December 2023 News
December 15, 2023
Dear Lion Families,
We are happy to announce that our 2022-2023 yearbook has been nominated by the UIL for a Star Award and has moved on to the next level of the competition. MHS has a very proud tradition of producing award-winning yearbooks. We are very proud of our sponsors and yearbook staff. If you have not purchased your yearbook yet, here is the link to Buy Your 2024 Yearbook!
StuCo Spirit Days: last week of the semester!
Mon: ugly sweater
Tuesday: pajamas
Wednesday: iconic winter character
Thursday: ice out
Semester Exams
This week we completed first period semester exams. Here is our Semester Exam Schedule.
Teachers are not allowed to give exams early. If a student misses an exam, a zero will be given. However, the student can make up the exam during the first week of school when we return from winter break and the grade will be adjusted accordingly.
Winter Break!
Winter break begins this Friday, Dec. 22- Which means, there is NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY. Students will return to campus on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Students need to check HAC on Monday evening on Jan. 8 to make sure they are following the most up-to-date schedule when they return. We do not anticipate wide-spread schedule changes, but changes are possible.
PSAT results & FREE SAT prep
In October all sophomores (and freshmen and juniors that signed up) took the PSAT. Results are in and counselors will be visiting all sophomores in ELAR classes to help them understand their scores and link their account to Khan Academy. The College Board and Khan Academy partnered several years ago to design customized SAT prep programs for students based on their PSAT results. The goal of the program is to provide quality SAT prep to all students for FREE. I know of at least one National Merit Scholar that credits her National Merit status to the Khan Academy SAT program. I highly recommend students take advantage of this valuable resource. If you would like more information about how to interpret PSAT scores and connect with Khan Academy, here is the link to the presentation the counselors made to the sophomores: http://tinyurl.com/yeytx85a
Deliveries of food to campus
We are always happy for parents to bring food for their students. There is a rack near the front office where these items can be placed for student pick-up. Students are not allowed to have food delivered to campus by UberEats, DoorDash, etc.. We are experiencing an uptick in students ordering food and asking delivery drivers to meet them somewhere other than the front office to pick-up deliveries. This is not allowed and is not safe. Moving forward, if students are caught doing this, the food will be confiscated and will only be returned if a parent wants to come and pick up the food, otherwise it will be discarded. There will also be consequences for students opening an exterior door to accept the delivery. We appreciate your cooperation for this. Student safety is our top priority.
Upcoming Events
Dec.15th – 5:30pm-Varsity Swimming & Diving Lions – Lionettes vs McKinney North, McKinney Boyd @McKinney Natatorium
Dec.15th – 6:15 pm-Varsity Lionettes Basketball vs Rock Hill @Prosper Rock Hill HS
Dec.15th – 7:30 pm-Varsity Lionettes vs Walnut Grove @MHS Auxiliary Turf Field
Dec. 15th – 7:30 pm-Varsity Lions Soccer vs Liberty HS @Frisco Liberty HS
Dec.16th – 6am-Varsity Lions Wrestling vs Tournament @Prsoper Eagle Stadium
Dec. 18th – 7pm-MHS Choir Winter Concert @ McKinney HS Performing Arts Center
Dec.19th – 6pm-Varsity Lionettes Basketball vs Denton Braswell @Denton Braswell HS
Dec.19th – 7pm-Varsity Lions Soccer vs Frisco Emerson @MHS Auxiliary Turf Field
Dec.19th – 7:15pm-Varsity Lions Basketball vs Denton Braswell @Denton Braswell HS
Dec.19th – 7:30pm-Varsity Lionettes vs Plano Sr. High @Plano HS
Dec.21st – 5:30pm-Varsity Lions- Lionettes vs MHS Reunion Meet @McKinney Natatorium
Dec.22nd – 5:00pm-Varsity Swimming & Diving Lions – Lionettes vs MHS Reunion Meet @McKinney Natatorium
December 8, 2023
Dear Lion Families,
We would like to highlight our Ag program this week. We had three young ladies compete at the state level in a leadership competition and placed 9th overall! Also, our JORTC traveled to a competition in New Orleans, LA and placed first in inspection and armed exhibition competitions.
Parade of Lights
Please come to support several of our MHS organizations in the Parade of Lights at 6:30 on the square in downtown McKinney!
End of Semester information:
Thursday, December 21 marks the end of the second quarter and the first semester. Semester exams will begin on Thursday, December 14. Here is our Semester Exam Schedule. Here is our MISD Academic Eligibility Calendar and our MHS Tutorial List. Report cards will be posted to HAC on Jan. 11 at 5pm.
90% Attendance Make-up Hours
All make-up hours for the 90% attendance law must be made up by Dec. 14. Students that do not meet this requirement risk losing credits for their courses. Per Texas state law, students must be in attendance for 90% of class to earn high school credits. If you have questions about attendance, please contact: [email protected]
Contact information changes
If you need to update your address, email address, phone number, or other information, please contact us at [email protected].
Project Graduation
Kendra Scott in Watters Creek will donate 20% of their proceeds to Project Graduation on Dec. 17 from 3 – 5pm. Can’t make it in-store? Join us online! Shop anytime December 16-17th online and use code GIVEBACK-FFLPM at checkout for 20% to go back to us!
MacTown Miracles
The Student Council is currently accepting donations for MacTown Miracles. This annual event is a collaboration between all three McKinney high schools and provides hundreds of holiday dinners for needy families in our community. Our campus is currently focussing on donations of instant mashed potatoes (14 oz.) Cash donations for turkeys and roasting pans would also be helpful.
Campus communication and social media
We try to limit this weekly communication to the most pressing campus matters. However, there is a lot to keep up with and we want to keep you informed. For additional information, we encourage you to to follow us on Facebook (McKinney High School), Twitter (or is it X?) @MHSLions, and Instagram (mhslions). Our Student Council is in charge of many of our student events such as dances and dress-up days. Follow them on Tik Tok @mckinneystuco, and Instagram (mckinneystuco) to keep up with all the fun things they plan for our students. Most of our campus organizations also maintain social media accounts. We encourage you to follow as many as possible so you can see the events they have planned and the student successes they celebrate.
Seniors
For those of you who have NOT yet placed your order for your graduation cap and gown, Jostens is extending their fall pricing till the end of the day on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. This means that you still have time to shop the BEST PRICE for ALL your senior needs. Please be aware that this deadline is a hard deadline, and after next Wednesday, prices will increase. Also, please be aware that some of the non-essential items such as announcements may have limited availability. To ensure you have all that you want and need for celebrating your senior, go online today and place your order at Jostens McKinney High School Ordering Page .
If you would like to purchase A la Carte, simply scroll down below the packages and all items are listed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jostens in Allen at (214)383-9502, and they will be more than happy to assist you.
Upcoming Events:
Dec. 9th – 6am-Varsity Lions Wrestling vs TBD @Wylie East HS
Dec. 9th – TBA-JV Lions Basketball vs McKinney JV Tournament @MHS Competition Gym
Dec. 9th – TBA-Varsity Lions Basketball vs Cy Hoops Invitational @CY Fair HS The Berry Center
Dec. 9th – 6:30 pm-McKinney Parade of Lights @Downtown McKinney
Dec. 11- Picture Retakes for yearbook in PAC during all lunches
Dec. 12th – 6 pm-Faubion Band Winter Concert @MHS performing Arts Center
Dec. 12th – 3:30 pm-JV Lions Basketball vs Jacksonville @MHS Competition Gym
Dec. 12th – 6 pm-Varsity Lionettes Basketball vs Little Elm @Little Elm HS
Dec. 12th – 6:30 pm-Varsity Lions Basketball vs Jacksonville @MHS Competition Gym
Dec. 12th -7:30 pm-Varsity Lions Soccer vs Plano West @MHS Auxiliary Turf Field
Dec. 12th – 7:30 pm-Varsity Lionettes vs Sachse @Sachse HS
Dec. 13th -TBA-Varsity Swimming & Diving Lions – Lionettes vs Prosper Rock Hill, Walnut Grove @Prosper HS
Dec. 13th -6 pm-JROTC Toys for Tots @Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel
Dec.13th -6:30 pm-Cockrill Band Winter Concert @MHS Performing Arts
Dec. 14th – 7 pm-MHS Orchestra Winter Concert @MHS Performing Arts Center
Dec.14th -5 pm -Varsity Lions Wrestling vs Wylie @Wylie East HS
Dec.15th -5:30pm-Varsity Swimming & Diving Lions – Lionettes vs McKinney North, McKinney Boyd @McKinney HS Natatorium
Dec.15th -6:15 pmVarsity Lionettes Basketball vs Rock Hill @Prosper Rock Hill HS
Dec. 15th – 7:30 pm-Varsity Lionettes vs Walnut Grove @MHS Auxiliary Turf Field
Dec.15th -7:30 pm-Varsity Lions Soccer vs Liberty HS @Frisco Liberty HS
December 1, 2023
Dear Lion Families,
Our fabulous student council is collaborating with the student councils at the other high schools to feed local families over the holidays.The annual MacTown Miracles event on Dec.19 provides more than 800 holiday dinners to families in need each year. Our campus is currently asking for donations of 14 oz (ish) instant mashed potatoes. Financial donations for the turkeys and roasting pans would also be helpful.Thanks in advance for helping StuCo make a difference! Collections end on 12/15.
Green cord participants: A minimum of 50 HOURS MUST BE SUBMITTED and VERIFIED IN BY THE END OF FIRST SEMESTER (DECEMBER 21 @ 2:45 P.M.) IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A GREEN CORD AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. It is your responsibility to make sure that your verifier has verified your hours.There are no exceptions to the deadline.
Here is a link to the MISD 2024 – 2025 Academic Calendar.
STAAR EOC Retest Week: Beginning this Tuesday, Dec. 5, we will have EOC make-up and retests each day. Some classes will be displaced and staff will be available to help students find testing locations and classrooms that have been relocated. Students taking EOC exams will need to make sure their computers are fully charged and bring their chargers.
MHS Dance Recital: The McKinney High School Dance department is proud to present its annual showcase of dance! The recital is December 5th at 7pm in the MHS PAC. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the link below. We hope to see you there! mhs-dance-department.ticketleap.com/2023mhsdancerecital/
Marquette Fundraiser: The Marquettes are having an online auction for a fundraiser! This auction has a lot of holiday gift ideas at amazing savings! You can get Stars tickets, stay-cations, weekend getaways, and much, much more! Check it out in the link below.https://fans.winwithdash.com/event/6554ee6ef2057b0008e4d7ac
MHS Soccer Season Kickoff
December 5th @ the MHS Auxiliary Field
Lions and Lionettes will introduce the 23/24 teams
JV2 @Emily Anderson4:30, JV @ 5:30 and Varsity @ 6:30
Join us in kicking off the season!!
MHS Soccer Spirit Night
December 20th @ Stix Icehouse from 11-9
Mention the McKinney High Soccer Program
Last Chance for Yearbook Picture Retakes:
December 11 during all lunches, Impressionist photographers will be here to take yearbook photos for anyone that has not taken pictures or anyone that wants to retake them. No appointment required! Go to the lobby of the PAC during your lunch and one of the photographers will take your picture. This includes senior pictures in their cap and gown.
Upcoming Events:
Dec. 1st – 7pm-Varsity Lionettes Basketball vs Frisco @Faubion Competition Gym
Dec 2nd – 7am-Varsity Lions Wrestling vs Tournament @Rockwall HS
Dec. 2nd -TBA-Freshman Boys Basketball Blue and Gold vs. TBA Freshmen Tournament @MHS Competition Gyms
Dec. 4th – 6:45pm-Sophomore Boys Basketball vs Plano West @MHS Competition Gym
Dec. 5th – Dec. 12th- STAAR Testing @MHS Campus
Dec. 5th – 7pm- Marquette Dance Recital @MHS Performing Arts Center
Dec. 5th – 7pm-Varsity Lions Basketball vs Frisco Liberty @Frisco Liberty HS
Dec. 7th -9th TBA- Sophomore Boys Basketball vs TBD MHS JV Tournament @MHS Auxiliary Gym
Dec. 7th – Dec. 9th – TBA-Varsity Lions Basketball vs Cy Hoops Invitational @ CY Fair HS The Berry Center
Dec. 7th – 7pm-MHS Band Winter Concert @MHS Performing Arts Center
Dec 8th – 6:30pm-Varsity Lions Soccer vs Frisco Independence @Frisco Independence HS
Dec. 8th – 7:15pm-Varsity Lionettes vs Plano East @MHS Auxiliary Turf Field