September 13, 2019
News from the Principal's Desk
Despite it being Friday the 13th with a full moon, it has been a tremendous third week at Tuscarora. Students are well into their studies and routines are becoming familiar. If you have not taken the time to activate and check your Schoology account, now is the time to do just that. We are nine days into the term, which is approximately 20% of the total days. Grades are posted and students and parents should make a point to check these regularly.
Over 1,200 Tuscarora students have already picked up their Chromebooks or have indicated that they will opt to use their own laptop or tablet devices. Phones are not a viable option to complete assignments, so be sure to return your form and $60.00 user fee to the media center in order to get your Chromebook ASAP. Teachers are using the Chromebooks in class for research, data collection, writing assignments, media and more. Some students choose to bring their own laptop or chromebook for this purpose, which is fine. But not having a tablet-type device is not an option in the classroom. If your child has not picked up a chromebook, now is the time!
We've made progress with our pickup and drop off process this year, and I'm pleased that parents are heeding the request to drop off early. We cannot predict what effect weather, traffic or other circumstances have on this process. Please be observant of pedestrians in all areas. Drivers should remain in the car drop-off lines on both sides of the school. While it is sometimes tempting to pull into the staff and student parking lot for a quick drop off, this creates a dangerous situation and one which resulted in a student being struck two years ago. Please be patient, as we attempt to move traffic along. In the afternoon, just a reminder that it is illegal to park in a lane on Ballenger Creek Pike, alongside of the school. All of these requests are in the name of student safety. While they may seem inconvenient at times, we all play a role in student and staff arriving and departing safely.
Beginning next week, we'll be offering Titan Extended Learning Time (ELO), Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 2:15 to 4:00. Teachers in several content areas are here to work with students one-on-one, tutoring, assisting and helping them in specific classes or in general with their studying. Snacks are provided. An activity bus is provided at 4:15pm which drops students in their approximate neighborhood area (see specifics below). No appointment is necessary… just drop in and take advantage of this FREE service that is available to all Titans. Have you priced out private tutoring? This is a great resource. Have your child take advantage of it!
The Activity Fair on Main Street was bustling today. 37 Clubs and activities were part of this process. Ask your child if they found a new activity of which to be a part. There really is something outside the classroom for every Titan! Enjoy the weekend.
Sincerely, Christopher Berry Principal
Looking Ahead - The Weekly Calendar
Saturday, September 14
ACT Exam at THS
Band to Competition at Greencastle Antrim HS
Cross Country at Utica Park for Hood College High School Invitational
Boys Varsity Soccer at River High School for Tournament
3:00 – 11:00 PM
9:45 AM
vs. Severna Park 10 AM
vs. South River 4 PM
FCPS EL Back to School Night
5:30 PM
JV 5:30, V 7:00 PM
Citizenship / Constitution Day
Golf at Frederick County Championship at Clustered Spires Golf Course
Learning for Life Class to the Frederick Fairgrounds
Field Hockey at Middletown High
Volleyball home vs. Damascus High
Girls V Soccer home vs. St. James High
Robotics Information Meeting
PTSA Meeting, Media Center
9:00 AM
10 AM – 1 PM
V 4:00, JV 5:15 PM
JV 5:45, V 6:45 PM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Navy Lunch Time Display
Golf vs. Frederick and N. Hagerstown High Schools at Musket Ridge Golf Club
Field Hockey at Urbana High
3:00 PM
Girls Soccer home vs. Frederick High
Fair Day - School Closed for Students
JV Soccer Tournament at Urbana High
Varsity Football at S. Hagerstown High
TBA
Saturday, September 21
Varsity Volleyball at Oakdale Tournament
Cross Country at Hereford High
Boys Soccer at Frederick High (Golden Mile Classic)
See the FCPS calendar. *Dates and times are subject to change.
Keeping You Informed - School News
Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) Has Begun - Tues and Thurs
Tuscarora's Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) has begun. Students are invited in for extra academic support in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and the Titan Learning Lab is available for other subjects. Titan Teachers work with students in whatever areas they need assistance. This is one-on-one tutoring support, with a snack provided. After ELO, bus transportation is provided at 4:15 for students to the following stops:
Crestwood Middle, Lincoln Elementary
Cawley Drive and Tivoli Road
Tuscarora Elementary and Carroll Manor Elementary
Adamstown, Buckeystown, Countryside
Students are encouraged to stay after school to get support, make up work, and prepare for upcoming assessments. Contact Assistant Principals Mr. Ratti or Ms. Smith with any questions.
College Bound Sophomores and Juniors - PSAT Registration is Open!
PSAT Registration is now open and space is limited! The Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test is taken each year primarily by Sophomore and Junior students to help them guage their readiness for the SAT or ACT exams. It also serves as a gateway to information about colleges and universities. All students who potentially will attend a 2 or 4 year college should sign up to take this examination, which will be given during the school day.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 16th during Blocks 1 and 2
PAYMENT: $17.00
Please pay on the following link: https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com/
If you are not able to pay through the above link, you may bring a CHECK payable to Tuscarora High School to Ms. Muby Pampori in the Guidance Office. Registration closes on Thursday, October 10th.
Student practice guides are available in the Guidance Office. Students should stop by after they have registered to get their copy!
#THS Reads - Show Us What You're Reading!
THS wants to promote reading for the THS community: staff, parents, and students. We hope you will play along! If you begin reading a new book for pleasure, work or class, pick up a magazine, a newspaper, etc. snap a quick picture and Tweet it with the #THSReads. We are going to track the data. Also monthly we will highlight & reward readers.
Tuscarora High School National Honor Society
All Juniors and Seniors with a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.5 or higher are invited to apply to the National Honor Society. Application materials can be located on the THS website by going to Extracurricular, then Co-curricular, then NHS, and NHS candidate information. Applications must be submitted no later than 2:30pm on Monday, September 23, 2019 to either Ms. Crowell in B127 or Mrs. McGrew in A178. If a student has questions they can stop by an advisor's classroom or email at patricia.crowell@fcps.org and karen.mcgrew@fcps.org
Biomedical Science Students Holding Fundraiser
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.
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
We are approaching the time of year when we receive questions from parents about attendance or there are discrepancies about when a student is in school. 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.
2019-2020 Tuscarora Titan Athletic Annual & Season Passes NOW Available through the Athletic Office or at Home Games AVAILABLE THROUGH GoFan or at the main gate!
Season Passes will be available to purchase for the entire school year as well as for each athletic season as noted below. Make checks out to THS Athletics Passes can also be purchased online and sent to your phone at GoFan. Simply login and add the free App (GoFan) and purchase. No need to bring passes to games anymore - you can just show the pass on your phone at the ticket booth
Click Here to Order!
See FCPS absence procedures.
Congratulations, Commendations and Kudos
Joe (Joseph) Close - 11th Grade
Nominated by Mr. Hanson (Social Studies)
"Joe has been highly attentive in class this first week. He has worked hard on any assignments given and both willingly and thoroughly answers questions posited by the teacher. He has made a strong first impression and is already contributing to a growing positive classroom culture."
All Nominations:
joshua.holmes@fcps.org
Emma Ray
tyler.hanson@fcps.org
Joe (Joseph) Close
jessica.valentine@fcps.org
Milca Barou
katherine.bartman@fcps.org
Riley Madore
lindsey.beck@fcps.org
Ian Pursell
dorothy.farmer@fcps.org
Lindsay Gierula
sophia.hamilton@fcps.org
Rafe Fairfield
David Diaz Guzman
Keyla Caceres
francisco.derose@fcps.org
Isabella Sohm
nayibe.neuland@fcps.org
Alex Angelidis
lydia.kowalski@fcps.org
Ella Davila Gonzalez
jennifer.creter@fcps.org
Richmond Akondo
mary.hull@fcps.org
Raul Dominguez
marie.bush@fcps.org
jody.ratti@fcps.org
John Weber
kierstin.rosensteel@fcps.org
Kevin Kinsella Smith
Krystal Zavala Lopez
amanda.kremnitzer@fcps.org
Robert Hallman
patricia.crowell@fcps.org
Hellen Soares Campos Aguilar
carrie.palmer@fcps.org
melanie.kalmar@fcps.org
Camden Hawley
helen.golibart@fcps.org
Nasha Jennings
richard.hartman@fcps.org
Emma Morton
Hailey Haynes-Hall
Mya Metzger
Alexander Booth
todd.knepper@fcps.org
Luz Davila Gonzalez
krista.rivera@fcps.org
Juan Perez
meredith.nickles@fcps.org
Raissa Forkou
Senior Class of 2020 News
Internships, Scholarships and Job Opportunities
Booster Club Scholarship Available
Internship Opportunity at Rock Creek School for Current THS 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.
Maryland Youth Apprenticeships
The new apprenticeship opportunities for Fall 2019 are now available on www.fcpsyouthapprentice.org
All application instructions and materials are available on the website. For further information, contact Mrs. Mummert at 240-236-6603 or at lizabeth.mummert@fcps.org
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. 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 for you to review.
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
Leadership Opportunity for Juniors and Seniors
The Rotary Club of Carroll Creek will be hosting a fall leadership program for junior and senior students in the county. This program will be an intense experience for up to 30 students who are interested in exploring the dynamics and day-to-day challenges of contemporary leaders in our community. These sessions will include: discussions of leadership principles, skills and behaviors, and group experiences to county/city facilities.
There is an application process and a $25 participation fee for this program. If you are interested in this program, please speak with your counselor for more details. Applications will be available in the THS Counseling Office.
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."
Counselor Breakdown by Student Last Name: A-C Danielle Moore D-I Jessica McDonald J-N Carla Goto O-Sv Kay Wilson Sw-Z Joshua Harrison
PTSA and Booster Organizations
PTSA Membership
Thank you for your support to our membership campaign at Back-to-School Night, we are happy to share 94 MEMBERS gave us their positive response that evening! Our goal is 142 and this is very much attainable- we are close and with your help, we can deliver. If you are interested in joining and/or donating, a membership form can be found at https://tuscarorahsptsa.org/ in the forms section.
Other PTSA News
PTSA Monthly Meeting is this Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6:30pm-7:30pm at THS Media Center.
PTSA’s Restaurant Night for the month of September is at Chipotle on Wednesday, 9/25. Please don’t forget to mention THS PTSA.
Not a member of the PTSA yet? Find out how to Join the PTSA
See names of PTSA Board and Committee Chairs and more
Safe and Sane Graduation Celebration
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
Learn More
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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