Weekly News for Parents

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February 21, 2012

STEM Fair

Sat., Feb. 25 (Snow date: Mar. 3)
Open House: 3:00-4:15 p.m. Awards Ceremony: 4:30-6 p.m.
Long Reach High 6101 Old Dobbin Ln., Columbia

The annual HCPSS STEM Fair showcases the amazing results of projects conducted by middle and high school students in science, technology, engineering and math.

HoCo Film Festival

Entry deadline: Mon., Feb. 27, 7 a.m.

All Howard County students are invited to enter original films for the 8th annual Howard County Student Film Festival, Fri., Mar. 23 at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, sponsored by the HCPSS Gifted and Talented Intern/Mentor Program. Films must be 3-10 minutes in length, original and family friendly. Winners are eligible for prizes including an iPad, iPods, video cameras, DVD players and gift cards. Submission forms and additional information are available at www.hocofilmfest.com.

Military Information Night

Wed., Mar. 7, 7-9 p.m.
River Hill High Media Center and Cafeteria
12101 Rt. 108, Clarksville

Students and parents are invited to an information session featuring representatives from the five military academies, college ROTC programs, the JROTC programs at Atholton, Howard and Oakland Mills high schools, and military enlistment recruiters. Representatives from local congressional offices and the U.S. military academies will provide information about academy nomination and application processes.

History Day

Sat., Mar. 17
Open House: 12:30-2:15 p.m.
Awards Ceremony: 2:30 p.m.
Reservoir High 11550 Scaggsville Rd., Fulton

The Office of Secondary Social Studies invites the community to see history come alive through outstanding exhibits, documentaries, performances, web pages and historical papers created by Howard County middle and high school students. Award winners will represent the HCPSS at the Maryland History Day competition.

Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City

Tue., Feb. 28, 7 p.m.
River Hill High Auditorium
12101 Rt. 108, Clarksville

Many Howard County high school seniors go to the shore for senior week. Having so many unsupervised teens in one place can lead to dangerous situations, risky behavior and trouble with the law. Officers from the Ocean City Police Department and Beach Patrol will offer advice for keeping your child safe. Parents are encouraged to attend with their high school seniors.

Co-sponsored by HC DrugFree and the River Hill High School PTSA.

Reminders:

Simulated Congressional Hearing Judges Needed

Volunteer judges are needed for Simulated Congressional Hearings held during May and June at elementary schools throughout the county. Fifth grade students present oral statements to demonstrate their understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Judges listen, ask questions, and provide feedback. Training is provided. Each Hearing runs from approximately 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Find additional details and sign up at http://sch.hcpss.org/judges. For more information contact sch@hcpss.org or call 410-313-6642.

Board of Education Candidates' Forum

Mon., Mar. 5, 6 p.m.
Dept. of Education, Board Rm. A-B, 10910 Rt. 108, Elllicott City

Get to know your Board of Education candidates at this forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the PTA Council of Howard County.

Learn more about the candidates and the important role of the Board of Education at http://www.ptachc.org/?page_id=1031.

For more information, contact Chaunfayta Hightower, PTA Council President, at president@ptachc.org.

Parent 2 Parent

Wed., Feb. 22, 7 p.m.
Centennial High Media Center, 4300 Centennial Ln., Ellicott City

Teens and their parents are invited to a free session co-sponsored by the Centennial High School PTSA and HC DrugFree. Parents will describe their children's substance abuse and how they dealt with the challenges this caused in their families. Cheri Carroll of the "Yes My Kid" parent support group will lead a discussion and answer questions about what parents should look for and what they can do.

For more information, visit www.hcdrugfree.org.

Looking for the previous newsletter? Click here.

Updating Your HCPSS News Accounts

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Parents/guardians need to update their HCPSS News account as their information changes. The HCPSS News message service is not connected to any student information at HCPSS and, therefore, will not update any information in the subscriber accounts. Parents may miss grade-specific information if their student information is not updated annually.

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Have Questions, Need Assistance?

If you have any questions, comments or problems with HCPSS News, send an email to publicinfo@hcpss.org or call our office at 410-313-6682 or 7199.

Past Newsletters

Looking for something from last week's newsletter? Look below for a PDF version of some of our past newsletters.

• Weekly News for Parents - 02/21/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 02/13/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 02/7/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/30/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/23/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/17/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/11/12 - (Special Budget Issue)
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/10/12
• Weekly News for Parents - 01/02/12