Dear Quince Orchard Students, Staff, and Families,

I hope you have "sprung" forward for spring by turning your clocks ahead one hour. If not, take a minute now so you are on time and ready to go for leading and learning this week.

We have 5 school days this week with an early release right in the middle on Wednesday, March 15th. The early release schedule is posted in our complete newsletter.

Did you know it is "Music in our Schools Month?" Well, QOHS definitely knows it well and had an amazing week of showcasing their excellence at the MCPS County Festival! Our wind ensemble, A Capella, Chamber Choir, and Orchestra all earned superior rankings at the festival which qualifies them to go to STATES! Congratulations to our entire music program!

Speaking of excellence, I am thrilled to share how awesome it was to have Dr. Monifa McKnight, MCPS Superintendent, visit last week. She was welcomed by our students as they shared their experiences and took her on a tour of a few classes. Hearing and seeing QO through the eyes of our students was powerful. Thank you to everyone who welcomed her to QO and we are truly thankful for her support.

Last week we began our renewed focus on creating a culture of on time attendance and enhanced security. The measures we are taking are to help with both chronic absenteeism and safety. And we are continuing our collaboration with MCPS central office staff, our police partners, and local businesses to support this renewed safety plan.

* We will begin to fully implement an ID check process for students throughout the day. Students must have a student ID on them at all times. If a student needs a new school issued ID, please see a member of the security team to schedule a time to get a new ID.

*We will have a renewed focus on shared norms for our open lunch policy. Our open lunch policy is a privilege, not a right, granted to students only in grades 11 and 12. We have lunch available everyday in the cafeteria and students may bring lunch to school.

* Students must be in class on time and remain in class.

*Students must have a pass to transition at all times throughout the building.

* If students are unexcused tardy to any class, including first period, the following processes will be implemented with fidelity by all staff:

** 1st time is a warning

**2nd time parent/caregiver contact

*** 3rd time all above and restorative lunch reflection

*** 4th time, all above and removal of parking permit if a student has been issued one

I want to be clear that these enhanced measures are not to consequence everyone for the actions of a few. With our attendance rate and ongoing safety issues, we have an obligation to do whatever we can to create a safe learning environment. It is important that we all do our part. If you see something, say something. Thank you for your support and understanding.

This week we have the following events/meetings:

Monday, March 13th, Spring Sports Parent/Caregiver Meeting at 7:00 pm in the auditorium.

Wednesday, March 15th, Boosters Club meeting 7:00 pm in the media center

Friday, March 17th- Speak Up, Save a Life- The Dangers of Opioids & Fentanyl Assembly for all students during the school day.

Saturday, March 18th- Minority Scholars Program Retreat 8:00 am at Northwest High School

Saturday, March 18th- Boosters Annual Mulch Sale 8:00 am at Quince Orchard High School.

Order your mulch now!

Save the dates and more information in the newsletter:

*Tuesday, March 21st, NAACP Parent Council meeting at 6:00 pm and PTSA meeting at 7:00 pm. Both in the media center

*Signs of Suicide Lessons during Cougars Connect

*Our Spring Musical Anastasia begins Friday, March 24th!

Have a wonderful evening and remember, we can't hide our Cougar Pride!

All the best,

Beth Thomas

Principal

Congratulations to the Orchestra led by Mrs. Kirchhoff, they scored all superior ratings on Tuesday, this is the seventh year in a row they have scored all superior ratings! They also hosted the MCPS Festival, thank you for your hospitality to all of the orchestras around the county.

The combined A Capella and Chamber Singers group scored all superior ratings on Wednesday and a perfect score on the sight reading part of the evaluation. Congratulations to the students from both groups who came together under Mrs. Kleiner-Vilgos direction to achieve at the highest level.

The Wind Ensemble led by Dr. Sedatole continued the streak of excellence by scoring all superior ratings at their festival on Thursday! Congratulations to all these talented and dedicated students and directors!

March is Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the lives and achievements of incredible women throughout history – women who inspire future generations to make their own impact. QOHS is hosting the following events in the main lobby each Wednesday during lunch this month and invite students and staff to wear purple on these days: 3/1 - Women’s History Month kickoff 3/8 - International Women’s Day celebration 3/15 - Equal Pay Day 3/22 - Consent Matters 3/29 - Scholarship / Future Day

Nominate a staff member to show your appreciation!!

¡Marzo es el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer! Para celebrar el impacto dinámico de las mujeres que trabajan en QO, nomina a una mujer del personal para mostrar tu agradecimiento. Tu nominada será reconocida en los anuncios de la mañana durante el mes de marzo. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnGL4dsfR1gojKacDdbVYraxhNhwRdYz9Vo80YGyTHhtTxFw/viewform

MoCo Family Justice Center Foundation Hygiene Drive

See the flyer below for details!!

Proceeds will be donated to Deaf Camps, Inc (50%) and field trips for the ASL program (50%)

Order form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKhHGvpcl1C2ORckqCG87yU5QBzgNGKm-XZUqRlpq1cZehNQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Accepted forms of payment:

• Cash (Mrs. Combs mailbox in the front office or stop by 218)
• Check made out to "Quince Orchard high school" in an envelope (Mrs. Combs mailbox in the front office or stop by 218)
• Pay Online https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/29027/354/False/True

Follow this link to view QR codes for order form & payment.

All orders and money must be submitted no later than 3 pm on Monday, 3/13.

If you are interested in participating in this amazing opportunity, please complete this interest form by March 7, 2023. Interest form: https://forms.gle/sBnMq4Fot1i1TbLU6

MCPS/NACAC National College Fair

Save the date! The largest college fair on the east coast takes place on April 18 & 19th at the Maryland Soccerplex. See the flyer above for more info or click the links below.

https://www.nacacfairs.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibtSbgLDbxw

Apply for College Scholarships NOW!

Now is the time to apply for scholarships to help you pay for the school you plan to attend in the fall. Many of these outside scholarships can be received at any university. Don’t miss out on these opportunities - apply now! Click the links below to see available scholarships:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1abz-9cx8m20zN6Wej55kOU4BUhwGsvId?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1D-gIMWpz8ysVekdmybUCgrNQkqV5wTp6sbPiyZEkrHg/edit?usp=sharing

Senior Transcripts

Please make sure that you are using the Google link to request your transcript and that you are submitting your request on time to meet college application deadlines (open link to view submission deadlines).

Transcript Request Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSea7PAtFZcWyKswyC7uRJ0VgPOQARgD1RcfKeGHnwnVWd3_pw/viewform.

Reminder - The 2023-24 FAFSA Application is available now! Please contact Briana Jones in the College & Career Center if you need assistance.

College Visits

We are excited to welcome college admissions representatives to Quince Orchard this fall to share more information about their university with students. Information regarding college visits can be found on Naviance.com. Naviance can easily be accessed through the following methods:

1. Students can access Naviance from their Chromebooks by clicking on MCPS Resources in the top left-hand corner, then click Clever Portal, and then by clicking the Naviance icon.
2. Visit Naviance.com and enter their login information.

View all the QO College Visits here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ao7_Pz2v_nRpbtWqXkC-UT-MENBE7VgH1cFawJf4Mw4/edit?usp=sharing

Find valuable resources and get in touch with your counselor by visiting the QOHS Counseling webpage!

Senior Dues & Graduation

Stay up to date on all the Senior Things:

• Graduation will be held Friday, June 2, 2023 at 10 am, at the UMBC event center.
• Important dates and information can be found here!
• Senior dues are $90. Payment must be submitted by April 30th. Click the link for more info.

For additional support, a limited amount of QO staff members serve as MCPS tutors who help students with content recovery, IEP goals & preparation for upcoming learning in their classes. The best candidates for this program are those who are available after school for an hour 2-3 times a week (provided we have a tutor available).

MCPS provides free online homework help through FEV and Tutor Me, platforms that run through Clever and have 24/7 access. Students can book virtual sessions with certified tutors with or without cameras to get their questions answered.

Note: MCPS tutoring is not homework help. Students can obtain homework help from our external vendors Tutor Me and FEV. These vendors are open 24/7, so they are a great option for students who can’t typically meet with a tutor after school. They can also help across subject areas, whereas our QO tutors only tutor in the subject areas that they teach or support, so a general referral cannot be honored by our in-house structure.

Please contact Skyra Blanchard or Melissa Brown know if you have any questions.

The last batch of yearbooks available at discounted prices is going fast! A limited number of yearbooks is still available at $95. Once these books are gone, the price will increase. ORDER TODAY to have the best chance of getting the best deal! https://tinyurl.com/ds75ads7

Booster Club Meeting - Wednesday 3/15

The Booster club will meet Wednesday in the QOHS Media Center. They would love for you to join in person, but the meeting is also available via Zoom.

QOHS Boosters is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: QO Boosters Meeting (monthly)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81793987085?pwd=N1d5NS8rRGF1S2I3NWUvZUVYRlV2UT09

Meeting ID: 817 9398 7085
Passcode: 213730

Mulch Sale

2023 MULCH SALE DAY!

When: Saturday, March 18th - ALL DAY!

Where: QOHS

Who: EVERYONE!

How do I volunteer?

1) If you are a student-athlete or a club member that has received a grant from the Boosters, your team has been assigned a time slot. Please contact the coach/advisor/club lead for guidance.

• 8am-12pm - Boys Volleyball, JV/V Baseball, JV/V Boys & Girls Lacrosse, JV/V Softball, JV/V Football, Boys & Girls Tennis, Poms, Cheer, Marching Band
• 10am-2pm- Boys & Girls Cross Country/Track
• 12pm-4pm- JV/V Wrestling, JV/V Field Hockey, JV/V Girls & Boys Soccer, Golf, Drama/Theatre, Allied Sports, Girls Volleyball, JV/V Boys & Girls Basketball, Swim & Dive Team, Literary Magazine/Prowler/Yearbook

2) If you are a student that wants to have some fun, join their friends, and get some SSL hours, you can show up!! MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IN AND OUT TO GET YOUR HOURS! - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f48aca62faa8-2023#/

3) If you are a student that fits into either of the above categories AND can legally drive other students, we ask that you sign up as a driver at the attached link. It will just help us plan accordingly. - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f48aca62faa8-2023#/

4) If you are a parent - please consider joining for some or all of the day. We need Navigators for our delivery trucks AND drivers of our students. - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f48aca62faa8-2023#/

5) And if you own a pickup truck, we truly appreciate your time and truck to help us deliver through the windy streets of the Kentlands! Please sign up!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f48aca62faa8-2023#/

Mulch day is a QO tradition! Come out and join us! AND DON'T FORGET TO BUY MULCH AT QOHSBOOSTERS.COM

March NAACPPC & PTSA Meetings

The March NAACPPC & PTSA Meetings will take place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 6 pm and 7 pm. Hope to see you there!

• Hybrid Delivery(In-Person & Virtual)
• In-Person: Media Center at Quince Orchard High School
• Virtual: Zoom Link - Meeting ID: 825 3171 6199 Passcode: 203001

JOIN THE TEAM!

The PTSA needs your help! If you are interested in joining the team please email us at qohsptsa@gmail.com.

Membership Information

Our PTSA 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.

Booster/PTSA Membership Form - Sign up for both and get a 20% discount on the PTSA Membership

Booster/PTSA Membership Form - Spanish - Regístrese para ambos obtenga un 20% de descuento sobre la membresía de PTSA

PTSA Membership Information

PTSA Volunteer Information

Booster Welcome Letter

Booster Sponsorship Form 2022-23

Spring Sports Parent Meeting

The Spring Sports Parent Meeting will take place on Monday, March 13th from 7-8:30pm in the QO Auditorium. All Spring Sports Parents/Guardians should be in attendance. Please reach out to you student-athletes coach if you have any questions.

Spadoni and Rosa Mendez Compete in State Tournament!

This past weekend, Sophomore Harrison Spadoni and Senior Jennifer Rosa Mendez, completed in the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament. Rosa Mendez went 1-2 and finished as a top 12 wrestler at her weight class in the state. Spadoni went 3-2 finishing in 4th place at his weight class in the State. Congratulations to all the coaches and wrestlers on a great season!

MCPS Athletics Safety Plan

Please see the MCPS Athletics Safety Plan in place for ALL athletic events!

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Athletics%20Safety%20Plan-v1.pdf

Season Passes

Season Passes for the 2022-23 school year are now on sale through GoFan. You can purchase Season Passes for the Full Year, Fall, Winter or Spring. 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!

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

Please see this link below!

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

Please contact QO AD Jeff Rabberman at Jeffrey_L_Rabberman@mcpsmd.org with any questions!

Go Cougars!

Saturday School provides academic tutoring and instruction with certified teachers in a nurturing and supportive environment. The program is aligned with the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) curriculum.

The fee for the entire year of Saturday School remains the same at $40 for FARMS students and $85 for all others.

Each Saturday morning, we have motivational sessions that focus on mindfulness and wellness within each center. In addition, students will have two additional hours with the MCPS curriculum (Benchmarks and Eureka) for additional support or acceleration. Each center serves the entire cluster of schools, but students have the capability of attending the center of their choice or participating virtually.

For more details and the Saturday School calendar please click here. Information is available in multiple languages.

To register visit: saturdayschool.org

Stay connected throughout the school year with these important links:

• QOHS Website

• Traditional School Year Calendar 2022-23

• QOHS Bell Schedules

• QOHS 2022-23 Student Handbook

• MCPS Student Handbooks (Rights, Code of Conduct & Religious)

• Arrival Bus Routes & Times 2022-23

• Departure Bus Routes & Times 2022-23

• Student Drop-off Procedures