Towson High School Newsletter

Dear Towson High School Community,

The spring season is filled with many opportunities for our Generals to demonstrate their knowledge of content-specific knowledge and skills. Here is an overview of our standardized testing and final exam schedules:

• Grade 11 SAT Day – April 2 - All 11th grade students will take this assessment. The results of this assessment are used for CCR status (520+ in Math), ESSA Report Card credit for well-rounded curriculum (530+ Math, 480+ EBRW), college admissions, scholarships, and more.
• MCAP ELA 10 - April 24 - May 5 - All 10th grade students and any 11th/12th grade students who have not yet taken this assessment. The results of this assessment are used for CCR status (score of 3+) and ESSA Report Card achievement data.
• MCAP Government – April 29 - May 7 - All students that are currently taking American Government and any 10th/11th/12th grade students who have not yet taken this assessment. The results of this assessment will be used as the final exam grade and will account for 20% of students' final American Government course grades.
• MCAP Science (MISA) - May 6 - May 15 - All students that are currently taking Living Systems and any 10th/11th/12th grade students who have not yet taken this assessment. The results of this assessment will be used as the final exam grade and will account for 20% of students' final Living Systems course grades.
• MCAP Math - May 15 - May 28 - All 9th grade students that are currently taking Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2, and any 10th/11th/12th grade students who have not yet taken a MCAP Math assessment in high school. The results of this assessment are used for CCR status (score of 3+) and ESSA Report Card achievement data.
• AP Testing - May 5 - 23 - All students who are registered for AP exams.
• Senior Final Exams - May 12-May 23 - All 12th grade students. For multi-part exams, part 1 may be administered during the week of May 12 and the remaining parts may be administered during the week of May 19. Final exam grades are factored into students’ Semester 2/End of Course grades. (see schedule below)
• Underclass Final Exams - June 9-16 - All 9th-11th grade students. Final exam grades are factored into students’ Semester 2/End of Course grades. (see schedule below)

As we move into testing season, please discuss with your student the value of each assessment that they will be taking this spring. Access the “TEST Like a 5-Star General” image for testing tips before and during the assessment, as well as THS testing norms.

In partnership,

Dr. Kim Culbertson

Students are recognized for being 5-STAR Towson Generals. Staff and Parents are recognized for demonstrating heart-work that helps our THS learning community to thrive.

• Safora Noor, Davina Oyefusi, Ben Kasofsky, Sophie Vijayan, Kiren Ali & Amal Abdi for qualifying for the BCFL Metros Tournament (Public Debate Pairs)!

• Jemma Steinik and Chelsea Skinner for qualifying for the BCFL Metros Tournament (Duo Interpretation)!

• Anisa Kalil for qualifying for the BCFL Metros Tournament (Impromptu)!

• Bronte Morton for winning the Emerging Elite 60m Dash at the Nike Indoor National Championships. His time of 6.86 seconds is a new school record for the 60m Dash, and his en route time of 6.39 seconds is also a new school record for the 55m Dash. Congratulations to Bronte on his National Championship title and breaking two school records in one race!

• Cornelius Woodson for serving as a MC and moderating a panel discussion for the BCPS Mind Over Matters event!

• Vishvak Gernapudi for winning the Congressional App Challenge for MD District 2 with his app Rxmindr.

• The SGA for organizing and hosting the annual Culture Fair.

• The Class of 2025 Officers & Sterring Committee for organizing and hosting the Senior Talent Show & Masked Singer Event.

• Leaderize & Stage Crew for assisting with the Senior Talent Show & Masked Singer Event.

• Jack Dobrosielski, John Fields, Theodore Brown, & Evan Cline for winning the Boys 4x800m Relay Run at the Maryland Class 3A State Championships.

• Theodore Brown for winning the Boys 3200m Run Class 3A at the Maryland Class 3A State Championships.

• Jordan Salkeld for being elected President of the Maryland Association of Student Councils.

• Ashanti Gillis for being featured as the Keynote Speaker at the 2025 Dream Big Ceremony.

• Alexis Weaver for being named a 2025 Dream Big "Dreamer."

• Ms. Miller's AP2 Art class for a productive Art March Madness!

• Safora Noor for being selected by the Maryland Committee of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR) as this year’s Princeton Prize winner from the Maryland region.

• SPPA Club for organizing a spring social!

• Fatima Cisse for good character and honesty. She found 2 rings in the girls bathroom and brought them to counseling office in case someone is looking for them.

• Daniel Nichols for qualifying as an alternate for the Maryland State Chemistry Olympiad competition based on his USNCO National Chemistry Exam score!
  

• Mr. Allen & Mr. Olson for sponsoring the SGA's Annual Culture Fair.
• Ms. Hancock & Ms. Kromsky for sponsoring the Senior Talent Show & Masked Singer event.
• Ms. Karsos for organizing the annual Faculty basketball game.
• All Staff who participated in the annual Faculty Basketball game.
• Mr. Buick for preparing engaging AP lessons.
• Ms. Waters for taking student feedback and using it to update her lesson plans and improve class.
• Ms. Hne for leading a fabulous NHS Faculty Council meeting!
• Ms. Contreras for presenting at the National Art Education Association Conference last week!
• Ms. Russo for sponsoring SPPA's spring social!
• Mr. Bannon, Ms. Karsos, Ms. B. McCusker, Mr. Tregaskis, and Mr. Sonneborn for welcoming Board Member Pumphrey & ED Mr. Reed into their classes!
• Ms. Brotzman, Mr. Greenenaum, Ms. Morris, & Mr. Muneses for welcoming ED Mr. Reed and the Office of Special Education into their classes!
• Ms. Monacelli for her 5-star planning of SAT Day for Juniors!
• Mr. Blair for his leadership in securing an extra copier for the modulars!

• THS PTSA for helping cover the cost of the DJ for the 10th grade Ring Dance.
• THS PTSA for volunteering during the Senior Talent Show & Masked Singer event.
• Nina Awasum for donating breakfast sandwiches to staff.
• Board Member Pumphrey & ED Mr. Reed for visiting with the Generals!
• ED Mr. Reed & Office of Special Ed for visiting with the Generals!
• Lori Trusheim, Lelane Schmitt, Heather Kerner, Allison Simon, Farida Malecki, Lisa Koepenick, and other TAPA parents and families for organizing and supporting the first annual TAPA Silent Art Auction.

• Monday March 31 - Schools Closed for Students
• Wednesday April 2 - SAT Day for Juniors
• Thursday April 3 - Sunday April 6 - Spring Musical: Footloose
• Friday April 4 - MP3 Ends
• Friday April 4- Schools Close 3-Hours Early for Students
• Wednesday April 9 - Monthly PTSA Meeting, 7:00 pm, Library
• Thursday April 10 - Construction Community Meeting, 7:00 pm, Auditorium
• Saturday April 12 - Monday April 21 - Spring Break - Schools & Offices Closed
• Tuesday April 22 - Schools Re-open

**NEW** Thursday May 29 will be an Asychronous Virtual Learning Day for all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students as this is THS' Graduation Day for the Class of 2025. Students will not report to school on this date and will access learning materials and activities asychronously at home.

Marking Period 3 ends on Friday April 4. Please continue to monitor your student's grades on Schoology. Once you are logged into the FOCUS Parent Portal, select the link to Schoology to view grades and assignments. Please access these directions to log into and navigate the parent/guardian FOCUS account.

Please use the "THS Final Grade Calculations Spring 2025" document below to calculate students' final course grades.

Our trailer/modular move is complete! The construction team is currently in the process of removing the old trailers from the property.

Members of the community are invited to attend a community meeting on the Towson High School addition and renovation project. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on April 10 in the Towson High School Auditorium. During the meeting, staff from the BCPS Office of Facilities Construction and Improvement will share the progress of the capital improvement project at Towson High School. This will include anticipated plans for construction. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity for community members to ask questions and provide feedback.

For multi-part exams, part 1 may be administered during the week of May 12 and the remaining parts will be administered during the week of May 19. For exams with only 1 part, the exam will be administered during the week of May 19.

• May 12 – A2 & A4 – No exam or Part 1 only
• May 13 – B2 & B4– No exam or Part 1 only
• May 14 – A1 & A3– No exam or Part 1 only
• May 15 – B1 & B3– No exam or Part 1 only
• May 16 – No exams; A-day; half-day

• May 19 – B2 & B4 – Entire exam or Part 2 only
• May 20 – A2 & A4 – Entire exam or Part 2 only
• May 21 – B1 & B3 – Entire exam or Part 2 only
• May 22 - A1 & A3 – Entire exam or Part 2 only
• May 23 – Makeup Final Exams

• June 9 – B2 & B4 Exams

• June 10 – A2 & A4 Exams
• June 11 – B1 & B3 Exams
• June 12 – A1 & A3 Exams
• June 13 – Makeup Final Exams
• June 16 – Makeup Final Exams

The SGA is sponsoring a Spring Spirit Week which will culminate with a Spring Pep Rally on Friday April 11. Here are the spirit days for the week:

• Monday April 7 - Sports Day
• Tuesday April 8 - Towson Tuesday
• Wednesday April 9 - Beach Day
• Thursday April 10 - Anything But a Backpack Day
• Friday April 11 - Class Colors Day

On Wednesday April 9 at 7:00 pm in the THS Library, the PTSA invites you to join them for their General Meeting and Guest Speaker Julian Zottl who will speak with participants on cybersecuirty. Check out Mr. Zottl's LinkedIn for his bio.

National Honor Society applications are currently open for the 2025-2026 school year. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 11th. Please review the information below and reach out to NHS Advisor Ms. Hne (fhne@bcps.org) with questions.

• Who is eligible to apply for National Honor Society for the 2025-2026 school year? Current 10th and 11th graders with a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.7 or higher.
• Do current NHS members have to re-apply? No, current NHS members do not need to re-apply and will still be members of NHS next school year.
• Where can I get an application? The application is linked here.
• THS National Honor Society School Website page
• When is the deadline? The deadline for submitting the application is Friday April 11th.
• When will I find out if I have been selected? All students that applied will be notified of acceptance by Friday, May 30th.
  

• Senior Awards 5/22 at 6:30 PM in THS Auditorium
• Senior Picnic at THS on 5/23 (time TBD)
• Seniors Banner link: https://yardsigns2025.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Senior baby photos are due March 31st. Provide your photo using this form.

• Prom: May 17 at M&T Bank Stadium
• After-Prom: FREE After-Prom Party, 11:00 pm - 1:00 am, Bowlero Timonium
• Senior Prom guest contracts due 4/25
• Senior Prom Ticket Sales 4/28 – 5/2 (UPDATE: Eligibility data will be pulled from FOCUS on 4/25 at 2:20 PM, see the updated THS Dance Contract for further information)

• May 29, 2025 at 6:00 pm at TU Arena

• Graduation Rehearsal at THS 5/27 & 5/28 (cap & gown delivery during rehearsal on the 28th)

• Senior Cap & Gown order link (free tassel included): https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/catalogBrowse/1066479/TOWSON-HIGH-SCHOOL/Graduation/2588777176/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/

Senior Portrait FAQ & Senior Portrait Costs

Class dues are $40 per senior and are payable via the Online School Payment system (OSP).

• Ms. Valian is available every Tuesday from 2:00-2:35 pm on Google Meet for Xello drop-in support for Seniors who have Release Time.

Ms. Hancock (ehancock@bcps.org) and Ms. Kromsky (jkromsky@bcps.org).

This is a friendly reminder to pay your $25 class dues. This will help fund our class activities and is required in order to attend Junior Prom. You can pay them on OSP.

• Junior Prom is coming up on Friday, April 25th. Tickets will be on sale from April 7th – April 11th. To purchase a ticket for Junior Prom, your child must have paid their class dues, no later than Friday, April 4th. Class dues are $25 and can be paid via BCPS Online School Payment.
• As a reminder, your student will need to have submitted a dance contract prior to April 4th and meet the grade eligibility requirements to purchase a Junior Prom ticket. Grades will be pulled to determine eligibility on April 4th at 2:20 pm. Dance contracts are available in the main office. Dance contracts submitted for the Homecoming Dance cover Junior Prom as well.
• Juniors are allowed to bring 1 guest to prom. The guest must be a THS student and must be eligible per the THS dance contract. A Guest Request Form must be completed by April 4th at 2:20. Only one submission per 11th grade student is allowed.

Dear parents,

Please support the Class of 2026 by purchasing items from our Amazon Wishlist for Junior Prom supplies! You'll be helping decorate the venue with balloons, streamers, a red carpet, and of course, snacks! Please donate before April 21st to ensure everything we need is here before Junior Prom on April 25th. We appreciate your support in helping make our event a success!"

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/17N3uMX?ref_=wl_share

All students are expected to maintain the 94% state standard in order to be eligible to attend Junior Prom. 94% attendance means that the student cannot be absent for more than 8 days from the start of this school year. This attendance rate is regardless of whether or not the absences are excused. A student can appeal dance eligibility if the student does not meet the 94% standard and at least 7 of the absences the student has are “excused” in FOCUS. All absence notes must be submitted within 5 days of the absence. If a student wishes to submit an appeal, please complete this google form. The form is due by 2:20 pm on Friday, April 4th. A final decision will be sent to the email provided in the form by Monday, April 7th.

The School Counseling Department would like to invite you and your student to meet with school staff to review your student’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) status and post-secondary plans. During the meeting we will explore options for the future and discuss what you can be doing now to prepare for Senior year. The conferences will be held through June 2025 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am-1.30pm. Please call Ms. Williams or Ms. Weinstock at 443-809-3613 to schedule your conference.

Please reach out to Mr. Sun, Junior Class advisor, with questions (ksun@bcps.org)

Questions? Please contact Ms. Cerenzo, Class Advisor, at kcerenzo@bcps.org

Students can receive extra support afterschool via Coach Class and Peer Tutoring. Coach Class is offered by each teacher, each week. Free Peer Tutoring is offered throughout the week by students and advisors of our national honor societies. All supports begin next week unless otherwise noted. BCPS also offers all high school students with free teen therapy through Talkspace.

We encourage all students to be actively involved in clubs and organizations throughout the year. Please check out the club list below. Students that are interested in starting a new club should contact Ms. Smith at lsmith21@bcps.org.

For the latest updates on the Towson High School Renovation/Addition Project, please click here. We are currently in Phase 0 - Temporary Modular Classrooms.

Research has shown that attendance is a leading predictor of academic achievement and adult success. Students who find attending school important are more likely to attain goals like attending trade school, college, or getting a job. By showing up to school every day, students develop a positive work ethic and prepare for future success by developing healthy and productive habits.

Our attendance goals this year are for students to maintain at least a 94% attendance rate and to reduce chronic absenteeism. A student that misses 10% or more of school days in chronically absent. By missing just 2 days a month, a student will be chronically absent. Use the "Attendance Tracker" and "Parent Tips" below to support your student in maintaining satisfactory attendance. Additionally, we will send parents/guardians a "Weekly Attendance Report" each Friday afternoon so you can track your student's daily and period attendance.

Absent notes must be turned in within 5 days from the student returning to school. Please review the Towson High School 2024-2025 Operating Procedures document ("Attendance" section) for information on Absent notes, including how to submit them on FOCUS. Teachers are not required to provide makeup work for unexcused absences.

Exciting news- You can now use digital payments at concessions! The Towson High School Sports Boosters meetings are the 1st Tuesday of the month. Please consider joining to support our student athletes!

If you are not receiving text messages from the school and would like to, please text “Y” or "Yes" to 67587.

March 31 - Schools Closed for Students

April 4 - MP3 Ends & Schools Close 3-Hours Early for Students

April 14-21 - Spring Break - Schools & Offices Closed

May 16 - Schools & Offices Close 3-Hours Early

May 23 - Last Day for Seniors

Mary 26 - Schools & Offices Closed

May 29 - Asynchronous Virtual Learning Day & Class of 2025 Graduation

June 13 & 16 - Schools Close 3-Hours Early for Students

June 16 - Last Day of School