Raider Nation Newsletter

Back To School Edition -- Week of August 22, 2022

WELCOME BACK!

Dear Atholton Families,

In just one week, we will officially begin the 2022 – 2023 school year. I am excited for the first day, and as much as I hate to see the less structured days of summer end, I cannot wait for the opportunity to meet students. We are in for a great year! I know the faculty and staff are just as eager as I am to get going, and of the group of students I see here at school for sports or JROTC, they are ready to be “back” as well.

I am profoundly impressed and inspired by our teacher’s commitment to providing our students with the best possible education while giving them the experiences and encouragement to build confidence and thrive as they prepare for the next stage of their lives. Over this past couple of days during faculty meetings, we focused on ways to make that even more powerful this year, concentrating on improving the student experience for ALL.

As we approach our beginning of school next week on August 29, I wish everyone a wonderful new year. If you are new to Atholton, I send a warm welcome and can’t wait to get to know you. If you are returning to a new grade, that’s pretty exciting too! New teachers, new friends, new adventures, and new challenges await. It is exciting to contemplate a year of growth and learning ahead.

I look forward to meeting our new families this Thursday, August 25, at our New Student Orientation from 9 am - 11 am.

I want to thank Tonya Tiffany, last year's PTSA president, for all of her hard work and dedication during the transition back to all things normal. I truly appreciated her leadership. I want to welcome this year's PTSA president, Jessica Cade. We have started the year off with two successful events -- a breakfast for the HCPSS facilities department and a welcome back breakfast for the Atholton staff.

Membership in the PTSA benefits our entire Atholton community. Please show your support for our teachers and students by joining. You may do so here.

I am looking forward to working with Jessica. Please see her welcome message below.

Lastly, you will find critical information in this newsletter regarding our upcoming school year. Please read carefully and make a note of the dates. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we need our families to update their contact information. Here is the link for HCPSS Connect to update all of your information.

Our Back to School Night will be September 1, 2022, at 6:30 pm. Please join us and take advantage of the opportunity to meet your child's teachers IN-PERSON!!

Have a terrific week!

Warmest regards,

Robert A. Motley

Principal

Parent TO DO LIST

Important Information

Free and Reduced Meals Program: Many HCPSS families have been impacted financially by the pandemic, and may be eligible now to receive benefits through the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program. Qualifying families can take advantage of a wide range of additional resources and discounts, including testing fees, tuition, internet and more. Click here to learn more here is the link for HCPSS Connector to apply.

Technology accounts for new students: Families with students new to HCPSS and whose registration has been finalized will receive an email from noreply@hcpss.org with the subject “Technology account information for new HCPSS student.” The email will be sent to the email address used during the student registration process. The email contains personalized and important information regarding new students’ technology accounts. If you have a child new to HCPSS and do not receive the email and/or cannot locate the email in the junk/spam folder of the email account you used during registration, you can use the Forgot Password or Username button on the hcpss.me student landing page to retrieve both your child’s username and password. Directions for Account Self Service directions are posted online.

Family File now available for the 2022-23 school year: Parents can now access and complete the Family File for the 2022-23 school year. Parents must complete the Family File annually to ensure HCPSS has the most current information for each child. Once logged in, parents/guardians will be asked to verify or update the following information: Student Information, Parent/Guardian Contact, Emergency Contact, Medical Information, Arrival/Dismissal Procedures (for when in-person classes resume), Photo Approval, Data Confidentiality, PTA/PTSA Directory. Here is the link for HCPSS Connect.

The Canvas Student Orientation video is an excellent resource. Please view this video to familiarize yourself with our Canvas instructional platform. There are two parts to the video. Part 1 reviews the global navigation settings, and Part 2 reviews the course structure.

Welcome from the PTSA President

Dear Atholton Parents and Students,

The Atholton High School PTSA would like to welcome you to Atholton High School and help support you on your journey as an Atholton Raider!

Supporting students is a critical part of our mission and we do it in many different ways;

We help financially support student activities and clubs
We provide a safe option to celebrate after the Prom
We give students the opportunity to purchase lower cost snacks after school
We help connect students to Driver’s Ed programs and SAT/ACT classes
We offer scholarships

We also work to make the school staff feel appreciated by the community and send delegates to the PTA Council of Howard County, which supports local PTAs with leadership development, communications and legislative involvement.

And we could not do all this without the active participation of the parents in our community. Please help support our school and Raider Community by joining the PTSA and volunteering your time!

Visit our website at https://atholtonptsa.memberhub.com/

We look forward to seeing you on August 25th at New Student Orientation and on September 1st in the evening at Back-to-School Night.

“Many hands make light work”

Go Raiders!

Jessica Tropp Cade
Atholton High School PTSA President 2022-2023

Issues with Course Schedule

Schedule Changes

By now, you should have a clear idea of the courses for which your child is registered. If you have not done so, please log on (or have your child log on) to verify that the courses are correct. Class schedules (with teachers and periods) will be released this Wednesday, August 24 at 8 am.

Below you will find information about our schedule change process for the upcoming 22/23 school year. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will be able to fulfill schedule change requests after the start of the school year. Summer is the best time to request a schedule change. Please contact your counselor to request a schedule change as soon as possible if you have changed your mind about a course you’ve requested.

Starting on the first day of school, the following timeline will be used to prioritize access to courses for graduation requirements, balanced class sizes, and instructional needs. Schedule Change Process on or after the first day of school:

Phase I – August 29 through September 2 :

• Hole in schedule

• Wrong course was scheduled

• Aiding and release time

Phase II – September 6 through September 16

• All phase I reasons

• Elective changes

• Students may only have one round of electives changes (1 form)

• Level changes

• Aiding and release time

Phase III – September 19 through September 23

• All phase I reasons