Hello Hornet Nation,

Last week we had our first Annual Career and Job Fair. It was such an amazing experience for businesses, agencies, and most importantly the students! We had 33 total organizations and local businesses together in the gym of our Great Mills High School solely to speak with our students! Students were introduced to so many different career and future opportunities. You would have been so proud to watch our students move around holding adult conversations and interacting with their future. If your student attended, hopefully, they saw something that they felt was worth sharing with you. Another great part about this event is that it permitted members of our community to see firsthand how amazing our school really is. They were able to see that the rumors they might have heard about Great Mills are not true! We always mention to students, image is important and that you can never take away your first impression. It was very evident last Thursday, that our student body has been listening! Now, let’s keep watering these seed career seeds that were planted. After all, the purpose of school is to learn how to become whatever you want to be.

Testing resumes this week with Algebra 1 on Tuesday. Please make sure students are present and on time.

Until next time, have a great week Great Mills!

Principal Dothard

We Are... GREAT MILLS!!!

For Our Spanish Speaking Families

¡Saludos! Para leer en español, hay un botón para traducir en la esquina superior derecha de los anuncios de Smore cuando se abre por primera vez. Pueden hacer clic en el botón y después selecciona de la lista de lenguas disponibles

I just wanted to put this out while there is still time to make adjustments. All summer school courses this year will be strictly on Edgenuity. We will have a classroom for students to work on Edgenuity classes with support from a teacher, but there will be no transportation or food services. If working in a classroom over the summer doing Edgenuity doesn't sound like fun, you need to start meeting with your teachers during lunch and taking care of business in the classroom now! It might be a challenge for some, but you still have time to pass almost all classes with quarter recovery and consistent work for the next to quarters.

SGA is pleased to announce our first annual Nest Fest: a free, family-friendly event to welcome the beginning of summer and bring together the St. Mary’s County community. If you would like to be a part of the planning, Nest Fest is a wonderful opportunity for organizations, clubs, local businesses, etc. to raise funds and/or make themselves known to the community. There are spots still available, please consider hosting a booth. Contact us at gmhs.sga@smcps.org for registration information, or open the QR code below.

1. "You are the creator of your own destiny, so make it worth living."
2. "The only way to achieve greatness is to take the first step towards your goal."
3. "Believe in yourself, and watch the world believe in you."
4. "Success is not a destination, it's a journey. Embrace the process and enjoy the ride."
5. "The only limit to your potential is the one you set for yourself."
6. "The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do."
7. "Small steps lead to big achievements. Keep moving forward."
8. "Don't wait for opportunities to come to you, create them."
9. "Chase your dreams relentlessly, because they are yours for the taking."
10. "Success is not about being perfect, it's about being persistent. Keep going."

After-school tutoring began on Monday, January 30th, and will happen every Monday-Thursday in all areas. We will hold in-person tutoring and virtual tutoring. Transportation will not be provided so please arrange your transportation prior to staying after school. It runs from 3:10-4:10 and extra time can be arranged if needed.

If you need to pick your student up at the end of the day, please try to notify the main office by 2:30. There are a lot of moving parts at the end of the day, but advanced notice would help things run a lot smoother. The number to the main office is 301-863-4001.

Thank you for support.

Just a reminder that when students arrive at school on the bus or are dropped off, they are not permitted to leave school property without being signed out by a parent or guardian. If students leave school property and return without a parent or guardian, they are subject to disciplinary consequences.

Seven 11 will open across the street very soon. Please speak with your student/s about leaving school grounds. If caught they will be given a referral Insubordination and this can go all up to an out-of-school suspension. Let's stay inside the school, while we are at school!

Counselors and Registration for SY 24 Counselors are still working to help students pick classes for next school year. When we return from Spring Break, counselors will call students to their offices to choose classes. Please do not worry if you have not met with your counselor yet, every student will get an opportunity. In order to have quality conversations with each student, scheduling takes time. Trust the process :)

The National Honor Society will again be offering tutoring during One Lunch.

Students can sign up for individual tutoring sessions by going to room F36 to request tutoring, and Mrs. Johns will then match you with a tutor and schedule a session.

Need college, job opportunities, trade school, and scholarship information? Mrs. Waddell is here to help you. She may be contacted at tdwaddell@smcps.org or 301-863-4001 ext.18139. She also built the GMHS College & Career Readiness Google Site, which contains information for students and parents.

The SMCPS Evening Counseling Center provides FREE counseling services, by appointment, to SMCPS students. SMCPS recognizes that positive mental health is necessary for students to experience success at home, school, and in the community. In-person counseling is available weekly, in-person at Greenview Knolls Elementary. Virtual counseling is also available weekly. To request an appointment or receive more information, use this link: https://bit.ly/3Hgx7LX

The GMHS Writing Center is an in-school resource available every day during both Green and Gold lunches in Room C-15. Students can get support on new assignments, revisions, personal writing, college application essays, and more!

If you have questions contact:

Mr. Stevens (wbstevens@smcps.org); Mrs. Walsh (mfwalsh@smcps.org)

We will be looking to grow different options for clubs and groups during 1-Lunch! Are you interested in giving back to your community?

The School Volunteer Portal is now open for applications. Beginning this year all school volunteers must apply annually for approval. If you were approved last year, you will need to reapply through this portal. The application process will end on May 1 of each school year. There is no application fee for school volunteers. The volunteer portal is now fully integrated with the Raptor visitor management system. Once approved you will receive an email. That’s it!

Join Gals Lead on Thursdays in D-11 during Green and Gold lunch. It is Dream Queen Association’s signature program for teen girls to help develop confidence, connection, and career clarity to help young women live their most awesome dream life.

Did you miss your chance to purchase a yearbook in high school? We can't bring you back to high school, but we can sell you a book of high school memories!

Here is a direct link to purchase an Alumni Yearbook from the years 1980-2021. There is a limited quantity of each and once they are gone, we do not have the ability to order more.

Click here to purchase yours today!

prices are :

1980-2000 $25.00

2001-2018 $30.00

2019-2021 $45.00

Shipping is $6.50 per book.

Schoology New Parent/Guardian Provisioning: New Schoology parent/guardian accounts will be created in the coming weeks. We hope to have accounts created and parents/guardians connected to their students in Schoology by Friday, September 2nd. Continue to use Schoology for your updates along with your SMOREs/School Messenger. Please share this specific message with your school community through School Messenger. Parents that have difficulty accessing their pre-existing accounts should contact schoology@smcps.org and include the student name and ID number for troubleshooting.

For more help with Schoology, visit the SMCPS Schoology Parent Dashboard.

Are you aware that your child could qualify for a free Associate Degree or free professional certifications from CSM and/or Blades School of Hair and Design? What exactly is the Maryland Promise Scholarship?

Did you know that even just a few minutes on a cell phone texting, checking social media, etc adds up over the course of a school day? Students, who use their devices for just 5 minutes each period, lose nearly 1 period of instructional time per day (35 minutes of class). Over the course of 1 week, those 5 minutes per class adds up to nearly 4 missed periods! Personal devices can be a HUGE distraction for students. Please start this year off right, by keeping personal devices away in your bookbag or at a charging station if your teacher has one available. There is a direct connection to phone usage during the school day to grades. Encourage your student/s to only use their phone during lunch, between classes, or when approved by a teacher.

Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands. Please link your VIC card to GMHS #4324.

Harris Teeter has donated over $32.4 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! When you shop Harris Teeter brands, a percentage of your purchase is donated to the school that your VIC card is linked to.

There are NO LIMITS to how much a school can earn!

Any customer with a VIC card can link their card to a school. Customers can link up to five (5) schools to their account.

MySchoolBucks is an online payment service that provides a convenient way for parents/guardians to pay for school-related purchases by using their credit/debit card or electronic check. Please use this link for more information on how to sign up for a MySchoolBucks account if you do not already have one.

SMCPS is looking to get nominations to recognize our cafeteria workers from school-based staff, students, and parents. Please consider clicking here to nominate one of our wonderful GMHS Cafeteria workers. All staff members are listed on our GMHS website.

Nominations will be selected each month to pass along The Golden Spatula Award to our cafeteria staff.

Monday, April 24, 2023

• Softball vs St. Charles - JV 4:30
• Baseball vs Mc Donough - JV 4:30
• Boys and Girls Tennis vs St. Charles - 4:00
• Girls Lacrosse vs Huntingtown - Varsity 5:30

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

• Tennis vs Thomas Stone - Varsity 4:00

Friday, April 28, 2023

• Softball vs Chopticon - JV 4:30
• Baseball vs Chopticon - JV 4:30
• Boys and Girls Tennis vs Chopticon - 4:00
• Girls Lacrosse vs North Point - Varisty 5:30

Purchase tickets here

Winter sports teams have been picked and we are ready to roll! You will be able to purchase tickets online at Go Fan or at the gate with cash only. All winter sports schedules have been uploaded and are ready for purchase. Get online and create your free account now to purchase tickets. Once you have purchased the ticket you just need to show your online ticket at the ticket table using a mobile device.

SMCPS is committed to the mental health and wellness of students and parents. Check out each of the available sites for valuable resources.

Follow us on Twitter or check the school website for updates.

Email: bjdothard@smcps.org
Website: https://schools.smcps.org/gmhs/
Location: 21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 863-4001
Twitter: @GMHS_SMCPS