QOHS Weekly Newsletter

Greeting QOHS Families,

I would like to use this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for the time I have spent with you as your interim principal. This has been a very special time for me in service to the Quince Orchard High School community. I believe there is so much to celebrate. The staff, students, and parent community provided tremendous support in an effort to promote excellence in education during this challenging time of transition. The collaborative effort, generosity, and overall school spirit was a tremendous source of inspiration. There is a strong foundation for learning and a community network of caring at QOHS. This has created a very wonderful blueprint for student growth and development that will allow all students to successfully prepare to meet the challenges of a very demanding global society. For the past six months, my life has been enriched by this wonderful experience as a member of the QOHS family. I will leave inspired by thoughts of what will come under the leadership of incoming principal Dr. Irina LaGrange.

With sincere appreciation,

Dr. Lee Evans

Interim Principal

• Monday 6/9/25 - Optional Staff Meeting Drop in with Principal LaGrange
• Friday 6/13/25 - Early Release Day
• Last day for students to submit assignments

**Please remember the school year has been extended to until Tuesday 6/17/25. Both Monday 6/16 and Tuesday 6/17 are early release days.

Thank you for your patience as we encountered many obstacles to getting this done. You can now find the recording linked here. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your student's counselor if you have any specific questions. Please note that counselors have varying and sporadic schedules during the summer; e-mail is the best way to communicate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnV_1qMEvN0

Please return your English books to your English teacher or to the English Office in Room 231 as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in an obligation.

Want to make a difference at QO?

Want to be a voice for equity and change?

Want to build your leadership skills and inspire others?

Then the Minority Scholars Program (MSP) is for YOU!

MSP is open to ALL QO students! There will be an interest meeting on Tuesday, June 10 during lunch in Rm. 232. Snacks will be provided. See Ms. Justilien in Rm. 231 or email her at rosie_justilien if you have questions. Students, complete this google form if you're interested in being an MSP Leader!- https://bit.ly/3FrNx6d

Summer is a wonderful time for students to engage in SSL opportunities and earn SSL hours towards meeting the 75-hour state graduation requirement!

Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours towards their SSL graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the summer, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage (www.mcps-ssl.org).

MCPS Summer SSL Information

Upcoming SSL Opportunities - June 2025

Join MSP at the Media Center on Wednesday, June 11th to learn about the significance of Juneteenth.

Enjoy free food, fun trivia, and more engaging activities.

All are welcome—don’t miss out!

Congratulations to our amazing Cappie award winner this year, Nate Kauffman for Dancer in a Male Role! We are so incredibly proud of you!

For the rest of the awards, check the Cappies NCA Nominations 2025 page!

Quince Orchard High School will be offering an in-person Summer Credit Recovery Program from July 7–25, 2025 for eligible students.

This program is only for students who failed a course with a D-E and a final Semester E in the 2024–2025 school year. Students must have failed the course this year to be eligible.

If your child failed a course with E-E (both quarters E) or is not eligible for QOHS Credit Recovery, they should register for the MCPS Regional Summer School Program instead.

🗓️ Program Dates: July 7 – July 25
📍 Location: Quince Orchard High School
⏰ Time: Monday–Friday (schedule to be shared upon registration)
💻 Courses will be supported through Edmentum, with a blend of teacher support and independent work.

🔗 Need a different option? Visit the MCPS Regional Summer School site for more: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/extendedhours/summerschool/

If your student is eligible for QOHS Summer School, counselors will be reaching out directly. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school counselor or Mrs. Ross.

Let’s finish strong and get back on track this summer! ☀️

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, please make sure you and/or your students are aware of the many mental health resources available at QOHS and in MCPS.

Take your musical talent to the next level and join the QO Marching Cougars! The QO Marching Cougars are an integral part of the QO Red Army! Join our family for a musically rewarding experience! Our season starts in August, and is full of football games, pep rallies,

competitions, and more events all the way through November! If you would like to register, please scan the QR code below or use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScConP4CkukLnhc1a1gaZqMKFIwPMII957F_fRsi4leHnYJjQ/viewform?usp=dialog

Starting Tuesday, April 29, 2025, parents/guardians will begin receiving weekly ParentSquare notifications for any student with a negative meal account balance exceeding -$5.00. This will replace the current paper-based notification.

Payment can be made:

• Online at www.MySchoolBucks.com where parents can also check meal account balances, sign up for recurring payments, and more.
• Directly to the school cafeteria using cash, check, or money order (made payable to Quince Orchard HS Cafeteria). Please be sure to include the Student Name, Student ID, and home phone number with the payment.

Families may apply for Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) online at www.MySchoolApps.com and visit the Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) website for more information. DFNS may be reached at 240-740-7400 or via email at DFNSOffice@mcpsmd.org.

Link to Official Guide - https://bit.ly/qowblguide

Please consider joining our amazing PTSA!! There are some key positions open for next year and without dedicated leaders in these positions, we are worried about the future of this organization that provides so much support to our school community!! Join today!

Show your Cougar Pride and JOIN THE PTSA!

Here is a list of open & current positions:

• President (Neil Loewentritt (2025-26)
• VP – OPEN (Sue Kravitz (2025-26))
• Treasurer - Kelly Couts
• Secretary - Kristin Johnston
• Communications Chair – Rabiah George-
• Staff Appreciation – Jen Wang, OPEN (ONE)
• Membership Chair – OPEN (ONE) (Kristin Johnston)
• NAACP Coordinators – OPEN (TWO)
• Senior Night Coordinators - Jayme Holstein, Amanda Mushro and Beth Gelfman
• MCCPTA Delegate- Peter Hmel
• QO Cluster Coordinator – OPEN (Peter Hmel to cover)
• Fundraising Chair (Sue Kravitz and Kristin Johnston (2025-26))

Please reach out to Sue Kravitz if you have any questions or interested in helping out in any way possible!!

skravitz@are.com

suekravitz@comcast.net

Are you interested in jumpstarting your college education while still in high school? The Dual Enrollment Program at Quince Orchard High School, in partnership with Montgomery College, offers you the opportunity to take college courses at no cost. This program provides enriching pathways, such as the Jumpstart to College (JTC) Pathway and the Early College Program, allowing you to earn college credits or even an associate degree by the time you graduate high school.

Fall 2025 Courses Offered at QOHS (Registration begins April 21; Deadline June 6)

📚 BSAD 101 – Introduction to Business (T, R | 9:30 – 11:00 AM)

📚 MGMT 101 – Principles of Management (M, W | 9:30 – 11:00 AM)

📚 ENGL 101 – Introduction to College Writing (M, W, F | 12:00 – 1:00 PM)

📚 ENGL 011 – Introduction to College Writing Support Module (M, W, F | 1:05 – 1:50 PM)

To learn more about these exciting opportunities and the eligibility requirements, visit your new Dual Enrollment Program Assistant (DEPA), Ms. Neelam Mehta, in Room 103 or email at Neelam_Mehta@mcpsmd.org.

Any 12th grade student attending college or trade school for Fall 2025, this is your friendly reminder to submit your 2025-2026 FAFSA application. Completing the FAFSA gives you access to money to help pay for school. FAFSA includes scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans with low interest rates! Friendly reminder that you will need to have the following information handy when starting the application: https://studentaid.gov/help/info-needed. If you need assistance completing the FAFSA, please contact Ms. Romero by email at Lisa_D_Romero@mcpsmd.org.

Coaches Contact List- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O80iTn-FnokoecYOEkd4MN6Qo57BWc9KSx4JWHPBiNU/edit?usp=sharing

2025-26 All-School Conditioning Registration Information- https://qoathletics.com/site-index-page/all-school-conditioning-registration-english/

Please contact QO AD at Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org with any questions.

There are no more Booster, PTSA or NAACP-PC meetings for the remainder of the year. Please make sure you join our amazing organizations and help support our students, staff & community for the 2025-26 school year. See the post above regarding open positions & who to contact to join!

Dear Quince Orchard High School parent leaders,

Thank you for stepping up last summer at the last possible moment trying to find a family for an exchange student with a sudden change of hosting situation. Last year he ended up going to a family in a different school district, but I got several emails from Quince Orchard parents interested in hosting an exchange student in the future. It was too late for MCPS exchange enrollment that year, but I am now looking for local host families for two wonderful exchange students for the year 2025/26.

Leontine (F, Catholic) from France will be 16 and going into 11th grade; she speaks French, Spanish and English, plays basketball and likes to cook and bake; she is the oldest of three kids. She is a strong student with an A GPA.

Ulugbek (M, Muslim) from Uzbekistan is a winner of a competitive FLEX scholarship for exchange students, also an A student. He will be 16 going into 11th grade. He speaks Uzbek, Russian and English; he likes basketball, swimming, playing chess and reading books, and he is very funny and has a great sense of humor and is family-oriented.

Here is a link to brief summaries with more information about these wonderful students. Please share them with the parent body, so we can bring them to experience American high school education and family and community life in Quince Orchard High school. The MCPS international student enrollment period has already started for the next school year, and these students are available on a first come first serve basis. Families can start a hosting application at https://hub.exos2.pax.org/index.php?mid=1&smid=2&uref=207851

Thank you in advance for your help, and I will be glad to answer any questions. You can share my contact email anna.tiratgefen@gmail.com with families.

Anna Tirat-Gefen

International High School Student Exchange Program Local Coordinator

PAX Academic Exchange

anna.tiratgefen@gmail.com

There will be no April or May NAACP Parent Council meeting. If you are interested in being a representative for the next school year, please contact Mr. Yarborough.

Please review the links below to learn more about an upcoming Study Abroad in Taiwan opportunity!

Taiwan 2025 Summer Study Abroad Info

Program Details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v6W1FtSBIGN2Qi7_wDzqgNR_H_gUwbxA/view

Interest Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KBSU4CuQwGZ-as5CED7iLoFaT9n57gbj4ArhJl-U5CY/edit?usp=drivesdk

Our PTSA, NAACP-PC, and Boosters Organizations are key to our success. Our amazing organizations are offering a joint membership option that allows for a 20% discount. Membership forms can be found below or at qohsboosters.com and at https://qohsptsa.memberhub.com/store. I urge you to support these worthy organizations which do so much to support our school and help us provide the best education possible to our students. You will find your involvement with one of our parent groups will help increase your student’s sense of belonging and pride in Quince Orchard High School, as well as bring families together! Check out the links below to get familiar with our volunteers and see how you can get involved:

Welcome Letters & Organizational Info:

• Boosters President Letter
• NAACP Parent Council Welcome Letter

• Why Join the PTSA?

Membership & Sponsor Information:

• Booster Club Sponsorship Letter
• Booster Club Sponsorship Form
• Booster Membership Webpage
• PTSA Membership Hub

English / español / 中文 / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ

How Are We Doing? Tell Us!

MCPS wants to learn more about your family's experience in our schools through the School Climate Survey. Think of it as a snapshot of MCPS’ overall school environment — everything from safety and relationships to teaching and learning. By understanding what is working well and where we can improve, we can create an even more supportive and engaging place for all our students. The survey closes on Monday, June 9, so please complete it today! (To complete the survey, you will need your student’s ID, which can be found in ParentVue.) School climate is not just about how things are; it’s about how we make them better … together.

A Crowning Achievement

Graduation ceremonies have kicked off for nearly 13,000 students receiving their high school diplomas this year. Seniors at Wheaton, Winston Churchill, Quince Orchard, Albert Einstein, Col. Zadok Magruder, Damascus, Seneca Valley and Sherwood high schools, RICA and Blair Ewing were the first to walk across stages. Commencements continue through Thursday, June 12.

Ceremonies feature a variety of speakers, including an Olympic Gold medalist, NBC News correspondent, former NFL player, quiz show host, district court judge, TV host and model, educators, businesspeople and politicians.

More than 2,500 students are earning the Seal of Biliteracy, an award given to graduates who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in one or more languages other than English. Eighty-three graduating seniors have earned it in multiple languages. This year’s students tested in about 50 different languages.

Photo gallery

Full list of graduation dates, times, speakers and locations.

Donate Today to the GIVE BACKpacks Campaign

Help students in need by donating to the 14th annual GIVE BACKpacks campaign to purchase backpacks and school supplies for MCPS students. For as little as $20, you can provide a student with a backpack filled with supplies, including paper, crayons, pencils/pens, pencil sharpener, binders, folders and more.

More than 70,000 of our students live in poverty and need help accessing school supplies to be ready to learn at the start of the new school year. MCPS places orders throughout the summer with a goal of providing as many students as possible with a backpack and school supplies. June, July and August are critical months to fundraise and place orders.

FAQs about MCPS GIVE BACKpacks

Join Us to Learn How to Protect Kids from Digital Exploitation

A webinar on digital exploitation will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10. It will cover a range of topics related to sextortion, including current trends, how to keep your child safe online and steps to take if your child has been victimized.

This webinar is being presented by MCPS, the Montgomery County Police Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

English | Spanish | Chinese | French | Portuguese | Korean | Vietnamese | Amharic

Summer Reading Challenge Launches June 14

Montgomery County Public Libraries will unveil its annual Summer Reading Challenge on Saturday, June 14, inviting children, teens and adults to “Color Our World” through books, music, theater and art. The program will run through Sunday, Aug. 31, offering opportunities for all ages to engage in reading and creative activities that celebrate imagination and self-expression.

There will be three kickoff events featuring activities for all ages.

• Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m, Twinbrook Library, 202 Meadow Hall Drive in Rockville.
• Saturday, June 21, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Germantown Library, 19840 Century Boulevard in Germantown.
• Sunday, June 22, 2-4 p.m., Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave. in Chevy Chase.

For more information and to register, visit the MCPL website.

Reminders

Ethics Panel: The Board of Education has one vacancy on its five-member panel. The vacancy is for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2025. Letters of interest and resumés are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 9. More information

The Latest from the News Page

Meet Flick: What happens when middle school students partner with engineers and educators to solve real-world problems? You get Flick—an AI-powered math tutor designed, built and programmed by students from Hallie Wells Middle School.

More Than a Ceremony: Discover how Roberto Clemente Middle School is building community through celebration with its 8th Grade Block Party.

We’re continually updating our news page with happenings around the district, so bookmark this site to keep up with the latest.

Stay Connected

• VISIT the MCPS homepage.

• CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)

• READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.

• FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.

• http://twitter.com/mcps
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
  https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md

• https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
  https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
  https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/

• SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.

• WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89

Open Registrations

• Prekindergarten and Head Start Registration Open for Income-Eligible Families

More From MCPS

• School calendar
• Parent resource page
• News and Information page/Noticias en Español
• Latest photo galleries
• MCPS TV videos
• MCPS TV español

Email us: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

©1995–2025 Montgomery County Public Schools

Stay connected throughout the school year with these important links:

• MCPS Student Handbooks (Code of Conduct, Rights & Responsibilities etc.)

• QOHS events calendar can be found on the myMCPS Classroom webpage.

• Arrival & Dismissal Bus Routes

• QOHS Website

• QOHS 2024-25 Student Handbook (Here you'll find our lunch policy, ID policy & much more.)

• QOHS Bell Schedules

• Traditional School Year Calendar 2024-25

• Social Emotional Well Being Resources

Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/qohs/
Location: 15800 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
Phone: 240-740-3600