Fall is Here!
Dear Atholton Families,
I hope your weekend is going well and you are enjoying the last (very warm) days of summer! It is hard to believe that tomorrow is the first day of autumn. With school now in full gear, football on Sunday afternoon (tough Ravens loss today ☹), it is only a matter of time before the holiday season is upon us (next week is Rosh Hashanah). The arrival of autumn also signifies the arrival of Homecoming! This year, Homecoming will be Saturday, October 12. Please see below for more information.
This past Friday, you may have heard in media reports the call to action of young people (and others) around the globe to address the climate crisis. Several students approached me to discuss how they could take part in and organize a walk-out to support this global call to action. Over 750 students peacefully exited the building to meet in the stadium to show their solidarity with youth around the world concerned about the climate crisis. Students were able to sign their name to a parachute created by the organizers. Whatever your opinion may be on this issue, it is nice to see students supporting a cause and making their voices heard. I want to applaud senior Victoria Adler for her efforts in making this happen at Atholton. Students are responsible for making up any worked they may have missed while participating in this event.
There are two very important messages regarding state testing and the upcoming PSAT day. First, score reports for students who took the English and/or Algebra PARCC (now called MCAP) have been received at the school. Students received their reports in English classes to bring home last week. The spring results of the MISA (science) should soon follow. Please consult your student's School Counselor if you have any questions about MSDE testing requirements for graduation. The PSAT will be administered to all 9, 10, and 11th grade students on Wednesday October 16. Please mark your calendars! Students in grade 9 will take the PSAT 8/9. Students in grades 10/11 received PSAT practice booklets in English classes this week to prepare for the PSAT/ NMSQT. PSAT scores for students in grade 11 will be used to determine National Merit Scholarships by the College Board. Let’s hope to surpass the nine we have this year! Traditionally, this PSAT day is a day most seniors elect to use one of three discretionary days allotted by HCPSS. Seniors engage in such activities as visiting colleges or completing applications and/or essays or other preparations for post-secondary plans. Please feel free to reach out to our attendance clerk, Ms. Weinberg, if you have any questions regarding an excused absence for this day.
Last week I had the pleasure of supporting our volleyball and field hockey teams. Varsity volleyball had an exciting come from behind win against Broadneck in FIVE sets. Although we lost later in the week to Reservoir, the girls fought hard and never gave up. I look forward to many more games this season. Last Monday, girls field hockey beat Wilde Lake 3-1. Our girls played extremely well and had an awesome second half. You can read more about the game here. Friday night lights this week was not your typical football game at Atholton High School. We had field hockey under the lights! Hosting the Centennial Eagles, our girls played hard and fought until the end but fell short losing 0-2. Nevertheless, having field hockey under the lights is an awesome way to show our support for our Lady Raiders!
Please be sure to check out the Homecoming information below. Wishing everyone a fantastic week!
Warmest Regards,
Robert Motley, Principal
Atholton High School
Click Below for Boosters' Organization News
Email: Robert_Motley@hcpss.org
Website: www.ahs.hcpss.org
Location: 6520 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-7065