It is not too late to join the Bates Arctic Cougars for our annual polar bear plunge! The registration deadline has been extended. Last year, we raised over $17,000 for the Special Olympics MD. We are hoping to reach that goal or, better yet, exceed last year's goal.

Your student must register and raise at least $75 to attend the field trip and participate in the Polar Bear Plunge on Feb. 1st.

Below is the information to join and raise money! Please consider joining us!

Any questions, please contact Ms. Page at opage@aacps.org

On February 1, You may go directly to Sandy Point State Park to watch our team plunge!

A girls after-school lacrosse club will be starting this coming Tuesday, January 9th and will run on Tuesdays through February 20th. We will be playing lacrosse, getting some exercise and learning new skills.

You do not need to know how to play or have any equipment. We have equipment if you need it. Come out and have some fun with Coach Fox, Annapolis High School's assistant lacrosse coach!

Please join us for Bates Spirit Night at Chipotle Wednesday, January 10th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Enjoy a dinner everyone will love, let someone else do the cooking, and help your school— all at the same time! Show them a flyer, tell them you are from Bates, or use code 8283JLR when ordering online, and Bates will earn 33% of your purchase!

Download a flyer in English or Spanish!

All funds collected go towards the Bates Buck Cart and other student events.

Free Tickets to See Bates Students in a Musical Play

Bates student and staff families not associated with Bates Drama Club have an exclusive opportunity to get tickets to see Bates Drama Club’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone Jr from Sunday, 1/14/24, through Saturday, 1/20/24 before tickets become available to the general public on 1/21/24.

Public Performances

7pm, Friday, February 16, 2024

2pm, Saturday, February 17, 2024

7pm, Saturday, February 17, 2024

2pm, Sunday, February 18, 2024

Cost: Free

Location: All performances are 5 minutes from Bates at Studio 39 (AACPS arts facility), 291 Locust Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.

Run time: 75 minutes.

Field Trip February 15, 2024

A limited number of students from each grade will have an opportunity to attend a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone Jr during the school day. More information and permission slips will be available soon. AACPS will provide transportation.

For tickets and more information about the show and Bates Drama Club, please visit the club’s website:

tinyurl.com/BatesDramaClub

The after-school SGA meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 25 is canceled. The next after school meeting for SGA will be held on Thursday, February 15.

If you would like to clear out some clutter in your home for the new year, consider donating any old magazines to us. Just drop them off at the front office! We are planning to use them for an art project. Thank you in advance!

Reminder: If you have lost your charger or would like an extra one for home, please use the below link to order.

AACPS is ecstatic to announce this week's launch of four new Facebook pages in Chinese, Korean, Urdu, and Vietnamese! You can find the pages at the links below.

• Chinese: www.facebook.com/chineseaacps
• Korean: www.facebook.com/koreanaacps
• Urdu: www.facebook.com/aacpsurdu
• Vietnamese: www.facebook.com/vietnameseaacps

A few reminders regarding our policies and procedures at Bates so the students can continue to be successful:

• All cell phones and air pods must be OFF and AWAY ALL DAY. If not, they will be taken from the student and parents may need to come to the school to pick them up.
• Uniform policy: Your student must be in their polo everyday. No hoodies, sweatpants, or jeans unless it is a special spirit day.
• School starts at 9:15am. Students must be inside the school and sitting in their advisory class by 9:15am or they will be considered late.
• Please no fast food at our school. Students should not be eating fast food in our school for breakfast or lunch. We provide free breakfast for the kids and if anyone forgets their lunch, they may get a lunch from the lunchroom.
• Attendance: If you need to report a student absent, you have options to notify the school.
• Submit an online absent note via Parent Portal
• or email Ms. Clark at cclark3@aacps.org
• or write a note and have the student drop it off to the front office.

This is a reminder to please refrain from driving down the bus loop during arrival and pick up times. Thank you!

If interested in learning more about our Student Food Pantry please have your student go to the counseling department to speak to Shauna Rykiel, our school social worker, or you may contact her through email at srykiel@aacps.org. Our pantry is currently open Mondays from 3:30-3:55 pm and Fridays from arrival through the end of advisory.

Do you have questions about transportation?

Please forward any questions to our administrator, Mr. Walker at jewalker1@aacps.org

Do you have questions about your student's attendance?

Please contact Christine Clark at cclark3@aacps.org.

Do you have specific student concerns, ie. behavior, scheduling, academic performance, etc. please contact your grade level administrator or counselor:

6th Grade

Administrator: Mr. Walker jewalker1@aacps.org

Counselor: Ms. Weiss dweiss@aacps.org

7th Grade

Administrator: Mr. Lustgarten jlustgarten@aacps.org

Counselor: Ms. Barnett cmbarnett@aacps.org

8th Grade

Administrator: Ms. Adkins ktadkins@aacps.org

Counselor: Ms. McFadden cmcfadden@aacps.org

Do you have an emergency concern (after hours)?

Please contact our Principal, Ms. Hicks, at 302-314-6146.

AACPS is hiring for all positions. Click HERE to apply.

Christine Clark, Editor

We are better together!

Email: cclark3@aacps.org
Website: www.aacps.org/bates
Location: 701 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD, USA
Phone: 410 263-0270