MCPS

Cougar Pride- It’s a Real Thing (By Syl Sobel)

By MCS Staff

Shortly before kickoff of Thursday night’s Maryland 4A state championship football game at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman noticed that he’d received a text message from former Quince Orchard High School football star Johnny Hodges. “He wants to know where he can get a livestream of the game,” said Ashman to his companions at the 50-yard-line as they prepared to watch QO defend its state title against C.H. Flowers High School of Prince Georges County. 

That Hodges, a 2019 QO graduate and cocaptain of the 2018 championship team, would still want to watch a team of players who weren’t even at QO when he played, isn’t all that remarkable when you think about it. Hodges’ loyalty to his former coaches and the QO football program runs deep. Neither is the fact that of all the people he might contact to find out where to find a livestream, he’d choose the Mayor of Gaithersburg. Ashman’s love of QO football as a parent of two QO alums, including a former football player, is well known throughout the community.

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Montgomery County Police Responds to Accidental Discharge of BB Gun at Local Middle School on Thursday

By MCS Staff

A letter (available below) was sent home to the Silver Spring International Middle School community on Thursday, December 8th, detailing an incident involving a BB gun accidentally discharging and striking a student in the leg during the school day.

According to the letter, a 7th grade student showed a BB gun to a friend when it accidentally discharged and struck her friend in the upper thigh. There were no injuries, as the student was examined by the school nurse following the incident, and the BB gun was confiscated by school security. Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Public School Systemwide Safety reported to the school to investigate the incident. Full letter below:

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MCPS Expands Communications Leadership Team

By MCS Staff

Additional Staff Members Will Support Districtwide Communication Priorities

Per MCPS: In order to provide more robust system-wide media relations, proactive storytelling, news, crisis communications and marketing services, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has added several new positions to the Communications Department in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

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MoCo Coaches 4A All-County Football Team

By Damon Anderson

In the images below you will see the Montgomery County 4A Coaches All-County Selections (as chosen by the 4A coaches in Montgomery County). Honorable mention defense, honorable mention offense, second team all-county defense, second team all-county offense, coaches of the year, first team all-county defense, first team all-county offense, offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, and player of the year awards can be seen:

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MCPS: Board Approves 2023-2024 School Year Calendar

By MCS Staff

MCPS Press Release: At its Dec. 6 business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved the school year calendar for 2023-2024. The calendar is responsive to community input by offering limited instructional disruptions and highlights the system’s continued investment in our employees by including six professional development learning days. Highlights for the 2023-2024 school calendar include:

The calendar maintains 182 days of instruction, including 6 built in contingency days within the school year. These dates are in addition to holiday closures required by state law, which are noted on the calendars linked below:

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Two Montgomery County Schools Named Finalists For Wash-FM’s Christmas Choir Competition

By MCS Staff

97.1 WASH-FM is searching the DMV for the area’s best school choirs to ring in the holiday season! Per WASH-FM: The top choir from each division will win up to $5,000 towards their schools’ music program and be invited to perform at The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker at The Warner Theatre 12/17. The Top 3 Choir Finalists for elementary/Middle School have been announced and they include two schools in Montgomery County– North Bethesda Middle School (MCPS, Bethesda), and St. Andrew Apostle Catholic School (Private, Silver Spring). You can listen to each choir at the times listed below and vote for your favorite.

Wed 12/7:  10:00am hour, 6:00pm hour| Thu 12/8: 9:00am hour, 3:00pm hour

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MCPS 2023-2024 Academic Calendar Approved by Board of Education

By MCS Staff

The Board of Education approved Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight’s recommended 2023-2024 academic calendar at Tuesday’s meeting. Below you’ll see a few images regarding the calendar shared during the meeting (including a screen capture of the calendar itself) with the full video of the Board of Education meeting available to watch.

Per the presentation, there will be 182 instructional days with the first day of school for students being on Monday, August 28th and the last day for students being on Thursday, June 13th. There is a focus on building staff capacity with increased professional development days, a focus on uninterrupted schedules to create more consistent pay, an extended winter break (by one day), and a normal Thanksgiving week and Spring Break.

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MCPS Board of Education Welcomes News Members and Appoints New Officers

By MCS Staff

Per the Montgomery County Board of Education: Karla Silvestre (At-Large) and Shebra Evans (District 4) will now lead the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education as President and Vice President. Evans and Silvestre were formally appointed during the Board’s business meeting on Tuesday, December 6. MCPS Board of Education new officers. Board president Karla Silvestre and vice-president Shebra Evans during the first board meeting in their new roles.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with each of you and to being an effective and productive board so that we can do our important job of providing leadership and oversight of Montgomery County Public Schools for the benefit of our students,” said Silvestre during her remarks.

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Annual MCPS Used Car, Computer Sale Coming Dec. 10

By MCS Staff

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 Saturday, Dec. 10, at Gaithersburg High School, from 9–11 a.m. The 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 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. Future sales are coming up:

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