Northwest News
Mr. Smith's Newsletter for the Northwest Community
Sunday, October 17, 2021
NEW: Real Kids Wear Pink
Real Kids Wear Pink is a challenge to all students- no matter the age- to wear pink on the annual Real Kids Wear Pink day to fight back against breast cancer. This year’s Real Kids Wear Pink Day is Friday, October 22, 2021. Kids can make a difference in the fight against cancer in our own community!
We know that many of our families our affected by other cancer as well, please feel free to wear a ribbon in any color to support cancer.
NEW: MCPS Student Member of the Board Message
My name is Hana O'Looney and I am the current Student Member of the MCPS Board of Education.
In an effort to stay connected with students this year, I am creating short, monthly videos to be distributed. You can find this month's message linked below.
Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/107ZpGNPOOKy3hlwDZVl-WhTE4damlV5t/view?usp=sharing
YouTube: https://youtu.be/dft5edN8Gd0
NEW: Informational Meetings Scheduled for new MCPS "Crown" High School
NEW: Winter Athletics Need to Know
10-12th graders must be academically eligible (2.0 and no more than 1 E) to participate. All 9th graders are eligible. Report cards come out November 12th
Get your sports physical (physicals are good for 1 year) done and submitted before November 15, 2021
Can drop off in Mrs. Tyler’s office (110) during lunch or after school. Not during class time.
Can email to Jody_D_Tyler@mcpsmd.org
Upload when registering
Please use the correct form! The MCPS SR-8 PRE-PARTICIPATION PHYSICAL EVALUATION FOR ATHLETICS with COVID supplement can be found on the NorthwestAthletics.org website.
Must be COVID-19 fully vaccinated in order to register. (2-weeks after your second dose)
Your Parent/guardian MUST register you for tryouts on ParentVue Online Registration. You may need to help your parent/guardian with these steps.
If they do not have their access code they need to email Ms. Veirs at Barbara_Veirs@mcpsmd.org.
Additional information on registration can be found on our website at http://www.NorthwestAthletics.org
Only student-athletes who are cleared to tryout can attend tryouts
Cleared students will get an email by 10pm on November 14th of their tryout status
Emails may begin to be sent earlier, so people are aware of status, but the email sent by 10pm on November 14th will be the one for if you are cleared to begin on November 15th.
No physicals will be processed the day of tryouts/practices
Physicals handed in the day of will be processed later that day/evening and emails will be sent to show approval for next day
You must have received a cleared email to be able to participate
Registration will open on Monday October 18th at 12pm and it will close on Monday November 29th at 12pm. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS/PHYSICALS WILL BE TAKEN AFTER THIS TIME.
Please note: Some teams may have more than enough people to tryout and have to make cuts. It will be a case by case decision if a student-athlete is allowed to tryout once cuts have been made. Please speak with the coach before coming to Mrs. Tyler. It is important to get all required documents in before November 15th, so you are able to tryout.
Tryout Location/Time
Tryout times and locations will be posted on the website and on twitter: @NWJagSports
After School Supervision – if tryouts or practices start later than 2:45pm and you cannot go home you must go to supervision located in the Cafeteria. Supervision is available Monday - Thursday until 4:30. Mrs. Tyler will work with coaches to make sure students are properly supervised.
MUST BRING WITH YOU TO TRYOUTS
Face Masks (bring several)
Water Bottle (no sharing allowed)
Practice clothes (shorts, shirt, proper footwear, sweats)
Team rooms are open before and after school for 10 minutes. Team rooms are not open during the school day.
NEW: This Week's College and Career Information
This e-NEWS Bulletin contains college career events, the virtual high school visit schedule, at a glance and scholarship opportunities. e-NEWS will be delivered to your email inbox once a week. If you ever want to opt out of receiving these e-NEWS Bulletins, please use the Opt Out link included in your email message. Thank you!
Need SSL Hours? The Kingsview Fall Fest is coming on October 23 from 5-7pm and is in need of donations and High School helpers/volunteers. Interested? Sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044ba4af2da75-kingsview1
NEW Job Opportunities have been posted in the latest Jag JOBS Bulletin. View and/or download the latest publication.
Class of 2022!
Drop in for Answers and Assistance with the college application process. Wednesday’s from October 20 thru November 18 from 2:30 to 3:15 pm. Room 126 or on Zoom! Join the Zoom meeting here.
SCHOLARSHIP NEWS & ALERTS: Details on all of the opportunities listed below, including links to apply, can be found on the College Career Financial Aid & Scholarships page of our school website.
Seniors: NEW! Kappa Youth & Community Foundation Scholarship. Male students of color. Apply by April 20.
High school students in grades 9-11: Carson Scholars. $1,000. One student will be nominated from Northwest HS. Request for Nomination due November 8.
Seniors: UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program. Request for Nomination due November 8.
High school students: Veterans of Foreign Wars Youth Scholarship Program applications due October 31.
For a complete list of available scholarships, download the latest publication of our Jag Scholarships ‘Apply Now’ Bulletin on the web. No time to download? Visit the QR-Code Board just outside the College Career Information Center (Room 126) and scan the ‘Apply Now’ Bulletin QR-Code for immediate access on your mobile device!
FINANCIAL AID HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2022:
If you missed the October 6 Financial Aid Webinar, click here to access the slide deck and recording of the presentation.
Financial Aid REMINDERS for the Class of 2022: Applications opened for the FAFSA and MSFAA on October 1. There is a filing deadline!
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) @ studentaid.gov
MSFAA (Maryland State Financial Aid Application) is available to students who are graduating Maryland high school seniors and are ineligible to receive federal aid using the FAFSA. MSFAA application is through the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) MDCAPS (Maryland College Aid Processing System) platform. MHEC is a resource for state financial aid.
Montgomery College FAFSA & MSFAA Days. Help with completing the FAFSA and MSFAA will be available by remote access. Registration begins October 18.
College Career NEWS & EVENTS:
- EVENT: Back#2#School Virtual Game Changer Conference for Families. Saturday, October 23 from 8:30 am until 12 pm. The mentoring conference is geared toward African American and minority students of color and their families. Register at www.TheGameConference.org. Registration closes on October 20.
EVENT: "Walk Into Your Future" Mt. Calvary Baptist Church HBCU Virtual College Fair (608 North Horners Lane, Rockville, MD 20850). Saturday, October 30 from 9:30 am until 4:00 pm.50 HBCUs Expected. Onsite Admissions. Vendors. Seminars. Prizes. Register at yourfuture.splashthat.com.
Virtual College Fairs sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Fairs ongoing throughout the year.
REMINDER: Career Exploration: Legislation & Law Enforcement. A Virtual Career Exploration for High School Students. Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 10 am until 12 noon. Are you interested in exploring careers that help or support animals? Are you a problem solver? Do you like to write, research, or investigate? Do you enjoy crime shows and mystery novels? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you should attend HRA and St. Hubert’s virtual Career Exploration: Legislation and Law Enforcement. $25 registration fee (financial assistance is available). Questions? Email education@sthuberts.org. Click here to register.
Events are posted on the web as they are received! On-Page Quick Links. Select College Career Calendar Events.
THE HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE CAREER VIRTUAL VISIT SCHEDULE:
REMINDERS: The college career high school visits will be in a virtual format for the 2021-2022 school year. Students in all grades are welcome to attend. Priority seating will be given to seniors on a space available basis. Students who register to attend these visits MUST come to the visit location prepared with headphones and a Chromebook. Unless otherwise noted, visits will be in the College Career Information Center, Room 126.
Please follow the instructions below to attend! Visits are scheduled to be about 30 to 40 minutes. Allow enough time to come to the visit location and log in with the college zoom meeting link.
Register for the visit in Naviance so that I have an idea of student interest and who will be attending.
Once you have confirmed your registration in Naviance, be prepared to show your confirmation to your teacher for permission to leave class (print or snapshot the 'View Details' screen.
Register using the link provided below if you have interest in attending the virtual visit. Some of the college URLs may be direct links to the meeting, others will require registration first and the visit URL will come directly from the college/university.
When attending each visit, you will be required to Scan the Attendance QR-Code located on the office door of Room 126.
BRING A CHROMEBOOK AND HEADPHONES!
Monday, October 18:
Penn State @ 9 am. The virtual visit URL.
Juniata College @ 10 am. The virtual visit URL.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland @ 1 pm. The virtual visit URL.
Neumann University @ 2 pm. The virtual visit URL.
Tuesday, October 19:
University of Scranton @ 8 am. The virtual visit URL.
Susquehanna University @ 9 am. The virtual visit URL.
University at Buffalo @ 10 am. The virtual visit URL.
Trinity Washington University @ 1 pm. The virtual visit URL.
Thursday, October 21:
Syracuse University @ 8 am. The virtual visit URL.
Hollins University @ 9 am. The virtual visit URL.
The College of New Jersey @ 10 am. The virtual visit URL.
Mount Holyoke College @ 1 pm. The virtual visit URL.
Elon University @ 2 pm. The virtual visit URL.
Friday, October 22:
NEW: Social Emotional Learning at Northwest High School
Northwest high school is implementing a whole-school transformational process called the Leader in Me, which teaches 21st-century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.
Our school will be conducting surveys to learn more about key areas of strength and areas of needed growth in our school. In order for us to have a holistic picture of what is going on in our school.The family survey takes about 12 minutes to complete and will ask questions about your child and about their experience in our school. You may contact assistant principal Danielle Abdelsalam via email at Danielle_M_Abdelsalam@mcpsmd.org with any questions or concerns.
Please complete this survey by October 22, 2021: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/northwest-high-school_family
NEW: Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month
The Minority Scholars Program has been celebrating Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month with some dynamic student-led projects. We broadcast a Hispanic Artist music playlist over the speakers at lunch, created Mexican flag art in the style of Papel Picado during a MSP meeting and then again during lunch in the front lobby (flags are displayed outside the Media Center), enjoyed facts and segments produced by Jag-TV staff, enjoyed decorations from the NWHSPTSA, learned unusual and interesting facts about Hispanic and Latin countries from a bulletin board display, and finally enjoyed the opportunity to purchase lunch from La Casita Pupuseria. The Media Center created a Hispanic author book display, and the MSP Instagram promoted Hispanic and Latin businesses in the DMV. We are looking forward to learning some dance moves in our MSP meeting Friday 10/15 at lunch and a pop-up dance session is scheduled for Monday at lunch in the gym lobby. We will also have a poster display about contemporary and historic artists, plus another chance to order Pupusas next week. You can follow our adventures through Twitter: NorthwestMSP and Instagram: nwhsmsp
We have really enjoyed connecting our students through culture and want to continue. Do you have some traditions or ideas on how to celebrate through art, music, dance, crafts, etc.? We would love to hear them and possibly bring them as an activity to our student community. We are looking for ideas such as traditional games, styles of dance, and art/craft projects that can connect our students and celebrate our their rich and diverse cultures. Please feel free to share your ideas through this google form: https://forms.gle/QvHac3oC36K2fsoG6
The Minority Scholars program is happy to bring back La Casita Pupusara on Thursday 10/21 at lunch in the lower parking lot of Northwest high school. First 300 students in line with a ticket from the MSP sponsor will be able to purchase 2 pupusas for $5 with sauce. The options will be bean and cheese or pork. Fun fact: It is believed that pupusas were created by the indigenous Pipil tribe, who lived in what is now known as El Salvador over 2000 years ago.
NEW: Dine at Chipotle!
NEW: Save the Date for NWHS Booster Club Silent Auction!
NEW: Join PTSA and Booster Club!
Join PTSA and Booster Club! These parent organizations support all stakeholders at NWHS: students, staff, parents, and community! Visit http://www.nwhsptsa.org/membership for more information! You can also find out more at the PTSA and Booster Club meeting on Tuesday, October 19th at 7:00 pm via Zoom. The link will be posted in the News section of the Northwest website on Tuesday morning.
NEW: Athletics Schedule for the Week of Monday, October 18 - Sunday, October 24
REMINDER: Student Rights and Responsibilities/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 access to these documents in print or digital/printable PDF format. 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 a Northwest administrator.
Please click here for additional information and to access digital, printable copies of each document: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights/ If you would like a printed copy of the guides, stop by the main office to request a copy.
REMINDER: Holiday Giving Project of Montgomery County
Each year the Holiday Giving Project of Montgomery County provides food at Thanksgiving and food and gifts for the December holidays to low-income families. The Holiday Giving Project Coalition coordinates this seasonal program in conjunction with a variety of religious, business and nonprofit organizations. Families can be referred by School Counselors. All Northwest students will receive a paper copy of the 2021 Holiday Giving Form to bring home this week in their 3rd period class. If you are interested in receiving these services, completed forms should be submitted to the Northwest Counseling Office by Friday, October 22, 2021 to meet the Thanksgiving deadline. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. Please contact your student’s School Counselor if you have any questions.
REMINDER: Quarantine Instruction Feedback
REMINDER: Student Opportunity
The Montgomery County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ACT-SO and MCPS have been working with high schools through designated liaisons.
- Students create projects following the appropriate rubric and receive support at monthly seminars.
- Students are encouraged to share projects with a teacher before submission. ACT-SO may provide mentors to students submitting projects.
- Projects are presented at a local competition and are adjudicated by specialists. The mission of ACT-SO is to prepare, recognize and reward youth who exemplify scholastic and artistic excellence as well as develop public speaking, time management and other life-building skills.
Important Dates:
- All ACT-SO applications, short bios (200 words or less), and photos (headshot preferred; selfies are acceptable) should be returned by November 15, 2021.
- Final due date for projects and applications is January 15, 2022. Additional Information . Projects and applications should be submitted via email to actsomoco@gmail.com.
Applications and projects will be acknowledged via email within 72 hours. For additional information contact ACT-SO Chairs Ms. Pat Price (actsomoco@gmail.com) or Ms. Laura Dennis (Ldennis99@comcast.net)
REMINDER: Student Password Update
- Students have been successfully updating their passwords for this school year using the new MCPS Student Password Manager.
- Students (in Grade 3 and higher) and their parents will receive Synergy Mail messages tomorrow, October 1st reminding them to update student passwords.
- Starting on October 10th, students who have not updated their passwords will receive frequent password expiration notices to their Gmail accounts.
- On November 9th student passwords that have not been updated will be automatically changed. These students may need assistance with retrieving their new passwords. November 9th was selected because it falls outside testing windows and marking period transitions.
- The process only takes a few minutes to complete. Here are the directions:
- Student navigates to SPM.mcpsmd.org.
- Student logs into SPM with their current userid and password.
- Student enters new password.
REMINDER: Interested in being a Substitute?
MCPS is seeking substitute teachers! Substitute teaching is an excellent way to learn about our schools while allowing principals and teachers to get to know you. To qualify as a substitute teacher, each applicant must present proof of the completion of the minimum of an associate's degree or 60 college credits from an accredited institution.
Substitute teachers are temporary employees and are on an on call basis. An automated substitute calling system helps you manage your work schedule by allowing you to call at any time, day or night, to find jobs. This system is telephone and internet accessible. The system uses your subject area and location preferences to offer you jobs on the days you have selected and allows you to change the days you work.
Substitute Teacher Rates: Daily hourly rate of pay $18.79- Long Term rate $26.81.
If you hold a valid Maryland professional eligibility certificate or standard advanced professional certificate, the daily hourly rate of pay is $19.97-Long Term rate $28.45. In order to qualify for this higher rate of pay, you must submit a copy of your valid Maryland certificate.
REMINDER: School Pictures
The team at Victor O’Neill Studios would like to thank your school for a great picture day!
We are reaching out to inform you that student images are now online.
Please share the information and graphic below with your parents:
Any student who has not had a chance to order, it’s not too late!
Please visit: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000872010 use your student ID when prompted for the online code.
For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com
REMINDER: Yearbook Purchase and Ads
$80 until 12/3
$90 until 1/31
$95 until the books arrive
$100 in person at distribution
Full page: $250
½ page: $130
¼ page: $80
⅛ page: $50
Baby Pic Ad $25
Deadline: 2/20
REMINDER: Required Measures for Volunteers and Partnership Agencies
Montgomery County Public Schools requires school volunteers and partnership agencies to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer within our school district.
- Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training via their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account
- Background check (dependent upon the type of volunteer service, per the Volunteers regulation and FAQ)
- COVID-19 Vaccination Attestation - NEW!
Beginning September 20, 2021, volunteers will be required to upload their Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination to remain on the volunteer roster.
Please review the Volunteer/Contractor Vaccination Attestation Update for details on this process.REMINDER: Parents, we need YOU!
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.
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: Edward_Pegues@mcpsmd.org
Asian American Parent Council: Danielle_M_Abdelsalam@mcpsmd.org
REMINDER: Extra-Curricular Updates
Our Extracurricular Activities are off to a great start! Here are a few reminders and updates:
- Students should sign in for extracurricular actives in the cafeteria, sponsors will meet them there.
- We have activity busses available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4:30.
- Students can find a list of current Northwest clubs here.
- We held our activities fair at lunch this week for students interested in signing up for a club. If you need help finding out information about a club, please email Margaret_M_Ledrick@mcpsmd.org.
- New! All students participating in an extracurricular activity must complete the Northwest Covid-19 participation form. This does not include athletics.
REMINDER: Student Service Learning Hours Graduation Requirement
Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours towards their SSL graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the 2021-2022 school year, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the temporarily amended guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage (www.mcps-ssl.org).
Please refer to important information about the MCPS SSL program provided below:
Nonprofit-Hosted SSL Opportunities
MCPS SSL organizations and opportunities are tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website
All opportunities (including in-person): https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities
Virtual/remote opportunities: https://bit.ly/VirtualSSL2020
For additional tips on how to search for opportunities, please go to https://bit.ly/SSLSearchTips
MCPS Form 560-50:
Individual SSL Request Form
Used to obtain pre-approval prior to service with a nonprofit organization not listed on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website
To request pre-approval for service, please complete https://bit.ly/SSLPreApproval -- for in-person service, submit this form to your school’s SSL coordinator; for virtual/remote service, submit this form to SSL@mcpsmd.org
MCPS Form 560-51:
SSL Activity Verification Form
Used to verify and document SSL hours after service is completed
Student and supervisor must complete the form
SSL Activity Verification Forms (https://bit.ly/SSLReflection) for service completed should be turned into your school’s SSL coordinator. (Due to the pandemic, SSL forms will be accepted for any service completed since June 1, 2019. Please note that after the 2021-2022 school year, SSL forms will no longer be accepted from previous school years.)
Student SSL Records on Student/ParentVUE
Step-by-step directions for viewing a student’s full SSL record
Step-by-step directions may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLonVUE
MCPS SSL Program Overview
Complete overview of SSL requirements, guidelines, process, awards, and forms
MCPS SSL Program Overview may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLOverview2020
MCPS SSL Hub for Students - NEW!
Find SSL forms, translated resources, SSL guidelines, and much more!
Check out SSL forms, resources, and guidelines at https://bit.ly/SSLHubMCPS
If you have any questions about the SSL program, please email your school’s SSL coordinator (https://bit.ly/SSLCoordinatorsMS and https://bit.ly/SSLCoordinatorsHS) or the MCPS SSL office at SSL@mcpsmd.org. Thank you!
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 $4: 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 $4) and personalize with fabric markers or paint pens! The possibilities are endless to show your #JagPride!
Class of 2025 (9th Grade): Yellow
Class of 2024 (10th Grade): Green
Class of 2023 (11th Grade): Red
Class of 2022 (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