Towson High School Newsletter

Dear Towson High School Community,

As we approach the final month of the 2025-26 school year, we want to thank you for your hard work and commitment to our school community! One of the most important ways BCPS families can help students finish the year strong is by encouraging regular, on-time school attendance every day through the last day of the school year.

Even missing a day of school, your student(s) can miss key learning experiences and important connections with teachers and classmates. Every day at school is an important opportunity for students to learn and connect with peers and their teachers. BCPS students are “Here for It”!

Check out this video from Maryland State Superintendent, Dr. Carey Wright: Attendance Matters

In partnership,

Dr. Kim Culbertson

• The Class of 2026 Officers & Steering Committee for a 5-star Senior Prom at the American Visionary Art Museum.
• Willa Diamond & Khloe Magee for their care and thoughtfulness.
• Ayla Venkatesan & Andrew Robinson for being proactive in planning for 2026-2027!
• Angel Campbell for winning the 2026 Britney Reese Allied Sports Scholarship.
• Towson Takes on a Cure Team for raising over $44,660 for blood cancer research.
• Boys Lacrosse Team for competing in the State Final Championship game!
• Softball Team for competing in the State Semifinal Championship game!
• Track & Field and Tennis Teams for competing in the state championships this weekend!
• The FALS Students for adding cold-brew to their menu of teacher drinks.
• Jaylin Perez-Lascano for being recognized at the Career and Technical Education annual ceremony for completing the College-Career Research and Development program.
• Class of 2026 for earning over $32 million in scholarships and grants!

• Ms. Petras for earning the TABCO Recognition Award at the 62nd Retirement & Recognition Dinner.
• Mr. Flynn for setting up the Senior Prom venue and all of her 5-star efforts with planning the Senior Prom - it looked fantastic!
• Senior Prom Chaperones for keeping our students safe during Senior Prom.
• Ms. L. Smith & Ms. Flynn for organzing a 5-star Graduation Rehearsal/Senior Activity Day!
• Ms. Bures, Dr. Hobbs, Ms. Weir, & Ms. Williams for organizing the annual Senior Awards Night.
• Mr. Nash for organizing and hosting the annual Sports Awards Show!
• Ms. Fluharty & Mr. Marx for organizing and facilitating Senior device collection.
• Ms. Flynn for organizing and distributing caps & gowns.
• Mr. Jackson for coordinating AP Testing, and Ms. McCusker & Ms. Marks for stepping in when needed.
• Mr. Stange & Mr. Thompson for helping out with athletic department needs.
• Mr. Jackson & Mr. Tregaskis for going above and beyond to help seniors.
• Mr. Brotman & Mr. Eastham for sharing their graduation wisdom with seniors.
• Dr. Hobbs, Ms. Schnitzer, Ms. L. Smith, & Ms. Weir for organizing Senior Daytime Awards.
• Mr. Worthington & Ms. Marks for collaborating on the Fall 2026 theatre production.

• The PTSA for organizing a 5-star After Prom Party!

• The PTSA for coordinating safe transportation to and from Senior Prom for students and families.

• Raising Canes for donating gifts for teacher/staff appreciation !

• Playa Bowls for donating smoothie bowls for teacher/staff appreciation!

• The PTSA for organizing a 5-star Senior Picnic!

Schools and offices will be closed on Monday May 25 for Memorial Day.

May 26 is an asynchronous learning day for all students in grades 9-11 so faculty can prepare for the Class of 2026 Graduation. There will be no synchronous (Google Meet) instruction. The school building will not be open for students. Asynchronous assignments will be uploaded to Schoology for students' B-day classes.

May 28 is a professional learning day for staff. School is closed for students.

The last day of school for students in grades 9-11 is June 16.

• Logistics: Tuesday May 26 is an ASYCHRONOUS LEARNING DAY for all students in Grades 9-11 so staff can prepare for Graduation that evening. The building will be closed for students. ​

• May 26 Attendance - Attendance will be taken on May 26. To be counted as “present” for the day, students must login to Schoology on a computer by 9:00 am. The Schoology analytics are not accurate when students login through their phones.​

• Asynchronous: There will be no synchronous (NO Google Meet) instruction. ​

• May 26 Assignments – Assignments will be uploaded to B-day class pages on Schoology. ​

• May 26 Self-Paced Schedule – Students will pace themselves throughout the day. See an optional schedule to the right to assist with pacing your day.

• Please see the schedule below for Semester 2 exams for students in grades 9-11.

• If you do not take a Semester 2/Final Exam, will be issued an "E" for your exam grade which will be factored into your Semester 2 grade.​

• You cannot take Semester 2/Final Exams early. You must follow the exam schedule.​

• If you miss a Semester 2/Final Exam, you can makeup the exam on:​

• Monday June 15 (A-day exams)
• Tuesday June 16 (B-day exams)​

• If you cannot take an exam before the end of the year, your parent/guardian must contact your School Counselor by June 12. ​

• The last day of school is Tuesday June 16.​

• All students are expected to attend school each day through June 16.​

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Below are helpful tips for supporting a friend or a loved one who is experiencing emotional distress or possibly a mental health challenge. Key actions include checking in regularly, assisting with daily tasks, and encouraging professional help, while avoiding dismissive phrases like "snap out of it" or “man up.” Also, remember our THS School Counselors are available to support students, and all BCPS high school students have access to free talk therapy through Talkspace (keyword: bcps).

What to Say

• Start the conversation: You can say things like… “I’ve noticed that you haven’t been yourself, is there anything on your mind?” or “You don’t seem like yourself, if you need to talk to me about something, I can listen.”
• Validation & Support: "I'm really sorry you're going through this right now," “I’m really glad you shared this with me,” "I'm here for you," and "It’s okay to not be okay."
• Checking In: "I've been thinking about you," or "No need to reply, just wanted to check on you."
• Offering Specific Help: "Can I bring you dinner this week?" or "I can sit with you while you make that appointment."
• Affirming Strength: "Reaching out shows a lot of strength."

What to Do

• Listen more than you talk: Don’t offer advice unless asked and avoid sharing your own experiences. Let them talk without interrupting or trying to "solve" their problems immediately.
• Be Patient: They might now be ready to talk. You can let them know that you will be there when they are ready.
• Offer Distractions: Watch a movie, go for a walk, or sit in silence together.
• Encourage Professional Help: Suggest speaking to a therapist and offering to help find resources.

Don’t:

• Use Dismissive Language: "Just be positive," "You're overreacting," “It’s not that bad,” or "Others have it worse."
• Pressure: Do not push them to talk if they are not ready or force them to socialize.
• Leave Them Alone: Do not leave them alone if they have shared that they are thinking of ending their life. Call or text 988.

THS Performing Arts Program is excited to officially announce our Fall 2026 production: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. This classic comedy features magic, chaos, fairies, love stories, and a whole lot of fun! Ms. Marks will be joining us as the director for this production, and auditions will be held during the first week back to school in September.

To access audition materials, please join the THS Theatre Schoology Group with the code: S5C3-MKT7-XSSX4, or stop by to see Ms. Marks on the 3rd floor or Mr. Worthington in the auditorium if you have any questions!

To help students get comfortable with Shakespeare and learn more about the play, the THS Theatre Program and ITS will also host a Shakespeare Workshop on June 2nd in the Auditorium until 4:30pm. The workshop is open to all students, especially those with little or no Shakespeare experience, but attendance is not mandatory to audition in the fall!

To access audition materials, please join the THS Theatre Schoology Group with the code: S5C3-MKT7-XSSX4, or stop by to see Ms. Marks on the 3rd floor or Mr. Worthington in the auditorium if you have any questions!

Logistics:

• Tuesday May 26, 2026
• 6:00 PM - The procession will begin promptly at 6:00 PM
• TU Arena (formerly SECU Arena), Towson University, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252. TU Campus Map: https://www.towson.edu/maps/documents/campus-map.pdf
• Live Stream Link (BCPS TV): https://youtube.com/live/_XUP7VcNxVw?feature=share

Graduate Arrival:

• Graduates must arrive at Towson University by 5:00 PM for graduation, ONE HOUR prior to the ceremony.
• When graduates arrive, they should check in with their staff line leader.
• To be eligible to walk in Graduation, graduates must be in line by 5:15 PM.
• Graduates do not need a ticket to enter.

Guest Arrival:

• Doors will open to guests at 5:00 PM.
• Once the processional begins at 6:00 PM, doors will be closed and no guests will be admitted.
• All guests, including infants and young children, must have a ticket (see the "Graduation Tickets" section below for more details).
• Guests will not have access to the staging area at any time.

Graduation Tickets:

• Graduation tickets were distributed at the end of the day on Friday May 22.
• Each senior was given 6 tickets for graduation, unless more tickets were previously requested. All requests have been satisfied.
• All guests must have a ticket, including infants and young children.
• Graduating seniors do not need a ticket.

• Please review the "TU Event Bag Policy" image below to identify approved bags. No exceptions will be made.
• Please review the "Inadmissible Items" list below to identify items that are not permitted. No exceptions will be made.
• Everyone must enter through the Open Gate security system which consists of walk through magnetometers. These are much like what you see at any large capacity arena or stadium. The magnetometers will be located at each gate, as well as where the graduates enter through the Towson Center.

• Cap & Gown: Caps & Gowns are mandatory.
• Take your gown out of the packaging and let it hang for 24-36 hours prior to Graduation to minimize wrinkles.
• Under Cap & Gown:
• Graduates should be dressed in semi-formal attire under their caps and gowns. Options include dresses, skirts, slacks, collared shirts, dress shoes. Attire to avoid includes jeans, flip-flops, shorts, and sneakers.
• Arrive with gown unzipped for verification of appropriate dress.
• Cap & Tassel:
• Worn flat on the head - fastened with bobby pins if necessary.
• Nothing written, taped, or glued to the cap.
• The tassel is worn on the right side (moved to the left once you have received your diploma). It is required to wear as it is part of the ensemble.
• Shoes: There will be a lot of standing and walking as students are organized. Graduates should wear comfortable, yet ceremony appropriate, shoes.
• Personal Items: Graduates may not carry anything during the processional. All personal items should be left with your family and guests. There is no place to store personal items. Graduates cannot leave anything in the staging room. Graduates will not have access to the staging area after the ceremony.
• Stoles & Cords:
• Only stoles and cords issued by THS will be permitted. Stoles and cords are issued by academic and leadership organizations.
• Personalized stolls are not permitted.

Parking: Parking is available to families attending graduation at TU. Please review this information:

• TU will have parking staff on site to direct traffic/answer questions.
• Parking for Students, Families, Guests will begin in Lot 8.
• When Lot 8 fills, parking will expand to Lots 4, 5, and 6.
• No pre-registration or payment is necessary.
• Walking or waiting at a Shuttle Stop are options for getting from parked vehicle to Arena. (There will be one Shuttle for all lots.)
• Families and Guests enter through Gate 2 (main gate) or Gate 1.
• Everyone who is not a graduating student needs a ticket to enter (see above for ticket information).

Last Year's Ceremony: Want to know what to expect for the Graduation ceremony? Watch the video from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlPmfDLCZUY

• The School Counseling Department would like to invite you and your student to meet with school staff to review your student’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) status and post-secondary plans. During the meeting we will explore options for the future and discuss what you can be doing now to prepare for Senior year. The conferences will be held beginning March 20, 2026, through June 5, 2026, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am-1.30pm. Please call Ms. Williams or Ms. Weinstock at 443-809-3613 to schedule your conference.

Please contact Ms. Cerenzo, Class Advisory, at kcerenzo@bcps.org

Please contact Ms. Marks, at smarks@bcps.org or Ms. B. McCusker at bmccusker@bcps.org, your class advisors.

All sports offered at Towson High School are state-sanctioned sports and must adhere to all academic eligibility requirements. To be eligible to participate in Fall 2026 sports, student-athletes must:

• Earn a minimum 4th quarter GPA of 2.0 GPA (on 4th quarter 2025-2026 report card)

• Have no more than one failing 4th quarter grade (on 4th quarter 2025-2026 report card)

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.

May 25 - Schools & Offices Closed

May 26 - Class of 2026 Graduation, 6:00 pm, TU Arena

May 26 - Asynchronous Learning Day for 9th-11th Grade Students

May 28 - Schools Closed for Students

June 16 - Current Last Day of School (may change due to inclement weather)