As we approach the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the resulting conflict in Gaza, we want to be mindful of the emotional and psychological impact this may have on members of your school community. To ensure that staff are prepared for what will likely be an emotional and heavy day, details have been shared about supports that will be in place. I, also, wanted to share the joint letter from MCPS on this topic. Please be assured that students will have support if needed, and staff have been provided with resources to assist students on Monday.

Be well,

Doug

WED, OCTOBER 16 PSAT Day

FRI, OCTOBER 18 Professional day; no school for students

On Wednesday, October 16th, 11th graders who have registered for the Digital PSAT/NMSQT test will take it at Wootton HS. Below, you will find a link to access the PSAT practice test and familiarize yourself with the Bluebook Application. If you took the PSAT/NMSQT as a 10th grader and/or a Digital AP exam, you will be familiar with the application. One week prior to the test you will receive your room location and other important information.

How to Access Bluebook and Practice PSAT

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Labbe at Stephanie_C_Labbe@mcpsmd.org.

Juniors and Seniors - If you speak a language other than English at home OR if you are enrolled in a level 4 or higher language class, then you are eligible to test for the Seal of Biliteracy on November 13. The Seal of Biliteracy is an official designation earned at graduation that recognizes and rewards students who are proficient in English and one or more other languages. For more information on test eligibility and registration, please review this Seal of Biliteracy document or contact Dr. Fetterman with any questions.

Class of 2025 parents,

Thank you to those that have generously signed up to donate food or volunteer your time for our senior breakfast on October 16! We still need some additional items including cases of water, fruit, cream cheese and more. If you are able to bring anything or volunteer your time, please sign up here.

If you're bringing food or other items, please try to bring it to the cafeteria between 9 and 9:30 the morning of the breakfast. If you need to arrange another time to drop off, please contact Mrs. McCarthy at Victoria_a_mccarthy@mcpsmd.org Thank you for your support!

The Fife and Drum Yearbook Team would like our school community to share photos to appear in this year's book! To do so, you can visit https://photos.jostens.com/Z9KW4J. Make sure to tag the students in your photo, so we can caption them correctly! Stay tuned for news on buying a yearbook. If you have any questions, you can contact Ms. Wollmuth, the yearbook advisor, at wollmuts@mcpsmd.org.

MCPS is seeking input about the 2025–2026 school year calendar! Please take a moment to complete the MCPS School Calendar Feedback Survey. Your input will be used to select the first and last day of school, as well as other important dates for the coming school year.

MCPS School Calendar Feedback (2025-2026 and 2026-2027

National Walk and Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 9, 2024. We encourage students, families, and staff to walk and/or bike to school to commemorate this very healthy and safe alternative to traveling to school. More information is available at the following website: https://www.walkbiketoschool.org/.

Regular daily attendance is expected. It is critical to a child's academic success. Parent/caregiver support of regular daily attendance is essential. Parents/caregivers should provide a note within 3 days stating the reason for absence. This will ensure the absence is marked excused. Students who were absent from school have the responsibility to request make-up work from their teacher.