THE COUGAR CONNECTION

The Catoctin High School Newsletter • May 5, 2025

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

pizza with the principal

Please join Catoctin High School and the CHS PTSA on Wednesday, May 7th at 7:00 pm in the CHS cafeteria for Pizza with the Principal. Come chat about ways we can all work together to make Catoctin High School the best it can be. Enjoy pizza, salad, and dessert while having a chat with Principal Jen Clements and some of our PTSA officers. Bring your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We look forward to meeting with you!

Mental Health Awareness Week

May 5th through May 9th is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. While 1 in 5 people have a mental health challenge, 5 out of 5 people have mental health! We need to normalize talking about and taking care of our mental health just as we take care of our physical health. Next week we will focus on finding our coping skills and joining others to support mental health.

Music Monday - Wear your favorite band or musician T-shirt! Coping Skill: focus on sounds (like your favorite band), colors arounds us, posters on the wall, and smells to help us when feeling anxious.

Tie Dye Tuesday - Wear tie dye to represent that we experience a wide range of emotions and it’s okay to embrace them all. Coping Skill: Doing something for others often improves our own mood, find a way to be helpful to others.

WE Wednesday - Wear matching outfits with a friend to show that teaming up is one way to build resiliency. Coping Skill: spend time with a friend or find ways to be around others who have a shared interest. **Wags of Hope visits during STEP/Lunches.

Teamwork Thursday - Wear GREEN to support those suffering from mental health issues! Coping Skill: Know when you need more support, check out mental health apps that help you track mood.

Feel Good Friday - Wear your pajamas to remind ourselves to relax. Coping Skill: Don’t judge your emotions as good or bad, just notice them and let them come and go. Ride the wave.

Reminders about dress code

FCPS has a policy (439) that “outlines standards for student dress that support creating a positive and non-disruptive learning environment and respect students’ rights to express themselves through their choice of personal attire”. We would like to provide a reminder about the expectations related to student dress. Please take note of the following:

Students cannot wear attire that impacts their ability to actively engage in learning, disrupts the school environment, promotes illegal or harmful activities, or could endanger health and safety. Specifically, this includes, among other things, visible undergarments; attire that depicts or advertises alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; attire that contains sexually suggestive messages; attire that contains language images that promote hatred, racial or ethnic violence; and attire that causes or is likely to cause a material disruption, a substantial disorder to the orderly and safe operation of the school. Refer to Policy 439 for more information. If you have any of these items in your wardrobe, please don’t wear them to school or you will be required to dress appropriately before returning to the learning environment.

Students - thank you for adhering to these expectations.

Parents/guardians - thank you for your support in reinforcing these expectations.

CHS Graduation Day - May 28

No students will report to Catoctin High School on Wednesday, May 28 (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, May 28 will be an asynchronous day of instruction. Prior to May 28, 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 May 28 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 May 28 to answer questions.

Annual catoctin hs Plant sale

The Catoctin High greenhouses will be open to the public for one more date: Saturday, May 10th from 9:00 am - 12 noon. The annual sale features vegetable plants, herbs, annuals and perennials all grown by Catoctin High School students with the help of their advisor Amy Jo Poffenberger.

CHS Class of 2025

important Senior information

The final senior meeting was held on May 2. Details about graduation and final senior requirements were discussed. Parents and students may review the presentation information here: Senior Meeting

A letter to all seniors and a timeline of important dates were issued at the meeting. Parents and students may view this list here: Senior Letter

Please note that the links for extra graduation tickets, accessible seating, and the auditorium stage photo opportunity must be completed by the graduating senior (only) and the student must be signed into their FCPS google account in order to access the forms.

Cap and Gown Distribution

Students can pick up their cap and gown orders at CHS on May 13th, 2025 during all lunch shifts (10:30-1:00) and after school 2:30-4:00. The student or their parent may pick it up, it will not be delivered to your home. If you would like to make other arrangements to have someone other than the student or parent pick it up, please contact Shannon Hayes (Shannon.Hayes@fcps.org).

CATOCTIN 5K & FUN RUN

Catoctin High School is thrilled to host the 2nd Annual Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run: Heroes on the Run on June 7, 2025! 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.

- Click here to register to participate in the Catoctin Community 5K & Fun Run: Heroes on the Run!
- 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!

JUNE 7, 2025

PROCEEDS SUPPORT

SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF MD - FREDERICK COUNTY

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Catoctin Community,

We are quickly approaching the end of the school year - only 28 days of school for underclassmen and 12 days for Seniors as of May 5. There is still a lot of important learning to be done yet this year 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 last Friday 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 event this week is the celebration of Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We are doing some special things to celebrate our amazingly committed staff; I would also encourage parents/guardians and students to give a small token of your appreciation – a note, email or Schoology message expressing your gratitude would be the greatest gift you could offer to the CHS staff members who are so dedicated to fostering our students’ growth and learning. If you would like to recognize an outstanding staff member in a more formal and public way, please also consider nominating him/her for a FCPS 5-Star Service award. The short nomination form can be found on the fcps.org website: https://pubforms.fcps.org/view.php?id=123349.

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

attendance updates and information

Attendance = Opportunity

As a feeder, we continue our commitment to attendance knowing that being at school each day opens opportunities for our students.

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 20 for Seniors and June 12 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 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

CHS MCAP Testing Schedule

Catoctin High School will continue administering state assessments through May 22, 2025. Most students will take the tests during their regular class block.

May 5 & 6:

any student who has earned the credit for Government, but previously missed taking the state assessment will be taking the Government MCAP.

May 7 & 8:

any student who has earned the credit for Biology, but previously missed taking the state assessment will be taking the Biology MCAP.

May 12 - 15:

- any student currently enrolled in English 10 will be taking one section of the English 10 MCAP each day.
- any student currently enrolled in Government will be taking one section of the Government MCAP each day.

May 19 - 22:

- any student currently enrolled in Algebra 1 will be taking one section of the Algebra 1 MCAP each day.
- any 9th grade student enrolled in Geometry will be taking one section for the Geometry MCAP each day
- any 9th grade student enrolled in Algebra 2 will be taking one section for the Algebra 2 MCAP each day
- any student currently enrolled in Biology will be taking one section of the Biology MCAP each day.

High school RVP students testing at Catoctin High School

- RVP students enrolled in either English 10 or Government should plan on testing at CHS on May 12 & 13.
- RVP students enrolled in either Algebra 1 or Biology should plan on testing at CHS on May 19 & 20.
- RVP students should report to the high school by 7:15 am, and check-in at the front office upon arrival. Students should be finished by 11:00 am at the latest.

Important Notes and Reminders for ALL Students:

- Please CHARGE your school-issued Chromebook the night before.
- Leave cell phones at home (if at all possible) - this includes smart watches. Devices brought to school will need to be TURNED OFF and kept either in a backpack or given to the test proctor.

Frederick County Virtual School - Summer 2025

FCVS provides online courses for high school credit through two summer session programs. In order to attend, students must meet these pre-registration requirements:

- - Be enrolled in FCPS and entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2025
  - Have reliable access to a device and high-speed internet. (Students may check out an FCPS-issued Chromebook from their home school’s User Support Specialist.)
  - Commit 15-20 hours per week to complete coursework successfully
  - Attend required synchronous Google Meet sessions

FCVS Summer Session 2025 Programs

Virtual Summer Session (VSS):

Designed for independent, self-motivated learners
Offers high school honors courses and electives
Requires one weekly synchronous Google Meet session with the instructor
Registration Fee: $200 (1-credit course) / $100 (0.5-credit course)

Support-Based Summer Session (SBSS) – Credit Recovery:

Available for students who need to retake a previously failed course
Designed for learners that benefit from daily, structured course support
Offers high school core courses for credit recovery
Requires daily synchronous Google Meet sessions with a Virtual Mentor and weekly Google Meet sessions with the teacher
No registration fee for credit recovery courses

Pre-registration Details:

Deadline to pre-register: Friday, June 6, 2025, by 3:00 pm
Submit completed forms to your school counselor
Enrollment is limited, and many courses fill quickly
Submissions are processed first-come, first-served basis

For more information: 2025 Pre-registration Form & Course Offerings

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/.

PTSA - We Need You!

Membership in the PTSA helps us provide:

- School Improvement (Requests by Staff to Improve the School such as equipment or signage)
- Staff Appreciation (Luncheons and Teacher Appreciation Gifts)
- Honor Roll Awards
- Senior Appreciation (Signage, Awards, Graduation Gifts, Scholarships)
- New ideas to make CHS the best experience for all students and staff.

Parents, students, grandparents, staff, and community business are welcome to join! Join the Catoctin High School PTSA! For more information, visit the CHS PTSA website.

Officer Vacancies

The PTSA needs you!! The PTSA is looking for people interested in being the Secretary, Vice President, or Treasurer for the 2025-2026 school year. Anyone interested please email CatoctinHigh.PTSA@gmail.com.

Upcoming Meeting

Save the Dates for these upcoming opportunities to hear from and talk to both the principal and PTSA:

Please join us on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 pm at Catoctin High School for Pizza with the Principal. Come chat about ways we can all work together to make Catoctin High School the best it can be. Enjoy pizza, salad, and dessert while having a chat with Principal Jen Clements and some of our PTSA officers. Bring your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We look forward to meeting with you!

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 is needed to cover the additional expenses not covered by the very limited Athletic Department budget. We raise money through fund raisers, concession sales, sponsorship and membership.

All of the money raised goes to support our athletic programs. With continued cuts to the Athletic Department's budget the burden falls on the Sports Boosters and the individual sports programs to come up with the needed funding to run successful programs. In addition, Catoctin is a 1-A school with a limited number of student-athletes and spectators which is how budgets are determined, because of this we are already at a disadvantage compared to the larger schools in Frederick County.

Please consider becoming a Catoctin High School Sports Booster Member. Help Catoctin Athletes by signing up now. Anyone can join. For more information: Sports Boosters

Catoctin Safe and Sane

CHS Committee for a Safe and Sane Graduation meetings on the second Monday of each month, from 6:30–7:30 pm, on the second floor of the Thurmont American Legion building. Please join us to hear more about how you can get involved!

Baccalaureate: Sunday, May 18, 6 pm, Graceham Moravian Church

Senior ClapOuts: May 21, 1:30 - Mother Seton; May 23: TES - 2:00, TPS - 2:30, SES - 1:30, EES - 1:45, LES - 2:30

Safe & Sane Graduation Event: Wednesday, May 28, Doors open at 10:00 pm. For more information view this slide show from the May 2 senior meeting: https://bit.ly/3Z1qh5e

If you are unable to join our meetings, but would like to be added to our email distribution list, please email catoctinsafeandsane@gmail.com and share you contact information. Thank you for supporting our seniors!

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