IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER Counselors: Jessica Little (A-CI) Jodi Dubbs (CL-H) Dec 9 GT Program Information Night - 7pm in Media Center Dec 10 CTE Information Sessions at ARL 7-9pm Dec 23 - Jan 1 Schools Closed - Winter Break
Pauline Baek (I-L) LaNae Nelson (M-R) Andrew Johnson (S-Z) Jan 2 Schools reopen Jan 20 Schools Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan 22-24 High Schools Close 3 hrs early - midterms Registrar: Joni Deison Secretary: Karen Leaf Jan 27 Schools closed for Students - Professional Work Day
410-313-5446
December 2019
New Student/Parent Orientation - Class of 2024!
Orientation for new students and parents of the Class of 2024 will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Topics include graduation requirements, Grade 9 courses that will be offered, course registration process and more.
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2020 (snow date: Jan. 14) Time: TBD Place: MRHS Auditorium
CTE Information Sessions at ARL Middle/High school students and their families are invited to attend CTE Information Sessions at ARL on December 10, 2019, from 7-9pm. Learn how Career and Technology Education (CTE) Career Academies provide high school students with opportunities to earn college credit, scholar- ships, and industry certifications, participate in worksite and mentorship experiences, and become creative problem solvers by participating in hands -on project based learning.
For more information, or to request an interpreter or translator, contact Matt Berko- witz at matthew_berkowitz@hcpss.org or 410-313-6629.
NEED A WORK PERMIT? Go to:
https://www.dllr.state.me.us/childworkpermit
CRISIS TEXT LINE—Text START to 741-741 for free, anonymous and confidential support at your fingertips, 24/7. Text 741-741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis and a live, trained Crisis Counselor will respond quickly.
The “Directory of Mental Health Services in Howard County,” provided by the Howard County Mental Health Authority, is available to the public and can be found at the following link: http://www.hcmha.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HCMHA-
Inside this issue:
ACT/SAT Prep 2
ARL Shadow Days 3
Horizon Foundation Op- portunity for students
4
GT Info Night 5
Essay Contest 5
Junior Interview Day 5
Scholarships 6-7
College Open Houses 8
Page 2
SAT Test Dates
December 7, 2019 March 14, 2020 May 2, 2020 June 6, 2020
ACT Test Dates
December 14, 2019 February 8, 2020 April 4, 2020 June 13, 2020 July 18, 2020
ACT/SAT Prep Juniors and Sophomores—Are you ready for the ACT/SAT? 2019-2020 resources for SAT and ACT prep classes are available. The PTSA and Student Services are partnering with The Answer Class and Catalyst Prep to offer our students a variety of resources to help them improve their scores.
The Answer: Affordable & Convenient SAT & ACT Prep
The Answer Class’ SAT & ACT prep is the inexpensive standardized test preparation option chosen by more than 5,300 Maryland high school students. And it’s coming to your high school!
Our class is.....
December 2019
Highly regarded - 97% of students would recommend the course to a friend
Comprehensive - everything you need to know in only 8 hours
Cost effective - only $149* per class or $249* ($49 sav- ings) for the SAT/ACT prep combination package. Need- based scholarships are available. *Early bird discount for registering at least one week ahead of the class date.
A school fundraiser - 20% of all tuition collected is do- nated to your school.
View the full schedule of SAT & ACT prep classes and register online at www.theanswerclass.com
December 2019 Page 3
Applications and Research Lab (ARL) Shadow Days are Coming Once Again! Howard County Public School System offers a path for students interested in studying specific career areas while in high school. A Career Academy provides an opportunity for students to enroll in a specific set of courses asso- ciated with a designated career area. Attending a Shadow Day can play an important role in a student’s decision making as they go through the scheduling process for next school year. Remember that the academies are county- wide programs and popular programs fill up quickly. For detailed information about each Career Academy go to http://www.hcpss.org/academies/
PLEASE NOTE: TRANSPORTATION IS LIMITED AND WILL BE OFFERED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD TURN IN THEIR PERMIS- SION SLIPS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Interested students can obtain permissions slips in Student Services. Permission slips are due in Student Services by December 12th. Don't forget...students are required to obtain signatures from a parent/guardian, both teachers whose classes will be missed and their counselor.
Below are the dates for the academy specific Shadow Days:
Wednesday, January 8th AM Periods 1 & 2 Current 10th Graders Only Cybersecurity Essentials Architecture Graphic Design Automotive Systems and Project Engineering Agricultural Science PLTW- Aerospace Engineering
Thursday January 9th AM Periods 1 & 2 Current 10th Graders Only Computer Networking- Cyber HVAC Academy of Finance Construction Homeland Security Biotechnology Animation Early College Program in Cybersecurity (current 9th graders ONLY)
Thursday January 9th PM Periods 5 & 6 Current 10th Graders Only Health Professions
December 2019 Page 4
December 2019 Page 5
Marriotts Ridge High School Gifted & Talented Program Information Night December 9, 2019 at 7:00PM MRHS Media Center
Among the colleges that some of our GT Research graduates have attended in recent years are: Princeton, MIT, Univ. of Penn., Duke Univ., Johns Hopkins, UMCP Honors Program, UVA, USAF Academy, Northwestern U., Michigan, Wake Forest, and Tufts U., to name a few. Would your child be interested in that type of a college?
Would your child be interested in a Mentor class where they would have the opportunity to do college level re- search?
Would it be helpful to your child to have a portfolio of original research and a recommendation from a professional to show to college admissions officers?
Would an Independent Research class where scholarly research is done in conjunction with an adviser in that field benefit your student?
Would it benefit your child to have a class where they choose their area of study so they can go beyond what a nor- mal or even an AP class can offer them?
Does a Mentor class where your student would work on-site with a professional in their chosen field of study sound like something your student would enjoy?
If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, please attend the G/T Information Night on December 9 at 7pm at the Marriotts Ridge HS Media Center to learn more about the G/T Research program at our school.
If you have any questions regarding the evening’s events, please contact Mr. Eckert, the MRHS G/T Resource teacher, at paul_eckert@hcpss.org
PROFILE IN COURAGE ESSAY CONTEST Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917, the year of JFK’s birth, and you could win $10,000!
Visit JFKLibrary.org/essaycontest Deadline for submission is January 17,2020
JUNIOR INTERVIEW DAY
Parent volunteers! Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 26, 2020. Volunteers will be needed to conduct mock interviews with our current juniors. More information and sign up will follow after Winter Break.
Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia 2020 Scholarship Award
Columbia Association׳s scholarship program offers up to six $2500 education awards to graduating high residents school and seniors those who in the exhibit Columbia exceptional area. To efforts be eligible, in providing students community must: service to benefit Columbia • Be a June 2020 graduating senior from an accredited public, private or parochial high school
• Reside on assessment-paying property or have a parent/guardian who works full-time on or owns CA-assessed property
• Have a cumulative GPA of C or better
Applications available online: ColumbiaAssociation.org/Scholarship For more information, call 410-715-3161
APPLICATION DEADLINE - MARCH 15, 2020
Senior Parents! How does a $2000 scholarship award sound? The MRHS Boosters Club awards two Senior Scholarships to help pay for enrollment at any accredited institution of high learning. How do you apply? Step One is making sure that your family is a member of MRHS Boosters! To Join boosters, go to http://mrhs-boosters.com/ membership. To get more information about the Boosters Scholarship application, go to http://mrhs-boosters.com/senior-scholarships
GLOBAL NETWORKS, INC. 2020 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Scholarships will be awarded to seniors attending Howard County and Montgomery County public high schools. Applicants must have the endorsement of their School Counselor attesting they are a qualified fit for this scholarship program. Available Scholarships:
Selected students will be awarded three (3) Global Networks Academy of Technology Tiered Curriculum courses that will prepare them for entry into the Information Technology Industry. (Value of approx. $8,000)
• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+
• CompTiA Security+
Students will be awarded certification costs for their first attempt of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and Comp TIA Security+ (Value of approx. $1,000)
Applicants must submit an essay (500-750 words) answering the following questions: Describe how you have ben- efitted from your HCPSS/MCPS technology courses. Explain why you are passionate about achieving a career in cyber security. Also, discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in your future information technology career.
Applications can be downloaded from Naviance or picked up in Student Services and are due by Friday, March 13, 2020 by 4:00pm. Please submit any questions to tmoore@gn-inc.com.
Attention Seniors!!!!!
Page 6
Scholarship$
December 2019
December 2019
HOWARD COUNTY PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP The Howard County Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 2000, will provide a $500 scholar- ship for a graduating senior from each of the Howard County public high schools. This scholarship is geared to help the “average” student who displays exceptional qualities and effort rather than being an award for the highest grades or sports aptitude. Any student who has attained a 2.5 GPA in his/her senior year and a minimum SAT score of 900 will be welcome to participate by submitting an application. Appli- cations can be downloaded from Naviance and in the Student Services Office. For any additional infor- mation, please contact Jeff Shilling at jshilling@iafflocal2000.org. Entries shall be postmarked no later than April 1, 2020.
ARONSON/WILLIS MEMORIAL AWARD - The Professional Staff of Howard County General Hospital is again sponsoring this award, which is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Barry Aronson and Eugene Willis, fellow members of the Professional Staff, who were enthusiastic supporters or school ath- letes. This year, two individual $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to one graduating male and one grad- uating female. The application must be completed and returned to the Office of Medical Staff Administra- tion no later than Friday, March 30, 2020. A letter of recommendation from someone knowledgeable of the applicant’s academic and sports abilities must accompany the application. Applicants must have par- ticipated in at least two varsity sports while maintaining the highest grade point average. Applications can be downloaded from Naviance or picked up in the Student Services Office.
Page 7
Scholarship Opportunity for Current Juniors
December 2019
The Coolidge Scholarship is among America’s most gener- ous: a FULL RIDE scholarship that covers a student’s tui- tion, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergradu- ate study. Any high school junior who plans to enroll in college in the fall of 2021 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply. (Unfortunately, current high school seniors are not eligible to apply.)
The applications is available at Coolidgescholars.org and must be completed online and submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, January 16, 2020.
The Coolidge Foundation invites the top 100 applicants to participate in its Coolidge Senators Program, which includes an all-expenses paid Summit Weekend in Washington DC and a one-time $1,000 scholar- ship. Applicants who make it to the finalist level, but do not ultimately win the full-scholarship, receive a one-time finalist scholarship of $5,000.
Be sure to check NAVIANCE regularly for updated SCHOLARSHIP information and for more details about the scholarships
Page 8
Bridgewater College - Open Houses February 1 March 14 bridgewater.edu/visit
Ithaca College - Open Houses Saturday, April 25 ithaca.edu/visit
Slippery Rock University - Open Houses April 25, 2020 June 20, 2020 August 14, 2020 www.sru.edu/visit
Ursinus College December 7 - Saturday Visit January 16 - Financial Aid Night February 1 - Saturday Visit March 7 - Saturday Visit March 28 - Spring Open House April 3 - Admitted Students Day April 18 - Saturday Visit April 25 - Saturday Visit ursinus.edu/visit