Hereford BULLetin

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I’m excited to see the great things that our students and teachers will accomplish together this year. This year, we welcome our new Superintendent, Dr. Heiser; his focus of “Advancing Excellence Together” is very much in alignment with our continuing work to reach “Every Bull, Every Day.” Our school team will continue to work with our students, families, and community to ensure that we continue to push every student to even higher levels of success and excellence.

Across BCPS, administrators and teachers will be shifting to a new instructional model that is aligned to Research for Better Teaching (RBT). RBT is an instructional model that focuses on the student achievement that results from using strong fundamental teaching skills and strategies. At HHS, many of our teachers are seasoned master teachers who have been teaching using RBT aligned strategies for years. Our focus this year is to use this RBT focus to continue to push ourselves as professionals to fine tune our instruction to help all students achieve higher levels.

To help with this shift, we ask all parents and family members to continue to partner with us. I ask that you stay engaged with your student, both academically and socially, throughout the school year. Even though they are now teenagers/young adults, our students still need your support with navigating high school. Each week, set aside time to check in with them to see how they are doing socially and check their grades on Schoology. I encourage you to have them show you their calendar on AllTimely to make sure that their activity signups are in alignment with their needs. Also, please talk with your student about responsible use of cell phones and other devices; they are the number one impediment of student engagement and success. If your student needs additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their Teacher and/or School Counselor. In the Smore below, you will also find a “Who Do I Contact?” document that will help you quickly contact the correct staff member. This document will also be posted on our website for your reference.

This year, our summer mailing is totally electronic, so don’t expect anything to come via the mail. Students and parents can access schedules via Focus on August 7, 2026. Locker assignments will be shared with students in Homeroom on the first day of school, except for 9th grade students who will get them during Early Entry Day on August 27, 2026. The information that comes after this letter will contain some of the more important school documents.

We look forward to welcoming your student back on August 31st. Thank you in advance for your partnership and support of your student and our staff!

Rob Covert - Principal

Ms. Sovich - Grades 9 and 10

Ms. Book - Grades 11 and 12

School Counselors:

Ms. Slezak - Last Names A-F

Ms. Zegers - Last Names G-Mi

Ms. Sanacore - Last Names Mo-R

Ms. Jahries - Last Names S-Z

Ms. Kovack - College & Career

Click the directory file below to find contact information for many of the staff at HHS.

Student schedules are now available on Focus. Please see the letter below regarding schedules and schedule update requests.

Like with previous years, students should turn in absence excuse notes to their homeroom teachers whenever they return from their absence. They should also turn in early dismissal notes to their homeroom teachers in the morning.

New this year, parents can email electronic copies of doctor's notes or last minute early dismissal notes to a general attendance email account. Please use hehs0772@bcps.org for those documents.

Early Entry Day - August 27, 2026 (7:30-11:30 AM)

*This event is for incoming 9th grade students. They will tour the building, find their homeroom/ classes, practice locker opening, and much more! Students will be served lunch in the cafeteria.

**Transportation provided by normal school bus routes

Back to School Night - August 27, 2026 (6-8 PM)

*This event is for Parents of students in all grades. Parents circulate their student's schedule, meet their student's teachers, and learn more about their classes.

Pictured below and linked as a PDF is a handy one pager about what students and parents should expect related to grading.

The Bulls Strong Student Responsibilities document below describes some of the best practices for students to be successful and participate in activities like dances, field trips, extra curriculars and more this school year. Linked below you will also find the BCPS Student Handbook which is referenced in the document.

Students are not permitted to carry backpacks or shoulder bags during the school day. They are allowed to bring them in the morning, but should place them in their lockers before homeroom. At the end of the school day, they can then retrieve their backpacks from their lockers.

To the right are some photos of only acceptable items that students can carry. Students can carry BCPS Laptop Bags, other single strapped laptop bags, small clutches, or pencil pouches. If a student would like a BCPS branded laptop bag, they can request one in the front office.

If a student has a medical reason to carry another bag, that request should go through the school nurse.

Check out our website linked below for more information about:

-Bell Schedule

-Clubs and Activities

-Building Map

-Much More!

https://herefordhs.bcps.org/

Bus routing information including bus stop location and pick up/drop off time will be available a week or two before school starts. The BCPS Office of Transportation will upload the information to Focus on Wednesday, August 19 for parents and students to view.

If you don't have a BCPS Focus Parent Account, click the link below.

https://www.bcps.org/tech_support/creating_a_parent_account_for_focus__schoology

If you are looking to update your student's Emergency Contacts or complete the Parental Privacy Opt Out Form, log on to Focus (https://baltimore.focusschoolsoftware.com).

If you don't have a BCPS Focus Parent Account, click the link below.

https://www.bcps.org/tech_support/creating_a_parent_account_for_focus__schoology

At the link below you will find the webpage where you can access all of the important Health Suite Forms like "Discretionary Medication Form" and "Administer Medication In School Form."

If so, check out the link and document below that describe the process to be cleared as a BCPS Volunteer. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Koehn (bkoehn@bcps.org).

Full Calendar: https://www.bcps.org/calendars/2026-2027_school_calendar/

A/B Calendar: https://www.bcps.org/calendars/AB-Day-Calendar/

Looking for HHS branded gear? Our School Store has moved online, so check out our Online Spirit Store linked below. They have an awesome selection of t-shirts, hoodies, outwear, accessories, and more.

Thursday, August 27, Early Entry Day, 7:30-11:30 AM

Thursday, August 27 - Back to School Night, 6-8 PM

Monday, August 31, First Day of School!!

Monday, September 7, Labor Day, Schools & Offices Closed

Email: rcovert@bcps.org
Website: https://herefordhs.bcps.org/
Location: 17301 York Road, Parkton, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-1905