Greetings CSP Families,

As you may be aware, we are expecting snow in the area Sunday night into Monday. Please note that the school system must utilize three snow days prior to holding a virtual learning day for students.

Our school team is taking proactive measures to prepare in the event that a virtual learning day is needed. In the event that a virtual day is needed, we will communicate this as soon as we are informed by the school district.

The school website mycsp.org will be the place where students can find the information they will need to participate in the virtual day.

Thank you for your time!

Stay warm and enjoy your weekend!

Sincerely,

Principal Owens

Senior parents,

Welcome to 2025, an exciting time for your child! As a reminder, your student's first and second quarter grades will be averaged for a first semester grade. This first semester grade must average to a minimum of 60% in all classes for credit and to remain on track for graduation.

As colleges begin to offer their admission decisions, please have your child email Mrs. Shepherd (mshepherd@mycsp.org) with all college decisions, as well as awarded scholarships and grants.

Remember, Mrs. Shepherd is available for assistance as your child heads to graduation!

Mary Beth Shepherd, M.Ed.

High School Counselor, Department Chair

Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School

Precious Pearls will resume soon. The link to sign up is below.

RSVP here by January 16

Parents/guardians,

Please join me on Tuesday, January 21, from 9:00 - 11:00 am for our first Pastries with the Principal event. I would love to get to know parents and stakeholders. The discussion topic will be technology , updates on our new committees, the expansion, and parental engagement. I will also hear your concerns, ideas, feedback, and general thoughts on how to better CSP. This is on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 50 parents that RSVP.

We kindly ask that you respond by Thursday, January 16, if you are interested in attending. The event is for parents only and is open to the first 50 to respond.

The Polar Bear Plunge is BACK and we are so excited for 2025! All CSP students and staff are invited to register for the Plunge. New this year: AACPS will have their own day at the MD Cool Schools Challenge. On Thursday, January 30th, 2025, CSP will travel to Sandy Point State Park along with hundreds of students from other Anne Arundel County Schools to PLUNGE into the freezing water of the Chesapeake Bay.

In order to attend the field trip and earn the highly coveted Polar Bear Plunge sweatshirt, students must register on the team website and raise at least $50 for the Maryland Special Olympics no later than Wednesday, January 22nd. All attendees must have turned in their completed Plunger Packet by Thursday, January 23rd to guarantee their spot on the trip. Last year, nearly 80 CSP students and staff worked together to raise over $8000 in our inaugural year. This year, we are striving for 100 team members and $10,000 or more raised for this incredible cause!

If you have any questions, check out the plungemd.com website or email our Team Captain, Amanda Morataya at amorataya@mycsp.org and Advisor, Mrs. Clyde at eclyde@mycsp.org.

The date for graduation is Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The commencement ceremony will take place at Severna Park High School from 6-7:00 pm.

Parents,

Please make note that CSP will be closed for all students on Wednesday, May 28 to allow for staff to celebrate the Class of 2025.

Parents,

We ask that you please refrain from picking your children outside of the gates. We cannot be responsible for the safety of our students once they leave the grounds of the school.

Attention eighth grade parents/guardians:

Chesapeake Science Point and Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) have a partnership for the Early College Access Program (ECAP), allowing students to take college courses while in high school. CSP also has a unique partnership where selected students work toward a college Associate Degree throughout high school, earning 60 college credits through AACC classes and AP credits.

Candidates for this very selective program are considered during the spring of students’ eighth grade year at CSP. Administrators, counselors, and teachers review student data and discuss individual student ability to complete college level and AP courses.

AACC requires a strict limit of 22 students for this program, making it extremely selective. The selection procedures will begin in February and student/parent contact will take place once the review process is completed in the spring.

Students and families do not need to request consideration for this program, all eighth-grade students will be reviewed and considered for the Associate Degree program.

Students who are not chosen for the selective Associate Degree program are still eligible to take individual AACC courses through the ECAP program. These opportunities are usually possible in students’ junior and senior years.

Many parents have asked for recommended devices for their students. The most important requirement is that the Chromebook must still be eligible for updates.

You can check the update availability for Chromebooks here: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?sjid=2181313923428552580-NA#zippy=%2Chp:~:text=Chromebook%2011%20G9,Jun%202031

We highly recommend the models we use at school as they tend to be a bit more durable for student use:

Recommended Models:

• HP 11 G9 11" Chromebook - TechToSchool: https://techtoschool.com/products/hp-11-g9-11-chromebook?srsltid=AfmBOor5K4lYDY5b2BR0Vgwplfr8xKKlsMPtQPcDZ6FANVU0DqhUROky
• HP Chromebook 11.6" Touchscreen - Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/HP-Chromebook-11-6-Touchscreen-Dual-core/dp/B09JFF1S3X
• HP Chromebook 11 G9 EE - Best Buy: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-chromebook-11-g9-ee-11-6-chromebook-intel-celeron-4-gb-memory-32-gb-emmc-black/6495100.p?skuId=6495100

Other Suitable Options:

• HP Chromebook 14" - Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/HP-Chromebook-Processor-Lightweight-14a-na0021nr/dp/B08YKGZF7P/
• Lenovo 100e Chromebook Gen 4 - CDW: https://www.cdw.com/product/lenovo-100e-chromebook-gen-4-11.6-mediatek-kompanio-520-4-gb-ram-3/7377715
• Lenovo 300e Chromebook - Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-300e-Chromebook-82J9000LUS-Touchscreen/dp/B09JL3ZB2P

Students missing school for college visits are excused absent if they bring in something from the college stating they visited there. Students should bring their college visit notes to Mrs. O'Brien.

When students are absent from school, AACPS sends messages to families to ensure student safety and open communication. For convenience and equity, messages are sent through two communication tools:

Alerts - the AACPS automated contact system provides one message per day for elementary students and two messages per day for middle and high school students. A morning message is sent to families of all absent students via phone, email, and text at 11 a.m. The second message is sent via email and text to families of absent middle and high school students at 5:30 p.m.

Parent Portal sends notifications in real time when a student is marked absent for the school day or a specific class period. In order to receive Parent Portal notifications, parents/guardians must have proper accounts and notifications turned on in their settings. Access to Parent Portal is available for families of students in grades K-12. Parents/guardians can also send attendance notes directly to their student's school via Parent Portal. Visit www.aacps.org/parentportal to sign up or learn more.

For information on how to support student attendance, visit www.aacps.org/attendance.

If you are new to CSP or have not submitted a response to our CSP Volunteer/Chaperone Interest Form in the past and want to volunteer or chaperone, please submit a response to the form here.

We are now looking for a new coach for the middle school Math Team. If you are interested in being the 2024-2025 Math Coach, please reach out to Mr. Owens at dowens@mycsp.org. It is an hourly paid position.

Fundraiser - Cookie Sale - Benefits Class of 2028

Fundraiser - Chocolate Bars - Benefits Black Student Union

Tickets go on sale for

Friday, January 10, 2025

• School Bus Evacuation Drill
• 3:00 - 5:00 pm - Cozy Winter Celebration - Hosted by Middle School Student Council

Fundraiser - Cookie Sale - Benefits Class of 2028 (Ends on January 14)

Fundraiser - Chocolate Bars - Benefits Black Student Union

Thursday, January 16, 2025 - Two-hour Early Dismissal

• End of Second Marking Period
• 6:00 pm - CSP Board Meeting

Friday, January 17, 2025 - Two-hour Early Dismissal

• End of Second Marking Period