THE COUGAR CONNECTION
The Catoctin High School Newsletter • February 5, 2024
chs students and staff take the polar plunge!
Catoctin High School students and staff took the plunge in the cold Chesapeake Bay for the annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics on February 1. The students and staff raised over $8,000 for Maryland Special Olympics!
National School Counseling Week
February 5-9, 2024 is National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
School counselors are actively engaged in: helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; working in partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today’s world; focusing on positive ways to enhance students’ academic, career and social/emotional development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential.
FCPS employs 188 school counselors: 58 high schools, 48 middle schools and 82 elementary schools. FCPS school counselors are assigned to all comprehensive schools, Heather Ridge School, the Career and Technology Center, the Success Program and the Multi-Lingual Education Program.
CHS appreciates our counselors Shannon Hayes, Cameo Lawlor, and Christy Wahl for all they do for our students!
senior class meeting - February 9
All seniors are required to attend a meeting on February 9th at 7:35 am in the auditorium. Important information will be presented for all seniors.
Contact one of the senior advisors (Shannon Hayes or David Gadra) if you are unable to attend. The CTC bus will be held to allow seniors to attend this brief meeting.
The annual Catoctin FFA Strawberry sale is happening now! To order, contact Mrs. Poffenberger, Mrs. Shriner, or any Catoctin FFA member! Strawberries are $4/quart, $16/half-flat (4 quarts), $28/flat (8 quarts). Orders due Monday, February 12.
Important transportation Reminders at chs
Please take note of the important information and reminders below. We want students (and families) to get to and from school safely (and as efficiently as possible). These procedures and guidelines will help ensure that happens.
Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up
Parents dropping off or picking up students should ONLY use the upper parking lot for the safety of students.
The main driveway and the front parking lot of the building are reserved for buses and staff parking.
Note - starting next week, Deputy Davis will be helping to enforce our drop-off procedures (especially in the front lot). He will provide a reminder to those who have been dropping off in the front lot that this is not our process and that we expect the upper lot to be used for that purpose. We appreciate his partnership and your cooperation.
Student Parking
Students who plan to drive to school and park on campus are required to obtain a student parking permit from the front office. Permits are $10 each.
Students must read and submit a signed Parking Permit Application.
Students must have a valid provisional driving license.
Student parking is permitted only in the main lot in front of the gymnasium and in the upper parking lot.
Tickets will be issued to vehicles that do not have a parking permit and/or to those parked in non-student parking areas.
Upon arrival to campus, all school rules are in effect. Students are expected to remain on campus and in the building until the end of their school day.
Travel considerations (especially in light of the local roadwork):
We know that the roadwork near our school has created challenges and, at times, significant delays for travel to and from our building. We have been in communication with the State Highway Administration (SHA) in hope that the timing of the work can be adjusted to have less of an impact on our traffic flow at arrival and dismissal. The SHA official asked me to alert student drivers and parents to the challenges of navigating the intersection at Route 15 and N. Franklinville Road and Roddy Creek Road. There are reportedly more students than typical crossing Route 15 at this location to avoid the traffic delays through town. This is a challenging area to navigate, especially for novice drivers; students are encouraged to use a different and safer route to and from school.
Spring Sports Registration is Now Open
High School spring sports begin Wednesday, March 1. All sport physicals must be dated April 1, 2023 or after and must be completed prior to Wednesday, March 1. Online registration must be completed prior to Wednesday, March 1.
Please review the directions at the link below before beginning the registration process here.
Note to parents: You will not be able to pay online until your student athlete is selected for the team and the roster has been finalized. Once each athletic team is chosen and the roster is finalized, parents will receive an email to let them know when they may go online and pay the participation fee via School Cash Online.
The fee is $95 and must be paid before the first contest on March 20 by 11:59 pm. Payments should be made via School Cash Online http://www.fcps.org/athletics/athletic-fees.
Follow @FCPSAthletics on X (previously Twitter) and visit www.fcps.org/athletics for additional updates.
FAFSA Finish Workshop
February 7, 2024 at 6:00-8:00 pm at CHS
(Other dates and locations available - see link below for options.)Do you need help completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA)?
You can attend a FREE FAFSA Finish Workshop and get hands-on help to complete these applications. The workshops are being held at high schools around the county (you do not need to be a student at the specific high school where the event is located to attend the event). Pre-registration is required.
For more information and to register click here: FAFSA Finish Registration
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
Dear Catoctin Community,
On January 24, we hosted the Catoctin Feeder Community Dinner. The evening was a great success as we welcomed many families for dinner, provided information and resources from many different organizations, and got to see some of the awesome and creative work of our students who participated in our contest. The theme of the contest was “What I love about Catoctin”. All of the entries brought a smile - some were funny, some were artistic, and all were thoughtful and sincere. What warmed my heart the most, however, was the frequent reference to kind, respectful, and helpful friends and community members. We are part of a truly special community, one in which so many people treat each other and our schools with great regard, respect, and compassion. It is beautiful to see that even some of our youngest students recognize and appreciate that. It is my belief that this potential for kindness and respect lies in each and every student in our feeder and I would love to see that displayed in every interaction. Thank you to the students of our community whose contest entries provided an important reminder about the importance of kindness and respect.
Go Cougars!
Jen Clements
Principal
MONTHLY GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / GUARDIANS
Attendance Update
January 18 is the start of Semester 2. This is an opportunity for a fresh start - new classes, new teachers, and better attendance. For many, Semester 1 was highly successful and students had great attendance and outstanding grades - if that was the case for you, keep that up in the second semester! If you struggled in any of those areas, Semester 2 affords you the opportunity for a fresh start. I have said many times that good attendance often correlates with good grades (and bad attendance almost always correlates with low grades). Make it your goal to come to school every day; when you do, we can foster your learning and well-being. Please let us know how we can support your good attendance and your academic success.
*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.
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 November for each school:
School Calendar
This is the time of year that many of us are dreaming of summer vacation. When planning your vacations, please be sure to consult the school calendar to ensure your plans do not conflict with the final days of school. The calendar can be found on the FCPS website: https://www.fcps.org/about/calendar-handbook.
Please note that, as of today, the last day of school is June 6 (but that could change with more snow days). You can also find the calendar posted for the 2024-2025 school year (if you want to check the first day of school for next year - which is August 21).
FCPS is also considering options for the 2025-2026 school year - you are able to provide input to inform that decision (the details are also posted on the page linked above). Attendance at school is important and consulting the calendar before making plans can prevent scheduling conflicts for your student.
FCPS-FCC Early College Program
Frederick County Public Schools and Frederick Community College (FCC) invite you to attend one of four Early College Information Nights to learn about the FCPS-FCC Early College program:
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 (in-person, at FCC)
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (virtual)
Times for all dates: 7:00 - 8:00 pm
The Early College program allows high school students to earn an associate's degree and high school diploma simultaneously by attending FCC full-time during your junior and senior years. The program was created to increase participation and completion for students from populations historically underrepresented in higher education and is open to all FCPS high school students.
FCPS students apply to Early College during their sophomore year of high school.
At the Information Nights, members of the Dual Enrollment Team will go through the details of the Early College program and acceptance process, and they will answer questions from interested students and families.
Register to attend one of these sessions at tiny.cc/earlycollegenight. A confirmation email will be sent with further information regarding the location and/or meeting link.
Contact the DE Office at DualEnrollment@frederick.edu, or visit www.frederick.edu/de for more information!
Applying For An Out-of-District Transfer
The FCPS Department of Student Services is now receiving requests for student enrollments in schools outside of the student's home attendance district for the 2024-2025 school year. Requests to enroll in a school that is not a student's home school district must be made by parents/legal guardians. Guidelines for requests are outlined in FCPS Regulation 400-15.
Parents/guardians must apply for an out-of-district enrollment annually. Therefore, if your child is currently attending a school out of your attendance district, you must complete and submit an application if you would like to request that your child remain at that school.
If a school's enrollment is over capacity, it is necessary to restrict out-of-district student enrollments in that school. This includes students whose daycare providers are located outside their assigned attendance area.
Out-of-district requests submitted as the result of school redistricting by the Board of Education may be denied.
Parents or guardians who wish to request an out-of-district enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year must apply by completing the out-of-district application. The applications are available in English and Spanish. The application can also be found online at www.fcps.org under the "For Families and Students" tab. The application window is open until March 1, 2024. Families will be notified of the decision by April 1, 2024.
Online Tutoring available 24/7
Our school is proud to announce that we’ve teamed up with TutorMe to offer 24/7 online tutoring to all students!
TutorMe is a place where our students can build the connections they need to learn and thrive. Through TutorMe, students connect with a tutor who’s an exact match for what they’re looking for – whether you’re stumped by an algebra equation, craving a confidence boost, or looking for an extra challenge. There’s more to TutorMe than live online tutoring. Through the TutorMe Writing Lab, you can submit drafts of any written assignment and receive detailed feedback from expert writing tutors in just a couple hours. Reference the TutorMe Support Guide to get started: TutorMe Student Support Guide (English) ESP. Guia de Apoyo- TutorMe (Spanish)
Click on the TutorMe icon in Clever to get started today.
SAT Test Prep Courses at FCC
Frederick Community College SAT Test Prep class schedule for spring 2024. Registration is now open for students. For more information visit frederick.edu/SAT.
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 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.
Catoctin Safe and Sane Class of 2024 t-shirts are now on sale! Visit this link to order: Class of 2024 T-shirt
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 Zoom Meeting from your home. All are welcome to attend! Upcoming dates: February 20, March 19, April 16, and May 14. Please email President Traci Tatum (tracitatum41@gmail.com) at for a link to join the Zoom meeting.
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!
community news
These flyers have been approved for electronic distribution by FCPS:
In partnership with Baltimore magazine, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s second annual JA 18 Under 18 awards program will honor the most extraordinary young people in the Greater Baltimore area. This program seeks to showcase the state's up-and-comers who show exceptional entrepreneurial spirit. Nominate a student at bmag.co/18under18. Please see the below flyers for more information:
JA 18 Under 18 Information (nominations close January 15)
The 4th Annual Seed to Root Black history celebration will be held on February 16, 2024. Interested grade K-12 student performers should apply by December 8. See the flyer for more information.