The Towson Pridep3cdn2static.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers... · Module 7: My State, My Hometown centers around the similarities and dif-ferences between the structure and role

Bard College with other educa-tors from across the country.

STARS to G. Preston

who won first place in the high school division of the "We are Team BCPS Art Chal-lenge!" Out of 68 students county-wide, G. was one of seven students chosen from the elementary through high school for this honor. His art-work will be featured on note cards that will be used by BCPS Superintendent Dallas Dance. He will be recognized and receive a $50 prize at the May 6th Board of Education of Baltimore County meeting.

STARS to each of the

THS honor society induc-tees and thank you to every-one who helped make Tuesday’s induction ceremony a big success.

Each week, individuals will be recog-

nized for their contributions to the

school. Staff members are encour-

aged to submit accolades that are

worthy of the General’s Star.

Our staff and students strive for

excellence on a daily basis. The

comments listed below represent

some of the recognition for our staff

and students.

STARS to C. Guasa, B.

Navarro, L. Troutman, S. Eden, and A. Hiss for help-ing Ms. D’Ortone with the AVID Information night April 7th.

STARS to our grounds crew for sprucing up the outside and getting it ready for the spring growing sea-son!

STARS to Ms. Meehan,

Mr. Malloy, Ms. West, Ms. Forthuber, Mr. Hyman, and Ms. Brown for so much time and energy in-vested intworking with indi-

vidual seniors to make sure they meet their graduation requirements!

STARS to the Towson

High Mathletes who fin-ished 2nd in the county and 14th in the state on Maryland Math League Contests. The competition has six tests that are given over the school year.

STARS to Mr. Bianco,

Ms. Santavenere, and Mr. Skeels for attending the MSDE Common Core Conver-sation after being observed by the MSDE team.

STARS to Social Stud-ies teacher Ms. Bardelli who was awarded a National Endowment of the Humani-ties (NEH) Scholar for the summer of 2014. She will be studying the political philoso-phy of Hannah Arendt at

STARS to our Staff, Parents and Students

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

STARS- Weekly

Accolades for Staff,

Parents, and Stu-

dents

1

Featured Article

2-3

Music Notes 4

It’s Academic 5

Giving Back 6

Upcoming Events 7

PTSA Awards 8-9

Senior News 10

Scholarship

Opportunities

11

Upcoming Four

Period Day

12

T O W S O N H I G H

S C H O O L The Towson Pride V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

A P R I L 1 1 , 2 0 1 4

May 5 through 9, 2014

Please take a moment and send a card or

an email to tell a special teacher how much

you appreciate all they do everyday.

P A G E 2

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

“Generals

pride

themselves on

citizenship,

integrity,

leadership, and

scholarship.”

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT NEWS Mary Elizabeth White

Department Chair

As we approach Spring (finally), testing season will quickly be upon us. The Social

Studies 9th Grade Government Team is rolling out a new program to help students re-

view major concepts for the High School Assessment (May 19). The program is spon-

sored by a non-profit organization, Everfi. Baltimore County Public Schools already

uses the Financial Literacy program to supplement Advanced Placement Economics

with a unit of personal finance. The new program, just released in March, is called The

Commons: Digital Town Square.

The course consists of overview videos for 10 learning modules. Each module is ap-

proximately 30 to 40 minutes. The final capstone activity is a short persuasive compo-

sition which will help students with their writing skills, which is a component of the

High School Assessment. Cumulative course time is between 6 to 8 hours depending

on each student’s learning level. At the end of the course, students will earn a certifi-

cate which they will turn into their teacher for credit.

Each module includes:

A 3 -5 minute animated sequence introducing students to the concepts for each

module;

Interactive learning content where students explore and apply concepts through

games from iCivics, interactive text activities, and slide shows; and,

Knowledge check quizzes through which students will demonstrate under-

standing of key concepts.

Course topics include:

Module 1: My Rights - where students explore the rights, responsibilities, and

roles of individual citizens in the U. S., using the Bill of Rights as a pri-

mary source;

Module 2: Who Speaks for Me? Engages students in an exploration of the

Legislative Branch;

Module 3: A Leader for the People - students investigate the role of the Presi-

dent and the Executive Branch as laid out in the Constitution and how it

has evolved over the course of history;

Module 4: Justice for All - the role of the Judicial Branch, the court systems,

and juries are explored;

Module 5: Paying for Progress provides students with practice on fiscal pol-

icy and the budget;

Module 6: Global Affairs and My Role examines the role of the government

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

and individuals in international affairs;

Module 7: My State, My Hometown centers around the similarities and dif-

ferences between the structure and role of national, state, and local govern-

ment;

Module 8: My Voice, My Vote covers the electoral process, eligibility for

elected office and the role of individuals in elections;

Module 9: Information Exchange helps students evaluate information found

on the Internet and schools them in how to engage in effective and respon-

sible debate; and,

Module 10: Taking Action - Using the First Amendment, students explore

various forms of civic participation.

Our teachers hope that all 9th grade students will take advantage of this engaging

digital review leading up to the High School Assessment. Teachers will explain to

their classes the process of signing up to participate. Students, if you are interested

in a fun yet effective review, this is the opportunity you’ve been looking for!

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT NEWS (CONTINUED)

P A G E 4

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

“One of the

most important

keys to Suc-

cess is having

the discipline to

do what you

know you

should do, even

when you don’t

feel like doing

it.”

Unknown

Congratulations to the following THS musicians for a wonder-

ful performance at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Side by Side Concert!

S. Hullinger, Y. Shi, J. Igusa, J. Miller, and L. Sarbanes performed “Side

By Side” with a Baltimore Symphony musician on Tuesday, April 8. One

hundred, eighty-five (185) THS students attended the concert with dozens

of other BCPS musicians from other schools.

Our Towson High School instrumental and choral musicians did very well

at the annual BCPS assessments! A score of 1 means that the group ex-

ceeded standards and a 2 means the group met standards. Here’s how

Towson rated...

GT Chamber Orchestra - 1

Honors Wind Ensemble - 2

GT Wind Ensemble - 1

Honors Chorale - 1

GT Chamber Choir - 1

Music Notes

Best of Luck on the

Disney Performances!!

AP & HSA Exam Schedule

Monday 5/5

Tuesday 5/6

Wednesday 5/7

Thursday 5/8

Friday 5/9

AP Exams Only AP Exams Only AP Exams Only AP Exams AP Exams Only

Regular Schedule Regular Schedule Regular Schedule Pd 7 Senior Final Regular Schedule

Monday 5/12

Tuesday 5/13

Wednesday 5/14

Thursday 5/15

Friday 5/16

AP Exams AP Exams AP Exams AP Exams Only AP Exams

Pd 5 Senior Final Pd 3 Senior Final Pd 6 Senior Final Regular Schedule Pd 4 Senior Final

Monday 5/19

Tuesday 5/20

Wednesday 5/21

Thursday 5/22

Friday 5/23

HSA Govern-

ment

HSA Biology HSA Algebra HSA English 10 Senior Activities

Pd 2 Senior Final Pd 1 Senior Final Senior Make-ups

http://www.wallpaperklix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/mickey-mouse-images-cartoon.jpg

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

It’s Academic!!

Ms. Meehan, Coach of the It’s Academic

team gives a recap of the matches Satur-

day, April 5th.

“We seem to be living the dream!! Sat-

urday we played Wilde Lake and

Catonsville. Early and throughout the match, the 'Ville proved a wor-

thy opponent, and we were back and forth, up 20, down 20....there

was a dark moment when we were down 50! Uh oh....Don't make me

talk about the O Henry question.....

A controversial answer and some technical wobbles brought us to the

end of the match. David Zahren started to wrap it up when the staff

shouted to him that it just wasn't over yet! We were tied at the

buzzer 500-500 with Catonsville.

A sudden death tie breaker....."something something orchestral in-

strument that starts with Z." Walt Young was all over the buzzer.

He shouted, literally, "Zither!" and that was all she wrote.

Towson wins!!!!!!!!!! Super exciting.

Be sure to congratulate Ed, Geoff and Walt when you

see them. They were ridiculously good. And thank

you Ms. Travis. I almost needed CPR. :)

This show airs May 24th. We return for the semi-

finals on May 10th.

Love,

A Very Happy Coach”

Oh yeah, we’re ready!

Bring it!!

Relaxing Before the

Big Match

P A G E 6

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

Giving Back...

The Towson Girls Lacrosse team had a very successful teaching clinic on Saturday for the youngest

players in the Towson Rec Council. The head coach, Jamie Giffuni feels very strongly about the

girls giving back to the

community, so the

teaching clinic will be

an annual event.

The Maryland SPCA’s volunteers are simply paw-some! We appreciate

all of their dedication each and every day of the year. This week is Vol-

unteer Appreciation Week. Each day, this week, we will highlight some

of our volunteers and the amazing things they do to help the pets and

staff at the MD SPCA.

Molly Schneider, a Baltimore native and senior at Towson High School,

who has a deep love and appreciation for all animals, is an intern who

volunteers in our adoption center on Falls Road Monday through

Thursday and at our satellite adoption center at White Marsh Mall on

Fridays. From walking dogs and always stopping for some cuddle time,

sending adopters their pets’ send-home photos, assisting in our Spay/

Neuter clinic, to helping potential adopters find their perfect, feline

match at White Marsh Mall, Molly is an active volunteer who is always

willing to lend a hand in helping pets and people.

“I love to see an animal in the shelter make a dramatic turn-around,

said Molly. Seeing a dog come in scared, but leaving very happy is very

rewarding." Thank you, Molly for your service to the MD SPCA. We

know you’ll have a successful collegiate career at Old Dominion!

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 14-18 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

21 NO SCHOOL - Holiday

23 PTSA Meeting

24 Art Showcase - 6 pm - 7 pm - Gymnasium

25 Junior Prom - 7 pm - 10 pm

30 SAT Administration in School for 11th Grade

May 3 SAT (Off Site)

5-9 Teacher Appreciation Week

5-16 AP Exams at Towson High School

8-21 Senior Exams

17 Senior Prom at the Baltimore Aquarium

19-22 HSA

22 Senior Exam Make-Up Day

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

http://www.icanhasinternets.com/2011/05/april-weather-sucked-heres-hoping-for-a-better-may/april-showers-may-flowers/

P A G E 8

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

The Awards will be presented at the School Awards presentation in May.

Towson High School

2014 PTSA Awards

Each year, the Towson High School PTSA awards four (4) scholarships to deserving seniors.

The categories are: Civility (male & female), Spirit and Service. A small team of parents

and other adults review and rank the nominations with input from the THS guidance office.

On Senior Awards Day, four (4) Seniors walk away with $500 checks from the PTSA - no

strings attached. Anyone can nominate a deserving senior by completing the form on the

next page of the newsletter. Listed below are the criteria for each category.

The deadline is April 25th. So, please get your nominations in as soon as possible!

CIVILITY Award (given to one young man and one young woman in the graduating class) Recipients are respectful, honest and consistently kind toward others in the Towson High

School community. They are people who pay attention to other’s needs, value diverse opin-

ions and are able to apologize and accept responsibility for their actions. In sum, they are

good citizens of Towson High.

SPIRIT Award (given to a graduating senior) Recipient brings a positive attitude to school each day. The nominee does not have to be an

athlete, leader, or academic high achiever to receive this award. Rather, the award is given

to the student who, without drawing attention to him/herself, displays a contagious, sense of

humor or joy in life that encourages spirit and positive energy in the classrooms and the

halls of Towson High.

SERVICE Award (given to a graduating senior) Recipient has shown, throughout his/her years at Towson High School, an unusually strong

commitment to giving of his/her time and talents for the betterment of the community. The

student may have volunteered inside and/or outside or school, but should have dedicated

him/herself to an activity or cause in some depth.

Four honorable mentions (one in each category) may be awarded to underclassmen.

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

Towson High School 2014 PTSA Award Nomination

Name of Candidate:_____________________________________________________ Current Grade:________________

This student is being nominated for (check one): (award descriptions are on page 6)

Civility Award_______________ Spirit Award_________________ Service Award__________________

Nominated by:_____________________________________________________________________________________

Relationship to Student:__________________________ How long have you known the student?___________________

In what capacity do you know the student (teacher, administrator, friend, family member)?________________________

If the committee would like additional information from the nominator, please provide contact information:

Email address______________________________ Phone number______________________________

(Nominations may be submitted by any THS employee, student or family member)

The PTSA will award four $500 scholarships to four seniors

Comments: Please comment on why you feel this student is deserving of the above named award. Please list specific reasons and feel free to attach additional pages or information. We would like to know as much as possible about this

candidate as it relates to the award. You are welcome to use the an additional sheet of paper.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please return completed forms to the PTSA box in the school office by Friday, April 25, 2014.

Questions? Please contact Susan Hullinger, PTSA 2nd Vice President, at [email protected]

P A G E 1 0

T he Senior Prom will be held at the National Aquarium in Baltimore on Saturday, May 17- less than 2 months away. Seniors planning to attend the Prom should be preparing for this big night in advance and not procrastinating until the

last minute. Young ladies planning to attend the prom should start looking for a prom dress. If

you plan on getting a dress from the internet or a shop that sells gently used dresses then you

will also have to plan on having alterations made to your dress. These can take from 2-6

weeks. Gentlemen planning on going to the prom can start to look for their tuxedos. The Tux-

edo House in Timonium is donating a portion from each rental towards the Senior Celebra-

tion. Mention that you are a THS student. You can also purchase a tuxedo - it will cost a little

less than a suit and you will have it for other formal occasions. Just keep in mind that you will

need to get alterations made as well if you make the purchase.

The Senior Celebration after the Prom will be held at Kenilworth Bazaar. It is not a bad idea to

meet your mode of transportation, whether it be a limo or bus, at Kenilworth to avoid having to

do a lot of driving that night. Talk to your friends and start to set up transportation ASAP.

Limos and buses can be expensive, however when you split the cost between friends, it is an af-

fordable convenience. The Senior Celebration Committee will be sending out more information

about the after-party as we get closer to the event.

You should also make sure that your cap and gown have been ordered and PAID for. Mr. Blair

distributed reminders to Senior homeroom teachers last week and emails home for most Seniors

who have not yet paid. You need to purchase a Cap and Gown ASAP if you are planning to

graduate this year.

Look for more information in the newsletter as we get closer to the end of the year activities for

Seniors!

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P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

Scholarship Opportunities

19th Annual Cheryl Lillemoe Essay Contest

Riderwood Elementary School PTA - $1,200 - 1 Award (Deadline: April 25, 2014)

Student Eligibility:

1) Must have attended Riderwood Elementary School for a minimum of three (3) years.

2) Must have completed the 5th grade at Riderwood Elementary School.

3) Must have an accumulated GPA of 3.0 or higher.

4) Plan to attend an accredited college as a full time student in the fall of 2014.

Applications, details and complete requirements are available at the guidance offices of all local public and

private high schools and at the office of Riderwood Elementary School.

Your Favorite Car Scholarship - $500 – 1 Award (Deadline: April 30, 2014)

Student Eligibility:

1) Must be attending an accredited post-secondary institution by the fall of 2014 at the latest.

2) Must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a program that is at least two years in length.

Applications can be found by going to:

http://www.scholarshipguidance.com/scholarship_your_favorite_car_scholarship_8933.php?

&utm_source=newsletter01&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=201402&utm_content=cdimino%40bcps.org

MCO Scholarship - $500 – 1 Award (Deadline: May 15, 2014)

Student Eligibility:

1) Be attending college or university no later than December of 2014.

2) Be attending college or university on a full-time basis by December of 2014.

3) Submit an answer to the essay question no later than 11:59 PM EST on May 15, 2014.

4) Be currently in your last year of high school or a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college/university.

Applications can be found by going to:

http://www.scholarshipguidance.com/scholarship_mco_scholarship_8939.php?

&utm_source=newsletter01&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=201402&utm_content=cdimino%

40bcps.org

Arctic Physical Therapy Scholarship - $500 – 1 Award (Deadline: Aug 31, 2014)

Student Eligibility:

1) Be attending college or university no later than January of 2015.

2) Be attending college or university on a full-time or part-time basis by January of 2015.

3) Have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or greater during their last academic year.

Applications can be found by going to:

http://www.scholarshipguidance.com/scholarship_arctic_physical_therapy_scholarship_8938.php?

&utm_source=newsletter01&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=201402&utm_content=cdimino%

40bcps.org

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T H E T O W S O N P R I D E

Towson High School

69 Cedar Ave

Towson, MD 21286

PHONE: 410-887-3608

FAX: 410-583-1375

P A G E 1 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3 2

In preparation for the changes in curriculum coming next school year, our administration

conducted a survey of parents, students, and faculty to determine if Towson would move to

a four (4) period or an eight (8) period day. Below are the results of that survey.

Based on this information, Towson High School will be moving to an A / B schedule with

four (4) periods each day for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year.

Stakeholders 8 periods per day 4 periods per day

Students 212 565

Parents 51 109

Faculty 21 41

LOOKING AHEAD