Mar 25, 2012 - If you have any additional questions, please email Ms. .... Text Free Driving Contracts: Driving is a pri
Montgomery County Public Schools
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Dr. Nelson McLeod, Principal
March 2012 Richard Montgomery High School
3/10: SAT Administered 3/20: Parent Series-
School Updates Dear Richard Montgomery High School Community: With the start of March, 2012, let me update you on the following:
Important Upcoming Dates:
RM Pride! 3/2:Rocket Early Release Day
Claire Liu, senior, and Victor Ying, senior, were named recipients of the 2011 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement (AP) and each receives a $2,000 scholarship from the Siemens Foundation. The awards recognize one male and one female in each state as top achievers in the AP Program science and mathematics courses. The awards, administered by the College Board, also recognize two national winners that receive a $5,000 scholarship. Richard Montgomery High School junior Jia Gao received two Gold Key Awards from Scholastics!! The Gold Key Awards are the highest level of achievement on the regional level. Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition. Felix Ubiera, junior, won the bronze medal at the Skills USA Computer Maintenance Technology Competition. He will now advance to the state competition. Richard Montgomery High School sent four It's Academic teams to the Delaware Spring Tournament in February. Our A team came in second in the Varsity division, losing on the last question in a hard fought final match. Our C team came in second in the Junior Varsity division. Our B team and D team both came in 7th in their divisions. A very good showing by all! Tanya Shi, junior, is the winner of the 4th annual The Woodbridge Flute Choir Concerto Scholarship Competition. In addition to receiving a scholarship award of $500 to be used toward her future music studies, Tanya will perform the "Fantasie" by George Hue with the Woodbridge Flute Choir at its March 25, 2012 concert at 3:00 p.m. in the Gregory Theater of the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia. Mr. Peter Perry, Instrumental Music Director, will be the NAfME (National Association for Music Education) Jazz Mentor for the month of March. He will offer insights and will be a resource for teachers around the country via the NAfME mentor website. In February, students from the Environmental Club attended first period classes to share a PowerPoint with information about recycling and energy reduction. The following students were involved in the presentations: Jessica Li, Alyssa Hu, Rebecca Deng, Jon Xia, Milka Piszczek, Suzanne Xu, Megha Kori, William McNamara, and Genieve Wall. Any student interested in joining the school environmental club should contact Jessica Li or Mr. Willard. The National PTA Reflections Program is one of the largest student arts recognition programs in the country. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students participate throughout the country. Students submit artwork to their local PTAs. Works are judged at the local level and the winning entries advance to the council, district, region, and/or state PTA levels, depending on the state structure. Top state award– winning entries advance to the national level of judging. Students may submit works in any of six arts areas: Dance choreography, Film production, Literature, Musical composition, Photography and Visual arts. The following are the MCCPTA Richard Montgomery High School winners: Literature, Award of Excellence-Hannah Horng; Honorable Mention—Suzanne Xu; Musical Composition, Award of Excellence--Savannah Du.
Thank you for your continued support of Richard Montgomery High School. —Nelson McLeod, PhD Principal
Navigating Our Kids Digital Lives, 6:30pm, Cafeteria 3/20: PTSA Meeting, 7:30pm, Cafeteria 3/27: Senior Parent Meeting, Cafeteria (either 3:30pm or 6:30pm-chose one) 3/29: Third Marking Period Ends 3/30: Professional Day—No School for Students 4/2 - 4/5: Spring Break 4/6 & 4/9: Holiday, Easter 4/12: Report Card Distribution 4/13 , 4/14, 4/20, 4/21: The Secret Garden, Auditorium, 7:00pm 4/14: ACT Administered 4/17: Parent SeriesVolunteer Options Before College, 6:30pm, Cafeteria 4/17: PTSA Meeting, 7:30pm, Cafeteria 4/18: Senior Banquet 5/5: SAT Administered 5/15: Parent Series-College Life, 6:30pm, Cafeteria 5/15: PTSA Meeting, 7:30pm, Cafeteria 5/16: RMHS Student Awards Night, Auditorium 5/18: RMHS Prom, Rockville Hilton 5/25: Last day for seniors 5/28:: Holiday—Memorial Day 6/2: SAT Administered 6/8: Graduation, 10:00am, DAR Constitution Hall, no school for students
Included in this Issue: School Updates Maintaining a Positive School Environment Seniors “Class of 2012” 2012 Spring Forums Athletics Updates Health Room Information SOS: Safe or Sorry? 2012 Mulch Sale
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Maintaining a Positive School Environment Richard Montgomery High School is dedicated to best practices that support a positive school environment for all students. During the month of March, the following announcements were featured on RMBC. Please review this information with your child. Use of MCPS Computers Students should be aware that all MCPS computers are only to be used for academic and school approved purposes. Students who by pass MCPS filters by accessing proxy sites in order to access their FaceBook page will be subject to losing their computer access in addition to other possible school consequences. Inappropriate use of school computers can lead to loss of computer privileges, restitution, suspension, expulsion, and police referral depending on the severity of the incident. Please protect yourself by not giving your computer password to any other students. MCPS monitors student use of school computers and students are held accountable for actions taken under their username/password. FaceBook Think before you post a message on FaceBook! Did you know that posting negative, bullying, or harassing messages on FaceBook could cause you to face school consequences? Anything you post on FaceBook becomes part of public record and can be used against you if what you posted about someone else is seen as intentional bullying or harassment and carries over into the school building. Videotaping and Photography Laws Invasion of privacy which means the intentional intrusion into the private life or affairs of another person can be a civil issue. If you violate a person's right to privacy and cause injury, then that person might be entitled to sue you to recover damages. Photographing or videotaping a person without their knowledge or consent may subject you to a lawsuit for invasion of privacy. Students should not be using cell phones to videotape or take pictures of other students or staff without their knowledge or prior consent. Students who are found videotaping or taking pictures of staff or students without their prior knowledge may face school as well as police consequences for their actions.
In Her Own Words by Marcy Fine Marcy Fine is an English teacher at Richard Montgomery who recently traveled to Haiti to help with two projects – training teachers and students to use a computerized English language instruction program and delivering a water purification system to prevent cholera and other waterborne illnesses. ———————————————“The most shocking thing about Haiti is how it keeps defying your expectations and leaving you without the words to describe what you’ve experienced. As an English teacher, I try to teach students the power of language. Haiti left me in the rare position of being unable to find words to adequately convey what I saw and felt. In Port-au-Prince, the poverty and living conditions are literally unimaginable. People living – for more than two years now – in sheds the size of one of my closets constructed of plastic tarps and pieces of plywood or metal leaned against each other and tied into place with rope. Electricity comes only if you can engineer a way to siphon some power off of one of the few working power lines or if you run a Page 2
generator hooked up to several car batteries. And the schools we visited lack even the most basic supplies, much less computerized Promethean boards. But the poverty and devastation from the earthquake and years of political instability only tells part of the story. The people I met dream of a better future for themselves and their children. The students I met walk hours each day for the privilege of going to school in order to have opportunities to improve their lives and communities. The countryside and coastline are staggeringly beautiful, something that shouldn’t be surprising, as Haiti is a tropical island. But the images we see often ignore the nation’s natural beauty and, oddly enough, the Haitian people themselves. I would not have had the privilege of getting beyond this one-dimensional view of Haiti had I not stepped outside of my comfortable world to experience something unique. In short, this trip reaffirmed my belief in the importance of traveling and seeing the world from a different perspective. And the idea that if you can give back while you’re having an adventure, all the better.” PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Seniors “Class of 2012” The following is an update on important dates for seniors. Additional information will be posted on the school website: Senior Fees Senior fees are $50.00. The deadline for paying senior fees is Friday, May 4, 2012.
(payable to RMHS) and money order will be accepted starting Monday, April 30, 2012. All bus tickets can be purchased from Ms. Amy Weaver. Any questions you have regarding the buses, should be directed to Ms. Weaver. Tickets will not be sold prior to April 30th or after the May 25th deadline.
Senior Panoramic Photo On Friday, February 24, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. the senior panoramic photo was taken in the Richard Montgomery High School gym. Order forms for the picture are available in the main office.
Diploma Cards Any senior planning on graduating in June 2012 who has not completed and turned in a diploma card to Ms. Goodman, registrar, must do so no later than Friday, March 16, 2012. Diploma cards are available in the registrar’s office.
Extra Ticket Requests All students participating in graduation must submit a request for tickets, using the form which was mailed on November 28, 2011. Ticket order forms were due to the main office no later than Friday, December 23, 2011. All students are allocated five tickets for graduation. Only additional ticket requests that were turned in prior to December 23, 2011 will receive consideration. Notification to seniors and their families of honored additional ticket requests will be made the week of May 29, 2012.
Student Graduation Speaker An informational meeting for students interested in auditioning for student graduation speaker was held on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. If you were unable to attend the meeting, additional information is available in the main office or by seeing Ms. Weaver in Room 45. Taped auditions will be held on Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 13. The decision to determine the graduation student speakers will be made no later than Friday, March 30, 2012.
Spring Parent Meeting If you were not able to attend the Fall meeting, the next senior parent meeting will be Tuesday, March 27, 2012 in the Richard Montgomery cafeteria. You may choose to attend at either 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Senior Banquet The senior banquet will be held at the Lakewood Country Club on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. Tickets will be sold beginning the week of March 19, 2012 at a cost of $30 per person.
Check our website under senior information for a complete schedule of deadlines and events. If you have any additional questions, please email Ms. Weaver (
[email protected]), graduation coordinator, or Mr. Joshua Neuman-Sunshine (
[email protected]), assistant principal.
Graduation Bus There will be 157 coach bus tickets available for purchase starting Monday, April 30 through Friday, May 25. Once the tickets have sold out, an announcement will be posted on the Richard Montgomery website. All bus riders will pay $25.00 per ticket. Cash, check
Superintendent’s 2012 Spring Forums Superintendent Joshua Starr has announced dates and locations for four forums he will hold in the spring to discuss issues that came up frequently during his Listen and Learn sessions from the fall. The forums will center around four topics—English language learners, gifted education, special education and social and emotional learning. They will provide an opportunity for the community to hear about the latest trends and research, find out what is happening in our schools and share thoughts with Dr. Starr and guest panelists. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
The spring forums have been scheduled as follows: Monday, March 12, John F. Kennedy High School, English language learners Thursday, March 22, Col. Zadok Magruder High School, gifted education Monday, April 16, Seneca Valley High School, special education Thursday, May 10, Walt Whitman High School, social and emotional learning All events will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Page 3
Sports/Athletics Updates The following 2011 Richard Montgomery High School Fall Sports teams won Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Sportsmanship Awards. The awards are displayed by the gym: * * * * *
Football Field Hockey Golf Girls Soccer Girls Volleyball
Last chance…... To order a 2012 Richard Montgomery High School yearbook! Price: $95.00
Congratulations to the Swim Team for winning the Division for Division II. Congratulations to the Richard Montgomery High School Poms for finishing third place in the MCPS Division II County Competition. Captain Ariel Winton, senior, won 3rd Place for the Captain Award in Division II. Upcoming Dates: Winter Awards Night – Thursday, March 8, 7:00 p.m.
Order forms for the yearbook are in the main office and the media center. Complete order forms with payment should be placed in the box in the main office/or media center. Students/parents can purchase online at www.jostensyearbooks.com If you have additional questions, please contact Ms. Barbara Contino, yearbook sponsor, at
[email protected].
Dodgeball Night Fundraiser – Friday, March 9, 2012 Spring Potluck/Parent March 15. 2012
Meetings
–
Thursday,
Mulch Sale – Saturday, March 24, 2012 RM/JW Cluster Staff Basketball Game – Thursday, March 29, 2012 Spring Sports Try-Outs began on Thursday, March 1: Baseball, Softball, Boys/Girls Lacrosse, Track & Field, Boys Tennis, Boys Volleyball & Coed Volleyball Please visit www.rocketathletics.org for all of your RM Athletics news, updates, schedules, rosters, scores, important dates, forms and more! Follow RM @RocketsAD
Athletics
on
Twitter:
Save the date….
RMHS Awards Night When:
Wednesday May 16, 2012
Time:
7:30 p.m.
Where:
Auditorium
Health Room Information Mary Caliguiri, School Community Health Nurse, Montgomery County Health Department Beth Grimmett, School Health Room Aide, Montgomery County Health Department Services: Immediate First Aid Emergency Care Disease Prevention Student Support Group Case Management Heath Care referrals, etc Page 4
School Medication: Health Room can distribute to students, but a doctor’s note is required. The label on the medication bottle must match the doctor’s order. The MCPS doctor’s order form 525-13 must be filled out in by the doctor and the parent in advance. This form can be obtained in the Health Room or on the MCPS website. Office Hours:
7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Telephone: 301-610-8015 PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Student Safety Educational Campaign—SOS: Safe or Sorry? Richard Montgomery High School officially began our SOS (Safe or Sorry?) No Texting While Driving campaign on Friday, February 24, 2012. Our hope with this campaign is to promote awareness about the risks inherent in texting while driving so that: Students will have a better understanding of the risks associated with distracted driving. Teen drivers will gain a perspective in recognizing unsafe driving situations and selecting the correct response or reaction. Students learn to be responsible for themselves and to use their best judgments
Phone Apps To Monitor Texting and Driving: New technology allows parents to monitor speed and texting while teen drivers are in their cars. Wearable Reminders: Provide wearable reminders such as thumb bands or wrist bands with an anti-texting and driving message to remind them of the dangers associated with texting and driving.
———————————————-
Be A Role Model: Teens who see their parents text while driving are more apt to repeat the same behavior. Teens learn from a parent’s example and pick up the same habits as their parents - both good and bad. Put your phone away every time you get in the car and never text and drive unless you want your teen driver to do the same.
Background Information:
Educational Campaign
Texting is of heightened concern because it combines three types of distraction – visual, taking the eyes off the road; manual, taking the hands off the wheel; and cognitive, taking the mind off the road. Richard Montgomery High School is focusing on changing the behavior of student drivers. We are also encouraging teens to share the message with their parents and other people they see texting while on the road. A teen’s primary source of communication with friends is through texting, so getting them to put the phone down while in the car requires a real change of behavior.
We are conducting a texting and driving awareness campaign at school and we would like all parents to sitdown and discuss this important issue with your teens. It is a conversation that could save their life! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009, nearly 5,500 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver, and almost 450,000 were injured. Sadly, the greatest offenders of distracted driving are the youngest and least-experienced drivers: men and women under 20 years of age. In fact, in a recent NHTSA study, the under-20 age group had the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes (16%).
Texting while driving is a current issue that was identified as an area where our students need to be provided education and awareness.
Did you know motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, more than homicide and suicide combined? I know we all talk to our teens about not drinking and driving and wearing their seat belts, but keeping our children safe behind the wheel also includes talking to them about not texting while driving. Top 5 Ways To Stop Your Teen From Texting And Driving: Talk to them: Teens feel invincible and indestructible and often do not realize the dangers involved with texting and driving. They do not understand the risks or know the statistics of how many teens are killed and seriously injured each year due to texting and driving.
Unfortunately, texting is one of the most dangerous of all distractions. As you know, it’s nearly impossible to text while keeping your eyes and mind on the road and hands on the wheel at all times. According to the CTIA, The Wireless Association, an estimated 110 BILLION text messages were sent each month in 2008. Not surprisingly, young drivers ages 16-to-20 text more than any other age group and the numbers are only increasing! In February, we began giving juniors and seniors “JST DRV” thumb bands to wear as a reminder of their commitment to safe behaviors behind the wheel of a car. As we approach prom, there are several activities planned each month.
Text Free Driving Contracts: Driving is a privilege that is earned by following the rules laid down by parents. One of the biggest rules should be no texting while driving and every teen should sign a text free driving pledge to show they’ve committed to being a text free driver.
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
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College Enrollment Initiative Career and College Information Center Updates:
Mock SAT and ACT Tests:
Register for the SAT or ACT soon! If you are a junior and planning on taking an SAT or ACT by the end of this year (which is highly recommended), please register as soon as possible. The SAT will be given on Saturday, May 5, and Saturday, June 2, 2012, and the ACT will be given on Saturday, April 14, and Saturday, June 9, 2012. Registration deadlines vary; however, the sooner you register the more likely you are to reserve a seat at the test center of your choice.
Attention Juniors: Register now for practice SAT and ACT Tests. Revolution Prep is administering mock tests for the SAT and ACT on Saturday, March 24, and Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Richard Montgomery High School.
The end-of-the year test dates are very popular and fill up quickly. Some students who have waited until the last minute to register have had to travel to Arlington, Virginia or Frederick, Maryland to take the test. You can register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.org and you can register for the ACT at www.actstudent.org. Fee waivers are available in the Richard Montgomery High School Career Center for both of these tests. Just a reminder that Maryland residents needed to file their FAFSA by Thursday, March 1, 2012, in order to qualify for money from the State of Maryland. Your 2011 taxes do not have to be completed in order to file the FAFSA for the 2012-2013 school year! You can still file the FAFSA after March 1 but the state may not have any money to give, so go to www.fafsa.gov as soon as possible and file your FAFSA. Remember, if you are on a website completing your FAFSA and they ask for a credit card number, you are on the wrong website! If you have questions, please contact Ms. Mary Hull, career and college information coordinator, at 301-610-8064 or email her at
[email protected].
Students should register online at http:// www.revolutionprep.com/test-prep/search to take advantage of this valuable opportunity. For $5, students get to experience a testing situation and the test format, and they get their results so they know what areas they need to focus on for the real test. Please call Ms. Mary Hull in the College and Career Center at 301-610-8064 if you have questions. Financial assistance is available. College Planning Clinic: Our annual College Planning Clinic will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Richard Montgomery High School Auditorium. Juniors and Sophomores and their parents are invited to attend this college workshop. Our speaker will be Mr. Daniel Grayson, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions from Tufts University. Daniel will discuss topics such as college testing, college searches, narrowing your choices, visiting campuses and wr it i n g y o ur c o ll e ge e s sa y.
Richard Montgomery High School BLACK MASKERS DRAMA
Proudly Presents
The Secret Garden Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett Friday, April 13 Saturday, April 14
Friday, April 20 Saturday, April 21
Online ticket prices: Adults: $13 Students: $5
At the door ticket prices: Adults: $14 Students: $6
At: 7:00 p.m.
Available online at: https://richardmontgomerydrama.ticketleap.net Page 6
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — DECEMBER The following students were celebrated during our Monthly Student Recognition Program. Each month, departments are asked to nominate students who demonstrate academic excellence in the classroom. These nominations include students who have shown improvement, great effort while tackling challenging content, or other exceptional qualities. Students selected come from all grade levels and courses. These students receive a certificate of recognition and donuts with the Principal; their photos are also posted in the Student of the Month display located in the main lobby.
Students of the Month for December Interrelated Arts: Vivian Bui Fatima Syeda Margaret Giitter Sylvanus Newstead Milka Piszczek Thea Postolache Kevin Velasquez Nick Von Nesse
ESOL: Maria Clara Barros Yan Ting Chen Herberth Cruz Adilio Hernandez Junior Jaramillo Eva Langbehn David Lin Math:
English: Ryan Forsyth Cayla Jakubowski Daniel Klein Victoria Lopez Aurora Lozada Elizabeth Sia Shai Tamary
Li Liu Luis Mamani Maitrei Panda Chun Shao Andy Zheng
World Languages: Sarah Bullard Michael Cohen HaoLiang Gao Preston Ge Rachel Gold Kuang-Heng Hsiao Anna-Kristina Kluever Simone Kramer Zachary Michelson Miloslawa Piszczek Wendy Risso Michelle Schreier Ruoke Shi ShuHeng Wang
Science: Michael Cohen Yasmin Graham Andrew Levin Vicky (Hung-Yu) Liu Emily Shue
2012 Mulch Sale
MCPS Honors Ensembles
The Athletic Boosters’ Mulch Sale is Saturday, March 24, with top-quality shredded hardwood mulch available for $5/bag. Delivery is free for orders of 25 bags or more; $10 fee for smaller orders. You can pick up your order at Richard Montgomery High School between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. the day of the sale. Drive-up sales are welcome! New this year: Mulch Spreading Service for $2/bag, minimum 10 bags. Students can earn SSL hours working at the Mulch Sale and distributing flyers on “Flyer Blitz Day,” Saturday, March 3. Adult volunteers also are needed. To sign up to participate at the Mulch Sale, Blitz or both, contact your athletic team coach or email Craig Cano at
[email protected].
Congratulations to the following Richard Montgomery High School students for being selected and participating in the MCPS Honors Ensembles: Junior Band Senior Band Sarah Bullard Robin Brown James Scott Savannah Du Matthew Sykes Alicia Loh Yizhen Zhang Janet Kim Joseph Wu Junior Strings Senior Strings Patrick Sykes Jade Ye
For more information on the Mulch Sale, to download an order form, or to place your order and pay online please visit www.rmboosters.org. The Mulch Sale is the RM Athletic Booster Club’s biggest fundraiser. Thank you for your support. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Congratulations to the following Richard Montgomery All state Musicians: Senior Orchestra Senior Band Jana Lu Savannah Du Alice Chang Ellen Hong Hanson Tan Eunah Lee Victoria Zhao Tanya Shi Preston Ge Joseph Wu Junior Band Junior Strings Sarah Bullard Charlie Kang Matthew Sykes Page 7
Richard Montgomery High School
Non-Profit Organization
250 Richard Montgomery Drive
U.S. Postage
Rockville, Maryland 20852
PAID Permit No. 201 Rockville, MD
Important Phone Numbers—RMHS RMHS—Main Office Counseling Office: Registrar: Athletic Director: Career Center: Business Manager: Financial Office: Attendance Office:
301-610-8000 301-610-8050 301-610-8055 301-610-8075 301-610-8064 301-610-8011 301-610-8012 301-610-8010
Get Morning Announcements by Email The school’s web site posts the morning announcements each day from the RMBC daily broadcasts. Parents can also receive the daily announcements of activities and opportunities on email. To sign up for email announcements and for more information, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rmhs_announcements/
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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
