Hello Hornet Nation,

On Friday, January 20th we held our first Career Fair Panel with several guest speakers. We had business owners, government contractors, a retired DNR agent, and a member of the CIA all speak to our 11th and 12th graders. We made sure to select people from all walks of life because we do understand that everyone does not need to attend college, but everyone does need some type of higher education training. Our students were so respectful and engaged during all presenters. I was so proud of the respect we showed to all presenters. The students asked some amazing questions and some even had a personal Q&A with the CIA about internships. There were a few correlations to school that each presenter made:

• They all mentioned doing things they didn't like or working with people they didn't like. Many times we speak with students and they try to skip classes and/or assignments because they don't like them.
• They all talked about working hard and always looking to grow and learn from mistakes. This is something that all teachers work to get students to do.
• They talked about having tough skin. Sometimes students make choices based on how they will be perceived, or how others will not like their finished product. We will not please everyone and we can't allow others to prevent you from doing what you want to do. Other people's words only have as much power as we give them.
• They all talked about being persistent and never giving up on your dreams.

As long as we continue to work on these things the future will be whatever you want it to be!

This is the last week of the 2nd quarter and it's never too late to meet with teachers during lunch or after school to ensure our grades are where we want them to be.

If a student has earned an F 2 consecutive quarters in any one class, it is impossible for them to pass that class for the year without doing quarter 2 recovery while passing the 3rd and 4th quarters. We will be going through and assigning mandatory lunch recovery for students who are at risk of failing 3 or more classes for the year. If you fail 3 or more classes in one school year, you will more than likely be in that same grade the following year unless you attend and pass summer school. If your child is assigned mandatory 30-minute lunch recovery and they do not attend, they will find themself in either a full 60-minute lunch detention or in ISI for the entire day. If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please speak with your Assistant Principal.

Remember, Fall Sports eligibility is determined by your GPA from the previous school year and it needs to be a 2.0. This is a new state rule. Please do not let your grades determine if you participate in extra-curricular or not.

Let's have a GREAT week Hornet Nation!

Mr. Dothard

Principal

We Are... GREAT MILLS!!!

For Our Spanish Speaking Families

¡Saludos! Para leer en español, hay un botón para traducir en la esquina superior derecha de los anuncios de Smore cuando se abre por primera vez. Pueden hacer clic en el botón y después selecciona de la lista de lenguas disponibles

Friday, January 27th is the end of the second quarter. There is also no school for students on this day.

Spring sports begin on March 1st and you must have at least a 2.0 or C average on your 2nd marking period report card to participate.

• Boys and Girls Track and Field
• Boys and Girls Lacrosse
• Baseball
• Softball
• Boys and Girls Tennis
• PALS Bocce Ball

Data shows, students who play sports handle pressure better, maintain good grades, get into less trouble inside and outside of school, and it helps them become better team players. These are all things that will help lead a more productive adult life. Which team will you be joining?

Do you need tutoring, but have other things to do during lunch? After-School Tutoring will start on January 30th! In-person tutoring and virtual tutoring for all content areas will be offered. Students who need recovery or just additional assistance are encouraged to stay after school.

If you need to pick your student up at the end of the day, please try to notify the main office by 2:30. There are a lot of moving parts at the end of the day, but advanced notice would help things run a lot smoother. The number to the main office is 301-863-4001.

Thank you for support.

Citadel Shield - Solid Curtain - NAS Patuxent River training exercise February 6 through February 17. It is likely that there will be traffic delays in the Lexington Park area during this time frame.

St. Mary's County Public Schools pays for all 11th graders to take the SAT one time for free. Students have also taken the PSAT 3 times, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, prior to taking the SAT on March 22nd to help them receive the highest score possible. This means families would never have to pay to take the test if students take advantage of the opportunities provided through the school system.

All juniors will take the SAT in school on March 22nd. Click the link below to learn how to prepare for the SAT using the SAT prep course through Edgenuity.

Please consider wearing TEAL on Wednesdays in January! For the month of January, teal represents awareness for Cervical Cancer! This month also represents awareness for National Blood Donor Month, Glaucoma Cancer, and Thyroid Disease.

January 13th is National AMBER Alert Awareness Day.

The CollegeBoard National Recognition Programs Application opens Wednesday, January 18th. Qualified sophomores and juniors are eligible. If you are in 10th or 11th grade and took or plan to take PSAT and/or any AP Exam you are eligible.

Click here for more information from College Board.

Edgenuity now offers SAT prep classes to assist all students in preparing for the SAT. ALL JUNIORS,11th graders, will take the SAT during the day in March. This is an excellent resource for students to prepare for the test. Students can access via the Clever login to Edgenuity. Click HERE for information on how to set up your account.

The National Honor Society will again be offering tutoring during One Lunch.

Students can sign up for individual tutoring sessions by going to room F36 to request tutoring, and Mrs. Johns will then match you with a tutor and schedule a session.

Need college, job opportunities, trade school, and scholarship information? Mrs. Waddell is here to help you. She may be contacted at tdwaddell@smcps.org or 301-863-4001 ext.18139. She also built the GMHS College & Career Readiness Google Site, which contains information for students and parents.

SAT Prep with Edgenuity Edgenuity now offers SAT prep classes to assist all students in preparing for the SAT. ALL JUNIORS will take the SAT during the day in March. This is an excellent resource for students to prepare for the test. Students can access via the Clever login to Edgenuity. Click HERE for information on how to set up your account.

Don't wait until the last minute to order your graduation materials rings, caps, gowns, and other graduation materials. If you would like more information or would like to order online, click here to order.

The GMHS Writing Center is an in-school resource available every day during both Green and Gold lunches in Room C-15. Students can get support on new assignments, revisions, personal writing, college application essays, and more!

If you have questions contact:

Mr. Stevens (wbstevens@smcps.org); Mrs. Walsh (mfwalsh@smcps.org)

We will be looking to grow different options for clubs and groups during 1-Lunch! Are you interested in giving back to your community?

The School Volunteer Portal is now open for applications. Beginning this year all school volunteers must apply annually for approval. If you were approved last year, you will need to reapply through this portal. The application process will end on May 1 of each school year. There is no application fee for school volunteers. The volunteer portal is now fully integrated with the Raptor visitor management system. Once approved you will receive an email. That’s it!

Join Gals Lead on Thursdays in D-11 during Green and Gold lunch. It is Dream Queen Association’s signature program for teen girls to help develop confidence, connection, and career clarity to help young women live their most awesome dream life.

Did you miss your chance to purchase a yearbook in high school? We can't bring you back to high school, but we can sell you a book of high school memories!

Here is a direct link to purchase an Alumni Yearbook from the years 1980-2021. There is a limited quantity of each and once they are gone, we do not have the ability to order more.

Click here to purchase yours today!

prices are :

1980-2000 $25.00

2001-2018 $30.00

2019-2021 $45.00

Shipping is $6.50 per book.

Schoology New Parent/Guardian Provisioning: New Schoology parent/guardian accounts will be created in the coming weeks. We hope to have accounts created and parents/guardians connected to their students in Schoology by Friday, September 2nd. Continue to use Schoology for your updates along with your SMOREs/School Messenger. Please share this specific message with your school community through School Messenger. Parents that have difficulty accessing their pre-existing accounts should contact schoology@smcps.org and include the student name and ID number for troubleshooting.

For more help with Schoology, visit the SMCPS Schoology Parent Dashboard.

Are you aware that your child could qualify for a free Associate Degree or free professional certifications from CSM and/or Blades School of Hair and Design? What exactly is the Maryland Promise Scholarship?

Yearbooks are on sale for $105.00. Yearbooks can be ordered online through the following link: Buy your YEARBOOK here

Did you know that even just a few minutes on a cell phone texting, checking social media, etc adds up over the course of a school day? Students, who use their devices for just 5 minutes each period, lose nearly 1 period of instructional time per day (35 minutes of class). Over the course of 1 week, those 5 minutes per class adds up to nearly 4 missed periods! Personal devices can be a HUGE distraction for students. Please start this year off right, by keeping personal devices away in your bookbag or at a charging station if your teacher has one available. There is a direct connection to phone usage during the school day to grades. Encourage your student/s to only use their phone during lunch, between classes, or when approved by a teacher.

Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands. Please link your VIC card to GMHS #4324.

Harris Teeter has donated over $32.4 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! When you shop Harris Teeter brands, a percentage of your purchase is donated to the school that your VIC card is linked to.

There are NO LIMITS to how much a school can earn!

Any customer with a VIC card can link their card to a school. Customers can link up to five (5) schools to their account.

MySchoolBucks is an online payment service that provides a convenient way for parents/guardians to pay for school-related purchases by using their credit/debit card or electronic check. Please use this link for more information on how to sign up for a MySchoolBucks account if you do not already have one.

SMCPS is looking to get nominations to recognize our cafeteria workers from school-based staff, students, and parents. Please consider clicking here to nominate one of our wonderful GMHS Cafeteria workers. All staff members are listed on our GMHS website.

Nominations will be selected each month to pass along The Golden Spatula Award to our cafeteria staff.

Monday, January 23rd

• Girls JV Basketball vs Kent Island 4:30 PM

Tuesday, January 24th

• Boys and Girls Wrestling 5:00 PM

Wednesday, January 25th

• Boys Basketball vs Mc Donough JV 5:00; Varsity 6:30 PM

Thursday, January 26th

• Boys and Girls Wrestling vs Huntingtown 5:30 PM

Friday, January 27th

• Girls Basketball vs La Plata Varsity 6:30 (No JV game)

Purchase tickets here

Winter sports teams have been picked and we are ready to roll! You will be able to purchase tickets online at Go Fan or at the gate with cash only. All winter sports schedules have been uploaded and are ready for purchase. Get online and create your free account now to purchase tickets. Once you have purchased the ticket you just need to show your online ticket at the ticket table using a mobile device.

Our Winter season will start on December 5, 2022.

1. All tickets are sold online this season. The cost is $6 per person. Individuals 7 years of age and older will be charged an admission of $6. There is no charge for swimming at CSM-Leonardtown. Regular Season swim meets at St. Mary's College will be $6 cash only.

This is the site information for home tickets: https://gofan.co/app/school/MD24791

2. There will be No Bags allowed in sporting events. Spectators will only be permitted to carry a small clutch or wallet into events. Other small permissible items such as keys, wallets, cell phones, credit cards, and cash may be carried in a pocket or by hand. Prohibited items include weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, outside food and drinks, laser pointers, non-service animals, and other items deemed inappropriate by the school administration.

SMCPS is committed to the mental health and wellness of students and parents. Check out each of the available sites for valuable resources.

We are pleased to announce that phase 1 of the community project is finished with the completion of the brick foundation. We are going to begin phase 2 with the selling of additional bricks to raise money for the Hornet statue. Click to purchase your own brick!

Follow us on Twitter or check the school website for updates.

Email: bjdothard@smcps.org
Website: https://schools.smcps.org/gmhs/
Location: 21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 863-4001
Twitter: @GMHS_SMCPS