The new HD channel joins four other County HD channels and nine standard-definition (SD) channels available through Xfinity TV. The channels are part of the Connect Montgomery Alliance (CMA) that provides a variety of programming focused on local issues.
MCPS-TV airs mental health awareness programs such as “Mindful Moments” and “MCPS Waymaking,” as well as live coverage of County Board of Education meetings and Superintendent’s Community Conversations.
Argyle principal, James Allrich, has been named the MDMASSP Principal of the Year. “I am so grateful to be named the MDMASSP Principal of the Year 2023. This award comes as a result of great coaching, a great staff and great family support. I am humbled and thankful.” he tweeted on Thursday, May 19th. Mr. James Allrich was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Educational Administration and Supervision earlier this year. He has been principal at Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring since 2015.
I am so grateful to be named the @mdmassp Principal of the Year 2023. This award comes as a result of great coaching, a great staff and great family support. I am humbled and thankful. @MCPS @ArgyleMagnetMS pic.twitter.com/sFeZ9P77vG
Students to be Recognized in Virtual Awards Ceremony June 14
SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation have announced Gaithersburg High School in Montgomery County, MD as the 5th place winner in the 2022 Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC), a national financial education program underwritten by the Charles Schwab Foundation.
Montgomery County Public Schools sent out a community message on Thursday, May 19 announcing that all MCPS students K-11th grade will be taking an age-appropriate survey between May 26 and June 17 to gather feedback on their well-being. Parents who do not want their children to take the survery can opt-out by May 25.
MCPS is committed to ensuring schools have the resources and programs in place to foster a culture of well-being and to effectively respond to those in crisis. A student survey has been developed to help schools in identifying high-needs areas for students.
Letters about positive cases that include advice about mask use are sent home as necessary. MCPS is also sending additional take-home rapid tests and masks to impacted schools. Students and staff who are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters may be required to quarantine per guidance from the CDC, Maryland Department of Health and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Seneca Valley is located at 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown.
The Montgomery County Board of Education recently honored 11 individuals and organizations during its annual Distinguished Service Awards ceremony. The Board established the awards to recognize and show appreciation for exemplary contributions to public education and to MCPS by members of the community, businesses, MCPS staff and school volunteers.
Read a little more about this year’s recipients:
The Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators honored 28 graduating seniors during its annual Distinguished African-American Scholars and Community Leaders Awards Ceremony on May 13. The program was held virtually.
The seniors are graduating with close to 10,000 Student Service Learning hours and an average GPA of 4.00. Thanks to donations and fundraising, MCABSE raised about $10,000 in scholarship funding for these students.
The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking to fill one vacancy on its five-member Ethics Panel (Panel). The vacancies are for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2022. Members serve without compensation.
As noted in Board Policy, BBB, Ethics, among the Panel’s responsibilities are: (1) approving financial disclosure forms; (2) interpreting the Board of Education’s Ethics Policy and issuing advisory opinions concerning its application; and (3) conducting hearings on complaints filed regarding an alleged violation.
MCPS is hosting a mental health forum for families and students from 6:15–8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31 at Seneca Valley High School.
Per MCPS: The event will include a chance for parents to share information with MCPS staff, and to learn about mental health resources and services the school district has available to students.
Marni Olesker, third grade teacher and team leader at Burning Tree Elementary School, has won this year’s Shirley J. Lowrie “Thank You for Teaching” Award. A 31-year veteran of MCPS, 21 of them at Burning Tree, Olesker is a game changer for students.
Per MCPS: Each year, she requests the students with the greatest needs and the most difficult IEPs or tough behavioral issues. And each year, she wins them over so skillfully that they make tremendous academic and emotional progress. She has a natural ability to connect with and push each student to reach excellence. She also gets results—during the pandemic, 100 percent of her students met proficiency on two or three Evidence of Learning goals in math, and 85 percent met all three Evidence of Learning goals in reading.
The annual Pride Town Hall will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 21 at Walter Johnson High School. Students and their families, staff, youth service providers and community members are welcome to attend. The event will feature workshops and a resource fair.
The keynote speaker is Gavin Grimm, a nationally known advocate for transgender rights. In 2014, he testified to his Virginia school district, explaining that as a transgender teen, being forced to use bathrooms at school besides the one that matched his gender was “alienating” and “humiliating.” In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court released an order rejecting a petition from the Virginia school board to hear the case after Grimm prevailed in the lower courts. The order leaves in place a federal appeals court decision finding the school board violated his constitutional rights.