Dec. 11-15

Dear Walkersville Community,

Winter athletic contests began this week, and as always, we wish our Lions good luck in their competitions. With that said, we want to make sure that everyone saw the FOF from FCPS regarding sportsmanship and expectations for all participants and attendees at our events. I would encourage everyone to take a look at the MPSSAA Plan of Action found here: https://www.mpssaa.org/membership-services/mpssaa-sportsmanship-plan-of-action/

Schedule Change for next week:

Due to MCAP testing there is no FLEX Monday-Thursday. The schedule will be as follows:

Block 1: 7:30-9:00

Block 2: 9:05-10:35

Block 3: 10:40-12:40

Block 4: 12:45-2:15

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Ware

Principal

Attention Parents and Guardians of WHS Seniors! Are you looking for a way to celebrate your graduate? We are taking pre-orders for “WHS Class of 2024 ~ Congratulations!” 24x18 yard signs with delivery in January (exact date TBD). For only $15.00 per sign, you can celebrate your graduate. Metal stakes are included with the price.

The Career and Technology Center (CTC) is part of the Frederick County Public Schools system. With more than 24 programs to choose from, students have the opportunity to gain college and career experience in a variety of areas. They can earn college credits as well as valuable industry certifications and licenses through a CTC program. CTC programs are taught in half-day blocks, and students attend their high school for the other half of the school day. Shadowing a CTC program is the first step in the application process and is open to students in grades 9-11. Students may shadow and apply to up to two programs.

Interested students can request a shadow from the CTC website https://edu.fcps.org/ctc/

Shadowing is open November 2, 2023 – February 29, 2024.

Last day to request a shadow is February 20, 2024

Application deadline: March 8, 2024

For additional information about the Career & Technology Center visit https://edu.fcps.org/ctc/.

This year, WHS will host two separate events for financial aid due to this year's changes and delayed release of the FAFSA:

1. December 12th: Financial Aid Information Session & FSA ID Workshop

• 6-7 PM - Financial Aid Information will be presented to families by a college financial aid advisor
• 7-8 PM - Parents/students can receive help with creation of the FSA ID by signing up at this link: https://www.frederickcountygives.org/fafsa-fsa-id-workshop-registration/

1. February 12th: FAFSA Finish Event

• 5-7 PM - Parents/students can sign up for help with completing the FAFSA - financial aid advisors will be present to assist parents through the process. There will be a sign-up when the date of the event approaches.

Below is some information about the FSA ID to help families decide if they want to sign up for assistance with this on December 12th:

The FSA ID is the username needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

All contributors (ex: student, student's biological parent and step-parent as applicable if the student is dependent, student's spouse as applicable if student is independent, etc.) are required to create a FSA ID. Please note that parent or spouse contributors are not responsible for paying the student's invoice. Instead, contributors are required to include their FAFSA on a student's FAFSA to determine the student's eligibility for financial aid, which includes federal aid, state aid, and scholarships. Learn more about contributors by watching this short video.

Creation of the FSA ID and password is a fairly straightforward process, so contributors are encouraged to create their FSA ID and password at home before the 2024-2025 FAFSA becomes available in December 2023. Please only sign up for the FSA ID workshop if the student and/or parents need assistance creating the FSA ID and password.

Students and parents can create an FSA ID here. Please have your Social Security card available. You will need to have access to your mobile phone and/or email address in order to complete this process. Please keep your FSA ID in safe place because you will need to access this information every year for the FAFSA! More information about the FSA ID is available here.

This is a reminder that while we love to see our whole community supporting our Lions, children are not permitted to be unsupervised during events. We want our events to be safe, orderly, and allow everyone to focus on cheering our students on. Please ensure that younger children are with adults at all times when visiting WHS. Thank you.

Senior year is busy – let us help you stay on track!

• Senior class reminders will be posted on Schoology in the WHS Senior Class of 2024 group. Students in the senior class have been automatically added to this group. Parents who want to join can follow these instructions:

• Click Groups at the top of Schoology.
• Select My Groups.
• Click Join Group on the right.
• Enter the Group Access Code: F48P-4VV6-QWSQS
• Click JOIN

• Please review the Senior Timeline for all important dates throughout the year
• Students: please let us know how to correctly pronounce your name for senior events (Awards & Graduation, etc.): Senior Name Survey
• Cap & Gown Orders Due 12/22

Counseling Department Information – 2023-24

• Schoology: General reminders for students in all grades will be posted on Schoology in the WHS Counseling Office group. Students and parents who want to join can follow these instructions:

• Click Groups at the top of Schoology.
• Select My Groups.
• Click Join Group on the right.
• Enter the Group Access Code: KCCM-CPHP-HGP93
• Click JOIN

• Please review the Counseling Office Newsletter for updates