Dear QOHS School Community,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you find moments to reflect and celebrate with family and friends. This season offers a wonderful opportunity to express gratitude, and here at school, we have so much to be thankful for.

We are immensely grateful for the incredible teachers and school staff who create a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment for your students to learn and thrive. We are equally thankful for our school community—parents, caregivers, and volunteers—who generously support our students through chaperoning, mentoring, and offering care and encouragement. And, of course, we are deeply thankful for our students. They are the heart of our work, and it is a true privilege to guide them on their journey toward becoming thoughtful and responsible young adults.

Please take note of the following schedule updates for this week:

• Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26: Early release days for students.

• Monday, Nov. 25, 1–6 PM: Caregiver-Teacher Conferences. Counselors will also be available to meet with families and provide guidance on tools like Naviance, FAFSA, and the Common App.

• Wednesday, Nov. 27 – Friday, Nov. 29: No school for students.

We want to wish Juntos good luck as they compete in the MCPS Latin Dance Competition on Monday, November 25, at 6:30 PM. QO is cheering for you!

Also, congratulations to the Varsity Football Team for making it to the state semifinals! The game will take place against Broadneck High School on Friday, November 29, at 3:00 PM. Please note that a current school ID is required for admittance to the game.

We wish you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving. Thank you for all you do to make our school community such a special place.

All the Best

-The QO Admin Team!

This year, caregiver-teacher conferences will be held on Monday, November 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You have the option to meet with your student’s teacher either virtually or in person. Conference sign-ups will open on ParentVue starting November 18, with each conference lasting 15 minutes.

If you’re unavailable on November 25 or find that all slots are filled, please reach out directly to your student’s teacher to arrange an alternative meeting time.

For step-by-step support on signing up, refer to the guides available in both

English, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lkmLPlXDB3Yzv4OrEih4LwU6W-hA2RYMNumO4dtmfSA/edit?tab=t.0, and

Spanish https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_7kpTzVpU2JlVd5Ejgk4dYMIIdKSc6tK/view.

It is that time of year again, the Giving Tree is "BACK"! We are slowly moving back to gifts and gift cards! You can see all the items our families need and sign-up to donate something via Sign-up Genius (https://tinyurl.com/QOGivingTree2024). We are still collecting mainly gift cards to allow families to purchase items that they are most in need of or greatly want, but we have added some specific gift requests this year and we have several families that are in need of basics such as linens, towels, pots, and pans.

A little history, firsteen years ago, QO started this event to give those in need within our own community a little brighter holiday season. The Giving Tree is traditionally a gift giving project where students and their families who would not have much of a holiday season have been selected and we hope that as a community we can provide each one of them something special this holiday season. Each year we help over 50 of our own QO community members have a happier holiday season.

Here is how it works:

• Community Members select a gift card or specific gift from our Sign-Up Genius. We are looking for donations of the following types:
• Specific Gifts
• $25 Amazon, Target, and Walmart Gift Cards - for Gifts
• $25 Giant and Safeway Gift Cards - to provide each family with a holiday meal

• We ask that gift cards are returned by Wednesday, December 11th so that they can be organized and distributed to families with enough time for families to shop.

• Drop-off at school - PREFERRED METHOD

• Place gifts in a bag with the gift receipt (in case it doesn’t fit) and make sure to include the Gift Code and your name or email address

• Place cards in an envelope or ziploc bag and label the envelope or bag with the Gift Code and your name or email address

• Deliver cards to Ms. Adams in:

• Room 123B before school & at lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesday (yellow hallway)

• Room 128 during lunch on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays

• Mail to school (please mail EARLY so they arrive by December 8th) -
• Mail to: Colleen Adams, ℅ Quince Orchard High School, 15800 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

• Label all cards with the Gift Code and your name or email address

Timeline of Events:

• NOW - Sign-Up Genius is live with family requests

• NOW - Card Collection

• Monday, December 9th - Sign-Up Genius Closes

• Wednesday, December 11th - All Gifts and Gift Cards are due back to QOHS

If you have any questions or want to help, please email colleen_m_adams@mcpsmd.org.

Please note that the date for the Grades 9-11 Caregiver Registration InformationMeeting has been rescheduled from Thursday, December 6 to Thursday, December 12 at 6:30 PM.

This important meeting will provide valuable information about the registration process, course, and pathway updates for the 2025-26 school year. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be recorded and made available for later viewing.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to your attendance!

✏️ New Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM
📍 Location: Auditorium

Dear Quince Orchard Families,

Ms. Coleen Djouha, the Career Advising Coach, is seeking professionals from various fields to participate in our upcoming "Meet A Pro" career exploration events. These events provide students the opportunity to learn about different career paths directly from experts in their fields. We are currently looking for professionals in the following areas:

• Engineering
• Business
• Medicine (Doctor)
• Law
• Athletics
• Art Education
• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts

There are so many careers involved in construction! You can be on the front lines and be working on a construction site with a hard hat and tools...but did you know that there are so many other things you can do in the construction industry? You can be a website designer, a project manager, build sets for a movie or a television show and so much more!

Learn all about the different careers in construction! There will be a Construction Trades Meet a Pro Event on November 25 at Quince Orchard High School during periods 3 and 4! You will have the opportunity to hear from people in the construction industry and learn about all the different career fields you can go into. You may sign up for 1 or 2 sessions. Please email Ms. Djouha at coleen_m_djouha2@mcpsmd.org if you would like to attend this event. Please see Ms. Djouha in room 235 if you have any questions!

Who: QO Science National Honor Society, the American Red Cross, and QO staff and students

What: Blood drive

Where: Small gym

When: Friday December 20, 8 am - 2 pm

Why: Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages--accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Your donation will make a difference to someone's life.

In order to make a donation appointment, you must

• Be at least 16 years old or older

• Meet certain height and weight requirements (doc)

• Complete an information sheet and signed parental/legal guardian consent form regardless of your age (per MCPS policy)

• English (PDF)

• Spanish (PDF)

• Turn the information sheet and signed consent form into Ms. Haase in room 331 or drop it off in the Blood Drive tray in the main office. You will be scheduled for an appointment. We will email you at your @mcpsmd.net account with the time of your appointment. We will deliver a Blood Drive pass to you the week of December 15.

On the day of your donation:

• Get a good night's sleep

• Eat a good breakfast and a good lunch

• Stay hydrated!

• Bring a photo ID that has proof of age OR be able to pull up StudentVue on your phone as proof of age

For more information:

• Red Cross Information for student donors (link)

• How to prepare for your donation (PDF)

• Stop by the twice-weekly information tables in the main lobby at lunch time

• See Ms. Haase in room 331

Save the date for the Class of 2026 Chipotle Fundraiser for Quince Orchard High School. 25% of event sales get donated to the Class of 2026.

The QOHS Theater Department is looking for volunteers to help hand out tickets, programs and more for their upcoming performance of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown!” The volunteer sign-up is located on the theater bulletin board, or see Mrs. Miller in room 340 for more information. Multiple dates and times needed!

Check out other November SSL Opportunities here!

Yearbooks are for sale NOW! Visit jostens.com/buyyearbk or scan the code to purchase.

Attention, 12th grade students! Don’t miss our last On-the-Spot Admissions event of the year on December 3rd at Richard Montgomery High School from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Meet with college representatives, get accepted on the spot, and possibly even secure a scholarship!🎓💸

Be sure to register by clicking the link here: https://forms.gle/TY9Uy5YUm6HKyM5n8 If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Romero - Lisa_D_Romero@mcpsmd.org

Attention Seniors! Are you planning to attend college next year? Are your application deadlines rapidly approaching? If this is you, you MUST request your transcript be sent out to all the schools you are applying to! If you have not yet done so, please request your transcript ASAP! It takes several days to process your request and send out your documents! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScR5j16bnD0bf6svKNmLUmM96jGlp6D5YPEksKE3QjUM2qByA/viewform

Seniors! If you are using the Common App to apply to schools, and are getting stuck, we have created a resource document for you! There are very helpful documents, resources and videos! Please check it out, and if you still need help, come see us in the College/Career Center of the Counseling Services Suite!

Common App Resource Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17N5y6PKFMRo2KwlDtT1osKqxkjV3fU9gfkybxBtjoJc/edit

Families, please encourage your students to sign up for college visits at Quince Orchard High School. For instructions on how to sign up for a college visit or to view a list of colleges coming to Quince Orchard High School, please click on the link below: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/qohs-counseling/the-college-career-center/visits?authuser=0

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to qualifying households for over 30 years. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form provide the required information. Resources are limited: please apply only if you and your family are truly in need. Families can only be referred once; please do not complete a referral if you have already been referred from another school or agency. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. If you need help completing the form please contact Ms. Ruiz Miller at 240-447-8963.

Referral form: https://forms.gle/QC4GCL39awvfbLHa9

El Holiday Giving Project ha brindado asistencia para el Día de Acción de Gracias y los días festivos de diciembre a los hogares que califican durante más de 30 años. Si usted y su familia están en necesidad y les gustaría ser referidos para una posible asistencia durante la temporada de festividades, complete este formulario de referencia para proporcionar la información requerida. Los recursos son limitados: solicite solo si usted y su familia realmente lo necesitan. Las familias solo pueden ser referidas una vez. Por favor no complete este referido si ya le han referido de otra escuela o agencia. Si bien una referencia no es una garantía de asistencia, el Proyecto ayuda a tantas familias necesitadas como lo permitan las donaciones. Si necesita ayuda para completar el formulario, comuníquese con la Sra. Ruiz Miller al 240-447-8963.

formulario de referencia: https://forms.gle/QC4GCL39awvfbLHa9

Fri 11/29 at 3:00pm Varsity Football State Semifinals vs. Broadneck

Tickets will be $8 (plus $1 processing fee) for everyone 7 years of age and above. Ticket link will be available in GoFan on Tuesday at 12pm.

The Winter Sports Parent/Caregiver Meeting will be held on Monday, November 25th in the QO Auditorium. We have a new format this year. New parents and any other parents that would like to, should arrive at 6:30pm for the AD Presentation. The rest of the parents should arrive at 7pm. At that point, WE will cover new items for the season. They will also hear from our Athletic Trainer, Mike Monahan and the QO Booster Club. At 7:20pm, we will dismiss to our individual team meetings.

Please email AD at Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org with any questions.

1. Login to MCPS ParentVue Portal
2. Locate “Online Registration” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
3. You should then see prompts to enter information for the “2024-2025 HS Athletics Registration – Winter”.
   If you see something for “Annual Verification” or “Resume Annual Registration”, please click the “Start Over” button, logout and log back in, this should then allow you to access the Athletic Registration.
4. The Athletics Registration screens will have you verify information in the system and then allow you to review and complete the Athletics Registration forms.
   If any of the information appearing on the “Family” or “Parent/Guardian” information screens is incorrect, please contact the our Registrar at Kristin_A_Barnes@mcpsmd.org to have this corrected before completing your registration.
5. If you have already registered for All-School Registration, click on that your don’t want to register for a sport during that season so you can continue to register

QO Athletics Full Year, Winter and Season Passes are now on sale at the link below. These passes are good for regular season home games only!

https://gofan.co/app/school/MD24824?activity=Digital%20Season%20Pass

English / español / 中文 / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ

Bells Mill Celebrates Blue Ribbon Award

The National Blue Ribbon Award, presented by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes schools for outstanding academic performance. Bells Mill Elementary School earned the award in the Exemplary High-Performing Schools category, which highlights institutions with strong achievement across all student groups. Woodfield Elementary School also received the honor and will hold its ceremony in January 2025.

BOE Approves FY 2026 Capital Budget

The Montgomery County Board of Education approved the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) during a meeting on Nov. 21.

The CIP lists projects to improve or build new facilities and infrastructure.

The superintendent’s recommended FY 2026 Capital Budget totals $1.853 billion. While the budget total does not increase, the district is requesting $21.6 million from Montgomery County to address revenue shortfalls. CIP website

Thanksgiving Week Schedule and Attendance

A reminder that schools will release students early on Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26. It is important for students to attend school on these days and complete their work to stay on track before the holiday break.

Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Friday, Nov. 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

For a full list of important dates and to stay up to date with the school calendar, visit the MCPS School Calendar.

Explore the New Operating Budget Dashboard

MCPS launched a new Budget Dashboard for Fiscal Year 2025 (the current school year), offering a user-friendly and transparent way to explore the $3.3 billion operating budget.

What You Will See
The tool includes search functions and downloadable Excel files, simplifying budget analysis.

Users can compare all three budget phases:

• The superintendent’s recommended budget in December.

• The Board of Education’s tentatively adopted budget in February.

• The adopted budget in June.

Learn More about the budget:

Watch the Previous Budget Forum

Watch the Spanish Budget Forum on Pregúntale a MCPS Live

Don’t miss tonight's budget forum: Nov. 21, 6:30–8 p.m., Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road in Clarksburg.

MCPS Fall Sports County Champions

Congratulations to the following high school teams for their outstanding performances in the 2024 Fall Sports County Championships:

• Boys’ Cross Country – Montgomery Blair High School

• Girls’ Cross Country – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

• Cheerleading Division I – Winston Churchill High School

• Cheerleading Division II – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

• Cheerleading Division III – John F. Kennedy High School

• Field Hockey – Walt Whitman High School

• Golf 3A/4A – Walt Whitman High School

• Golf 2A/1A – Damascus High School

• Pickleball Co-Champions – Damascus High School & Walter Johnson High School

• Boys’ Soccer – Walt Whitman High School

• Girls’ Soccer – Walt Whitman High School

• Volleyball – Richard Montgomery High School

• Girls’ Flag Football – Clarksburg High School

These high school teams showcased exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. To see the pictures of some of the winners visit our website.

Student Opportunities

On-The-Spot Admissions: Several local and regional colleges and universities are offering on-the-spot admissions to MCPS seniors from 3–6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Richard Montgomery High School. Attendees will also get FAFSA support and learn about the Montgomery College application process. Richard Montgomery is located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville.

Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is seeking up to 35 high school students to join the Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program for 2024. The program offers students a chance to influence road safety policies and infrastructure, with selected ambassadors required to attend in-person sessions starting in January. For more information or to apply, visit the MCDOT website.

Choose Respect 2025: Middle and high school students are invited to participate in the Choose Respect competition for a chance to win up to $1,000. To enter, students must create a 60-second video with a message raising awareness about emotional abuse, consent, or how to support a friend facing a difficult situation. Participants can earn SSL hours, and the winning videos will be showcased at RespectFest 2025. The deadline to submit videos is Sunday, Feb. 16. To learn more, visit the website.

KID Museum Programming: The KID Museum is hosting Middle School Maker Night from 5:30-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at its 3 Bethesda Metro Center location. Register here. Scholarships are available on request.

Stay Connected

• VISIT the MCPS homepage.

• CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)

• READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.

• FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.

• http://twitter.com/mcps
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
  https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md

• https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
  https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
  https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/

• SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.

• WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89

Open Registrations

• Prekindergarten and Head Start Registration Open for Income-Eligible Families

More From MCPS

• School calendar
• Parent resource page
• News and Information page/Noticias en Español
• Latest photo galleries
• MCPS TV videos
• MCPS TV español

Email us: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

©1995–2024 Montgomery County Public Schools

Be sure to register by clicking the link here: https://forms.gle/TY9Uy5YUm6HKyM5n8 If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Romero - Lisa_D_Romero@mcpsmd.org

Attention Seniors! Are you planning to attend college next year? Are your application deadlines rapidly approaching? If this is you, you MUST request your transcript be sent out to all the schools you are applying to! If you have not yet done so, please request your transcript ASAP! It takes several days to process your request and send out your documents! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScR5j16bnD0bf6svKNmLUmM96jGlp6D5YPEksKE3QjUM2qByA/viewform

If you have any questions or concerns about senior year information, please contact 12th Grade Administrator Ms. Eberhart-Bliss at elicia_m_eberhart-bliss@mcpsmd.org or Senior Staff Sponsor, Profe Skeen at emily_m_hoefert-skeen@mcpsmd.org.

We'll be raffling off a free Greg's Driving School package!

The PTSA still needs volunteers to help with the following:

• Recognition of our Students Academic Achievements
• Focused outreach to our families who have not been engaged, specifically our Hispanic/Latin families
• Active engagement of our student leadership as part of the PTSA
• Advocacy for building upgrades/enhancements

If you know anyone who has experience with or interested in any of these areas please have them contact the PTSA! Thank you!

Scan the QR code below or visit seasonalroots.com/qohs to join for just $25 and support the Boosters Club!

Our PTSA, NAACP-PC, and Boosters Organizations are key to our success. Our amazing organizations are offering a joint membership option that allows for a 20% discount. Membership forms can be found below or at qohsboosters.com and at https://qohsptsa.memberhub.com/store. I urge you to support these worthy organizations which do so much to support our school and help us provide the best education possible to our students. You will find your involvement with one of our parent groups will help increase your student’s sense of belonging and pride in Quince Orchard High School, as well as bring families together! Check out the links below to get familiar with our volunteers and see how you can get involved:

Welcome Letters & Organizational Info:

• Boosters President Letter
• NAACP Parent Council Welcome Letter

• Why Join the PTSA?

Membership & Sponsor Information:

• Booster Club Sponsorship Letter
• Booster Club Sponsorship Form
• Booster Membership Webpage
• PTSA Membership Hub

Stay connected throughout the school year with these important links:

• MCPS Student Handbooks (Code of Conduct, Rights & Responsibilities etc.)

• QOHS events calendar can be found on the myMCPS Classroom webpage.

• Arrival & Dismissal Bus Routes

• QOHS Website

• QOHS 2024-25 Student Handbook (Here you'll find our lunch policy, ID policy & much more.)

• QOHS Bell Schedules

• Traditional School Year Calendar 2024-25

Email: Elizabeth_L_Thomas@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/qohs/
Location: 15800 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
Phone: 240-740-3600
Twitter: @QOHSPrin_Thomas