MCPS Archives - Page 201 of 277

Nearly 100 Former Peary High School Students Surprise Their Teacher At His Germantown Home

Published December 18, 2022 at 11:02AM

Nearly 100 Robert E. Peary High School alumni gathered for a surprise celebration to honor and thank their former teacher, Mr. Vincent Gibbs, for a lifetime of sharing his love for the performing arts, humanities and English education with his students. Mr. Gibbs, known as Mr. Christmas is in his Germantown community for the decorations and nativity scene that he puts up at his home each year, hasn’t been able to decorate due to his treatments for melanoma.

Debi Barbee, Class of 1983, drove attendees in a Montgomery County School bus from Fox Chapel Shopping Center to Mr. Gibbs’s nearby home in Germantown. The celebration began at 1:00 pm in the front yard of Mr. Gibbs’ home. Attendees held up posters, sang Christmas carols and the song “The Impossible Dream” (brief video below), and delivered a few short speeches to honor their former teacher.

Deadline Coming Soon for Rales–O’Neill Scholarships Recognizing Academic Excellence

By MCS Staff

Published December 18, 2022 at 8:52AM

The deadline for a prestigious student scholarship is fast approaching! 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 Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.

Statement from Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight Concerning Antisemitic Graffiti at Walt Whitman High School

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 7:00PM

MCPS is deeply disturbed and saddened by the antisemitic graffiti found outside of Walt Whitman High School. MCPS’ mission is to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment that celebrates the diversity of our global community and all cultural backgrounds. This hurtful behavior, along with any acts of discrimination, have no place in our school community and will not be tolerated.

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Writing, Art Contests Now Open to Students

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 4:45PM

Three contests are now open for submissions—the Gaithersburg Book Festival’s poetry contest, the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) essay contest, and Arc Maryland’s art contest.

The 2023 Gaithersburg Book Festival’s annual high school poetry contest is now open for submissions. This year’s theme is “Diversity or Inclusion.” To participate, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12. The deadline is midnight on Thursday, Feb. 23. First, second and third place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates, respectively.

Montgomery County Council Statement Condemning Antisemitic Graffiti at Walt Whitman High School

By Patrick Herron

Published December 17, 2022 at 2:55PM

Per Montgomery County: Today, the Montgomery County Council issued the following statement condemning the antisemitic graffiti found at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.

“We are disgusted and angry to learn about yet another display of hate targeting the Jewish community in Montgomery County. Our nation continues to experience a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism, and we must continue to join together to denounce these acts of hate here at home.

Walt Whitman High School Vandalized with Antisemitic Graffiti

By Patrick Herron

Published December 17, 2022 at 1:49PM | Updated December 18, 2022 at 7:09PM

Montgomery County Police are investigating a report of a vandalism that occurred at Walt Whitman High School at 7100 Whittier Blvd in Bethesda on Saturday morning.

Whitman High School principal Robert Dodd wrote the following in a message to the Whitman community: “I want to share information with you regarding an incident that took place today and how it is being addressed. It was reported, this morning, that there was antisemitic graffiti; the words “Jews Not Welcome” written on our school sign. This behavior is abhorrent, extremely hurtful, and will not be tolerated at Walt Whitman High School. We immediately notified the Montgomery County Police. who are actively investigating the incident. In addition, if found to have been committed by an MCPS student, this incident will be addressed as a disciplinary matter in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding with county police and in alignment with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.”

Wootton’s Kelly Campbell Completes Her First year As President at NBC’s Peacock

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 10:04AM

Kelly Campbell, a MoCo native who graduated from Wootton High School in the mid 90’s, has just completed her first year as President of NBC Universal’s streaming service Peacock. Campbell joined Peacock in October 2021 and officially took over the role of President in November 2021 after a year and a half as President of Hulu. Prior to that, she was Hulu’s Chief Marketing Officer and spent 12 years at Google in multiple senior marketing roles.

Per an interview with Deadline, Campbell has “helmed a high-stakes Olympics pivot from poorly received Tokyo coverage last summer to a more fully committed, wall-to-wall outing at the Beijing Winter Games. She leveraged Super Bowl LVII to help Bel-Airbecome Peacock’s first original series breakout. On a broader level, she has led a strategic turn from the platform’s original focus on its free, ad-supported offerings toward boosting premium subscriber levels.”

Elementary School Placed on Lockdown Friday Morning; Police Determine No Threat to School or Community

By Patrick Herron

Published December 16, 2022 at 12:37PM | Updated December 16, 2022 at 1:18PM

Montgomery County Police announced that New Hampshire Estates Elementary School at 8720 Carroll Avenue in Silver Spring was placed on a lockdown earlier this morning. According to MCPD, “At approximately 8:30 a.m. New Hampshire Estates ES went into lockdown as the result of a police investigation in the area. The lockdown lasted approximately 30 mins. until police verified there was no threat to the school or community. The lockdown has been lifted.”

At approximately 8:30 a.m. New Hampshire Estates ES went into lockdown as the result of a police investigation in the area.

MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight to Release Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget Recommendation Monday, Dec. 19

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 10:34AM

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight will present her Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Operating Budget recommendation on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.

WHAT: Superintendent’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Recommended Operating Budget Presentation

33 MCPS Students to Participate in STEM Fellowship Program

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 8:41AM

Thirty-three students from six high schools will participate in a fellowship program enabling them to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation named the fellows, who will meet with STEM leaders, visit leading STEM institutions in the Washington, D.C. area, and access peers and mentors to support career exploration in STEM. Winning MCPS students and schools are:

Winston Churchill High School

North Bethesda Chorus Wins Wash-FM’s Middle School Christmas Choir Competition

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 7:20AM

The North Bethesda Middle School seventh and eighth grade chorus students were the middle school winners of the 97.1 WASH-FM Christmas Choir Competition, presented by The Nutcracker at the Washington Ballet. Radio station staff selected three finalists based on singing quality, originality, creativity and musicality. Supporters voted for their favorite choir on the WASH-FM website.

The North Bethesda students sang a Ukrainian version of Carol of the Bells, which was arranged by music teacher Jason McFeaters. The school recently performed the song at its choral concert on Wednesday, December 14th, held at Walter Johnson High School. For winning the competition, the school’s choral program will receive $2,500, and will perform at the Warner Theater on Saturday, Dec. 17, as part of the Washington Ballet’s presentation of The Nutcracker. The recording is also being aired on 97.1 throughout the holiday season.