Towson High School Newsletter
December 1, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Towson High School Community,
Congratulations to our 2023-2024 AP students and teachers for earning the Silver Advanced Placement Honor Roll Award by College Board. Towson High School was recognized with the Silver Award for our college culture (the percent of seniors taking 1 AP course before they graduate), college credit (the percent of seniors who earn a 3 or higher on an AP exam), and college optimization (the percent of seniors that take a total of 5 APs with at least 1 taken in 9th or 10th grade). We will continue to strive to increase access, opportunity, and achievement in all of our academic programs at Towson.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Dr. Kim Culbertson
STARS
STUDENT STARS
To the 857 5-STAR Generals who earned Honor Roll for 1st Quarter.
To the 1268 5-STAR Generals who had 94% or higher attendance for 1st Quarter.
The Boys Cross Country Team for being the 3A North Region State Champions.
Kieran Mischke for winning the 3A North Region State Championship.
The Boys Soccer Team for being 3A State Soccer Finalists.
The Girls Cross Country Team for placing 5th in the 3A North Region State Championship.
Cole Weihs, Peyton Kerner, and Mia Greenberg for representing Towson High School at the Maryland Department of the Environment Sculpture Contest. Congratulations!!
Sean Carter-Bey and Josiah Brion for always staying after art class and helping to clean up materials and tables.
Adam Hufnagel for playing the piano in the Cedar Ave Lobby during American Education Week parent visitation day.
Mr. Olin's Percussion Ensemble & Orchestra Classes for performing in the Cedar Ave Lobby during American Education Week parent visitation day.
Rere Adeoye, Ellie Annis, Toyosi Dada, and Matt Spencer for meeting with BCPS Executive Director, Ms. Sandra Reid.
Lilywynn Holman for winning 4th place in the Creative Lecture competition and qualifying for nationals in June.
STAFF STARS
- Ms. Keller for all the ways she supports the art department.
- Ms. Bissmeyer, Mr. Brotman, Ms. Hancock, Dr. Hobbs, Mr. Marx, Ms. C. McCusker, Ms. L. Miller, Mr. Olson, Ms. Richmond, Ms. Taddeo, and Mr. Worthington for designing and delivering professional learning opportunities for our staff.
- Mr. Brotman, Ms. Petras, Ms. Raley, and Ms. Yelton for designing and delivering sessions for parents during American Education Week Parent Visitation Day.
- Ms. Needer for being recognzied by the National Speech & Debate Association for her leadership and coaching of the THS Speech & Debate Team.
PARENT & COMMUNITY STARS
- Raising Canes of Towson for donating "the bird" for our faculty Friendsgiving luncheon.
- Families that participated in the School Supply Drive for donated classroom supplies.
- Parents/Guardians that joined us for American Education Week Parent Visitation Day.
- Towson Feeder Middle School's and Elementary Schools' Principals and Executive Directors for engaging in thoughtful conversation about equity and meeting the needs of our students and community.
- The PTSA for the fall treats and mugs provided to our faculty during American Education Week.
Fall Play - December 7th-9th
Marking Period 2 Interims - December 8th
On December 8th, please check Schoology for your student's Marking Period 2 Interim grades. Once you are logged into the FOCUS Parent Portal, select the link to Schoology to view grades and assignments. Please access these directions to log into and navigate the parent/guardian FOCUS account.
We have several resources available to support your student academically:
- Weekly Coach Class with Individual Teachers: Please access the Coach Class Schedule for each teachers’ Coach Class dates, times, locations, and email addresses.
- Weekly Peer Tutoring: Please access the Peer Tutoring Schedule for free, subject-specific Peer Tutoring dates, times, locations, and teacher advisors.
- School Counselors: Our Counselors can assist students by providing an additional layer of support. Please access the School Counseling website to contact the School Counseling team.
- Communicate with Teachers & Instructional Coaches: If there is a question about a grade or an assignment, please connect with teachers via email or phone. Instructional Coaches (formerly referred to as Department Chairs) also provide subject-specific support. Please access the Coach Class Schedule for teachers’ email addresses. Please reference the list below for Instructional Coaches' email addresses:
- Art Instructional Coach – Ms. Lindsay Miller – lmiller19@bcps.org
- CTE Instructional Coach (College & Career, Engineering, Foods, Teacher Academy) – Mr. Jeffry Brotman – jbrotman@bcps.org
- English Language Arts Instructional Coach – Ms. Kristina Taddeo – ktaddeo@bcps.org
- Math Instructional Coach – Mr. Brian Tregaskis – btregaskis@bcps.org
- Performing Arts Instructional Coach – Mr. Andrew Worthington – aworthington@bcps.org
- Physical Education & Health Instructional Coach – Mr. Bradley Eastham – beastham@bcps.org
- Science Instructional Coach – Mr. Gerard Filosa – efilosa@bcps.org
- School Counseling Coach – Dr. Simon Hobbs – shobbs4@bcps.org
- Social Studies Instructional Coach – Mr. Scott Olson – solson@bcps.org
- Special Education Instructional Coach – Ms. Lauren Anias – lanias@bcps.org
- World Language Instruction Coach – Ms. Debbie Richmond – drichmond3@bcps.org
Update to BCPS Final Course Grade Calculation
This year, BCPS' Grading & Reporting Manual was updated and one notable change is how final course grades will be calculated:
- For full year courses with a final exam, each quarter (1-4) and the final exam will be calculated as 20% of the final grade. This includes courses with an End-of-Course exam administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
- For a full-year course that does not include a final exam, each marking period (1-4) will be calculated as 25% of the final grade and include the progression of grades as needed.
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For half-year courses with a final exam, each marking period will be calculated as 40% of the final grade and the final exam will be calculated as 20% of the final grade.
For half-year courses without a final exam, each marking period will be calculated as 50% of the final grade.
Social Eligibility for Athletics Events
Starting on December 13th, Towson High School students must meet social eligibility criteria to purchase a ticket to attend athletic events at Towson High School. Students with more than two failing grades on their current Schoology grade report will not be permitted to attend after school athletic events until their grades improve. Students should check their grades first before purchasing a ticket. Also, students may become socially ineligible to attend athletic events at any time due to school suspension, chronic unexcused tardiness, class cutting, and chronic unexcused school day absences. For more details, please click on the button below.
Course Registration for 2024-2025 School Year
Grade 9, 10, and 11 students have started the registration process for their courses for the 2024-2025 school year. This week, students participated in pre-registration lessons in Advisory. From December 4th-December 21st in ELA classes, students will meet with a counselor to select their 2024-2025 course selections.
To assist your student in the registration process for the 2024-2025 school year, please visit our academic planning website. Materials on the academic planning website include:
- A Graduation requirement presentation and 4-year plan template to learn about courses and graduation requirements that students must enroll in each school year.
- Grade-level course planning guides to assist in course selection.
- Department-based presentations, handouts, and videos to acquaint you with our course offerings and course progressions.
- Contact information for our School Counselors and Department Instructional Coaches who are available to answer any academic planning questions that you have.
BCPS Parent University
Upcoming Parent University events
This year, BCPS Parent University is presenting a variety of virtual programs. More information is available on the "Parent University schedule" on the Parent U website. Upcoming Lunch & Learn programming includes:
- Eating Healthy on a Budget, Wednesday, December 6, at 12:30 p.m.
- Can You Hear Me Now? When Your Questions to Your Children Go Unanswered and Your Worries Grow Bigger, Friday, December 8, at 12:30 p.m.
- How to Handle the Holidays Without Your Loved Ones, Friday, December 15, at 12:30 p.m.
Congratulations Boys Cross Country Team! State Champions!
Classgivings & Friendsgiving
Friendsgiving
Classgivings
Mr. Muneses', Ms. Morris', and Ms. Moody's classes celebrating Classgiving in November.
Model Congress Club Competition
Princeton Model Congress Conference
The Model Congress Club attended the Princeton Model Congress Conference in Washington DC, November 16-19th. Students participated in committee sessions where they simulate the process by which a bill becomes a law. We congratulate the Towson HS delegates on a great job representing Towson High School. The Towson Team won Honorable Mention as the Best Delegation! We were very honored to receive this award. It is a great accomplishment as they are up against elite private school programs. Individual Award Winners: Owen Bott-Best Delegate; Rose Deguet Delury- Best Delegate; Jesse Van Doren- Best Delegate; Alayah Miller-Gibson- Honorable Mention
SAFE & DV Program - GBMC
Led By Lauren Hanley, GBMC Domestic Violence & Advocacy Coordinator, THS One Love Students recently engaged in a compelling and eye-opening experience through the "In Their Shoes" simulation game. Throughout the simulation, students assume the roles of characters, making choices that impact their relationships. The scenarios unfold through interactions with dating partners, family members, friends, counselors, police, and others. This experiential approach allowed participants to navigate the complexities of teen dating violence by actively engaging with the various challenges and decisions faced by the characters. This initiative reinforces our commitment to fostering awareness and understanding among teenagers regarding the importance of cultivating healthy and respectful relationships. Video Link: https://wscadv.org/training-kits/in-their-shoes/
Senior Updates
Department Spotlights
Athletics
Recurring News
Calendar Update - December 22
CAEAC Meetings
Colophon Submissions Needed
Colophon is Towson High School's award winning literary magazine. Their mission is to promote student creativity through art and writing. No matter the length of students' artistic journies, Colophon is more than glad to accept their submissions.
Use this link to make a submission to this year's Colophon publication.
Family Resources & Supports in Response to Violence in Israel & Gaza
A Message from Baltimore County Public Schools on the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Supporting Conversations with Your Child
Team BCPS’ heartfelt thoughts are with students, families, and staff members impacted by the violent and tragic events in Israel and Gaza. The impact of violent and traumatic events can be confusing, overwhelming, and frightening, resulting in feelings of fear or worry. Students, families, and staff with direct ties to the area of conflict might experience increased anxiety or stress that could be complicated by information shared on media outlets. Adults may also experience feelings of anxiety or stress when managing emotions and providing explanations to children. Children will look to adults for information and guidance on how to manage their emotions and cope with the various sources of information.
In BCPS, it is the goal to provide an environment that is safe and supportive, free of bias and hate with supportive resources that foster positive learning experiences. Families are welcome to contact the school to discuss their child’s needs, access counseling, mental health services, and additional resources. At any time, students can speak with a trusted adult (i.e., principal, teacher, counselor, social worker, school psychologist, etc.) to support them. The resources below are intended to support families and staff in coping with the horrific events:
- Supporting Youth Affected by the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Tips for Families and Educators (nasponline.org)
- Talking to Children About War
- How to talk to children about war: An age-by-age guide (msn.com)
- Terrorism and War: How to Talk to Children
- How to talk to your children about conflict and war | UNICEF Parenting
- How To Talk to Kids About Tragedies in The Media
- Building Community Resilience for Children and Families
- Helping Children Cope with Trauma (childmind.org)
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News - Child Mind Institute
- Nine Tips for Talking with Kids About Trauma
BusWhere App
BCPS is pleased to announce the countywide implementation of BusWhere, a location tracking software that allows subscribers to see bus locations in real time on a mobile phone or computer. Via the BusWhere app, subscribers may opt to receive notification as the bus is approaching a designated bus stop or if there are significant delays.
On or about October 2, 2023, families of bus riders should have received an e-mail invitation directly from BusWhere to create an account. Watch this informational video to learn more about BusWhere!
Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM)
Student Supports
Students can receive extra support afterschool via Coach Class and Peer Tutoring. Coach Class is offered by each teacher, each week. Free Peer Tutoring is offered throughout the week by students and advisors of our national honor societies. All supports begin next week unless otherwise noted.
23-24 Clubs & Organizations
Towson Clubs & Organizations
We encourage all students to be actively involved in clubs and organizations throughout the year. Please check out the club list below. Students that are interested in starting a new club should contact Ms. Smith at lsmith21@bcps.org.
Senior Information Corner
Graduation - Class of 2024
Thursday, May 30, 2024, 10:00 AM
Towson University, York Road, Towson, MD, USA
Attendance Matters
Research has shown that attendance is a leading predictor of academic achievement and adult success. Students who find attending school important are more likely to attain goals like attending trade school, college, or getting a job. By showing up to school every day, students develop a positive work ethic and prepare for future success by developing healthy and productive habits.
Our attendance goals this year are for students to maintain at least a 94% attendance rate and to reduce chronic absenteeism. A student that misses 10% or more of school days in chronically absent. By missing just 2 days a month, a student will be chronically absent. Use the "Attendance Tracker" and "Parent Tips" below to support your student in maintaining satisfactory attendance. Additionally, we will send parents/guardians a "Weekly Attendance Report" each Friday afternoon so you can track your student's daily and period attendance.
Attendance Tracker
Parent Tips
Weekly Reports
Get Involved: Join a Parent Organization
Opt-In for Text Messages
If you are not receiving text messages from the school and would like to, please text “Y” or "Yes" to 67587.
Important Links
Upcoming Events
December 5 & 6 - Underclass Photo Makeup Days
December 7-9 - Fall Play
December 8 - Marking Period 2 Interim Date
December 12 - Orchestra Winter Concert, 7:00 pm, Auditorium
December 13 - PTSA Meeting, 7:00 pm, Library
December 14 - Band Winter Concert, 7:00 pm, Auditorium
December 19 - Choral Winter Concert, 7:00 pm, Auditorium
December 22 - Online Learning Day (Students do not come to the school building)
December 25 - January 1 - Winter Break
January 2 - Schools Reopen
January 3 - Senior Portraits