MCPS Graduation Ceremonies Kick Off May 31, Feature Many Notable Speakers

MCPS Graduation Ceremonies Kick Off May 31, Feature Many Notable Speakers

Nearly 12,000 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students are expected to receive their diplomas during commencement ceremonies scheduled between Wednesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 15. Graduation ceremonies will take place on individual high school campuses, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and on the campuses of Mount St. Mary’s University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Full list of Graduation dates, times and locations 

Among those who will speak at this year’s ceremonies: 

• Tony Award-winning actor and Wootton alumnus Myles Frost, who will address graduates at his alma mater; 
• Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, who will speak at Montgomery Blair High School on June 1; 
• husband-and wife journalists Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker, who will speak to Winston Churchill High School graduates on June 1;
• Northwood High School alumnus and author and television producer George Pelecanos will address Northwood graduates on June 9; 
• University of Maryland and former NBA star Walt Williams will address graduates at Sherwood High School on June 9. 

Other speakers include:

•         Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk, Member of the Maryland House of Delegates, who will address graduates at Richard Montgomery High School on June 14. 
•         Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember, will address graduates at Clarksburg High School on June 5. 
•         Gabe Albornoz, Montgomery County Councilmember, will address graduates at John F. Kennedy High School on June 12.  

Several schools will feature teachers and students as speakers.

MCPS is inviting parents and students to tag the district in their favorite 2023 graduation snapshots (#MCPSGrad). MCPS will repost some of the photos on its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.

Board of Education Seeks Applicants to Fill Position on Ethics Panel

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking to fill one vacancy on its five-member Ethics Panel (Panel). The vacancy is for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2023. Members serve without compensation.

As noted in Board Policy, BBB, Ethics, among the Panel’s responsibilities are: (1) approving financial disclosure forms; (2) interpreting the Board of Education’s Ethics Policy and issuing advisory opinions concerning its application; and (3) conducting hearings on complaints filed regarding an alleged violation.

Panel members may not be incumbent members of the Board of Education, school officials, employees, or persons employed by a business entity subject to the authority of the Board of Education, or spouses of such individuals. The Panel meets once a year to review financial disclosure forms and as needed to review complaints and requests for advisory opinions.

Applicants must submit a letter of interest along with a resumé or other documentation to support the application by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023, for the appointment to be made at a June Board of Education meeting. (Applicants are not required to attend this meeting; notifications of the Board of Education’s appointments will be sent to all applicants.) 

Please send a letter of interest and resumé by mail to Ms. Robyn Seabrook, Montgomery County Board of Education, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 123, Rockville, Maryland 20850; by email to Robyn_N_Seabrook@mcpsmd.org or fax to 301-279-3860. 

For further information, please call 240-740-3030.

MCPS Implements New Regulation Allowing Students to Carry Narcan at School

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) announced new guidance for responding to medical emergencies in schools for suspected opioid overdoses.

The new regulation includes detailed guidance on naloxone (also known by its brand name, Narcan), its use and access in MCPS schools. Narcan is a potentially life-saving medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The new guidance allows students to carry Narcan in schools and during school-sponsored activities without fear of disciplinary action. Students should continue to seek assistance from school or health room staff in the event of a medical emergency on campus.

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Antiracist System Action Plan Now Available

The Antiracist System Action Plan was shared with the Board of Education on Thursday, May 11. The district’s action plan is designed to address five recommended areas to successfully implement a racial equity vision. Those critical areas are coherence, accountability, equity centered capacity building, continuous data collection and relational trust.

The action plan is organized into three sections:

• System-level actions
• Domain-specific actions
• School-level actions

The action plan has been developed to guide the antiracist actions of MCPS Central Office and schools to remove barriers impacting the most marginalized students. 

Visit the Antiracist Audit website to learn more and to read the full audit report.

More Than 100 Compete in First Unified Field Day

MCPS held its first Unified Field Day on May 23 in honor of Sarah Gilbert, a former Learning for Independence (LFI) student who unexpectedly passed away last summer. The event was planned and coordinated by Wheaton High School staff members in conjunction with Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and Springbrook and Wheaton high schools. More than 100 students from all four schools attended.

Leadership students coached students from the LFI program, which is designed for students with complex learning and cognitive needs, including mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, and the School Community-based (SCB) programs, which includes students with severe or profound intellectual disabilities and/or multiple disabilities. Students from the extensions program, which is a program that includes students with the same disabilities in need of additional behavioral support, also participated.

After an opening ceremony that included a parade of athletes, students competed in a variety of track and field events, according to the level of ability and adaptations. They included: wheelchair obstacle races, 25- and 50-meter walk; 25-, 50- and 100-yard dash, and 4×100 relay; long jump, softball throw, frisbee throw and pool noodle javelin.

Parent Academy TO GO Virtual Workshops Still Available

Parent Academy TO GO is designed to inform and empower families as advocates and partners in their children’s education. Workshops provide families with useful information and resources to support their children’s academic and emotional well-being, as well as help them to be college and career ready. Workshops addressing active parenting, understanding the college admissions process, self-care and more are available through June 6. Language interpretation may be available upon request. 

Registration

Applications Open for Children’s Business Fair

The third annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return in August after a three-year hiatus. Applications are being accepted for the fair, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The fair, which will be held in Rockville Town Square, is open to youth aged 6-15.

The deadline to apply is Friday, June 2. Applications are available here. Open to the public, the fair will host 40 young entrepreneurs. Those selected will have an opportunity to present innovative ideas and make sales pitches to a panel of judges from the local business community and celebrity influencers.

Participants are responsible for setup, sales and customer interaction. The goal is to give the participants real-world business experience.

Cash awards will be given for best innovative idea, presentation and sales pitch.

Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair

Artists: Design the Official 2023 County Pride Decal

In preparation for Pride Month in June, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Community Partnerships are calling on artists and designers to create the county’s official 2023 Montgomery County Pride decal.

Submissions are due Wednesday, June 1, and should be submitted electronically on the MontgomeryCountyPride.org website. The county’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board will choose up to five final designs to be displayed at Pride Month events and on social media for public voting.

The winning design will be printed and distributed for use by businesses, nonprofit organizations, county government and others to show support for LGBTQ+ communities in Montgomery County. The winning design from the youth/young adult category will be printed for use at youth-serving establishments and schools.

Submissions will be accepted in two categories—Youth/Young Adults (under 23) and Adults (ages 23 and older).

Designs should include consideration of the following values and themes:

• Intersectionality: recognition that sexual orientation and gender identity or expression are layers of one’s identity, and that race, ethnicity, ability, national origin and other characteristics are important as well.
• Inclusion of trans and gender expansive communities.

More information on design guidelines and contest eligibility

Good News

Unveiling the 43rd Student-Designed and Built Home

Students and members of the Construction Trades Foundation (CTF) celebrated the completion of the 43rd student-build house with a cornerstone ceremony on May 23. Construction and interior design students built the house over the past two years.

Located at 14105 Alderton Road in Silver Spring, the 3,100-square-foot home has four bedrooms and three upstairs bathrooms with a half-bath on the main level. It includes beautiful, large windows with an open floor plan and a two-car garage with a remote door entry. The kitchen features stainless steel appliances, silestone countertops, a kitchen island, window above the kitchen sink and contemporary lighting. The house also includes HVAC units in the basement and attic, a wraparound porch, screened patio and oak hardwood flooring.

There are seven construction specialty courses offered within MCPS, which include architecture and design, carpentry, construction electricity, HVAC, masonry and plumbing. Under the supervision of master tradesmen, students apply their craft to design and build the house.

The CTF is a non-profit organization established by the Montgomery County business community and MCPS. It provides hands-on training for students to earn valuable construction skills and certifications that will prepare them for higher education or the workforce.

Cornerstone ceremony for the 43rd student-built house in 47 years.

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