The Raider Nation Newsletter

Dear Atholton Community,

Did we even use the term "December to Remember" before Lexus introduced the phrase in their commercials 25 years ago? Well, I'm not suggesting you need to go out and buy a Lexus this holiday season, but you have a chance to help your student have a December to Remember right here at Atholton.

Before we left for Thanksgiving Break, you hopefully participated in parent-teacher conferences. During those meetings, your child's teacher should have provided you with the great news that your child is doing extremely well (and you should give them an extra slice of Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving) or you had a difficult conversation about your child not succeeding and identified key steps that you, your child, and the teacher need to take together to turn things around.

Now's the time to put that plan into action. It will be a December to Remember when that grade in Synergy/Canvas goes up. It will be a December to Remember when your child feels more confident about class and happier about their grades. It will be a December to Remember when your nightly conversation isn't just about why they haven't done their homework but about how well they did on that week's quiz.

I don't know about you, but that sounds better than finding a Lexus in the driveway with a big bow on it (of course, both would be nice, right?) But as I say to students, the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. It can be a December to Remember, but we have to work to make it happen. Put that Parent-Teacher Conference action plan into effect! Finish 2024 strong!

Sincerely,

Nick Novak

Principal

As I shared last week, we are changing how we respond to cell phone violations and students who are habitually late to school. You can review the slides here to see what we are emphasizing with students regarding some of the major aspects our behavioral expectations and disciplinary procedures: Student Reminders/Updates

The updates of note include the following:

• Cell Phones: The information that was shared with students at the start of the school year was vague in specifying that 3rd, violations and beyond will result in "administrative intervention." We are aligning practices with other schools and will be implementing confiscation at levels 3-5. The 3rd violation is confiscation for the period; the 4th violation is for the rest of the day; and the 5th violation will be confiscation until a parent/guardian picks it up.
• Tardy to School: We have been somewhat lax in not assigning consequences for students who are habitually late. The presentation outlines how we will look at the number of tardies for the week and assign appropriate consequences including detention and Friday school.

See this flyer for info about the upcoming college fair.

Did you know that we are always collecting used clothing? The yellow Planet Aid bin in front of the school is always available for donations. The school gets money back for the clothing collected and the donations are repurposed within the local community. The current Planet Aid drive info can be found here.

SAT Boot Camps at Atholton HS - $199

**These prep classes will prepare students for March 8, May 3, and June 7 SATs.**

• M/W Jan. 13 & 15 from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm (in person)
• T/Th Feb. 18 & 20 from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm (in person)
• Sun., March 2 from 9 am - 1 pm + M/W March 3 & 5 from 7 pm - 9 pm (virtual)
• M/W July 7 & 9 from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm (in person)

Live, Virtual ACT Boot Camps (offered monthly) - $199

**These prep classes will prepare students for Dec. 14, Feb. 8, and April 5 ACTs.**

• Sun., Dec. 8 from 9 am - 1 pm + T/Th Dec. 10 & 12 from 7 pm - 9 pm
• Sat., Jan. 4 from 9 am - 1 pm + Weds., Jan. 8 & 15 from 7 pm - 9 pm
• Sat., March 22 from 9 am - 1 pm + M/W March 24 & 26 from 7 pm - 9 pm

Live, Virtual College Admissions Crash Courses (offered monthly) - $199

• Sat./Sun., Jan. 4 & 5 from 9 am - 1 pm
• Fri., Jan. 31 - March 21 from 5 pm - 6 pm
• See website for the full schedule of monthly crash courses.

Small group college counseling teaches students everything they need to know about the complicated, confusing, and competitive world of college admissions in order to best support their own application and college success. Recommended for 10th & 11th graders.

Each college prep class is only $199,* or choose a Premium Bundle and save up to $500. AHS PTSA earns a portion of student tuition! Visit www.theanswerclass.com to view the full class schedule and to register your student.

To date, more than 1,210 AHS students have benefited from the prep and $32,900+ has been donated to AHS PTSA! 95% of students would recommend the course to a friend!

*Early Bird Discount: Register one week ahead of your course & SAVE $20!

Regular tuition is only $219/class OR $522 for the SAT/ACT, College Admissions Crash Course, and College Essay Workshop Bundle!

Register today at: http://www.theanswerclass.com

Demand for the Atholton HS food pantry is growing and we need to make sure our inventory can keep up with the demand. Please consider purchasing items from our wish list below to help out. The food gets delivered directly to AHS, so you don't have to drop it off yourself. Here's the link to purchase through Amazon:

Food Pantry Wish List

12/3 Career Cafe during lunch

12/5 Dance Concert

12/6 Dance Concert

12/9 Senior Pictures Make-Up

12/10 Band Concert

12/12 Orchestra Concert

Atholton PTSA

Atholton PBSA

Atholton Boosters

Atholton Drama Boosters

Atholton JROTC Boosters

Atholton Music Boosters

Atholton Robotics Boosters