THE COUGAR CONNECTION
The Catoctin High School Newsletter • January 12, 2023
CHS Drama and Music present ...
Death of a Dead Guy
Catoctin High School is proud to present Death of a Dead Guy as part of a murder-mystery dinner theatre on Saturday, January 20th at 5:00 pm. CHS music and drama honor society students have been hard at work preparing for this performance which will be held at Catoctin High School. A delicious dinner will be catered by Thurmont Kountry Kitchen and served by students.
Tickets will only be sold online now at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/79386 and can be purchased until midnight on January 18th. All ticket purchases directly benefit students in the music and drama department at CHS. No tickets will be sold at the door.
We hope to see you there!
cte Students Earn Industry Certification
Congratulations to Madison Donnelly, Ann Gothel, Faith May, Gina Lin, Emma Magers and Jackson Savage for earning the Benz Principles of Floral Design Industry Certification!
The Principles of Floral Design Certification from the Benz School of Floral Design is designed to prepare the next generation of floral industry professionals. It verifies individuals have acquired the knowledge and skills to pursue a sustainable career in the floral industry.
Trammel Receives King Award
Congratulations to Catoctin's Furious Trammel for being named the Catoctin High School King Award recipient! Students were selected by their school based on their demonstration of positive leadership qualities, characteristic of Dr. King: Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, Citizenship and Respect
Furious and other students around the county were honored at the Frederick County Public Schools' (FCPS) 34th Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Thursday, January 4.
Catoctin Feeder Community Dinner and art Contest
Catoctin High School is serving as the host site for a Catoctin Feeder Community Dinner on Wednesday, January 24. Please join us from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm for a free dinner. We will also have community resources and agencies available, meals for families to take home, and door prizes (that will include some free tickets to that night's basketball game). Also that night, our boy's basketball team is hosting Oakdale - consider coming to the games (JV plays at 5:30 and Varsity at 7:00; tickets are $2 for students and $6 for adults) to support our Cougars!
At the community dinner, we will also announce the winners of the "What I love about Catoctin" Contest - all students are encouraged to participate - entries due January 19!
We have an amazing feeder and we are excited to come together for dinner and fellowship on January 24 - we hope you will join us!
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).
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.
senior class meeting - Feb. 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.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
Dear Catoctin Community,
This is our first newsletter of 2024, so I want to take this opportunity to say: Happy New Year! and Happy Second Semester! Both bring the opportunity for a new beginning, a fresh start, and change. I know that teachers and students alike are looking forward to the new semester, but many are also feeling the anxiety that comes with change as we leave behind the known of our first semester classes and move into second semester classes with new people, new content, and new expectations. What is not new, however, are the basic habits and practices that will bring success at school:
Come to school every day.
Be prepared to focus on your academics.
Prioritize your learning and well-being over everything else.
Engage in your learning (school is not intended to be passive).
Be respectful and kind (to yourself and others).
Serve as a positive leader.
Advocate appropriately for your needs.
If you strive to take the actions above every day, you will achieve success in your classes and you will be a positive member of our school community.
I am confident that it will be a successful second semester as we continue to partner with students, parents/guardians, and our greater community to support our students’ learning and well-being. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
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 = 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:
*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.
Safety and Security
As I have mentioned many times, we have two equally important priorities for our students - their education and their safety and well-being. It is important to talk about safety and security when there has not been any incident or concern so that we can be prepared for if/when something should arise. Some important reminders we share with staff and students include:
Keep doors (both exterior and classroom) closed and locked
See something, say something (if you ever have a concern, pass that along to a trusted adult…..no matter how seemingly big or small)
Refrain from engaging in unsafe behavior (substance use, fighting, even horseplay can often become dangerous)
Engage appropriately in drills
Identify yourself when asked (students, parents/guardians, and visitors)
Consider social media posts and the impact they will have on our school (and if you see something concerning, report it, don’t repost it)
FCPS also prioritizes both education and safety; there are many resources and sources of information on this topic, some of which are linked below:
FCPS Safety and Emergency Management Department site: https://www.fcps.org/semd
FCPS Policies, dozens of which reference some aspect of safety and security: https://www.fcps.org/boe/policies
FCPS Code of Conduct, which also includes references to safety and security: https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/33903/86de7fb0-3a18-11e6-b537-22000bd8490f/2630709/2f7bbe68-24d3-11ee-b316-0ad72e39358f/file/StudentCodeofConduct_2023-24.pdf
Please know that we work proactively every day to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for all of our students. We also respond to any/all concerns that are raised. In all of these efforts, we appreciate the partnership of our law enforcement partners, most especially our School Resource Officer Deputy Davis. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Deputy Davis or any school administrator with concerns or questions.
Catoctin High School Counseling Office Updates
The start of the spring semester is quickly approaching and we are excited for all the possibilities that it brings. Please make note of the following important dates/events:
January 5: Spring semester course schedules are accessible to students and parents in Schoology.
January 8-24: Schedule change window for spring semester classes. Please refer to this document for more information and link to REQUIRED schedule change form: Schedule Change Process.
January 18 - February 5: Course Registration for school year 2024-25 course selection.
January 25, 5:00 - 6:30 pm: Registration Information Night at CHS. Learn more about course offerings and special programs available for students at this program.
February 5: Last day to complete and submit registration (course selection) for school year 2024-25 in Schoology "Class 202#" group.
SEMESTER 2 DUAL ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
All students who plan to take FCC Dual Enrollment (DE) courses in Semester 2 must apply to FCC via the FCC website and complete this form. Students who have already taken an FCC course do not need to reapply.
CHS Dual Enrollment instructors will meet with students prior to the FCC start date of Monday, January 22 to review the syllabus and check for Blackboard access as follows:
Business 103 (Gadra) M/W – meet on Friday, January 19
Business 103 (Gadra) T/Th – meet on Thursday, January 18
Calculus 185 (Ausherman) M/W/F – meet on Friday, January 19
English 102 (Headley) M/W – meet on Friday, January 19
English 102 (Headley) T/Th – meet on Thursday, January 18
Statistics 120 (Scudiero) M/W – meet on Friday, January 19
Statistics 120 (Scudiero) T/Th – meet on Thursday, January 18
High School Based Sociology 101 T/Th has an adjunct (FCC) instructor and will meet for the first time on Tuesday, January 23 in room 315.
Students who drive or have other transportation may not be in the building on “off days” without prior approval. Students with no 4th block class must exit the building immediately after block 3. Students with no 1st block class may arrive just prior to the start of block 2 and remain in the front office until the 8:55 am bell rings. Students who ride a bus are expected to report to the Media Center (on time) on days when they do not have class. Students who remain in the building or report early must sign in at the front office and then sign in again in the Media Center. This is for safety purposes so that all students may be accounted for in the event of an emergency.
Students who are enrolled in only one section of a DE class may pursue other options on their off days. Students interested in enrolling in the PACEE program for a .5 credit should contact Mrs. Bellarmino for more information. Please note that enrollment in the PACEE program requires the completion of a service project. Students interested in acting as a student aide (0 credits) should contact their school counselor. Student schedules will be changed to reflect the enrollment and attendance will be taken by the teacher supervisor.
High School Based instructors with classes on M/W or T/Th hold office hours every Friday during the block that class meets. Students are encouraged to use this time to meet with their instructors to ask questions, seek assistance, or discuss missing work.
Open Campus/Early College/Career Pathways (non-high school based) students need to use Slingshot to purchase all of their books. Information was sent via FCC email and is also found here. Books will be provided for high-school based students.
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:
Thursday, January 25, 2024 (virtual)
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!
Virtual School Applications Now Being Accepted
Applications are now being accepted for the FCPS Remote Virtual Program for students entering Grades 3-8 and the FCPS High School Remote Virtual Program for Grades 9-12.
Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first-served basis, with enrollment offers to approved applications by mid-March. The program will close to new applications once student enrollment capacity has been reached.
High school student applications are due by February 2. Elementary/Middle School applications are due by February 15.
To register for the FCPS Remote Virtual Program (Grades 3-8), please follow this link.
To register for the FCPS High School Remote Virtual Program (Grades 9-12), please follow this link.
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/.
Learning @ Home - Inclement Weather
As you may know, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has been approved by the Maryland State Department of Education to implement up to three virtual instructional days in lieu of systemwide closure during inclement weather. While not necessarily the first option, the Learning @ Home days provide FCPS flexibility in responding to various weather emergencies. In developing the FCPS plan, our goal is to: mitigate disruption to learning mid-year; minimize additional days that often need to be added at the end of the school year; and keep students connected to learning in the event of an extended closure. Additional information can be found here.
As a result, our school has been engaged in planning and preparation for this possibility, to ensure full readiness if a virtual instruction day were to be implemented. Here’s what you need to know and how you can help your child prepare:
Instructional Activities: All assignments will be independent and self-paced (asynchronous). You can expect approximately 20-30 minutes per subject area, that students can complete at a time that works for them or the household. Assignments and activities will be review and practice, not new content. Please note that the design of these instructional days does not require students to follow a typical school or “live” virtual schedule.
All assignments will be posted in Schoology, as provided by FCPS or assigned by your child’s teachers. Print options will be available if requested by the student or parent/guardian.
Attendance: Students will be counted as “present” by logging into Schoology on the virtual learning day or turning in assignments upon return to school. Students who were unable to access the instructional activities during the virtual learning day will be provided with additional time.
Support: During a Learning @ Home Day, our staff will be available to provide “live” support to students during the day via Google Meet, in an Office Hours format. This is optional for students and not required. Teachers will all be available from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm via Google Meet. The Google Meet code (which will be CatoctinFirstInitialLastName, ex. CatoctinTHutchinson) will be posted in Schoology for each course. In addition, students needing support can also send an email or Schoology message to their teacher or call the main school office at (240) 236-8100.
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 will be held at 7:00 pm via Zoom Meeting from your home. All are welcome to attend! 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.