A Welcome Message from Mr. Smith
Dear Northwest Students and Families,
On behalf of the entire Northwest High School staff, I would like to welcome you to the beginning of what is going to be a wonderful 2024-2025 school year! I hope that you all have had time to connect with each other and spend some time together. As you can see in the picture to the left, I balanced my summer by not only preparing for the school year but in spending precious time to be with my own family. I still am thrilled to open the doors to all over 2,400 of you in just a few short weeks as we have been diligently working this summer to plan for the school year and prepare a second home for all of our wonderful students. We cannot wait to connect with each of you!
As I enter my nineteenth year in Montgomery County Public Schools and my fourth year as your proud principal, I am energized for the year ahead and thrilled to continue engaging with all of you in various settings throughout the year. Northwest High School is the place to be as we are heading “Back to Basics: Focusing on the Building Blocks for Success.”
Our goal this year is to continue providing a robust education through daily, rigorous, and culturally responsive instruction, elevating every Northwest student to new heights of achievement. To create a school that truly belongs to everyone, we are committed to building trusting relationships within our community and ensuring all voices are heard. Our Instructional Leadership Team has been working closely with students, analyzing school data, and gathering feedback from parents and staff to develop a comprehensive approach that fosters social, emotional, and academic growth through relevant and engaging instruction.
We are dedicated to nurturing positive relationships with all staff, students, and parents; creating an environment of trust through authenticity and accessibility; and fostering a culture of communication and collaboration. Our vision is to sustain positive morale and create a culture of mutual respect and transparency, equipping our students with the skills they need to become engaged and productive members of society.
To keep you informed and connected throughout the school year, we will be sharing important information through multiple channels:
Weekly Text Messages and Emails: Every Sunday night, expect a text message and a simultaneous email with all pertinent and detailed information, sent through the Remind application.
JagTV Announcements: Daily announcements will be posted on our school website.
Website Updates: Our school’s website will be regularly updated with news, events, and important dates. Visit us at Northwest High School Website.
Twitter: Follow us on Twitter to receive updates and news. Many of our teams, clubs, departments, staff members, and parent organizations also have their own Twitter accounts. Here are a few to get you started:
Scott Smith: @NorthwestJags
Northwest Athletics: @NWJagSports
Northwest PTSA: @NWHSPTSA
Northwest Booster Club: @NWHSBoosters
Student Government Association: @NWHS_SGA
NWHS Minority Scholars Program: @NorthwestMSP
The remainder of this message includes information to help you prepare for the 2024-2025 school year. Please read the information under each category heading carefully. The information provided in this letter can also be found on our school’s website under “news.” We have made every effort to answer all the questions we are anticipating from you; however, if additional questions arise, please feel free to contact me via email at Scott_E_Smith@mcpsmd.org.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to Northwest. We are looking forward to welcoming each and every one of you of our students back to school!
Mr. Scott E. Smith
Principal
Welcome to our New Staff Members!
Sani Adamou - World Languages RT
Maritza Aguilar - ELD
Morgan Bennett - World Languages
Heather Bergman - ELD RT
Kelly Cooper - Resource Counselor
Joseph Fanning - Principal Intern
Lea Kabore - World Languages
Christine Muhn - Fine Arts
Katherine Skiscim - CTE
Kristin Suthard - ELD
Alexis Tanenbaum - Counselor
2024-2025 Administrator and Counselor Assignments
2024-2025 Administration Roles and Responsibilities
Fall Athletics Registration Deadline Approaching!
The deadline to register and submit physicals for fall sports is noon on Monday, August 12th. Registration is done in ParentVue, and new physicals can be uploaded when you register or emailed to Mrs. Tyler, our Athletics Specialist.
Notes to help with registration:
- If your student was previously registered for All-School Conditioning, you will need to check the "I do not wish..." option for Year-Round Athletics or ParentVue won't let you move forward.
- Make sure you review and submit after you complete the registration. You should get an email from MCPS saying your registration has been submitted.
Mrs. Tyler will send mass emails to everyone who is approved for tryouts Monday evening. If a student does not have a current physical on file, they cannot be approved for tryouts. More information, including the tryout schedule, can be found on NorthwestAthletics.org.
NEW Bell Schedules
Northwest Parent Councils' Questionnaire
We hope that you and your family will join us for future events and that you will consider becoming a part of the Northwest Hispanic Parent Council, African American Parent Council and the Asian American Parent Council. Please take some time to respond to this questionnaire and let us know how you would like to become involved. This questionnaire has been translated into Spanish.*
Please contact the following administrators for more information about the Hispanic, African American, and Asian Parent Councils at Northwest High School.
Hispanic Parent Council: Nyurka_I_Morales@mcpsmd.org
African American Parent Council: Tara-dee_S_Henry@mcpsmd.org
Asian American Parent Council: Danielle_M_Abdelsalam@mcpsmd.org
PTSA/Booster Club Information
Our PTSA and Boosters Organizations are key to our success. Linked here are the forms to join both the PTSA and Boosters. 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 Northwest High School.
New Student Orientation, Thursday, August 22 and First Day of School, Monday, August 26
All 9th grade students as well as new 10th, 11th and 12th grade students will attend new student orientation. Students should look at the school website to locate their bus route information (times and locations). On the first day of school, all students will report to their grade-level homerooms to receive their schedules and important information. Alphabetical homeroom lists will be posted in the "Back-to-School Resource Bank” in the "News" section of the Northwest website by August 16, and they will also be posted throughout the building on the first day of school. (Note: If your physical address has changed since last school year, you will need to provide proof of residency. Please contact Ms. Jacqueline Scholl, registrar, at 240-740-7095 for information on the required documentation.) You can view our first week bell schedule here.
School Day Arrival/Dismissal Procedures/Reminders
If students are arriving by car, they must be dropped off at the lower gym lobby entrance until 7:45am. After 7:45 am, car riders must be dropped off at the upper main entrance. Students who walk to school may arrive at the main entrance or the gym lobby. All buses will drop students off at the upper main entrance. Please note that these procedures are the same for dismissal in the afternoon.
Families, please remember to adhere to the speed limit on Richter Farm Road. Additionally, please do not let students out of your vehicles on Richter Farm Road. We want everyone to arrive to school safely.
Back to School Night: Thursday, September 5
Senior (Class of 2025) Portraits
Lockers, Summer Assignments and MCPS' Code of Conduct and Student Rights and Responsibilities
Lockers
All 9th and 10th grade students will be assigned lockers in their homeroom classes during the first two days of school. Every 9th and 10th grade student will receive his or her own locker. Every 11th and 12th grade student will have the option of receiving a locker in his or her homeroom class during the first two days of school. Students are not permitted to share lockers with other students, and they should never give their locker combinations to other students. If students do not follow these guidelines, the school cannot assume responsibility for lost or stolen items.
Summer Assignments
We have posted summer assignments on our website. Click here to find your respective class assignments.
MCPS Code of Conduct and Student Rights & Responsibilities
The MCPS Code of Conduct and A Student's Guide to Rights & Responsibilities will be distributed to all students in September. They are also online at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights.
Division of Food and Nutrition Services 2023-2024 Updates
Meal Prices: There are no changes in meal prices this school year. • Breakfast: regular price: $1.30 (all levels); reduced price (all levels): no cost • Lunch: regular price: $2.55 (elementary), $2.80 (middle and high); reduced price (all levels): no cost Beginning school year 2024-2025, students who qualify will not be charged that cost - meaning that reduced-price students will eat for free.
The application for the Free and Reduced-Price meals for the 2024-2025 school year is now available for families to complete. www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments You may also contact the Division of Food and Nutrition Services directly at 240-740-7400 with any questions about the application and the process.
Applications: Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS) applications have been updated for the new school year, and are now available online at www.MySchoolApps.com; this is the preferred application method.
Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household size and income. They may also qualify if they are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medicaid benefits. Meal benefit eligibility from last school year will remain current only through the first 30 scheduled school days OR until a 2024-2025 application is processed. To complete the online application please visit www.myschoolapps.com. For additional information and directions, you may visit MCPS’ Division of Food and Nutrition Services website at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/
Student IDs and Attendance
Student IDs
Safety and security are two of our main priorities at Northwest High School. In order to maintain a safe and secure school environment, all staff and students are required to wear their ID badges at all times while on campus.
Key Points:
ID Visibility: Your ID must be worn around your neck and visible at all times. We will be providing a lanyard for all students during the first week of school.
Replacement: If you lose your ID or it becomes damaged, you can get a new ID from the Northwest security office for $5.
School Events: Students must have their school ID in their possession to attend all school sponsored events (either at Northwest or away).
Attendance
Students are required to be present and on time for every class, every day. When students are absent, they must bring notes from their parents or guardians within three school days in order for the absence to be excused. Notes must include a parent signature and should be taken to the attendance office before school, during lunch, or after school. Additionally, we will be conducting hall sweeps this year. While we will start with a warning, for the first time a student is caught in a hall sweep, the second offense will result in an assigned afterschool detention.
2024-2025 Lunch Expectations
Northwest has one lunch period for all students, so that teachers can be available for make-up work, tutoring, and student organization meetings. The lunch period is 46 minutes long on days when we use a regular bell schedule. Students are allowed to eat in the cafeteria, in designated hallways throughout the building, in the courtyard, or on the sidewalk in front of the school. The media center and gym are also available for student use during lunch, but food is not allowed in the gym. Students may only eat in classrooms with teacher permission. Please note that NO students will be allowed to leave campus for lunch or be allowed to order food for delivery.
NEW Electronic Device Policy
All electronic devices (e.g., smart phones, iPods, etc.) must be turned off and out of sight in classrooms and during class time, unless students have been given permission by the teacher to use the device for instructional purposes. Items will be confiscated if students do not adhere to the school policy, and confiscated items must be picked up by a parent. Northwest will assume no responsibility or liability for lost, stolen, or confiscated devices or for the unauthorized use of any such device.
Student Emergency Information and Military Recruiting/Directory Information
Student Emergency Information
Student Emergency Information should be updated through ParentVUE. Each year parents/guardians are required to complete the Annual Verification of Information through the Online Registration portal (in the right corner of your ParentVUE home screen). We highly recommend that you complete this as soon as possible. It is critically important that we have accurate parent contact information on file with the school and system as soon as possible.
Here are links to the ParentVUE Support Guide and directions for completing the annual verification of information.
A Note on Military Recruiting and Directory Information
If a parent does not wish to have his/her child’s name made available to military recruiters and/or does not wish to have their child’s directory information included in the student directory, they should complete the “Directory Information Withholding” portion of the ParentVUE annual verification of information online registration. You may also complete MCPS form 281-13 - Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy. The form must be returned to the school by Friday, September 10, 2024.
Testing Accommodations for the College Board Tests (AP, SAT, PSAT)
In order to receive accommodations on these tests, a student must request the accommodations by submitting a Student Eligibility Form. The form must be completed by both parents and school officials and then mailed to the College Board at least seven weeks in advance of the student taking the first test.
The criteria established by the College Board for granting testing accommodations differs significantly from those used by Montgomery County Public Schools. Students who have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan are not guaranteed that the College Board will provide accommodations. The College Board requires current neuropsychological testing (within the past three years) which documents the specific need for each requested accommodation. Please contact your student’s counselor in the Counseling Office (240-740-7080) in order to obtain the forms and to ask questions about this process.
Important Health Room Information
Below is an important message from our School Nurse, Ms. Jennifer Lichter.
Health room staff plan to be available beginning August 12, 2024. Forms may be submitted over the summer by:
a) Emailing to Jennifer_Lichter@mcpsmd.org or Lauren_B_Leavy@mcpsmd.org
b) Fax: 301-601-4645;
c) Mail: Northwest High School, 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD 20874; or
d) Drop off to the health room beginning August 12, 2024.
Please Note: Health room staff will NOT be monitoring health forms sent to the nurse's email and/or school over the summer; forms will be reviewed when health staff return in August 2024. For school-related health matters that require planning during the summer, please call School Health Services during normal weekday business hours at 240-777-1550.
Summer physicals & healthcare appointments:
- Please plan to bring health forms that are applicable to appointments your child may have this summer:
- Health Inventory Form, Medication Authorization Form, Anaphylaxis Medication Form, Asthma Action Plan/Medication Form, Dental Health Form
2. Medication requirements for 2024-2025 School Year:
- All medications at school require an authorization form to be completed by a healthcare provider and parent/guardian. This pertains to all prescription, over the counter and emergency medications kept in the health room or self-carried by students. Links to these forms are contained in section 1, above. Parents/guardians are requested to call the health room prior to dropping off medications and forms so we can arrange to meet you.
3. Immunization Requirements for 2024-2025 School Year:
- All students must have up to date immunization records prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Parents should contact their doctor to make sure their child is properly immunized and submit a copy of the documentation to the Health Room at your child’s school as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, August 26, 2024 the first day of the 2024-2025 school year.
- Immunizations for students new to MCPS and children in Kindergarten through Grade 12, are available Monday through Friday, by appointment, at locations in Rockville and Germantown.
- Appointments are available at:
- School Health Services Immunization Clinic at Rocking Horse Road: 4910 Macon Road, Rockville; Phone: 240-740-4430
- Germantown Health Center: 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown; Phone: 240-777-3380
- Visit this webpage to view the full list of immunization requirements for students.
4. Asthma & Allergies: Please complete and submit a Student Asthma Management Plan (SAMP) and Allergy Form if your child has asthma and/or allergies. For medications at school relating to Asthma and Allergy management, please refer to sections 1 and 2 above for forms and medication requirements.
The health room looks forward to supporting NWHS students in the upcoming school year!
Parking Permits and School Cash Online
Parking Permits
Parking permits for the full year only will be sold beginning August 26, 2024. Parking permits for the second semester will be sold beginning January 24, 2025. Applications and payment will be accepted by the Business Office (Room 322) before school (7:25 – 7:40 a.m.), during lunch (11:10 – 11:56 a.m.), and after school (2:30 – 2:45 p.m.). Students must have no outstanding financial obligations to the school and must be academically eligible (2.0 cumulative GPA with no more than one E) in order to be eligible for a parking permit. The fee for a full year permit is $78.00, which includes the processing fee, and can be made via cash, check (made payable to Northwest High School), or through SchoolCash Online (link will be sent to students once applications are received). During the first three weeks of school (August 26-September 13), students may use any parking space in the lower parking lot. When students receive their parking permits, they will be assigned a parking space. Parking permit applications are available in the "Back-to-School Resource Bank” in the "News" section of the Northwest website. Beginning Monday, September 16, all cars driven by students must display a valid 2024-2025 parking permit and be parked in the student’s assigned space. Cars that are parked in the incorrect space or that do not have a valid parking permit may be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
SchoolCash Online
Montgomery County Public Schools transitioned to a new online payment system called SchoolCash Online (SCO) as its preferred method of payment for school-related fees such as fundraisers, field trips, obligations, etc. (Please note that the new payment system is NOT related to school cafeteria accounts) SCO helps parents/guardians and community members pay school-related fees safely, quickly, and easily. This system has helped to increase efficiency and security at schools by making payments directly into schools’ bank accounts and eliminating the need for teachers to handle money. In addition, once registered, you will be immediately informed about school activities! The new system puts all of the school-related fees online for purchase so users can make purchases online using a credit card or e-check. A processing fee will be included on all items available for purchase, regardless of the type of payment used on SchoolCash Online or at the school. As of August 2023, parent/guardians no longer need an SCO PIN number to add their student(s) to their SCO account. Guardians will automatically receive an email from SCO (noreply@schoolcashonline.com) with registration instructions for those with an email address on file with the school. For approved parent/guardians who do not currently have an account, an automated email is sent out with an invitation to create an account. For approved parent/guardians who already have an SCO account but have not yet linked their student(s) to their account, an automated email is sent from SCO for each linked student. The email has an “Accept” button, that once clicked, will attach that parent/guardian’s child to their account automatically. If you need support with the registration process, please email the Parent KEV Group support drop box at parenthelp@kevgroup.com, or call 866-961-1803. You can also contact the school financial specialist, Jacqueline Miller, via email at Jacqueline_N_Miller@mcpsmd.org.
Northwest Class Spirit!
It's a long-standing tradition at Northwest for each grade to wear their assigned CLASS COLOR on Pep Rally days! Each class sits in a designated section at the rallies so make an impact for YOUR CLASS by wearing your grade level color and make your presence known! Although participation with wearing class colors is optional, we hope you will join in the FUN!
The grade level colors are as follows:
Freshmen (Grade 9): YELLOW
Sophomores (Grade 10): GREEN
Juniors (Grade 11): RED
Seniors (Grade 12): BLUE
You can wear any clothing and/or accessories in your assigned color as long as you adhere to the school dress code. You can opt to wear clothing that you already own in your grade level color, you can purchase a shirt from the PTSA/Booster Club website for $8: http://www.nwhsptsa.org/shop (available sizes and quantities are limited), or you can purchase a T-shirt in your color at Michael's or Joanne's (the cost is usually around $5) and personalize with fabric markers or paint pens! The possibilities are endless to show your #JagPride!
Northwest High School
Email: Scott_E_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://northwestjags.org
Location: 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-7100
Twitter: @NorthwestJags