Three MCPS teachers have won Teacher of the Year honors from the Society of Health and Physical EducatorsMaryland (SHAPE MD). The trio—Cecilia Chivers, resource teacher at Paint Branch High School; Amanda Quay, teacher at Damascus High School and Jeffrey Watkins, adapted physical education teacher at Longview School—were recognized during the state convention on Nov. 11–12 in Ocean City. More details on each are below:

Cecilia Chivers was named SHAPE MD Health Teacher of the Year. In her 14th year teaching health education at Paint Branch, Chivers teaches inclusion health education classes with special education and general education students. “I want my students to see themselves in the curriculum and be able to integrate healthy habits into their lives immediately,” she said. To accomplish this, she brings in a variety of teaching strategies, creates a warm classroom environment and builds strong relationships with students. She leads students through 10 minutes of mindfulness every Monday and brings in guest speakers to reinforce classroom learning.

MCPS will host a series of virtual conversations with the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) to discuss English as a Second Language classes available for adults. The conversations will be hosted in English, Chinese and Spanish.

The LCMC is offering English as a Second Language classes free to MCPS parents and guardians. There will be virtual and in-person options for all levels of English speakers. They are available to any parent for whom English is not their first language. Interest form for ESL classes. Parents and community members are invited to join the virtual events on Friday, Nov. 18 at the following times:

Per MCPS: Do you know a high-achieving student who has taken rigorous courses and has a weighted GPA of 4.69? They may qualify for a $10,000 scholarship.

Applications are open for the Ruth and Norman Rales–Patricia Baier O’Neill Scholarship Recognizing Academic Excellence. These scholarships for graduating high school seniors were announced earlier this year by the Norman R. Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation to honor the lives and contributions of Ruth and Norman Rales and former Montgomery County Board of Education member Patricia O’Neill. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.