THE COUGAR CONNECTION
The Catoctin High School Newsletter • May 2, 2024
chs Graduation 2024
The last day for seniors is quickly approaching and graduation will be held in just a few weeks! See below for some very important information regarding graduation. Graduating seniors and parents should reference the graduation letter for detailed information and deadlines.
IMPORTANT DATES:
May 8 - CAP AND GOWN DISTRIBUTION in lobby during STEP, lunches and after school until 4:00 pm.
May 10 - EXTRA GRADUATION TICKET REQUESTS due: https://bit.ly/3PMykOX (only seniors have access to this form).
May 10 - ACCESSIBLE SEATING REQUESTS due: https://bit.ly/4aFe0ac
May 13 - LAST DAY OF CLASSES FOR SENIORS: Responsibilities: Seniors must turn in all books and other CHS property, clean lockers, and see Mrs. Zentz in the front office to clear any financial obligations.
May 15 - OPTIONAL PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 4:00 – 6:00 pm CHS AUDITORIUM STAGE. Optional event. Registration required: https://bit.ly/3PX0eYF
May 15 - MAKE-UP DAY FOR SENIORS: Only those with make-up work to do will attend school. Seniors must leave the campus when they complete their make-up work unless they have administrative approval to stay.
May 17 - GRADUATION PRACTICE: 8:00 am – 12:30 pm (no lunch break) CHS MAIN GYM Seniors must be on time and present the entire time. Turn in any remaining obligations to Mrs. Zentz at practice.
May 17 - CHROMEBOOK RETURNS: 7:30 am in the gym lobby before graduation practice.
May 17 - SENIOR “CLAP OUT”: Visit your Catoctin Feeder Pattern Elementary/Primary School and walk the halls in your cap and gown as students cheer for you! Held in the afternoon, specific times TBA.
May 20 - GRADUATION PRACTICE: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (no lunch break) CHS MAIN GYM Seniors must be on time and present the entire time. Report Cards and graduation tickets will be distributed at the end of practice. Tickets will be held if senior has outstanding financial obligations.
May 20 - SENIOR AWARDS CEREMONY: 6:00 pm CHS AUDITORIUM Optional event. No tickets needed. Students arrive at 5:30 pm. RSVP using this form: https://bit.ly/3JglZPc
May 21- GRADUATION 6:00 pm KNOTT ARENA, PNC SPORTS COMPLEX, MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY. Seniors must arrive no later than 5:00 pm and enter through the back doors of the field house. Guest admission (tickets required) starts at 5:00 pm.
DON'T MISS THE ANNUAL CHS pLANT SALE!
Catoctin High School will host their annual plant sale on Saturday, May 4, and May 11 from 9:00 AM to Noon. There are new varieties of plants being offered this year in addition Choose from annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and hanging baskets. There are several new varieties being offered this year. Thank you for your support of Catoctin horticulture! Please view this plant catalog for more information.
Shout Outs
Congratulations to Stacey May and Katie Engelstatter, the April Student and Staff Member of the Month winners. You demonstrate the outstanding qualities of R.O.A.R. and make our school a better place to be every day. Your Cougar family would like to congratulate you and share some of the kind words that were written about you! Thank you for making Catoctin a special place to be and for being a role model for our staff and students.
Congratulations to Annalise Abruzzese who was selected at by CTC's Student Achievement committee as the student of the month! Annalise is in CTC's Ag Metals/Welding program.
UNIFIED TRACK captures the GOLD at COUNTY MEET! Congratulations to all team members and coaches!
Be sure to check out the new CHS newspaper the Catoctin Chronicle! It's available in print at the main office or view online here. Congratulations to the students and staff who took on this project for our school!
Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run
Catoctin High School’s SGA, FCCLA, and Unified athletic programs are excited to announce our first annual Catoctin Community 5K and Fun Run on June 1st! This year our theme is “Heroes on the Run” and your race registration will directly support Special Olympics of Frederick County.
The Fun Run will take place entirely on the CHS track. The 5K will begin inside the CHS football stadium and include elements of both the Catoctin cross country course and road running within the local area.
Race Day Information:
Location - Catoctin High School
Date - June 1, 2024
Starting Times: Fun Run start - 8:30 am, 5K start - 9:15 am
Registration Fees:
Register online here. Online registration closes May 22, 2024!
Fun Run pre-registration (includes shirt) - $15
5K pre-registration (includes shirt) - $30
Day of registration (shirt NOT included) - $10
Packet Pick Up:
Packet Pick Up for pre-registered participants will be available from 3:00- 7:00 p on Friday, May 31st in the gym lobby.
New Athletic Director to join CHS
Catoctin High School will welcome Brett Campbell this summer as the new Athletic Director for school year 2024-2025! Brett grew up in Montgomery County, graduating from Magruder High School. He then attended the University of Rhode Island for his undergraduate studies and Regis University where he earned his master's degree.
Brett comes to Catoctin after teaching and coaching in Charles County, Maryland for the past 16 years. He spent 6 years teaching Social Studies and Language Arts at Stoddert Middle School while coaching at North Point High School. In 2014, he moved to the new St. Charles High School to teach Social Studies and coach Boy's Basketball.
Brett's wife Marissa is an Elementary School teacher and they have a 7 year daughter, Kate who is an avid sports fan and is excited to cheer on the Cougars!
Please give Brett and his family a warm welcome to Catoctin High School's Cougar Nation!
mental health awareness week
Catoctin High School will celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week from May 6th through 10th. While 1 in 5 people have a mental health challenge, 5 out of 5 people have mental health! We need to normalize talking about and taking care of our mental health just as we take care of our physical health. Next week we will focus on finding our coping skills and joining others to support mental health.
Music Monday - Wear your favorite band or musician T-shirt! Coping Skill: focus on sounds (like your favorite band), colors arounds us, posters on the wall, and smells to help us when feeling anxious.
Totally Tuesday - Wear GREEN to support those suffering from mental health issues! Coping Skill: spend time with a friend or find ways to be around others who have a shared interest.
WE Wednesday - Wear matching outfits with a friend to show that teaming up is one way to build resiliency. Coping Skill: Doing something for others often improves our own mood, find a way to be helpful to others.
Tie Dye Thursday - Wear tie dye to represent that we experience a wide range of emotions and it’s okay to embrace them all. Coping Skill: Know when you need more support, check out mental health apps that help you track mood.
Feel Good Friday - Wear your pajamas to remind ourselves to relax. Coping Skill: Don’t judge your emotions as good or bad, just notice them and let them come and go. Ride the wave.
CHS MCAP Testing Schedule
Catoctin High School will be administering state assessments April 22 – May 22, 2024. Most students will take the tests during their regular class block.
May 9, 10, 13, 15: students currently enrolled in English 10 will be taking one section of the English 10 MCAP each day.
May 9 & 10: students currently enrolled in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 who are not yet CCR will be taking two sections of the Math MCAP each day.
May 16 & 17: students currently enrolled in Government who have not yet taken the assessment will be taking two sections of the Gov MCAP each day.
May 20 & 22: students currently enrolled in Biology who have not yet taken the assessment will be taking two sections of the Biology MCAP each day.
High school RVP students testing at Catoctin High School
RVP students taking Eng. 10, Algebra 1, Geometry, or Government should plan on testing at CHS on May 9 & 10.
RVP students taking Biology should plan on testing at CHS on Wed. May 15.
RVP students should report to the high school by 7:15 am, and check-in at the front office upon arrival. Students should be finished by 11:00 am at the latest.
Important Notes and Reminders for ALL Students:
Please CHARGE your school-issued Chromebook the night before.
Leave cell phones at home (if at all possible) - this includes smart watches. Devices brought to school will need to be TURNED OFF and kept either in a backpack or turned in to the test proctor.
Get a good night's rest.
Put forth your best effort.
AP TESTING COMING SOON!
MAY 6-17, 2024
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Envirothon 2024
Catoctin High School students recently participated in the 2024 Envirothon which was held a Cunningham Falls State Park. The Envirothon is a designed for high school students in grades 9-12 to learn about the natural world around us. Teams consist of 5 students who work together to study Maryland’s natural resources. Topics include: Forestry, Aquatics, Soils, and Wildlife, and a 5th Issue which changes each year. CHS students participating this year included Team 1 (CHS El Nino): Tanner Shorb, Jackson Savage, Blake Smith, Jared Turner and Caleb Krantz; and Team 2 (CHS Burch Trees) Grace May, Faith May, Annalise Abruzzese, Alex Potter and Drew Potter. Congratulations to students and special thanks to advisors Barry Burch and Rachel Misner.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
Dear Catoctin Community,
We are quickly approaching the end of the school year - only 25 days of school for underclassmen and 6 days for Seniors as of May 2. There is still a lot of important learning to be done yet this year and there are many traditional and fun events to take place.
I looked back at my message from this time the last few years; it has been so timely and important that I am including almost the exact same message this time.
It is as integral now as at any time of the year that students stay engaged and committed to their learning and their school work. Please continue to encourage good attendance (we can’t teach and support students who are not present) and dedication to their work (we can’t assign a grade for work that is not completed).
This is also a good time for us to talk to our students about staying safe and making good choices. There are a lot of fun events happening and we want students to be eligible to participate and to stay safe.
We are excited for our upcoming graduation celebration at Mount St. Mary’s Arena. Please take note of all of the details for the family and friends of our Seniors that were sent out and are included in this newsletter. We reminded the Seniors when we met last month that participation in the graduation ceremony is a privilege that we want to afford to every Senior; please continue to encourage and support their positive decision-making so that they can be eligible to participate in this beautiful ceremony.
The Prom was held last Friday at the Thurmont Ambulance Company Event Complex – it was a beautiful venue afforded to us by the most generous Thurmont Ambulance Company (they once again donated the space, the food, and the DJ for our students). They are truly committed to our school and our community and we are grateful for their support.
Prom and Graduation involve our upperclassmen; however, the message of good decision-making is always an important one for all of our students. We partner with you every day to encourage our students (your children) to be good to themselves and others – physically, emotionally, socially, academically. Our collective voice is a powerful and positive influence in their lives and we appreciate the opportunity to work with you on this every day.
Another important event next week is the celebration of Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We are doing some special things to celebrate our amazingly committed staff; I would also encourage parents/guardians and students to give a small token of your appreciation – a note, email or Schoology message expressing your gratitude would be the greatest gift you could offer to the CHS staff members who are so dedicated to fostering our students’ growth and learning.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any CHS staff member if there is any way in which we can support you and your child(ren).
Go Cougars!
Jen Clements
Principal
MONTHLY GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / GUARDIANS
Attendance Update
This is the time of the school year when the motivation for many students (especially Seniors) is waning and attendance at school can decrease. Yet, for many students, the end of the school year is crucial for solidifying learning, securing strong grades, and/or earning credits. For many Seniors, it is their last opportunity to take advantage of a free education. ALL students are reminded about the importance of good school attendance up to the very last day (which is May 13 for Seniors and June 7 for underclassmen).
Thank you, parents and guardians, for echoing this message and for helping to support your student’s good attendance through the end of the school year.
Attendance = Opportunity
As a feeder, we continue our commitment to attendance knowing that being at school each day opens opportunities for our students. Below is the attendance rate for January for each school:
*Attendance rate: An overall school attendance rate of 94% or higher is considered proficient.
**Chronic absenteeism: A student is defined as chronically absent if he/she misses 10% or more of the school days.
Student Schedules
While we still have important work to do to finish out the 2023-2024 school year, we are also in the thick of many tasks in preparation for the 2024-2025 school year. A very important activity is the creation of the Master Schedule and then developing schedules for each student. This process is much like a logic puzzle that must take into account many different factors. You may recall the student course registration process which took place in late January - early February - that was the important beginning from which we gathered data necessary to make staffing and scheduling decisions. Our next step was to determine our staffing and course needs and then to build a schedule that brings together all of that. At this point, we are working to ensure each student has a full schedule that includes the classes of their choice (or as many of them as we possibly can). As a small school, we must work through some scheduling challenges - we have quite a few courses for which we have only one section (we call them singletons) and many others that may have only two or three. When building the school schedule, we make every effort to avoid conflicts but some are inevitable (there is just not enough blocks to spread everything out perfectly). When there are conflicts, it sometimes means that some students are not able to take every course as desired. When that is the case, our counselors work with those students to determine the best choice and alternatives to meet their graduation needs, align with their future goals, and/or to fulfill an area of interest. While the perfect solution is not always possible, our counselors collaborate with students and parents to make the best choice (that sometimes may include options through the Virtual School, FCC, or other creative options). It is a good time to reflect upon the successes of this year while also getting excited for the opportunities that next year will bring; the scheduling process is an important part of that look ahead.
tutoring now available through Pear Deck Tutor
Frederick County Public Schools partners with Pear Deck Tutor to provide 24/7 online tutoring to all students. The Pear Deck Tutor platform is easy to use and offered at no additional cost to you. With Pear Deck Tutor, students connect on-demand with a tutor who’s an exact match for what they’re looking for — whether they’re stumped by a Calculus equation, craving a confidence boost, or looking for writing feedback.
The Pear Deck Tutor platform replicates all the best parts of in-person tutoring — including the ability to connect face-to-face through opt-in audio and video. The Lesson Space has all the tools a student may need for real-time collaboration with a tutor in even advanced subject matters.
No matter the field of study, writing skills are fundamental to academic and post-graduate success. Through Pear Deck Tutor’s Writing Lab, students receive prompt feedback on their writing assignments to help them improve their written communication.
FAFSA APPLICATIONS DUE
Reminder: Complete the FAFSA application if you are planning to attend a Tech School, 2 year College program, or 4 year College program. Deadline is June 30th. Don't wait!
resources for families
Catoctin High School Pantry
Families in need of school supplies or other items should email kelly.gruber@fcps.org.
Local Food Banks
Thurmont Food Bank, 10 Frederick Road, Thurmont. For more information call 240-288-1865.
Emmitsburg Food Bank, 130 S. Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg. For more information call 717-642-6963.
FCPS Free and Reduced Meal Benefits
All FCPS students can apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits. Apply online here. Paper copies are available in the main office. You must reapply every year for benefits. You can apply at any time during the year.
Child Protective Services (CPS): 301-600-2464
To get help for physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.
Crisis Services: Dial 211
To get help when you feel really anxious or really depressed and need someone to talk with so that you can stay safe.
Maryland Anonymous Tip Line: 1-833-632-7233
To report threats or situations that put your safety or others’ safety at risk.
Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988
To get help if you are thinking about suicide.
Free Mental Health Crisis Care Center Open 24/7
Free, walk-in services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for immediate, face-to-face support for anyone experiencing an emotional, mental health, family or relationship crisis in a safe, welcoming space. Frederick County Mental Health Association Crisis Care Center, 340 Montevue Lane, Frederick. For more information call 2-1-1 or 301-662-2255. Services are available for all ages. There is no cost for services and no appointment is necessary. For more information, visit https://fcmha.org/how-we-help/behavioral-health/.
catoctin high school Fundraisers
June 1 - Catoctin Community 5K
May 4, 11 - Greenhouse Sale - Flowering, Vegetable, and Herb plants for sale. 9 am - 12 noon. CHS Greenhouse
May 10-14 - NEHS is selling Paper Flowers for Mother's Day. Students can purchase in the cafeteria during lunch.
catoctin Safe and Sane
Catoctin High School Committee for a Safe and Sane Graduation Inc. is not sponsored by Catoctin High SchoolSafe and Sane is a non-profit, parent-run, tax-exempt corporation established to address the very serious issues of youth drinking, drug use and driving behavior during one of the highest risk social events of their lives. This will be our 33rd year of providing an alternative way for graduates to celebrate and “JUST SAY NO” to drugs and alcohol!
Want to get involved? Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/groups/catoctinsafeandsane. This is the best way for you and your Senior to stay up-to-date on events.
Safe and Sane is holding an Adopt at 2024 Catoctin Senior. Anyone can post and participate in this program. For more details visit the Safe and Sane Facbeook page.
Contact any parent of a 2024 senior or email catoctinsafeandsane@gmail.com to grab your tickets and show your support!
cATOCTIN SPORTS BOOSTERS
Catoctin High School Sports Boosters supports all CHS sports teams and coaches, all money raised goes to the athletic programs. We raise money through fundraisers, sponsorship, concession sales and membership. To become a member, please fill out this form.
For more information on CHS Sports Boosters or to make a donation, please visit our website.
ptsa news
CHS PTSA – A PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION
We need your help! The CHS Parent Teacher Student Association exists to help support all of our kids and the professional staff that works so hard on their behalf. We want to continue that level of support and we are looking for volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering you can send an email to CatoctinPTSA@gmail.com. Join PTSA by filling out this membership form!
CHS PTSA meetings are held monthly via Google Meet from your home. All are welcome to attend! Upcoming dates: May 14 at 4:00 pm. To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/vqc-zgfr-zkh. Otherwise, to join by phone, dial 1-402-282-0447 and enter this PIN: 952 544 193#. To view more phone numbers, click this link: https://tel.meet/vqc-zgfr-zkh?hs=5
For more information, email CatoctinPTSA@gmail.com or contact::
Traci Tatum (President) / tracitatum41@gmail.com
Vacant (Vice President) / WE NEED YOU!
Peggy Davis (Secretary) / cowgirlproud@aol.com
Vacant (Treasurer) / WE NEED YOU!