October 2024 - News & Notes

Monday, September 30: Hallway decorating after school 2:30-8:00 pm

Tuesday, October 1: BOTC - Battle of the Classes 7:00-8:30 pm Main Gym

Wednesday, October 2: Pep Rally - Country vs Country Club

Thursday, October 3: No School for Students and Staff

Friday, October 4: POCO after football game -Black Out

Tuesday, October 8: Hispanic Heritage Month -Commons during lunch

Wednesday, October 9: OneWhitman

Thursday, October 10: Student Photo Retake - Auditorium

Wednesday, October 16: PSAT Day and Mandatory Senior Meeting

Thursday, October 17: 9th Grade College Tour Experience to George Mason University, Instrumental Concert Auditorium @ 7 p.m.

Friday, October 18: No School for Students

Wednesday, October 23: OneWhitman

Wednesday, October 30: Walt Wisdom Time

It's Homecoming Week! The SGA and PTSA have planned a series of events to build community and celebrate our Whitman Vikings. On Monday, September 30, students are invited to decorate their grade-level hallways for Homecoming spirit week after school. On Tuesday, October 1, Whitman will host the Battle of Classes in the main gym from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. There will be a Pep Rally during the school day on Wednesday, October 2, Country vs Country Club. Friday, October 4th, the homecoming football game will be held at 6:30 pm, and POCO (post-homecoming celebration) will be held from 9:00-11:00 pm on the baseball field.

In alignment with MCPS safety and security procedures, at the end of October, all students will be required to wear their school-issued ID visibly at all times while on school grounds. This measure is designed to enhance campus safety and ensure a secure learning environment for everyone. Students must display their ID throughout the school day and be prepared to present it at all MCPS-sponsored events.

To support this initiative, WWHS will provide lanyards and ID holders for all students, ensuring ease of use and accessibility. In the event a student loses their ID or forgets to bring it to school, a temporary sticker ID will be issued so they can seamlessly continue their daily activities while arranging for a replacement. This process ensures students remain engaged in school activities without disruption while upholding safety protocols. For further information, please review the Community Letter.

Whitman is excited to partner with the Montgomery County Career Advising Program (MoCoCAP) to offer Grade 9 students an opportunity to visit George Mason University on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Early exposure to college can assist students in making more informed decisions about their post-secondary plans and further students' development toward college, career, and community readiness.

Whitman Grade 9 students may choose between a field trip to GMU or participating in asynchronous Virtual College Tours via myMCPS classroom. However, please note that space is limited for the in-person field trip opportunity and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis upon completion of the registration form AND field trip permission form. The deadline to return permission forms is Friday, October 11, 2024. For more information, please contact Kristin Rudolph at kristin.rudolph@mcpsmd.org

On October 16 (PSAT Day), there will be a mandatory senior meeting for all Grade 12 students. We will have a senior breakfast, discuss important events, take the Class of 2025 panoramic photo, and provide time for seniors to work on their college applications and get feedback from counselors.

Mark your calendars:

• Friday, May 2, 2025: Prom, The Bethesda North Marriott at 8:00 p.m.

• Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, 2024: Post-Prom, Walt Whitman High School

• Friday, May 23, 2024: This is the last day for seniors. There will be a graduation rehearsal at

7:45 a.m. and a senior picnic after the rehearsal (transportation will be provided).

Staff to contact with any questions regarding the Class of 2025:

• Kristi McAleese, Assistant Principal, Grade 12 Administrator - Kristi_McAleese@mcpsmd.org

• Marisa Del Savio, Class of 2025 SGA Sponsor- Marisa_M_Delsavio@mcpsmd.org

• Anne Fletcher, Resource Counselor - Anne_H_Fletcher@mcpsmd.org

• Joselin Hunzelmann, Counseling and Career Information Coordinator - Joselin_Hunzelmann@mcpsmd.org

Whitman’s Student Well-Being Team (SWBT) consists of administrators, counselors, a social worker, a psychologist, and our pupil personnel worker. The SWBT collaborates to identify internal and external resources available for students with specific social/emotional needs. Additionally, the SWBT monitors student attendance and coordinates student-centered wellness initiatives.

Additional well-being supports at Whitman include the counseling department, a full-time social worker, Mr. Julian Smith, the PTSA Stressbusters Committee, and the Whitman visiting dog program. Please visit our website to find contact information for these specialists, and feel free to contact them if you need information or guidance.

Whitman Bridge to Wellness is here to support students and families in collaboration with the SWBT from Monday to Friday. The team consists of a mental health therapist, a care manager, and a youth development specialist. Bridge to Wellness staff provide individual session groups for students and parents, along with workshops and school-wide events to support mental health in the Whitman community. We are excited to welcome our three new Bridge to Wellness staff members to Whitman.

Mr. Shillong Hu, Therapy Services - (240) 869-6599

Ms. Anna Burton, Youth Development Services - (240) 869-6598

Ms. Eve Kim, Care Management Services - (240) 869-6350

For the 2024-2025 school year, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will once again cover the costs of all Advanced Placement (AP) exams, in alignment with the Maryland Blueprint and the MCPS strategic plan. Please review the information below for further details:

• All students enrolled in an AP course for the 2024-2025 school year are required to take the corresponding AP exam in May 2025.

• Tentative AP exam dates schedule.

• Students who register between Wednesday November 13th, 2024 and Friday February 28th, 2025 will be responsible for a $40.25 late fee.

• If a student does not show up for the scheduled AP exam and or decides to drop their AP exam after Wednesday November 13th, 2024, a fee of $40.25 will be assessed to cover administrative costs.

• If a student is retaking an AP exam from a previous year, they are responsible for a fee of $94 that will cover administrative costs.

• Students who elect to take an AP exam and are not enrolled in the corresponding AP course MUST complete the AP Exam Registration (Not Enrolled in AP course) form. These students will be responsible for paying a fee of $94 that will cover the AP exam.

The Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) provides an important measure of each student’s readiness for advanced coursework, college and careers, and preparation for future college readiness examinations. The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 for all 10th graders. 11th graders that registered in September will also participate in the PSAT test.

A community memo will be sent out through parentvue with the testing schedule for the day. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jena Mejia (Jena_K_Mejia@mcpsmd.org) , Assistant Principal and Testing Coordinator.

*Note: Walt Whitman Staff are only conducting this session for PSATs. Mock ACTs and SATs are happening on select Saturdays and are scheduled through the Athletics Parent Booster.

Whitman’s IT team will soon begin trading out the devices of our Class of 2027 sophomores for new Chromebooks. These exchanges will take place through English classes. On the exchange day, students should return their current Chromebook AND charger for the new models.

Remember to bring your Chromebook to school every day. Our supply of loaner Chromebooks is limited and does run out. Please return loaner Chromebooks and chargers at the end of the day to avoid incurring a financial obligation for having two or more Chromebooks or chargers.

If you would like to purchase a spare charger to keep at home or in a backpack, here is a link for the correct charging cord: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LYR9GP3?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_SVXYEKKJ2M7N1XDBRF0A

Remind is the main messaging platform used to communicate among Whitman teachers, students and parents. Remind will be used to communicate in case of an emergency. ParentVue directly links contact information to Remind. Therefore, it is vital that families ensure the contact information we have at school is accurate; we encourage you to confirm your mobile phone as your primary contact number. School staff, MCPS Central Office, students and parents will all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call and in their preferred language. We strongly encourage you to confirm your mobile phone as your primary contact number.

Walt Whitman HS Remind Code is @fb22gh

PARENTS - With the Remind code, you can follow these directions about how to claim your account. After claiming your account, you are strongly encouraged to download the FREE Remind app from your cell phone’s app store and configure the app preferences to whether you want to receive push notifications, text messages, and/or phone calls. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Once you have the app, make sure your phone is configured correctly to receive notifications.

**Note: Messages sent through Remind are being written by administrators. Responses to these messages are sent directly to the sender. If you have an immediate concern about a Remind message, please email your student's grade level administrator directly.

We’re heading into the final month of the fall sports regular season and already need to start thinking about the winter season. Winter sports registration starts Monday 10/14 at noon. Even if your student played a sport in the fall, they still need to register for the winter. Details on how to register can be found at Whitman's website, https://whitmanathletics.net/

The playoffs for our fall teams start later this month and we wish all of our student-athletes and their teams the best of luck as they strive for postseason success! Playoff schedules, rosters and other information can be found on our website, https://whitmanathletics.net/

Our Homecoming Football Game is Friday 10/4 and we are also inducting the Whitman Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 during halftime and welcoming back the WW Class of 1999. We strongly encourage spectators to purchase tickets prior to the game at
Walt Whitman High School Events and Tickets by GoFan

As a reminder:

• Only students from Whitman and Einstein will be permitted to enter the game with a valid Student ID Card. StudentVue accounts will not be accepted.

• Students not attending Whitman or Einstein must enter with a parent or guardian and stay with them for the entirety of their time at the game.

• Gates will close at the conclusion of halftime.

• No backpacks or food/drink will be allowed in the stadium.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @WWHSAthletics and via Instagram @whitmansports… Go Vikes!

Counselors, along with the Counseling Advisory Committee, hosted Meet the Counselors on Thursday, September 26th. If you weren’t able to join us, the link for the slides is here.

Mock ACT Registration is open for testing AT WHITMAN on November 16! All Whitman students (primarily 10th/11th graders) are invited to register to take a practice ACT (Nov. 16) at Whitman. Mock tests are a great way for our Whitman students to gain familiarity with the test formats, build confidence, and decide which test, the SAT or the ACT, is a better fit. Like the real tests, the Mock SAT will be digital and the Mock ACT will still be paper. These tests are run by Capital Educators but they are a fundraiser for our Whitman All-Sports Boosters Club. To learn more and to register, CLICK HERE.

The English Department welcomes Ms. Laura Dinu, a former Journalism and Business teacher with 40 years of experience with Prince George’s County Public Schools. She is teaching Honors English 10 and Honors English 12. We are thrilled she has joined us!

The ELD program launched the second year of the English Conversation Group for Emerging Multilingual Learners in the Seminar 3 Elective, a class focused on building students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. The groups are fashioned similarly to the adult groups held at public libraries throughout Montgomery County; they offer students an opportunity to practice their English speaking skills in an informal, safe space with three to five peers and a parent volunteer.

The Black and White’s live sports broadcast team was awarded a grant by the National Federation of State High School Associations to begin streaming audio play-by-play commentary alongside their video feeds of games. Several B&W stories have been syndicated with TheSentinel.com, a long-standing Montgomery County local news site, as well as Watch Us Rise, a publication of the national Students United News Network. The first full B&W news magazine of the year will be distributed in October.

College essay coaching continues to be in high demand in The Writing Center. Students can make appointments using this form. Walk-ins are also welcome Monday-Friday during lunch and after school (2:30-3:30) in Room 296.

Competition information and art opportunities are being updated and posted on our hall bulletin board (located on the 2nd floor art hallway.) If interested in participating please let your art teacher help support your submissions. Also, we are still collecting art submissions to add to the 40+ works we most recently added to our hallway exhibition. Separately, art teachers are looking specifically for pieces to be curated into a special exhibition with the “What OneWhitman Means to You?” theme - these submissions are due by November 15th.

We hope you will all come out to celebrate our amazing young musicians on Thursday, October 17th. The Concert Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble will be performing in the Whitman Fall Instrumental Music Concert at 7 pm.

MCPS HPE Content Specialist Karen Kart recently came to see our Walt Whitman High School Health and Physical Education programs and was impressed with the great lessons and activities our teachers have implemented. She was so excited about the collaborative creativity and innovation behind the Adaptive PE courses and how teachers meet student needs in numerous ways at their points of entry.

Do you still need help outside of seeing your teacher at lunch? Come to the Math Workroom on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 2:30-4:00 pm in Room 347. There is teacher as well as peer tutors to support all courses up to Honors PreCalculus.

The 45th Annual University of Maryland Mathematics Competition will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd from 1-3 pm. Students can sign up HERE. The last date to sign up is October 15th.

This month, the Leadership Academy for Social Justice (LASJ) had its first monthly seminar to share expectations and upcoming action opportunities. We also welcomed over 100 prospective students and families to our Open House on September 24th. We are entering a new season of recruitment for students from around the county to join the Whitman community in 9th grade as part of the Special Programs Lottery. We are also thrilled that we had over 170 student facilitators attend a training for OneWhitman, a testament to our student body’s commitment to creating a more welcoming environment at Whitman.

In the computer science department there are a variety of course offerings for students who are just learning computer programs all the way through advanced programming in Java, Python, and other languages. Our AP Computer Science Principles class is a great way for students going into any “technical” field to have a college level introduction to computer sciences. This course focuses on the “how and why” computers interpret inputs and outputs. As you can imagine, computer learning and AI (artificial intelligence) is a big part of our computing future. For more information check out this link.

The following information can always be found on the Whitman Science webpage:

• Whitman Science Registration/MCPS Course Requirement Quick Guide (PDF)

• Whitman Science Course Registration presentation (Google Slides)

• An updated list of science internships, events, and competitions (Google Doc)

Astronomy w/ Physics mapped out the stars of major constellations and sketched how ancient civilizations described their shape.

The National Council for the Social Studies is pleased to announce The 1787 Prize, an annual essay contest for high school students in grades 11-12 introduced on the observance of the 2022 Constitution Day. The 1787 Prize is open to all high school students in grades 11-12. An essay may be submitted with up to three (3) student co-authors. There is a maximum of one (1) submission per high school. The winner will receive $2,500. Please find the details here.

Office of the State Superintendent of Education - United States Senate Youth Program: The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is a unique and annual educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. Typically, two student leaders from each state will spend a week in Washington, DC experiencing their national government in action. Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by Senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a Justice of the US Supreme Court. All transportation, hotel and meal expenses will be provided by the Hearst Foundations. In addition, each delegate is awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science.

The 63rd annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week will be held in person in Washington, DC from March 1-8, 2025. The national deadline for all states to submit their delegate selections was Dec. 1, 2024. All eligible students are encouraged to apply. Students must attend the program to receive the scholarship. All confirmed student delegates will partake in a comprehensive, interactive leadership program in the stated time frame, and each will receive a $10,000 college scholarship in the name of the United States Senate. All student leadership qualifying positions are subject to the judgment of the state selection administrator and will be verified and confirmed.

Applications are open through Oct. 28, 2024. You may access the application, instructions, and timeline on the application page.

Please share the following with your families. The purpose of the curriculum nights is to inform parents, caregivers, and community members about the diverse content within K-11 Social Studies curricula and how Social Studies is taught in MCPS.

Hispanic History Social Studies Curriculum Night

October 10, 2024

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Zoom Webinar Registration Link

Flyer

Arab History Social Studies Curriculum Night

October 24, 2024

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Zoom Webinar Registration Link

Flyer

Attention all Juniors and Seniors! Are you bilingual?! Would you like the opportunity to earn the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy?! If so, please keep an eye out for announcements coming in October about testing dates. Testing will take place during the school day (Date TBD) and is for Juniors and Seniors ONLY.

*Please note that if you have already earned a 4 or higher on an AP Language exam and have passed the English 10 course, you have already earned the Seal.. You do NOT need to test or take any further steps.

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15th! The Language Cafe and other student-run clubs are working to put together a week of lunchtime activities that honor Hispanic cultures and histories during the week of October 7th (see schedule in image). If you would like to support these efforts, please contact Rebecca Zatz at Rebecca_L_Zatz@mcpsmd.org

Get ready for Homecoming 2024: Vikings Lost at Sea!! We begin our festivities with hallway decorating on Monday, September 30. All students are invited to stay after school and help their class officers decorate the hallways according to the Homecoming theme. On Tuesday, October 1st, students compete in the Battle of the Classes in the school gymnasium (7-8:30 PM). Wear your BOTC t-shirt for free admission ($5 GoFan at the door). On Wednesday, October 2, we will host a Homecoming pep rally in the football stadium during the school day, and on Friday October 4, the Homecoming football game will start at 6:30 PM (tickets on GoFan). It’s a black-out, so be sure to wear your black Homecoming t-shirt! All students are invited to the post-homecoming (POCO) celebration immediately following the football game on the Whitman baseball field. Students wearing the Lost at Sea Homecoming t-shirt will be admitted free of charge. Students without the black game day shirt will pay $15 at the door on GoFan. The POCO event, co-sponsored by the Whitman PTSA, is a fun, casual celebration with music, food, games, and inflatables. (This event is only open to Whitman students, no outside guests, thank you!) The SGA is excited - Go Vikes!

Monday: Spirit Day – Beach Day

Tuesday: Spirit Day – BOTC Shirts

Wednesday: Spirit Day – Country Vs. Country Club

Friday: Spirit Day – Black Out Homecoming Shirts

Calling all Whitman parents, your friendly neighborhood career advising coach here! If you would like to refer your student for one-on-one or small group career advising sessions, please reach out to Whitman's Career Coach: Robin Kameras at Robin_A_Kameras@mcpsmd.org to schedule an appointment. She is also available for drop ins in Room 110 at lunchtime.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Whitman career advising for this school year!

If you haven’t done so for this year, join Whitman PTSA today! Your membership dues provide 80% of our funding for the year, for events and activities like Whitman Student Clubs Night, Homecoming, staff appreciation events, Stressbuster speakers, and graduation ceremonies. There are a range of membership levels providing a quick option to show more support for these traditions. We also have a “basic” membership for families for whom membership may be a financial burden. We want all Whitman families to be part of the PTSA, YOUR PTSA, because together, Whitman is a stronger community. As always, donations are also accepted and gratefully appreciated.

Click here to log in to your account in Membership Toolkit (or access via the app) and navigate to “Annual Whitman PTSA Membership.” If you need help logging in or creating an account, contact VP Membership Meg Press at Margaretuapress@hotmail.com.

We need YOU for the post-homecoming party (POCO). Sign up HERE to donate snacks & paper goods or take a shift at the event. It’s a great way to see the action up close!

What Do We Mean by Wellbeing and Belonging? A Panel Discussion with The WWHS Student Wellbeing Support Team (SWBT)

• October 15, 7 PM, The Commons (following the PTSA Meeting)

• All WWHS parents, caregivers, and students are welcome!

Come learn about how Wellbeing and Belonging matter at WWHS and what the SWBT is doing to foster them in our school community. The panel will include representatives from the WWHS Administration team, Counseling Department, Bridge to Wellness, and other student support groups.

To save time for Q & A, please send your wellness-related question ahead of time by completing this form. Please post your question by COB, 10/14.

MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week Events

• October 28 Stressbusters Lunchtime Fun in the Loop! Games, dogs, and other activities

• October 30 Walt Wisdom Time - Mental Health and Wellness Oaths available

Walt Whitman High School remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a supportive and welcoming environment for all students.

Sincerely,

The Walt Whitman High School Administrative Team

Go Vikes!