I hope your Summer has been restful, joyful, and productive. Bowie High staff are excited to welcome the community back to school in just a few weeks (the first day of school for all students is August 26th)! We have been working hard over the Summer to make sure the campus and staff will be ready for another year of learning at Bowie HS.

Below you will find a lot of important dates and information for the school year ahead. Please review that information, and please stay tuned to email in the days ahead for any new announcements.

See you soon,

Joe Kautzer

Principal, Bowie HS

Administrative Team Contact Info:

Grade 9 Asst Principals:

• Mr. Andre Esters (students w/ last name A-K), andre.esters@pgcps.org
• Mrs. Aisha Mahoney (students w/ last name L-Z), bernnadette.mahoney@pgcps.org

Grade 10 Asst Principals:

• Mr. William Poulakos (students w/ last name A-K), william.poulakos@pgcps.org
• Ms. Lisza Morton-Wilson (students w/ last name L-Z), Lisza.Morton@pgcps.org

Grade 11 Asst Principal:

• Ms. Helen King, hking@pgcps.org

Grade 12 Asst Principal:

• Ms. Shauna Watson, shauna.watson@pgcps.org

SEAD Coordinator:

• Mr. Darrin Lee, darrin.lee@pgcps.org

Friday, August 23rd will be an orientation day (AM-only) for the following students:

• all 9th grade students (PGCPS transportation provided)
• this event is for students-only; we do not have enough space to accommodate parents + students for the orientation

*Participation in orientation day is not required*

Date: Fri, Aug 23rd

Time: 7:30am - 11:15am

Location:

• 9th grade campus (Bowie High School Annex, 3021 Belair Dr, Bowie, MD 20715)
• please note the correct location-- our first-time 9th grade students take the majority of their classes at the 9th grade campus, which is located a few blocks away from the main campus on Annapolis Rd

Students will meet their teachers, visit their classrooms, get a chance to tour the facilities, meet their administrators and other staff members, and be served a grab-n-go lunch.

Bus Transportation will be provided. Parents can access bus route information in the Parent Portal (see bus info above).

For additional questions, please email your student's grade-level administrator.

Also on Friday, Aug 23, all students in grades 10-12 who are new to Bowie HS are invited to our "new student orientation."

Date: Fri, Aug 23rd

Time: 7:30am - 11:15am

Location:

• Main Campus (Bowie HS, 15200 Annapolis Rd, Bowie MD 20715)

Students will have an opportunity to tour the building, find their classrooms, and meet the staff who will be supporting them this school year. This event is designed for new students only, though some returning students (rising 10th graders) who feel they are new to the main campus can attend as well. We are not able to accommodate parents at this event. Student attendance is not required at this event.

• August 14th: Fall Athletics Season Officially Begins (see info here)
• August 22nd: "9th Grade Kickback" Social Event, 3-5pm at 9th grade campus, sponsored by Bowie PTSO
• August 23rd: 9th Grade Orientation & New Student Orientation (see additional info in newsletter here). The orientations are from 7:30am - 11:15am.
  
• August 26th: First Day of School for all students!
• September 10th, Back 2 School Night at 9th grade campus only (grade 9 only)
• September 11th, Back 2 School Night at main campus only
• October 19th, Homecoming Football game, dance, and festivities

IMPORTANT:

PGCPS has a new Student Information System in effect this school year-- Synergy. This has replaced SchoolMax entirely. Returning parents must activate their Parentvue account in Synergy, and new families must create an account.

Please take the time to accurately update all contact information in Synergy ParentVUE so we can continue communicating effectively with you throughout the school year. Be sure to update cell phone numbers and enable text message / SMS communications where applicable.

Synergy FAQ

See here for more information

Parents may locate designated bus stops and bus route info using the site below and entering the home address.

Use this link to access Infofinder and Bus Stop Info. https://bit.ly/PGCPSinfoFinderi

See here for more information from PGCPS regarding transportation improvements for SY24-25

For additional transportation questions related specifically to Bowie HS, email: Darrin.Lee@pgcps.org, Bowie HS Administrative Liaison to Transportation

Bowie HS does not have a school uniform policy, however, we do enforce the PGCPS dress code linked here.

The following dress code is enforced at Bowie HS and all PGCPS schools:

1. Headwear can be worn indoors for religious or health reasons only.

1. Ski masks are not allowed on the head or covering the face

2. Hoods are not allowed to be covering student heads

2. Shirts and blouses should be continuous from neckline to waist. The entire midsection should not show. No tank tops and muscle shirts should be worn as outerwear.

3. No clothing with vulgar language, obscene pictures, weapons, drug/alcohol or drug paraphernalia and tobacco products should be worn.

4. No identifiable gang/crew clothing or paraphernalia should be worn.

5. No see-through clothing should be worn.

6. Skirts, dresses, shorts, and spandex skirts should be approximately six (6") inches below the buttocks, and no shorter than fingertip level.

7. Pants should be secured at the waist with no sagging below the waist to expose undergarments. Tights, stretch pants, leggings, and bodysuits must be worn with clothing long enough to cover the buttocks.

8. Shoes must be worn. Slippers are not to be worn to school.

*Failure to comply with the dress code above will result in progressive disciplinary actions, as defined by the PGCPS Student Code of Conduct.

Maryland Tax Free Week: Aug 11-15

For a basic list of recommended school supplies for high school students, see below:

• Clear backpack *required for all PGCPS high school students*
• Three-inch, three-ring binder
• Subject dividers
• Loose-leaf notebook paper (college ruled)
• Composition books (college ruled)
• Blue or black ballpoint pens
• #2 pencils
• Colored pencils
• Highlighters
• Ruler
• Book Covers

* some courses may have specific supply requests that will be shared by teachers on the first day of school

Additionally, all students should bring their school-issued chromebook computers and charger with them each day.

Beginning last school year, all PGCPS High School Students are expected to use clear backpacks/bookbags, etc. Any bags that are being used to carry school supplies should be clear so that the contents are visible.

See here for more information

9th Grade students who need a PGCPS-issued chromebook device can pick them up at the days and times below, at Bowie HS main campus. Please note there will also be procedures for distributing devices to all students who need one during the first two weeks of the school year.

9th Grade Student Chromebook Distributions:

Monday, August 12th: 9am -12pm

Tuesday, August 13th: 9am -12pm

Wednesday, August 14th: 9am -12pm

Thursday, August 22nd: 1 - 4pm

Friday, August 23rd: 12 - 2pm

Contact: Mr. Ike,

Bowie HS IT Technician: stephen.ike@pgcps.org

While some student schedules may already be viewable in Synergy (the new Student Information System that replaced SchoolMax), please note that many changes may still occur in Synergy in the next few days/weeks.

If, after reviewing the student schedule, you notice there is an error or a qualifying-reason for correction, please stay tuned for directions in the days ahead for requesting a change to a student's schedule.

Please see the qualifying reasons for schedule changes below:

I. Course prerequisites not met (Example: In Spanish 2, Never took Spanish 1)
II. Seniors needing specific courses to meet Maryland graduation requirements;
III. To correct an obvious error (ie, already passed a course on the schedule)
IV. Failing or non-qualifying grades in summer school courses
V. Authentic, documented health reasons; and
VI. Certain circumstances requiring administrative approval

Beginning around August 12th, counselors will be able to address these requests in the order they are received, and after all newly-enrolled students are scheduled. We ask for patience from students and families in the opening days of school as our team is still being trained in using Synergy and responding ASAP to a large volume of individual requests.

For more information, please visit the Counseling Dept Website:

• School Counseling Website
• Requesting a schedule correction: directions forthcoming soon

Fall Sports tryouts begin August 14th

• Athletics Website
• See Summer info update here
• Fall Sports Info
• All student athletes must complete a physical and the registration forms

Coaches Contact Info:

Football Coach Parrish: augustus.parrish@pgcps.org
Boys Soccer Coach Deetjen: frantz.deetjen@pgcps.org
Girls Soccer Coach Stewart: vincent.stewart@pgcps.org
XC Coach A: rich.andrulonis@pgcps.org
Volleyball Coach Smith: luanne.smith@pgcps.org

Golf Coach Jordan: jordan.derrick.m@gmail.com

For more info, contact:

Athletic Director Jessica Brandt: jessica.brandt@pgcps.org

Athletics Administrator: Darrin Lee darrin.lee@pgcps.org

Maryland State Law (COMAR 10.06.04.03) requires all students enrolled in prekindergarten through Grade 12 to receive age-appropriate immunizations. The school must have proof of immunizations before allowing a student to begin school. If evidence of the required vaccines is not provided, the student will be excluded from school. Students without the required documentation will be temporarily admitted and given twenty (20) calendar days from the date of admission to provide evidence of immunization compliance.

• Immunization resources

To be temporarily admitted to or retained in a preschool or school, the student’s parent or guardian shall present evidence of the student’s appointment with a health care provider. The date of the appointment may not be later than twenty (20) calendar days following the date the student was temporarily admitted or retained. The student will be excluded from school the next day following the appointment date if the parent fails to provide evidence of required immunizations.

Link to Immunization Clinics

While mobile phones continue to be useful tools in education, they have also become a harmful distraction for many teenage learners during the school day. Many recent studies have shown the harmful effects that social media have had on teenage mental health and wellbeing.

• How Social Media Affects Your Teen's Mental Health: A Parent's Guide
• US Surgeon General Advisory, "Social Media and Youth Mental Health"

We are asking all parents to help by exploring ways of implementing parental controls on student mobile devices during school hours. We also ask that you have regular conversations with your children about responsible usage of mobile devices and social media. We will be having ongoing conversations with the community about this throughout the year to promote a safe and healthy learning environment for all.

Parental control guides for iPhones, Android, and other devices

• Staff Email Directory
• School Counseling Website
• Athletics Website

School Hours:

7:30 AM - 2:10 PM {new bell times for SY24-25}

Website: https://schools.pgcps.org/bowie/
Location: 15200 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD, USA
Phone: 301-805-2600
Twitter/ X: @BowieHighMD