Academic calendar
School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Jun 11, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- School Year 2025-2026
- School Year 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 18 of 18 terms
A
- A La Carte
- Individual food items like snacks or drinks sold separately from the standard tray meal in the cafeteria
- A/B Lunch
- The two separate lunch shifts determined by a student's fourth-period teacher.
D
- D-Town
- A common local nickname for the town of Damascus used by students.
F
- FARMS
- Free and Reduced-Price Meals program, a common administrative and student term for meal assistance
- FCA
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes; a prominent student-led club on campus.
G
- Green and Gold
- The official school colors, often used to describe school spirit or dress codes for games.
H
- Hornet Pride
- The school's official motto and a general term for the community's high level of school spirit.
M
- Main Hallway
- The area where students often congregate during lunch if not in the cafeteria.
- MCPS
- Montgomery County Public Schools, the school district Damascus belongs to.
N
- NHS
- National Honor Society; an organization for students who excel in scholarship, leadership, and service.
P
- PTSA
- Parent Teacher Student Association, the collaborative organization of parents, teachers, and students
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association; the primary student leadership and event-planning body.
- SSL
- Student Service Learning; the state-mandated community service hours required for graduation.
- Swarmin' Hornets
- The collective name for the student body and athletic teams.
T
- The Buzz
- The name of the school's official newsletter and daily announcements
- The Caf
- The main school cafeteria where students eat lunch and gather before school.
- The Ridge
- A shorthand reference to Clarksburg High School, the primary local rival.
- The Swarm
- The official name for the Damascus High School student cheering section at athletic events.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 2-hour delay
- A standard schedule adjustment for inclement weather where school starts at 9:45 AM instead of 7:45 AM
- Advisory
- A specific period in the schedule used for social-emotional learning, announcements, and administrative tasks.
- Canvas
- The learning management system (LMS) where teachers post assignments and course materials
- Chromebooks
- The district-issued laptops that students are required to bring to every class for assignments.
- damascus_high_school_cafeteria
- Damascus High School Cafeteria
- Death Valley
- The nickname for the Damascus High School football stadium, known for its intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
- Early Release
- Scheduled days where the school day ends early for teacher professional development or grading.
- Late Start
- A two-hour delay to the start of the school day, typically implemented during winter weather.
- myMCPS
- The overarching digital platform for Montgomery County Public Schools resources
- StudentVUE
- The online portal and mobile app used by students to access grades, attendance, and course schedules.
- The Auditorium
- The primary venue for school plays, concerts, and large-scale assemblies.
- The Buzz
- The name of the Damascus High School student-run newspaper and morning video announcements.
- The Hive
- The school gymnasium, frequently used for basketball games, volleyball matches, and pep rallies.
- The Media Center
- The school library, used for research, testing, and quiet study
- The Portables
- The temporary trailer classrooms located outside the main building used to manage student overflow.
- The Stadium
- The football field and track complex, a central hub for the school's highly active sports culture.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Jun 11, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 18 approved campus terms and 16 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.