Raider Nation News

Week of October 14, 2019

PSAT Testing

Dear Atholton Families,

What a great Homecoming!

The events of this past weekend make being a part of the Atholton community such a joy. Things kicked off Friday afternoon with a very spirited Pep Rally. Watching the gymnasium fill up with students decked out in their class colors was thrilling. Moreover, the competition between the classes was fierce culminating in a tug-of-war. Saturday was a long day full of activities. It started off with a packed Pancake Breakfast in the cafeteria. It was so nice to see so many families come out to support our school. Thank you so much! Next was the Homecoming Parade. Our award-winning marching band and JROTC programs were on full display for the community. Families lined Freetown Road to cheer on our students. I am sure they enjoyed the candy and tee shirts being thrown from the vehicles :-). Following the parade was the Powder Puff game between the junior and senior girls. There was nothing powdery about this game as the competition was fierce with the juniors just edging out the seniors for the win. Onto GameDay as the Raider football team DOMINATED the Vikings of Mt. Hebron in a crushing 56-14 victory. The crowd was graced with an awesome half-time show by the marching band accompanied by students from our ALS program. It was truly fantastic. The day ended with the Homecoming dance. Students returned to school decked out in their evening wear prepared for a night of dancing, games, and fun. It was such a great evening. Although I must admit some students were not happy with my repeated forays onto the dance floor to police some of the dancing -- you are welcome parents! :-). Such a great weekend reminds me of why I love my job so much. Although I, and the other administrators, spent our Sunday recuperating, it was worth it! I hope you were able to be a part of this special weekend. Finally, a special thank you to all the parent volunteers, the Atholton SGA and Mr. Stuppy for making Homecoming 2019 such a success. Your time, hard-work, and dedication to our school community is truly appreciated.

This week is a short week with no school for students on Friday. Additionally, we will have our PSAT testing this week. The PSAT will be administered to students in grades 9, 10, and 11 on Wednesday, October 16, from 7:25 - 11:15am. Sophomores and Juniors will take the PSAT NMSQT which is used to qualify students in grade 11 for National Merit Scholarship Finalists and Semi-Finalists. Students in grade 9 will participate in the PSAT 8/9. On Wednesday, Seniors are encouraged to make college visits and spend time working on college essays and use an excused discretionary day. Be sure to indicate such on your absence notes. You may send those notes to our attendance secretary, Ms. Weinberg at Mona_Weinberg@hcpss.org. Students testing will have a late lunch and attend periods 4, 5, and 6 after testing. A good breakfast is recommended! There is no make-up day for PSAT. Students must attend school on time in order to participate in this county-wide initiative. As a way of getting in the right frame of mind, we are making Wednesday college shirt day. Students and staff are asked to wear their college gear!

College Board encourages electronic devices and smart phones to be left at home or in vehicles. Proctors will collect electronic devices during testing, and students will not be allowed to wear earbuds or head coverings during testing. Students should bring a calculator with fresh batteries for the math portion that allows calculators. Calculators will not be provided to students by the school according to the College Board directions. Students are encouraged to bring extra #2 pencils. If you have any questions prior to Wednesday, please contact Mrs. Veslany at the school or email her at Lisa_Veslany@hcpss.org.

Lastly, as you may know, the Howard County Public School System elected to eliminate interims this school year. These midpoint grade checks were a way to gauge progress before the end of the marking period. I encourage parents to log onto Canvas to stay informed of your child’s progress. For those students with a D or E in a class, teachers are being instructed to reach out to parents to begin a conversation on improving before the end of the quarter. We are committed to helping every student succeed. Please do not hesitate to initiate communication with your child’s teachers if you have any questions.

Wishing everyone a fantastic week!

Warmest Regards,

Robert Motley, Principal