COUGAR NEWS 2024-2025

Tuesday is the Big Day!! It's going to be an AMAZING 2024-2025 School Year!!!

For the first day of school, students should look up their schedules in Home Access Center (HAC) so they know where to report to first period. Students will get their official schedule in first period.

The THS Counselor Team is working hard leveling classes so schedules are subject to change. It is too late to request elective changes or level changes at this point. Counselors will be available at lunch to answer questions and assist with schedule problems.

Student ID’s will be passed out on the first couple days of school at lunches. If you were a student at THS last year, you will get a new one but please wear the ID you have and keep it as a back up.

Students will be required to wear their student ID visibly on their person EVERY day while in the building at THS. All teachers will require students to have their ID’s on in class at all times. THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE ON CAMPUS. We need all students to make this part of the daily wear into school.

We provide the SMART TAG ENABLED STUDENT ID and a lanyard for free to start the year. Replacements must be purchased if students lose their ID.

The TISD Dress code will be enforced from day one. Please make sure you review the dress code carefully to make sure that you all do not have any first day interruptions from meeting your teachers and classmates.

You can find the Dress Code in the Student Handbook on the TISD website.

Some highlights of the Dress Code that all students should be aware of include but are not limited to....

• All students must wear clothing that adequately covers the body. Shorts and/or skirts must reach the mid-thigh. Spaghetti straps, strapless, backless, see-through and low-cut tops are not allowed. Tops must cover the midriff.

• All male students must be clean-shaven.

• Students are not allowed to wear hats, bandanas, or other head coverings. Please leave your hats at home or in your vehicles.

• Hair can not be a color other than a natural color. No pink, blue, green, purple, etc. hair is allowed. If your hair has unnatural colors in it, please take care of this before Tuesday.

If the principal determines that a student’s grooming or clothing violates the school’s dress code, the student will be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school and return to the classroom. If the problem cannot be corrected at school, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day, until the problem is corrected, or until a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the school. A student who wears a hat or unacceptable jewelry will be asked to correct this violation of the dress code. A student who continues to violate this part of the dress code will surrender the item to an administrator. These items may be kept by the administrator for a period of time to be determined by the administrator, including until the end of day or the end of the year or until the parent comes to the school to retrieve the item.

Please remember that HB 114 is still in effect and any students caught with a vape will have a mandatory placement at DAEP. Parents, please talk with your kids about the dangers of vaping and also the importance of not getting removed to a disciplinary alternative education program.

Finally, please remember our traffic pattern. Parent drop off and pick up is in the back of the school. Buses will drop off and pick up in the front.

It is going to be a GREAT School Year at The Pride of Texas, Tomball High School!

PSAT Testing Date is in October 9, 2024

If you have a child that routinely receives testing accommodations through special programs during the regular school year, you must apply via the College Board to potentially receive accommodations on PSAT 8/9 PSAT/NMSQT, AP, or SAT exams. Please complete the form (https://accommodations.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ssd-consent-form-accommodations.pdf) and return it to the campus testing coordinator by August 16, 2024.

You can also visit https://accommodations.collegeboard.org/ for more information. If you have already applied for College Board accommodations previously, please do not submit another form.

For the safety of everyone at Tomball High School we are requiring all students and staff members to wear their ID visibly at all times. We will provide all students with an ID, a lanyard and a plastic covering for their ID.

WE WILL PASS OUT NEW STUDENT ID'S ON THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS OF SCHOOL AT LUNCH

ID badges will help the campus determine which individuals are authorized to be on campus and will assist in accounting for students in an emergency situation. For students, their ID badge has additional functionality for transportation, child nutrition, and library services.

Students must have their ID to enter the building. We will provide temporary ones if students forget theirs. Students need to learn to make it a part of their every day outfit. Students will be given two free temporary ID's if they forget or lose. The third occurrence of needing an ID will result in a charge of $5 and a NEW ID will be made and delivered to them. Parents will be called and consequences will be given for students who refuse to wear their ID.

If a student loses their ID, a new one can be purchased for $5.

Students should consult with their Assistant Principal if they lose their ID.

In the name of collectively ensuring a safe environment in our schools, the District appreciates the support of our parents in reminding their students to wear their badges to school every day.

BUSES WILL BE THE ONLY VEHICLES ALLOWED IN THE FRONT LANE IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. Visitors may still park in the front of the building to handle any school business or in order to check students out before the end of the day for appointments. Please stay in the lane furthest away from the school where parking is allowed.

The safety and welfare of students and staff are our highest priority. To provide schools an opportunity to practice emergency response procedures, our students and staff will participate in emergency preparedness drills throughout the school year.

The goals of the training drill are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries. They allow us to elevate our emergency operations plan and improve our response skills. As a part of the drill, all students and staff will participate in the activation of our Campus Emergency Operations Plan.

Students and staff will practice the following drills following the Standard Response Protocol:

Fire Evacuation, Secure/Hold, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter in Place for Weather and Hazmat

In order to protect students, in case of an actual emergency, students will only be released to the parent/adult listed on the student’s emergency card. The parent/guardian will receive communication from school or public officials sharing their child’s specific location. The parent/guardian shall bring valid government-issued identification to reunite with the student using the student’s emergency card information. Once identification is verified, the student will be located and reunited with the parent. The reunification process is designed for the student’s protection and the parent’s peace of mind. The reunification process can be time-consuming, so parents are asked to be patient.

Your child’s safety while at school is of utmost importance. Thank you for your partnership in helping to create a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff.

Please see the link below to view the TISD Crisis Communication Plan

Crisis Communications Plan - Tomball Independent School District (tomballisd.net)

Order your Themed Shirt package by August 16

https://tinyurl.com/TomballMerch

Varsity Football (other sports to be announced) themed games are as follows:

• White Out - Sep 6 versus Cinco Ranch
• Red Out (Homecoming) Sep 27 versus Mag West
• Patriotic - Oct 18 versus TMHS
• Black Out - Oct 25 versus Magnolia

T-shirts will be delivered the week of each game in the cafeteria (or at the Tailgate in the parking lot before the game!)

The Cougar Yearbook staff is hard at work creating the next book. If you have any questions about Senior Ads, please click here. For information on ordering a yearbook, click here. Or, for information on student photos and senior portraits, click here.

If you have any other questions, contact JerryFordyce@tomballisd.net

Week of August 12-16th

College & Career Counselor Corner

• Check it out! Meet with admissions counselors from Brown, Columbia, U Chicago and Vanderbilt! They’re coming to Houston on August 25th at 4:00 pm at IL Texas Windmill Lakes-Orem High School. RSVP HERE
• LSC Leadership High School Opportunity for 10th & 11th Grade Students - LSC Leadership High School is an amazing opportunity for high school sophomores and juniors to be selected to represent Tomball High School. Two participants from THS will be selected by Lone Star College to be a part of the 2024-2025 program where students will learn to develop personal leadership skills, explore best leadership practices, and learn how to initiate positive change in their community. The program begins in October and concludes in April. Participants will need to be able to participate in all events. Please visit https://www.lonestar.edu/leadership-highschool.htm for the dates and application website. The deadline to apply is September 23rd. Again, Lone Star College will select and notify two participants from THS. (program flyer in English, program flyer in Spanish)
• College Application Kickoff Presentations from Aug. 1st event for seniors - Seniors, miss the event? Not to worry, there will be more opportunities once school starts. Be sure to check your school email and listen for announcements.

We look forward to seeing students back on campus soon! Below are some important dates for the fall semester. As we get closer to each event, more details will be provided.

Upcoming Fall Events:

• Wednesday, August 28th - Senior Parent Night from 6:30-8:00 pm in the THS Auditorium
• October 2024 - Financial Aid Night, date TBA soon!
• Tuesday, November 19th - Cougar Block College Fair from 9:00-9:45 am, sign-up required, details will be provided prior to event
• Wednesday, November 20th - College Knowledge Night from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Tomball Event Center

Many more events will be shared once school starts for students to take part in! Here are just a few!

• College Application Workshops - Open to seniors to get help with college applications during Cougar Block. Dates & sign-up coming soon!
• The College Application Kickoff event for seniors on August 1st is FULL. Presentations will be shared after the event. Couldn’t sign-up or missed the kickoff event? Don’t worry, there will be several College App Workshops opportunities to attend!
• College & Career Cougar Block Series - Open to all grade levels, sessions will be held during Cougar Block and cover a variety of topics from post-high school options, college rep panel, financial aid, military options, stress management, and more. Details will be shared when school starts.
• C&C Donut Chat - Before school event twice a month for students to chat with Mrs. Nichols, College & Career Counselor. Sign-up required as space will be limited, donuts will be provided. We’ll kick off in September!
• College & Career Classroom Videos - Every other week, Mrs. Nichols will share videos for each grade level covering many college and career related topics throughout the year. Videos and presentation links will be shared in each grade level Schoology course for students to refer back to and parents to stay in the loop.
• Grade Level Schoology Courses - Each grade level will have their own Schoology course provided by Mrs. Nichols, College & Career Counselor. Here students will have information on events, event sign-up, C&C Classroom Video library, C&C Series information, rep visit sign-ups, and more. Student join codes coming soon! Parents do not need to do anything to join the course. Once the student joins, parents will have access through their own Schoology login. Information will be provided for parents who do not have accounts set up yet

We need all Senior Parents for the Class of 2025 to get involved.

Make sure you follow SPO 2025 on

Facebook: THS SPO Class of 2025spo2025@gmail.com

Instagram: thsclassof2025spo

Website: https://www.thsspo2025.org/

You can also email us at THSSPO2025@GMAIL.COM

OUR NEXT MEETING is scheduled for Thursday, September 5th in the cafeteria of Tomball High

Some SPO Senior Events already scheduled:

SENIOR SUNRISE: August 16

SENIOR PICNIC: October 9

MR. DEBONAIR COMPETITION: TBD

POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL: TBD

PROJECT PROM: April 26

BACCALAUREATE: May 18

WE NEED ALL SENIOR PARENTS TO JOIN SPO AND MAKE IT AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR THE CLASS OF 2025!

Membership Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HXLrW2HYCvGAzy9fgiorpGqvuGiTqn-5/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114286714463450756863&rtpof=true&sd=true

It is time to book your senior photo session with CADY!

CADY was on our campus last week and will be back on our campus September 24 and October 16 for a roadshow (a mini version of the studio session).

Below are the sitting fees associated with the event

$59 Formal yearbook pose, Cap & Gown, Two Casual Scenes

$29 Formal yearbook pose, Cap & Gown, One Casual Scenes

$10 Formal yearbook pose, Cap & Gown

You also can take photos at CADY Studios in the Woodlands which is a greater experience.

WE WANT ALL SENIORS TO BE IN THE YEARBOOK. THE $10 SITTING FEE IS THE ONLY COST INVOLVED TO BE IN THE YEARBOOK. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM CADY IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO. YOU CAN USE ANY PHOTOGRAPHER YOU WANT FOR PERSONAL PHOTOS.

Mark Vierkant @THS_Mr_Vierkant

Lisa Streat @THS_Ms_Streat

Daniel Craft @THSAP_Craft

Sara Cooley @THS_cooley

Jennifer Foley @THS_jennlee

Carl Moise @C_Moise22

Carrie Sack @CSackTHS

The purpose of the Cougar News Weekly Newsletter is to inform the community of everything going on at Tomball High School.

Feel free to email MarkVierkant@tomballisd.net with any celebrations of our students or any valuable information for the THS Community!

I put together the newsletter, but depend on Parents, Students, Staff and the Community to get stories to me to share.

Please share anything newsworthy for consideration. Photos to go along with the story are appreciated.