Eighth graders who are interested in special programs offered in several high schools must apply by Friday, November 11th (deadline extended from November 4th). These programs start in the 9th grade, but students need to apply now. Students can see all their options in StudentVUE. Applications must be submitted through ParentVUE by the deadline. Contact your middle school counselor with questions. Additional information below:
Grade 8 High School Regional and Countywide Programs Timeline
The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, through a partnership with the MCPS Educational Foundation, Inc., is generously providing 1,000 complimentary tickets to MCPS students and their families for the Washington Commanders game against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. at FedEx Field.
Tickets are first come, first served. Get tickets here. Important: Please not that MCPS and Foundation staff are ineligible to accept these complimentary tickets.
MCPS is asking the community to share its input for next year’s school calendar. This quick survey seeks to gauge the community’s opinions on the calendar scenarios developed for the 2023–2024 school year. Staff will use your feedback to develop a final recommendation to be presented at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Results of first round games can be seen below. Our preview and predictions from earlier this week can be seen here. Scores will be updated as we receive them (an F will signify the score is final). If a score isn’t listed, it’s because we haven’t yet received a report from the game.
Games scheduled for Friday, November 4th:
Nominations are now open for the 2023 Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Educational Administration and Supervision. Given annually to recognize an outstanding administrator or supervisor of MCPS, eligible nominees include principals, assistant principals, school business administrators, directors, supervisors and other administrator and supervisory positions within the MCAAP/MCBOA unit.
Nominations can be submitted by MCPS staff, colleagues, friends, parents and community members. Self-nominations will also be accepted. The nomination deadline is 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. The award is presented by the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP). If you have questions, contact MCAAP at 301-762-8174. 2023 Edward Shirley Award Nomination Packet
Many of us are already working on sleep health and will need to anticipate this additional challenge. Work, school and lifestyle changes during the pandemic created challenges for regular health routines that continue to affect many people. For teens and parents of young children, unique factors influencing sleep and self care make it especially important to have healthy sleep habits.
How can I adjust my sleep schedule for the time change?
Lisa Ann Walter is an actress, comedian and television producer, perhaps best known for her roles as Chessy in the romantic comedy film The Parent Trap and her current role as Melissa Schemmenti on the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. She’s also a native of Montgomery County.
Walter was born in Silver Spring on August 3, 1963. She grew up in the area and was a 1979 graduate of Blair High School. She later graduated with a theater degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 1983. Below you’ll see yearbook photos of Walter, sent in by her former teacher, Carole Chansky Goodman (who is also Blake High School’s first ever principal).
Magruder High School’s “major capital project” renovation has been delayed two years, but is expected to be completed by August 2029, according to the latest MCPS Capital Improvement Program (CIP)/Master Plan. Relocatable classrooms will also be utilized at Mill Creek Towne Elementary school in the Magruder High School.
Per the CIP, to address various building systems and programmatic needs for Magruder High School (5939 Muncaster Mill Rd), a major capital project is planned. Expenditures for this project are included in the Major Capital Projects—Secondary and an appropriation will be requested for planning funds in a future CIP. Due to fiscal constraints, the County Council, in the adopted FY2023- 2028 CIP, delayed this project two years. This project is now scheduled for completion in August 2029.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) presented a 2022 Climate and Energy Leadership Award to the Rise N Shine Foundation Inc., founded by Richard Montgomery High School junior Shrusti Amula, for its “Can We Do Something About Food Waste?” project (video below).
Amula embarked on a research project with friends for a STEM competition on food waste and its effects on climate. The team of students volunteered to adopt an elementary school in the county as a pilot and committed time and effort to implement a composting program. The “Can We Do Something About Food Waste?” project aims to divert food waste from incinerators or landfills to compost facilities and save food from restaurants and grocery stores from becoming food waste and provide it to vulnerable members of the community with food insecurity.
Teams from 25 MCPS high schools tumbled, jumped and performed stunts during the 2022 cheerleading competition on Oct. 29, held at Montgomery Blair High School. Squads were judged on level of difficulty, technique and execution. The competition showcased the talent of the squads and gave fans an opportunity to support the teams. Check out a photo gallery. Winners were:
Division I
Sharon Faber, theater and ESOL teacher at Watkins Mill High School, has won a $4,900 grant from the Wolf Trap Foundation. Faber’s project, called Theater to Heal, is focused on Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) students. Theater to Heal will nurture a sense of community and connectedness, make students feel more anchored in the present, and let their stories and voices be heard in a culminating presentation or reflection piece.
Students will take part in a drama residency or master classes that speak to their cultural perspectives and personal beliefs, such as Signature Theater’s program in Contemporary Immigration Issues. They will also attend a live professional show at a local theater, where they will see the many aspects that go into a full-fledged production and explore how to incorporate their own voices and aesthetic sense into a performance.