Vikram Reddy, a 14 year old 8th grader at Frost Middle School in Rockville, will compete as one of 234 participants in this year’s Scripps Spelling Bee, which begins today.
Reddy is sponsored by The Meakem Group in Bethesda and will be the only participant hailing from Montgomery Founty in this year’s contest. He enjoys playing tennis competitively (his favorite sport), and also plays the bass. In addition to sports and music, he has written several short stories for competitions.
The details emerging concerning how the gunman gained access to the school and the police response have raised questions across the country about school safety. At this time, not all facts are known, but I want to share with you what we do in MCPS to ensure safety and to be prepared against these types of attacks. Our preparedness is rooted in four key areas.
The questions now being asked about the police response during the school shooting in Texas, and specifically, the time it allegedly took to enter the classroom, have prompted a conversation with our police partners. We have since reaffirmed with Montgomery County Police that their policy and training regarding an active shooter situation is that the first responding officer(s) would immediately move to preserve life. This is accomplished by actively engaging any suspect who may demonstrate imminent harm to any student or staff member inside or outside any school in Montgomery County. Our allied law enforcement partners also support this approach.
A celebration of life for longtime MCPS physical education teacher, Mr. William S. Allen, will be held at Earle B Wood Middle School on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm until 3pm.
Mr. Allen was a physical education teacher at Wood Middle School for 52 years before retiring last June. He passed away on Friday, May 20th at the age of 76.
Nearly 6,000 MCPS employees increased their physical activity during Well Aware’s spring physical activity challenge: Fountain of Youth. They took part in a variety of physical activities to compete for prizes, and more importantly, to adopt or maintain healthy lifestyles. Each of the top 15 schools averaged at least 76 minutes of physical activity per employee per day.
Congratulations to all those who improved their health by participating!
Walt Whitman High School has been named a 2022 Maryland Green School, bringing the MCPS total to 91. Staff and students at the certifying schools went above and beyond in this COVID-impacted year: 27 Green Schools successfully recertified this year to retain the honor.
Six schools reached the highly valued “sustainable school” status—Ashburton, Bethesda, Forest Knolls, New Hampshire Estates, Rosemary Hills and Sligo Creek elementary schools—and two schools reached Sustainable Bronze Level: John Poole Middle School and Westbrook Elementary School. Sustainable schools have maintained Green School certification for 16 years. Bronze Level schools have maintained Green School certification for 20 years.
More than 150 students, families, youth service providers and community members participated in the annual Pride Town Hall event on May 21 at Walter Johnson High School.
Gavin Grimm speaks during the Pride Town Hall event.
MCPS and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommend that staff and students who are traveling or attending large gatherings over Memorial Day weekend take a COVID-19 test prior to returning to school. Rapid tests are available at all schools for families who need them. Schools will be distributing tests as needed following the Memorial Day holiday. Staff and students are encouraged to report positive COVID-19 cases via this link.
MCPS wishes you a safe and healthy holiday weekend.
Churchill boys lacrosse has won the Maryland 4A State Championship, after defeating Anne Arundel County powerhouse Broadneck 15-7 in the championship last night. This is the first State Championship in lacrosse for any Montgomery County team (boys or girls).
Just a couple weeks ago, Churchill celebrated Jeff Fritz’s 300th victory as head lacrosse coach at the school, and now his team won the State Championship for the first time.
MCPS sent the following community message on Friday morning: “Dear MCPS Families, The national weather service is predicting possible severe weather for Montgomery County throughout the day. MCPS, in times […]
Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) and the Montgomery County Police Department have announced the high school and middle school winners of the 2021-2022 “Keeping it Safe Coalition” student video contest. The annual contest encouraged teams from Montgomery County schools to create 30-second public service announcements to educate young people about the risks of under-21 alcohol use.
The winning videos can be seen here.
Riki Ellison, a former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders who has won three Super Bowls, visited Takoma Park Middle School recently. He is also the founder of the Youth Impact Program (YIP) for disadvantaged and at-risk adolescent boys. YIP partners with universities, the U.S. Marine Corps, and local NFL teams.
Ellison spoke with sixth to eighth grade boys about his football career and the YIP. His motivational talk discussed how hard work equals success, as well as how to make positive choices.