Upcoming Events
December 22 to January 2 - Winter Break (Student Holiday)
December 22 to January 2 - MHS Offices Closed
January 12 - Partners in Safe Teen Driving Presentation Night
January 13 - McLean High School Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night
December 22 to January 2 - Winter Break (Student Holiday)
Winter break will be held Monday, December 22, to Friday, January 2. Classes resume on Monday, January 5, 2026. See the complete school year calendar.
December 22 to January 2 - MHS Office Closed
Please note that McLean High School offices will be closed during the break from December 22 to January 2.
January 12 - Partners in Safe Teen Driving Presentation Night
All seminars will be held in-person from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM in the Auditorium. Please arrive early. Doors will close promptly at 6:30 PM. Attendees who arrive late will not be allowed entry and will not earn credit for attending.
The 90-minute PSTD presentation will be offered once per quarter throughout the school year. This quarter's date is January 12, 2026.
Important: Students who successfully complete their classroom driver education quarter but have not satisfied the PSTD requirement will have earned an incomplete for the class grade until the requirement is met.
January 13 - McLean High School Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night
McLean High School will be holding a Curriculum Night for parents of the class of 2030 (current 8th grade students) at McLean HS on Tuesday, January 13 at 6:00pm in the auditorium. The evening session aims to provide parents with information that will help their incoming 9th grade student with the transition to high school. Topics include getting involved with extracurricular activities, graduation requirements, and the registration process for 9th grade courses. We will also have a panel of core teachers sharing information on their content areas. Following the presentation, teachers from various departments will be available to answer questions about 9th grade classes until 7:30pm. Students are welcome to attend; 8th grade students currently enrolled at Longfellow Middle School will receive similar information from McLean High School counselors during the school day on Monday, January 12.
Snow date: January 20th at 6:00pm, McLean High School Auditorium
Safety & Security
Good afternoon, Highlanders,
We are glad that you are here with us this week before winter break. With the cold temperature, we want to share some information with you so that your entry into the building is smooth as possible. Some of you may have noticed that the Open Gate process was a little different this morning. As of today, the Open Gate units across FCPS have been adjusted to a higher level of sensitivity.
What does this mean for us at McLean? To ensure that the morning arrivals are smooth for everyone, we suggest arriving with specific items out of your backpacks to pass through the Open Gate system. With everyone doing their part, the alarm rates should normalize over time to support a smoother entry process.
Items likely to trigger the alarms are:
- 3-ring binders of any size
- Eyeglass cases
- Calculators
- Chargers for laptops and other devices
- Umbrellas
- Curling irons
- Metal-based water bottles and thermoses
- Metal forks, spoons, and knives
- Tins for mints, candies, etc.
- Headphones
- Metal lunch boxes
- Aluminum spray containers/ aerosol containers
- Aluminum soda cans
- Aluminum foil
- Makeup & pencil cases
- Backpacks with large metal parts
- Digital pads and tablets
We are here to support you as we navigate the new settings, and we wanted to share this information with you to prepare you for tomorrow. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you all in the morning.
Thank you,
McLean Safety and Security Team
Student Achievement
Do you know a student, club, or team that has done something amazing? We want to hear about it! We're looking for accomplishments big or small to feature on the school website and in our weekly newsletter. Whether it's an academic achievement, an athletic victory, a creative project, or an act of community service, we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible things happening at McLean. Please fill out our Google Form to submit an accomplishment. To see a full list of student accomplishments, check out the Student Recognitions page on the McLean website.
Senior recognized as Winner With Distinction for Photography
We are proud to announce an extraordinary achievement by one of our own! Senior Wonwoo Do has received the highest national recognition in the prestigious National Arts Competition from YoungArts, being named a Winner with Distinction for his exceptional portfolio in Photography.
The YoungArts Award With Distinction recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong, sophisticated, nuanced, and clear artistic point of view; and a depth of thinking/performance that far exceeds the level of peers at this career stage. Winners at this level are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week and are eligible for cash awards of up to $10,000. Award winners with distinction who attend National YoungArts Week and meet the eligibility requirements are also considered for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
The Principal's Corner
Dear McLean Families,
As we enter a season of major holidays, I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and spirit demonstrated by our students, staff, and families this fall. This has been a year of change for our schools and as I look to the year ahead, I find that my reflection of the year we are leaving behind is filled with gratitude. I am thankful for the resilience and hope our students demonstrate each day. I am thankful for the determination of our instructors, support personnel, and operations team to show up each day and give their best to our children. And I am thankful for each of you; the parents, extended family, and caretakers who make our work possible by instilling a drive to succeed and a desire for high achievement in our students.
I hope that each of you finds time to disconnect from the daily routine, recharge, and enjoy quality time with friends and family while we are away. To extend the same opportunity to celebrate, reflect, and recharge to all our school staff, we will close our offices from December 22nd through January 2nd.
We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back, energized and ready for the new year, on Monday, January 5th.
As we look ahead to the new year, I encourage you to join us for the January PTSA meeting. I will be delivering the annual State of the School Address, providing a review of our academic progress, strategic goals, and plans for continued success. Following the presentation, we will hold a forum where I will answer your questions and discuss issues of importance to our community.
Until then, our entire leadership team wishes each of you a wonderful winter break!
Sincerely,
Raven N. Jones
Principal, McLean High School
Wednesday Workshop
Every Wednesday from 3-4:30pm we invite interested students to attend Wednesday Workshop to receive support in the core content areas, homework completion, and executive functioning (planning & organization). Wednesday Workshop will take place in the library and transportation is provided home from the school via school bus. Buses depart at 4:45 PM. Any questions? Please reach out to Ms. Ashley Lowry (aclowry@fcps.edu).
Attendance
Reporting Student Absences
We are committed to partnering with families to promote positive attendance habits. Any day that your child is unable to attend school, parents should report the absence. By reporting absences, families are partnering with our staff so that everyone can make sure students are supported and have access to resources.
Full-day absences can be reported in SIS ParentVUE. Parents can also report full-day absences by calling (703) 714-5725 or emailing McLeanHigh.Attendance@fcps.edu.
Part-day absences can be reported by calling (703) 714-5726 or emailing McLeanHigh.Attendance@fcps.edu. The best way to report an early check out is to have your student bring a signed note to the front office at the beginning of the day.
Parents can monitor their child’s attendance records in SIS ParentVUE.
Attendance Codes in SIS ParentVUE Explained
Attendance codes in SIS ParentVUE are assigned by school staff to better identify the reasons behind student absences. This allows us to respond thoughtfully and provide appropriate support. Visit the FCPS Attendance Policy webpage to learn more about the codes.
When Your Child Is Sick
It is also important to keep your child home when they are sick. The Can My Child Go to School? webpage provides helpful recommendations on when to keep your child home.
For instance, as long as they are feeling like they can participate in school activities, a child should attend school if they have cold symptoms. However, if they have severe, uncontrolled, or rapid coughing; wheezing; or difficulty breathing, definitely keep them home and contact your health care provider.
Testing Information
College Board Testing Accommodations for AP Testing
Students who would like to apply to the College Board for AP testing accommodations must submit their application forms to the school by January 09, 2026 to meet the College Board deadline. Please note that testing accommodations listed on IEPs or 504s are not automatically granted by the College Board for AP testing, so families must apply separately to the College Board. If a student already has College Board accommodations approved from a previous PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, or AP test, then no further action is needed. Once instated, accommodations remain in place for all College Board testing throughout a student’s high school career.
Please submit College Board AP Testing Accommodations application forms by January 09, 2026
- Students with IEPs to Mr. Rob Bouchard at rabouchard1@fcps.edu
- Students with 504 to Ms. Bethany Davis bsdavis@fcps.edu
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