Dear Atholton Families,
It has been a few weeks since my last newsletter. A lot has transpired since then. First and foremost, I want to wish the entire Atholton community a very Happy New Year! I hope that this year is off to a great start. We have seen our first early closing and first delayed opening this past week due to snow and this weekend we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s. Nothing like a Maryland winter! :-)
The new year is the time we begin to focus on registering for classes for next school year (2020 - 2021). Our counselors have already begun meeting with students to discuss options in their four year plans and teachers are finalizing their recommendations for course levels. This Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30pm is our Academic Programs and Scheduling Night. Please plan to come join us for an informative evening of all the options available to students. Are you curious about the Jumpstart Program, a career academy at ARL, or GT Internship program? There will be breakout sessions that provide information on each of these programs. Additionally, our guidance counselors and department leaders (math, science, English, social studies) will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. Please plan to join us for this important event to assist your decision-making for you child(ren) for the upcoming school year.
Jumping into a freezing body of water in the middle of winter may seem like a crazy idea, but two Atholton High School students – Jackson Balda and Makenna Hammill- will be doing just that on January 17/18 for Special Olympics Maryland Polar Bear Plunge – Super Plunge. Let’s support Jackson and Makenna in their quest to meet their goal of raising $15,000. Donations can be made directly to their Fundraising link: https://support.somd.org/team/268845 . Special Olympics gives athletes with disabilities a world of opportunities without limitations. Your support will make a significant impact in their lives! Below you will find pictures celebrating this awesome team for their work thus far. Thanks to Dr. Martirano (HCPSS Superintendent), Mr. Kittleman (former County Executive), and Mr. Youngman (County Councilman) for coming out. We are behind you Jackson and Mackenna!!
Atholton hosted its second annual Stemapalooza event on the 3rd. Over 250 middle school students from our feeder schools participated in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities designed by our own students. This event, spearheaded by Ms. Fregeau, our Project Lead the Way (Engineering) instructor, was started to create an interest in our incoming students in STEM-related courses and programs. Our students did an outstanding job leading the middle schoolers in activities. I am already looking forward to next year’s event!
Ninth grade students' score reports for the PSAT 8/9 have finally arrived. Students will be receiving them in English classes this week. Just in case you were wondering, PSAT 8/9 test booklets are not returned to students. They are required to be returned to the College Board.
An email went out earlier to families regarding the upcoming midterm exam schedule. If you did not receive it, the schedule may be found below.
Yesterday evening was the opening night of the AHS Dance Concert. What a fantastic job by our sturents. Kudos to their teacher, Ms. Haffey for her stellar vision and teaching. Both Broadway pieces from A Chorus Line and 42nd Street were truly worthy of being on Broadway. This morning, I had the pleasure of attending a Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast where the greater Howard County community recognized and embraced our Alpha Achievers from all twelve HCPSS high schools.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for your patience and understanding as I caught up on the numerous emails I received during my family’s trip to Cote d’Ivoire. As I mentioned in my auto-reply, we were truly without access to email. It took my daughter a while to detach from technology but she quickly learned to appreciate the culture in which we were immersed. Once again, thank you!
Wishing everyone a fantastic week!
Warmest Regards,
Robert Motley, Principal
