• December 23-31, 2024 - Winter Break
• January 1, 2024- New Year's Day (Schools & Offices Closed)
• January 20, 2025 - Schools & Offices Closed, MLK Jr. Day
• January 17-23, 2025 - Mid Term Exams
• January 23, 2025 - End of 2nd Marking Period
• January 29, 2025 - Schools Closed for Students
• February 7, 2025 - Schools Closed for Students
• February 17, 2025 - Schools & Offices Closed, President's Day
• April 26, 2025 - Junior/Senior Prom

Dear Mt. Hebron Families,

As we enter the holiday season and prepare for winter break, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for each of you. This time of year reminds us of the importance of community, connection, and reflection, and I am truly thankful for the incredible spirit and support of our Mt. Hebron families.

I hope this winter break brings you the opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy moments with loved ones. Please take care, stay safe, and cherish this well-deserved time of rest and celebration.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready to continue our school year.

Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday season!

Katie Clark, Principal

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make our annual Canned Food Drive such an incredible success! Watching our students come together to serve their own community was truly inspiring. Together, we are growing leaders who embody the spirit of service to others. Few things in life are as fulfilling as making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us.

This achievement would not have been possible without the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring it all together. To our amazing students, families, and everyone who contributed: your generosity, care, and commitment have gone above and beyond.

You are the heart of what makes our community so special. Thank you for everything you do to support and uplift others. We are COMMUNITY!

The students at Mount Hebron High School delivered a truly fabulous winter assembly yesterday! Their outstanding performances filled the air with holiday cheer and brought smiles to everyone in attendance. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. Amazing job!

We want to celebrate our students! All student celebrations will be shared through our instagram account @hcpss_mhhs. If you would like to shout out your child, team, club that has affiliation with Mount Hebron or HCPSS please click the bar below.

Auditions are on January 7 from 3:30-5:00 PM and January 8 from 3:30-5:00 PM.

Students who want to take Dance I: There is no experience needed and no audition required! Just sign up: DT-400-1. GET MORE INFORMATION AT HEBRONDANCE.COM

Course Registration began on December 16th and runs thru January 14th, 2025. At this time, you will be able to review teacher course recommendation and choose elective courses. You will also have the ability to update course recommendations following the Course Placement Review process.

To prepare you for the course recommendation process, please be sure review HCPSS Connect . The process for this year is new for families and students. To assist you, please use these resources:

• Parent QRC,

• Course Registration Screencast for Families

Once you are up to date with the new process in Synergy, these presentations will provide you with an overview of this year's course registration offerings and additional information on the process. These presentations are translated as well. Here is the resource for the translation : Course Registration Translated Transcripts SY2526 If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your student's school counselor for assistance.

Student and Family Resources:

https://hcpss.instructuremedia.com/embed/160822b8-6263-4173-9f16-24a383a2a9e0

Friday, January 17, 2025 (A Day)

• Period 1 Exam

• Full day of school

• All extracurricular activities are normal

• AM/PM ARL Classes in Session

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 (B Day)

• Periods 5 & 6 Exams

• High schools close 3 hours early

• No extracurricular activities, including practices, rehearsals, events, etc.

• NO AM ARL Students

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (A Day)

• Periods 2 & 4A Exams

• High schools close 3 hours early

• No extracurricular activities other than 90-minute conditioning practices, which may begin at 2:45 PM

• NO PM ARL Students

Thursday, January 23, 2025 (B Day)

• Periods 3 & 4B Exams

• All schools close 3 hours early

• No extracurricular activities other than 90-minute conditioning practices, which may begin at 2:45 PM

• NO AM ARL Students

Please join the Mount Hebron PTSA Staff Appreciation Committee in thanking our amazing staff! Click on the link below to find easy ways to donate items helping the staff know that all of their efforts to care for our kids are seen and appreciated!

Did you know that your child can learn college-level research skills in high school? Mt. Hebron offers three advanced research courses – Independent Research GT, Intern/Mentor GT, and AP Seminar. Students in IR and I/M will work through the entire research process while also studying a topic they find personally interesting! AP Seminar is designed to teach students how to do secondary research on selected topics while potentially earning college credit! All of these courses offer weighted credit towards a student’s GPA while developing skills they can transfer to college and beyond! You can read more about all three courses here. You are invited to attend a virtual or in-person information session to learn more about what is available and hear from current students! See the linked flyer for details.

The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) Saturday Math Academy (SMA) will offer an in-person enrichment program for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3 through 12 based on course availability. The BSAP Saturday Math Academy has been in existence since 1992. The program was developed in response to parents seeking math enrichment for their students. The priority was to learn instructional mathematical strategies to support their children at home and to accelerate academic achievement.

• Essential Program Information
• Spring 2025 Registration (Virtual)
• Registration will take place via HCPSS Connect on Saturday, January 4, 2025, from 9:00 a.m.- until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Instructions for registration are linked below.
• HCPSS Connect Instructions (English)Links to an external site.
• HCPSS Connect Instructions (Spanish)Links to an external site.
• HCPSS Connect Instructions (Chinese)Links to an external site.
• HCPSS Connect Instructions (Korean)Links to an external site.
• Spring 2025 Program Sessions (In-Person): Sessions will take place on Saturdays from 9:00 AM -12:15 PM on the following dates: (1/25, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/8, 3/15)
• Program Fee: $80.00 Students eligible for FARMs fee: $40.00
• Program Location: Oakland Mills High School- 9410 Kilimanjaro Road Columbia, MD 21045
• Students will participate in math instruction as well as enrichments including chess, choir, STEM, or coding.
• Families who register their child(ren) for the program in HCPSS Connect are requesting enrollment. Notification will be emailed to families whose request was accepted.
• Acceptance in the program will be based on a first-come first-served basis and available space in the specified class.
• Payment Options: Families whose enrollment request is accepted will receive information regarding payment through MySchoolBucks. Additional payment options are available below:
• Online: Payments can be made through MySchoolBucks (4% service fee will be applied).
• Drop Box: Payments may be dropped off at the BSAP Office Drop Box located to the right of the BSAP Office door at the Old Cedar Lane Building. Please download the Registration Payment FormLinks to an external site. and include the completed form with your payment.
• Old Cedar Lane Building (BSAP Office: 5451 Beaverkill Road,Columbia, MD 21044)

• A student is not enrolled in the program until the program fee is paid. If payment is not received by the requested date, the child’s enrollment will be forfeited.
• Families of enrolled students will receive an invitation to a virtual Family Orientation on Saturday, January 18th from noon-12:45 p.m.

SAT Boot Camps at Mt. Hebron HS

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

• Sat./Sun., Feb. 1 & 2 from 9 am - 1 pm (in person)
• Sat., April 5 from 9 am - 1 pm + M/W April 7 & 9 from 7 pm - 9 pm (virtual)
• Sat., May 17 from 9 am - 5:30 pm (in person)

Live, Virtual ACT Boot Camps (offered monthly)

**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

Live, Virtual College Admissions Crash Courses (offered monthly)

• 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.

A top-level overview of everything high school students 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. MHHS PTSA earns a portion of student tuition! Visit www.theanswerclass.com to view the full class schedule and to register your student.

January 6th is the final day for seniors to have their senior yearbook portrait taken in-school. After that, you must go to a studio if you would like to have your formal senior portrait taken and included in the yearbook. The sitting for the yearbook pose is FREE! Tux and drape are provided. We would love to have all seniors represented in the yearbook. See the attached flyer for details on how to register for an in-school appointment. The appointment slots are for seniors who have not had pictures taken yet, not for students who need retakes. Contact the number on the flyer if you need to have retakes before March 1st. See Mrs. Goodwin in room 228 with your questions.

HCPSS today announced the window for the Class of 2025 high school graduations as Monday, May 19-Friday, May 30, 2025. No graduations will be held on weekends or on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26.

HCPSS makes the early announcement of the graduation window to accommodate planning by parents, students, schools and community members. Specific information regarding the dates and times of each graduation ceremony will be finalized in collaboration with Merriweather Post Pavilion and provided by mid-April.

Ceremonies will be held in person at Merriweather Post Pavilion, except for Cedar Lane School, which will hold its graduation ceremony at the school.

Full HCPSS commencement information can be found online.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is NOW available. We strongly encourage all families to complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA is the primary tool for determining a student’s financial need, enabling access to federal, state and local grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study opportunities. You can complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov.

For students ineligible for federal aid via the FAFSA, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) offers the MHEC One App. This application allows qualified children of undocumented immigrants, who meet in-state tuition requirements, to apply for Maryland state need-based financial aid. The MHEC One App can be found on the [Maryland Higher Education Commission website (https://mhec.maryland.gov).

• Click here to order a cap and gown unit (which includes a tassel) or use the QR code to the right.

• Order by February 1, 2025.

Click this link to learn more about the Class of 2025 graduation.

Freshmen 2028

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538298930108508

Sophomores 2027

https://www.facebook.com/groups/132631256538950/

Juniors 2026

https://www.facebook.com/groups/474264264531291/

Seniors 2025

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403498247520261/

Due to reduced staffing and in the interest of security, during winter break when schools are closed and offices open—Dec. 26-27 and Dec. 30-31—buildings will be locked and closed to visitors without appointments. Families are asked to coordinate with HCPSS staff prior to any office visits during the break. Offices will be closed both to staff and visitors Dec. 23-25 and Jan. 1.

Save the date for the 2024-25 HoCo Student Film Festival: Friday, May 2, 2025. (Film deadline: April 1, 2025.) The 2024-25 school year theme of the HC DrugFree Category is: Make the Call: Help Without Hesitation. For more information visit http://www.hcdrugfree.org/hoco-filmfest/

• Mount Hebron High School Website
• HCPSS Calendar 24-25SY
• HCPSS Student and Parent Handbook
• Mount Hebron PTSA
• Mount Hebron Viking Backers
• ​​​​Follow us on Instagram: @hcpss_mhhs