September 2024 - News & Notes

Wednesday, September 4: Walt Wisdom Time

Friday, September 6: Fall Sports Kickoff

Wednesday, September 11: OneWhitman -Orientation; Senior Information Night, 6:30 p.m. virtual

Thursday, September 12: Back to School Night with Ninth Grade Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m. Classroom visits begin at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 17: PTSA General Membership Meeting, 7:00 p.m., media center; WWHS Student Clubs Night, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 18: Walt Wisdom Time

Wednesday, September 25: OneWhitman

Thursday, September 26: Breakfast with Counselors at 8:00 a.m., courtyard

Friday, September 27: Early Release Day 12:00 p.m.

Please refer to the BTSN Community Information 9.12.24 that will be sent out later this week. This school year BTSN will include multiple opportunities for families to engage with Whitman staff and learn about the various programs and supports available to students. As always, BTSN will feature our amazing staff as they share vital information about teaching and learning in the courses and programs that we offer. We look forward to seeing you Thursday, September 12!

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.

As part of an enhancement to our current Personal Mobile Device (PMD) policy, all students will now be required to securely store their cell phones in designated pouches or “cubbies” at the front of the classroom during instructional times. While this is not an entirely new practice at WWHS—many of our teachers have already been using this strategy—it will now be implemented school-wide. This adjustment is designed to reduce distractions caused by technology, allowing students to remain focused during class while ensuring that their cell phones are easily accessible in case of emergencies.

Students will continue to have full access to their devices during transition periods and lunch, maintaining a balance between focus and connectivity throughout the school day.

We have a variety of events planned to celebrate and support the Class of 2025!

• There will be a Senior Parent Meeting at 6:30 p.m. on September 11, 2024. The meeting will be conducted virtually and a link to join the meeting will be emailed to all senior families. The meeting will be recorded and found on the Whitman Counseling website.

• On PSAT day, October 16, 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, 2025: Post-Prom, Walt Whitman High School

• Friday, May 23, 2025: 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

It is important to note that the official course drop/add deadline is Monday, September 30th. Students should schedule an appointment with their counselor prior to this deadline if they are considering dropping/adding a course. If a student drops a course after September 30th, a withdrawal grade will appear on their transcript. Please contact our counseling department or your child’s grade-level administrator if you have questions.

The academic team at Walt Whitman monitors and supports students who need additional help and guidance in their academic classes. The team collaborates with teachers, counselors, and families to develop strategies to engage students academically, identify interventions, and coordinate needed academic support outside the classroom. Please see this document for the dates, times, and locations of our academic support at Walt Whitman.

We’d like to extend a special thank you to the Whitman Education Foundation for their generous support of the Math Open Work Room and our WhitMap tutoring program! If you’d like to support the Foundation, please visit their website.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be covering the cost of all Advanced Placement (AP) exams, in line with the Maryland Blueprint and the MCPS strategic plan. This means that students enrolled in an AP course will not incur any fees for their exams. Students enrolled in an AP course are expected to take the corresponding AP exam. However, those who register late, cancel their exam, or do not attend on the exam day will be responsible for a $40 fee per exam.

Additional information will be shared soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about AP testing, please contact George Lavelle (George_W_Lavelle@mcpsmd.org) or Abbie Lamb at (abbie_lamb@mcpsmd.org).

The time is upon us for the PSAT test. 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.

All Grade 10 students will participate free of charge and do not need to register. All Grade 10 students will automatically be registered. Grade 11 students must register AND pay the $16.25 fee for the assessment by Monday, September 9, 2024. Grade 11 students are encouraged to participate to obtain additional SAT practice and participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

PSAT Registration

Please have your 11th-grade student complete the following Google form, PSAT - WWHS October 16, 2024, to participate in the PSAT administration by Monday, September 9, 2024.

Grade 11 Students ONLY- PSAT Payment

Grade 11 students must pay the $17 fee for the assessment. PSAT payments should be made online through the School Cash Online Portal (SCO).

• Your SCO login information is the same as your ParentVue.

• For questions about SCO, please contact communitytechsupport@mcpsmd.org.

If you have any questions, please email Jena Mejia (Jena_K_Mejia@mcpsmd.org).

Whitman’s IT team has distributed an amazing 484+ Chromebooks to new students during the first weeks of school! Please expect your student to bring a charged Chromebook to school every day and/or bring their charging cord with them. MCPS provides some chargers for us to lend to students, but we’re finding that we run out each day.

If you would like to purchase a spare charger, here is a link for the correct charging cord: https://a.co/d/22UvvFi

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.

Fall parking is in full swing! Whitman’s parking lot accommodates 270 student drivers. This year we had an impressive 398 student applications. Whitman parking priorities are in line with MCPS guidelines with first preference given to members of the Class of 2025. As a reminder, there is open parking available at the baseball field every day on a first come first serve basis. Students who park in the lot without a permit are at risk of being towed and incurring a $250 towing fee.

It's been a great start to the season for our Whitman Athletics Department. We are proud of our student-athletes and we wish them good luck on a successful year, both on and off the field. We have over 400 students participating on our teams!

Please see the Game Day community letter that outlines our expectations for our first home football game on Friday, September 6th. 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 Blake will be permitted to enter the game with a valid Student ID Card. StudentVue accounts will not be accepted.

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

• Gates will close at the conclusion of halftime.

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

Here is a link to our athletic website, www.WhitmanAthletics.net which includes game schedules, how to join the Whitman All Sports Boosters Club, how to buy tickets to athletics events, and how to watch games online. Go Vikes!

It’s been a busy and exhilarating first week in the counseling office. As the new Resource Counselor, Anne Fletcher, I love meeting so many awesome kids and parents/caregivers and so appreciate the warm welcome I’ve received! Counselors have been taking every opportunity to reconnect with students while working steadily to ensure all students have the appropriate classes and a full schedule. We will begin looking through the MANY schedule change forms that have been collected and do our best to accommodate students’ requests. Please note that many of our classes are very full, and there may be changes that counselors are unable to make.

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Joselin Hunzelmann, our new College and Career Information Coordinator. She is already busy planning college rep visits, meeting with students, and preparing to work with seniors through the college application process, as well as the many other tasks at hand.

Our Senior Information Night, which will be a virtual meeting, is planned for Wednesday, September 11th, at 6:30 p.m. We will send a Zoom link closer to the date. Please plan to join us online for this important webinar. Please stay tuned for more college—and career-focused events for all grade levels and other programs we are planning.

• Please see this link regarding ACT/SAT Prep offered through Montgomery College.

• Quince Orchard High School is hosting its annual College Fair on Monday, September 30th, at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. This event is open to the MCPS community. Meet over 50 college representatives and learn about college applications, admissions requirements, scholarship opportunities, and more! Click HERE to see a list of colleges attending. Contact Ms. Romero at Lisa_D_Romero@mcpsmd.org or (240) 740-3670 with any questions.

New Staff! The English Department welcomes Mr. Devon Robb as an AP Language and Composition teacher; once upon a time he was a student at Poolesville High School, and did his student teaching at Rockville High last year. We expect to hire for new sections of Honors 10 and 12 courses.

Recognition in the Community! Congratulations to Whitman’s English teacher, Mr. Omari James! Mr. James was recently featured in The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Patch as “an incredibly dedicated, passionate, and inspiring teacher.” Read the column here.

New College Essay Program! The Writing Center will now offer private college essay writing sessions beginning this Tuesday, September 3. College essay coaching is in high demand. Students should make appointments using this form. Walk-ins are also welcome Monday-Friday during lunch and after school (2:30-3:30) in Room 296.

Please welcome our two fabulous additions to the Whitman Visual Arts Family: Arts/Music/Health/PE Resource Teacher Ms. Kara Stanton and Photo 1 Teacher Mr. Wesley Tan, who join our amazing returning teachers, Mr. Rob Burgess, Ms. Samantha Lindsey, Ms. Kathleen Mulholland, and Mx. Vivian Wingard!

The Visual Arts programs are excited to support students' artistic journeys, as many students develop their art portfolios. On September 30th, during the first half of lunch in Room 218, aspiring artists can get guidance and more information about National Portfolio Day provisions and ways to prepare their portfolios for college submission.

Our various Whitman Art studios, whether in our Ceramics, Digital Art, Drawing & Painting, or Photography programs, are collecting artwork for a juried exhibition based on the idea of "What OneWhitman Means?" Selected works will be displayed in the school halls based on their connection to this theme and aesthetic merit. All Whitman students are welcome to submit. If interested in more submission details, please contact Ms. Kara Stanton at Katherine_M_Stanton@mcpsmd.org.

Coming from Thomas W. Pyle Middle School to our Whitman Music Department, please welcome Mr. Zach Tilkens, who joins us as the new Choral Director. He is sure to be an exceptional addition to our already amazing music program led by Ms. Heather Borsum, Mr. Brendan Kelly, and Mr. Dakota Slay-Vincent.

We welcome two wonderful new teachers to our school community. We're thrilled to have Ms. Debbie Lillo- Physical Education Teacher, and Ms. Kim Weaver - Health teacher. They join the already fabulous Whitman Health & PE team with Brian Boccher, Joe Cassidy, Mike Dickel, and Shawn Winans all of whom foster a positive impact with their extensive knowledge of health, physical fitness, and well-being.

All students taking Physical Education have been given a lock to secure their valuables in the locker room. PE Teachers have reiterated the necessity to place all valuables inside their PE locker during class.

The Leadership Academy for Social Justice is excited to start another year and to welcome our first cohort of students joining us from outside of the Whitman cluster. All of our new students have jumped into learning and participating in the program.

Students in all grades of the program must attend a mandatory Orientation meeting on Thursday, September 12th at lunch in the Media Center. At the meeting, we will set the expectations for the school year and continue to share opportunities to take action on various social justice issues. We are also already gearing up for a new group of 8th graders to gather information about the LASJ program and apply in November. On Tuesday, September 24th, we will host an Open House for students across the county who may be interested in applying for the LASJ program in the Special Programs Lottery. Stay tuned for more details. Here’s to another great year of making positive changes in our school and community.

The Career and Technology Education (CTE) department is made up of Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Child Development, and work based learning (internships and apprenticeships.) That is a wide variety of areas that are tied together by giving students opportunities to explore areas of study that may lead to future jobs and careers.

This month we spotlight internships. There are over 120 students who signed up for our internship program. Students who have been placed are working with governmental agencies, businesses, and not for profit groups. With this huge number of students, (Whitman has one of the largest programs in the county) not all students have been placed yet. If you know of a community group, company, or agency that is in need of a high school intern, please contact Donald_j_demember@mcpsmd.org which he will forward to the appropriate coordinator.

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)

AP Physics C Double Period measured the distance and traveling time of a moving cart, then graphed the data to determine the velocity of the cart.

Honors Physics first walked and measured, then mathematically solved for the resultant vector based on a determined set of directions (component vectors) around the Commons using basic trigonometry.

Honors Biology used experimental design to isolate a changing variable and measure the growth of mum beans (see below for the mum bean “tail” that shows germination). Students then graphed the percentage of beans that grew under various conditions.

AP Physics 1 used special software to graph their distance, velocity, and acceleration based on certain movements relative to a sensor.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has an online fellowship for high school students interested in political economy and experience discussing ideas in preparation for college. Applications for participation in the 2024-2025 fellowship program are open now and due September 30, 2024. Please share with any students, teachers, or parents who may be of interest.­­ The Exploring Complex Solutions for a Complex World Fellowship is a competitive, renewable, and online fellowship program for high school students. Fellowships are open to students from any high school program (whether public, private, or home school) who are interested in understanding political, economics, and social life. This program is part of the Don Lavoie Fellowship. Click the link above for more information and to apply.

2024 Peanut Festival Postcard Contest: The theme for this year’s contest is, “Happy 100th Birthday, President Carter!” Entries must be received by Wednesday September 11, 2024 to be eligible for judging. For more information visit 2024 Peanut Festival Postcard Contest - Jimmy Carter National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

You are invited to be a judge at the Montgomery County National History Day Competition! This event is an exciting opportunity to be a part of Montgomery County’s students’ scholarship and creativity. The National History Day (NHD) program was started in 1974 as a “science fair” for history, giving students a chance to become real historians. This year, students participating in NHD nationwide are researching topics based on the theme, “Turning Points in History.” At the contest, students present their research in one of five categories: exhibits, performances, documentaries, websites, or papers. Judges evaluate entries based on historical quality and effectiveness of presentation. The evaluation of projects utilizes a national rubric and all judges will be trained prior to the event via a Zoom session. Linked here is the recruitment letter for more information.

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 begins on September 15th! The Language Cafe and other student-run clubs are working to put together a schedule of activities that honor Hispanic cultures and histories. If you would like to support these efforts, please contact Rebecca Zatz at Rebecca_L_Zatz@mcpsmd.org

Help the SGA kick off the fall sports season by joining us in the bus loop at 5:30 PM on Friday, September 6th for a celebration before the first home football game. We will have music, food, and games. It’s a blue-out, so wear your Whitman blue!

Also, save the date for this year’s Homecoming game and Post-Homecoming (POCO) celebration the evening of Friday, October 4th. T-shirts for the Battle of the Classes and POCO celebration will go on sale soon, and those t-shirts serve as admission tickets to both events. All sales will take place through your School Cash Online account in advance of Homecoming, so please check Canvas, the morning announcements, and the @rollv1kes Instagram account for details.

Tuesday, September 17 - PTSA Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Media Center & Student Clubs Night–7:00 p.m., Bus Loop

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. 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

Our Post-Homecoming (POCO) Student Carnival on the baseball field will be Friday, October 4th after the Whitman Varsity Football game. Please be on the look out for parent volunteer opportunities for this fun event!

The Whitman HS PTSA Spirit Wear online store is now open for the school year! Visit us at www.whitmanptsa.org/spirit-wear for a great selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, flannels and other items. Your online purchase will be ready for pick-up in the front office about 2 - 3 school days after purchase. New this year, and for a limited-time, we have Yeti drink wear in Whitman blue. Get yours before they sell out. Did you know that sales of Whitman PTSA spirit wear last year contributed more than $3,000 to Whitman PTSA programs supporting students, parents and staff? Get yours today and look good while doing good! Questions or feedback? Please contact Betsy Dodson (wallyrules@verizon.net) or Marta Lederer (ledmar003@yahoo.com).

Save the date for Stressbusters’ first event of the year, Navigating Student Wellness Resources at Whitman, featuring representatives from WWHS’s administrative team, counseling department, the Bridge to Wellness, PTSA, and SGA. OCT 15, 7:30 PM, Media Center (after the PTSA meeting). More details to come!

Monthly committee meetings begin SEPT 4, 2024. New volunteers are welcome and appreciated! Please see our website, and email smbritter@gmail.com for more information.

Walt Whitman High School remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a supportive and welcoming environment for all students. We look forward to partnering with you to make this school year an enriching, rewarding, and memorable experience for everyone.

Sincerely,

The Walt Whitman High School Administrative Team

Go Vikes!