Dear Quince Orchard High School Students, Staff, and Community,

What a beautiful weekend it was, I hope you were able to get outside and enjoyed some of the refreshing changes in the weather. For those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, I extend warm wishes for the Jewish New Year. May this year be filled with joy, good health, and prosperity for all who celebrate.

As we continue our academic journey into the fourth week of school, our students are making connections with new friends and showcasing their focus on learning. This week promises to be another fantastic week.

We have the following updates and reminders to elevate in the newsletter:

We have an early release day on Friday, September 22nd. Please mark your calendars. This will provide our teachers with valuable professional development time, helping them to better serve our students' needs. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 pm.

Class of 2024 Seniors and Caregivers, please take a moment to complete the graduation survey included in the newsletter. We need your feedback as we begin to plan for graduation.

Parking passes were distributed last week. It is important that all students park in the spaces marked for students and follow the agreements in the contract they signed. Also, businesses have shared that students are parking near Dunkin Donuts and the Library. This is not a space for students to park and the businesses have the right to tow vehicles.

On Tuesday, September 19th, we welcome parents and caregivers to our first NAACP Parent Council and PTSA meetings in the media center beginning at 6:00 pm.

PSAT Day is right around the corner on October 11, 2023. All 10th-grade students are automatically registered free of charge. Any 9th and 11th-grade students wanting to take the PSAT need to register and pay for the test. Registration closes tonight,September 17th. Don't miss out!

Please know that we will continue to create the conditions needed for ALL students to experience excellence. And never forget…We can’t hide our Cougar Pride!

With warm regards,

Elizabeth L. Thomas

MAP-R Testing (Reading) will take place for all 9th-grade students through English/ELD classes on 9/26 & 9/27. More information will be included in the next newsletter.

Hispanics and Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in MCPS, with 34 percent of the student population. MCPS resources to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month are available here.

Instead of starting celebrations on the first day of the month, Hispanic Heritage Month begins the third week of September each year. This is because five Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, recognize the date of September 15 as the anniversary of their independence. While other countries like Chile commemorate their Independence Day on September 18, and Mexico celebrates it on September 16. Both dates fall within Hispanic Heritage Month.

QOHS Students can also earn SSL hours by creating a Google Slide in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Contact Ms. Burdette: jessica.s.burdette@mcpsmd.net if you have any questions or to submit your Google Slide. Details can be found below.

The Student Union is a club for high school students that provides enrichment programs for students in grades 9 - 12. Activities include fitness and sports programs, arts and music, field trips, and volunteer opportunities. Follow them on Instagram @COGStudentUnion. Ask Ms. Ashman for the registration information or email Mr. Vera at StudentUnion@gaithersburgmd.gov.

Senior Graduation Survey

As a student or parent of a student in the current Class of 2024 please respond to this survey related to the commencement venue selection for the 2024 Quince Orchard HS Graduation ceremony. Your input is important as we explore a variety of considerations for this important event celebrating our graduating seniors. Ceremonies held outdoors will have identified inclement weather backup dates established in advance. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and input with us.

Como estudiante o padre de un estudiante en la Clase actual de 2024, responda esta encuesta relacionada con la selección del lugar de inicio para la ceremonia de graduación de Quince Orchard HS de 2024. Su opinión es importante ya que exploramos una variedad de consideraciones para este importante evento que celebra a nuestros estudiantes de último año que se gradúan. Las ceremonias que se celebren al aire libre tendrán fechas de respaldo identificadas para las inclemencias del tiempo establecidas con anticipación. Gracias por compartir sus pensamientos y aportes con nosotros.

Senior Portraits

SENIORS! Be sure to schedule your senior portrait session now so that you are featured in the 2024 yearbook! Appointments are available Oct, 2, 3, and 4 in the QO Auditorium, but they must be booked in advance.

Students are required to wear formal clothing for the Senior Portrait that appears in the yearbook. They may choose to wear the tux or drape provided by Legacy Studios. Students who prefer a different option may provide their own selection of black shirt, blouse, or sweater – no, T-shirts, please!

Yearbook portraits are free, but additional photo packages that include candid shots and/or students’ own clothing choices may be purchased through Legacy’s website.

Schedule your appointment at https://seniors.legacystudios.com/quince-orchard-hs-gaithersburg-md/. For additional assistance, call Legacy Studios at 716-512-6336, email customercare@legacystudios.com, or contact them via chat at: https://seniors.legacystudios.com

Senior Dues

1. Visit the Jostens Senior Hub to pay your senior dues or to order graduation packages and/or your yearbook and more!

• Senior Dues: $70.00
• Includes graduation cap, gown, tassel, programs and senior t-shirt

Dear parent/caregiver of a Quince Orchard student,

Whether your child is new to high school or moving from one high school grade to the next, the start of the new school year can be an exciting time for students and parents. Whether re-connecting with friends after several months of absence, having new teachers, or attending new and interesting classes, the new school year offers much to be excited about.

We would like to consider adding another exciting possibility, an opportunity to join one (or both) of our upcoming spring European tours. Ridgeview’s travel program has been offering exciting spring European travel opportunities for Ridgeview students, former students, family members, and interested friends for the past 27 years. Since there are no international travel opportunities being offered to students and families at Quince Orchard at the present time, we would like to extend to you an invitation to join us for “one” or “both” of our “IN-PERSON” parent tour information meetings at RVMS on Wednesday, September 20th, in Room 206. It could be the start of an exciting European adventure.

The informational meeting for ITALY and GREECE tour will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This tour includes overnights in Florence (2), Rome (2), Sorrento (1) when in Italy, an overnight ferry from Italy to Greece (1), and overnights in Delphi (1) and Athens (2) when in Greece. The tour also includes day trips to the Isle of Capri and Pompeii.

The informational meeting for our PORTUGAL and SPAIN tour will begin at 7:15 p.m.

This tour includes overnights in Lisbon (2) when in Portugal and overnights in Seville (2), Costa del Sol (2), Granada (1), and Madrid (2) when in Spain. Travelers will also visit Sintra and Evora in Portugal and Ronda and Toledo in Spain.

We hope to see you at one (or both) of our scheduled meetings at Ridgeview Middle School on Wednesday, September 20th (room 206) to share details about our 2 exciting spring tours. Should you have any questions regarding the scheduled meetings or our upcoming tours, please email Mr. Senuta (senutajo@yahoo.com) or Mr. DiMarco at (david.j.dimarco@mcpsmd.net).

To find out more about our tours, you can speak to Ms. Sue Kravitz, the current PTSA president at Quince Orchard. She has a great deal of experience traveling on our tours. She and her daughters have been travelers on three of our spring tours.

Regards,

Mr. DiMarco and Mr. Senuta

Athletics Schedule for the Week of 9/18/2023

09/18/20235:15 PMJV Field HockeyEinsteinAway

09/18/20235:30 PMGirls JV SoccerWhitmanHome

09/18/20237:15 PMGirls Varsity Soccer WhitmanHome

09/19/20233:30 PMCoed Varsity Cross CountryNorthwestHome

09/19/20235:30 PMBoys JV SoccerWhitmanAway

09/19/20235:30 PMGirls JV VolleyballGaithersburgAway

09/19/20236:30 PMGirls Varsity Volleyball GaithersburgAway

09/19/20237:00 PMVarsity Field HockeyGaithersburgAway

09/19/20237:15 PMBoys Varsity Soccer WhitmanAway

09/20/20233:00 PMGolfDamascus, Clarksburg and EinsteinRattlewood

09/21/20233:00 PMGolfDamascus, Poolesville and Seneca ValleyHampshire Greens

09/21/20235:30 PMBoys JV SoccerMagruderHome

09/21/20235:30 PMGirls JV SoccerMagruderAway

09/21/20235:30 PMGirls JV VolleyballSeneca ValleyHome

09/21/20236:00 PMJV Football Winston ChurchillAway

09/21/20236:30 PMGirls Varsity Volleyball Seneca ValleyHome

09/21/20237:15 PMBoys Varsity Soccer MagruderHome

09/21/20237:15 PMGirls Varsity Soccer MagruderAway

09/22/20235:30 PMJV Field HockeySeneca ValleyHome

09/22/20236:30 PMVarsity Football Winston ChurchillAway

09/22/20237:00 PMVarsity Field HockeySeneca ValleyHome

09/23/20239:00 AMBoys JV SoccerWalter JohnsonAway

09/23/202310:00 AMBoys Varsity Soccer B-CCAway

2023-24 Full Year and Fall Season Passes are On-Sale!

Full year and Fall Season Passes for the 2023-24 school year are now on sale through GoFan. Click on the type of season pass you would like to purchase and from there you can select Adult (ages 19-62) and/or Student (ages 11-18). All season passes are good for REGULAR SEASON HOME GAMES ONLY! Winter and Spring Season Passes will be available later in the year.

This method will be the ONLY way to purchase season passes. We will not accept cash or check. All Season Tickets will be sold through GoFan.

Please see this link below!

https://gofan.co/app/school/MD24824

MCPS Athletics Fall Safety Plan

Please Tune into this Important Message from the Student-Athlete Leadership Council regarding the Fall Athletics Safety Plan.

Ensuring safe and spirited athletic and school events is a priority for MCPS. Promoting our R.A.I.S.E. core values and implementing additional supports will continue to be a focus to keep athletic events safe for all participants. Decisions about additional strategies will be made using an equity lens and prioritize safety, while encouraging the positive outcomes and engagement that athletic events bring to our schools and communities. An updated and enhanced version of the Athletics Safety Plan has been developed for the fall 2023 season, and is available here.

Athletic Website Domain Change

Our athletic website address has changed to www.qoathletics.com . Please bookmark this on your computer to see schedules, information and updates on QO Athletics all year!

Please forward the attached flier to family and friends to support the Quince Orchard Athletics Mattress Fundraiser. There will be 30 different styles of beds on display for customers to try. The beds are new, brand name, made to order, available in all sizes, and cost less than retail stores. In addition to beds, there will also be luxury pillows, premium sheets, mattress protectors, and even adjustable power bases!! Visit the Facebook event and click “GOING”, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! SHARE OUR POSTS: FACEBOOK EVENT LINK. Check out THIS VIDEO to see how it works!

September

• 9/19: NAACPPC/ PTSA Joint Meeting - 6 pm in the Media Center
• 9/22: Early Release Day
• 9/25: Non-Instructional Day—No School For Students And Teachers
• 9/27: 1st Booster Club Meeting - 7 pm in the Media Center

October

• 10/5: Homecoming Class Hallways
• 10/6: Homecoming Pep Rally
• 10/7: Homecoming Dance - 8:00 pm
• 10/9: No School for Students - Professional Day for Staff
• 10/11: PSAT Day
• 10/16: QO Cluster MCC PTA Meeting - 6:30 pm in the Media Center
• 10/17: NAACPPC Meeting - 6 pm in the Media Center
• 10/17: PTSA Meeting - 7 pm in the Media Center
• 10/25: Booster Club Meeting - 7 pm in the Media Center
• 10/26: QO Cluster Fall Music Concert - 6 pm in the Auditorium

*11/1 Marks the end of the 1st quarter

Important Theatre dates are below and our Fall Athletic schedules are available at www.qocougars.com.

QOHS PTSA Facebook page invitation

Connect with the Quince Orchard High School PTSA on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100033143782758

Upcoming Meetings

Date: September 19, 2023

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: In-Person(ONLY) Meeting, QOHS Media Center

Topic: Using Admission Tests for College Admissions(see flyer below)

The PTSA and QOHS NAACP Parent Council will have a joint meeting on September 19th in the Media Center. The QOHS NAACP Parent Council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. At 6:30, Ann Derryberry of Everest Tutors and Test Prep will share a presentation on "How to Use Admission Tests for College Applications". Following the presentation, the PTSA will hold their meeting. We look forward to seeing you there.

Membership, Volunteer & Donation Info.

Our PTSA, NAACPPC, and Boosters Organizations are key to our success. This year our amazing organizations are offering a joint membership option that allows for a 20% discount. Membership forms can be found below or at qohsboosters.com and at https://qohsptsa.memberhub.com/store. I urge you to support these worthy organizations which do so much to support our school and help us provide the best education possible to our students. You will find your involvement with one of our parent groups will help increase your student’s sense of belonging and pride in Quince Orchard High School, as well as bring families together!

Quince Orchard High School Tardy Procedures

Being on time to school and class is important because we know that every minute spent learning is helping our students get one step closer to a goal. Learning from the first minute is important. Being on time signals that there is a shared commitment to our collective vision of excellence. Thus, we must collectively work together to welcome students and staff into the learning community.

As a school we are committed to welcoming students into our learning spaces each day. Students, we ask that you read through and follow the parameters below.

1. Staff will implement a “No Pass the First/Last 10 minutes of the Period Rule” within reason. Teachers will use their professional judgment if a student requires or needs a pass within these parameters.

2. Staff will utilize a pass process for all students.

3. The following process will be implemented:

• First tardy: the teacher verbally addresses the lateness with the student and documents in a teacher created log.

• Second tardy: written documentation in the contact log after contact with the student’s family.

• Third tardy: teacher developed “reflection time” is implemented. The timeframe and location will be determined by the teacher. If the student does not attend the “reflection time” with the teacher, the teacher will share the student’s name and prior information with the grade level administrator who will follow up with the student.

• Fourth tardy: teachers will request that the grade level administrator provides additional support.

Together we can create the conditions for all students to experience excellence. Please see our website @ QOHS.ORG or Canvas for bell schedules

As we open our doors and welcome students back on campus for the 2023-2024 school year, we are continuing our commitment to student well-being, safety and security to ensure that our students feel welcomed, supported and safe.

To support this commitment, all students will be required to carry and show their Quince Orchard High School student ID. For the first two weeks of school, students can utilize their ID from the 2022-2023 school year. Once student pictures have been taken on September 11th and 12th, they will be required to have a 2023-2024 ID. Students will need to have their student identification every day so Quince Orchard staff can ensure only students are accessing campus during the school day. Quince Orchard High School staff are already required to display their ID badge in schools.

Quince Orchard High School's lunch policy varies according to a student’s grade level:

• Students in Grades 9 and 10 must remain on QO property for lunch. They cannot leave QO property unless they are signed out by a parent/guardian/caregiver via the attendance office.

• Students in Grades 11 and 12 may leave QO property for lunch. They must have a student ID card that reflects their 11th and 12th-grade level status. If an 11th or 12th grader wants to leave campus during lunch, they MUST show their current year school ID card to school staff. No exceptions.

All students must follow lunch procedures as outlined below:

1. Students have the option to purchase lunch in our cafeteria or bring food from home.

2. Students may sit in the following areas to enjoy their lunch:

• Cafeteria
• On the designated side of most hallways
• In a classroom with a staff member, if given permission and supervised
• Outside near the main entrance, tennis courts, basketball courts, or backfield area

Students may NOT eat in their cars, auditorium, gymnasiums, the Cougar Dome, or stairwells.

3. Students are reminded that when they leave campus and enter the surrounding community, they must follow the MCPS Student Code of Conduct. Open lunch is a privilege. Permission to leave campus during lunch can be revoked.

4. For 11th or 12th graders allowed to leave campus for open lunch, students must:

• show their current year school ID card to check out with staff at the designated exit

• Students may ONLY exit campus at the bus loop/QO library exit along Quince Orchard Rd. (NOTE: this is a change from the 22-23 school year)

• not leave campus or attempt to leave campus anywhere except the designated exit

• not access vehicles and/or leave campus in a vehicle without staff authorization

• Students with abbreviated schedules must show staff their schedule to leave campus in a vehicle

• Students who have been signed out in the attendance office must show documentation to staff to leave in a vehicle

• return to the building and arrive to class on time

• use the crosswalk and sidewalks only

• follow staff directions when crossing the street

• behave courteously and respectfully to staff, to other students, to the public, and to the business locations in our community

5. Students who attempt to use another person's ID card for open lunch privilege will result in the revocation for both students and/or other consequences as determined by the MCPS Code of Conduct.

6. Visitors are not allowed in the lunchroom or other areas throughout the school without permission. All visitors must sign in at the welcome center and wear an issued visitor badge sticker.

7. Students are not allowed to have off-campus food delivered to the school. Any food delivered will be kept by the welcome center and available for pick up at the end of the school day.

The full 2023-24 lunch policy is linked here and is available in the student handbook. Each family should thoroughly review and become familiar with the lunch procedures and policies.

The 2023-24 ONLINE FARMS (Free and Reduced Meals) APPS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

Apply online at MySchoolApps.com (translations available) TODAY! Families are required to submit this form each year.

• Click here for an English video tutorial.
• Vea aquí un vídeo paso a paso en español sobre cómo completar la solicitud de FARMS.

Meal Prices:

• Breakfast: Regular Price (All Levels): $1.30; Reduced Price (All Levels): No Cost
• Lunch: Regular Price: $2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High)
• Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for meals!

Adding money to your student account

• Go to www.myschoolbucks.com and click on "Sign up today!" to set-up a lunch account for your student.

For more information & school menus visit:

Division of Food & Nutrition Services - Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD (montgomeryschoolsmd.org)

If you need assistance completing the online FARMS application, please contact your student’s counselor.

There are three areas available for student drop-off in the morning at Quince Orchard High School. Two of these are in the upper parking lot and one is in the lower parking lot. All of our options are outlined below and highlighted in the maps. Please use ONLY one of these designated areas to drop-off your students in the morning. These areas have been designated as drop-off areas to allow for the safety of students, staff, and drivers while continuing a steady flow of traffic. NO drop-offs vehicles will be exiting onto Quince Orchard Road from the Upper lot.

Upper Parking Lot Option #1 (RED Option) – Entering campus from Darnestown Road (Rte. 28)

• Enter at the top of the parking lot near the Tennis Courts

• Continue straight towards the school (following the Tennis Courts)

• Drop-off your student at the corner of the school

• Turn LEFT and turn LEFT to return to Darnestown Road (left or right turn allowed at the light).

Upper Parking Lot Option #2 (YELLOW Option) – Entering campus from Quince Orchard Road (Rte. 124)

• Entering between the small staff lot and the main staff/student lot

• Make an immediate left into the small upper lot, looping around the front of the school.

• Drop-off your student along sidewalk closest to the bus parking lot and in front of the auditorium

• Cross into the larger lot and proceed towards Darnestown Road (left or right turn allowed at the light).

Lower Parking Lot Option(GREEN Option) – Entering campus through the end of the bus loop from Quince Orchard Road (Rte. 124)

• Be aware of students crossing from the sidewalks to the school and buses trying to exit the bus loop

• Continue down the hill, stopping at the stop sign

• 1-2 cars can continue past the stop sign.

• Drop-Off your student at the sidewalk along the stop sign.

• Turn LEFT at the NEW loop BEFORE the first row of staff parking in the parking lot.

• Continue to the end of that row and turn LEFT.

• After stopping at the stop sign, turn RIGHT to drive up the hill.

• Stop at the stop sign at the top of the hill and then proceed to the next stop sign which brings you back to Quince Orchard Road (left or right turn allowed at the light).

Stay connected throughout the school year with these important links:

• QOHS Website

• Traditional School Year Calendar 2023-24

• Bus Routes: QOHS Arrival, QOHS Departure, CTE Buses

• QOHS Bell Schedules

• QOHS 2023-24 Student Handbook