Changes Add Three Early Release Days, Systemwide Closure Over Winter Break

At its Dec. 2 business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved a modified school calendar for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. 

MCPS recognizes that teacher planning time is critical for the preparation of meaningful and engaging lessons for students each day. To support this, three early release days have been added to this school year’s calendar to allow for important work time for staff. Wednesday, Jan. 12; Thursday, March 24; and Wednesday, May 18, 2022 are now early release days for both traditional and innovative calendar schools. MCPS is piloting a variety of out-of-school time opportunities with community partners to provide engaging activities for students during the afternoons on early release days. 

The district is also adding systemwide closures during winter break on Dec. 23 and Dec. 27 through Dec. 30, 2021, as well as during spring break on April 13 and April 14, 2022. MCPS facilities will be available for public use, such as childcare and other scheduled events, through the Montgomery County Office of Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF).

In alignment with the federal and state holiday recognizing Juneteenth, MCPS will also add a systemwide closure on Monday, June 20, 2022.

These changes maintain 181 days of instruction and keep the last day of school on June 15, 2022. It is important to note that MCPS will still exceed the minimum number of hours of instruction required by the state. At the elementary school level, MCPS will exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 60 hours. At the middle school level, MCPS will exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 120 hours. At the high school level, MCPS will still exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 30 hours.

Montgomery County Board of Education Appoints Scott Joftus to Fill District 3 Seat

Dr. Scott Joftus has been appointed by the Montgomery County Board of Education to fill the District 3 seat left vacant by the passing of Patricia O’Neill. The Board interviewed eight finalists in a public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Joftus was appointed by unanimous vote to fill the term ending in November 2022.

Joftus is the co-founder and president of FourPoint Education Partners, a consulting firm specializing in school and district improvement, system reviews, strategic planning and leadership development. He is also an adjunct professor in Education Policy, Program Evaluation and Leadership at The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, where he also earned his Doctorate of Education. Joftus has two children; one is a graduate of Walt Whitman High School and the other is currently a junior at Whitman. Joftus lives with his family in Bethesda.  

The swearing-in ceremony for Joftus is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2021, at Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville.

Brenda Wolff Selected as President of the Board of Education; Karla Silvestre Selected as Vice President

Brenda Wolff was selected by her colleagues on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, to serve as president of the Montgomery County Board of Education. Karla Silvestre was elected as vice president. Both officers will serve a one-year term.

“I am honored to be chosen by my peers to serve as president of the Board, as we continue to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the school system and our larger community,” said Ms. Wolff.

Ms. Wolff, a resident of Silver Spring, was elected to her first four-year term on Nov. 6, 2018. She is a member of the Board’s Fiscal Management Committee. Previously, she has served as the vice president of the Board and chair of the Board’s Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. She currently serves as the Board’s representative to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s (MABE) Federal Relations Network Committee and is the vice chair of MABE’s Legislative Committee. 

Ms. Wolff received a degree in mathematics from Smith College and a law degree from Suffolk University.

Ms. Silvestre, a resident of Silver Spring, was elected to her first four-year term on Nov. 6, 2018. Ms. Silvestre serves as chair of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Special Populations and the Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. In addition, she also serves as the Board of Education’s representative to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Resolutions Committee. Since her move to Maryland in 2007, Ms. Silvestre has served as the Latino liaison for the County Executive in Montgomery County’s Office of Community Partnerships, as well as manager of the county’s Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center.

Ms. Silvestre received a degree in biology from Florida State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

HYA Presents Leadership Profile for Next MCPS Superintendent

HYA Presents Leadership Profile for Next MCPS Superintendent

During the Board of Education’s special meeting on Nov. 18, consultant firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) presented the findings of its Leadership Profile Assessment for the next MCPS superintendent. HYA based its report on the community engagement and interviews it conducted to get feedback that would help the Board determine the primary characteristics desired in the new superintendent.

In case you missed it, you can watch the HYA presentation and read the Leadership Profile Report.

Nominations Open for Teacher, Supporting Staff and Principal Awards

Now is the time to nominate your favorite teachers, supporting services staff and administrators. Deadlines are coming up soon, so review the awards below and nominate your staff members that mean the most to you. The awards are—

The Montgomery County Teacher of the Year Award: The Montgomery County Teacher of the Year Award honors a full-time kindergarten through Grade 12 teacher who has a demonstrated record of high academic expectations for all students, engaging students of all backgrounds and abilities, contributing to a positive school culture, and connecting with the school community. Nominees must have a minimum of six years’ experience as an MCPS teacher. The Montgomery County Teacher of the Year goes on to represent MCPS as its nominee for the Maryland State Teacher of the Year award. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 17

The Washington Post Teacher of the Year Award: This award recognizes a full-time teacher in prekindergarten through Grade 12 who instills in students a desire to learn and achieve. Each nominee must have a minimum of five years teaching experience, three of which must be in MCPS. This teacher also must understand the individual needs of students, encourage their talents and foster their self-esteem. He or she will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the subject matter and possess the ability to share it effectively with students. The nominee fosters cooperative relationships with his/her colleagues and the community and demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 17

The Washington Post Principal of the Year Award: This award recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment. In presenting these awards, The Washington Post Company Educational Foundation hopes to encourage excellence in school leadership and contribute in a substantive way to the improvement of education in the Washington metropolitan area. Nominations may be submitted by teachers, students, former students, parents, administrators or the general public. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 17

Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Educational Administration and Supervision: Given annually to recognize an outstanding MCPS administrator or supervisor, eligible nominees include principals, assistant principals, school business administrators, directors, supervisors and other administrator and supervisory positions within the MCAAP/MCBOA unit. Nominations can come from MCPS staff, colleagues, friends, parents and community members. Self-nominations are also accepted. Deadline: 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022

The Shirley J. Lowrie Thank You for Teaching Award: This award honors extraordinary elementary school teachers who have a deep dedication to the teaching profession. These elementary school teachers, prekindergarten through Grade 5, must work directly with students in the classroom on a daily basis, demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the subject matter, and effectively communicate that subject matter to students. The nominee should be a teacher who goes the extra mile to ensure that students receive the support they need to succeed. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 17

The Superintendent’s Annual Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award: Established in 1991, this award honors MCPS principals who excel in promoting academic excellence, positive human relations and community outreach. These qualities were exemplified by Mark Mann, a former principal of Parkland Junior High School, who died in 1988. Nominations made in previous years may be resubmitted. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 17

Supporting Services Employee of the Year: This award honors a supporting services employee who has made an outstanding contribution to MCPS. Nominees should extend themselves beyond basic required duties and contribute to students and the school community by enhancing student learning, creating positive relationships, and making school or the office a better place.

Nominees must be active support professionals with a minimum of three years of service with MCPS. Administrators, teachers, other support professionals, students and community members can nominate. Deadline: 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

BOE Approves FY 2023 Capital Budget and FY 2023–2028 Capital Improvements Program Totaling $1.767 Billion

On Nov. 18, the Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously approved a Fiscal Year 2023–2028 Capital Improvements Program request of $1.767 billion, and a Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Budget appropriation request totaling $551.289 million. 

The $1.767 billion recommendation is an increase of $148.3 million more than the previously approved CIP. 

The six-year plan addresses the facility, capacity and infrastructure needs of MCPS. It includes expenditure recommendations for FY 2023-2028 and provides the recommended FY 2023 Capital Budget funding appropriation authority to implement the CIP during the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2022, and ends June 30, 2023. 

“MCPS must continue to address building capacity and aging infrastructure to ensure students have a safe and welcoming place to learn,” said Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight.

COVID-19 Impact: Due to the pandemic, the construction industry has experienced a rise in material prices, disruptions in the supply chain and staffing shortages, causing a significant increase in construction costs. These extraordinary circumstances have created funding shortfalls between budgeted costs and actual planned expenditures for many capital projects. Total project costs have increased to maintain previously approved completion dates.

Enrollment Expected to Increase: MCPS has seen a steady increase in student enrollment since the 2007-2008 school year. The pandemic, however, impacted enrollment. The official September 30 enrollment is 158,232 for FY 2022, down from 160,564 in FY 2021, a one-year decrease of 2,332 students. Total enrollment is projected to increase to 166,160 students by the 2027-2028 school year. Any decline in enrollment will be temporary; capacity projects included in the recommended CIP should remain on their approved schedules. 

Highlights: The recommendation maintains the completion dates of all capital projects included in the CIP, as well as additional funding for the following:

• Seven previously approved projects to reflect escalated construction costs and prevailing wage rate premiums;
• New school addition projects at Burtonsville and Greencastle elementary schools;
• Planning funds for major projects at Piney Branch Elementary School and Eastern Middle School; and
• Countywide infrastructure and projects to address systemwide initiatives and aging infrastructure.

In addition, there are two boundary study supplements to the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2023 Capital Budget and the FY 2023-2028 Capital Improvements Program:

• Supplement A—The Superintendent’s Recommendation for Gaithersburg Cluster Elementary School #8 Boundary Study
• Supplement B—The Superintendent’s Recommendation for Bethesda, Somerset and Westbrook Elementary Schools Boundary Study

The recommended CIP includes one new boundary study to create the service area for the new Clarksburg Cluster Elementary School #9. The boundary study will occur in the spring of 2022, with Board action expected in November 2022. The new Clarksburg Cluster Elementary School #9 is scheduled to open in August 2023.

Timeline: The Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2023 Capital Budget and FY 2023–2028 Capital Improvements Program was presented to the Board on Oct. 25. The Board held work sessions on Oct. 26, Oct. 28, and November 9 and public hearings on Nov. 2, 4 and 8.

The County Executive will publish his CIP recommendations for all county agencies by mid-January for Council discussion and action. The Council will hold hearings in early February, conduct work sessions in March and April, and adopt the FY 2023 Capital Budget and the FY 2023-2028 CIP by the end of May.

Read more about the FY 2023 Capital Budget and FY 2023–2028 Capital Improvements Program: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/cipmaster.aspx

Join Our Team!

MCPS is hosting a job fair from 3–7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, at 15 West Gude Dr. in Rockville. 

The following positions are available:

• Bus drivers
• School security assistants
• Paraeducators
• Food service workers
• Building services employees
• Substitute teachers

Qualified candidates will have an opportunity to interact with MCPS staff in person and apply on-site. Candidates are asked to bring their resume to share with school district personnel. 

MCPS is Hosting a Pre-kindergarten Coat Drive

The MCPS Prekindergarten and Head Start Programs are seeking donations of new coats for students in need. Boys’ and girls’ coats in sizes 4 – 10 can be delivered to Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, MD, 20852. Gloves, hats and scarves are also welcome.

Donations can be dropped off in person from 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Monday–Friday, or you may order online and have items delivered to the attention of Lisa Conlon at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, MD 20852. For more information, email Lisa_W_Conlon@mcpsmd.org or call 240-740-4530.

Save the Date: Annual Used Car, Computer Sale Coming Dec. 11

Mark your calendars for the upcoming car and computer sale!

Students in the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) and Information Technology Foundation (ITF) will be selling used cars and computers that they have refurbished on Saturday, Dec. 11, at Gaithersburg High School, from 9–11 a.m. Gaithersburg High School is located at 101 Education Blvd. in Gaithersburg.

The cars and computers are refurbished and reconditioned by the students as part of their classroom and lab studies. The sales provide students with the opportunity to practice their sales skills, earn Student Service Learning hours, and develop a deeper appreciation for community involvement.

The ATF is still seeking car donations, which will help more than 400 high school students learn how to evaluate, repair and restore used cars. The ATF accepts donations year-round between 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at Damascus, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley high schools, at Thomas Edison High School of Technology and at the Shady Grove Bus Depot. Donations may be tax deductible.

For questions about the automotive program, contact Kelly Johnson at 240-740-2051. To schedule car donations, contact Michael Snyder at 240-740-2050.

Automotive Trades Foundation

Information Technology Foundation

Choose Respect to Host Let’s Talk Consent Virtual Event on Dec. 14

Choose Respect will host a sexual assault prevention virtual event for students in grades 8-12 on Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 7–9 p.m. Choose Respect: Let’s Talk Consent will include MCPS partners including: VASAP (Victim Assistance/Sexual Assault Program), Montgomery County Police Department, and Family Justice Center. Students who participate in the event will earn 2.5 SSL hours.

Students must register before the event using this link.

Attention Parents/Guardians of Students with Special Needs: Next SEAC Meeting Dec. 20

The Montgomery County Public Schools Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) will host its next virtual monthly meeting on Monday, Dec. 20 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Parents will have the opportunity to connect with other parents/guardians of students with special needs, have a dialogue with special education administrators and learn more about topics of interest. 

The Zoom meeting information is included below:

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/87243389346?pwd=L3RNUStKSnlRZlpudTUvRkI5S1l3UT09

One tap mobile: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Meeting ID: 872 4338 9346 Passcode: 122021

For more information visit the SEAC website. If you would like to be added to the listserve, email Rosa M. Aleman at Rosa_Aleman@mcpsmd.org. 

A Celebration of Latin Dance

A Celebration of Latin Dance

For the 21st year, dozens of energetic high school dancers took the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore to represent their schools at the Latin Dance Competition on Nov. 22. MCPS students, families and community members packed the theater to cheer for their favorites and celebrate Hispanic heritage. The event was organized by the After School Dance Fund (ASDF), whose mission is to build strong Latin dance clubs in MCPS and to support the academic and social-emotional success of students. The event is sponsored by ASDF, with grants from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Council and MCPS. Watch a video from the event.

Students from six high schools participated—Bethesda-Chevy Chase, James Hubert Blake, Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Northwood and Watkins Mill. The winners in each category are listed below:

Best in Show Junior Division (schools competing four years or less)

1st, Northwood HS

2nd, James Hubert Blake HS

3rd, Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS

Best in Show Senior Division

1st, Gaithersburg HS

2nd, Watkins Mill HS

3rd, Clarksburg HS

Alumni

1st, Clarksburg HS

2nd, Watkins Mill HS

See photos from the event.

Get Your Drama On!

The curtain is rising on theater productions throughout the school system, at middle and high schools. Plan now to see these great performances, which run into February.

From original productions such as Adventures in COVID to Our Town, Disney’s Newsies and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, there’s something for everyone.

2021-2022 Fall & Winter Theater Schedule

Literacy Council Offers Free ESL Classes for Parents

In collaboration with MCPS, the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) is offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for MCPS parents.  

The classes will be held virtually and there will be options for all levels of English speakers. They are available to any MCPS parent for whom English is not their first language. Parents can complete this Interest form to receive a placement test.

Two virtual live conversations, one in English and one in Chinese, about the ESL classes will be livestream on the MCPS YouTube channel and Facebook page on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.

MCPS Graduate Receives University of Maryland’s Top Student Award

The University of Maryland’s top graduating seniors worked to address climate change, education gaps, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars program does more than recognize seniors for their accomplishments, prestigious internships and impressive GPAs. It honors faculty and K-12 teachers who helped mentor them.

Each of the 19 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars being honored this week credits grade school and high school teachers and UMD faculty who helped guide, inspire, coach, tutor and challenge them in big and small ways.

The scholars are selected by the academic colleges and schools with undergraduate major programs. The program provides $1,000 scholarships, which are awarded in the K-12 teacher’s name to another student from that school district who will attend UMD in the fall of 2022.

The 2021–2022 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars from MCPS are:

Daisy Yu: Communication, Chemistry

2018 graduate, Montgomery Blair High School

Teacher mentor: Matthew Yates, DuFief Elementary School

Naveen Raman: Computer Science, Mathematics

2018 graduate, Richard Montgomery High School

Teacher mentor: Heather Hennis, Richard Montgomery High School

Poetry Contest Open to High School Students; Submissions Due Feb. 22

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is hosting a poetry contest open to high school students across the Washington metropolitan area.

Original submissions are due by midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The poem should be on one of three topics: freedom, escape or community. Authors can submit one poem.

Up to 12 poems will be selected as finalists. The finalists will have their poems posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website prior to the festival. They also will be asked to record a video of themselves reading their poem for publication on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website (which requires a signed waiver).

First, second and third place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates. A fan favorite poem, selected by voting on the website, will receive a $25 gift certificate.

More information:

GBF Poetry Contest 2022

Submit your entry.