Panther Post
Pikesville High School Newsletter | January/February 2018
From Principal Reid's Desk
Greetings Pikesville High Family,
I hope this correspondence finds you fully enjoying 2018! It is still hard to believe, but we are at the official mid-point of the school year! With winter break behind us, and, hopefully, the wintry weather conditions that impact schooling, we are fully focused on imparting our varied curricula to students.
Our continued mission is to see more of our students achieving at increasingly-higher levels of success in their coursework and on county and statewide assessments. We remain committed to placing a premium on a daily infusion on reading, writing, and technology with an emphasis on critical thinking, organization, and student-centered learning across all disciplines.
We are soliciting your support in ensuring that your child is diligently staying on top of their studies. Thank you, in advance, for cultivating a home-learning environment that promotes your child’s academic growth. It will pay tremendous dividends now, and in the long run.
GRADE REPORTING
The second quarter ended Friday, January 19th and report cards were distributed on Thursday, February 1st to all students. Our many honor roll students for the quarter will receive a congratulatory token gift from our business sponsor, California Tortilla, along with a special treat from Target, courtesy of a very generous PHS alum who desires to be anonymous. We are exceedingly proud of our students’ notable work that has afforded them this esteemed status. Just around the corner, third quarter interims will be distributed on Wednesday, February 21st you are encouraged to keep abreast of your child’s performance by regularly viewing your BCPS ONE account. Feel free to contact your child’s teachers, counselor, and/or administrator with any appreciations, concerns, or questions.
“Who KNEW?” What’s NEW at PHS for This Second Semester
Our Lady Panther's Basketball Team has been unstoppable! We are very proud of the athleticism, scholarship, and sportsmanship that has been exhibited by all of our impressive sports teams this winter season. Our Winter Athletic Ceremony will be held on March 17th where we will honor our PAWsome Panthers for representing our great school so well across the county in sports competitions.
We enjoy our distinguished alum Senator Bobby Zirkin and welcome his staff who will be facing off against our PHS staff in a highly-anticipated basketball rematch.
Our Winter Dance, sponsored by the SGA, will take place on February 3rd. All school rules apply for this PHS highly-anticipated social event. The DJ has been commissioned, decorations will abound, and an appropriately great time will be had by all in attendance.
We eagerly anticipate celebrating National School Counseling Week beginning on February 5th and acknowledge to work and diligence of our dedicated school counselors Jerry Goldman, Yolanda Howie, and Bridget LaVaute. Naviance details the activities/events that have been thoughtfully planned.
We have had many visits related to our Lighthouse status, and more are planned for early March. We remain excited about the immensely positive feedback our school, staff, and programs receive regarding the high-caliber of work we are doing at our School of Excellence.
Night of Innovation, on March 1st, will be an opportunity for us to showcase all the wonderful learning opportunities that are afforded to our Panthers. Please plan on attending, learning more about the breadth and depth of our school programming, meet our staff and students, and be a part of an evening designed with you in mind.
Our young artists', under the able direction of Emily Hall and Jake Barnhart, are receiving abundant and well-deserved recognitions and opportunities to have their works of art displayed throughout the county. We are chock full of "Panther Pride" at this honor and our creative and talented students' successes.
Educational supplements abound at PHS with informative trips planned to the National Museum of African American History in DC and Model United Nations in New York.
Several of our scholar students have been inducted into our relatively newly-initiated National Spanish Honor Society, as well as the National French Honor Society, under the direction of Heather Corasaniti and members of our World Language department. Congratulations to our new inductees.
Our esteemed PTSA is sponsoring an informative and life-impacting Shock Trauma presentation on Distracted Driving. Our students’ safety is first and foremost and we are honored to exposed students to this impactful assembly. Speaking of PTSA, our next PTSA meeting will be held on Thursday, February 8th in our school’s Learning Commons at 7:00 p.m. We would love to see and hear from you then!!
We also look forward to seeing you at our Spring Musical from March 22nd-24th. It will not disappoint, so please plan accordingly to support our gifted performers.
The next time you are in the building, check out our new digital signage in our portico. It will highlight the very best of our school calendar which is replete with outstanding events and accolades that are continually being bestowed upon our learning community and its constituents.
Reminders
I encourage you to take BCPS' Stakeholder Survey, located on both BCPS' and PHS' webpages, to register your thoughts and opinions regarding our school and system, as a whole. Your opinions matter a great deal to us as we partner together for your child's premier learning experience.
We continue to focus on having the highest attendance rate possible for our students. Please ensure that you and your family stay healthy during this flu season and that you try to schedule appointments for your child after school, if at all possible, so that he/she does not miss valuable instruction.
At PHS, home of Panther PRIDE, HONOR, and SUCCESS, we remain dedicated to cultivating and sustaining a constructive and goal-centered learning atmosphere that prepares students for career and college. Never doubt that you are a crucial component in your child’s successful emotional, intellectual, and social development. We immensely appreciate your advocacy. It has changed our school for the better and is assisting us in realizing our quest of achievement for all of our deserving students.
Yours in Education,
Sandra Reid
Important Dates to Remember
February 3 Winter Dance
February 5 National Counseling Week (see schedule below)
February 8 PTSA meeting at 7:00pm; Guest Speaker James Page, Vice President and Chief Diversity Office for Johns Hopkins Medicine
February 19 President's Day, No School
February 20 Engineering Week
March 1 Night of Innovation
March 6 Winter Athletic Ceremony
March 22-24 Spring Musical
Dates subject to change due to weather-related school closings.
Drug Prevention & Awareness Month
Starting in February, there will be several opportunities for students to participate in drug education groups that specialize in topics from education to addiction. Nurse Merani and SADD are building Partnerships with Sheppard Pratt Health System and Caron Treatment Centers to provide quality education and support. For the last two years, Nurse Merani has coordinated Tobacco Prevention Groups, However, with the increase in Fentanyl related deaths with Marijuana and the rise in alcohol consumption in teens, it is vital that we reach students with education and support. The weekly groups this fall were a huge success. If you would like your student to be a part of a drug education group that meets weekly in school, please contact Nurse Merani 410-484-4795 or amerani@bcps.org.
Pikesville Visual Arts Department Exhibition Celebrations
10th annual High School Exhibition at the Reginald Lewis Museum
Congratulations to Sania Harris, Maliya Parsons and Taylor Freeman for being finalists at the 10th annual High School Exhibition at the Reginald Lewis Museum. Only 25 of the 90 submissions where selected for this annual exhibition. On Monday, January 15th at the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore, the three PHS student artists and their families attended the ceremony. Joan Gaither was the speaker. She was a MICA professor and nationally known artist who creates quilts that tell stories of truth and her personal journey. Our students and speaker are highlighted in the link here. READ MORE . . .
News from the English Department
This quarter, students will be exploring texts such as Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, Night, Macbeth, "The Crucible", and many more. Teachers have been working diligently to craft lessons that make connections between unit themes and modern day issues. Students are preparing for success on PARCC and SAT this Spring through daily reading and writing practice. If you would like to borrow a unit text to read and discuss at home with your child, please contact Erin Haroth, English Department Chair at eharoth@bcps.org.
Class of 2019 News: Junior Prom
The Class of 2019's Junior Prom will be on Saturday, April 28th. More details to come in the months ahead. If you have any questions, please contact one of the advisors, Mr. Doug Kotula (dkotula@bcps.org) or Mr. Ethan Goodman (egoodman@bcps.org).
The Junior Class will be taking part in a Popcornopolis fundraiser in February and March to raise money for prom and for discounted prom tickets. Again, more details to follow.
Pikesville Players present Nunsense!
No, it's not Grease, but it is The Little Sisters of Hoboken and they're putting on a show in the Mt. Saint Helen's School Auditorium. The purpose of their benefit show is to raise enough money to bury the last four dead sisters, currently residing in the freezer, who were accidently poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia, Child of God. Winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Off Broadway Musical in its original New York production, this hilarious international hit was revived in New York with a male cast Nunsense A Men! In 1993, Nunsense was recorded for television starring the late Rue McClanahan as the Mother Superior. Nunsense is a musical comedy with book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Each of the Little Sisters of Hoboken is based on a real-life nun.
You can see these nuns in action when the Pikesville Players present Nunsense March 22, 23 and 24 at 7:30pm in the PHS auditorium.
Tickets, on sale first week of March, $7.00 in advance and $10 at the door.
This production is directed and choreographed by Mr. Doug Kotula, with music direction by Mr. Kemal Robinson and tech direction by Mr. Tedd Wilson. English Department Chair, Ms. Erin Haroth, will guest choreograph and make a special appearance in the show.
The Health Suite
This is just a reminder to allow your child 24 hours to recover at home from fever or gastro- intestinal Illness before sending them to school. Students are still contagious and their bodies also need to recover before attending a full day of school.
Worried about the flu this season? Read these KEY FACTS from the CDC
National Counseling Week
Monday, February 5 Mental Health Tuesday
February 6 Military Wednesday
February 7 Career training
Thursday, February 8 2-year colleges
Friday, February 9 4-year colleges
Yearbook News
Order Your 2018 Yearbook Now:
- Order Online at jostensyearbooks.com. Search for Pikesville High School.
- Order by phone: 1-877-767-5217.
- Order by Mail: forms available in Room 128.
If you would like to purchase or have questions about the 2017 yearbook, please contact Rita Leiby at rleiby@bpcs.org.
Attention Parents of Seniors
Consider recognizing your graduating senior with a recognition (baby) ad in the 2018 yearbook. Order forms were mailed to all senior households during September. If you did not receive a form in the mail, there is a link to download a form on the parent page of the pikesvillehs.bcps.org website. If you own local business, consider placing an ad in our yearbook.
From the Learning Commons
During the month of January we encouraged students to read a book that has been turned into a film. Students should take a picture of themselves and the book (or just the book if they are camera shy) and post the image to the school’s library Twitter site: @PHS_Library and the Public Library (for a 2 for 1 entry!) @bcplinfo using the hashtag #BWELLREAD18.
Thank you to senior Sam for getting us started! A winner will be announced at the end of the month. Students can stop by the learning commons to see a display of possible books to select or check this list of available books. Check out the public library’s site for more info: http://www.bcpl.info/contests
February’s reading challenge will be to read a book written by a person of color. A display will be available for this reading challenge beginning February 1st.
Click here to plan ahead by looking at the challenge throughout 2018.
Mental Health Resources at PHS
An important part of helping students meet their goals at Pikesville High School is connecting them with the best professionals on every step of their high school journey. While only a small percentage of our students receive social work services for school-related concerns, many of our students can benefit from outside counseling.
Outside providers focus on helping students to cope with the stressors of adolescence, so that adolescents can achieve their goals and learn various coping strategies. We are pleased to partner with three local Community Mental Health Providers: Main Street Mental Health, Thrive Behavioral Health, and now Innovative Therapeutic Services.
Each of these providers offers mental health counseling within and outside of the school setting. Students with medical assistance, as well as most private insurance plans, have access to a variety of therapists who are specialists in the field of adolescent mental health.
Students who are seen by any one of our community partners allows our school staff to have a unique team approach to help your child, both in and outside of school. Providers can continue sessions throughout summer months, help with medication management, and also provide family therapy, if necessary. All of these services are offered without the added stress of driving your child to their appointments.
Please contact Ms. Chase, Pikesville’s School Social Worker, to find out which of these providers is the right choice for your child.
WHAT IS RESTORATIVE PRACTICES?
Restorative practices, which evolved from restorative justice, has the potential to positively influence human behavior and strengthen civil society around the world.
Restorative practices builds healthy communities, increases social capital, reduces the impact of crime, decreases antisocial behavior, repairs harm and restores relationships.
BCPS AREA EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCILS
JOINT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
FEBRUARY 7, 2018 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
GREENWOOD CAMPUS – BUILDING E – ROOM 114
6901 CHARLES STREET, TOWSON, MD.
Dr. Melissa Whisted, Executive Director, Academic Services will speak about this topic. There will be a question and answer session. All residents of Baltimore County are welcome.
Pikesville High School Vision
Pikesville High, the heartbeat of our culturally-diverse community, is where pride in our work, and honor for ourselves and others, combine to ensure success in cultivating our globally-competitive students.
About Us
Assistant Principals
Grade 10 and P-Z grade 9 Mr. Robinson, probinson@bcps.org
Grade 11 and A-F grade 9, Mrs. Seymour ashinners@bcps.org
Grade 12 and G-O grade 9, Mr. Carney acarney@bcps.org
Other Important Numbers
Main Number: 410-887-1217
Guidance: 410-887-1219
Nurse: 410-484-4795
Athletic Director: 410-887-1257
Email: pmichalski@bcps.org
Website: http://pikesvillehs.bcps.org/
Location: 7621 Labyrinth Road, Pikesville, MD 21208, United States
Phone: 410-887-1217
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pikesvillehighschool/
Twitter: @PikesvilleHS