Students must be enrolled in at least one course at their high school in order to be eligible to participate in certain activities. Students should contact their high school counselor with questions regarding schedules and school-specific scheduling requirements.
Information on JumpStart can be found online.
Students may continue to take classes all school year even if all graduation requirements are met in the fall. Students must take at least one class at an HCPSS school to participate in activities.
School counselors are ensuring that all seniors will have complete schedules that may include dual enrollment or work based/non-work based release time. If a course is not available, school counselors will contact the student/family to select an alternate. In addition, counselors are cross-checking that all seniors will have their graduation requirements completed by the end of their senior year.
HCPSS is considering options for the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) Field Experience class for the 2020-2021 school year. The class may include virtual classroom observations or a series of observation videos that would be developed. HCPSS staff are working to identify mentor teachers who would welcome TAM students into a virtual setting. Additional options will be considered if HCPSS moves to a hybrid or in-person model in the spring.
High school Student Services departments have shared the Waiver of Right to Access School Counselor/Teacher Letters of Recommendation fillable document to all students and families as part of the in-house college application packet. Students should contact their school counselors with any questions
The junior interview is a component of the World Of Work (WOW) graduation requirement. Each county determines how the WOW requirement is completed, and HCPSS will create a plan for students to meet this requirement. HCPSS does not expect a waiver from the Maryland State Department of Education.
Student Services departments continue to offer virtual post-secondary planning meetings and post-secondary presentations for their students and families. School counselors are utilizing their Student Services Canvas page to communicate with students and families to ensure they are aware of the entire post-secondary process. In addition, the Office of School Counseling will collaborate with high school counselors to offer a post-secondary planning series to support seniors during their post-secondary planning, similar to the series offered in the spring.
Some students cannot benefit from distance learning or cannot benefit without extensive in-person assistance by trained personnel. Families and teachers may have witnessed this during spring and summer virtual learning, and it may be well documented in IEP Progress Reports for Quarter 3, Quarter 4, and ESY. It is important that families exercise their rights to request an IEP meeting to discuss what alternatives are possible. FAPE requirements dictate that the school system make alternatives available.
