Towson High School Newsletter

Attteeeennnnttttiiiioooonnn!

Greetings Generals!

Today is the half-way point for the first quarter. This weekend is a fantastic time to sit down with your student(s) and look through Schoology with them to review their current grades. If you have any questions about grades, please contact your student's teachers first.

While you are having that conversation, please check the email you registered your FOCUS account under. You should be receiving weekly attendance updates. These will come from the email "noreply@focusmail.focus-sis.com". If you don't see these emails in your inbox, please check your Spam folder. That email contains a clear snapshot of your student's attendance, not just for the school day, but for each class that week. If you see "UT", that means they were late to class. Attendance matters, whether that's being in class on time, or being in school for the day. When your student returns from an absence, please send them with a note. Think of it as a no-call, no-show for work. We need the note to excuse the absence, so we can provide an opportunity to make up the work.

Homecoming week is upon us! Please see the Homecoming post a little further down for details on

the upcoming Spirit Week. Reminder that to attend the Homecoming Dance, students need to be in school Friday. We look forward to seeing all of you at the game on Saturday Oct.10 vs. Loch Raven.

It’s a great day to be a 5-Star General!

Principal Du Val

• Joss Buerger for her hard work, professionalism and focus in Critical Reading.
• Willow Pryor for her thoughtful responses during Classroom Conversations in Critical Reading.
• Bryce Carson, Skyler Haldens and Harrison Kahn for advocating for THS at the Magnet Expo.
• Renae Patterson for showing a significant amount of growth personally and academically!
• Emely Rodriguez Tabora for always participating in class. Feliz cumpleaños de quince el 26!
• Emmett Kimball, Madden Sysantos and Caroline Rozencwaig for helping Ms. Marks with some much-needed classroom help!
• Kesleigh Millard for her scholarly approach to Latin 3. Your handwriting reflects your knowledge of the history of fonts and printing.
• Evan Worrall for helping Mr. Buick manage traffic in the library on a day when Ms. Fluharty was temporarily needed elsewhere. Mr. Buick and Ms. Fluharty appreciate your help!

• Liam Scollins & Jayden Green for being a positive member of the Towson High School Community.

• Lila Salter (President) and Samantha Cullison (Vice President) for taking the helm of National English Honor Society Chapter 5199 during a critical re-building year!

• Viggo Leander for his enthusiastic transition to being in a new high school for junior year. Welcome to THS, Viggo!

• Shantel Nedd for always keeping a positive, can-do attitude and her hard work in class!

• Damien Easton for using supports to get back on track and have a successful day - Great job Damien!

• Issac Abed (student aid in my algebra 1 class) for helping students complete their work while I was out of class. He has been a lifesaver!

• Marching Band for a successful MMBA competition performance @ Century High School.

• Jazz Ensemble for their cafeteria performance

• Will Budlow and Lucy Bray for getting Model Congress off to a great start.

• CeCe Henderson for great effort in her Science and Math Classes!

• Ka'mari Carter for consistently participating in class and brings a positive attitude each day. He is kind, respectful, and a friend to everyone. Ka'mari is always willing to help others and is a wonderful example of what it means to be a caring and supportive classmate.

• Ehis Asikagbon for having a great start to the school year. He comes to class with a positive attitude and is doing a great job interacting and communicating in his classes. It has been wonderful to see his confidence and engagement continue to grow.

• Zeke Coto for Having a positive attitude, ready to work and having great insight to class discussion.

• Declan Baumgartner for Always being a team player in class.

• Logan Rogers for Continuing to work hard, putting her best effort forward.

• Marie Gilkes for being a model student, asking questions and showing kindness.

• Neymar Valdez for consistently giving his best effort in class throughout the day.

• Jaidyn Womack for self advocating in English 10 for his learning needs.

• Ayla Venkatesan for being selected to represent THS for the PAGE program at the 2027 Maryland General Assembly.

• Bo Du Val, Julie Kromsky and Scott Olson for advocating for THS at the Magnet Expo.
• Mr. Brotman for visiting all Spanish 1 and Spanish 4 classes! Muchas gracias for telling us how we can start thinking about our professional futures
• Mrs. Candelmo for always going the extra mile to help the SPED department.
• Ms. Hne stepped in with our co-advised club last week at our first club meeting of the year when something unexpectedly came up. It was much appreciated and is nice to work with someone who steps up when needed!
• Mr. Greenebaum for building relationships with students and parents.
• Mr. Faya is all in this year on PFET. He is teaching PFET for the first time and is doing an incredible job inspiring the young minds and keeping the classes engaging.
• Mr. Ageletti has been doing great work in planning US History with me. He adds great information to all our lessons.
• Ms. Hancock who is always smiling.
• Ms. Weir has been stepping up as the counseling department chair! Stars to her for helping answer all of my questions and providing excellent support.
• Mr. Worthington for running the first tech crew meeting of the year.
• Ms. Bissmeyer has been doing a fantastic job working with our ML students and collaborating with other staff to ensure our ML kiddos are getting the support they need to be academically successful!
• Mr. Jackson is always fun to see!
• Ms. Anias and Ms. Ensor for helping Ms. Marks out with DnA!
• Mr. Skeels is a rockstar! He is always in the hallway to greet his students before class, not to mention time he devotes before and after school to prepare for each day.
• Ms. Fluharty for supporting English 10 students in literacy!
• Ms. McCusker for encouraging a record number of juniors to sign up for the PSAT!
• Cayden Harper for his research and attention to detail in Latin 2.
• Camden Easly for his careful attention to detail on a recent Major Assessment.
• Ms. Brown for consistently going above and beyond for her students. She works hard to create engaging, interactive lessons that make learning meaningful and enjoyable. She has a wonderful rapport with her students and has created a classroom environment where they feel supported, valued, and encouraged to participate. Her positive attitude is contagious and contributes to a welcoming and supportive environment for both students and staff.
• Ms. Erin Hancock for her tireless effort in supporting students and meeting them at their level.

• Mrs. Loshe for donating supplies from the class of 2029 wish list.
• The Theatre Boosters for making calls to congratulate members of the cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
• PTSA for contributing incentives to support student recognition initiatives.
• John Bowers for taking amazing team and individual athlete photos.
• Sports Boosters for organizing ALL THINGS FALL SPORTS.

The School Counseling alpha has been updated for the 26-27 school year. Please reference the School Counseling flyer to see the changes. If you have any questions or concerns. Please reach out to Ms. Weir (nweir@bcps.org).

As families begin planning for life after high school, paying for college can feel overwhelming—but there are more opportunities than ever to make college affordable. Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), in partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), is bringing college and financial aid information directly to families through CCBC Nights at BCPS schools and regional FAFSA events.

Whether your student is a senior preparing for college, a junior beginning to explore options, or simply a family looking for ways to reduce the cost of higher education, these events are designed to help you understand your options and take the next step.

These events will provide families with an opportunity to receive personalized assistance with the FAFSA and learn more about financial aid options.

Bring your questions—and, when appropriate, the information needed to complete the FAFSA—and let us help you take the next step.

Mark Your Calendar

• BCPS Regional FAFSA Events
• October 12, Virtual, 6-8 pm
• October 13, New Town High School, 6-8 pm
• October 14, Parkville High School, 6-8 pm
• October 15, Dundalk High School, 6-8 pm

Learn more at https://www.ccbcmd.edu/direct

NEHS is accepting applications until 10/19/25. Applications are digital and include instructions and requirements. Contact Ms. Flynn: jflynn3@bcps.org / Subject Line NEHS Application.

Questions? Please reach out to the Senior Class Advisor, Ms. Weir at nweir@bcps.org

Questions? Please reach out to the Sophomore Class Advisors, Ms. McCusker at bmccusker@bcps.org and Ms. Marks at smarks@bcps.org

Questions? Please reach out to the Freshman Class Advisors, Mr. Bongiovanni at dbongiovanni@bcps.org and Mr. Cheung at scheung@bcps.org

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. BCPS also offers all high school students with free teen therapy through Talkspace.

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.

Absent notes must be turned in within 5 days from the student returning to school. Please review the Towson High School 2025-2026 Operating Procedures document ("Attendance" section) for information on Absent notes, including how to submit them on FOCUS. Teachers are not required to provide makeup work for unexcused absences.

For the latest updates on the Towson High School Renovation/Addition Project, please click here. We are currently in Phase 1.

If you are not receiving text messages from the school and would like to, please text “Y” or "Yes" to 67587.

September 21 - Schools Closed for Students

October 2 - MP1 Interims

October 16 - Schools Closed for Students

October 5-9 - Homecoming Week

October 9 - SGA Homecoming Dance

October 22 - PSAT Day for 10th Grade & 11th Grade (optional) Students

October 30 - MP1 Ends & Schools Close 3-Hours Early for Students

November 3 - Election Day School Closed for Students & Teachers

November 12 - MP1 Report Cards Distributed

November 25 - Schools & Offices Close 3-Hours Early

November 26-27 - Schools & Offices Closed

December 4 MP2 Interims

December 24-31 Schools & Offices Closed

January 1 Schools & Offices Closed

January 4 Schools Reopen