A message from Dr. Rayne
Dear Families,
The first months of school have been fast-paced, positive, and productive for our Pocomoke High School community, which includes parents, guardians, extended family, community partners, staff, and students. Everyone plays a vital role in our students' success. Thank you for helping us start the school year with pride and positivity. Attendance and student engagement rates are high—our Pocomoke High School tribe is amazing!
Our after-school academy offers college and career guidance, math and reading support, cooking classes, Lego Club, 3D design and printing, gaming club, driver’s education, and more. Please contact us if you'd like your child to participate; we accept open enrollment as needs change to accommodate all students and families.
We enjoyed meeting families during our first F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) Time on October 15th. Collaborating with families and the community is a powerful tool for our students. Please continue to monitor your child’s progress in PowerSchool and ensure all forms are updated. If you have trouble logging in, contact our School Counselor’s office.
Quarter 1 Report Cards will be published on Friday, November 8th. Students are accessing their grades independently for goal setting and self-monitoring. We discuss grades daily from 10:51 to 10:56 during #YourGamePlan time. Please ask your child about their academic goals for the week and their Your60 Game Plan. Students with D's and F's should attend Your60 sessions focused on improving their grades. Offerings include enrichment, remediation, tutoring, clubs, and exercise, providing opportunities for students to enhance their grades and engage positively.
With your continued support, your child will have an amazing school year filled with exciting opportunities. Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions, concerns, or feedback so we can create the best learning environment for your child. Thank you for your partnership in making your child’s educational experience exceptional.
Sincerely,
Jenifer Rayne
Principal
Congratulations to all 9th graders, 10th graders, and select 11th graders who took the PSAT in October! The PSAT can give you insights to maximize your strengths, practice where needed and help plan for college and career success. Scores should be available in the next few weeks!
Our school will be taking part in the 2024 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Youth Tobacco Survey (YRBS/YTS) conducted by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This survey has been designed to protect your child's privacy. Randomly selected second-block classes will be completing this survey on Thursday, November 7th. All families received an initial Parental "Opt Out" Form in the mail. Also, all students who were randomly selected will receive an additional "Opt Out" Form. If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please complete one of the forms and return it to school.
PHS School Counseling team:
- Mrs. Charlene Creese: PHS school counselor for grades 11 and 12; assists students in preparing for their futures and achieving their post-secondary goals.
- Mrs. Veronica Hayes: PHS school counselor for grades 9 and 10; supporting students as they navigate their high school journey.
- Mrs. Melanie Aydelotte: PHS Guidance secretary, assists with enrollment processes and provides PowerSchool support to our students and families.
Upcoming Events in November
- November 11: ASVAB
- November 13: Wor-Wic On-Site Admissions
- November 14: Bowie State & Towson University College Tours
- November 21: SU On-Site Admissions
Upcoming Events in December:
- December 6: UMES On-Site Admissions
- December 11: AfterSchool FAFSA session for students and parents (3:30pm-5:30pm)
Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to reach out to the School Counseling Office with any questions!
MCJROTC News
MARINE CORPS JARGON!
Parents/Guardians please quiz your Cadet what the following word or phrase means, “Are you working on your promotion requirements; or, what do you have to do to be promoted to the next rank?”
MARINES CORPS RESERVE TOYS FOR TOTS: With the Christmas season rapidly approaching, the MCJROTC unit is participating in the Marine Corps Reserve TOYS FOR TOTS program. The program is seeking donations of new toys for distribution to less fortunate children throughout Worcester County. This worthwhile program, established in 1947, provides Christmas toys to disadvantaged youngsters in our community. PHS is serving as a collection site for the donation of new toys now through December 4th. Toys are needed for all age groups, and for both boys and girls. There is a Toys for Tots donation box located in the front lobby of PHS. All donated toys must be new, still in their original packaging, and NOT gift wrapped. Your donation of a toy to this worthwhile community effort will brighten the Christmas of a child!
SIGNIFICANT OCTOBER EVENTS:
· County Field Meet Competition – (4 Oct) Our unit traveled to Snow Hill High School to compete against Snow Hill and Stephen Decatur JROTCs in our annual county field meet / physical fitness competition.
· Pocomoke JROTC Unit Hike – (10 Oct) JROTC completed a 5-mile hike around Pocomoke City!!
· Marine Corps JROTC Program Command Visit – (24 October) Our Marine Corps Regional Director visited to review our JROTC program and talk with Instructors, Administrators and all unit Cadets.
OCTOBER thru DECEMBER 2024 SCHEDULED EVENTS:
· Haircut Day(s) – Scheduled for 29 October and 10 December.
· Daylight Savings – On 3 Nov 2024, daylight savings will signal our change in uniform wear. All Cadets will begin wearing winter service uniforms including sleeves rolled down in their utility/digital MARPATs.
· Promotions – Promotion testing has begun! Cadets know what they need to do in order to advance to the next rank. Cadets should be practicing and scheduling times with instructors to test at any point over the next six weeks so that they may be promoted during our quarterly mid-December Promotion formation.
· Stay Tuned! - Pocomoke JROTC Marksmanship/Air Rifle Match – (various) We will be both hosting and participating in Air Rifle/Marksmanship matches once or twice a month throughout the season.
· Joint Leadership Academic Bowl (JLAB) – (practice sessions have begun!) Two teams of six JROTC Academic Team Cadets will compete in an online Level I competition (including reading/grammar, current events, math, science, and military knowledge) against the rest of the JROTCs across the nation. Level I testing will take place between 1-20 November.
· Stay Tuned! - Orienteering Competitions – orienteering is a physical fitness competition that includes running and applied map skills looking for markers across various terrains. Our goal is to travel and compete approximately once a month!
· November 10th, Marine Corps Birthday Ceremony – On Thur, 7 Nov, we will celebrate the Marine Corps’ 249th Birthday at Pocomoke High School. All families are invited, encouraged, and welcomed to attend.
· Bataan Death March! – On 16 Nov, Cadets who volunteer will participate in a 14-Mile memorial hike through the Pocomoke State Forest, hosted by the Army National Guard. Cadets may choose to tackle the hike individually for completion or competitive for time against other schools and cadets. More details to follow!
· Parade Season Pocomoke! – On 2 Dec, Cadets will participate in the Pocomoke City XMAS Parade.
· Parade Season Ocean City! – On 5 Dec, Cadets will participate in the Ocean City XMAS Parade.
· Parade Season Berlin! – On 7 Dec, Cadets will participate in the Berlin City XMAS Parade.
· Parade Season Snow Hill! – On 9 Dec, Cadets will participate in the Snow Hill XMAS Parade.
· First Year Cadet Drill Competition! – On 14 Dec, First Year Cadets will participate in our annual Drill Team Competition at Pocomoke High School. All families our invited, encouraged, and welcomed to attend.
· JROTC Annual XMAS Party! – On 20 Dec 2024, all unit cadets are invited to stay after release for the holiday break (half-day) from 1200-1500 to bond and celebrate Christmas. Plenty of games, movies, music, snacks and gifts to go around!
WEEKLY FORMATIONS: Marine Corps JROTC Formations take place EVERY Wednesday (or Thursday) morning in the small gymnasium at 0710. Please see weekly schedule published on Remind each weekend. ALL Cadets should have proper grooming & hygiene, and be present in their Marine Corps camouflage utility uniform, which we have provided to them. Please contact Instructors with any questions or concerns.
JROTC EXTRA-CURRICULARS (TRACKS): Practices for all of our extracurricular activities are scheduled throughout the week before school from 0645-0745, during Your60 from 1100-1200, or after school from 1500-1630. This will allow ALL cadets to participate in at least one extracurricular activity from one of the following areas that interest him or her the most: Physical Fitness, Marksmanship, Drill Team, and/or Academics.
HAIRCUTS & GROOMING STANDARDS: Any questions or concerns regarding the haircut and grooming standards please give one of the instructors a call. Cadets are required to have their haircut in accordance with the standards and regulations outlined by the Marine Corps JROTC Program. We have a professional barber/hair stylist available that comes to our school and supports our program and cadets about once a month. There is absolutely no cost to the student for this program requirement. Cadets “may” get their haircuts at home, we just ask they coincide with our monthly scheduled haircuts so that all cadets remain in unison. Lastly, we do take program donations, but ask that you not send money in with your cadet unless discussing with one of the instructors in advance.
COMMUNITY SERVICE & COLOR GUARD: Events vary from month to month and are conducted regularly throughout the calendar year. Community service hours are a VERY important part of our program, contributing to school graduation requirements, and often transferring to support student government service-learning hours. Additionally, service hours and credit earned for cadet involvement count towards promotions to the next rank and help cadets earn various ribbons or awards to be presented at our end of the school year awards ceremony. Finally, Color Guard cadets will gain invaluable experience that may support the drill team during competitions locally and on field trips. Please encourage your cadets to see one of the instructors for more information if they are interested in learning about this vitally important aspect of our program.
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE! If at any time throughout the school year there are ANY 9th thru 12th grade students are interested in joining our JROTC Program, please contact one of the Guidance Counselors or speak to one of the Marine Corps Instructors at your earliest convenience.
JROTC REMIND Messaging: Cadet Parents, please join our Pocomoke MCJROTC REMIND group by texting @BFBEAA to 81010, so that you may stay well-informed of all unit activities/events and announcements from week to week.
QUESTIONS: If at any time you have questions or concerns, please call us at the school at (410) 632-5200. You may also reach us directly on our cell phones: Gunner Chris Muni at (301) 848-6116 or ctmuni@worcesterk12.org, and Gunnery Sergeant Michael Towns at (757) 647-8009.
Semper Fidelis!
Chris Muni
Chief Warrant Officer-4, USMC, Retired.
Senior Marine Instructor – Pocomoke High School
Mike Towns
Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Retired
Marine Instructor – Pocomoke High School
2023-2024 / 2024-2025 Yearbooks
2023-2024 Yearbooks are on sale, in room 208 for $65—there are QR codes in this special edition of the yearbook that link to more pictures of sports, extras and graduation. Blast From the Past features student names on the back.
Personal Ads for graduates are on sale. Local businesses can order ads as well. To pre-order a 24-25 yearbook or to buy a personal ad for your graduating senior, direct your browser to : http://jostensyearbooks.com?ref=A03371600 or scan the QR code.
The 2024-2025 Yearbook can be pre-ordered for $67, online, at the link or QR code.
Or you can pre-order the 2024-2025 yearbook in room 208, from a yearbook staffer or from Whit for a small discount. Pre-order in person for $61, this presale offer will not last long.
