Raider Nation Newsletter

Week of October 24, 2022

It's HOMECOMING WEEK!!!

Dear Atholton Families,

I hope everyone is enjoying the extended weekend. I am so thrilled with the professional learning taking place today with our staff at school. We spent time today reviewing our school improvement plan, reviewing our emergency operations plan, and engaging in trauma-informed professional development. It has truly been a productive day! Although there is no school today, the school is full of students as each class decorates their respective hallways for the Hallway Decorating Contest. Stay tuned to see who wins!!

Last week was full of exciting activities, and one of the reasons why I so enjoy being a high school administrator. I had the opportunity to attend the senior night of our field hockey team as they shut out Oakland Mills. Afterward, the AHS Stand Up 2 Cancer Glow Run was held. Kudos to Carly Merwitz, co-president of the Principal’s Advisory Committee and our Athletic Boosters, for putting this together and raising a significant amount of money (donations still coming in!). That same evening, I also attended the Fall Band and Orchestra concert. I was blown away by the talent and impressed with the hard work and dedication of our students and their teachers, Mr. Posner and Mr. Woomert. Friday night was yet another victory for our undefeated football team as they beat Howard High School. Lastly, our varsity cheerleading competition team took home the grand championship, first place, at the dynasty cheer invitational in Anne Arundel county on Saturday. They placed first out of all the teams in attendance in their division under the supervision of Coach Sydney. I am so impressed with the talent of our students. Great job, everyone!

As we near the end of our fall athletic season, it is time to begin to prepare for our winter athletic season. Please see the important information below regarding winter sports tryouts. Tryouts begin November 15.

This week is HOMECOMING WEEK! It was nice kicking things off last week with our Anti-Bullying ORANGE day and then pajama day. This week our spirit days are:

Oct. 25 – Day 2 – Decade Day (9th – 70s, 10th – 80s, 11th – 90s, 12th – 2000s)
Oct. 26 – Day 3 – Costume Day
Oct. 27 – Day 4 – Dress Like A Parent Day
Oct. 28 – Day 5 – Class Color Day (9th – Gray, 10th – Green, 11th – White, 12th – Black)

Our day on Friday will end with a good old-fashioned “in-the-gym” pep rally. I cannot think of a better way to show our support for all of our fall athletes and to propel our football team in sealing what we hope will be an unforgettable, undefeated season!

Atholton is one of the last remaining schools to celebrate homecoming on Saturday fully. It is a long day but a day full of school spirit! The day begins with the Athletic Boosters’ Pancake Breakfast in the cafeteria. From the breakfast, we then begin our homecoming parade. Our football game is at 1 pm, and the dance is at 7 pm. There are other activities scheduled between the parade and the game that are not officially sanctioned by the school.

Saturday, October 29

8 am - 10 am – Pancake Breakfast

10 am - 11 am – Parade

1 pm – Football Game vs. Reservoir HS

7 pm – Homecoming Dance

We can always use volunteers! Please reach out to Mr. Stuppy at Thomas_Stuppy@hcpss.org if you are interested in serving as a volunteer for our dance.

In light of this celebratory week, I would like to include a message from HC Drugfree regarding a virtual event this evening that I invite you to attend. HC DrugFree and the Howard County PTSA Collaborative Parent Education Group are excited to announce our upcoming virtual town hall, “Meet Your Child’s New Drug Dealer: Teen Substance Misuse in Howard County” on Monday, October 24, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. The event is open to parents, guardians, and grandparents of middle and high school students and will discuss what drugs students are using, how they are accessing these drugs, and what we can do to prevent it. For more information, see the flier at https://bit.ly/3g2TsRX. Registration is required: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TownHallRegOct2022

Please be sure to have a conversation with your child about expectations regarding drugs and alcohol. These items are not permitted on school grounds, and anyone deemed to be under the influence will face consequences in accordance with HCPSS policy. We want students to have fun and make good decisions.

Lastly, as we work to enhance our security protocols, we will be limiting the number of visitors entering the building. We recognize that our students forget things and that parents need to drop off items. Starting tomorrow, we will have a cart located in our foyer where parents can drop off items for students. You will need to make sure the item is LABELED clearly with the student's name. Each period, we will collect the items and have them distributed to students. I want to thank everyone in advance for your cooperation and understanding as we implement this new procedure. You may recall we had a similar procedure during Covid. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Homecoming Week!

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