Parent Liaison Effectiveness

This is a very important message regarding the Parent Liaison positions with Prince George's County Public Schools. The 2010-2011 proposed budget is available for viewing on the PGCPS website. In the proposal the Parent Engagement Division is slated to be eliminated, which encompasses 121 positions. We have prepared a Parent Liaison Effectiveness Survey that can be accessed on the right hand side of the FDHS website Main Page. We are asking parents who feel that they have been impacted by the Parent Liaison position to write a letter addressed to the Board of Education (BOE) and/or sign up to speak at one the next two Budget Meeting scheduled for February 2nd and February 8th. Parents the Parent Liaisons were employed to support you and to ensure that you were made an instrumental part as well as have a voice within the school. This is your opportunity to collectively share your position on this issue with the BOE. Please complete the online survey by January 31, 2010, fax in letters to 301-627-3377 and call 301-952-6115 to sign up to speak at one of the Budget Hearings. If you are signing up to speak, you must call by 4:00 pm. the day of the Hearing. 

Furniture Donation Request

Parents if you are planning renovations or preparing for Spring cleaning and planning to get rid of furniture, please consider making a donation to Gwynn Park High School.  Our teacher's lounge is in desperate need of a redesign and our interior design students are ready to get started, however we need your support.  Please contact Mrs. Agyeman, Parent Liaison to schedule your furniture donation drop off.  The following items would be greatly appreciated:

• Chairs
• Love seat
• Couch
• Magazine racks
• End tables
• Conference Style table 

Teenage Afterschool Enrichment Program

World View Christian Center is sponsoring a Teenage Afterschool Enrichment Program at the 3087 Old Washington Road, Waldorf, MD 20602.  You may contact World View at 301-372-0053 for additional information.

The program runs Monday - Friday from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. for a fee of $65.00 per week.  The program is offering homework assistance, mentoring, field trips, sporting activities, group socials, job readiness, cyber cafe, public speaking, music, acting and dance.  Transportation is also available.

The Enrichment Program is targeted towards student in the 7th through the 10th grade.  Students in the 11th and 12th may sign up to be mentors and receive Student Service Hours.

FAFSA Night Date Change

In an effort to help more parents complete the FAFASA, we are postponing the FAFASA Night at Frederick Douglass HS from Wednesday, January 13th to Wednesday, February 3rd.  Many employers are mailing tax documents the end of January, therefore to better assist our Senior parents we will hold our FAFASA Night on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 in the Media Center at Frederick Douglass High School beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Bring your tax information if you would like to complete the FAFASA on the spot.  Otherwise bring a notebook to take notes.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Agyeman @ 301-952-2400 x252 or Ms. Jenkins at tiyonna.jenkins @pgcps.org.

Annual Gwynn Park High School College Expo

Are brave enough to dream?  The time is now, come explore strategies to help you prepare for the journey to college...begin planning Saturday, January 30. 2010.

Business attire is encouraged - seniors to gain on the spot acceptances bring your transcripts, recommendations and personal essay.  The College Expo will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room at
Gwynn Park High School, 13800 Brandywine Road, Brandywine, MD on Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.

There will be a host of colleges, universities, trade school and military branches present.

Individual Learning Plan (ILP)

Has your student come home and shared with you that they have established an Individualized Learning Plan?  What is an Individualized Learning Plan?  The Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a living document that will be used throughout your student’s years in Prince George’s County Public Schools. The ILP is tailored to your student’s strengths and abilities in an effort to help guide them through their academic years and beyond. The ILP is developed with the important input from your student, along with you as the parent/guardian and with the professional school counselor.  The ILP will:

• Outline the short and long term goals for each student and the actions, strategies and modifications that will be used to address those goals
• Identify students individual needs and their learning priorities
• Revisit each student’s career plans and objectives

In an effort to assist you with helping your student to create a strong and effective Individual learning Plan we have prepared the following “Talking Points” for you to use to open a discussion with your student prior to your ILP meeting with the Professional School Counselor or to assist them with refining their ILP.


Talking Points

• What are your personal goals?
• What can you do to help you to meet your personal goals?
• What are your academic goals?
• What can you do to help you achieve your academic goals?
• What do you feel are your strengths and talents?
• What are some of your interests?
• How do you feel your academic goals impact your personal goals?
• Have you thought about life after high school?
• Do you plan to attend college?
• If yes, what do you think you want to major in?
• In not, what path do you plan to take after high school? (Trade school, military?)
• How is your attendance record at school?
• What are ways you can improve your attendance (if applicable)?
• What are your career goals?

Remember it is our goal to ensure that all of our students graduate from high school college and/or career ready.  It is imperative that our students begin to think about and refine their goals and aspirations.