Weekly Newsletter
A Message from Principal Anita O'Neill
April 14, 2024
Dear Coyote Community,
I write to you this week as the newly appointed Principal of Clarksburg High School. I do not have words to express how honored I am to serve such an amazing school community. If you did not see the letter I sent Friday, here is the text:
I am thrilled and deeply honored to join the Clarksburg High School family as your new principal. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve such an esteemed community and am eager to contribute to our school's continued success.
Having served as Acting Principal, I've had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the warmth and dedication that define our Clarksburg community. Now, in my new role, I am committed to nurturing this spirit of excellence and fostering a culture of academic achievement, student well-being, and family engagement.
Throughout my career in Montgomery County Public Schools, I have been privileged to serve in various capacities, including Principal Intern at Kingsview Middle School and Assistant Principal at James Hubert Blake High School. My leadership philosophy centers on student-centered practices and advocating for antiracist principles that ensure the success of every student. I bring diverse professional experiences to Clarksburg High School and am deeply committed to the growth and development of both students and staff.
Building strong, trusting relationships with our community is a top priority for me. I firmly believe that relationships form the foundation of our success, contributing to community pride, safety, and engaging instruction. In the coming months, I will be hosting meet and greet events to connect with community members and gather ideas for enhancing community engagement.
As an instructional leader, I am dedicated to elevating Clarksburg High School's instructional program through collaborative efforts aimed at providing high-quality, culturally-responsive instruction that meets the needs of all students. Since arriving in January, the staff and I have laid the groundwork for continued improvement, and I am excited to build upon this foundation in the upcoming year.
On a personal note, I am married with two children, a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law. My love for the outdoors, particularly hiking and kayaking, extends to my role as a volunteer trail ranger for the Montgomery County Parks system. I find joy in cooking and am a devoted food-prep enthusiast. Believing in continuous learning, I am happiest helping others discover something new daily.
I am genuinely excited to embark on this journey as your principal and am committed to leading with a focus on sustained excellence in support of all students. Thank you for your warm welcome and support—I look forward to working together to make Clarksburg High School the best it can be.
I encourage everyone to partake in our celebrations and explore the valuable updates from MCPS, our PTSA, and various CHS departments featured in this week's newsletter.
Here's to a resilient and rewarding week ahead for all!
A Taste of Celebrations
I am continually inspired by the dedication, passion, and talent displayed by our students, staff, and families. From heartwarming stories of compassion to remarkable academic achievements, our community never fails to impress and uplift.
As we move forward, I am committed to shining a spotlight on these celebrations, both big and small. Your contributions make our community stronger, and it brings me immense joy to share these highlights with you.
2024 Top 25
On Thursday, April 11, we honored the Class of 2024's Top 25 with a celebration dinner at the P.B. Dye Golf Course. It was a beautiful night of hearing about our wonderful students and the adults who had an impact on their lives. These students have such bright futures, I cannot wait to see what's next for them. Congratulations!
Ms. Carrie Lyons: Committed to Healthy Habits
We all know that healthy habits are essential for a long life. Ms. Carrie Lyons, one of our hard-working secretaries, accepted the MCPS Well Aware challenge focused on building long-lasting healthy habits. As a result of her efforts, she was awarded a $250 grant for our school. This grant can be used for physical activity equipment or to promote staff wellness. Thank you Ms. Lyons for helping us make good lifestyle choices!
Upcoming Cultural Celebration
Clarksburg's Art and Culture Showcase will be held on April 18th. We invite the whole Clarksburg High School community to participate in the cultural aspect of the night. Sign-ups for participation can be done via the Google form (see QR code) until April 15th.
Allied Softball: Off to a Great Start
Mean Girls
Clarksburg's production of Mean Girls opened on Friday night to a packed house. Please come out to see this amazing production. Ticket information can be found at the QR code on the flyer.
Calmer Schools: Parent Workshops
Calmer Schools is offering the third in a series of four virtual parent workshops on April 25th, 2024 from 7:00-8:15 PM. The English and Spanish versions of our workshop, "Stress vs Anxiety: What's the Difference? What Can Help?", will be presented separately on the same night (No need for a translator since the presenter is a native Spanish speaker). More exciting news--we will be giving away $300 in gift cards at each workshop! See the flyers below for information about the event.
Upcoming Counseling Lessons: Signs of Suicide
Please see the attached letters regarding upcoming lessons that will be delivered by our counseling department. This is very important information that all families should be aware of.
Important Testing Information: Please Read
MCAP and AP Testing
Greetings Clarksburg Families,
The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) is the overarching term used for all state assessments. MSDE and CHS will administer assessments in the Spring for English Language Arts (ELA), Algebra (ALG), NSL Government (GOV) and Life Science (LS MISA). Each of these MCAP Exams are a graduation requirement; seniors who do not participate will not graduate in June.
This school year, the Measurement of Academic Progress Reading (MAP-R) assessment will be administered to ALL 9th grade students per the schedule below. Select students will take the Measurement of Academic Progress Math (MAP-M) assessment through their regularly scheduled Math courses. Questions regarding MAP-M should be directed to our Math Department RT, Mr. Randall Hostetter. The results of these assessments provide teachers, students, and families with an accurate measure of what a student knows and needs to learn in these critical subject areas and do not impact graduation status.
PLEASE NOTE: Students who are not testing, should arrive during lunch, if possible, on delayed openings only. Attendance in class after testing is MANDATORY. Bus transportation and meals will run on normal schedules on testing days below. Students who require bus transportation but are not testing will receive academic support in the cafeteria during test administration.
Student lists who are required to test will be sent in a later communication. Below is the full testing schedule for May and contact information in the full testing memo found below.
Attention Seniors
March 10 Senior Slideshow
Please review information in the attached Senior Slideshow. There is important information related to graduation and prom, including timelines.
Get Those SSL Hours
News from the SSL office: Mrs. Coe will be using this GOOGLE FORM to receive SSL forms electronically INSTEAD of simply emailing the form. You can attach up to 10 files to each google form. Parents and students can both access and use this form.
Upcoming dates: All senior hours are due by May 1st.
Support During Graduation
If your family requires special seating and/or language interpretation (Spanish or ASL) at graduation, please complete this form by May 15th. Please reach out to Ashleigh Coe if you have any questions.
Work-based Learning
We now have a one stop to get information about internships, apprenticeships, and CCRD opportunities. This site will be updated on a regular basis to include new opportunities and information. Students . . . check it out!
PTSA Updates
Note from Clarksburg PTSA April 14, 2024
““The days, months, and years eventually reveal, like a Polaroid, a clear picture of how significant events and decisions ultimately shape our lives.”
– Hoda Kotb
Dear Clarksburg High School Families:
Happy third week of April!
WELCOME Mrs. Anita O’Neill!
We want to extend our warmest welcome and congratulations to Mrs. Anita O’Neill on her appointment as Clarksburg HS Principal on April 11, 2024!
We are very grateful for our partnership with her as Acting Principal and look forward to building upon it to really support and elevate CHS, our Coyote Family, and the Clarksburg community to even greater heights!
CHS AFTER PROM – We need your support to make After Prom happen for our students!
After Prom is not just an event, it is also an educational program as we have incorporated a Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Program within it. This program partners up with Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) as well as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). We just had this year's program on April 11, 2024.
We want to thank the CHS team, Class of 2024, MADD, and MDOT for supporting the third Substance Use Prevention Program. Our senior class heard from MADD Speaker Jason Shands, MDOT Representative Michael Bomgardner, and CHS PTSA leaders about the importance of our decisions and the various levels of risk involved, especially if the consumption or use of substances are involved.
We all have stories to tell, and the decisions we make will not only impact our stories but the stories and lives of the people around us.
We want to thank all who have contributed to our After Prom Fundraising!
We still need more support as we work towards organizing a great and safe event for our juniors and seniors.
We need to raise $6000 left of our After Prom’s budgetary needs, and so far, we have only raised $1296.
To meet the rest of our funding needs, we just need about 200 families to contribute $24 in honor of the class of 2024.
Last year, we had already raised $4000 by this time.
Check out this site for additional After Prom information: https://chsptsaafterprom.wordpress.com/
Here are the various ways you can support After Prom:
· TO HONOR THE CLASS OF 2024, WE ARE ASKING FOR A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $24 FROM OUR COMMUNITY to help us provide a fun & safe After Prom…but any and all donation amounts are much appreciated!
· Below are the various ways you can donate:
o Memberhub: https://bit.ly/CHSPTSA2024AfterProm
o Paypal: https://bit.ly/ClarksburgHSPTSAPaypal
o Check: Please make the check out to “Clarksburg HS PTSA”, and include the Memo, “After Prom”. Please kindly drop off the check to the school with a note to “CHS PTSA”.
· To support After Prom as a Volunteer or Food/Snack Donation, please visit the following link:
o Food/Snack Donation: https://bit.ly/CHSPTSAAfterPromFoodDonation2024
o Volunteer for After Prom: https://bit.ly/CHSPTSAAfterPromVolunteer2024
· Our next After Prom meeting is April 14, 2024:
o https://bit.ly/CHSPTSAAfterPromMeeting (need to register for each meeting session)
We really need all hands on deck to support After Prom as this is the biggest annual event for the PTSA and it helps to ensure our students are in a safe and substance-free environment.
Parents of freshman and sophomores, this is a great opportunity for you all to support and shadow a lot of the current volunteers to prepare for when your students are juniors and seniors.
Please click on this link to read the rest of the CHS PTSA Note: https://bit.ly/CHSPTSANote4142024
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Please consider supporting the Red Cross blood drive conducted on behalf of Connor on April 16, 2024 at Hallie Wells.
Additional information can be found on this flyer: https://bit.ly/RedCrossBloodDrive41624
MCPS Resources in Spanish
News from Our Bridge to Wellness Partners
Please see the flyer below for information about two new opportunities coming through Bridge to Wellness.
- Encuentros - Nonclinical emotional support group, targeting the newcomer student population (8 weeks). Additionally, these groups are also available to Clarksburg parents as well.
- Family Reunification - 6-week nonclinical group for newly reunited students and their parent/guardian.
News from the College and Career Center
SAT Opportunities at CHS
CHS will once again host the SAT on multiple dates during the year. The dates the SAT will be held at CHS are: 5/4 and 6/1. Registration for these dates should be made through the College Board Website.
March 11 to May 24: Girls with Impact
Exciting news! Montgomery County Public Schools has partnered with Girls With Impact to bring you a FREE Business and Leadership program for girls in Grades 9–12 and gender-expansive youth! Developed with Harvard leaders, this ‘mini-MBA’ program equips girls with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become tomorrow's entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders. The 10-week live, online program begins the week of March 11 and ends the week of May 24. The weekly classes are one hour each and are managed by a trained coach with a master's degree in business administration providing the resources needed to get students from ideation to the launch of their venture ideas. Register your student at https://www.girlswithimpact.org/mcps.
April 20: Game Changer Conference
Young men and their families are invited to attend the Game Changers conference to be held at the Universities of Shady Grove. Please see the flyer below for details for the day.
May 4: Youth Gun Violence Conference
Join other students from across the county to partake in the Youth Gun Violence Conference focused on reducing gun violence. Students earn 8 SSL hours for attending. Lunch is provided. See the flyer below for details.
July 4: Autism Speaks Potomac 5K
Consider volunteering for this important event either prior to the event, on the day of or maybe both. See key information in the flyer below.
Interested in law? This may be the summer opportunity for you.
Summer Legal Institute (SLI) is a complimentary multi-day initiative offering students a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with judges, lawyers, and law students. The program comprises a series of workshops delving into different facets of the legal profession, offering valuable insights and hands-on experiences. Students will have the chance to visit Federal Courts, a Corporation, and a Law Firm, culminating in a oral argument competition. To support students throughout the week, we provide breakfast and lunch, and can assist with transportation arrangements.
Program Details:
Dates: July 08, 2024 - July 12, 2024
Time: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Cost: Free
See the program flyer with a QR code below.
2024 Geospatial Technology Summer Camp at Towson University
Consider Towson University's Geospatial Technology Camp, July 10-13, 2024. This 4-day, 3-night, all-inclusive overnight camp is specifically designed for high school students who are interested in learning geospatial technologies. Students will stay in double occupancy rooms in a university dorm. Meals, lodging, and transportation are all included. Open the attached flyer to get more information and to sign up.
Apply for School Meal Benefits
This coming year all meals will incur a fee unless students have are approved for Free And/or Reduced fee Meals (FARMS). Eligible families complete the 2023-2024 FARMS application that is now available online. Here is the link: www.MySchoolApps.com.
Donations
Clothing to Cash
Did you know that you can support our school through clothing donations? See the attached flyer about the Clothing to Cash program that supports CHS.
Calendar Items
Key Dates
April 16 -- APPS Showcase and Induction, 6-8:30
April 18 -- Report Card Distribution, Homeroom, End of the Day
April 18 -- Cultural Celebration, 6-8 pm
April 19 -- Spring Pep Rally
April 22 -- No school for students, asynchronous instruction
April 23 -- PTSA meeting, 7-8:30 pm
General Information for Students and Families
NFHS Network and GoFan
Dear Coyote fans,
As we kick-off the upcoming school year, we wanted to tell you that through our official partners, NFHS Network and GoFan, you can easily buy tickets for games and subscribe to watch live games online for when you can’t get there in-person.
Click this link to visit our school homepage, where you can:
- Click “Follow” to get alerts on our upcoming events.
- Click “Buy Tickets” to get tickets to upcoming events.
- Click “Subscribe” to watch live broadcasts of upcoming events (a portion of the proceeds are shared back with our school!).
CHS Website
Our CHS website has a wealth of information related to subjects like attendance, student service learning, athletics and more. Please take time to check it out so you have accurate information about policies and procedures at CHS.