Raider Nation Newsletter

Week of October 31, 2022

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND!

Dear Atholton Families,

Homecoming 2022 has officially come to an end (sad face)! The weekend events were kicked off with an awesome indoor pep rally. Nothing is more exciting than getting the classes together to celebrate our fall athletes and engage in fun competition. As usual, our seniors dominated most of the competitions – tug of war, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, and volleyball. Our freshman class put up a strong fight in the musical chair competition, and our juniors took home the half-court basketball shot challenge. Lastly, hats off to our sophomores who proved too strong in the Hungry, Hungry Hippo competition and who, for the second year in a row (first as freshman), took home the hall decorating contest. What a fun way to end the week! We had a photographer from our picture company, Lifetouch Photography, who said our pep rally was one of the best he had seen! Hats off to Mr. Stuppy and our SGA for a well-planned event!

Yesterday was a day to celebrate with our broader community. First of all, we could not have asked for a better day weather-wise. The day began with a pancake breakfast sponsored by our Athletic Boosters. We all headed to the Hickory Ridge parking lot from breakfast to line up for our community parade. Atholton is so fortunate to have such a strong community connection! Our marching band, JROTC, Allied Sports, all of our classes (freshman to seniors), Parents of Black Students Association (PBSA), the football team, and our friends from Clemens Crossing Elementary School all lined up for a walk through the neighboring community to toss out candy, tee shirts, and other AHS “swag.” So many came out to support our school – thank you.

The last two events of the day were the football game and the Homecoming dance. Our Raiders football’s team undefeated record was on the line. Our boys did not disappoint, trouncing the Reservoir Gators 27 -6. The team finished the regular season UNDEFEATED and enters as the top seed into the state playoffs! Congratulations to Coach Woodson, our players, and their families for this awesome accomplishment!

Our Homecoming dance began at 7 pm, and our students and their guests showed up “dressed to the nines!” For your young men, black was the dominant color of the evening, and our young ladies wore colorful dresses and heels that they soon abandoned shortly after the start of the event (Lol!). Students seemed to enjoy the evening between the dancing in the gym, the Kona ice truck, and the Mochinut doughnuts! Some of them even convinced their principal to get into the fray in the middle of the dance floor!! What a fun night!

Overall, Homecoming 2022 was a huge success. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who helped make this such a memorable event for our students. We could not have done it without you!

Now on to official business; believe it or not, parent conferences are fast approaching. Conferences will be held Monday, November 21 - Wednesday, November 23 (depending on teacher availability). On Monday, November 7, at 8 a.m., ten school days before conferences begin, scheduling will open to everyone at all schools. Here is how conferences will work this school year:

On Monday, November 21, conferences will be in-person only. Teachers will hold all conferences in person at Atholton, and parents may only attend their scheduled conferences in person.

On Tuesday, November 22, and Wednesday, November 23, all conferences will be held virtually. Parents will only have the option to attend conferences virtually.

Wednesday, November 23, conferences will be held virtually as well. Please note that most teachers elect to conduct evening conferences on Monday and Tuesday in lieu of holding conferences on Wednesday.

As the first quarter ends this week, please use this opportunity to reflect with your child on what worked well this quarter and what changes need to be made as we enter the second quarter. More importantly, you do not have to wait for parent conferences to connect with teachers. Just a reminder that school closes three hours early on Wednesday, November 2.

Lastly, a reminder that winter athletics start in a couple of weeks. Please see all of the information below.

Warmest regards,

Robert A. Motley

Principal

Winter Athletics Tryouts Information

TRYOUTS: Participants are expected to be at ALL tryouts beginning November 15th. Practices will begin immediately after teams are selected. Participants MUST have all forms filled out completely prior to tryouts. The last day to submit paperwork will be on November 13th.

SCHEDULE: Click here for the tryout schedule.

WINTER ATHLETIC FORMS: The HCPSS Office of Information Technology has developed a portal through HCPSS Connect Parent Access to submit your Winter Athletics Forms.

Parents/guardians can now fill out required forms, upload physicals and proof of residency documents, and complete the eligibility process just by following this link: HCPSS Connect. Click here for step-by-step directions on how to submit forms online. Forms can be uploaded to the HCPSS Connect parent portal at this time.

• Parent Permission: include insurance company and #

• Physicals: dated after April 1, 2022

• Residency: (BGE, tax bill, water bill, lease) must be dated within 45 days of the tryout date

• Concussion Awareness & Testing: signs and symptoms, sign both documents

• Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA): signs and symptoms

• COVID-19: New release form that needs to be signed by parents and players

FALL TRYOUTS FORMS: If you tried out for a sports team in the fall, all you will need is a new parent permission form indicating sport and an updated residency bill. All other forms will carry over.

PHYSICALS: Wellness visits are NOT considered physicals. Physicals can be taken at the doctor’s office, CVS, Target, or Patient First. Please bring HCPSS paperwork with you. The athletic boosters have partnered with a local Urgent Care to provide affordable physicals. You can use this link to register for a physical. Physicals must be taken after April 1, 2022, and must have a doctor’s signature and stamp.

For more information, please contact the Athletics and Activities Manager, Mr. Senisi, at Michael_Senisi@hcpss.org