The Raider Nation Newsletter

Dear Atholton Families,

We made it through the first week and we made it to September already! It's amazing how the days and weeks can feel long at times, but the months seem to fly by. It won't be long until I'm sending out info about November Conferences and prepping for Winter Break. But let's not get ahead of ourselves! Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I am ready to ditch this heat for that perfect temperature (about 55-62 degrees) when I can wear a hoodie and shorts.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone at Back to School Night last week. If you missed the program, you can see the presentation here. You're on your own to learn the fight song though (or you can get another lesson at our Home Opener this Friday). Your student's teachers either left materials for you or sent them out if they could not attend. If you did not receive anything, please reach out to them directly. Thanks.

With our sports teams in action this week (if the weather cooperates), students auditioning for the Fall play, SGA and class councils planning for Homecoming, and our various clubs kicking off the year with meetings and fundraisers, you can feel the energy and enthusiasm of our school community. As I shared at Back to School Night, getting involved isn't just for the students. Please join our parent groups listed at the end of this message. Be a member, be a leader, be a contributor, be a Raider! Your involvement makes a difference! See you at some of our upcoming events!

Sincerely,

Nick Novak

Principal

Have you completed/updated your Family File yet? YOU MUST COMPLETE/CONFIRM YOUR INFO IN FAMILY FILE EACH YEAR. We need to have Emergency Contact Info on file so we know who to call if something happens. If you do not have or have forgotten your log on credentials, you can request assistance using the help link in the HCPSS Connect page. The quick reference guide is also a useful resource to help you navigate the process:https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/family-file-user-instructions.pdf Students will not be able to attend Homecoming if Family File is not updated. Thanks.

As HCPSS shared this weekend, we are down to three routes that are temporarily suspended: 1144, 1148, and 1165. Please try to coordinate with neighbors for rides if you can. We recognize that the lack of buses is creating a huge burden on families, but until the routes are restored, our connections to other Atholton families may be the only viable solution.

For the most part, drop-off and pick-up have been pretty smooth. Thank you for following the directives of staff supporting arrival and dismissal in the parking lots. For morning drop off, you can use either of the two front lots. Please pull up as far as you can based on cars in line. Students can get out of the car anywhere along the curb and walk to the crosswalk; for the lot near the auditorium, drop off near the auditorium. Thanks.

During the first week of school, staff reviewed several presentations with students about school policies and procedures as well as the rules and regulations of the school system. If you're interested in checking out what your student reviewed, click on the links below:

• Day 1/Day 2 Presentations
• Student Code of Conduct Presentations
• AHS Behavior Plan
• HCPSS Student Code of Conduct

We have a very early Homecoming this year (September 23rd), which means that you should be making plans now! Homecoming tickets are already on sale. Tickets cost $20, and the link to buy online can be found here at the Atholton website. Tickets purchased online will be delivered to students' first period classes (those without Period 1 classes can pick their tickets up in the front office).

Want to get your tickets to the Homecoming Breakfast too? They are available for purchase for $10 on the Atholton Boosters website. While you're doing some Homecoming "online shopping," don't forget to visit GoFan to purchase your tickets to the Homecoming Game. More updates coming soon about Homecoming events, including spirit days, hallway decorating, and more!

9/13 First Raider Time of the Year (Students need to sign up with teachers)

9/15 Schools & Offices Closed

9/22 Homecoming Pep Rally for Students

9/23 Homecoming Events (Breakfast, Parade, Powder Puff Football, Football Game, & Dance)

9/25 Schools & Offices Closed

All HCPSS high schools draft school improvement plans to address these three areas: postsecondary indicators (measures that show readiness for college and career success), graduation rate, and school climate. For the first two areas, we are working to increase the number of students and for school climate, we are working to decrease suspensions, especially the disproportionality for specific student groups.

The document below is a snapshot of our School Improvement Plan. It features our targets or goals for each area, including a specific student group we need to focus on; a statement of commitment that reflects our values and beliefs as a school; and several strategies we are implementing to achieve our goals. Although the school improvement plan is not a complete assessment of all the work we do as a school, it is a good depiction of how we're trying to do better. As Peter Drucker said, "what gets measured, gets improved." I'll have some sessions throughout the year to provide families the opportunity to engage in the school improvement process as well.

Atholton PTSA

Atholton Boosters

Atholton Drama Boosters

Atholton JROTC Boosters

Atholton Music Boosters

Atholton Robotics Boosters