Weekly Update

The 2023-2024 Winter Athletic Season is underway and we just want to remind everyone of the SMAC athletic policies in place.

1. All tickets are on-line through GoFan . NO Cash sales. Free admission for children 8 and under.
2. NO outside food or drinks allowed including water bottles.
3. NO bags or purses allowed. Only small handheld purses allowed.
4. Our concessions will accept cash and cards during most events.
5. Lastly, be mindful of comments as fans of the game and spectators to the student athletes.

Due to safety concerns and the demands on the main office, we do not accept food deliveries of any kind. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Parents who are dropping students off at school in the morning should use the parking lot lane closest to the building. Please do not park in in a space and wait to drop your student off. Unfortunately, parking is very limited for both students and staff. Utilizing extra parking spaces for this purpose can create an issue where there is nowhere for staff or student drivers to park. Additionally, please do not drive down the middle parking lot lane in order to drop a student at school. We appreciate your help!

Calendar Survey - School Year 2024-2025: The SMCPS Calendar Committee is seeking input in the development of the 2024-2025 school year calendar. Please respond to this Calendar Survey to provide your input.

It's such a busy time of year with so many fun activities and family obligations. Sometimes all the activities can be overwhelming and then our students have a tough time getting out of bed and making it to class on time. Please remember that even when it's hard to get to school because we are tired or feel behind it ultimately makes things easier for our students when they are in the building. Attending school, even when we are tired and "just don't feel like it", also builds healthy life and work habits for the future.

Students who failed one or more courses for the first marking period may be eligible for credit recovery through Edgenuity. If Edgenuity quarter recovery is completed, the failing grade(s) will improve to a 59.5% (D) for the first marking period. To enroll in Edgenuity, please click on the following link and complete the form: Edgenuity Marking Period Recovery. You will need your grade information in order to complete the form. If you are unsure if you failed a course, be sure to check HAC (Home Access Center) to view your report card (available on 11/7/23), Schoology, or ask your teacher. Not all courses are available for recovery through Edgenuity.

Students must complete this form by the end of the school day November 10, 2023. Email Ms. Bridges (kjbridges@smcps.org) if you have questions.

Free Tutoring is available to LHS students from LHS teachers in the areas of MATH, ELA, SCIENCE, and SPANISH. There is tutoring available on site before school, during lunch, and after school. There is also virtual tutoring available. Contact your child’s teacher, guidance counselor, or Theresa Smith at tmsmith@smcps.org for information.

This week, the Italian Club celebrated Immaculata, the day upon which most Italians put up their Christmas tree. The Italian Club made their own ornaments then put them on the tree. They enjoyed homemade Italian food like tortellini al forno and pandoro.

We would like to recognize our JV Minds and Motion Award Recipients (3.25 GPA) as they were accidently omitted from the sports banquet. Great job Raiders!

Addison Farr

Anna Hair

Katelyn Jung

Skye Layman

Melanie McLaughlin

Isabella Derisavi

Addison Gaskill

Josephine Lilyquist

Heidi Peters

Lacy Riley

Ava Shriver

Anna Snow

Avery Watkins

Rylee Watson

Sydney Wook

Judson Mattingly and Foster Kirby won the Reindeer Dash at our Reindeer Run MTSS Walk and Talk Event on 12/8/23!

Registration is open for the annual St. Mary’s Association of Model United Nations Conference. Sign up online using the following link to represent a county and voice your beliefs on major global events like climate change, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, or Nuclear Non-Proliferation on February 9th & 10th.

Additionally, LHS will offer a few classrooms where students can go during lunch in order to join the Meet & Greets on their SMCPS-issued laptop. Please make sure to bring earbuds/headphones. Here is the schedule of available classrooms:

Class rings will be delivered Wednesday December 6th during One Lunch. Jostens will be set up outside the Career Center.

Our annual Mr. Leonardtown Pageant is approaching. Save the Date: January 19th. We need your help selecting students to participate. The top 2-3 candidates will be invited to compete.

Please complete the nomination forms via the link below. This will also be shared by your grade level administrator; make sure to check your school email. Mr. Leonardtown 2024 Nomination Form

Hey Raiders! Do you want to help keep people warm this winter? Starting on December 4, you can donate hats, gloves, and socks for Project Warm! Bring your unused items to room F12 before December 15. The items will be collected for Project Warm and the Three Oaks Center in Lexington Park. Let’s help people stay warm this winter

Order a Yearbook

If you are interested in purchasing a yearbook, please visit the Jostens site. We are in the second tier of our pricing, so order before December 15 before the price goes up again!

Grad Ads

Senior parents interested in creating a grad ad for the yearbook can do so through the Tribute Ads website. The deadline for creating an ad is Friday, December 15, 2023. Please visit the Tribute Ads site to create an ad honoring your senior.

Senior Yearbook Items

Seniors, it is time to fill out the items for the senior section in the yearbook! You should fill out the senior awards & activities list, superlative form, and create your index card through your school Gmail accounts. The deadline to submit yearbook items is Monday, December 11. Seniors, please click HERE to access the form. Please note that only SMCPS students can access the form.

Pictures Needed!

We are in need of pictures for some of our spreads! Click here for specifics regarding what pictures we still need. Please upload pictures directly to our Yearbook website using ReplayIt. Please do not submit screenshots of pictures or pictures with filters. Please make sure all students featured in the pictures are identified with first and last name and grade level. Please make sure that the pictures are from this summer and this school year!

Counselors are working on sending transcripts and letters of recommendation in Naviance. Please be patient as this is a busy time of year for college requests.

If you need a letter of recommendation from your school counselor, make sure to submit the Letter of Recommendation Request form (which is available in Guidance) and please allow 10 business days.

If you would like a parent teacher conference with one teacher please contact the teacher directly through email to arrange. If you require all teachers for a conference please contact your students counselor.

Senior students and parents please make sure you are checking grades to ensure students are on track to graduate this year.

Make sure to know your counselor!

• Hensel: A-Da - jahensel@smcps.org

• Wolcott: De-Ha & GIS - rrwolcott@smcps.org

• Neitz: He-Mc - lkneitz@smcps.org

• Guidry: Me-Se- lcguidry@smcps.org

• Sawyer: Sh-Z -- wnsawyer@smcps.org

• Evening Counseling: SMCPS is once again offering School-Based Counseling Support in the evening for SMCPS students. Counseling support focuses on the following areas: Healthy Relationships, Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Stress Management, Worry, Sadness, and Emotional Regulation. Services will be located at Margaret Brent Middle School and Greenview Knolls Elementary School on Tuesday evenings from 4-7:30 p.m. Please complete the Parent Contact Form for Evening Counseling to request services.

ATTENTION Seniors: the Common Application is now open!

Common Application

The Common Application, which is accepted by more than 900 schools, helps streamline an essential part of the admissions process for students. Through the platform, first-time applicants can apply to multiple colleges at once. Students will only have to fill out details that most schools require, including name, address and extracurricular activities, one time. Click here for the Common Application Link

If you are applying to colleges via Common App, please do not request any documents from your teachers/counselors via Common App. All document requests must go through Naviance.

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, December 12th

Salisbury University On-Site Admissions Day for students who have applied by Dec. 1st and have at least a 2.8 GPA. Students can schedule an interview to have your application reviewed. Link to Register (Click jump to the next available date to schedule.)

Wednesday, January 10th

FAFSA Night at LHS @ 6 PM in the Media Center

The new FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be opening by December 31st.

LHS is hosting a FREE FAFSA Completion/Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, January 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Juniors- Spring SAT

LHS will be offering the SAT free of charge on March 13, 2024 during the school day. This year, students will need to sign up for the test in order to be registered for it. Students will need to complete the sign up form by January 10, 2024. Form Link

New Scholarships Added to Naviance

The Patuxent Partnership (TPP) Pathways Scholarship

Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program (For Juniors)

To view all scholarships, login to Clever and go to Naviance. Click Colleges>> Scholarship Search.

Thinking and reflecting about how they think, also known as metacognition, can help students build build resiliency, independent learning, and self-advocacy skills. Help your student practice metacognition by asking open-ended questions that give them space to reflect on their thoughts. For example, “Why do you think that?” These conversations can be related to any topic, not just academics, “Why do you think you got so upset when…” Practicing the skill of pausing to reflect on the “why” of their thoughts and thought process help students both in and out of the classroom.

Literacy Lessons at LHS

Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and communication skills are not only taught in English Language Arts classes! Check out this great literacy practice at our school:

Ms. Wright prepares her Food and Nutrition students for cooking labs by assigning groups to preview, annotate, and plan the recipes. This is great practice that shows students that close reading skills are important in everyday life!

If your student took an MCAP assessment in Spring 2023 (ELA 10, Algebra or Geometry, or LS-MISA), they will be receiving their score reports within the next week or so. If you have questions on how to interpret the scores, please utilize the resources below.

• ELA and Math Score Interpretation Guide for Parents
• Spanish version
• Science Score Interpretation Guide for Parents
• Spanish version

Need help finding out where to go for lunch? Click the button above to see open classrooms and club offerings for each day of the week.

Click here for the one-lunch information presentation that was present to all 9th graders last week. You can find club information and much for!

Use this document to plan where you will go for lunch each day!

Students, please make sure your laptop is charged each day. Bring your charger to school in case your battery runs out.

Need to purchase a laptop charger?

You can do one of two things:

1. Go the the Media Center in your School. They can assess you a fine so that you can pay using My School Bucks.
2. Go directly to the DELL store. You can purchase directly from their website and have it shipped to your home.

Ensure one of these links are being used:

www.dell.com/mpp/smcps (click Shop Recommended Solutions to get to the discounted power cords)

www.dell.com/mpp/smcps-chargers (leads directly to the purchasing portal)

More helpful links for technology can be found at the bottom of the newsletter!

Spirit items are available on MySchoolBucks. Please make sure that your student is added into your profile and click on the School Store link. You will want to Browse all Items.

Items can be purchased and then picked up in the School Bank or during Open House. Items will also be available for purchase, in person, during open house.

Check out www.MySchoolBucks.com Go to "My School Store" and hit "Browse".

Learn how to create a MySchoolBucks account: click here.

• Here Comes the bus
• Bus Routes
• Bus Stop change-request form
• Transportation Forms

Bus passes should only be requested when students have a change in physical address or when there is an emergency situation and a student needs to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop. Bus passes will not be granted for students simply wanting to go visit with a friend.

Need to obtain a bus pass?

Visit this site to submit a request electronically, or parents can write a note or send an email to Ms. Revis at btrevis@smcps.org. All relevant information must be included in the written request.

Bus Information includes: Student name, address, parent phone number, existing bus stop to be used, bus #, date, medical concerns, destination address, destination phone # and reason for the pass.

We are Raider Strong!

Website: https://schools.smcps.org/lhs/
Location: 23995 Point Lookout Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650, USA
Phone: 301-475-0200
Twitter: @LHS_SMCPS