THE COUGAR CONNECTION

The Catoctin High School Newsletter  •  September 15, 2023

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

Unified Tennis Welcomes Former Student as Coach

Unified Tennis team takes to the courts with alumnus and athlete, Jordan Kaas. He is an official FCPS coach! Thanks for leading the way, Jordan! Lets go, Cougars! Pictured left to right: Reine Titchom, Coach Kelle Brumley, Shay Johnson, Kasey Click, Melanie Applegate, Jonny Wastler, Dale Gervase, Cailey Schenck, Josh Ramos, Lucas Phelan, Coach Charmane Nesbitt. Not pictured: Maria Perella, Chad Zimmerman, Todd Persell, Keegan Schneider and Eva Oleszczuk

Homecoming!

It's time to show your school spirit!  Join your fellow classmates by participating  in these upcoming Homecoming activities! 

Homecoming is just around the corner! Here are some important dates and information regarding our homecoming activities:

Questions? See Mrs. Engelstatter in the media center or send her a Schoology message!

DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR HOMECOMING

The Catoctin High School homecoming will be a spirited week of fun for students and we need help to make it a success!  

All volunteers must register online and take an online training program before participating: FCPS Volunteer Center

Thank you for your support of our students!

Yearbook Baby Ads for Seniors

The yearbook staff will again be offering baby ads in a variety of sizes and prices. Families may submit pictures of their senior (baby, childhood, and/or recent photos) and write a sincere message to show your senior how proud you are of their accomplishments. Pricing, based on due dates, is located in the ad packet. Ad packets were mailed to student homes in early July. 

If you have already submitted your ad, THANK YOU! The yearbook staff is working to make design decisions and finalize our submission system. You will receive your ad confirmation email early next week.

Additional copies of the senior ad packet (and other information from the senior yearbook mailer) are available in room 402 and on the CHS Yearbook website (link below).

https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/chsyearbook/baby-ads


Yearbook Senior Section - New Feature

The yearbook staff has decided that we will not include baby/toddler photos next to the students senior portraits in the 23-24 yearbook. Several factors went into this decision including; lack of participation, students missing deadlines, publisher deadlines, etc.

We are hoping to feature baby/toddler photo content (in the senior portrait section) in the following categories:

The yearbook staff would love for you to send them any images that you feel could be featured in the categories above! Due to publisher deadlines we need the images by:  OCTOBER 19, 2023.  The featured content for the 23-24 yearbook will be based on the submissions. In the submission please include the full names of the student(s) in the photo(s) and the category (listed above) for the submission.

You can email digital images to Mrs. Hutchinson or you can submit physical photo images by mail/drop-off please address the envelope as seen below:

Catoctin High School

Attn: Theresa Hutchinson, Yearbook Advisor

14745 Sabillasville Road

Thurmont, MD 21788

Senior Portrait Make-Up Information

Dates:  October 9th & 10th in the CHS Auditorium.

This is the last opportunity for senior portraits at the school. There is no charge to have your portrait taken for the yearbook!

Appointments are required. Follow the link below to choose your session type and appointment time:

Make-Up Portrait Appointments

Time slots on October 9th are 9:00-3:00 pm and on October 10: 8:00-11:30 am.

If you have any questions please email seniors@vosphoto.com  (Please give school name when emailing.)  CLICK HERE to read the Senior Portrait Instruction letter from Victor O’Neill Studios.

In order for your senior portrait to appear in the CHS 2024 yearbook you need to be photographed by Victor O’Neill Studios during our senior portrait dates. We do not accept outside portraits for the yearbook. If you are not photographed by VOS, your name will be listed as “not pictured” at the end of the senior portrait section.


CHS CALENDAR


SEPTEMBER 2023

OCTOBER 2023

Student Parking 

STUDENT Drop-Off/Pick-Up

Students that plan to drive to school and park on campus are required to obtain a student parking permit from the front office. Permits are $10 each.  Students must read and submit a signed Parking Permit Application.  Students must have a valid provisional driving license.  Student parking is permitted only in the main lot in front of the gymnasium and the upper parking lot.  Tickets will be issued to vehicles that do not have a parking permit and/or those parked in non-student parking areas.

Parents dropping off or picking up students should ONLY use the upper parking lot for the safety of students.  The main driveway and the front parking lot of the building are reserved for buses and staff parking.  


CHS Fundraisers Happening Now!

students: Apply to Join an Honor Society

Science National Honor Society Applications 

Science National Honor Society is now accepting applications.  Applications are due October 2, 2023.  For more information and a link to the application, visit: CHS SNHS

Art Honor Society

The National Art Honor Society Application is open for the 23-24 school year! Applications are available in the art teacher rooms and online.  The NAHS Application deadline is September 12th.  The only item you need to complete to apply is the application (paper or Google Form version)!

Math Honor Society

Math Honor Society is currently accepting new member applications from Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.  Applications are due by Monday, October 9th.  To apply or for more information, visit: https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/chshonorsocieties/math

English Honor Society

 National English Honor Society applications are now open. They are due by Friday, September 29th. Application 


NEW CLUBs!

Art Apprentice Club

If you don’t meet the art honor society requirements (or just don’t want to to participate in the art honor society), yet you still want to be involved with community arts projects, you should apply to be an Art Apprentice! Art apprentices meet and work with the art honor society. There are no financial dues for this club, but you are required to complete community arts project service hours. Applications are available in the art teacher rooms and online.  Questions? Need the application? See an art teacher!  Hutch- RM 402, Pickett- RM 200, Day- RM 210

Educators Rising Club

 If you dream of being a teacher, join this new club that meets on the 1st Thursday of each month beginning in October.  To sign up, email club advisors Mrs. Aungst or Mrs. Gazmen.

Opportunities for Students

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Catoctin Community,

We have 17 school days behind us and we are in the thick of all things high school - lots of learning and extra-curricular activities.  As I have said many times, we can provide the most powerful support for our students when we communicate and work together.  Parent and family involvement certainly looks different in high school than it does at other levels, but it is arguably just as important (if not more so) now than ever.

In support of students’ academic success, I encourage parents and guardians to foster independence and ownership while still ensuring that your child is keeping up and being successful.  Your parent access to Schoology allows you to stay updated regarding due dates and grades. If you start to see a concern, I would suggest you first talk to your child and then, as necessary, follow up with the teacher or your child’s counselor.  If you wait until you receive a report card to address concerns, it is likely too late to affect the outcome (for both the learning and the grade).  Please also reach out if you notice your child struggling and in need of extra assistance - there are many supports (including tutoring) to which we can connect him/her. 

Beyond your support of your child’s academic success, there are many other ways for families and friends to contribute to our school.  Parents and guardians can:

Thank you, in advance, for your time and energy in support of our students and our school - our positive impact on our students, school, and community is greater when we communicate and collaborate.

Go Cougars!

Sincerely,

Jen Clements

Principal

MONTHLY GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / GUARDIANS

It is possible (maybe even likely) that, at some point in your child’s years at CHS, you will have a concern.  No matter what the nature of your concern, we want to work with you to resolve that.  FCPS has provided guidance regarding the parent concern process in the FCPS 2023-2024 Parent/Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct; some of that same information is also available on the FCPS website on this page:  https://www.fcps.org/student-services/questions-or-concerns. 

The links above help provide us all direction regarding where to turn when something is not going well.  The most effective way to resolve a concern is by starting with the staff member who is most directly involved in the situation - in the majority of situations, that can lead to a quick resolution.  When that is not possible or does not result in a satisfactory outcome, please reach out to a counselor or administrator.  We want to support our students’ (your child’s) success and it often takes collaboration and communication to do so - we welcome the opportunity to talk with and work with you to affect positive change.

Attendance Update  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* and rate of chronic absenteeism** for each school in our feeder for the 2022-2023 school year: 

*Attendance rate - An overall school attendance rate of 94% or higher is considered proficient (and 96% or higher is considered excellent).

**Chronic absenteeism -  a student is defined as chronically absent if he/she misses 10% or more of the school days.

Our shared feeder focus on attendance is outlined below:

We appreciate your support in establishing positive attendance habits at home and reinforcing the importance of coming to school on time each day.

Attendance = Opportunity

catoctin College Workshop Night

Wednesday, September 20th

5:00 pm CHS Media Center 

CHS Counseling team members will review the basics of the college applications including how to select a college, how to use Naviance to complete the application process, and much more.  Parents and students are welcome.  

College Application Workshops

College application workshops will be held for seniors during STEP on Wednesdays, September 13th - 27th.  Attending one of these workshops is MANDATORY for any senior before requests for transcripts will be sent to prospective colleges. Senior must sign up in advance to attend:  College Application Workshop Sign Up

FCC Virtual Admissions Information Session/Financial Aid

Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 6 - 7 p.m.  Online via Zoom


This event is open to all students interested in attending Frederick Community College in the future. You will learn about the enrollment steps, academic and short-term training programs, student support services, student life and more. You will also hear from the Financial Aid Office to learn about filing the FAFSA or MSFAA, scholarship opportunities, and what your options are when it comes to paying for college. 


 For more information and to register for the event, please visit https://FCC2023VirtualInfoSession.eventbrite.com. Zoom information will be provided once you register. Questions? Email admissions@frederick.edu.

College Visits to CHS

The following colleges will be visiting Catoctin High School and representatives will be available to meet with students during STEP.  Students can find the link to sign up in the Schoology "Class of 202x" groups. For questions, contact Mr. Stack.  

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.

Counselor Meetings for Seniors

Individual senior meetings* with your school counselor to review graduation needs and post graduation plans will be held September 6th through October 7th.  

*Senior attendance at this meeting is required.

Financial Aid/FAFSA Finish Night

Wednesday, December 13th 

5:30 - 8:30 pm CHS Auditorium

Frederick Community College's Assistant Director of Financial Aid Mrs. Shelby Metzgar will explain the federal financial aid process and how to navigate paying for college.  Immediately following will be 1:1 assistance completing the FAFSA application** with financial aid experts.  Parents and students are welcome. 

**The FAFSA application will not be available until December 2023 due to updates and changes to this application. 

Academy for Fine Arts Open House/Info Session

The Academy for the Fine Arts will be holding an Open House and Information Session on Thursday, October 12, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School. 

This event is open to FCPS middle school and high school parents and students who wish to learn more about the college and career pathway program in the visual and performing arts. 

The Academy for the Fine Arts currently offers focus areas for students in grades 10-12 in:

The schedule for the evening will be:

To register for this event, please click here.  To learn more about the AFA, please visit: www.fcpsartsacademy.org or contact jonathan.kurtz@fcps.org.


 

fall athletics season 

The Catoctin High School home athletic season will be underway with our first home varsity football game of the year on Friday, September 1 on our brand new turf field!  Within a short period of time, all of our fall sports will kick off their regular season. Please help us maintain a safe environment by adhering to the following policies.

Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited from being brought into the stadium or gymnasium.  We do not have a bag check or holding area; please plan to store these items in your vehicle:

Parking and Event Guidelines:

Admission:

Show Your Cougar Pride:

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are an important part of our FCPS community. Catoctin High School welcomes your voice and your involvement in our many organizations, activities, boosters programs, and PTSA.  

You can become involved by applying at the FCPS Volunteer Center.  The FCPS volunteer process and training is conducted on an annual basis and is required for all volunteers. Each year on June 30 our current volunteer pool expires, regardless of date of application.  The volunteer application process has reopened for the 2023-2024 school year and will remain open throughout the school year.  

Parents - We Want to Hear Your Voice!

Each year, school leaders reflect on what went well the prior year, as well as what goals should be focused on for the upcoming year.  This is known as the School Improvement Process (SIP).  We have a commitment to improving attendance, as well as increasing academic excellence and engagement.  As a parent or guardian of our students,  your voice is welcomed and necessary in meeting these goals.  We would love to hear your insights and ideas related to this!  You can reach out once, or look for opportunities for ongoing engagement throughout the year.  Please email jennifer.clements@fcps.org and/or darlene.kerr@fcps.org with your thoughts.

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 fundraisers, concession sales, sponsorship and membership. All of the money raised goes to support our athletic programs.  Please consider becoming a Catoctin High School Sports Booster Member. Anyone can join. Help us to help Catoctin Athletes by signing up now: Sports Boosters Membership Application

Catoctin High School PTSA

The CHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) exists to help support the students and staff at Catoctin High School.  Through one fundraising activity a year (Colorfest parking at CHS), the PTSA helps fund many enrichment activities and rewards for students, teachers, and staff at CHS.  Please consider showing your support of this organization by becoming a member:  Membership Application  You can also show your support by becoming a volunteer!  To volunteer, please email Peggy Davis at Cowgirlproud@AOL.com.  

resources for families

Catoctin High School Pantry 

Local Food Banks

FCPS Free and Reduced Meal Benefits

NEED HELP?

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

Crisis Services:    Dial 211

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

Suicide Prevention Hotline:    988

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!

PTSA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR COLORFEST PARKING!  This is the only PTSA fundraiser of the year. Monies raised from this event fund student enrichment, teacher appreciation, and annual student scholarships.  Please email CatoctinPTSA@gmail.com if you can help!

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:

community news

These flyers have been approved for electronic distribution by FCPS: