Dear Quince Orchard Students, Staff, and Families,

What a fantastic week we had last week, filled with excitement, achievements, and memorable moments! We were thrilled to host our Cluster Pyramid Concerts, where band, orchestra, and choral students from our cluster schools showcased their incredible talent. It was also a big week for our senior student-athletes, who we celebrated in style. Our home football game against Northwest High School brought fans together for an electric evening, and we cheered our cheerleaders as they competed at the county level.

As we head into the last week of the marking period, here are a few highlights and upcoming events:

• State Golf Tournament: Let’s cheer on Katie Joyce as she represents Quince Orchard in the state golf tournament on Monday!

• Quiz Bowl Trivia Night: Join us on Tuesday in the cafeteria at 6 PM for an evening of fun and competition as Rho Kappa hosts a quiz bowl trivia night.

• MPSSAA Playoffs: Field Hockey will play at Churchill and Girls Soccer will play at Whitman on Tuesday in the Region Finals. Full details are in the athletics section of the newsletter.

• Flag Football Playoffs: Our fantastic flag football team will take on Clarksburg on Wednesday at 5:30. Let’s show them our Cougar spirit as they continue their playoff journey. Full details are in the athletics section of the newsletter.

• Cross Country Regionals: Cheer on our cross-country athletes on Thursday at the Lakelands Park course as they race at regionals. Full details are in the athletics section of the newsletter.

• Full Student ID Implementation begins on Monday, 10/28/24. Students will be required to have their ID visually displayed at all times. We have had pictures and IDs made for every student. If a student needs a new one or replacement, they will be obligated a $5.00 fee. Students must have a visible ID at all events and during the school day. Please see a security team member if a new one is needed.

And as a reminder, Friday marks the last day of the first marking period. Looking ahead, please note that Monday, November 4 will be a non-instructional day for students, and Tuesday, November 5, is Election Day.

Let’s finish this marking period strong, Cougars! Looking forward to a successful close and an exciting November ahead. Thank you for your continued support and remember, we can’t hide our Cougar Pride!

All the best,

Elizabeth Thomas (Beth)

Principal, Quince Orchard High School

Attention students in grades 9-11, the application for special programs in MCPS closes on Friday, November 1. Please visit the following website for more information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1onvWPD9apFV6WX1MIjmrXewi6vt6OcJGUu6-3o-Lo1s/preview

Please see your Career Advising Coach, Ms. Djouha, in room 235 if you have any questions!

Yearbooks are for sale NOW! Visit jostens.com/buyyearbk or scan the code to purchase.

Please check out some of the upcoming Gaithersburg Student Union Events!

Click the link to check out all the great October 2024 SSL Information for MCPS Students!

Attention Seniors! Are you planning to attend college next year? Are your application deadlines rapidly approaching? If this is you, you MUST request your transcript be sent out to all the schools you are applying to! If you have not yet done so, please request your transcript ASAP! It takes several days to process your request and send out your documents! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScR5j16bnD0bf6svKNmLUmM96jGlp6D5YPEksKE3QjUM2qByA/viewform

Seniors! If you are using the Common App to apply to schools, and are getting stuck, we have created a resource document for you! There are very helpful documents, resources and videos! Please check it out, and if you still need help, come see us in the College/Career Center of the Counseling Services Suite!

Common App Resource Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17N5y6PKFMRo2KwlDtT1osKqxkjV3fU9gfkybxBtjoJc/edit

Families, please encourage your students to sign up for college visits at Quince Orchard High School. For instructions on how to sign up for a college visit or to view a list of colleges coming to Quince Orchard High School, please click on the link below: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/qohs-counseling/the-college-career-center/visits?authuser=0

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to qualifying households for over 30 years. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form provide the required information. Resources are limited: please apply only if you and your family are truly in need. Families can only be referred once; please do not complete a referral if you have already been referred from another school or agency. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. If you need help completing the form please contact Ms. Ruiz Miller at 240-447-8963.

Referral form: https://forms.gle/QC4GCL39awvfbLHa9

El Holiday Giving Project ha brindado asistencia para el Día de Acción de Gracias y los días festivos de diciembre a los hogares que califican durante más de 30 años. Si usted y su familia están en necesidad y les gustaría ser referidos para una posible asistencia durante la temporada de festividades, complete este formulario de referencia para proporcionar la información requerida. Los recursos son limitados: solicite solo si usted y su familia realmente lo necesitan. Las familias solo pueden ser referidas una vez. Por favor no complete este referido si ya le han referido de otra escuela o agencia. Si bien una referencia no es una garantía de asistencia, el Proyecto ayuda a tantas familias necesitadas como lo permitan las donaciones. Si necesita ayuda para completar el formulario, comuníquese con la Sra. Ruiz Miller al 240-447-8963.

formulario de referencia: https://forms.gle/QC4GCL39awvfbLHa9

This contest challenges teenagers to create an original video to promote awareness about the dangers of illicit opioids, fentanyl and risk of overdose. The video contest is open to all 6th - 12th grade students living in Montgomery County. Top prize is $1,000, second place is $750, third place and fan favorite winners will receive $500 all donated by The Magnolia Companies in honor of two young Montgomery County residents lost to fentanyl; Michael Pisarra and Matthew Loudon. The 2024 contest is now open and accepting entries. For more information, see the link below: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/SAO/other/SpeakUpVideoContest.html

All entries are due by midnight on November 8, 2024.

Mon 10/28 at 9:30am Golf State Semifinal Round at University of Maryland Golf Course

Tue 10/29 at 4:00pm Field Hockey Region Finals vs. Churchill at Churchill HS

Tue 10/29 at TBD Girls Soccer Region Finals vs. Whitman at Whitman HS

Wed 10/30 at TBD Girls Volleyball Region Quarterfinals vs. Whitman at Whitman HS

Wed 10/30 at 5:30pm Girls Flag Football vs. WO/GA at Clarksburg HS (If they win, they play at 7pm)

Thu 10/31 at 2:30pm Cross Country Region Championship Meet at Lakelands Park

Sat 11/2 at 5:00pm Cheerleading Region Finals at Harford CC

MCPS and Quince Orchard High School are excited to announce that registration for Winter Sports will open on Monday, October 14th at 12pm! Below is information regarding the upcoming Winter Sports season, as well as the registration process. Additional information can be found on the MCPS Athletics website. (Note – tryouts for Winter sports will start on Friday, November 15th)

Registration Information

How to Register
Students must be registered by a parent through the MCPS ParentVue Portal. Students must be registered by Wednesday, November 13th in order to guarantee that their registration will be processed in time for the first day of tryouts.

1. Login to MCPS ParentVue Portal
2. Locate “Online Registration” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
3. You should then see prompts to enter information for the “2024-2025 HS Athletics Registration – Winter”.
   If you see something for “Annual Verification” or “Resume Annual Registration”, please click the “Start Over” button, logout and log back in, this should then allow you to access the Athletic Registration.
4. The Athletics Registration screens will have you verify information in the system and then allow you to review and complete the Athletics Registration forms.
   If any of the information appearing on the “Family” or “Parent/Guardian” information screens is incorrect, please contact the our Registrar at Kristin_A_Barnes@mcpsmd.org to have this corrected before completing your registration.
5. If you have already registered for All-School Registration, click on that your don’t want to register for a sport during that season so you can continue to register

If a parent is having trouble logging into the MCPS ParentVue Portal:
(MCPS also has a guide to ParentVue for parents here).

• If you have never activated your parent account:
  Parents were sent activation information at the beginning of the school year, which included an Activation Key. If you still have this information, use it to activate your parent account. If you do not have the activation information, call the Main Office at Quince Orchard at 240-740-3600 during normal office hours.
• Forgot your password? Click on the Forgot Password link on the ParentVue Portal.
• Forgot the email address you used to activate your account? Email Quince Orchard Athletic Director Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org. Be sure to include the student name, ID and parent name in the email.

Pre-Participation Physicals
Students should complete their pre-participation physical (MCPS Form SR-8) so that the medical eligibility form (last two pages of SR-8) is ready for online submission or for submission to the coach prior to tryouts/practices. Physicals are valid for 13 months from the day of the physical. A partial list of Clinics that offer Sports Physicals within the Montgomery County area is available online. Physicals can be uploaded by the parent during the registration process. However, if a parent needs to submit a physical after the student has already been registered, email an electronic copy of the completed pre-participation physical (MCPS Form SR-8) to Quince Orchard Athletic Director Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the timeline for the start of winter sports?
Registration will open on Monday, October 14th. Tryouts/practices will begin on Friday, November 15th. Tryouts and preseason will continue for three weeks, with the first contests beginning on Friday, December 6th.

If a student registered for All-School Conditioning, does the student have to register for the Winter season?
Yes! Registration or participation in off-season workouts does not mean the student is registered for the upcoming Spring season. Any student who would like to participate in this upcoming Winter Sports season must be registered by a parent using ParentVue as outlined above.

Is there a schedule of games or practices posted yet?
The practice schedule will likely be Mondays through Fridays with Saturday practices and games. The First Day Tryout schedule will be available by October 21st. Game schedules are posted on www.qoathletics.com .

Will there be tryouts, or are all students who register going to be on a roster?
This will depend on the sport and the number of student registrations. Tryout/practice information will be posted and communicated to students and parents, including whether there will be a tryout period to start the season. Similarly, information about where to report for tryouts and what the student needs to bring to tryouts will be communicated to parents and students at that time.

Can a student tryout for more than one sport in the same season?
Parents must declare only one sport per season during the registration process. However, if a student would like to change his/her sport prior to the start of tryouts, the parent must email Quince Orchard Athletic Director Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org in advance of tryouts. Similarly, if a student tries out for a sport and does not make the team (or decides to change sports after the tryout date), please have the parent email Quince Orchard Athletic Director Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org.

Will transportation be provided for tryouts and practices?
Unfortunately, transportation is not provided to and from tryouts and practices. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation for tryouts and practices. Additionally, students may not remain on campus for extended periods of time before or after tryouts and practices due to supervision policies.

How can I contact a coach if I have a question?

The Quince Orchard coaching staff, as well as contact information can be found on our Athletic Department Staff Directory page.

QO Athletics Full Year, Fall, Winter and Season Passes are now on sale at the link below. These passes are good for regular season home games only!

https://gofan.co/app/school/MD24824?activity=Digital%20Season%20Pass

English / español / 中文 / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ

Google, Discovery Education Hosting Free STEM Family Day on Nov. 9

Google and Discovery Education are hosting a free STEM Family Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Montgomery College, Germantown Campus.

Open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the event will offer interactive and hands-on STEM challenges and activities, and digital learning experiences with real-world applications. There will also be food trucks, games and raffles.

The event will be held in the High Technology and Science Center on the Germantown Campus, 20200 Observation Drive in Germantown. Register.

STEM Family Day 2024

Statement Regarding Recommended FY26 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025-30 Capital Improvements Program

Earlier this week, MCPS submitted the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2026 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program to the Montgomery County Board of Education.

In preparing the Capital Budget, MCPS identified an error in its submission for state aid in the Charles E. Woodward High School construction project, creating a revenue shortfall of $39.3 million. Dating back to 2021, MCPS miscalculated prevailing wage and bid awards across the multiple phases of the project. This error was entirely MCPS'. The district is proactively working to close the revenue gap by reallocating unexpended funds from completed capital projects. These reallocations will not affect planned upgrades or infrastructure improvements for those projects.

Read the district release.
Read the statement from the Board of Education.

Marking Remembrance and Reconciliation Month

This is the third year MCPS has observed Remembrance and Reconciliation Month with mandatory brief K-12 learning on local African American history and support of local Emancipation Day celebrations. The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation was established by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights in 2019.

Below are upcoming MCPS events for this year:

Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery’s Maryland Emancipation Day Celebration (18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring)
Saturday, Nov. 2, noon-3:20 p.m.
Flyer

Brown vs. Board of Education’s Impact on MCPS
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7-8 p.m.
Zoom webinar registration, open to the public
Tracy Oliver-Gary, supervisor of pre-K-12 social studies, will lecture on how MCPS responded to the Brown vs. Board of Education’s ruling.

Annual Changemaker Workshop
Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Students can earn up to 2 SSL hours.
Zoom Webinar Registration Link
Flyer
The keynote speaker is Ilana Trachtman, director of the documentary, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, a film about the desegregation of Glen Echo amusement park.

KID Museum Offering After-School, Native American Heritage Month Programs

The KID Museum has the following after-school programs available at its 3 Bethesda Metro Center and Davis Library locations. Scholarships are available on request.

Kindergarten-1st grade: Innovative Art Lab
2nd-4th grades: Challenge Accepted!
5th-7th grades: Build Your Fab Lab Skills
More information and registration

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Sunday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Experience a hoop dance, interactive movement workshops, material demonstrations and hands-on fun for the whole family. More information

Winter Coat Drive Underway

The Prekindergarten and Head Start offices are requesting donations of new coats for students in need. Hats, gloves and boots for young children are also welcome. Donations for boys’ and girls’ coats in sizes 5, 6, 7 and 8 are most needed. Items can be dropped off at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, Md., 20852. You may drop off items in person from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday, or you can order online and have items delivered directly to Rocking Horse Road Center.

For questions, contact Lisa Conlon at 240-550-2615.

Sports Lovers: Don’t Miss Out!

The inaugural girls’ flag football county championship tournament will be during the weeks of Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. The state tournament of champions will be held on Friday, Nov. 8. Check out an overview of the playoff schedule.

See the fall playoff and tournament schedules for cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer and volleyball here.

Reminders

Mental Health Resource Fair: This free event, open to students, families and staff, will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. Transportation is available. RSVP. This event will be livestreamed and available here (English) and here (en Español).

Veterans Day volunteer opportunity: Middle and high school students are invited from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School, 12701 Goodhill Road in Silver Spring. Students will help build garden beds and benches for the first urban farm being built through the REACH (Resilience, Education, Action, Climate, Habitat) Hub at Loiederman. SSL hours and lunch will be provided. Registration

Marching to the Beat of Their Own Drums

Fourteen middle and high school bands participated in this year’s Marching Band Showcase at Einstein High School earlier this month. Enjoy the photo gallery!

• VISIT the MCPS homepage.
• CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)
• READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.
• FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.
• http://twitter.com/mcps
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
  https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md
• https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
  https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
  https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/
• SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.
• WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89

Open Registrations

• Prekindergarten and Head Start Registration Open for Income-Eligible Families

More From MCPS

• School calendar
• Parent resource page
• News and Information page/Noticias en Español
• Latest photo galleries
• MCPS TV videos
• MCPS TV español

Email us: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

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• 10/29: Rho Kappa/Quizbowl Trivia Night - 7 pm @ QOHS

**11/3 Marks the end of the 1st quarter

Please visit www.qocougars.com for the fall Athletics Calendar!

Attention Seniors! Are you planning to attend college next year? Are your application deadlines rapidly approaching? If this is you, you MUST request your transcript be sent out to all the schools you are applying to! If you have not yet done so, please request your transcript ASAP! It takes several days to process your request and send out your documents! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScR5j16bnD0bf6svKNmLUmM96jGlp6D5YPEksKE3QjUM2qByA/viewform

If you have any questions or concerns about senior year information, please contact 12th Grade Administrator Ms. Eberhart-Bliss at elicia_m_eberhart-bliss@mcpsmd.org or Senior Staff Sponsor, Profe Skeen at emily_m_hoefert-skeen@mcpsmd.org.

Please support the QOHS PTSA by dining out on Monday 10/28 at Potomac Pizza Traville and Tuesday 10/29 at Noodles & Company Kentlands. Check the flyers below for details!

QOHS only needs 22 more students to sign up for free and reduced meals (FARMS) by November 1st to get to the 40% threshold and thereby qualify the school for universal free breakfast.

Visit the FARMS website to see if your family qualifies and to veiw instructions and videos in multiple languages: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/

Families, please follow the link or QR code below to complete the MCPS School Calendar Feedback Survey for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027:

• Survey Link
• QR Code to Survey

Anyone can participate and provide pointed feedback, from students to caregivers to teachers.

The PTSA still needs volunteers to help with the following:

• Recognition of our Students Academic Achievements
• Focused outreach to our families who have not been engaged, specifically our Hispanic/Latin families
• Active engagement of our student leadership as part of the PTSA
• Advocacy for building upgrades/enhancements

If you know anyone who has experience with or interested in any of these areas please have them contact the PTSA! Thank you!

We need people to explore bringing the Reflections Arts Program to QO. Each year the National PTA sponsors an art contest open to all students at participating schools. This year the theme is "Accepting Imperfection." Students can submit entries in various categories including visual art, dance, music, film, photography or literature. For more information click here: https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections. Note, there is countywide zoom information session on October 28 providing help to volunteers who are trying to set up this program with their PTSA.

If you are interested in leading this effort, contact Sue Kravitz before October 28/ASAP.

Scan the QR code below or visit seasonalroots.com/qohs to join for just $25 and support the Boosters Club!

Our PTSA, NAACP-PC, and Boosters Organizations are key to our success. Our amazing organizations are offering a joint membership option that allows for a 20% discount. Membership forms can be found below or at qohsboosters.com and at https://qohsptsa.memberhub.com/store. I urge you to support these worthy organizations which do so much to support our school and help us provide the best education possible to our students. You will find your involvement with one of our parent groups will help increase your student’s sense of belonging and pride in Quince Orchard High School, as well as bring families together! Check out the links below to get familiar with our volunteers and see how you can get involved:

Welcome Letters & Organizational Info:

• Boosters President Letter
• NAACP Parent Council Welcome Letter

• Why Join the PTSA?

Membership & Sponsor Information:

• Booster Club Sponsorship Letter
• Booster Club Sponsorship Form
• Booster Membership Webpage
• PTSA Membership Hub

Stay connected throughout the school year with these important links:

• MCPS Student Handbooks (Code of Conduct, Rights & Responsibilities etc.)

• QOHS events calendar can be found on the myMCPS Classroom webpage.

• Arrival & Dismissal Bus Routes

• QOHS Website

• QOHS 2024-25 Student Handbook (Here you'll find our lunch policy, ID policy & much more.)

• QOHS Bell Schedules

• Traditional School Year Calendar 2024-25

Email: Elizabeth_L_Thomas@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/qohs/
Location: 15800 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
Phone: 240-740-3600
Twitter: @QOHSPrin_Thomas