THE COUGAR CONNECTION

The Catoctin High School Newsletter • March 18, 2022

Indoor Boys Track team wins State title

The Boys Indoor Track team rocked the competition at the state meet by fighting from start to finish.

The 4 by 800-meter team of Gabriel Riling, Dennis Lease, Chris Sanchez, and Daniel Hoyle took 4th place. Brody Buffington and Furious Trammel surprised the competition by bringing in 1st for Brody and 2nd for Furious in the 300-meter dash. Furious also ran a personal best in the 500-meter dash and took 5th in that event. Brody’s said “Furious is on fire”! Brody Buffington also came in 1st in the 55-meter dash and ran the fastest 55 meter in all four classes at states.

Garrett Sullivan took home a 3rd place medal in the high jump. Alex Contreras brought home 5th in the mile run and 3rd in the two-mile run. Wyatt Davis got 4th in the Shot Put with a big personal best! The 4 by 200-meter team of Brody Buffington, Layne Stull, Dylan Wangness, and Josh Glass came in 5th on their event.

The last event of the night was the 4 by 400-meter run. The team of Alex Contreras, Dennis Lease, Garrett Sullivan, and Furious Trammel needed to beat Smithburg in order to win 1st place at states. In addition, every team member scored points in every event they qualified to participate in at states - a true team victory!

"Athletes … your coaches, your teammates, and your school are all very proud of you," said Coach Dave Lillard. "They showed that fighting from beginning to the end, having each other’s backs during competition, and trusting in your ability can bring nothing but great things." Congratulations to State Champs!

Great Season for the Lady Cougars Basketball

Congratulations to the Lady Cougar Basketball team on an outstanding season! The team had a stellar record of 23-3 and won the Class 1A West title. On March 10, the team lost 51-42 in the Class 1A state final against the Pikesville Panthers at the University of Maryland Xfinity Center. Coach Amy Entwistle said "I could not be more proud of my girls and our program! We may have come up a little short on the scoreboard, but my girls gave me the most precious gift…extra time with them. Playing on the final day meant we had the most amount of time together. The basketball memories were amazing, but the extra time together was priceless! I love them so much and am grateful for every minute!"

on the chs stage: State Fair

CHS Drama will present the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical State Fair on April 8 and 9. Showtimes are 7:00 pm on Friday, April 8 and 1:00 and 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 9. The performances will be fun for the whole family with a real carnival before each show! Enjoy a petting zoo, pony rides, games and activities from 11:00-12:30 pm for the 1:00 pm showtime and 5:00-6:30 pm for 7:00 pm showtimes. The carnival is sponsored by the Catoctin FFA and CHS Drama. Tickets will be sold at the door: $8/adult and $6/student for the matinee; $10/adult and $8/student for evening show.

Mark Your calendar!

MCAP Exams

Students enrolled in Algebra 1, English 10, Biology, and Government will be participating in Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program exams May 2 – 20. An exam schedule will be shared at the beginning of Term 4.

Prom 2022 - Rustic Gala

Mark your calendars! The Junior Class will present the 2022 Catoctin High School Prom on on Friday, April 29th from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Junior and senior students may attend prom and bring one guest (under age 21). Guests do not have to attend CHS.

Tickets are $30 per person and will be sold during lunch shifts April 4th through April 14th. A signed dance agreement must be presented for each ticket purchased. Students can view and print the dance agreement on the CHS website or pick up a printed copy in the main office.

Class of 2022 Important Dates

  • April 13 - Final (Required) Senior Meeting, 7:35 am, CHS Auditorium

  • April 14 - Scholar Award Application Due to guidance office

  • April 29 - Prom, 7-10 pm

  • May 11 - Cap and Gown Distribution, pick up during STEP, lunch shifts, or 3:00 - 4:00 pm

  • May 13 - Senior Surveys Due in Naviance

  • May 18 - Financial Obligations Due

  • May 18 - Senior Last Day

  • May 23 & 24 - Required Graduation practices, 8:00 am -12:00 pm, CHS gymnasium

  • May 23 - Senior Awards Ceremony, CHS Auditorium

  • May 25 - Graduation, 10:00 am (seniors arrive by 9:00), Knott Arena, Mount St. Mary's University

CHS CALENDAR


🟦 GO COUGARS! CHS GAME SCHEDULE


MARCH 2022

18 2-Hour Early Dismissal for Students

25 End of Term 3

28 Schools Closed - President's Day


APRIL 2022

15-22 Schools Closed - Spring Break

29 CHS Prom: Rustic Gala, 7-10 pm

rock your socks for World Down Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), March 21, 2022, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

You're invited to Rock Your Socks on Monday, March 21, 2022 and post pictures to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day on social media. Post your sock pictures on social media and use #WDSDatFCPS and #LotsOfSocks!

Catoctin High Class of 2019 graduate Megan Eiker recently visited CHS to help promote awareness of World Down Syndrome Day! Megan invites all to rock the socks on Monday, March 21st for this world wide celebration!

Unified Track gears up for First Meet

Unified Track and Field Team hits the track, leading the way for inclusion! The first home meet is set for March 30th at 3:30 p.m. Come on out to Cougar Stadium to support our athletes! Shown below are CHS team members Kiandra Strickhouser and Siddah Robbins.

Nominations open for Lions Teacher of the Year Award

You are invited to nominate a Pre-K through Grade 12 full-time teacher for the Thurmont Lions Club 2022 Teacher of the Year. Teachers at all schools in the Catoctin feeder school system are open for nomination: Catoctin High School, Thurmont Primary School, Thurmont Elementary School, Thurmont Middle School, Lewistown Elementary School, Emmitsburg Elementary School, Sabillasville Elementary School and Mother Seton School. Anyone can nominate a teacher – parents, students, fellow teachers and administrators.

All nomination forms are due to Lion club member Stephanie Steinly no later than Friday, April 8, 2022. They can be emailed to Stephanie.steinly@gmail.com or USPS mailed to Stephanie Steinly at 24 Lombard Street, Thurmont, MD 21788. Please include “2022 Teacher of the Year” on the subject line if emailing.

The final “2022 Teacher of the Year” will be selected from the eight finalists by a committee of community leaders and will be announced at the Thurmont Lions Club’s Education Night meeting on May 11, 2022.

Click here for a nomination form: Lions Club Teacher of the Year. For more information, contact Stephanie Steinly at Stephanie.steinly@gmail.com or 301-271-3268.

Tutoring opportunties

We want to help you succeed! If you need help with your classes, there are multiple resources available to you!

Online Instant Help Tutoring Program: TutorMe

All Frederick County Public Schools middle and high school students now have 24/7 access to virtual tutoring services for help on any subject.

What is TutorMe? TutorMe provides virtual tutoring opportunities for middle and high school students on virtually any topic. Tutors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for assistance. Watch this video for more information: TutorMe Overview

How do students log in? Students can log in from the Chrome web browser by using Clever. Watch this video for directions: Log-in to TutorMe

How do students get tutoring assistance? Students access TutorMe using the Clever portal and then select a subject for help. Watch this video for details on how to connect with a tutor: Connect with a Tutor

What can students request assistance for? TutorMe connects you with a tutor for every subject! You can even submit documents to the Writing Lab for editing/advice!

How do students get assistance with writing reports and essays? The TutorMe Writing Lab is accessible to students 24/7. More details about how to upload documents to the lab are available online. Spanish directions are available here.

Does TutorMe help with Advanced Placement and/or Dual Enrollment courses at the high school level? Yes! TutorMe actually began as a tutoring service for college students. Tutors are available to support students in most subjects and at any level.

For detailed information and links visit: TutorMe Q&A

CHS After-School Tutoring: In-Person and Virtual Sessions Offered

Catoctin High School offers an after school tutoring program with teachers and staff from our school. Choose to drop in for face-to-face sessions after school in the Media Center or drop in to virtual Google Meet sessions in the evenings.

The after school face-to-face sessions are held 2:30 to 3:30 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, whenever school is in session. At this time, transportation for after school tutoring is not be available.

Evening virtual sessions will be held on Google Meet. A virtual tutoring schedule with tutors, days, times, and Google meet codes may be found by clicking here: Evening Virtual Tutoring

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Cougar Community,

We are approaching the end of Term 3 (last day is March 25) and Spring Break (begins April 15) shortly thereafter……this year is going quickly and we are racing to the finish line. In high schools, our work with students span both inside and outside of the classroom – our primary charge is to foster learning, but the extra-curricular opportunities are also an important and impactful part of the high school experience.

As we look ahead to the final quarter of the school year, I hope that students have a renewed commitment and motivation to finish strong. Although students have largely been more successful this year than last year, there continues to be opportunity for improvement for most. There also continues to be many different ways to get support. Please make use of the following resources:

  • After-school tutoring

  • TutorMe online tutoring (available on-demand, 24-7)

  • STEP (to get extra support from your teachers)

It is our belief and our goal that every student can and should achieve success. We are here to assist with that and we encourage students to take advantage of our support.

It was exciting to cheer on our sports teams in the winter season and we are now turning our sights to the spring sports season that officially gets underway with games next week. Our FFA has been busy all year long, including the February butchering event and the celebration of FFA Week – their commitment to our school and our community is incredible. Additionally, our Theatre Department is gearing up for our spring musical State Fair – it will be a show you do not want to miss!

It will also soon be the season for Prom and then graduation. We are excited for a return to the traditional format for these events; both of which are important milestones for our students. See the details related to Prom in this newsletter and keep an eye out for more details about graduation coming soon.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support for the activities inside and outside the classrooms.

Go Cougars!

Jen Clements

Principal

counseling department

graduating Senior career Fair

Frederick County Workforce Services-Youth Programs, in partnership with Frederick County Public Schools and Frederick Community College, will be hosting a Senior Career Fair on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 9:00 - 12:00 pm. During the event, expressly created for students planning to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, participants will have the opportunity to interact with dozens of local businesses seeking to fill vacancies with career-minded candidates. A tour of the FCC campus and a complimentary lunch will also be included. Transportation to and from the event will be provided by each school via FCPS school buses.

Although there is no participation fee, students must sign-up and get parental permission to attend. Interested seniors who would like more information or to sign-up should visit the counseling office.

Community Foundation Scholarship Open through March 31

The Community Foundation of Frederick County Scholarship application is open March 1 through March 31st.  This ONE application allows seniors to apply for over 250 local scholarships.   For more details, click here to view a presentation that was recently shared with CHS seniors.

CHS students may request transcript requests by sending a Schoology message to their school counselor.   

Recruitment Event for Dual Enrolled Seniors

Any senior who has taken a dual enrollment class is invited to attend an event that showcases the benefits FCC has to offer a student after high school. Students will be able to engage with staff at a campus information fair, take their photo for their FCC student ID, make their ROAR advising appointment, hear from current FCC students and more. The event will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 6:00- 7:30 pm in the Student Center (H).

All who attend will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of three $500 FCC tuition scholarships. For more information and to register for this event, click here. Questions? Email admissions@frederick.edu.


NEED HELP?

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: 1-800-273-8255

    • To get help if you are thinking about suicide.


Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) summer program

It's time for FCPS high school juniors and seniors to apply for the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) summer program, offered at Hood College. For more information about the program, including the online Explore Engineering Innovation and the Biomedical Engineering Innovation course (BMEI), visit https://ei.jhu.edu/

The Engineering Innovation summer program will enable students to participate in a renowned college-level program that offers the potential to earn three college credits while exploring cutting-edge educational and career options. Students will also earn one FCPS elective credit.

The course will be offered from July 5 - July 29, Monday--Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Prerequisites are Algebra II, some trigonometry, a science lab (chemistry, and/or physics) and experience with a spreadsheet application.

Application Fee: $85, Tuition: $3,200. Financial assistance/scholarships are available! Apply early for Financial Aid. See the Ei website for more information. Frederick County Public Schools will cover the $230 lunch fee for Frederick County Public School students who attend!

Applications are currently open and considered on a rolling basis. Apply online at: https://ei.jhu.edu/apply

For more information contact Johns Hopkins University at ei@jhu.edu or 443-927-1986. You can also contact Kim Day, FCPS Curriculum Specialist Elementary Social Studies & STEM at kim.day@fcps.org or 301-644-5126.


cougar athletics

Digital Season Passes and Tickets for CHS Sporting Events

The Catoctin High School Athletic Department is proud to be partnering with Ticket Spicket to offer students, individuals, and families the opportunity to purchase digital single event tickets, Annual All-Sports Season Passes, and Seasonal All-Sports Passes.

The season pass options include the Annual All-Sports Pass which provides to access any non-playoff, non-tournament, regular season home game for any sport throughout the entire 2021-2022 school year and the Seasonal All-Sports Pass for access to any non-playoff, non-tournament, regular season home game for any sport that is played during the season for which the pass was purchased (Fall, Winter, or Spring) during the 2021-2022 season. Individual game tickets are also available. Visit this link for complete details and pricing: Tickets

Fan Guidelines 2021-22

The Catoctin High School winter athletic season has begun with boys and girls basketball scrimmages next week. Please help us maintain a safe environment by adhering to the policies found in here: Fan Guidelines.

Athletic Game Schedules

The most up-to-date athletic game schedule is available online at: CHS Athletic Game Schedules. Live streaming of athletic events is now available! View details here: https://www.fcps.org/athletics

Catoctin Sports Boosters

Catoctin High School Sports Boosters is a parent-based organization which provides support for all CHS athletes, sports teams and coaches.

The Sports Boosters program raises money through fundraisers, concession sales, sponsorship and membership to cover the additional expenses not covered by the Athletic Department budget. All of the money raised goes to support the athletic programs at CHS.

In addition the Sports Boosters honor school athletes, award scholarships to a Senior male and female athlete, promote school spirit and much more. The booster club is open to anyone who wants to support our athletes and athletic program. Only members, who have a senior varsity athlete, will be eligible to apply for the Boosters’ scholarship.

Sports Boosters meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month in the Catoctin High School Main Conference room.

For more information on the Catoctin Sports Boosters, visit: https://catoctinboosters.wixsite.com/my-site

now you can View chs athletic games Live!

  • Visit www.nfhsnetwork.com or click on the photo below.

  • Search for your Catoctin HIgh School

  • Subscribe and Follow!

Cougar Sideline Store

The Cougar Sideline Store at BSN Sports has a variety of Catoctin High School spirit wear options. Use code MARCH to save 15% off orders of $75 or more now through March 31, 2022.

class of 2022 Safe & Sane Graduation

  • Weber Grill & Yeti Raffle beginning in February through April 12th. $10/ticket.

  • Upcoming Safe & Sane Meetings: Tuesday, April 12th location TBD

  • Upcoming Roy Rogers Nights: Thursday, April 21st 5:00-8:00 pm

  • Baccalaureate for Class of 2022: Sunday, May 22nd, 4:00 pm at St. Anthony's Shrine

  • Safe and Sane Event - Graduation Night: May 25th at the Mount Saint Mary's Knott Arena from 10:00 pm-4:30 am - more details to come.

If you would like to find out more about the Class of 2022 Safe and Sane please email us at catoctinsafeandsane2022@gmail.com or follow us on Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/catoctinhigh2022safeandsane

https://www.instagram.com/catoctinsafeandsane2022


community information