Husky Highlights Newsletter

Greetings Tuscarora Family,

I hope you had an opportunity to pause this Thanksgiving holiday and share valuable time with friends and family. As we move into the holiday season, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the partnership between students, families, community, and our school. It is through this consistent partnership that we build community and work together in pursuit of the success for each of our students.

During the month of November, we started the second quarter of the 2023-2024 school year and recognized a number of Huskies for their fantastic accomplishments during the first quarter. Congratulations to all on the A Honor Roll students. I commend each of you for your perseverance and dedication to excellence!

We also recognized a number of students who excelled in the different content areas and those who exemplified the tenets of RISE: Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Please continue to read on into this newsletter for the names of our award recipients.

In this newsletter, you will find much information to keep you connected with upcoming events and important reminder. This newsletter also includes multiple opportunities for students to seek additional help in multiple subject areas. Please connect with classroom teachers, Advisory teachers, school counselors, assistant principals, staff members, or with me. Let us know how we can support you and help your student succeed.

Have a marvelous holiday season and a fantastic New Year!

Pamela Croft

Principal

Pamela.Croft@lcps.org

Each quarter, Tuscarora High School recognizes students who exemplify each tenet of RISE (Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence) in the school, in the community, and among the Tuscarora family.

A special recognition, the HUSKY Award, is reserved for students who exemplifies all four tenets of RISE.

The RISE Awards for the 1st Quarter of 2023-2024 are as follows:

In November, two outstanding THS musicians performed in this year’s Senior Regional Orchestra, along with other top musicians from twelve surrounding counties. Congratulations to sophomore violist Waylon Malarkey and sophomore bassoonist Xander Ulreich on this remarkable accomplishment!

Congratulations to Dexter Wilkinson for representing the Tuscarora Band Program at All VA Jazz from November 19th-21st.

Congrats to Luke Pierce and Sydney Nicklas for being finalists in the VA Student Composition Festival. The two students were featured for composing all the music in the recent play, Wuthering Heights. Luke and Sydney composed nine pieces that spanned over three hours of dialogue. Every character in the piece was represented by a particular instrument and theme.

Congratulations to the Cast & Crew of the VHSL One Act, At the Bottom of Lake Missoula. The students received second place in the sectional and regional events. Kudos to Jazmyn Anderson, Savonah Thomas, and Lucie Turner for being recognized as Outstanding Actors at the event. These students also sponsored a fundraiser for a Narrows HS Theatre who were affected by Hurricane Helene this past fall. They raised over $800 with their benefit showing. They will perform the show one more time in January at the VA Thespian Festival.

Congratulations to the Varsity Cheer team on placing 3rd on Saturday, November 9th, as they competed at the 2024 VHSL Class 4. Great Season, Lady Huskies! Way to go!

Congratulations to the Tuscarora Girls Cross Country Team on their 4th place finish at the VHSL Class 4 State Meet on Saturday, November 16. Kira Hunt finished in 14th place and was the top finisher for the Huskies! Great Season, Lady Huskies!

Not only did the Football Team and their fans brave the cold weather on Saturday, November 30, but our Huskies brought home the trophy! Congratulations to the Tuscarora Varsity Football Team for their Region 4C Championship win! The Huskies will travel to Varina High School, in Henrico, VA, for the State Semifinals on Saturday, December 7th at 2:00pm.

Hello THS Families!

Pre-order your Holiday Greens now for mid November delivery. Sales end December 8th. Choose from wreaths, sprays, centerpieces or table top trees. The PTSO will earn $8 for each item sold. Funds raised go directly to Senior Scholarships and Teacher Appreciation Events.

To order: go to giftitforward.com. Our code is Tuscarva001

Referring Member: “Heather Gonzalez” or “THS PTSO”

Did you know the THS PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) Team provides rewards (snacks and candy) to our students for earning Husky tickets?!

Let’s help the Team stock their shelves and celebrate our students’ accomplishments!

Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3QBBXMG86H7EK?ref_=wl_share

(Choose “Deliver to Rachel Taton” at checkout and your items will be sent directly to THS.)

Ornaments: It’s time to place your THS ornament order! Order here and pick up at the THS main office! Orders will be taken through December 16, 2024.

*Personalize your ornament! We’ll add your student’s name or “Class of 2025” (or both) to the back your ornament!

For more information and to order: https://thsptso.ptboard.com/formvw?store=5479&form=2

Free Application for Federal Student Aid application (FAFSA) is now open. By filing the FAFSA at fafsa.gov and using accurate income tax information that is already available, students and parents will benefit by receiving financial aid award offers from schools sooner and can make informed decisions about college or career school affordability.

A step-by-step guide to completing the 2025-2026 FAFSA questions - click here.

The 2025 Winter Admissions Cycle is for eligible 9th, 10th, and 11th graders applying for enrollment to the Academies of Loudoun for the 2025-2026 school year.

• Application Window Opens | November 25, 2024.

• Application Window Closes | February 10, 2025, at 12:00 PM (NOON).

• Winter Admissions Testing Session | Saturday, February 15, 2025 (For Advanced AET applicants only).

• March 2025 - Admissions offers will be posted in the admissions portal.

• March-August 2025 - Applicant must accept or decline all admissions offers. Waitlisted applicants will be notified as seats become available.

Questions: AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org or phone 571-252-1992.

Check out the School Counseling News & Updates newsletter for information on enrichment events and opportunities, scholarships, volunteering, testing, mental health, and a whole lot more! Current and previous School Counseling newsletters can be found on the Tuscarora School Counseling website. You can also sign up to have new ones emailed to you - Sign Up!

Any 11th or 12th grade students interested in taking BTW through Tuscarora please sign up through the school pay portal. There is a short waitlist at this time! More Information and Payment can be found on this site: https://www.lcps.org/o/ths/page/school-counseling

On Wednesday, November 6, several Tuscarora students and staff had the opportunity to meet and hear from author Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle! This is one of the texts students may study as part of the English 11 curriculum or as a book club selection for Dual Enrollment English 12.

If you signed up to take the Credit Through Testing test at Tuscarora High School, you should arrive to sign-in immediately after school at 4:30pm on Wednesday, December 4th. If you signed up for another testing location elsewhere in the county or would like more information, visit this webpage or contact Ms. Paz (catherine.paz@lcps.org) with any questions.

if you are interested in applying to attend one of the language academies this summer, check out more information on this webpage. Opportunities are available for French, German, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. Applications are due for interested Tuscarora HS students by Dec 20, 2024.

If you are a senior interested in earning recognition on your diploma for being biliterate, please sign up for our spring testing session. The test will take place on April 9th, 2025 and the deadline to register is April 3, 2025. To register, bring cash/check to Ms. Paz in L212. More information can be found on this webpage. Contact Ms. Paz (catherine.paz@lcps.org) with any questions.

Rho Kappa National History Honor Society is pleased to offer history tutoring every Tuesday morning beginning at 8:30 in room 203. Tutoring is also available during study hall upon request. If interested please email stefanie.lane@lcps.org.

This month, the THS MUN Team attended the William & Mary Model United Nations Conference in Williamsburg, VA. Out of nearly 900 students from 45 states and 15 nations, Macy Singleton was recognized as Honorable Delegate for her work on the Ad-Hoc committee and Chloe Carter was recognized with a Verbal Commendation for her work on the African Union.

Next, our students will be traveling to Boston for the Harvard Model United Nations Conference from Jan. 30 – Feb. 3, 2025. During this weekend, our students will meet with nearly 4,000 other students from around the nation and planet to try and resolve the problems and issues of the world.

Good luck to the THS MUN Team!!

Credit Recovery is underway for any student who needs to recover credit from quarter 1. Please check your school email for information from your math teacher concerning material. Math teachers are available during SLED to assist students in completing credit recovery.

The EL department took the opportunity to incorporate the Thanksgiving holiday into instruction with our EL newcomer students on November 26th. EL teachers all supported by engaging in different instructional activities to help students learn about the holiday and traditions around Thanksgiving. Students read about the Thanksgiving holiday, wrote about the things they are grateful for, and engaged in mathematics as they made calculations and measurements to prepare apple pies. Celebrating Thanksgiving with EL newcomers not only introduces them to an important cultural tradition but also provides a hands-on, interactive way to foster community, language development, and teamwork. It’s a beautiful way to create meaningful connections and memories for everyone involved.

Come out and see our wonderful Performing Arts Ensembles perform festive music and comedy to get you excited for the holidays! All are FREE, so save these dates:

Dec. 5th @ 7PM Band Holiday Concert

Dec. 10th @7PM Guitar Concert

Dec. 12th @ 7PM Orchestra Concert

Dec. 17th @7PM Choral Holiday Concert

Dec. 18th @ 7PM Shenanigans Performance

Congrats to the cast and crew of Wuthering Heights for an artful presentation of a historic piece of literature. Congratulations to Mrs. Alyssa Sera Josep for writing and directing the piece. Thanks to all in the community who came out to support us, especially on the Glamies night. Here are some photos from the show:

Contact THS-Library@lcps.org for more information

November was Native American Heritage Month. Let’s congratulate Ms. DeMartino’s World Religions class in collaborating with librarians to research and develop a Land Acknowledgement to be used this year at THS. Go Huskies!

Winter Sport Season is upon us Husky Nation! That means time to get ready for SY 25 Winter Sports! As we enter the new year make sure you are ready for the spring season.

Here are dates you need to know if you plan to participate in off-season conditioning for spring sports and what is needed to be ready to play for the upcoming spring season:

All physicals for SY 25 must be dated after May 1, 2024 and be on the VHSL Physical Form – VHSL Physical Form

Please complete all four pages thoroughly. Any Physical missing signatures or information will be returned.

Registration is open for the SY25 school year. Students will need to take the Sudden Cardiac course through NFHS (https://nfhslearn.com/courses/sudden-cardiac-arrest) yearly and upload to the registration. Course length is approximately 15 min. Please create an account, take course, download or save a picture of certificate, you will need it for registration.

Returning Users: go to the website listed, sign in to your account, click ‘Register’ for returning students and ‘Add a New Student’ for new athletes in the family. Update your info and click Pay Later on the last page (there is no fee).

New Users: Please create an account, verify it, and follow the steps from above.

Please visit our website www.huskyathletics.info to contact individual sport coaches to inquire about out of season workout and tryout specifics under the All Sport Coach List.

New Ticket Partner: Card and Mobile Payment with GoFan

For the upcoming school year, LCPS is pleased to announce that we will be using GoFan for mobile ticketing athletic events beginning this school year. GoFan is the most used mobile ticketing platform for high schools in Virginia and is our official VHSL digital ticketing partner. This will drive consistency for our communities across schools and with both regular and postseason events. Ticketing information can also be found on our district and individual school websites.

LCPS can now take onsite card payments, Apple & Google Pay

• Cash App and PayPal available by having digital card option saved to mobile wallet.
• Add Cash App to Apple Pay
• Add Cash App to Google Pay
• Add PayPal to Apple Pay and Google Pay

HOW TO GUIDES

Additionally, you can visit the GoFan How To Guide to access videos for assistance, or can access these quick links below for step by step instructions.

• How to Buy Tickets
• How to Transfer Tickets

Can’t use your tickets?

If you cannot use your tickets, you have the option to transfer those tickets to a friend or another fan.

For more information on how to transfer GoFan tickets, CLICK HERE. Have more questions or need fan support? Submit a request

Online tickets are issued subject to the Rules and Regulations of LCPS Athletics office. Breach of any of these Rules and Regulations or any unacceptable behavior likely to cause damage, nuisance, or injury shall entitle event staff, school administration and/or school safety to eject you from the venue. The venue reserves the right to refuse admission should patrons breach any Rules and Regulations of the athletic event.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - Credit Through Testing at 4:30pm at Tuscarora HS

Thursday, December 5, 2024 - Band Holiday Concert at 7:00pm

Saturday, December 7, 2024 - Varsity Football State Semifinals at 2:00pm at Varina HS

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - Guitar Concert at 7:00pm

Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Orchestra Concert at 7:00pm

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - Choral Holiday Concert at 7:00pm

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - Shenanigans Performance at 7:00pm

Friday, December 20, 2024 - WL Governor's School Language Academy applications due

Friday, January 3, 2025 - Winter Break Ends

Monday, January 6, 2025 - Classes Resume

Monday, January 20, 2025 - Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Friday, January 24, 2025 - End of the Second Grading Period

Monday, January 27, 2025 - Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - Student Holiday (Professional Development Day)

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - Holiday (Lunar New Year)