The Raider Nation Newsletter

Dear Atholton Community,

Homecoming is one of those seminal moments that help define the high school experience. With so many different events and activities for students, staff, families, and the community to participate in, it is definitely worth the excitement that is building as we near October 21st (and really October 18th for Hallway Decorating). Since inclement weather last year canceled our parade and forced a reschedule for the game and dance, I am really looking forward to my first COMPLETE Atholton Homecoming experience. Here's a rundown of all the awesome things going on for Homecoming:

• October 18th: Hallway decorating for the Board Games theme will be from 10am-2pm. Here are the hallway assignments: Freshmen- Student services hallway, Sophomores- JROTC hallway, Juniors- Art hallway, and Seniors- Main lobby.
• October 21st: Rhyme Without a Reason/Twin Day
• October 22nd: Costume Day
• October 23rd: We Wear Pink on Wednesday (Breast Cancer Awareness)
• October 24th: Decades Day (9th-70s, 10th-80s, 11th-90s, and 12th-2000s)
• October 25th: Color Day & Pep Rally (9th-grey, 10th-green, 11th-white, and 12th-black)
• October 26th: Breakfast-The Athletics & Activities Boosters will host their annual breakfast from 8-10am in the cafeteria on Saturday morning. Staff get a $2 discount. Get your tickets in advance here.
• October 26th: The Parade will begin at 10:30am at the Hickory Ridge Village Center and end in the Atholton HS parking lot. Come see our clubs, teams, students, and staff in action!
• October 26th: Football Game-The Raiders take on the Howard Lions at 1pm. Get your tickets to the game through the GoFan site.
• October 26th: Dance-Cap the night and the week off at the Homecoming Dance from 7-10pm. Tickets can be purchased online through our OSP site and we'll have in-person sales at lunch the 21st-23rd. Tickets are $20.
• October 27th: Rest & Recover

Sincerely,

Nick Novak

Principal

Wednesday 10/16 is PSAT Day, but there are a variety of activities happening for all of our students:

• Grade 9 students will participate in team building activities from 7:50-10:50am.
• Grade 10 and 11 students will take the PSAT during the school day.
  • Students should arrive to school on time with their charged Chromebook and charger.
  • Testing rooms will be shared on October 14th and 15th and we will remind students of their testing location the morning of testing.
• Grade 12 students may attend the College Essay workshop sponsored by the English department and student services (see flyer below). Those students who don't attend are encouraged to use this day for college and career planning (school visit, college and/or job application completion, etc).
  • Grade 12 students must submit a Local Discretionary Form for approval.
  • This should be emailed to ahsabsence@hcpss.org by Wednesday, 10/16.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month! We are spending time this month and throughout the year reminding our staff and students about the importance of preventing and reporting bullying. The role of our parents, guardians, and families is essential in addressing this issue with our students. StopBullying.gov has many great resources for adults and children related to preventing and responding to bullying. Please remember to reach out to your child’s administrator or counseling if you’d like to discuss anything further, and any acts of bullying can be reported through this form Report an Instance of Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation | Stop Bullying | Howard County Public Schools (hcpss.org). Thank you for being our partners in this important work!

All of the October 18th senior picture dates have been booked, so we have added more dates: December 9-10, 2024 and January 7, 2025. All three days will have appointments from 2:45pm-8pm in the senior cafeteria. Make your appointment here: https://seniors.legacystudios.com/atholton-hs-columbia-md/

If your student is planning to tryout for a Winter sport, please make sure your forms are submitted on HCPSS Connect by November 12th. All the info you need to complete the process is on our athletics webpage.

Free Online Parenting Classes (Open to HoCo grandparents too) - HC DrugFree offers an evidence-based, interactive prevention program that helps parents, guardians and/or grandparents develop stronger relationships with their kids, while also providing skills proven to reduce the risk of youth engaging in substance use or other risky behaviors. These classes are for families with children 9-14 years old (slightly younger and older may register and will be considered) and held on Zoom on November 12, 15, 19, 22, and December 3 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Medication and Sharps Disposal Take Back Day - HC DrugFree will host another convenient drive-thru medication and sharps collection on Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot (near the CA Swim Center). Bring unwanted and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medication, “sharps” (needles, syringes, and EpiPens), vapes without the batteries, inhalers, and more. Medication will be guarded and transported by the Howard County Police and DEA. For more information and to volunteer, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Teen Advisory Council - The Teen Advisory Council (TAC) receives Community Service Hours for providing the youth perspective to HC DrugFree's staff and Board of Directors. Youth input increases the effectiveness of HC DrugFree's educational programs, newsletters, website and other services. TAC is open to Howard County students in grades 8 through 12 (public, private and homeschool) who meet monthly during the school year to discuss teen use of alcohol and other drugs and to develop educational messages that promote a vision of a county where youth are drug-free by choice. For more information and to register, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Our food pantry will be opened next Wednesday (10/16) from 3-4pm. We usually have about 30-40 families that we serve monthly. Please consider supporting our food pantry. We are COMPLETELY run on donations. Use the link below to have items sent directly to Atholton.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/17IRNMC08ZK81/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Each year, the Howard County Public School System partners with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention to bring flu immunizations into our schools for students. This year, they will also be offering the latest Covid vaccine if it is available at the time of the clinics. The clinic at Atholton will be held on October 28th during school hours. If you would like your child to be vaccinated against the flu and/or Covid at this clinic, please register at this link: https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/3012852769 . You are not required to provide your child’s insurance information. If you have any concerns about the new Covid vaccine, you are advised to speak with your child’s pediatrician. The clinic registration will be closed on 10/16 to allow our health room staff time to review and prepare the consents and make sure enough vaccine is ordered. If you wish to cancel your child’s appointment after then, please call the nurse at your child’s school. If you have any questions, please call your school’s health room at 410-313-7913.

This year’s first Career Cluster Monthly Spotlight is the Health and Bioscience Career Cluster. This month you will have the opportunity to learn more about careers and related pathways in this cluster. This cluster includes Paramedics, EMTS, Dental Assistants, Doctors, Nurses, X--Ray Techs, Athletic Trainers, and more. Be sure to check out the Monthly Spotlight Site to learn more about opportunities to explore this pathway.

Links to an external site.

Below are 2 opportunities to learn from local industry professionals:

Virtual Panel Date: October 16, 2024 Time: 7PM

In-School Career Cafe: October 23, 2024 Time:4th period

On October 16th, 10th and 11th grade students will be participating in the PSAT. The 9th grade team is planning an activity for our freshmen and the English department & student services are hosting their annual college essay clinic for seniors. See the flyer below for more details.

10/14 PBSA Meeting

10/15 PTSA Meeting

10/16 PSAT Day

10/17 POPS Concert

10/18 No School for Students

10/18 Senior Pictures

10/25 Homecoming Pep Rally

10/26 Homecoming Breakfast, Parade, Game, & Dance

10/30 End of 1st Marking Period

10/31 No School for Students

Atholton PTSA

Atholton PBSA

Atholton Boosters

Atholton Drama Boosters

Atholton JROTC Boosters

Atholton Music Boosters

Atholton Robotics Boosters