of the Princeton Review, is personalized to meet the individual needs of students. Tutor.com’s tutors are available 24 hours a day and can provide tutoring support in a wide variety of subjects. This service will be available to LCPS students starting Tuesday, September 6.

Tutor.com will be accessed through a student's Schoology account.

Connecting with a tutor is near-immediate and is available wherever a student has computer access. There is no limit to the number of times a LCPS student can connect with a tutor. Students can also drop off their written work and receive detailed feedback from a tutor within a day. In addition, the platform provides access to self-guided resources, including Advanced Placement videos and SAT/ACT Essentials courses from the Princeton Review.

Please check out the documents linked below for more information and encourage your students who would benefit from tutoring assistance to utilize this service:

• Top 10 Facts for Educators about Tutor.com
• Top 10 Reasons Why Students Benefit from Tutor.com
• Top 10 Facts for Parents about Tutor.com
• How it Works for Elementary School Students
• How it Works for Middle and High School Students
• SAT/ACT Essentials

Attention Parents!

We strongly encourage you to use ParentVue to report attendance for your student. You are able to use ParentVue to report your student as "Tardy", "Absent", or to request an "Early Dismissal". By using ParentVue, you help us keep lines at the attendance office moving more expeditiously, minimizing missed instructional time.

Please submit requests for "Early Dismissals" by 11:30AM that day. This provides us with sufficient time to document the request and communicate with teachers and your student. Using ParentVue to request "Early Dismissals" will expedite the process.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Nicole Shannon at our Attendance Office, THSabsentee@lcps.org.

School Spirit Week

• Monday, October 3, 2022 - Saturday, October 8, 2022

EL Parent Night

• Tuesday, October 4, 2022; 7:00 p.m.

Holiday

• Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Homecoming Football Game

• Friday, October 7, 2022; 7:00 p.m.

Homecoming Dance

• Saturday, October 8, 2022; 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Holiday

• Monday, October 10, 2022

PSAT

• Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Picture Day (Grades 9-11)

• Thursday & Friday, October 13 & 14, 2022

All-County Chorus Concert

• Friday, October 13, 2022; 7:00 p.m. @ Lightridge HS

8th Annual Tuscarora HBCU Showcase

• Tuesday, October 18, 2022; 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Registration Deadline for Credit Through Testing (World Language)

• Friday, October 21, 2022

Registration Deadline for Seal of Biliteracy (World Language)

• Friday, October 28, 2022

Picture Day (Seniors Make-up Pictures)

• Thursday & Friday, October 27 & 28, 2022 - appointments required

Parent/Teacher Conferences

• Tuesday, November 1, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - no appointments necessary

AP Exam Registration Deadline

• Saturday, November 5, 2022

Empowering all students to make meaningful contributions to the world. At Tuscarora, we RISE!

Website: lcps.org/Tuscarora
Location: 801 North King Street, Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone: (571)252-1900
Twitter: @TuscaroraHS