Phillip Cohen | Last names A-C | Phillip_Cohen@hcpss.org

Dana Meledick | Instructional Team Leader | Last names D-H | Dana_Meledick@hcpss.org

Erin O'Connor Rudman | Last names Me-Sb | Erin_Oconnor_Rudman@hcpss.org

Melissa Cheadle | Last names Ho-Md | Melissa_Cheadle@hcpss.org

Kelly Warner | Last names Sc-Z | Kelly_Warner@hcpss.org

John Henderson | College and Career Readiness Counselor (CCR) | John_Henderson@hcpss.org

Kevin Lee | PPW | Kevin_Lee@hcpss.org

Amanda Ganoe I School Social Worker I Amanda_Ganoe@hcpss.org

Katrina Montgomery | Data Clerk | Katrina_Montgomery@hcpss.org

Jennifer Nelson | Registrar | Jennifer_Nelson@hcpss.org

Mike O'Shaughnessy | School Psychologist | Moshaughnessy@hcpss.org

Allison Sultan | Registrar | Allison_Sultan@hcpss.org

Anne Handy | Student Services Secretary | AHandy@hcpss.org

Mark Sturdivant I Black Student Achievement Program Liaison I Mark_Sturdivant@hcpss.org

Jessie Moore I Alternative Education I Jessie Moore@hcpss.org

Justin Riggin I Alternative Education I Justin_Riggin@hcpss.org

• For students that have last minute questions before submitting their applications, remember to visit the senior folder for FAQ. The FAQ provides specific information about your school AND general information about the application process. Congratulations and good luck to all our seniors applying to college.
• FAFSA 2024-2025 Changes: Visit studentaid.gov for the most up to date information. Check out this article for the most significant changes to the FAFSA. Additionally, there are several webinars and upcoming information sessions linked here. We highly recommend attending multiple sessions to gain a greater understanding of the process.
• Howard Community College will be supporting seniors who are applying to HCC in the Fall. The HCC Representation will be at Atholton on March 15th to answer any questions about the application process.

Counselors will be meeting with all juniors through English classes on April 4th and 5th. The lesson will include information on the World of Work requirement for graduation and Post-Secondary Planning.

The Junior Interview Clinic (World of Work) will be held on April 11th and April 12th. All HCPSS high schools host a World of Work event each year. Schools solicit local businesses and community members, and parents/guardians to interview students and provide feedback.

Preparation for World of Work begins in students’ English classes, where they are taught how to craft a resume. Students are given tips and templates to help them create a usable resume that serves as a foundation they can build on as they finish high school and head to college or career.

School counselors visit each class to help them prepare for the interview. Students are given tips on subjects from how to dress professionally to what to expect from the interview process. They practice sample interview questions in class to help them feel more confident during the interview.

Counselors will be meeting with the class of 2026 in the Spring. More information will be sent out in the upcoming months.

Congratulations on making through your first semester in high school. Finish the year strong! We will be meeting with the class of 2027 in the upcoming months.

AHS Student Services presents.....

College Information Night for Juniors

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the

Atholton High School Auditorium

The college search process is upon us. The night will begin with counselors presenting detailed information on the following topics:

• the AHS college application process
• securing letters of recommendation
• requesting transcripts for colleges
• college search tips
• important deadlines

The second part of the evening will be a panel discussion with local colleges and universities. They will discuss topics such as:

• the college application process
• school specific information
• college prep tips
• FAQs

We hope to see you there!!!!!

2024 Summer Programs Registration is open!

Synergy online enrollment requests for currently enrolled HCPSS students opened Thursday, February 15 at 6 p.m. for the Innovative Pathways High School (math and Science courses only), STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp, and Summer Math Scholars programs. Registration for other courses will be available on March 15, 2024.

Families can find up-to-date course information and enrollment directions on the Summer Programs web page (https://www.hcpss.org/summer-programs/). Direct questions to the individual program office.

HCPSS promotes the mental health and wellness of each of our students to develop their unique strengths, abilities, and characteristics towards success and well-being. Staff consider the variety of factors that impact a student’s functioning such as age, cultural background, social emotional skills, academic outcomes, and access to resources.

Learn more about the HCPSS Model for Mental Health Supports in Schools

SEEKING IMMEDIATE HELP

If you or someone you know is having suicidal or thoughts of self-harm, or has taken/ingested drugs or alcohol and is in danger of overdose:

• Call 911
• Call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line
• Seek immediate help from a health care provider

BEHAVIORAL/MENTAL HEALTH

Parents/guardians, family members or friends who are concerned about a child/student’s safety, well-being or health should reach out to their school administrator and/or student support team.

BEHAVIORAL & MENTAL HEALTH

CRISIS SUPPORTS & RESOURCES

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

HCPSS provides substance abuse prevention and intervention services for any students in need, and specifically around tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUPPORTS & RESOURCES

TRAUMATIC EVENTS

HCPSS has student services teams in every school available to support the social-emotional wellbeing of children every school day. During times of increased stress caused by traumatic events occurring close to home or viewed on the news, there is an increase of required services. Our schools are equipped with the resources to support children during the school day, and we want to make sure parents and community members have resources to speak to children outside of school hours.

In addition to the Crisis Supports and Resources, parents/guardians and family members may find these resources helpful:

• Talking to Children About Traumatic Events
• NASP: Managing Strong Emotional Reactions to Traumatic Events
• NASP: Talking to Children About Violences
• Talking to Children About Sexual Abuse

HCPSS STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Psychological Services

School psychologists provide strategies and recommendations to assist with student interventions.

School Counseling

Counselors follow a set curriculum to help all students with their personal, social, and academic development.

School Culture and Climate

HCPSS has a strong commitment to teaching students, families, and staff about bullying prevention and providing students with a safe learning environment.

School Social Work

School social workers provide mental health services and facilitate connections between home, school, and community supports to promote students’ academic achievement.

February 26, 2024 Student and Family CCR Weekly

-Follow us on Instagram: HCPSS_CCR

-Subscribe to our Google calendar for all postsecondary events

-Visit our scholarship document

-Visit our enrichment program document

-Attend our March2Future Sessions

Upcoming Events:

Visit the postsecondary Google calendar for more information and links to register.

Feb 27 *8pm College Essay Guy: Building a College List that Makes Sense for Your Student (and You) | 9th-11th Graders

Feb 28 7pm Aprenda sobre el Programa de JumpStart Google Meet

Feb 28 *7pm College Essay Guy: What College Admission Looks Like in 2024

March 2 10am How to Navigate a Job Fair- OMMS

March 2 *1pm UMD FIre Protection Information Session

March 2 *4pm Compass Education: The Digital SAT

March 4 *6pm Beacon College, For Students Who Learn Differently EmpowerED Info Session

March 5 *8pm STARS College Network: The College Search

March 6 7pm HCPSS March2Future: Military Information Night

March 6 *3pm Decisions Decisions, Decisions- Preparing your senior for good and not so good college news

Military Information Night: Enlistment, Academies, ROTC, and more... Wednesday, March 6 at 7pm Register here

Representatives from each branch of the United States Military will be with us to present information about their mission and specialty. You will learn about job opportunities, educational and career pathways, strengths of each branch, the GI bill, career benefits, and ROTC opportunities. Additionally, representatives from military academies will discuss the unique process to apply as well as the benefits of attending a Military Academy. The evening will conclude with a student panel representing all of the military pathways who will share their experiences and lessons learned. We encourage students in grades 8-12 to attend this session.

HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) March2Future Event: If you missed last week's HBCU March2Future session, check it out the recording. The session highlighted the benefits of attending an HBCU and showcased a panel of HCPSS alumni who attend HBCU's. Recording here Passcode:%uc509B=

Education, Enrichment , Internship, Employment 2023-2024: Summer will be here before you know it! Students should spend time now exploring how to spend their summer months. Check out our education, enrichment, and job document that maintains programs available to high school students.

Class of 2024-- Looking for scholarships? Check out the HCPSS scholarship document for a full list! We add scholarships to this document daily. A searchable database is also available in Naviance and includes the same scholarships.

College Essay Guy Podcast Part 1 and 2: What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report In this podcast, Ethan sits down with David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer at National Association of College Admission Counselors (aka NACAC), an will discuss What Colleges Want in 2024!

Compass Education: Yale Returns to Testing. Why? And Who is Next. Test Optional Admissions While (another) Ivy League test-requirement decision directly pertains to a relatively small pool of ultra-high achievers, understanding the rationale of these policy shifts helps all college-bound students appreciate the complicated trade-offs of test-optional practices. As we have been predicting for months and explained in our analysis of Dartmouth’s decision, more schools are likely to join MIT and Georgetown in pointing to internal research that shows test scores are insufficient yet necessary.

Leadership U

Leadership U (LU) is a unique leadership development and community service program for Howard County (HoCo), Maryland, high school sophomores. Starting in the summer following the sophomore year, this 4-month program fosters leadership growth and civic engagement through three pillar areas:

• Education on Community Issues
• Student-Led Community Service Projects
• Development of Student’s Unique Leadership Skills

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2024.

https://www.leadershiphc.org/programs/leadership-u/

Project Access

Project Access is a college preparatory program located at Howard Community College. The program supports college-bound high school students receiving academic accommodations, such as an IEP/504. Students completing grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 and who will be receiving a high school diploma are eligible. The program focuses on college readiness skills; academic and nonacademic. Project Access is providing an Open House event on Saturday, March 9th at Howard Community College, to review the upcoming 2024 summer program. No registration is necessary for this event.

If you are experiencing barriers to accessing school supplies, please come down to Student Services.

If your family is planning to move it is important that you update your address with the Student Services Office. Please contact Ms. Sultan, Registrar, for more information about what is needed to keep your file accurate.

Atholton's Beyond School Hours (BSH) After-School Academic Support Program

There are support sessions available for the four main content areas in the media center from 3:00-5:00 PM.

· Students with IEPS: Homework club every Tuesday and Thursday

· Math Support: Every Tuesday and Thursday

· English, social studies and science are only on Thursday.

For more information, please contact Imani Hinson (Imani_Hinson@hcpss.org) or Emily DeFilippo (Emily_DeFilippo@hcpss.org)

Online Homework Assistance – Howard County Library

http://hclibrary.org/new-a-main/get-homework-help/

In addition to receiving guidance from HCLS staff, students (K-12) and college-age adults can connect with free tutors for assistance with math, reading, science, social studies, English/language arts, and writing. Both English and Spanish speaking tutors are available seven days a week from 2 pm until 11:55 pm.

HCEA Tutor List

As service to the community, the Howard County Education Association maintains a list of educators willing to tutor. If you are interested in hiring an HCPSS teacher to provide tutoring, please pick up a list of these tutors from the AHS Student Services office.

As we navigate through the challenges of adolescence, it's essential to address topics that may be difficult but are incredibly important for our mental and emotional well-being. In this edition of our newsletter, we're focusing on self-injury awareness.

Self-injury, often referred to as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), is a coping mechanism that individuals may use to deal with overwhelming emotions, stress, or trauma. It's crucial to understand that self-injury is a sign that someone is struggling and needs support.

Recognizing the Signs:

· Unexplained cuts, bruises, or burns, often found on the arms, legs, or torso.

· Wearing long sleeves or pants, even in warm weather, to conceal injuries.

· Finding sharp objects, such as razors or scissors, hidden among personal belongings.

· Withdrawal from social activities or changes in behavior and mood.

How to Help:

· Approach the individual with empathy and without judgment. Let them know you're there to listen and support them.

· Encourage them to seek professional help from a counselor, therapist, or trusted adult.

· Offer alternative coping strategies, such as journaling, exercising, or engaging in creative activities.

· Foster a safe and supportive environment where they feel comfortable expressing their emotions.

Resources for Support:

· The AHS student services team

· Grassroots 24 hour Crisis Line- 410- 531-6677

· Suicide and Crisis Lifeline- Call or Text 988

· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

· Crisis Text Line: Text "HELLO" to 741741

· Self-Injury Outreach and Support (SIOS): sios.support

If you or someone you know is struggling with self-injury, please don't hesitate to reach out for help. You are not alone, and there are people who care about you and want to support you through this journey.