MCPS Stronger Student Mental Health and Wellness App Now Available

The free MCPS Stronger Student mobile app is now available via the Apple and Google Play stores. The project was led by students who designed, built and held focus groups for the app. For secondary students, the app provides access to crisis support resources or other mental and physical health/wellness needs, including reporting incidents of discrimination. It is anonymous and confidential.

Users can access:

•         Emergency and crisis contact information.
•         Mental and physical health resources.
•         Tools to file confidential reports about bullying, harassment and/or hate bias with MCPS.
•         Information concerning student rights within MCPS.

The app, at its launch, is available in English and Spanish, but other languages will soon be available. 

Download via mobile device:

•       Apple Store
•       Google Play Store 

MCPS Stronger Student Fliers (in multiple languages)

English  /  español  /  中文  /  français /  Português /  한국어 /  tiếng Việt /  አማርኛ

Recognizing Girls and Women in Sports

In this video, members of the MCPS Student Athlete Leadership Council share the history and significance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Los miembros del Consejo de Liderazgo de Estudiantes Atletas de MCPS comparten la historia y el significado del Día Nacional de las Niñas y Mujeres en los Deportes

Feb. 1 marks the 37th annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, and to realize their full power. The confidence, strength and character gained through sports participation are the tools girls and women need to become strong leaders in sports and life. 

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was first observed in 1987 to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman and acknowledge her work in promoting equal representation of women in sports. Since then, the day has evolved to commemorate all female athletes, their achievements, the positive impacts of inclusion of women in sports, and to address the challenges regarding equal participation of women in sports activities. The day also appreciates the progress made since the enactment of Title IX, a law passed in 1972 that called for equal participation of everyone in all programs and activities that were federally funded, regardless of gender.

Nominations Open for Counselor of the Year Awards

Do you know an exceptional school counselor who supports students, nurtures strong relationships with colleagues and student families, and shows outstanding leadership? Completed nomination packets for the MCPS School Counselor of the Year Awards are due on Friday, March 24. These awards—given to a counselor at the elementary, middle and high school levels—honor the dedication and hard work of counselors. Nominations can be submitted by staff, administrators, parents, students and community partners.

To be nominated, counselors must be working actively as a counselor in MCPS and have worked for the system for at least three years. Nominees also must show outstanding leadership; understand the individual needs of students, encourage their talents and cultivate their self-esteem; foster collaborative relationships with colleagues, students, their families and the community; instill a desire to learn and achieve while advocating for equity; use data to evaluate program effectiveness and programming needs; and use technology to enhance student learning.

Principals should notify their counselor and begin collecting documents to complete the nomination packet by Friday, March 3. Completed packets must be submitted electronically via Google Docs by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 24. Send completed packets by email to Theresa Dethlefsen and Arianne Haydel, School Counseling Services.

About School Counseling Services

Apply here.

Hundreds Attend Family Forum on Fentanyl Use

Hundreds packed Clarksburg High School on Jan. 28 to learn about the dangers and prevalence of illegally made fentanyl, prevention tools, and protective factors for students and resources for treatment.

In partnership with MCPS, Montgomery Goes Purple hosted the event with panelists including MCPS School System Medical Officer Dr. Patricia Kapunan, along with members of the Montgomery County Police Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Attendees were given Naxolone kits, also known as Narcan, and training on how to use the life-saving medication that can reverse or reduce the effects of an overdose. The Community Opioid Prevention & Education (C.O.P.E.) trailer (a mock teen bedroom) was also available for tours to learn signs of substance use.

More information

Summer RISE Registration Open for Students, Hosts

Summer RISE student registration opens today, Feb. 1. Student registration is available here. Student registration closes March 7. 

Summer RISE provides rising 2022-2023 MCPS juniors and seniors with hands-on, career-based learning experiences and helps employers cultivate a talent pipeline. The program will run for five weeks, June 26–July 28, with a minimum of 50 hours of either in-person, virtual or a combination of the two experiences.

For more information, visit the Summer RISE website. 

Registration is also open for Montgomery County businesses, government agencies and nonprofits to participate as hosts for the 2023 Summer RISE program. Host registration closes on Friday, April 14. 

More information for hosts.

MCPS Partners to Host Free Webinars about Autism Placement

MCPS is partnering with xMinds, the Partnership for Extraordinary Minds, to host free webinar sessions to share more information with parents and guardians about autism program placement options in MCPS. 

There will be three virtual Zoom meetings—simultaneous meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 7 (one for preschool students; the second for middle and high school students) and one on Thursday, Feb. 9 (for elementary students). Each presentation focuses on placement options, but parents should attend the session that is appropriate for their child’s age.

For more information about special education program placements and services, visit the xMinds website with interactive maps that can help identify special education services based on a student’s grade level. 

Registration is required. All sessions will offer Spanish interpretation. 

Register here.

XMinds Free Webinar Events

Winter Parent Academy Schedule Now Available

Families and students can stay engaged throughout the school year with Parent Academy TO GO. Parent Academy TO GO is a series of virtual webinars for families to watch at home.

The February and March webinars are listed below and are also available on the Parent Academy website. Registration is available here.

February

Destination College: Understanding the College Admissions Process

Thursday, Feb. 2, 6-7 p.m.

Mindfulness: Managing Stress During Difficult Times

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6-7 p.m.

From “Flunktioning” to Functioning

Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-7 p.m.

Positive Discipline

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6-7 p.m.

So When Do We Get a Break? (Self-Care Workshop for Parents)

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6-7 p.m.

March

Actively Parenting Teens. This is a four-part series. Attendance for all four workshops is encouraged.

Part 1: Wednesday, March 8, 6-8 p.m.

Part 2: Wednesday, March 15, 6-8 p.m.

Part 3: Wednesday, March 22, 6-8 p.m.

Part 4: Wednesday, March 29, 6-8 p.m.

Effective Communication: Improving Connection Within Families

Tuesday, March 14, 6-7 p.m.

The Clock is Ticking … Create a Successful Path from High School to College

Thursday, March 23, 6-7 p.m.

Managing Tasks and Time for Success

Thursday, March 30, 6-7 p.m.

MCPS Dance Showcase Set for Feb. 17

Get your free tickets now for the annual MCPS Dance Showcase, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at James Hubert Blake High School. The snow date is Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Students from the following 10 middle and high schools are expected to perform—A. Mario Loiederman, Forest Oak, Kingsview and Silver Spring International middle schools and Albert Einstein, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Blake, Montgomery Blair, Northwood and Wheaton high schools. There will also be a performance from the All-County Dance Ensemble. These students thrive in dance class and exemplify their school’s instructional program. Student dancers in the ensemble are nominated by their dance teachers, and rehearse as a group for three months.

Reserve your tickets here.

Blake is located at 300 Norwood Road in Silver Spring.

In the Market for a New (to You!) Car or Computer or Looking to Donate?

Coming Saturday, Feb. 11: the next car and computer sale!

Students in the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) and Information Technology Foundation (ITF) will sell used cars and computers they have refurbished on Feb. 11, at Damascus High School, from 9–11 a.m. The school is located at 25921 Ridge Road in Damascus.

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 also still seeking car donations, which helps high school students learn how to evaluate, repair and restore used cars. The ATF accepts donations year-round between 8 a.m.–3 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.

2022-2023 Car, Computer Sales

2022-2023 Computer Specifications

Automotive Trades Foundation

Information Technology Foundation

Public Libraries Offering Programs to Commemorate Black History Month

Throughout February, Montgomery County Public Libraries will observe Black History Month. Check out some of the curated, digital collections during Black History Month—OverDrive Collection, Hoopla Collection.

Libraries are also hosting author talks, lectures, films, arts and crafts, and story times celebrating the history, achievements and futures of African Americans.

For kids

For adults

Arts and Humanities Council Release Guide to Student Art Activities

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County released the New K-12 Guide to Student Arts Activities. The electronic guide provides activities and information for students in Montgomery County through spring 2023. 

The New K-12 Guide to Student Arts Activities helps students explore their own creativity, develop friendships and acquire new skills. Programs in the guide are available through spring 2023.