MVM High School FAQ's.xlsx

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1	The Questions (as submitted by MVM high school parents)	The Answers
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3	My daughter is an honors 9th grader and we are planning on having her do dual enrollment as soon as she is eligible in order to graduate high school with her associates degree. What will the path for this look like specifically within the Montessori program? Will she attend FCC classes online at MVM, in person at FCC, etc.? Will the guidance counselor be hands on in assisting her in making sure all of the boxes are checked for this?	MVM students will be able to participate in dual enrollment in order to graduate with an AA. Students would work with the high school guidance counselor to plan.
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5	Are there going to be school dances?	Yes, students plan these with the support of their teacher(s) and principal. Typically, middle school has planned a dance each year, and last year they invited high school students to join them. HS students are encouraged to do this as well.
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7	Will the kids ever be able to attend CTC? Or will MVM offer certificate classes like CTC offers?	Students who attend MVM will not attend CTC or other FCPS offered programs. Students who want to access these programs need to do so through their neighborhood schools. MVM has a career coach, and in conjunction with our high school guidance counselor, will organize community based opportunities for students based on their college and/or career path.
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9	Can you explain in greater detail why MVM students do not have access to CTC programs? This decision does not feel in line with the Montessori philosophy and I am struggling to understand with the limited explanations that have been offered.	MVM's charter was granted in order to provide a free, public Montessori education to Frederick County families. The charter expansion was granted in order to make the original mission/vision inclusive of high school aged students.
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11	Will the kids be having homecoming or prom?	Homecoming and prom are both up to the students to plan. They will have full support of the high school team and administrators.
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13	How do we coordinate AFA (or other off-site programming) compatibility to align MVM?	Please see above. MVM does not offer this collaboration.
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15	Will there ever be a space for the high schoolers to put their belongings? Lockers, cubbies, etc.? My daughter has been lugging around everything she owns in her backpack all year and I don’t know if that’s a temporary or permanent situation.	This is a facilities question. The high school grant would have covered that, but with construction coming to a halt, some of those funds will be earmarked for the next phase of the high school construction. There are still some items from the phase one construction that remain unfinished. This is one of them. We will brainstorm some ideas to provide storage. Carrying around fully-load backpacks is not ideal! Also, recommendations/suggestions for storage are appreciated.
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17	Are there opportunities for kids to make up work or study at home? Or after school peer tutoring programs?	Students have access to Schoology and may work outside of school hours on their assignments anytime. There is no restriction to that. We would love to have after school tutoring-peer tutoring programs. We would need a staff member to cover the room if students wanted to stay for study hall. This is an ask we can make of our staff, but it would also need to be approved by the Governing Council since it would be an additional expense.
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19	When will the 3rd floor be finished? Where will all the high school students fit once at full capacity? I think it's too many!	The third floor needs to be finished in order for us to continue our expansion. This is a concern taken up by MMCI Board of Trustees, the Governing Council, and administration. Interested parents are invited to help problem-solve this.
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21	Credit walk-thru? Our son's credits/electives don't align with what is posted online. How do we discern best scheduling for graduation?	This is a school counselor question. In the absence of a high school counselor, it would be best to reach out to the principal and the current school counselor. We would hear your concerns and reach out for guidance as to how to proceed.
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23	Is there a plan to make a more dedicated community space on campus for things like lunch and recess so it is not just at their homeroom desks to eat and then standing by a curb for their outdoor time?	It is fairly standard practice for students to have meals in the classroom with their peers. There may be an opportunity for cafe style seating once the seminar space as been establsihed, but that will also depend upon the students' readiness to use this type of seating. The original building plans did not include space for a cafeteria. We are looking at the schedule to rearrange recess time for access to the fenced in area. Also, the current situation for lunch as of Oct 2024, is that the students are allowed to eat in the seminar space and one other classroom which in hearing from students, seems to be going well at this time.
24	Why are 9th and 10th graders in the same English and math class, also why is honors and on grade level together? That seems confusing and someone is not getting what they need.	Montessori classes are mixed grade levels and heterogeneously group by design. You may want to attend Family Engagement Nights (such as Montessori 101) and open houses, or visit our website mvmpcs.org . amshq.org has excellent resources about Montessori education.
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26	Where will graduation be held ?	This is to be determined.
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28	What is the best format to communicate with the principal/admin to facilitate a timely (or any) response?	Email works best. We do our best to respond within 48-hours. If you haven't heard back by then, please don't hesistate to give your email a boost. Some days are busier than others, and there are times when we are called off campus for training. Students can reach out via their Schoology accounts.
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30	What is the plan for boys HS bathroom stalls?	Because MMCI owns the building, repair needs to be organized and approved by them. Minor damage that had happened was repaired by our maintenance person. The destruction of the stalls is beyond MVM's scope for fixing. The boys bathroom is currently locked and students are using the first floor.
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32	What steps are being taken to foster collaborations among the students and build a community among the school?	Students started the year with a team building trip where they participated in challenge-by-choice activities. They will participate in an end of year trip as well. They have community meeting daily in class, and community circle once a week as a whole group to address community needs. During club time on Fridays, several high school students work with younger students in their classrooms. This year we are partnering with ADL to become a No Place for Hate school. High school students will lead this schoolwide initiative with two staff advisors.
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34	How can we ensure the hiring of a guidance counselor?	The hiring committee is contacting colleges with school counseling programs to inquire about potential candidates for December graduation. FCPS has posted the position twice so far, but no internal candidates applied and the two candidates the hiring committee interviewed were deemed not to be a good fit. FCPS is aware of our need and is considering ways to support.
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36	What options are there at MVM that our students can take advantage of to put them in the best position for college acceptance?	MVM students work with a college/career coach to determine a personalized pathway for them. They can take honors or merit classes, partner with FCC, and potentially take courses through the virtual school. The high school curriculum is rigorous and designed to set students up for success. Engaging in it fully and taking opportunities to work to their potential will prepare them for college entry.
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38	What additional steps have been taken since the fight to prevent future conflict?	MVM follows the FCPS Student Code of Conduct which outlines the steps of progressive discipline that we use. Administrators partner with families to reinforce behavior expectations and work with students to build their capactiy for problem-solving.
39	Will MVM offer PSATs/SATs to students?	Yes. We will advertise when they are being given and students can sign up for them.
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41	What is the retention plan for our hard-working teachers, and what is the contingency plan if one were to leave?	MVM has an excellent teacher retention rate. If/when teachers choose to leave, we hire for that position.
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