Wednesday Wellness Lunch & Learns

HCPS Parent Academy is excited to bring you another year of informative and engaging mental health sessions in partnership with ParentGuidance.org! See the full calendar of sessions here.

Grab your lunch and join us online each month to hear from licensed therapists on a variety of topics designed to support your parenting journey and promote your student’s well-being. Be sure to register today and save the dates to your calendar so you don’t miss these valuable opportunities!

Registration, attendance, and participation are completely anonymous. Can’t attend a session live? No problem! Register anyway, and a recording will be sent directly to your inbox so you can watch at a time that works for you.

Academic Playbooks are available for families of elementary and middle school students. Some families may have received a hard copy of these helpful guides, which are designed to support Kindergarten families, families new to HCPS, and sixth-grade families as they navigate their child’s academic journey toward graduation.

While the Playbooks are designed with these specific grade levels and transitions in mind, they can be a valuable resource for all HCPS families. The electronic versions are available on the HCPS website and are linked below for your convenience.

The Parents' Place of Maryland (PPMD) supports thousands of Maryland families each year that are caring for children and youth with disabilities and special needs. More recently, their services have expanded to support families with a child, youth, or loved one of any age impacted by behavioral health, mental health, substance use, and problem gambling. Their services are free, statewide, and available in multiple languages.

Visit ppmd.org to explore their website to learn more about the staff members, programs, services, and resources.

Harford County Public Schools is excited to share that Xello, our college and career readiness platform, is now available to families of students in grades 6-12. Xello replaced Naviance and was used in a limited pilot during the 2025-2026 school year.

Parents and guardians have full access to their student's Xello profile, where they can see goals, interests, career exploration activities, and future plans. In middle school, students work with their counselor to explore their interests, discover career pathways, and learn about a variety of future opportunities. In high school, students revisit and refine their goals each year with their school counselor, exploring college, career, military, apprenticeship, and workforce pathways as they build a personalized plan for life after graduation. High school families can also view their student's course planning.

Families should have recently received an email from noreply@Xello.world titled "Welcome to the Xello Family" with instructions for activating their account. Accounts must be activated within 17 days of receiving the email. If you have trouble finding the email, please check your SPAM folder.

Click here for more information about logging in and navigating Xello.

Click here to learn more about Xello and how it benefits your student.

We invite you to nominate a teacher who exemplifies innovative instruction, inspires students, and gives tirelessly to the children in our community. Each school's official nominee will be invited to attend the Harford County Education Foundation's Everyday Hero Awards dinner in November and invited to participate in the HCPS Teacher of the Year process for the chance to be named the 2027 HCPS Teacher of the Year in April.

Nominate Now: https://hcps.org/aboutus/teacheroftheyear/everydayhero.aspx.

Nominations close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

Join us as we celebrate the results of Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) testing during the 2025-2026 school year!

HCPS is outperforming the state average of all students in English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math.
HCPS ranks 6th in the state for ELA and 11th for Math.
The Maryland State Department of Education recognized HCPS as a school system, "leading in reading" based on growth over the last 5 years.
Students with disabilities in grades 3-8 improved their ELA test scores by 3 percentage points from 2024 to 2026, ranking 5th in the state compared to other school systems.
Grade 5 and 8 showed over 5 percentage point improvement on the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) from 2024 to 2026, ranking 6th and 9th respectively compared to other school systems.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid has announced that the 2027–28 FAFSA form is now open, earlier than the traditional Oct. 1 release date. Most students can complete their section in 12 minutes or less and see their results, including Pell Grant eligibility and Student Aid Index, immediately after submitting. The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but Maryland’s Priority deadline is March 1, 2027, and many funds are awarded first-come, first-served, so students should be encouraged to file as early as possible.

How to Create a StudentAid.gov Account Guide – printable step-by-step guide
StudentAid.gov Help Center – live chat support for students and families

Oct. 7 | 4:00–7:00 p.m. | APGFCU Arena

Harford Community College invites Harford County Public Schools high school students and their families to a College and Career Fair on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the APGFCU Arena.

Students can meet with representatives from colleges, universities, vocational and technical programs, local employers, and the military, all in one place. Whether your student is considering a four-year degree, community college, hands-on career training, or entering the workforce, this is a chance to ask about academic programs, admissions, financial aid, campus life, and job opportunities.

Tips for the evening:

Bring questions about programs, costs, scholarships, class sizes, and job placement rates.
Take notes or collect brochures to compare options at home.
Attend together as a family to start the conversation about next steps.

To view a list of confirmed participants: https://www.harford.edu/campaigns/college-and-career-fair.php

Veterans Day Poster and Essay Contest

Open to all Harford County Students

Students in Harford County are invited to participate in the 2026 Veterans Day Poster & Essay Contest, presented by the Susquehanna Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

Elementary students can share what Veterans mean to them through a creative poster.
Middle and high school students can put their thoughts into words with an essay about Veterans and their service.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top entries in each category!

Find complete contest details, including entry rules, requirements and submission forms, at: https://moaasusquehanna.org/Harford-County-Veterans-Day-Poster-and-Essay-Contest-2026

Submission Deadline: October 19, 2026.