September 6, 2019
News from the Principal's Desk
Happy New Year! That may sound strange to hear in September, but for those of us whose life is geared around the school calendar, it is indeed a new year. I’m very pleased that we are all back into our regular school routines, as we welcomed new and returning students to Tuscarora this past Tuesday. Each week on Friday, we provide our community with an informative newsletter. We strive to give you accurate information and schedules, reminders on important school events and routines, news about how you can be involved, and a spotlight on our students, staff and alumni. There is positive news to be shared each week, and I look forward to bringing it to you.
The year at Tuscarora has gotten off to a smooth and positive start. Titan students have quickly fallen in new and familiar routines, with the excitement of new subjects, teachers and the promise of what lies ahead. This week in Flex we had our Expectation Assemblies and lessons on Titan Pride. Classes got underway with teachers creatively introducing their subject matter and getting to know their students. As many adults have told your student this week, a new school year is about their success and how we can achieve that together as Titans.
Next week during Flex, we will provide students a plethora of tables with information about all of the activities and clubs here at Tuscarora. There is absolutely an activity for every student here at THS, and several studies have proven what seems to be common sense: a student who is engaged with his peers and adults in an activity outside the classroom does better academically and socially inside the classroom. Talk to your student about it this weekend. What activity have they heard about that interests them? How can they get plugged into something fun and exciting right away, if they aren’t already?
As I filled out my own children’s pile of “first day cards”, information and permission forms, it reminded me how we bury parents with paper this first week. One form I’m going to ask that you pay close attention to this year: the emergency contact information form. In today’s ever-changing world, it is vitally important that we have accurate contact information and emergency contact information for all families. Find Out First can only be added or updated, if you contact Tuscarora and provide new contact information. So much of what we send out happens these days online or via email. Hard copy mail is almost a thing of the past. Please make sure if you get a new phone number or email address that you contact the school and pass it on to us.
As always, the administrative team is happy to chat with you if you have a concern or question you’d like to discuss. We are very fortunate to added a new member of the Tuscarora Administrative Team this year. Cindy Hanlon comes to us from Urbana High School with over 20 years of teaching and administrative experience. We welcome Ms. Hanlon as well as our returning administrators, Ms. Golibart, Mr. Ratti, Ms. Smith and Mr. Milliman (Special Programs). The new alphabet breakdown of student by administrators is as follows:
A-D Cindy Hanlon
E-Man Helen Golibart
Mar-Roe Tanisha Smith
Rog-Z Jody Ratti
Special Prog John Milliman
Thank you for a great first week, Tuscarora! We look forward to a productive and creative 2019-20 school year! Sincerely,
Christopher Berry Principal
Looking Ahead - The Weekly Calendar
Saturday, September 7
Cross Country at Woodward Relays at Georgetown Prep
9:00am
Sunday, September 8
International Literacy Day
National Grandparents Day
Textbook Review Week, C. Burr Artz Library
6:30pm
Tuesday, September 10
Field Hockey at Manchester Valley High
Boys Soccer home vs. Middletown High
Girls Soccer at Middletown High
Volleyball at Middletown High
V 4:00, JV 5:15pm
JV 5:30, V 7:00pm
JV 5:45, V 7:00pm
Patriot Day: Anniversary of 2001 Attack
Board of Education Meeting, Central Office
THS Underclass Pictures
JV Football at TJ High
6:00pm
During School Day
FCPS CommUNITY Resource Fair at THS
Golf vs. Oakdale and Walkersville High at Musket Ridge Golf Club
Field Hockey vs. St. James High at Urbana High
Girls Soccer at Brunswick High
Volleyball at Boonsboro High
6:00 PM
2:45 PM
V 4 PM – JV 5:15 PM
JV 5:30 – V 7:00 PM
JV 5:30 – V 6:30 PM
ACT Exam at THS
Cross Country at Utica Park for Hood College High School Invitational
9:45 AM
vs. Severna Park 10 AM
vs. South River 4 PM
See the FCPS calendar. *Dates and times are subject to change.
Keeping You Informed - School News
School Picture Day
Underclass Picture day is next Wednesday, September 11th! Picture day passes and order forms will be distributed on Monday September 9th during FLEX. Students will need a picture pass to be released from class. If there are any issues (lost passes or time slots that don’t work) please contact Mr. Hartman at: Richard.hartman@fcps.org, 240-236-6466, or simply stop by his room A-202.
Tuscarora High Updates Parking and Drop Off Procedures
Click here for map
Tuscarora High School values our students' safety as they arrive and depart from school each day. To keep our pedestrians, car riders, and bus riders safe, it is important that all community members follow the directions on the attached map for walking and driving in our parking lots. I particular, please watch for students as they are using crosswalks near the entrances and exits of the building. Please obey all stop signs and drive cautiously on the school property.
Parking Permits and Student Parking Procedures
Tuscarora High School has distributed all of the parking permits it has available for its student parking lot. Beginning on Monday, September 9, only those students with hanging parking permits will be permitted to enter the student lot. Students are to park in the numbered space which corresponds to the number on their hanging tags. Any car which does not have a student parking permit will be warned, ticketed and ultimately towed at the owners expense from the student parking lot.
Our New Attendance Communication Tool - One Call Now
Tuscarora has developed a school improvement goal this year to increase student attendance, broaden communication with parents around attendance, and lessen chronic absenteeism. We have recently contracted a program, "One Call Now" that automatically places a call to the indicated number of all students who miss one of more block during the school day. When families receive these calls, is is good to first ask the student why they may have missed a class. Parents should also check attendance records in HAC to determine which Block(s) the student may have missed. If parents or guardians feel this absence is in error, they are encouraged to email or contact the class teacher to clarify the record. Daily notification will help families be more in the know about missed class time and, at the extreme, class cutting. Parents are also welcome to call the attendance secretary at Tuscarora if they have general questions about attendance or "One Call Now".
Attendance - Keeping Track of Your Student Through HAC
Below is further information about checking your student's attendance in HAC. While it is rare, it is still disconcerting when parents discover multiple days when their son/daughter has not been in a particular class or has been out part or whole days. How then can parents know about attendance. This is where the Home Access Center (HAC) is useful. Below are directions for accessing and navigating in the HAC attendance features.
Attendance Month View Page - The Attendance Month View page enables you to view your student's attendance during any month in the current school year. If your student was absent or tardy on a date, the day will display with a colored background. The Color Legend below the month indicates the type of attendance each color represents. To display the Month View page, click Attendance on the HAC menu.
Change Months - To navigate from month to month in the current year, use the arrows at the top left and right of the calendar.
View Attendance Details - To view details for a date when your student was absent or tardy, move your pointer over the day. A tooltip displays the type of attendance entered by the office or teacher for the periods affected.
Calendar Page - The Calendar page provides a month view of the following information on your student, class assignments, class events and activity events. To display the Calendar page, click Home on the HAC menu, then click the Calendar tab.
Customize Calendar Information - To hide or display the Filter pane, click the Filter icon. To include or exclude information on the calendar, check or uncheck the appropriate boxes in the Filter pane on the left. To collapse the pane's Filters, Calendars, or Values section, click the section's down symbol. To expand a collapsed section, click the section's up symbol.
Change Calendar Views - To display other months, use the arrows to navigate forward or backward a month at a time. To display the week view for the current week, click Week. To display other weeks in the calendar's week view, use the arrows to navigate forward or backward a week at a time. To display the day view for the current day, click Day. To display other days, use the arrows to navigate forward or backward a day at a time. To return to the current month, week, or day in the above views, click Today.
See FCPS absence procedures.
Congratulations, Commendations and Kudos
Titan Student of the Week
Watch this space each week as we announce the Titan Student of the Week along with the other nominees.
Senior Class of 2020 News
2019 Senior Class Graduation Video for Sale
Carpel Video will be filming the graduation ceremony. To purchase a copy of the ceremony, please complete the form and send to the company.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XMn3mfcSBASVF4xbTY7jLglE11n9aQJU/view
Congratulations Tuscarora High School Class of 2019! Class of 2020... in a few short months this will be you!
Internships, Scholarships and Summer Opportunities
Internship Opportunity at Rock Creek School for Current Tuscarora Seniors
If you are a senior interested in Special Education, Speech Pathology, or Occupational Therapy, Rock Creek School is looking for high school interns to work in their classrooms with their students. You would need to meet grade, attendance, and discipline requirements.
See Mrs. Mummert in A115 if interested.
Tuscarora Counseling Office Updates
Senior Conferences with Counselors
Counselors will begin their individual conferences with seniors on Monday, September 16th. This meeting is an opportunity for your student to review their post-secondary plans with their counselor. If you would like to attend this meeting, please use the link below for your student’s counselor and select a date and time for this conference. You may also contact the counseling office at 240-236-6438 to schedule an appointment.
If you are unable to attend the conference, your student’s counselor will meet with them and send information home. The registration website will close on Friday, September 13th, so please don’t delay!
Ms. Moore (last names A-C):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4AACA92AA1FC1-moore
Mrs. McDonald (last names D-Hd):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4AACA92AA1FC1-mcdonald
Mrs. Goto (last names He-Mi)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4AACA92AA1FC1-goto
Mrs. Wilson (last names Mj-Sc)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4AACA92AA1FC1-wilson
Mr. Harrison (last names Sd-Z)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4AACA92AA1FC1-harrison
Counseling Department Evening Programs
Please mark your calendars for the following presentations. Both presentations will be in the THS Auditorium at 7:00 PM (Please enter through the Guidance side doors.)
September 17th - College Application Process
School Counselors will be presenting information regarding THS procedures to submit applications as well as application expectations from the colleges perspective.
October 15th-- How to Get Money to Help Pay for College
A college financial Aid Director will explain the financial aid decision making process, the forms that are required, and the typical timeline when applying for financial aid.
College, Trade, and Scholarship Information Fair
When: Sunday, September 29th 2p.m.- 4p.m.
Where: C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 East Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701
The following organization will have representatives at this event:
College Representatives at Tuscarora High School
The School Counseling Department has begun scheduling college representative visits at Tuscarora--starting as early as this coming Monday! Please check your Naviance account by going to "Colleges I'm Thinking About" and then "College Visits." From here, you will see the list of colleges that are visiting THS and this is where you sign up to meet with the college's representative. Register for the college visit by simply clicking on "Register Now."
Serving students with last names: A-C Danielle Moore D-I Jessica McDonald J-N Carla Goto O-Sv Kay Wilson Sw-Z Elizabeth Forbes
PTSA and Booster Organizations
PTSA Membership Off to a Great Start
Thank you for your response to our membership campaign at Back-to-School Night last week. We'll share the member headcount next week. If you are interested in joining, a membership form can be found at https://tuscarorahsptsa.org/ in the forms section.
Not a member of the PTSA yet? Find out how to Join the PTSA
See names of PTSA Board and Committee Chairs and more
Learn More
Safe and Sane Graduation Celebration
Safe and Sane Planning Meeting - Wednesday, Sept 11th 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Roy Rogers 301 Ballenger Center Drive Frederick, MD 21703
Roy Rogers Fundraiser Night Wednesday, Sept. 25th 5-8 pm at Roy Rogers 301 Ballenger Center Drive Frederick, MD 21703
THS Class of 2020 Safe and Sane T-Shirts and Tumblers order form attached.
Dollar Donut Days are back. Safe and Sane will be selling Krispy Kreme donuts Friday mornings on Main Street $1/donut. If you would like a dozen or more donuts, you can pre-order them by emailing merearick@gmail.com by Wednesday evenings for that Friday. Please include your name and phone/extension number.
Puravida Bracelets will again be for sale on Dollar Donut Fridays! $10/bracelet.
Take advantage of the Early Bird Discount and register for Safe and Sane in September! $65 registration until Sept. 30th. Price increase to $75 on October 1st.
Like the THS Class of 2020 Safe and Sane Facebook page to get up to date information.
Email ths2020safeandsane@gmail.com with questions.
Future Starvin Marvin Days - Mark your calendar!
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Media Center Updates
Media Center Hours
Monday – Friday: 7:20 am – 2:40 pm
Media Center Website: https://education.fcps.org/ths/mediacenter
Media Center Twitter: @mediacenterTHS
Media Specialist: Carrie Palmer
Visit Our Online Resources
Titan Health and Wellness Health Room Technician: Bruce Thompson School Nurse: Tae Ju, RN Health Room: 240-236-6400, option 4
PRINCIPAL Christopher Berry TUSCARORA HIGH 5312 Ballenger Creek Pike Frederick, MD 21703 240-236-6400 Phone 240-236-6401 Fax
Follow Us on Twitter @THSTitanPride Visit Our Website
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Helen Golibart Cynthia Hanlon Jody Ratti Tanisha Smith Helpful Links: School Cash Online Menus & Meals Grades Online www.fcps.org
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