THE COUGAR CONNECTION

The Catoctin High School Newsletter  •  May 21, 2024

https://edu.fcps.org/chs/

Graduation Day!

The CHS Class of 2024 commencement will be today, May 21st, at 6:00 pm at the Knott Arena on the campus of Mount St. Mary's University. Only ticketed guests will be admitted to the event.  Doors open at 5:00 pm.

The Catoctin High School graduation (and all county high school graduations) will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend the ceremony. The graduation will be livestreamed on the FCPS Maryland YouTube page and will also be archived there for future viewing.

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:

Registration Fees:

Packet Pick Up:

Congratulations Boys Track & Field

The CHS boys Track and Field team won the regional championship!

Calendar

Catoctin Certified as Maryland Green School

CHS was recently certified in the Maryland Green Schools Program for 2023-24 by the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (MAEOE). This brings the total number of green schools in FCPS up to seven.

“I’m so proud of our communities who are part of the Maryland Green Schools program,” FCPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson said. “Being a Maryland Green School requires a commitment to being forward thinking about what is best for the environment in our beautiful county.”

“Maryland students are becoming better stewards of our Earth’s resources and are developing a better understanding of their own local environment,” MAEOE executive director Laura Johnson Collard said. “We know that Green School practices, such as outdoor learning support interdisciplinary curriculum standards and student engagement.”

In Maryland, 654 schools are part of the green school program, representing 34 percent of all Maryland schools. 

MAEOE will host the 25th annual Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit May 30 at Sandy Point State Park on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Green Schools are invited to participate.

Important reminders:

As we close out the school year, we would like to remind our community about the expectations that were put into place at the start of the school year when we introduced the updated Student Code of Conduct.   

The end of the year brings opportunities for special events and celebrations. We recognize this is a time of high energy for all and there may be a propensity to relax expectations.  With this said, it is paramount to ensure every student learns and grows in a safe space. All students are expected to understand and follow the appropriate behaviors covered in the Student Code of Conduct, even in the final weeks of our school year.

We are encouraging families to review the code of conduct with their children. We must make sure that safe and supportive learning environments foster respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and good citizenship. We know that our students come prepared each day with a desire to learn, to contribute positively, and we celebrate the outstanding scholars that make FCPS an excellent school system.

It is the responsibility of everyone in our community to ensure that all students have safe and supportive school environments.  

We join together as partners in our commitment to safety, well being, and a nurturing learning environment for every child, every day. Thank you for your continued support.


Reminders from Deputy Davis (our School Resource Officer):

Spring sometimes brings with it an increase in unsafe and/or illegal behavior.  We want to encourage all of our students to stay safe and to be good citizens in our community.  Please be safe drivers or passengers by driving carefully and within the speed limits, wearing your seatbelt at all times, and following the directions of school and law enforcement officials both on and off school property.

We have also heard from some of our local businesses that they have seen an increase in theft recently.  Please be a good citizen and pay for any products you wish to have.  The businesses in our community, especially, are very supportive of our school and our students so it is important that we are respectful in these establishments. 

End of Year Chromebook Procedures and BYOD Reminder

Beginning this year, FCPS will make changes to our Chromebook management procedures for secondary students regarding their collection and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Moving forward, secondary schools will only collect Chromebooks from students in 8th and 12th grades. Additionally, starting next school year, student’s will be expected to use their FCPS issued device for instruction throughout the school day. As a reminder, the FCPS BYOD program will end on June 10, 2024.

Current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will keep their Chromebooks through the summer. This change will simplify end of year procedures for our students and staff. A physical inventory of each device will occur before students leave for summer, but this process should be significantly easier and less time consuming than the traditional collection. The physical inventory will ensure that FCPS has an accurate account of each device that is assigned to a student in the aforementioned grades.

As required by law, FCPS issued student Chromebooks will continue to have a restrictive internet content filter applied to them throughout the summer. Students will still be able to access FCPS approved educational programs. If a student has an issue with a Chromebook over the summer, the issue will need to be reported to the school’s User Support Specialist at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.

At the start of next school year, secondary schools will only need to issue devices to newly enrolled students, students who previously used BYOD, and 6th and 9th grade students. This change allows a majority of students to have their FCPS assigned devices for the first day of school.

Any family who will be unable to maintain their child’s device over the summer or who knows they will be withdrawing from FCPS should contact the User Support Specialist Stephanie Felmet to coordinate a plan for Chromebook collection.

If any current BYOD student would like to be issued their FCPS device before the end of the 2023-24 school year, please see the CHS User Support Specialist, Ms. Felmet.

chs to have New Phone Number beginning july 1

Beginning on July 1, 2024, Catoctin High School's phone number will be changing as all of FCPS transitions to a new telecommunications system. 

The phone number change is necessary for two primary reasons: (1) The current telecommunications system is being modernized to allow more system functionality and reduce maintenance and service costs; and (2) the phone number change allows for the standardization of FCPS phone numbers with a common area code and initial three digits for all schools. 

Catoctin High School's new phone number for the main office will be 227-203-3150 beginning July 1.

School based staff can be reached by calling the school’s main number and choosing the appropriate option from the call menu or by dialing a staff member’s extension at any time:

Catoctin High School has been preparing for this change by ensuring that we are updating all contact information on the school website, school messaging and other school documents. We are committed to making this transition with a minimal impact on school communications. 

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Catoctin Community,


Our Seniors have finished their time as students at CHS.  I have had the pleasure of knowing this group since the start of their high school career; it is incredible to see them now as young adults getting ready to start their next chapter.   I was recently glancing through their freshman year yearbook – what a difference 4 years makes! 


And today is my favorite day of the year – Graduation!  (In case you were wondering, my next two favorite days are the first and the last days of school.)   I am feeling sentimental about the Class of 2024 and will miss their presence in the building.  The graduation ceremony is a beautiful opportunity for us to celebrate our graduates as we send them off to their next adventures.  A few additional thoughts about graduation:


Congratulations to the Class of 2024.  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.


Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) Announcement

As of July 1, 2024 Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) will not be available for FCPS students. This program was paid for by ARP ESSER grant funds that come to an end August 31, 2024. 

The Frederick County Library has an online tutoring platform called Brainfuse HelpNow. This service can be used with a Frederick County Public Library Card Number. HelpNow is a resource designed for K-12 students and beyond. Live tutoring is available in English and Spanish from 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm to provide homework help for core subjects, including mathematics, science, and English language arts. Practice long division, improve reading comprehension, and learn other key skills. Practice for standardized tests. Students may submit papers to HelpNow’s Writing Lab for expert assistance and feedback, or collaborate with peers in virtual study spaces. More information is available at the FCPL website, https://www.fcpl.org/learn/brainfuse-helpnow.  

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 

Local Food Banks

FCPS Free and Reduced Meal Benefits

Child Protective Services (CPS):    301-600-2464

Crisis Services:    Dial 211

Maryland Anonymous Tip Line:    1-833-632-7233

Suicide Prevention Hotline:    988

Free Mental Health Crisis Care Center Open 24/7

catoctin Safe and Sane

Catoctin High School Committee for a Safe and Sane Graduation Inc. is not sponsored by Catoctin High School

Safe 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 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!