Weekly Newsletter

February 22, 2026

Dear Coyote Community,

Here we are again on a Sunday afternoon, watching the forecast and wondering what the week might bring. Just last weekend I landed in Austin for a conference and was greeted by 80-degree sunshine — a welcome reprieve from our recent stretch of cold, snow, and ice! More importantly, the conference was outstanding. It was energizing to engage in learning that not only introduced new ideas, but also affirmed the focus we are building here at Clarksburg High School.

Tomorrow, February 23, marks the start of our new tiered approach to student tardiness (see the flyer below). As previously shared, we have observed a pattern of slow transitions between classes, resulting in students missing the critical opening moments of instruction. We have been conducting sweeps and notifying caregivers when students are in the hallway after the tardy bell.

On Friday alone, 350 students were swept at the beginning of first period, with some arriving as much as 20 minutes late. We understand that traffic becomes heavier closer to the start of the school day, which is why our building opens at 7:00 a.m. Students should report to the cafeteria until they are released at 7:15 a.m. First period begins promptly at 7:45 a.m., and students should be in the building and ready to head to class no later than 7:40 a.m. Students arriving after the tardy beell will be addressed through the tiered interventions outlined below. We truly appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations so that all students can engage in learning from bell to bell.

In case you missed it: On Thursday, February 19, during its regular business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education adopted technical changes to the 2025–2026 school-year calendar following weather-related closures earlier this winter.

Key updates include:

• Friday, March 20, 2026 (Eid al-Fitr), will remain a non-instructional day for students.

• The last day of school for students will now be Thursday, June 25, 2026.

If snow begins to accumulate this week, please use caution and stay safe. I look forward to a strong, focused week ahead as we continue building momentum together.

Warmly,

Ms. O’Neill

February 26 Fidos for Freedom @ lunch (Main Lobby)

February 27 Early Release Day

March 6 Band Festival (6:00, Auditorium)

March 7 MSP Retreat (Magruder, See Flyer Below)

March 11 SAT Day (See Flyer Below)

March 12 Senior Parent Meeting (7:00, via Zoom, Link to Come)

March 20 No School for Students (Non-Instructional Day)

March 27 Spring Pep Rally

March 30-April 6 Spring Break

April 9 Arts and Culture Showcase

April 10 Naach Showcase

April 11 Prom

April 14 Last Day of Marking Period 3

Clarksburg offers the following Spring Season Sports: Baseball (V&JV); Boys Lacrosse (V&JV); Girls Lacrosse (V&JV); Softball (V&JV); Allied Softball; Stunt (new offering); Boys Tennis; Girls Tennis; Boys Track & Field; Girls Track & Field; Boys Volleyball; Coed Volleyball.

Anyone interested in trying out on Saturday 2/28 needs to be registered through ParentVUE by this Thursday 2/26.

Here is a step by step guide to registration.

Here are some helpful materials from the MCPS Athletics office:

• Athletic Registration Video - A quick video for parents/guardians on how to register their students in athletics.
• ParentVue Guide - A "Quick Guide to ParentVue for Athletics" in English for parents/guardians when registering their students for athletics.
• ParentVue Guide - A "Quick Guide to ParentVue for Athletics" in Spanish for parents/guardians when registering their students for athletics.
• ParentVue Guide - A "How to Guide" for parents/guardians for Getting Started with ParentVUE.pdf
• Care for Kids - A health care program that provides access to health care services for uninsured children in Montgomery County.
• Clinics for Sports Physicals - an annual list released by MCPS Athletics, pricing is subject to change

If anyone has questions, please email our Athletic Director, Mr. Ed Dalton (Edward_R_Dalton@mcpsmd.org)

A sincere thank you to the student leadership of the Black Student Union, Majorettes, African Student Association, Minority Scholar Program, and Tech Crew for organizing this Black History Month Assembly.

This year, we were privileged to have guest speakers from the Kappa Alpha Psi Mentoring Program, Kappa League. If you are interested in learning more about their organization, you can find additional information here.

https://www.gtownnupes.com/kappa-league

CONGRATULATIONS to Senior Ayaan Ahmad for becoming the 3200m Class 4A State Champion!

In addition to this honor, he won the BRONZE Medal in the 1600m and now holds the Indoor Track school record in both events!

Every single athlete from Clarksburg, in every event they competed in, finished in the scoring (top six). Congratulations to these members of our team:

• Junior AJ Wester finished 6th in the Shot Put
• Senior Salomon Attiogbe finished 5th in the 300m
• Junior Maddy Kelly finished 5th in the 1600m & 6th in the 3200m
• Junior Jillian Owens tied for 5th place in High Jump

The Boys Team finished in 9th place overall.

Congratulatons to Dresden Eshler for placing 9th in both the 50 free and the 100 fly at the Maryland State Swim and Dive Championship competition at the University of Maryland on Saturday. Another congratulations goes out to our Boys' 200 free relay team who placed 11th in the competition.

Congratulations to wrestling team for a very strong showing at the County Championship matches this weekend. We have three champions and one second place finisher:

Elana Perez (1st, 110)

Amanuael Fisahaye (1st, 106)

Aaron Fisahaye (1st, 113)

David Dansou (2nd, 126)

Way to go!

The Walter Reed Military Medical Center (the "President's Hospital") is offering 50 high school students a prestigious opportunity through the Red Cross to volunteer in our clinics. Our month-long program in July will allow students valuable clinical experience, medical awareness training, and more opportunities for our medically interested students. Apply soon as our applications close on March 20th and first come first serve! Link: sparrows.school/chs

The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), the “Olympics of the Mind” is a major national youth initiative of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is gearing up for this year's competitions. Students have opportunities to compete at the local and national levels in a variey of categories.

See the detailed information below and submit a registration to participate using this document.

Montgomery County Science Fair: From 11:45 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 at FDA Building 75, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring.

Keeping It Safe Video Contest: Open to middle and high school students, the contest invites students to create a 30-second video on the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Deadline: Tuesday, March 31.

Sustainability Poster Contest: All students and staff can participate in this annual contest to increase awareness of energy conservation, waste reduction and responsible recycling. Check out the new digital art category! Deadline: Friday, April 3.