Northwest News
Mr. Smith's Newsletter for the Northwest Community
Sunday, September 10, 2023
NEW: This Week's Message from Mr. Smith
Northwest High School Families,
This Monday, September 11, we remember what that day twenty-two years ago meant to us individually and as a nation. The US Congress has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized "National Day of Service and Remembrance." Check out this proclamation from the White House, as well as our MCPS Student Service Learning Hub to explore options for how you can help remember the heroes of the day.
In this week's newsletter, you can find new and important items such as information regarding our Homecoming festivities in just a few weeks, grades 9-11 school photo days, our upcoming activities fair, Hispanic Heritage Month festivities, class officer elections information, yearbook information, ways for preschoolers to join our program, ways to buy our NW SGA Jag Pride shirts, information for MCPS' Girls Summit, the Class of 2024 Graduation Survey, ways to order the Class of 2024 t-shirts, and the athletics and events schedule for the week.
There are some important reminders including an opportunity to join the Principals' Advisory Council, the class of 2024 Family Night, our upcoming Ulysses Parent Night, a call for free store donations, a note about our upcoming Financial Aid Webinar, SGA community photo folder and elections information, parking permit information, ways to join the PTSA and Booster Clubs, a call to support our Booster Club, fundraisers to support our PTSA, the new face coverings policy in effect, the arrival and dismissal procedures, lunchtime expectations, a call for parents to join our parent councils, parentVue resources, College T-Shirt Tuesdays, and ways to buy Class spirit gear!
We thank you for your continued support and trust. Let's make it a great week!
NEW: Homecoming is Saturday, September 30
NEW: Underclass Pictures Coming Soon!
School Picture Day is coming Tuesday September 19th, Wednesday September 20th & Thursday September 21st 2023. Images will be available to view and purchase approximately two weeks following our school's picture day. Save time and Pre-order online here: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001030582#login
For questions about ordering school pictures please email underclass@vosphoto.com
NEW: NWHS Activity Fair for Students
NEW: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations!
This Friday, September 15, kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month! Our Student Government Association, Minority Scholars Program, Paso Fuerte, JagTV, and English Language Development/World Languages Department are working together to celebrate. This Friday, to celebrate the start, we will host a music pop-up during lunch as well as Jersey Day!
NEW: Class Officer Election Information
Freshman Class Office/SGA Elections, plus a Special Sophomore Vacancy Election, are tomorrow, Monday 9/11, in English classes. Congratulations to all of our candidates for taking this initiative to lead our school! Candidate blurbs can be found here. All candidates will have speeches shown prior to voting.
NEW: Yearbook Sale Information
We have a community upload spot for candids. Please upload any pics of your student(s) that may end up as features in the yearbook. Please add names and grades.
Pick up your 2023 yearbook supplement that features spring sports, graduation, prom, spring musical. If you purchased a yearbook, these are included in the price. Pick up in 250 or 261 before school, during lunch, after school until 2:45. Ask for Ms Koutsos.
The 2024 yearbook is available for purchase.
The first sale price is $90
The 2nd sale price is $95
Then the rest are $100
$105 in person at distribution
Senior only can purchase ad space in the back of the book. Personalized ad space is available for sale. And baby pics/quotes space can be purchased for a community page.
NEW: Join our Preschool Program!
Attention Junior Jags! We are looking for Junior Jags to join our Preschool Program designed to provide an environment where children can develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially! High school students are trained to provide individual attention that addresses the needs of each preschooler. They ensure a warm, loving, kind environment with an exciting and adventuresome atmosphere. We are committed to a safe, healthy environment where learning can take place. Students are provided with instruction in developmentally appropriate practices in accordance with guidelines established by the Montgomery County Public Schools.
The program’s curriculum is appropriate for the year before a child enters kindergarten. Children must be toilet trained and 4 years old by September 1. Since many different high school students will be teaching the preschoolers, the program is designed for the pre-kindergarten child who can cope with daily changes and flexible scheduling. Special education services are not provided through this program.
If interested, please reach out to Katherine_S_Skiscim@mcpsmd.org for an application.
NEW: NW GSA Shirts are Back!
The Jag PRIDE T-Shirts are back! All proceeds from the sale go to benefit the NW Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA). Show your PRIDE with your choice of the logo on a black or white shirt. The sale is open from September 11th-27th. Thank you for your support!
Sale Link: https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/41557/354/False/True
NEW: Class of 2024 Graduation Survey
NEW: Athletics Schedule for the Week of Monday, September 11 - Sunday, September 17
REMINDER: Be a part of Mr. Smith's Advisory Council (PAC)
All students, regardless of previous leadership experiences or GPA, are invited to apply. In order for the PAC to be successful, we need a wide range of voices represented on the PAC. Most PAC meetings will be held during the school day through Jag PAWS time or during lunch. On some rare occasions, an after-school meeting may be required. If you would like to be considered for membership on the 2022-2023 PAC, please complete this brief application. Applications are due by October 3, 2022. All members will be notified by November 1, 2022.
Click Here to Apply: https://forms.gle/JU4tcBnS9EzQyKHH8
REMINDER: Class of 2024 Family Night Coming Soon!
Attention all parents and/or guardians of the Class of 2024!
You are cordially invited to attend our Senior Parent Night on September 12, 2023, where we will be sharing invaluable information about college and career choices. Whether your student is considering a two or four-year college, trade or vocational school, or the military, we've got you covered! Our counselors will be on hand to guide you through Naviance and other resources, ensuring that you are equipped to make informed decisions for your child's future. As an added bonus, we will be holding exciting NWHS raffles throughout the night, and the first 10 families that arrive will be highlighted in Mr. Smith's weekly newsletter on Sundays! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to gain insight into your child's next steps to a wonderful future beyond high school. We look forward to seeing you!
REMINDER: Ulysses Parent Night is Coming Soon!
REMINDER: Free Store Supplies are in Demand!
Many NW students visit The Free Store daily. Because of high demand, the Free Store has run out of composition books and spiral notebooks! If you have any gently used, no longer needed school supplies, please donate them to the Free Store, room 264. We also always need calculators, backpacks, and test prep books. We take donations all year long. We will also be collecting donations during Back to School Night. Thank you, NW community, for your support!
REMINDER: SGA Community Photo Folder and Ways to get Involved!
Did you know the SGA compiles digital photos and videos from events throughout the year? Check it out! If you'd like to review media from the year, please click here! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XqgFR8ihedgoVXBxF0JsSem49c8dyDMt
If you'd like to contribute photos or videos, please email them to Ms. Ledrick at Margaret_M_Ledrick@mcpsmd.org or send to the SGA Instagram at @nwhs_sga.
REMINDER: Parking Permit Information
Parking permit applications and payment will be accepted by the Business Office, Room 322, before school (7:25–7:40 a.m.), during lunch (11:11–11:56 a.m.), or after school (2:30–2:45 p.m.). Students must not have any outstanding financial obligations to the school and must be academically eligible (2.0 cumulative GPA with no more than one E) to be eligible for a parking permit. The price for a full year parking permit is $78.00 (processing fee included) payable by cash, check (made out to Northwest High School), or online using a credit card through SchoolCash Online. To pay online, a link will be sent to the student’s school email once the application has been received and approved for eligibility.
During the first three weeks of school (August 28-September 15), students may use any parking space in the lower parking lot. All approved parking permits will be distributed to students before school, during lunch, or after school in front of the Business Office, Room 322, on September 14 and 15. Beginning Monday, September 18, all cars driven by students must display a valid 2023-2024 parking permit and be parked in the student’s assigned space. Cars that are parked in the incorrect space or that do not have a valid parking permit may be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
REMINDER: Join the PTSA and Boosters!
The PTSA and Booster Club are instrumental in providing the school with advocacy, outreach, financial support, and building school spirit for our students, staff, and community. In order for us to be able to support these ongoing efforts, we need our families and staff to join us now! You can join at nwhsptsa.org/membership. Thank you!
REMINDER: NWHS Boosters need your Help!
Are you Ready for FALL Sports? YES! YES! YES!
The NW Athletic Department and the Booster Club want to provide our athletes and fans an awesome experience at each and every home game. To make that happen, we need your help to VOLUNTEER at the concessions stand. Parent and community member support is crucial to have a successful year! If we do not have volunteers, we will not be able to open the concessions stand.
Pick a slot or two or three...because WE NEED YOU! Click here to sign up.
There are multiple sports events to choose from. We want you to watch your athletes compete so please come help at other games so those parents can watch their athletes. Don't have a child playing a sport? Come out anyway. It's a great way to connect with other NWHS parents! Remember, concessions volunteers get into the games for free and all proceeds go directly toward supporting all of our students! Please put the sport/club you represent in the Comment section!
Thank you from your 2023-2024 Concessions Committee!
REMINDER: PTSA Fundraisers are here!
Eat at Tortacos in Germantown on Monday, September 11 and mention Northwest! 15% of sales will come back to the school. Additionally, be sure to purchase a shirt which raises money for our after prom coming in May. Check out both flyers for more information.
REMINDER: Face Coverings Policy is in Effect!
For the safety of our school environment, face coverings may be worn indoors only for health, religious and/or cultural purposes. When used for health protection or to prevent disease transmission, acceptable and effective face coverings are well fitting surgical masks, KN95-style masks or N95 respirators. With the exception of face coverings worn for
religious or cultural purposes, individuals will be asked to remove other types of face coverings (such as a ski mask, neck gaiter, or scarf over one’s face). If the alternate face covering is worn for health purposes, NWHS will provide surgical masks for student, staff or visitor use. If a face covering is needed at school for health purposes, NWHS will provide surgical masks for students, staff or visitors who do not already have access to one at school.
REMINDER: School Day Arrival/Dismissal Procedures/Reminders
If students are arriving by car, they must be dropped off at the lower gym lobby entrance until 7:45am. After 7:45 am, car riders must be dropped off at the upper main entrance. Students who walk to school may arrive at the main entrance or the gym lobby. All buses will drop students off at the upper main entrance. Please note that these procedures are the same for dismissal in the afternoon.
Families, please remember to adhere to the speed limit on Richter Farm Road. Additionally, please do not let students out of your vehicles on Richter Farm Road. We want everyone to arrive to school safely.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 Lunch Expectations
The Northwest HS lunch plan for the 2023-2024 school year aims to maximize available seating options to reduce density at lunch in shared spaces. Students may eat lunch:
In a school hallway (Only on floors 1 and 2)
In a classroom under staff supervision
In the center school courtyard (weather permitting)
If students have any questions about our school lunch plan, please contact the Northwest HS main office at (240)740-7100.
REMINDER: Northwest Parents' Councils Questionnaire
We hope that you and your family will join us for future events and that you will consider becoming a part of the Northwest Hispanic Parent Council, African American Parent Council and the Asian American Parent Council. Please take some time to respond to this questionnaire and let us know how you would like to become involved. This questionnaire has been translated into Spanish.*
Please contact the following administrators for more information about the Hispanic, African American, and Asian Parent Councils at Northwest High School.
Hispanic Parent Council: Nyurka_I_Morales@mcpsmd.org
African American Parent Council: Tara-dee_S_Henry@mcpsmd.org
Asian American Parent Council: Danielle_M_Abdelsalam@mcpsmd.org
REMINDER: ParentVue Resources
What is ParentVue?
ParentVUE provides a way to view all school related information and data for all your students. Register for athletics, special programs, communicate with teachers and verify your student information annually. For more information, please check out the "quick guides" linked below in various languages.
ParentVUE Quick Guides for Parents
ParentVUE Support Guide (link to translated version is in the footer of every page)
Northwest Class Spirit!
It's a long-standing tradition at Northwest for each grade to wear their assigned CLASS COLOR on Pep Rally days! Each class sits in a designated section at the rallies so make an impact for YOUR CLASS by wearing your grade level color and make your presence known! Although participation with wearing class colors is optional, we hope you will join in the FUN!
The grade level colors are as follows:
Freshmen (Grade 9): YELLOW
Sophomores (Grade 10): GREEN
Juniors (Grade 11): RED
Seniors (Grade 12): BLUE
You can wear any clothing and/or accessories in your assigned color as long as you adhere to the school dress code. You can opt to wear clothing that you already own in your grade level color, you can purchase a shirt from the PTSA/Booster Club website for $8: http://www.nwhsptsa.org/shop (available sizes and quantities are limited), or you can purchase a T-shirt in your color at Michael's or Joanne's (the cost is usually around $5) and personalize with fabric markers or paint pens! The possibilities are endless to show your #JagPride!
Class of 2027 (9th Grade): Yellow
Class of 2026 (10th Grade): Green
Class of 2025 (11th Grade): Red
Class of 2024 (12th Grade): Blue
Northwest High School
Email: Scott_E_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://northwestjags.org
Location: 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-7100
Twitter: @NorthwestJags