Last year, through the generosity of businesses, foundations, associations, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, staff, and community members, MCPS provided 10,823 students with backpacks and school supplies through its MCPS Give Back Packs campaign.

Over 70,000 MCPS students receive free & reduced-price meals and many families struggle to afford basic necessities like school supplies. Your donation plays a critical role in helping ALL students thrive academically, while helping to support beginning of the school years costs for a parent in need. MCPS places orders throughout the summer with a goal of providing as many students as possible with a backpack and supplies at the start of the school year.


KID Museum is dedicated to expanding access for the MCPS community by providing free opportunities to participate in our programming. “Thanks to the generous support of Montgomery County Public Schools, all MCPS students and families can register for free admission to KID Museum through June 30, 2023” (registration link below).

KID Museum opened last May in its new flagship site at Bethesda Metro Center, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 140— a brand new, 28,000 square foot facility “created to foster the “Mind of a Maker” and empower the next generation with the skills to invent the future.” The state-of-the-art makerspace is purpose-built for kids ages 4-14 to explore coding, robotics, engineering design, and hands-on maker learning, with the capacity to welcome more than 100,000 visitors every year. There will be grand opening events, becoming a member, or sponsoring us to help all kids discover a love of exploring, creating, and collaborating to become makers of the future.


The Montgomery County Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments at its meeting on Tuesday, June 6th:

Ella Bradley, currently Coordinator, Human Capital Recruitment, Retention, and Talent Acquisition, Howard County Public School System, Md., as Director, Human Capital Management, Office of Human Resources and Development, Office of the Chief Operating Officer


The Montgomery County Board of Education has unanimously adopted a $3.165 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, an increase of $245 million or 8.4 percent over the prior year. The adopted budget will allow Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to make investments to support enrollment growth and student academic needs, while providing staff wage increases to competitively hire and retain highly qualified teachers, administrators and support service workers.

The FY 2024 Operating Budget was developed to specifically target investments aligned to the three focus areas of the MCPS strategic plan: Academic Excellence, Well-Being and Family Engagement and Professional and Operational Excellence. The budget also includes focused investments by the Board of Education to improve math and literacy rates, build a safe and inclusive school culture and support two-way communication.


“Behind each and every one of us, there is a teacher who believed in us and pushed us to succeed,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “And the impact of the teachers in this room has undoubtedly shaped the success of countless Marylanders. The Moore-Miller Administration thanks all of you for your work you do to shape Maryland’s future.”

Dewdney, who has taught Pre-K at The Commodore John Rodgers School in Baltimore City for ten years and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, is using the latest studies in neuroscience to inform her professional technique. She plans to pursue a doctorate in education.


Larry Liao, a student at Cold Spring Elementary School in Potomac, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. To get there, Larry correctly spelled his first word, taedium vitae. He then correctly answered the question, “What is cybernetics?” with “the comparative study of communication and control in human and artificial intelligence.” To get to the quarterfinals, he correctly spelled conspiration. Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals, Larry was unable to spell the word precisian correctly. Larry made Montgomery County proud, earning 74th place in the National competition.

According to Larry’s bio, he was born on May 9th, 2012 and is now 11 years old. He participates in many extracurricular activities, but one of his favorites is tennis. The word he spelled correctly to make it to the National competition was flugelhorn, his favorite movie is Treasure Island, his favorite food is bacon, and his favorite subject is science.


MCPS celebrated excellence in autism services during the second annual Autism Unit Awards on May 24. Teachers, paraeducators, administrators, service providers, volunteers and substitutes were recognized. Awards included:

• Outstanding New Paraeducator: Given to paraeducators in their first two years with the autism program, who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their roles.


Carolynn Walsleben, principal at Candlewood Elementary School in Redland/Rockville, is this year’s winner of the Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award. The Mark Mann award is presented annually to an MCPS administrator who has shown exceptional performance in promoting academic excellence, positive human relations and community outreach.

Walsleben has been principal at Candlewood since 2020. She began her teaching career in MCPS in 1999, as a first grade teacher at Bells Mill Elementary School. Colleagues, staff members and parents say Walsleben is a natural leader. She is a strong administrator who exemplifies what it means to be a caring, forward-thinking, data-driven leader. She sets high expectations, and believes in progress and celebrating along the way. As curriculum changes, she ensures that adequate tools and support are put in place so staff can efficiently meet student needs. She continually encourages staff to become social together and to build strong relationships, knowing that students will benefit from their strong bonds and positive energy. She helps teams build on one another’s strengths, and uses her skills to build the capacity of other leaders.


The third annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return in August after a three-year hiatus. Applications are being accepted for the fair, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The fair, which will be held in Rockville Town Square, is open to youth aged 6-15.

The deadline to apply is Friday, June 2. Applications are available here. Open to the public, the fair will host 40 young entrepreneurs. Those selected will have an opportunity to present innovative ideas and make sales pitches to a panel of judges from the local business community and celebrity influencers.


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