Pocomoke High School Involver

Dear Warrior Community,

February was filled with meaningful Black History Month activities, including little-known facts shared by Miss Monica during morning announcements, our annual African American Read-In event, and social media posts celebrating influential Black Americans — including outstanding staff members here at Pocomoke High School. We also proudly celebrated National Public Schools Week. As always, our students continue to impress us with their accomplishments in academics, athletics, performing arts, and community service. This month, we are excited to celebrate Women’s History Month, School Social Worker Week, School Breakfast Week, and Read Across America Day!

This past month, band students performed with West Virginia University’s Honors Band and earned Superior and Excellent ratings at the District Solo and Ensemble Festival. Several chorus students were accepted into All-Shore Chorus and All-State Chorus — an incredible achievement! We are also proud to share that 83% of our students earned Honor Roll or Distinguished Honor Roll status for Quarter 1 or 2, which we celebrated during our Sweet Treat Event. Five Educators Rising students have qualified for Nationals, and 19 FBLA students will compete at the state level. Our JROTC drill teams continue to deliver strong exhibition performances almost every weekend. Athletes in Indoor Track and Unified Strength and Conditioning competed proudly at the state level, with Strength and Conditioning earning a second-place finish. Boys and Girls Basketball teams are continuing their playoff runs with exciting wins.

Looking ahead, we are excited to induct 21 students into the prestigious Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society on March 10 at 6:00 PM. Our school will administer the SAT free of charge on March 18, and that evening we will host the Winter Sports Awards at 5:30 PM.

Thursday, March 26, will be a busy and important day. We will host two information sessions for parents/guardians of seniors at 8:15 AM and 6:30 PM. Families should plan to attend one session. During these meetings, we will review graduation reminders, expectations, and ways to support seniors during their final months of high school. That evening, we will also host Community Tribe Time/Parent Conferences and Rising Warrior Night.

The Counseling Office is actively working on scheduling for the 2026–2027 school year. All students will select eight courses, along with two alternate choices. Our counselors carefully tailor schedules to align with each student’s academic goals and post-secondary plans, encouring students to DREAM BIG! If you have questions about scheduling, please contact your child’s counselor at 410-632-5180. We also ask that families regularly monitor grades and attendance through PowerSchool. If you need assistance accessing PowerSchool, please contact the Counseling Office.

Finally, with graduation approaching, we are finalizing plans to ensure every senior is prepared for life after high school. Our goal is for 100% of the Class of 2026 to have a detailed post-secondary plan. Seniors are encouraged to continue checking the Scholarship Wall and Involver for opportunities. Ms. Creese is offering after-school and weekend support, in addition to Your60 sessions, for students who need assistance with post-secondary planning.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support. Together, we will continue preparing every student for success in college, trade school, the military, or meaningful employment.

With gratitude and partnership,
Dr. Jenifer Rayne
Principal, Pocomoke High School

See Something, Say Something
The safety of our school depends on all of us. If you notice something unusual, concerning, or unsafe, please report it right away to a teacher, administrator, or staff member. Speaking up helps keep our school community safe.

Secure Entry Reminder
For everyone’s safety, please do not open doors for anyone at any time. All visitors and students must use the main entrance, ring the bell, and check in with the front office.

Exterior Doors
For safety, exterior doors must remain closed and locked at all times. They should never be propped open or left unlocked for any reason.

Morning Student Drop-Off

All student drop-offs should take place on the side of the building at the student parking lot/cafeteria entrance.

Showing up to school on time and every day is extremely important. Chronic absenteeism is missing at least 10% of school days (about 18 days a year), whether excused or unexcused. Frequent absences negatively impact academic success, weaken student engagement, relationships with peers, and connections with caring adults. Staff will continue to reach out to students and families regarding truancy and/or attendance concerns. Partnership is key to student success.

Attendance is the gateway to success. Every day a student shows up to school, they increase their chances of achieving academic growth, building meaningful relationships, and reaching their long-term goals. By simply being present, students actively reduce the negative effects of chronic absenteeism and set themselves up for a successful future. We have a little competition going on between all grades. At the end of semester 2, the class with the lowest chronic absentee percentage will win a fun filled field day and tribe points. Showing up each day lessens the chronic absenteeism rate, so it’s not too late for any grade to take the win.

Check out our current leaderboard:

1st place: Freshmen

2nd place: Sophomores

3rd place: Seniors

4th place: Juniors

FAFSA opened October 1st - parents of Seniors: if you have not already done so, please complete on behalf of your child ASAP! Contact Mrs. Charlene Creese (CDCreese@worcesterk12.org) with any questions or concerns.

Upcoming Events in March:

• March 1: FAFSA CLOSES! Maryland Aid is connected to FAFSA app once it is fully completed. Extra funding for students with a focus in: child care, human services, teaching, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and public service. Also, extra funding for students whose parents are veterans of Afghanistan & Iraq conflicts.
• March 14: Saturday Scholarship Session (7:30am - 12pm)
• March 26: Thursday Afternoon Scholarship Session (3-5pm)

*Seniors are welcome to come in and work on scholarships in a quiet space to meet April Scholarship deadlines.

Don’t miss out on big events and updates...join Remind now to be IN the KNOW!

@poco26 (Class of 2026)

@poco27 (Class of 2027)

@poco28 (Class of 2028)

@poco29 (Class of 2029)

Feel free to reach out to the School Counseling Office with any questions!

PHS School Counseling team:

Mrs. Charlene Creese (CDCreese@worcesterk12.org): PHS school counselor for 12th grade and 10th/11th grade (A-L students); assists students in preparing for their futures and achieving their post-secondary goals.

Mrs. Lindsey Lines (LLines@worcesterk12.org): PHS school counselor for grades 9th grade and 10th/11th grade (M-Z students); supporting students as they navigate their high school journey.

Mrs. Melanie Aydelotte (mkaydelotte@worcesterk12.org): PHS Guidance secretary, assists with enrollment processes and provides PowerSchool support to our students and families.

Ms. Cloud, our Career Coach, will share opportunities for students—and sometimes parents—to explore future career pathways. These may include career fairs, field trips, internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and more. Stay tuned for upcoming events that will help connect learning in school to real-world experiences!

This session, we continued to strengthen our focus on academic achievement by beginning each club meeting with a grade check-in. Students were encouraged to review their academic progress and complete mastery assignments if their grade fell below 70%. In addition, targeted math tutoring offered on Tuesdays provided additional academic support for students in need.

Session 2 of Driver’s Education ended on Thursday Feb 26th.

Session 3 of Drivers Education will begin on March 17th. There are no more available spaces currently.

SAT prep sessions will occur after-school on Monday March 30th-May 21st.

We look forward to expanding our offerings during Session 3 of the After-School Academy, which will run from March 30th through May 21st. We extend our sincere appreciation to our dedicated club leaders for providing high-quality instruction and support to students participating in ASA clubs.

WARRIOR CODE

COURAGE * ACHIEVEMENT * PERSEVERANCE * SCHOLARSHIP

#4Tribes1School

Congratulations to the FORTIS TRIBE for earning the most points during Semester 1. The green tribe earned a field trip to Alley Oops in Ocean City, Md on February 27th. They enjoyed the arcade, VR games, bowling, and a delicious lunch while celebrating their hard work and outstanding character!

This award is presented to a staff member each month who has gone above and beyond in support of our Tribes and School Spirit.

PBIS Super Star Award

Mr. Jackson

FORTIS TRIBE

Mr. Jackson is our February “PBIS Super Star” due to his unwavering commitment to the green Tribe, Fortis.

Mr. Jackson is a green tribe leader who brings his high energy and enthusiasm to every event and challenge. As a dedicated PBIS Core Team member, he is an integral part of our success at PHS. We can always count on him to input DOJO points every month and award positive behavior certificates to outstanding students. We appreciate the hard work and extra time he puts into making our Tribes successful.

MARINE CORPS JARGON!

Parents/Guardians please quiz your Cadet by asking them what the following word or phrase means, “What date can I begin testing for promotion?”

FEBRUARY 2026

· Joint Leadership Academic Bowl (JLAB) – Pocomoke JROTC Teams A and B competed Level II Leadership Academic Bowl testing! Unfortunately, neither team was able to advance to the championship round, but all cadets below are much appreciated for their efforts and accomplishments getting to Level II. Competition across all JROTCs (and all branches) in the nation is super competitive. Congrats the cadets below once again!

• Team A: Madelynn Brockhaus, Bella Tidd, MacKenna Murray, Kalen Lin, Anthony Hoffman, and Sophia Whitehead
• Team B: John McAllen, Owen Long, Kenna Mariner, Bryce Ritchey, Brycen Pendleton, and Kylee Hickman

· JROTC Picture Day! – Our Unit Photo Day took place on 18 February. Families and cadets can expect pictures to come to JROTC at the school in about six to eight weeks. A message in REMIND will be sent out once received. If you have a personal request to pick up photos please contact Gunner directly.

· First State Military Academy Drill Competition! – On 21 February 2026, Pocomoke Drill Team Cadets will travel to Clayton, DE to compete at FSMA Drill Meet.

· Headquarters Marine Corps JROTC Program Inspection – On 23 February 2026, our Marine Corps Regional Director inspected our JROTC Unit/Program.

· Seaford High School Drill Competition! – On 28 February 2026, All Pocomoke Drill Team Cadets will travel to Seaford, DE to compete at FSMA Drill Meet. All families our invited and welcomed to attend.

MARCH thru APRIL 2026 SCHEDULED EVENTS:

· Haircut Day(s) – Scheduled for 31 March and 12 May.

· Cadet Promotions – our next scheduled promotion formation will take place on 9 April 2026!

· Bataan Death March! – Scheduled for 7 March 2026!

· Daylight Savings – Sunday March 8th is Daylight Savings. For cadets, this is also our seasonal uniform change (sleeves rolled up on cammie uniform).

· Promotion Testing Window opens! – Our quarterly promotion window will open on 9 March. This provides cadets one full month to prepare and test for advancement to the next rank. Please push all cadets to promote and not procrastinate on their testing requirements. Promotion formation will take place on April 9th at our morning unit formation!

· Orienteering at SDHS/Berlin – Scheduled for 14 March 2026, TBD.

· Marksmanship Match @ First State Military Academy – scheduled for 14 March 2026, TBD.

· National Museum of the Marine Corps & Marine Base Quantico – Scheduled for 20 March 2026!

· National Security Agency’s Cryptologic Museum Field Trip – Scheduled for 15 April 2026!

· Old Dominion University (campus tour and rappel tower) – Scheduled for 23 April 2026!

· JROTC Awards Night: On Thursday, 30 April 2026, ALL CADETS are required to attend our annual JROTC Awards Ceremony, recognizing cadet achievements throughout the school year. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend!

· Orienteering Competitions – orienteering is a physical fitness competition that includes running and applied map skills looking for markers across various terrains. Stay Tuned for upcoming Maryland/Virginia dates as the season is about to commence!

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE! If at any time throughout the school year there are ANY 9th thru 12th grade students are interested in joining our JROTC Program, please contact one of the Guidance Counselors or speak to one of the Marine Corps Instructors at your earliest convenience.

JROTC REMIND Messaging: Cadet Parents, please join our Pocomoke MCJROTC REMIND group by texting sempfi1775 to the number 81010, so that you may stay well-informed of all unit activities/events and announcements from week to week. Please include the name of your Cadet enrolled in the program.

QUESTIONS: If at any time you have questions or concerns, please call us at the school at (410) 632-5200. You may also reach us directly on our cell phones: Gunner Chris Muni at (301) 848-6116 or ctmuni@worcesterk12.org, and Gunnery Sergeant Michael Towns at (757) 647-8009.

Thank you to all Families for your continued patience and support of our JROTC program!

Semper Fidelis!

Chris Muni

Chief Warrant Officer-4, USMC, Retired.

Senior Marine Instructor – Pocomoke High School

Mike Towns

Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Retired

Marine Instructor – Pocomoke High School

Spring Sport practices began February 28, 2026. All athletes must submit a completed athletic physical packet and register on Family ID. If your athlete is interested in Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Outdoor Track or Unified Bocce, please register your athlete at: www.familyid.com/pocomoke-high-school. Athletic physical packets can be picked up in the front office, attendance booth bulletin board, and the athletic training room bulletin board. You can register for an athletic physical at the school- based health center free of charge by calling 410-430-8388.

The Warrior of the Week is a weekly recognition celebrating an athlete who has shown exceptional dedication, perseverance resilience, as well as a positive attitude and impact within their team and school community. Warrior of the Week is proudly sponsored by Domino's Pizza of Pocomoke.

Thank you, Domino's for highlighting the inspiring stories of achievement and perseverance of our athletes.

FEBRUARY WINNERS:

Lamarquis Douglas / Boys Basketball

Natalie Davis, Kayleigh Denston, Kennedy Noble & Audrey Pham / Indoor Track

Gavin Grace / Swimming

Aynaeh Pitts / Girls Basketball

Hailey Laine / Girls Basketball

Seniors and Families, Spring and all accompanying Senior Celebrations will be here before you know it! Mark you calendars now!

Seniors!! It's time to vote for Senior Superlatives. Choose two names for every category. Scan the QR code for access

Yearbooks are still available for purchase! Memories do not last, but yearbooks do!

Order your book today for $71 (online) or $67 in house! See a yearbook staffer or Whit in room 208 for details. Scan the QR code to purchase online

Parents, caregivers, local businesses: you can make a personal ad for your graduate or for your local business! Scan the QR code to purchase online, or contact Whit at the school for a discounted price.

Yearbook students are tagging pages and organizing the winter pages for printing.

Drama students are currently working on a radio play before working on one acts.

Creative Writing students are focusing on developing their voice, and using varying sentence lengths to create tension.

Brit Lit students wrapped reading Beowulf and will be working in groups to study heroes for the end of the unit essay.

2026 SAT Test Date

SAT (All 11th Graders) - 3/18/26

March 2026

03/02-03/07 = Read Across America Week

03/02-03/07 = National School Breakfast Week

03/02-03/07 = School Social Work Week

03/04 = Early Dismissal

03/06 = Mid-Terms Issued

03/18 = SAT (all 11th)

03/19 = WCPS Media Expo

03/26 = Family of Seniors Meeting (8:15am)

03/26 = Community Tribe Time (5-7pm)

03/26 = Rising Warrior Night (6-7pm)

03/26 = Family of Seniors Meeting (6:30pm)

April 2026

04/01 = Early Dismissal

04/02 = School Closed for Students

04/03-04/06 = School Closed for Spring Break

04/04 = National School Librarian Day

04/05-04/11 = Assistant Principals Week

04/10 = Report Cards Issued

04/16 = ASVAB Testing

04/19-04/25 = Public School Volunteer Week

04/21 = Spring Blood Drive

04/21 = Countywide Fine Arts Festival

04/25 = Junior/Senior Prom & After Prom

04/28 = School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

04/29 = Spring Music Concert

04/30 = ROTC Awards

MISSION STATEMENT

Pocomoke High School will provide a rigorous learning environment where all students are encouraged and given the tools to be successful, resilient learners and productive, compassionate, culturally competent citizens.

VISION STATEMENT

Upon graduation, every student will demonstrate readiness for college or a career through a post-secondary education plan that facilitates life-long success.

WARRIOR CODE

The Warrior Code was developed as a way to promote the beliefs that are at the foundation of Pocomoke High School: A highly structured learning environment and high behavioral and academic expectations create an environment where students can excel at the highest levels. The Warrior Code can be easily remembered by the acronym “CAPS,” which stands for Courage, Achievement, Perseverance, and Scholarship. We are expected to honor the Warrior Code at all times, inside and outside the walls of Pocomoke High School.