CLARKSBURG High School
Weekly Message 1/23/22
A message from Principal Edward Owusu
Clarksburg High School Students, Staff, and Families,
The incident that occurred Friday at Magruder High School has reverberated throughout the county. To show solidarity and support for the Magruder HS community, students and staff are asked to please wear Navy and White on Tuesday. Thankfully no lives were lost, however the proliferation of violence and weapons in school remains a factor. Within the newsletter you will find information about our expectations for behavior and conduct. Please review it. Later this week CHS will continue with our regularly scheduled safety drills. Additionally, please welcome our new Community Engagement Officer from the Montgomery County Police Department, Mr. John Gallagher. A long time veteran of the police force, Mr. Gallagher joins the Clarksburg Cluster Schools this past week. You may see him from time to time at any area elementary, middle, or our high school.
The end of the 2nd Marking Period has arrived and staff will use Monday as a Professional Day to begin the process reviewing Gradebooks. There will not be school for students. We recognize students may need more time to complete and submit assignments due to missed school days due to snow, quarantine issues, or absenteeism. As a result, teacher gradebooks will close to students at the end of the day on Tuesday, January 25. Students may submit approved assignments until 11:59 pm on January 25, 2022. Maximum flexibility, patience, and grace are expected of all (students, staff, and families) during these challenging times.
Report Cards will be available in Synergy Thursday, February 3 and distribution will occur in Homeroom on Monday, February 7.
There will be a Homeroom at the beginning of the day on Tuesday to begin the new Marking Period. (HERE is the schedule.) Also, Activity Busses have resumed. Students can catch after school activity busses on Tuesday and Thursday. Busses leave CHS at 4:30 PM.
Its time to register for Spring Sports! Parents may register students for Spring sports via ParentVUE. Spring Sports are: Baseball (V & JV); Boys & Girls Lacrosse (V & JV); Softball (V & JV); Allied Softball (starts 3/8); Boys & Girls Tennis; Boys & Girls Track & Field and Boys & Coed Volleyball. (Click HERE for more information)
Congratulations to our Clarksburg POMS squad who won first place in the 1st annual Springbrook Poms competition. Next up will be the Division III County Poms Championship on February 5. Also a shout out to our Girls Basketball Team who remain undefeated in season play. In fact all Winter Sports teams should be congratulated as they have competed with sportsmanship and Coyote Pride through a most difficult season.
Please continue to use this FORM to report positive COVID-19 cases in students or staff. Any student who tests positive MUST isolate for 10 days (regardless of vaccination status or symptoms). Please view the isolation and quarantine calculator to determine return to school date.
In this newsletter you will find information about the January SMOB Update, MCPS systemwide messages, Information about closings or delays, Seal of Biliteracy, Winter Sports, Clothing Recycling, college and university visits to CHS, and more.
As always, thank you for your continued support and trust. And remember, together we are Clarksburg!
We Stand With Magruder
C'Burg Upcoming Events:
Monday, January 24, 2022 - MCPS Professional Day - No School for Students; Wrestling - Clarksburg at Whitman V 6:15pm / JV 7:15pm (from 1/5); Girls Basketball - Clarksburg at Seneca Valley JV 5:30pm / V 7:15pm (from1/10); Boys Basketball - Seneca Valley at Clarksburg JV 5:30pm / V 7:15pm (from 1/10)
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - Homeroom Beginning of Day; Weekly CIAN Rapid COVID Testing; PTSA Meeting via ZOOM at 7 PM; Athletic Winter Team Pictures; Activity Busses; Final Deadline to submit approved work to staff for MP2.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 - Regular Day Bell Schedule; Girls Var. Basketball - Clarksburg at Poolesville V only 6:00pm (from12/10); Indoor T&F "Polar Bear" Meet 4 at Clarksburg 2:30pm; Wrestling - Clarksburg at Churchill V 6:15pm / JV 7:15pm
Thursday, January 27, 2022 - Advisory Bell Schedule; Credit Recovery; Activity Busses; APPS Showcase - Media Center - 6 pm - 7 pm
Friday, January 28, 2022 - Regular Day Bell Schedule; Boys Basketball - Clarksburg at B-CC JV 5:30pm / V 7:15pm; Girls Basketball - B-CC at Clarksburg JV 5:30pm / V 7:15pm; Boys Basketball - Clarksburg at B-CC JV 5:30pm / V 7:15pm
Yearbook Sales Ending Soon!
Yearbook pre-order and customization orders end 1.28.22. This will be your last chance to secure your book. We will have very limited stock in the spring to sell onsite.
Tribute pages for seniors are also still available, but only until 1.28.22! Once our ad sales close, you will no longer be able to purchase a 1/4, 1/2, or full page personal or business ad!
All purchases and information can be found at our website: www.clarksburgyearbook.com
ELEVEN THINGS TO KNOW FOR THURSDAY, JAN. 20
The ten things to know for this week include information about the shift of 16 schools to virtual learning for 10 days, declining transportation disruptions, substitute teacher compensation, a planned student walkout, maintaining current quarantine guidelines and more.
Sixteen MCPS schools have moved to virtual learning for 10 calendar days. After an assessment of multiple operational and health factors, the following schools will participate in virtual learning from Jan. 20 through Jan. 29. This decision was made with feedback from teams of school-based leaders and parent representatives. The schools will return to in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 31.
The schools are:
- Beall Elementary School
- Briggs Chaney Middle School
- Brookhaven Elementary School
- Clopper Mill Elementary School
- Capt. James E. Daly Elementary School
- Gaithersburg Elementary School
- Glenallan Elementary School
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
- Lakelands Park Middle School
- Neelsville Middle School
- Paint Branch High School
- RICA – John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents
- Sargent Shriver Elementary School
- Twinbrook Elementary School
- Watkins Mill Elementary School
- Whetstone Elementary School
Moving forward, if any additional schools are going to transition to virtual learning, MCPS will make the announcements on Fridays, and then virtual learning will start on Mondays. No additional schools will be announced this week.
MCPS is expanding the availability of virtual instruction. MCPS has committed, on a case-by-case basis, to offer virtual instruction to students who are not in quarantine but have concerns about attending school due to COVID-19. Families interested in this option should contact their child’s school, and the absences will be excused. This option will be available through Monday, Jan. 31, and may be extended.
Transportation disruptions continue to decline. Unserved bus routes have declined from a high of 8% impacted routes to less than 0.5%. As of Jan. 19, there were 12 unserved bus routes (out of more than 1200). Thank you for your patience as we have worked to return to full service.
To address staffing challenges, MCPS has increased compensation and provided other guarantees for substitute teachers. In an important step towards continuing in-person learning, MCPS will increase salary rates for substitute teachers, effective this month. With these increases, MCPS leads the region in most categories of substitute teacher pay. Interested individuals can apply to be a substitute teacher here.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight shared COVID-19 management plans with the Montgomery County Council this week. On Jan. 18, Dr. McKnight provided an overview of the school system’s plan and responded to council members' questions. The session can be viewed here. On Jan. 19, Dr. McKnight and school system leadership engaged in a question-and-answer session with the Council’s Education and Culture Committee that can be viewed here. Topics in the sessions included mitigation measures to keep schools safe, the criteria that MCPS is using to decide whether schools should transition to virtual learning, the importance of focusing on addressing learning disruption that the pandemic has caused, and requests for additional testing and contact tracing support.
Equity Hubs will provide safe in-person experiences for PreK through Grade 5 students in schools that have transitioned to virtual learning. Virtual learning may pose a challenge for families whose children need a safe place to learn while their parents work, cannot access virtual learning from their home or who need a more structured learning environment. The Black and Brown Coalition and The Children’s Opportunity Fund have partnered with childcare providers to establish Equity Hubs as a solution.
Families whose children are engaged in virtual learning can register for all-day child care and support during virtual instruction at one of 103 Equity Hubs across Montgomery County.
Eight of the elementary schools entering virtual learning this week have partner childcare centers and will be registering students to begin on Friday, Jan. 21. MCPS pupil personnel workers will also reach out to families to help with information and the registration process. MCPS will expand these opportunities in the coming weeks to make this resource available to more families who need it. For more information, please follow up with your child’s school. Families who are interested in this opportunity can also contact their school counselor.
Student leaders in several MCPS high schools are planning walkouts on Jan. 21 to express their sentiments regarding COVID-19’s impact on their school experience. MCPS recognizes that the pandemic has dramatically affected students’ educational experiences and supports students’ desires to voice their concerns as part of engaging in civic life.
Students have been encouraged to work closely with their school’s administrators to develop a plan that will provide them an opportunity to express their views while remaining safe on campus.
Please speak with your child to let them know that leaving school property without permission or walking out of class outside of the designated time will be considered an unexcused absence.
All staff, including system leadership, are committed to engaging students in conversations regarding how to improve their educational experience; a recent example of this type of dialogue between Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight and Student Member of the Board Hana O’Looney can be found here.
KN95 masks are being provided for students. KN95 masks for students have been delivered to secondary schools, and child-sized KN95 masks for younger students have been ordered and will be delivered to schools as soon as they arrive. We strongly encourage students and staff to wear them when inside MCPS facilities, where masks continue to be required.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight was featured on a live online question-and-answer session hosted by the NAACP of Montgomery County Parents’ Council and the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence. On Jan. 19, Dr. McKnight addressed questions from the community regarding COVID-19 response, access to rigorous coursework, the antiracist audit, opportunity gaps, recovering learning from the pandemic, cultural competence and staff diversity. Dr. McKnight appreciated hearing the community’s experiences in MCPS schools and committed to working together to strengthen educational opportunities. You can watch a replay of that meeting here.
There is no change to student isolation or quarantine guidelines at this time. Although Montgomery County has revised recommendations concerning quarantine and isolation, MCPS is maintaining its current guidelines. As shared in a community message on Jan. 9, a decrease in the transmission or outbreak of the virus will guide whether the number of quarantine and isolation days may be reduced.
Make-up days have not been determined for recent inclement weather days. There have been four inclement weather days this month, and we will need to make up three of them based on the days of instruction in our school-year calendar. Plans for making up these days will be shared with the community in the coming weeks. The professional days scheduled for Monday, Jan. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 1, will continue as planned.
Seal of Biliteracy Testing at CHS
Dear Clarksburg Families and Caregivers,
Clarksburg High School will offer the Avant STAMP (Standards-Based Measurement of Proficiency) 4S and STAMP WS web-based adaptive tests that assess language proficiency. Avant STAMP assessments measure a test taker’s language ability according to benchmark levels that are based on national standards. Test results will indicate the level of proficiency achieved for each section of the test. Students that participate in this assessment have the opportunity to earn the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy.
The Maryland Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition based on a level of proficiency of at least Intermediate High on one of several Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)-approved assessments in a world language other than English and attaining the English language requirement set forth by MSDE for the graduation year of the student.
Who can test? This test is being offered to current Juniors and Seniors that are currently enrolled in a level 4 or above language class in MCPS or who are native/heritage speakers of the language they wish to test. The test is given at no cost to Seniors. Any Junior that is interested in taking this test, will need to pay a fee of $16.90 payable to Clarksburg High School.
Please click HERE for more information.
Please click HERE for Registration Link.
Note from Clarksburg PTSA - January 23, 2022
“Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Dear Clarksburg High School Families,
The quote above resonates with us this week as our amazing community here is the stone of hope within the mountain of despair that we may be feeling or have felt at some point. We all have faced incredible challenges day in and day out. Some challenges are unique to our own circumstances and some challenges are commonly shared. As January winds down to a close, we hope we can connect at our next general membership meeting to share our concerns and our hopes for the community.
Please click on this link to register for the January 25th meeting at 7pm:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vfu6qpjIsH9Y6-hPSUbz79gvijUvcGKLx
- Meeting minutes from the last meeting is here: Last PTSA General Membership Meeting Minutes
- Agenda for the January 25, 2022 meeting is here: January 25 2022 Meeting Agenda
Please review both prior to attending the meeting.
Thank you to all who have submitted information to the Bus Shortage Impact survey. We will review it with the team and reach out when necessary. Also, as our goal at the PTSA is to, “to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children”, please do not hesitate to share with us any concern or questions you may have that we can shed light on or advocate for.
We want to share the following information from our partners:
On January 28th, the MCCPTA invites all in the community to join in a webinar family forum around, “PTA Engage! Topic: ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), The impact of COVID-19 on children”. The link for registration is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsde6hpz0rHtY6RopiRcWQThACRHEiDeem
The forum will be held once a month and January 28th is the first session.
The National PTA is updating its National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and seeks input from families. Please complete the survey by clicking on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FSPSurvey?fbclid=IwAR3DdlaOyb9mHaPwq8WPyrrXRRaelj5cgBoPBLi2TnltEsg9AnWyn300tKU
We are also working on program plans for the remaining of the school year and would appreciate your input and support. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at clarksburghighschool.ptsa@gmail.com. Also, if you have not done so already, please join us as a member by going to our Memberhub Store at: https://chs-ptsa.memberhub.com/store.
May we all have a safe and healthy week! Thank you so much for all of your support!
Kind regards,
Clarksburg High School PTSA 2021-2022
PTSA General Membership Meeting - 1/25/22
When: Jan 25, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vfu6qpjIsH9Y6-hPSUbz79gvijUvcGKLx
STAY IN TOUCH WITH MCPS
As a reminder, here's a summary of the places where information is posted when the school system announces school cancellations, delayed openings or early closures due to weather conditions and other emergencies.
Door Dash, Grub Hub, and Other Food Deliveries
As a reminder, Students have limited options for lunch, including cafeteria served hot meals, which are free everyday, or to bring their own lunch. Delivery drivers are turned away at the school and when necessary, the food is confiscated and returned at the end of the school day.
All visitors to the school, even those attempting to deliver food, must use the main entrance only. Please discourage your students from attempting to have food delivered at other doors around the building. This creates a significant safety and security concern for your student and our school. Violations of this create a drain on resources and at times have caused such alarm that we have had to engage additional security and the police. Please help us continue to focus on the safety and security needs of the school by not ordering these meals to the school and by discouraging your child from ordering from a delivery service.
Important Reminders from our Attendance Office
Please review these important attendance reminders:
- If a student is late to school for any reason they must stop by the attendance office to sign in. This also applies if a student needs to sign out early with parent permission or parent pick up. An accurate sign-in/out time must be recorded in the system. (Please note: If a student does not stop by the attendance office then anything that the student is marked absent for will stay in the system).
- Please make sure whoever is signing the student out is on their emergency pick-up contact list in Parent VUE & is at least 21 years of age.
- Any notice sent for a student to sign out early must be submitted in writing.
Also, please remember that all parents/guardians and visitors are required to show ID upon entering our building.
All Means All and the Important Work of Access and Opportunity for All Students
STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES & STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
In order to ensure a safe, productive, and positive learning environment, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) publishes two documents that help students, parents, and staff and understand school rules and regulations; the expectations for student conduct; and the possible consequences for violating the rules.
A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities is an overview of the rights and responsibilities students enjoy in MCPS and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students.
The MCPS Student Code of Conduct provides an overview of discipline procedures and protocols and the range of consequences students could face for violating various policies, regulations, and rules. The guide also discusses the MCPS philosophy to discipline and defines the various disciplinary responses.
All MCPS families have received a copy of these documents. Students were provided copies in their English Classes. Parents and guardians are encouraged to review this document with children so that our students understand their rights and responsibilities and the district’s expectations for student conduct. If you have questions, please speak to the Clarksburg Administration.
Ways To Report
Bullying, harassment (including sexual misconduct and sexual harassment), intimidation, hazing, incidents of hate-bias, and concerning issues involving student gender identity are not tolerated in MCPS. We are committed to ensuring our students feel safe, valued, and respected in our schools. Please see the multiple ways you can file a report below.
To file a Bullying Form online, click HERE
To file a Child Abuse & Neglect Form online, click HERE
To contact the MCPS Title IX Coordinator, click HEREHow You Can Report
✓ Contact school principal, counselor, student welfare liaison, or any MCPS staff member.
✓ Contact the Montgomery County Police Department, 301-279-8000.
✓ Submit MCPS Form 230-35, Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.
✓ Contact the MCPS Title IX Coordinator at TitleIX@mcpsmd.org. Reports and allegations concerning MCPS employees will immediately involve the Department of Compliance and Investigations. They can be reached at DCI@mcpsmd.org.
✓ Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety and/or well-being of students. Call 1-833-MD-B-SAFE or download the App.
✓ Contact the Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP) for support. VASAP provides information, referrals and advocacy, as well as crisis and ongoing counseling for victims of sexual assault.
✓ Contact the Montgomery County Hotline at 240-777-4357. A trained staff member or volunteer will provide supportive listening and information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
✓ Send a text to EveryMind hotline telephone number, 301-738-2255, daily between noon and midnight.
✓ Use the MCPS Student Reporting Phone Application (Currently In Development)College/Career Center Update - Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - Friday, January 28, 2022
Clarksburg High School
College/Career Center Update
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - Friday, January 28, 2022
The Clarksburg High School College/Career Center provides in-person services daily from 7:15 am through 3:30 pm. Visit the Career Center website and Career Center on Twitter: @Cburg_Readiness. Join the Career Center Canvas page. If you have questions, contact Mrs. Somerville at Cintonya_A_Somerville@mcpsmd.org. Seniors, please bring copies of all acceptance and scholarship letters to the Career Center or email Cintonya_A_Somerville@mcpsmd.org.
How are you paying for your education? Seven (7) items needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Create your FSA ID. Next, complete an MD CAPS’ account? If you need assistance, come by the Career Center.
Apply to Montgomery College and complete these four steps (Raptor Reference Guide)! If you need assistance with the application, come by the Center before school, during lunch or after school. Additional resources and information link.
The MCPS Historically Black College/University (HBCU) Fair will be held Friday, February 18, 2022 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm for grades 8-12.
HBCU Fair Workshop Series
Free virtual events provide students in Grades 9–12 an opportunity to learn about HBCUs, scholarship opportunities and connect with HBCU alumni.
Saturday, January 22, 2022 10:00am - 11:30am - UNCF Scholarship Information Session
Saturday, January 29, 2022 10:00am - 12:00pm - Overview of HBCU's Seminar
Tuesday, February 16, 2022 6:00pm - 7:30pm - HBCU Homecoming Edition Seminar
Class of 2022, apply to colleges/universities during the On-the-Spot admissions event Monday, February 14 through the 17 from 8 am to 4 pm. Seniors,complete the 2022 MCPS HBCU College On-Site Interest form and video . Students must apply directly to each school admission’s website. Are you interested in On-The-Spot Admission, complete this form? See Mrs. Somerville for additional requirements.
Class of 2022 (12)
2022 Johns Hopkins APL African American Culture Club (AACC) and Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Scholarship (12) - Deadline: January 31, 2022
Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship (12) - Deadline: March 1, 2022
Anthony Richard Tilghman Memorial Scholarship Trust Deadline: March 1, 2022
Montgomery County (MD) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (3 Scholarships) County-Wide Scholarship, MCAC Educational Program Scholarship Deadline: March 14, 2022
Career/Vocational/Technical Scholarship - Deadline: March 14, 2022
Horatio Alger Association Scholarship (11) Need Based Family Income Maximum $55,000. 00 Deadline: March 15, 2022
The ESPERANZA Education Fund, There are no citizenship requirements for the Esperanza Education Fund Scholarship. (12) - Deadline: April 1, 2022
Prepared by: Cintonya Somerville, CHS CCIC
C'Burg Athletics
Return to RAISE Communication 1.21.22
Please refer to the January 21 update for the latest information regarding MCPS Athletics. A Spanish version is also available. The current Return to R.A.I.S.E. Plan is here.
Key updates include:
- No spectators will be allowed in MCPS facilities through January 28 – we will reevaluate again next week, in advance of postseason competition beginning on Saturday, January 29
- No overnight travel through January 30
- Registration for spring sports is open in ParentVue. The vaccination requirement remains for athletics.
- Basketball games impacted by COVID-19 have been rescheduled on an equitable basis across all 25 high schools, to the extent possible.
The latest information continues to be available on the COVID-19 Athletics Information webpage.
Request A National Honor Society Peer Tutor
Clarksburg High School
Email: Edward_K_Owusu@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/clarksburghs/
Location: 22500 Wims Road, Clarksburg, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-6000
Facebook: facebook.com/clarksburghighschool
Twitter: @Cburg_Coyotes