Paw Print #26

February 23, 2025

SMCPS 2024-2025 School Calendar

Press for the monthly calendar of important SMCPS dates.

Mark Your Calendars

February 28: PTSO 7th grade dance (2:45-4:30)

Rising Freshmen Orientation Night

The Rising Freshmen Orientation Sessions are coming up! If you have an 8th grader who will be attending high school in St. Mary's County Public Schools next year, please plan to attend one of these informative evenings. Information will be provided regarding graduation requirements, Academy Programs, Academic Pathways, and Electives. Students, staff, and administration will be present to welcome rising 9th graders. The same information will be provided at each of the sessions. Please note the changes in the date for the event for LHS.

March 4, 2025 at Chopticon High School
March 6, 2025 at Great Mills High School
March 10, 2025 at Leonardtown High School

The evenings will begin at 6:00 pm and conclude by 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.smcps.org/rfon

Title IX

Title IX is an Anti-Discrimination Law. Please click on the link below for more information on this law.

Title IX Parent Information

Impact Aid Information

St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) is encouraging all parent(s)/guardian(s) to please take the time to access and complete the online Impact Aid form located in the Home Access Center (HAC). Directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started.

Our schools are heavily impacted by federally connected students. Federally connected students are those students whose parent(s)/guardian(s) work on federal property in Maryland, live on federal property in Maryland, and/or are active-duty military personnel. Because of this impact, we receive federal grant funds to operate and maintain our schools and enrich school programs. To receive these funds, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) requires us to survey each student to determine eligibility.

All collected information is confidential and used solely for Impact Aid purposes. The Impact Aid grant application provides only demographic information on the numbers and locations of federally connected students attending our schools.

Impact Aid surveys will be digitally collected for this school year. Families who cannot complete the digital survey can either contact their child’s school for a paper copy or a blank form can be downloaded from HERE or from any SMCPS individual school website.

Families will be asked to voluntarily provide various pieces of information; for instance, information such as workplace employment will be requested. Specifically, the following two employment addresses will be requested:

the address for the employer; and
the address of the Federal Property where their physical work address is located.

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) that are on active duty in the Reserves or National Guard, will need to either upload a copy of their active-duty orders or provide their supervisor’s contact information. (* all information on the service member’s orders can be blackened out, except for name, rank, branch of service, and Title Number “USC Title 10” or “USC Title 32”).

Your cooperation in completing the survey is greatly appreciated. The more surveys that are submitted, the greater amount of funds will be available to our students in St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student’s school.