Dear PWCS Families, Employees, and Community,
We have officially begun the second semester of the 2024-25 school year. As we are now halfway through the school year, I encourage all families to check in on your students’ current academic progress as well as their postgraduate plans.
Great resources to help monitor student progress and assignments include ParentVUE and Canvas. If your student needs academic support, be sure to reach out to your child’s teacher or school counselor, as we are committed to helping every student succeed. Second marking period report cards for middle and high school students will be mailed by January 29 and available for families of elementary school students in ParentVUE on January 29.
As we continue to support our students’ academic journeys, it is a busy time of year as our middle and high school students begin meeting with school counselors to select future courses and update their Academic and Career Plan.
The Student Vision Profile is a personalized report that compiles student data, such as graduation information, test scores, and Naviance survey results, to provide insights into postsecondary readiness for college and careers. An updated version of the Student Vision Profile is now available for students in Grades 6-12 in the “Documents” section of ParentVUE and StudentVUE, reflecting progress and assessments completed between August and November 2024. Families are encouraged to use this tool to explore postgraduate options, and our school counselors and career advisors are available to assist with planning for a successful future.
The PWCS Middle and High School Course Catalog for the 2025-26 school year is now available for students and families to support course selection for the next school year. The course catalog is a resource provided to support the design of each student’s academic schedule to prepare them for launching their thriving future.
Families will find information about specialty programs, career pathways, and options for postsecondary education and earning college credit, in addition to descriptions of all the courses offered in PWCS middle and high schools. Translations are available in several languages to ensure ease of use for all families. If you have questions about the PWCS Middle and High School Course Catalog, please contact your student’s school counselor.
On Saturday, January 18, the 40th annual MLK Youth Oratorical Competition took place with great acclaim. Congratulations to Jordyn Nesbitt (Gainesville High), for winning the “Best Before the Judges” award, and Rabab Raza (Osbourn Park High), who won the “Best Before the Audience” award for the second year in a row. An additional congratulations goes to Ezana Tesfaye (Porter Traditional), who won both awards at the middle school level. We are incredibly proud of all our students who participated and showcased their talents in the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Society for Science announced that Rania Lateef, senior at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School and the Governor’s School @ Innovation Park (GS@IP), has been named one of the top 40 finalists in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. We are proud to have one of our very own PWCS students among the top 40 finalists nationally. I invite you to read more about Rania's remarkable selection on our website.
Finally, we are pleased to share that, effective March 1, 2025, families will no longer be charged a convenience fee when they use MySchoolBucks to add funds to their students’ meal accounts. Additional information will be sent to families in the coming weeks.
Thank you for being a valued member of PWCS.
Sincerely,
LaTanya D. McDade, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Prince William County Public Schools