CHS News

We are so excited to share that our Wind Ensemble received an invitation to perform at The Midwest Clinic!

The Midwest Clinic is the largest international music education conference in the world with over 17,000 attendees a year. An invitation to perform at The Midwest Clinic is the highest recognition a high school band program can receive. Only five high school concert bands are invited to perform each year from across the country. The CHS Wind Ensemble will perform a 60-minute program of new and traditional music at the conference in December 2025.

For context, it is such a competitive process that in 2018, the CHS Wind Ensemble was the first high school concert band in 45 years to be invited from the state of Maryland. No other high school in Maryland has received this honor since 2018.

Each year, CHS Seniors vote on "Someone who inspired you to learn, challenged you to become a better person or had the most impact on you."

Congratulations to Mr. Corey O'Brien, who was voted the CHS Teacher of the Year for 20254-25!

And the student favorites by department are:

• CTE – Mike Hobson

• English – John Sharbaugh

• Fine Arts – Matt Boggs

• Math – Teri Stevens

• Science – Timothy Watson

• Social Studies – Jeremy Whitaker

• Special Services – Chau Vu

• Student Services – Irene Khaksari

• World Language – Myriam Comito

National Assistant Principals Week, April 7–11, 2025, is the perfect time to focus on the vibrant, dedicated administrators who are here for us every day! These heroes work tirelessly to support and motivate the staff and students, as well as to create a positive learning community.

Please join us in celebrating our incredible school leaders:

• Tracy Scaltz
• Jeri Somerville
• Elizabeth Reinhardt

(Pictured left to right)

Special thanks to the Class of 2026 and sponsors Colin Moe and Lizz Engle for planning and hosting Prom 2025! A big thanks to the CHS Admin Team, Class of 2027 sponsors, chaperones, staff, and most importantly to the students who got dressed up, danced, and had a great ti

Thank you to the CHS Community who helped volunteer and who donated to After Prom. We were able to have over 300 students safely attend this year's event. From what we’ve heard, the kids who attended had a great time!

Anna Ostrovsky, Christine Fritz, Karen Shimer, Jennifer Beschorner, Susan Wilschke, Bridget Littlefield, Lynn Bolenbaugh, The Koenig family, Elizabeth Dahl, James Hagen, Kimberly Middleton, Yon-Ju Ji , Jennifer Park, Goldie Morton, Monica Ivy, Sylvia Bank, Tracy Lynge, and Maureen Ritter. We apologize if we have left out any other family donations. Please reach out to afterprom-chair@chs-ptsa.org as we would like to make sure we acknowledge you!

The Centennial High School Varsity Science Olympiad team is the Maryland State Champion! This is Centennial's NINTH State Title!

The Varsity team will represent Maryland at the National Science Olympiad Championship Tournament on May 24, at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Go Eagles!

And here are the State Winners:

1st Place —Air Trajectory: Martin Meister & Matthew Yang

1st Place — Anatomy and Physiology: Oyujin Damdinsuren & Kelly Ji

1st Place — Astronomy: Ryan Chang & Samir Vempalle

1st Place —Bungee Drop: Pavithraa Saravanan & Nicholas Cui

1st Place — Chemistry Lab: Maxwell Swann & Oyujin Damdinsuren

1st Place — Dynamic Planet: Ryan Chang & Henry Berger

1st Place — Geologic Mapping: Ryan Chang & Sarika Jonnala

1st Place — Helicopter: Pavithraa Saravanan & Ryan Chang

1st Place — Materials Science: Nicholas Cui & Martin Meister

1st Place —Tower: Pavithraa Saravanan & Jacob Zhang

2nd Place — Disease Detectives: Oyujin Damdinsuren & Sean Yu

2nd Place — Ecology: Kelly Ji & Maxwell Swann

2nd Place — Experimental Design: Rishit Chauhan & Samir Vempalle & Nayeon Song

2nd Place —Microbe Mission: Maxwell Swann & Matthew Yang

2nd Place — Optics: Martin Meister & Jacob Zhang

2nd Place — Write It Do It: Kelly Ji & Nayeon Song

3rd Place — Codebusters: Rishit Chauhan & Sean Yu & Henry Berger

3rd Place — Entomology: Nayeon Song & Sarika Jonnala

3rd Place — Fossils: Nicholas Cui & Sarika Jonnala

4th Place — Forensics: Matthew Yang & Sean Yu

A huge congratulations to the FBLA members who competed in the state conference. This year Centennial’s chapter has twelve students who qualified to compete in the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA this summer. They are:

• Anushka Skariah - 2nd place Agribusiness
• Brian Chen and Bryan Feng - 5th place Broadcast Journalism
• Ryan Kane - 4th place Economics
• Rishit Chauhan - 5th place Financial Math
• Brad Cao, Keerthan Mailasamy, Shreyas Nunna - 1st place Partnership with Business Project
• Diya Bollam and Akshita Sharma - 1st place Social Media Strategies
• Sai Siddhish Chandra Sekaran and Kai Luo - 4th place in Website Coding & Development

Best wishes at the National Leadership Conference! We are so proud of you!

The CHS Wind Ensemble performed at an hour program at the concert hall at UMBC on Saturday evening, April 5.

The music was beautiful!

The CHS Speech and Debate Team was Invited to judge the HCPSS Middle School Debate Competition on April 7, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Our students weighed in as the middle school students examined the pros and cons of animal testing.

Not only did our team do a great job judging the competition, but they also shined when answering questions and providing feedback to the middle school students at the end of the competition.

Way to go, Eagles! We are so proud of you!

Congratulations, Srihas Kodali!

Srihas is one of 11 outstanding high school chemistry students from Maryland, from a national group of more than 1,600 students, who moved forward to take the national qualifying exam. From this large group, only 20 finalists will be identified and will undergo two weeks of intensive training, study camp, from June 1-14th. The top four students from this camp will be chosen to represent the US in the 57th IChO competition, July 5-14th, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Read the full press release.

The U.S. has participated in this event since 1984. In 2023, the U.S. Team won two gold and two Silver medals inZurich, Switzerland; a great performance in the history of the U.S. Team and Maryland State with gold medalist Anurag Sodhi from Centennial High School.

We wish Srihas well on this prestigious journey!

Senior Autumn Miller performed the one-person play Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan MacMillan on Monday, April 7th.

The show was well attended and Autumn received glowing and positive reviews with members of the audience sharing that her performance was "thoughtful, funny, sad, and deep" as well as "captivating" and "a stunning performance that will stay with [us]".

As Autumn prepares to continue her development as an actor and theatre practitioner in the UK next year, we are thrilled to have seen her final performance on the Centennial stage. 999999. Completing a task.

We were so proud to receive this heartfelt message from a member of the Kenya Connect Board:

On March 29, we had our annual Kenya Connect 5K to help support education in rural Kenya. I wanted to reach out to let you know how wonderful your Centennial High School National Honor Society students were in volunteering to help us out. They were fabulous course marshals, water stop volunteers, and volunteers to cheer on the runners. They were great volunteers and represented Centennial High School well!

THANK YOU for having such wonderful students at CHS who volunteered on their Saturday to help with our fundraiser to support education in rural Kenya. What wonderful students you have!

We look forward to having CHS NHS help volunteer at future Kenya Connect events.

THANK YOU to all the CHS students for their support of Kenya Connect and helping at an event that supports education in rural Kenya.

Thank you,

Jackie Crispell (former CHS parent of Stephanie and Phillip)

Kenya Connect Board Member

On Tuesday, April 8, the award-winning CHS Jazz Band presented Loud & Clear, a benefit concert of classics and favorites. All proceeds of the concert support the new sound system!

Manie Musicale is an annual bracket-style competition for students and teachers of French. Similar to March Madness basketball in the United States, participants try to predict which of 16 francophone songs will be the most popular. Once the tournament starts, voters decide which song will advance to the next round until we have a champion. The best part? Students learn French while having fun with students from all over the world.

This year, for the first time ever at CHS, we had ONE student who had a PERFECT bracket. Congratulations to Alina Kumar!

A big Eagle congratulations to Albert Cao, Nick Cui, Jaden Li, Martin Meister, and Aryan Sharma for their exceptional performance in the nationwide M3 Math Modeling Challenge!

796 teams participated nation-wide, and their paper made the triage round by being in the top 50%.

After final judging they won Honorable Mention in the Technical Computing category, placing them in the top 1.1% of the projects submitted! Way to go!

Please join us in congratulating all of the students who were recognized on Friday for Student of the Month for March. We are so proud of you!

French 5 AP students spent a lovely day enjoying a 3-course lunch at Cafe Normandie in Annapolis while speaking French with the owner.

• April 14 thru 21 - Spring Break, Schools Closed
• April 22 - PTSA Restaurant Night, Five Guys, 4-10 PM
• April 25 - ReIMAGINE the Rainbow, 5 - 9:15 PM
• April 25 - ASVAB, 8 AM, Media Center
• April 25 - GT Student Learning Conference
• April 25 - Report cards can be viewed by families in Synergy at 4 PM
• April 29 - Band POPS Concert, 7 PM
• April 30 - Orchestra and Chorus POPS Concert
• May 1 & 2 - Spring Dance Concert, 7 PM, tickets here
• May 2 - AAPI Assembly
  

• May 3 - Annual Boosters Bash, 7 PM, tickets here
• May 9 - CHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, 6 PM
• May 14 - BSU/Senior Kente Cloth Celebration, 6 PM
• May 20 - Last Day of School for Seniors
• May 28 - Graduation, 3 PM
• June 6 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early ***Calendar Change***
  
• June 9 - 13 - Full Days of School ***Calendar Change***
  
• June 16 - 17 Schools Close 3 Hours Early ***Calendar Change***
  
• June 18 - Last Day of School (if no other inclement weather days), 3-hour early dismissal ***Calendar Change***
  

The 23rd Annual Spring Dance Concert will be held on Thursday, May 1st, and Friday, May 2nd, at 7pm in the CHS Auditorium.

Discounted tickets are available now through Wednesday, April 30th:

$8 for general admission (ages 5+)

$15 for 2 shows—Thursday, 5/1 and Friday, 5/2 (ages 5+)

$4 for senior citizens

Use the following link: https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/DA041-1651

Tickets will be sold at the door for $10 (general admission ages 5+) and $5 for senior citizens. Cash, credit, and check made out to CHS will be accepted.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 4-10 PM, at

WHERE: Five Guys on Rte 40 near the Giant.

WHY: Eat out to support PTSA and have some fun, too!

Sign up to donate blood on May 2nd, 2025. Enter: CENTENNIALHIGHSCHOOL to be taken to the right spot.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time?zipSponsor=CENTENNIALHIGHSCHOOL

Donation requirements: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html

Capture the moments, keep the memories! The deadline to order your yearbook is April 25 — don’t wait until it’s too late!

Secure your copy now and make sure you have a piece of this year to look back on forever.

Order Here: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1066907/Centennial-High-School/2025-Yearbook/2024100304183586083/CATALOG_SHOP/

Celebrate Your Student with a Yearbook Recognition Ad!

Give your student a special shoutout in this year’s yearbook! Yearbook recognition ads are a wonderful way for families a chance to create a personalized space just to celebrate them.

Order Here: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/ybAdDesigner/1066907/CENTENNIAL-HIGH-SCHOOL/2024070218152844056/CATALOG_SHOP/

Spots are limited, so don’t miss this opportunity to make your student’s yearbook even more meaningful!

All students, staff, parents, and community members are invited to join us for an evening of advocacy on Friday, April 25, from 5:00PM - 9:15PM at Centennial High School.

Headlining the evening will be Ellen Oh (author and founder of We Need Diverse Books) and Phil Bilder (author). Following the keynote session, participants will have the opportunity to select from 14 different sessions to attend in two consecutive time blocks. Sessions are informational, interactive, and in some cases, hands-on. Childcare will be provided for students in grades K-5.

While this event is FREE, all participants must register. More information can be found on our webpage, along with the registration form.

Please join us on Friday, May 9th at 6 PM in the Centennial High School gymnasium to induct the Centennial High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

The individuals being inducted are Harrison Chaires '09, Kare Fisher '95, Lauren Marcotte '20, Jasmine McCree '17, and Briana Zolak '98.

We hope you will be able to join us for this special event!"

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On March 3, 2025, HCPSS implemented adjustments to Board of Education Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media; specifically, guidelines pertaining to student use of personal devices during the school day.

Per the updated Board policy, all students must keep personal technology devices away and silenced, and ensure they are not a distraction during the student day. Exceptions include smart watches, laptops in high school, and when allowed as defined in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or Health Plan. Policy violations result in the confiscation of the personal technology device.

More information on the policy adjustments is available online.

Spring Testing is quickly approaching. Please help your students by ensuring that they get a good night's sleep and come to school on time with a charged device. Seniors who need to test will test early so that they can meet requirements for graduation. Technical preparation will be completed in content classes the week prior to each assessment window. Please review the testing dates below. Contact Ms Somerville: jeri_somerville@hcpss.org if you have questions.

Assessment Schedule:

• April 7-8 - ELA MCAP
• April 11 - ELA MCAP Makeup
• April 28-May 1 - Alg II MCAP
• May 5 - Alg II Makeup
• May 12-15 - Government / Alg I MCAP
• May 19- May 20 - MISA
• May 21 - Gov/Alg/MISA Makeup

THe CHS Boosters has a limited time offer for Lululemon Spirit Wear. Shop now thru April 13!

Order here: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/eeSJbUDSso

Orders shipped directly to your home!

The CHS Boosters are selling Senior Yard Signs to celebrate the Class of 2025!

Order here by April 30: https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/senior-signs

Booster Bash: Sip, Savor, and Support Centennial Students!

Get ready for an unforgettable night of fun, delicious pizza, and incredible auction and graduation seating raffle — all while supporting Centennial students!

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Location: Cushwa Brewing Co. 6695 Dobbin Rd STE G, Columbia, MD 21045

Proceeds Benefit: CHS Students

• Delicious Eats
• Awesome Silent Auction & Reserved Graduation Seating Raffle
• Fun Vibes & Community Spirit

Bring your friends, enjoy great food and drinks, and make a difference!

Buy Tickets Now: https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/about-3

Make your summer plans now! Sign up your children for 2025 Booster Summer Camps—Baseball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Mock Trial, Soccer, Strength, Speed and Agility, Volleyball and Wrestling!

https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/summer-camps

Save the date for Booster’s Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, September 26, at Fairway Hills!

Booster Bash Family and Corporate sponsorships available!

Click here to purchase: https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/about-3

Family Sponsorships include:

• 2 Event Tickets
• 2 50/50 Raffle Tickets
• Recognition on all event marketing

Corporate Sponsorships include:

• Company Logo on all event marketing
• 2 Event Tickets

Winter is still with us and we are all out of tissues at school.

We are grateful for the donations you have sent already, and hoping that you can send a few more boxes to the front office again!

We are gearing up for commencement for the Class of 2025 and need year help! If you have a cap and gown (red with blue and white stripe on arms) gathering dust, please donate it to the school. We like to have a few “extras” on had in case of emergency during graduation week.

Donations may be dropped off in the front office at Centennial at any time. Thank you!

CHS Nominating Committee

The CHS PTSA is looking for 3 PTSA members to serve on the nominating committee until the General Membership Meeting in June.

The members of the nominating committee for officers of this local PTSA shall be elected by the board of directors at a March CHS PTSA board meeting. The members do not have to be present to be elected but have to agree to serve in this role.

Nominating Committee:

• There shall be a nominating committee composed of 3 members who shall be elected by the Board of Directors. The committee shall elect its own chair.
• The nominating committee shall be elected at least two (2) months prior to the election of officers.
• The nominating committee shall nominate an eligible person for each office to be filled and report its nominees to the general membership at least ten (10) days prior to the general membership meeting in June, at which time additional nominations may be made from the floor.
• Only those individuals who are current members of this local PTSA and who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated for, or elected to, such office.

The CHS Food Pantry is a great resource for our school community. We have exhausted many of the items and hope that you will continue your generous support to restock the shelves.

At this time, we need personal hygiene items, especially deodorant, shampoo, and toothpaste. We also need cereal, granola bars, rice, pasta, and soup.

Items may be dropped off in Student Services with Ms. DeVore.

Thank you for your support!

Join CHS Boosters Club Today!

Support our CHS Eagles by becoming a member of the CHS Boosters Club. Our parent-run volunteer organization raises funds through membership donations and fundraising activities to support CHS student extra-curricular activities. From school sports teams to more than 80 clubs and organizations, including our award winning "It's Academic" team and the CHS "Magic Club" – the Boosters supports them all!

The Howard County Public School System does not provide money for team uniforms, equipment and other fees needed to run student programs. To help parents avoid membership and other costs, the CHS Boosters shares its fundraising efforts across all sports and activities to help our students enjoy a healthy, rewarding high school experience.

Membership is the Booster’s biggest annual fundraiser, and we need your help to support our students. If you have not already done so, please join today! The CHS Boosters is a 501(c)(3) organization so all donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Tax ID # 52-1437160

You and your family can join CHS PTSA anytime! Join now or add your child to your membership.

Help us meet our membership goals before the end of the year. A PTSA membership can make a thoughtful gift for a family member or anyone in the Centennial community.

Visit our online store to become a member now

As we head into the winter months, families are reminded that in emergency situations (including inclement weather), information will be shared with the community only through the HCPSS website, email and text, Twitter/X and the HCPSS weather hotline. Be sure your Family File is up to date and that you have opted into texts to receive emergency messages.

The HCPSS Career Readiness Advisors (CRAs) are excited for the 2024-2025 school year, and we would love your help!

Last year, CRAs implemented a Monthly Career Cluster Spotlight series across the county. The Monthly Spotlights allowed students to explore a wide scope of careers while connecting those careers to both the HCPSS curriculum and student strengths and interests.

Each month, we spotlight a different career industry/cluster. We provide students with information about career cluster pathways, curricular connections to that pathway, and opportunities for students to engage with professionals in those clusters.

Here is where you come in: we are looking for community members to share your experience, advice, and insight in your professional line of work.

Please fill out the following form if you are interested in donating a bit of your time and wisdom to HCPSS students.

Thank you!

The CHS Class of 2025 will graduate on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 3:00 PM.

School will dismiss at 1:50 PM. Commencement ceremonies will be held at Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044). The last school day for seniors will be Tuesday, May 20, 2025. More details about exams, senior activities and graduation rehearsals will be shared soon.

Additional graduation information may be found here.

CHS Seniors! The application period is now open for the 2025 Senior Scholarship program, sponsored by CHS PTSA. If you have been accepted at a 2 or 4 year college/art school, trade/military or technical school, you are eligible to apply.

Four $500 scholarships will be awarded, based on responses to two essay questions. Please see the attached for instructions and submit your application by May 2.

Awards will be presented on May 19 at the Senior Awards Ceremony.

Senior Banners are available to purchase until April 27th! These banners will recognize our graduating seniors in the main hallway and then be given to you just before graduation.

Consider including these banners in pictures with your graduating senior and/or adding it as a decoration to graduation parties.

Receive a $10 discount when you order by April 11th. The Banner store will close on April 27th.

The HCPSS Hispanic Achievement Program is selling sarapes (stoles) for purchase by Hispanic and Latino graduating seniors. Sales will run through May 2, 2025. Purchases can be made directly here, or read more information and scan the QR Code here.

The Hispanic “sarape” represents the ancient customs of colorful textiles throughout all the ancient indigenous people of Latin America. These bright colors represented their devout spiritualism and the advanced knowledge they possessed. Additional history of the sarapes and the initiative in HCPSS for graduating seniors can be found here in English and Spanish.

Direct questions to Gaston Gamez, Hispanic Achievement Supervisor at (410) 313-6667.

HCPSS today announced the window for the Class of 2025 high school graduations as Monday, May 19, to 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.

Seniors,

If you are attending a two-year or four-year Maryland college or university as a full-time or part-time student, you are eligible to apply for a State Delegate or Senatorial Scholarship.

State Delegate Scholarship:

https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/pages/financialaid/programdescriptions/prog_delegate.aspx

Senatorial Scholarship: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/FinancialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_senatorial.aspx

ENTER YOUR ADDRESS to find out the name of your State Senator and State Delegate (they will appear at the bottom of the list): https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District

Please come to Student Services to see Ms. DeVore if you need any assistance. Continue to check for Scholarships in Naviance and on the Bulletin Board outside Student Services.

Now is the time to get in your applications for scholarships to obtain additional funding for college. In Naviance, under Scholarships, you can search for all available scholarships by date or name.

A scholarship document is also updated every month that features the current scholarships and due dates in Naviance, here's the link:

24-25 Scholarship document

Upcoming scholarships and deadlines are also POSTED on the bulletin board outside Student Services. Please check this bulletin board regularly.

The Community Foundation of Howard County has many scholarships available, but the due dates are not published yet. ALL the available scholarships are posted on the board.

Many are targeted to specific interest areas such as:

• Students whose life has been impacted by cancer (either themselves or a family member)

• Service on the Special Olympics Howard County Swim Team and Special Olympics Howard County

• Pursuing a degree in Fine Arts, Nursing, STEM, pre-law, agriculture or field related to farming

• Community and athletic involvement

• Students who participated on a SAC/HC travel or recreational team

  
  

Any questions? Please stop in Student Services for assistance.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter with the financial support of the Alpha Foundation of Howard County, Inc., offers financial assistance to graduation high school seniors in Howard County, pursuing higher education.

Scholarships to be awarded for the 2024-25 school year:

• Marian and Brother Cecil G. Christian Memorial Scholarship: $4,000
• Bro. Freeman Louis Sands, Sr. Memorial Scholarship: $2,000
• Outstanding Scholarship Awards: Four awards of $1,500 each

Details regarding eligibility and applications may be found at www.apakpl.org and www.alphafoundationhc.org.

In addition to graduation caps and gowns, Jostens also offers a range for products including graduation announcements, class rings, jewelry, and more. Check out the Mascot Shop for great keepsakes.

All families must update their emergency contact information annually. We’d like Centennial to be the first high school to have 100% of the Family File information to be fully updated, so visit HCPSS Connect today and click submit on the final screen! Read more.

Keep current on news and events throughout the school year by checking the CHS website: https://chs.hcpss.org. We have added an A to Z Reference Guide to the website as your one-stop information finder: attendance policies, parking permit applications, food and nutrition services, student technology support, and much more.

Eagle's Soar tutoring will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays immediately after school in the Media Center from 2:35-3:05 PM for the entire school year. All content areas will be represented with teaching faculty, and honor society students will be supporting as well in many of the content areas. Please make arrangements for your child to attend, as this is a great resource to help them be successful this year. This is a GREAT place to get extra math help if your child is struggling. Unfortunately, transportation is not provided at this time.

EXTRA HELP:

• Eagle's Soar Tutoring – Every Tuesday and Thursday 2:35-3:05 PM in the Media Center (Starts September 17th)
• Math Tutoring – Monday through Thursday after school 2:35-3:05 PM in Room 508 (starts September 19th)
• Eagle Time – Every Wednesday 9:25-9:55 PM (they sign up on the CHS website with the teacher they need help with)

Parking passes have now been issued to Seniors and Juniors. It is important for all students parking on campus to make sure that their parking permit hang tags are visible. Also, please remember that students park in the white-lined spaces.

Still need a permit? Permit applications are on the CHS website.

Led by the Maryland Center for School Safety (MDCSS) within the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Safe Schools Maryland is an anonymous tip reporting system that allows students, parents, and community members to easily report anonymous safety concerns anywhere in Maryland. Tips received are routed to local and state education, public safety, heath, and/or social services support personnel for follow-up.

Android

Maryland Safe Schools

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Maryland Safe Schools

After school pizza sales begin next week! Students staying after school can purchase a slice of cheese pizza ($3 per slice, cash only) before heading to their club meeting, extra-curricular program, study session, or athletic practice/game.

Sales will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and will be fundraisers for the Dance Program, Alpha Achievers, and Science Olympiad. Buy your slice by the gym. All sales are first come, first served.

1. Regular Season Tickets are $5.00 and are only available on the App at GoFan.co.
2. Backpacks are PROHIBITED inside the Stadium.
3. Spectators are to adhere to ALL HCPSS Policies & CHS Procedures in the Student Code of Conduct.
4. No outside food permitted in the Stadium.
5. ALL Students in Grades K thru 8 MUST EACH be accompanied into the Stadium, seated throughout the entire event, being supervised by their parent or guardian.
6. No admittance after the 3rd quarter.
7. Once you leave the Stadium, you may not return.
8. Noise makers are prohibited inside the Stadium.
9. Cheer loudly for your team, not against the opponent, their fans, their band, their cheerleaders or the officials.
10. Students arrange for a ride during the 3rd quarter and notify your ride to pick them up immediately after the game.

The HCPSS Partnerships 2023-2024 Annual Snapshot has just been released. The snapshot includes a link to school system partners including each school’s partners, as well as system wide, curricular, and program office partnerships. The snapshot highlights how partners play a vital role in encouraging students to reach their full potential.

Please remember that all families are required by Policy 9000 to notify HCPSS if they move to a new home address. Current residency documentation must be updated each time residency changes.

On the Regular Bell Schedule:

• AM ARL bus departs at 7:50 AM and returns to CHS at 9:35 AM
• PM ARL bus departs on A DAYS (M, T, TH, F) at 12:45 PM and returns at 2:30 PM
• PM ARL bus departs on B DAYS (M, T, TH, F) at 11:15 AM and returns at 2:30 PM

On the Eagle Time Schedule – Wednesdays:

• AM ARL bus departs at 7:50 AM and returns to CHS at 9:35 AM
• PM ARL bus departs on A DAYS at 12:55 PM and returns at 2:30 PM
• PM ARL bus departs on B DAYS at 11:20 AM and returns at 2:30 PM

Each month, the Career Readiness Advisors spotlight a career industry/cluster. We provide students with information about career cluster pathways, curricular connections to that pathway, and opportunities for students to learn from industry professionals in those clusters.

We are ALWAYS looking for speakers to participate in our monthly virtual panel discussions, and/or to engage with our students as an in-person speaker.

Please click on the following link to share your information:

HCPSS Career Related Speaker Interest Form

Both in-person and live, virtual, eight-hour college prep classes are being offered in partnership with Atholton, Centennial, Hammond, Howard, Marriotts Ridge, Mt. Hebron, Reservoir, and Wilde Lake high schools and are open to students from all high schools.

CHS students can register for ANY Answer Class at ANY location or online – and a percentage of tuition will be donated to CHS PTSA! School year classes are being regularly added – check here often!

CHS PTSA teams with HC DrugFree to help spread the word about keeping drugs out of Howard County classrooms and communities.

HC DrugFree has many opportunities for students and families:

Free Parenting/Grandparenting Classes

Open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in Howard County or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in the County. Evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. The curriculum was written for families with children 9-14 years olds, but we believe it is appropriate for K-12 families.

Class dates: March 18, 21, 25, 28 and April 1 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025GGC

Drive-Thru Medication and Sharps Disposal

Saturday, April 26 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot near the Swim Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medication, EpiPens and other sharps, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more! Need student, adult, and medically-trained adult volunteers. Giving away 100 medication lockboxes.

For more information: https://hcdrugfree.org/drug-take-back-day-1/

Teen Advisory Council

Open to Howard County students in grades 8-12. Earn Community Service Hours and make meaningful contributions to the community. Next meeting: Monday May 19, 2025, from 5:30-7:00pm on Zoom. For more information, visit: https://hcdrugfree.org/teen-advisory-council/

Ho Co Film Fest: HCDrugFree PSA Category

HC DrugFree's 2024-25 public service announcement (PSA) Category theme is: Make the Call: Help Without Hesitation.

This category was chosen to allow teens the opportunity to create PSAs informing their peers and the community about Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law. Learn more about our PSA Category and the April 1 film submission deadline.

Maryland's Good Samaritan Law protects individuals who seek help during a medical emergency related to drug or alcohol use. Under this law, people who call 911 to assist someone experiencing an overdose or other serious medical issue may be protected from arrest, prosecution, and certain legal penalties for minor drug and alcohol offenses. Learn more about the Good Samaritan Law.

We Need Your Support!!!

“It isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives.”

Your support allows us to continue to provide our resources and programs to the community. To make your tax-deductible donation, donate online at hcdrugfree.org/donate or mail a check to:

HC DrugFree

5305 Village Center Drive

Suite 206

Columbia, MD 21044

Resources

DEA's Drugs of Abuse Resource Guide:

Education plays a critical role in preventing substance use and misuse. The 2024 DEA Resource Guide is designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly used and misused drugs in the US and provides important information about the harms and consequences of drug use by describing a drug’s effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, legal status, and other key facts. Learn more

Additional Resources

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Marylanders who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis should call or text 988. Learn more at 988.maryland.gov. Maryland veterans and their loved ones can call 988 and press 1 to transfer to the Veterans Crisis Line. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for LGBTQIA+ support.

Additional Resources

For more information, contact:

Joan Webb Scornaienchi

Executive Director

HC DrugFree

5305 Village Center Drive, Suite 206

Wilde Lake Village Center

Columbia, MD 21044

Admin@hcdrugfree.org

www.hcdrugfree.org

• Centennial High School’s website is a great source of information at https://chs.hcpss.org.
• On Twitter @hcpss_CHS and Instagram @CentennialHS.
• Read the Wingspan, CHS student newspaper
• CHS PTSA https://www.chs-ptsa.org/and CHS Boosters https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/.
• CHS Friends of Music http://www.centennialmusic.org/
• Register to receive school system updates and alerts at https://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/, click on Subscribe and select Centennial High School.