THE COUGAR CONNECTION

The Catoctin High School Newsletter • May 28, 2026

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

CATOCTIN community 5K & FUN RUN - june 6

Catoctin High School is thrilled to host the 3rd Annual Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run: Heroes on the Run on June 6, 2026! Proceeds benefit the Special Olympics of Maryland-Frederick County! Whether you want to walk, run, or simply show your support, this is your chance to make a difference.

Donate Only: Click the “Donate Now” button on the registration website to help us reach our fundraising goal of $5,000! (Note: Donations do not include race entry. Be sure to register separately for the race.)

Why We Need Your Support: The funds raised through the Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run stay local and directly support year-round sports training and competitive programs for both adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Frederick County. Special Olympics offer 15 different sports, all at no cost to the athletes and their families, and it costs approximately $275 per athlete per sport to run the program.

Thanks to the success and your support of last year's Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run, Special Olympics of Frederick County launched a Unified Youth Sports program in Thurmont, where students from Catoctin serve in key volunteer roles to support student participants from the community.

Together, we can continue making an impact for these athletes, and we need your help to reach our goal of 5,000! Let’s continue making a difference in our community and show our support for these incredible athletes!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Volunteers Needed for 5K & Fun Run

Graduation Day for Underclassmen

No students will report to Catoctin High School on Tuesday, June 2 (this is our graduation day). There will not be bus service to CHS nor to CTC, AFA, or JROTC for Catoctin students on this day.

In place of in-person instruction, June 2 will be an asynchronous day of instruction. Prior to June 2, teachers will provide students with assignments and directions for work that is to be completed for that day. All teachers will be available via Google Meet from 1:00 - 2:45 pm on June 2 for virtual, synchronous support for any students with questions or needing assistance. Teachers will all be accessible using the Google Meet code based on your teacher's name: CatoctinFirstInitialLastName (for example: CatoctinSCalhoun).

The Catoctin High School front office will be open from 7:30 am - 3:30 pm on June 2 to answer questions.

Mark Your Calendar!

May 29 - Graduation Practice
June 1 - Graduation Practice, Senior Award Ceremony
June 2 - Graduation, 6:00 pm
June 6 - Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run
June 16 - Last Day of School, 2-Hr Early Dismissal

Helpful Links

Attention Graduating

Class of 2026!

GRADUATION PRACTICES: Seniors must be on time, attend all practices, and stay for the full practice on BOTH days in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. Failure to do so will not affect a diploma being earned, but the privilege to participate in the graduation ceremony may be jeopardized. Practices are held in the CHS gymnasium and students should enter at the gym entrance. Practices will be held Friday, May 29, 8:00 am – 12:30 pm and on Monday, June 1, 8:00 am – 12:30 pm.

SENIOR AWARDS CEREMONY: This ceremony will be held Monday, June 1, 2026 at 6:00 pm in the Catoctin High School auditorium. Students should arrive at 5:30 pm and meet in the cafeteria. This is an optional event and no tickets are needed. Students should RSVP for this event using this form: https://bit.ly/4jWVP4z

SENIOR CLAPOUTS: You can wear your cap and gown to participate in a walk through at your elementary school on June 1: EES at 1:00 pm, Sabillasville Environmental Charter School 1:00 pm, Mother Seton at 1:30 pm, LES at 2:15 pm, TES at 1:45 pm, TPS at 1:15 pm.

ACCESSIBLE SEATING & INTERPRETERS: If you have a family member or guest who requires reserved accessible seating space in the floor chair section (rather than the bleachers) and/or an interpreter for foreign language or for the deaf and/or hard of hearing, please complete this form https://bit.ly/3OP3tUK. To be sensitive to guests at the ceremony, a maximum of one additional seat per special request will be set aside.

GRADUATION ATTIRE: Graduation is a formal ceremony and student attire should be appropriate for that. Wearing dress pants with a button-down shirt, a dress, or a skirt is recommended. Shoes should be dressy and clean (no dirty boots, old tennis shoes, or flip flops) and should be comfortable for walking (you don't want to trip going across the stage!) Students must all wear the same graduation cap and gown and are not allowed to make modifications to the cap or gown. Additionally, graduates are only permitted to wear regalia and items given to them by FCPS during the graduation ceremony (please reach out to Mrs. Clements if there is something you want to wear that was not issued to you by FCPS). Please contact Mrs. Clements, Mrs. Hayes, or Mr. Gadra if you need assistance acquiring the appropriate attire.

GRADUATION: Graduation will be held Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 6:00 pm in the Knott Arena at the PNC Sports Complex on the campus of Mount St. Mary’s University. Students need to enter at the back doors of the field house no later than 5:00 pm. Only students who have fully attended all practices and met all standards have the privilege to participate in the graduation ceremony. Students excluded from the ceremony or those who have chosen not to participate may pick up their diplomas the morning after graduation in the CHS counseling office. Any extenuating circumstances or emergencies for not attending practices must be discussed with the Principal prior to May 15. For unforeseen circumstances that arise, a parent must contact the school as soon as possible. Please make every effort to meet all standards set forth. Tickets are issued to students on the final graduation practice.

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS: Please check your SchoolCash Online account to see if you have any financial obligations. Every student has an account in SchoolCash, but you need to register in order to access. Return all CHS property (chromebooks/cases/chargers, athletic uniforms, textbooks, library books, calculators, etc.) as soon as possible. Pay outstanding charges (lab fees, field trip fees, etc.) that are on your account from your years at CHS. The preferred payment method is online via SchoolCash, however, checks and cash will be accepted at graduation practice. Please Note: if you are paying cash in person you must pay in EXACT change. Graduation tickets will not be issued until all obligations are resolved. See Mrs. Zentz at graduation practice if you have questions.

SAFE & SANE EVENTS: The Catoctin Class of 2026 Safe and Sane committee has planned a Baccalaureate service on Sunday, May 31 at 7 pm at Thurmont United Methodist Church and will host the annual Safe and Sane graduation event on Tuesday, June 2. Seniors can enjoy sports games, cornhole, board games, karaoke, a photo booth, a money machine, prizes, and much more! View details here: Safe and Sane Graduation

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Catoctin Community,

We are quickly approaching the end of the school year - only 14 days of school for underclassmen and 0 days for Seniors as of May 26. There is still a lot of important learning to be done yet this year (at least for the underclassmen!) 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 recently 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 May 1 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, recent event is the celebration of Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We did some special things to celebrate our amazingly committed staff. A note from a student or a parent/guardian (at any time) is cherished and appreciated more than you might know. If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to let those staff members who have positively impacted you know (a short note or Schoology message would be the greatest gift of gratitude you could share.)

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!

Sincerely,

Jen Clements

Principal

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/.

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