Weekly Newsletter
January 1, 2024
A Message from Acting Principal Anita O'Neill
Happy New Year Clarksburg Community!
I look forward to welcoming everyone back from winter break. I hope you had time to rest and spend time with family and friends. I know the time never seems long enough for any of us.
I feel excited and privileged to join the Clarksburg community as Acting Principal now that Mr. Owusu has begun his next adventure following 30 years in MCPS. I wish him well and plan to continue to build upon the work he led during his time at Clarksburg.
In December, I had the opportunity to divide my time between my principal internship at Kingsview Middle School and Clarksburg High School. In that time, I was able to meet many students, staff and families, and appreciate the sincere enthusiasm and kindness shown to me. As I transition to my new position, I welcome information and support from all stakeholders so that I can best serve our students.
My initial weekly updates will be a bit shorter than previous updates as I migrate regular content and reminders from Mr. Owusu's newsletters to mine. I appreciate your patience and feedback in terms of what information is most useful to the community.
Again, I am so happy to have the opportunity to serve the Clarksburg High School and look forward leading great work at our school.
Happy New Year Clarksburg Family! Just a reminder there is no school for teachers and students tomorrow, January 2. We are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Wednesday, January 3 ready for a strong finish to the first semester.
Important: Principal Selection Process
Ms. Anita O'Neill is currently the Acting Principal at Clarksburg High School. In the weeks to come, MCPS will begin the Principal selection process to result in a permanent principal appointment. As part of that process, Mr. Christophe Turk, Director, Office of School Support and Well-Being, will hold meetings on January 8 to explain the process and begin collecting stakeholder feedback to be used in the selection process. Please see Mr. Turk's letter announcing the meetings and associated feedback links.
Apply for School Meal Benefits
This coming year all meals will incur a fee unless students have are approved for Free And/or Reduced fee Meals (FARMS). Eligible families complete the 2023-2024 FARMS application that is now available online. Here is the link: www.MySchoolApps.com.
Key January Dates
January 3 - Counseling Registration Meetings with students
January 4 - Incoming 9th Grade Parent Night
January 8-10 - Winter English MCAP
January 13 - Maryland State Thespian Festival
January 15 - Martin Luther King Holiday
January 15-19 - MLK Week of Service
January 16 - PTSA Meeting; Winter Algebra MCAP
January 26 - MP2 Quarterlies
January 29 - Professional Day; No School for Students
Get Your Yearbook
2024 YEARBOOKS and TRIBUTE/AD PAGES are on sale for the cheapest prices of the year! Just visit www.clarksburgyearbook.com to make your purchase today! We have a limited number of discounts, so grab yours BEFORE we sell out!
NFHS Network and GoFan
Dear Coyote fans,
As we kick-off the upcoming school year, we wanted to tell you that through our official partners, NFHS Network and GoFan, you can easily buy tickets for games and subscribe to watch live games online for when you can’t get there in-person.
Click this link to visit our school homepage, where you can:
- Click “Follow” to get alerts on our upcoming events.
- Click “Buy Tickets” to get tickets to upcoming events.
- Click “Subscribe” to watch live broadcasts of upcoming events (a portion of the proceeds are shared back with our school!).
SAT Opportunities at CHS
The SAT at CHS
CHS will once again host the SAT on multiple dates during the year. The dates the SAT will be held at CHS are: 3/9, 5/4, 6/1. Registration for these dates should be made through the College Board Website.
College and Career Center
The Clarksburg High School College/Career Center provides in-person services daily from 7:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. Visit the Career Center website and Career Center. Join the Career Center Canvas page. If you have questions contact Mrs. Siyeofori Nwator, College/Career Information Coordinator.
Juniors and seniors must register online in Naviance to attend all campus visit sessions. Please see the link for instructions. Come meet with Admission Representatives from schools you are interested in. Click this link for a list of upcoming Campus Visits.
FAFSA
There are major improvements coming to the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. This redesigned FAFSA form will be available by December 31, 2023 not December 1.
Make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form when it’s available.
Be sure your parent and any other contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account when the 2024–25 form goes live.
The CHS College/Career Center will offer FAFSA completion support sessions beginning January 2024. Specific dates will be communicated.
See this Better Financial Aid Webinar presentation for useful information.
*Note if you are not eligible for FAFSA, you may be eligible for the MSFAA.
SENIORS
Here are links for everything you need for a successful transition into college
Have you completed the CHS Senior Packet? If not, please do so as soon as possible.
Naviance Process:
Colleges I’m Applying to Section (Video)
Link Common App to Naviance (Video)
Visit this link for more information regarding relevant scholarships
Seniors attending 2-year colleges need to complete the Transcript Release Form.
“Crash College to College (CC2C),” offered by the George B. Thomas Learning Academy (GBTLA) Saturday School, provides one-to-one help or a small group session to assist you with the college application process. Class meets every Saturday morning from 9 am through 11 am in the Career Center. Fees are $85 for non-FARMS recipients and $40 for FARMS recipients. Register here. Check out Saturday School At-A-Glance.
Saturday School Fall Semester Topics Include: College Applications, Scholarship Applications, Essay Editing, College & Scholarship Search, Naviance Assistance, Student Brag Sheet, Teacher/Counselor Recommendations, ACT/Sat Registration, FAFSA Completion
Virtual Opportunity, Thursday, January 18th, 7:00 PM.
Bezos Scholars Program: Applications to the Bezos Scholars Program will open on November 30, 2023 and will close on January 25, 2024. Bezos Scholars Program - juniors; U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have received DACA status; enrolled in or have taken one or more advanced course during their high school career (his includes Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and college-level courses); available to fully participate in the year-long program and attend all dates for the Aspen Ideas Festival trip in Aspen, Colorado, slated for June 22 - June 28, 2024; Deadline: January 25, 2024
If you need assistance, please contact Mrs. Siyeofori Nwator, College/Career Information Coordinator
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." - Will Rogers
CHS Website
Our CHS website has a wealth of information related to subjects like attendance, student service learning, athletics and more. Please take time to check it out so you have accurate information about policies and procedures at CHS.