Education Archives - Page 190 of 295

Clarksburg, Paint Branch Athletic Directors Win State Honors

Published March 26, 2023 at 8:38AM | Updated April 1, 2023 at 7:18AM

Two Montgomery County Athletic Specialist/Directors, Ed Dalton (Clarksburg) and Heather Podosek (Paint Branch) have earned state honors through the Maryland State Athletic Director Association (MSADA).

Per MCPS: Ed Dalton, athletics specialist/athletic director at Clarksburg High School, has been named the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association’s (MSADA’s) 2023 District 2B Athletic Director of the Year. He was selected by all 25 MCPS athletics specialists for the recognition. Heather Podosek, athletics specialist/athletic director at Paint Branch High School, was selected the 2023 MSADA Co-Athletic Director of the Year. They will receive their awards at the state conference banquet on Saturday, April 29.

MoCo Native Jordan Hawkins Hits Six Three Pointers As UCONN Beats Gonzaga to Advance to the Final Four

By MCS Staff

Published March 26, 2023 at 7:56AM

Yesterday we highlighted MoCo native Jordan Hawkins as UCONN prepared to play Gonzaga in an Elite Eight matchup. The young man led his team to a trouncing of Gonzaga, scoring 20 points and hitting six threes to take the #3 seed UCONN to the Final Four with an 82-54 win. Hawkins is a Montgomery County native who attended Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown and Gaithersburg High School for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to DeMatha. UCONN plays the winner of Miami/Texas on April 1st.

Hawkins was a top 50 recruit, who came to UConn following two years at powerhouse program DeMathaCatholic (Hyattsville, Md.) under Coach Mike Jones. He played AAU for Team Durant under Coach Angel Hernandez, and as a senior at DeMatha, averaged 19.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks, while shooting .636 overall and .464 from three-point range to lead DeMatha to an 11-0 record and was named 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year. Hawkins was a two-time Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention pick and averaged 20.2 points per game as a sophomore when he was at Gaithersburg High School (per UCONN).

MoCo’s Jordan Hawkins Leads UCONN Into Elite Eight Matchup Tonight

By MCS Staff

Published March 25, 2023 at 2:06PM | Updated March 25, 2023 at 3:03PM

Jordan Hawkins, an All-Big East 6’5, 190 pound guard for the #4 seed UCONN Huskies, will lead his team against the #3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs tonight at 8:49pm as the teams compete in an Elite Eight battle to get into the Final Four. Hawkins is a Montgomery County native who attended Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown and Gaithersburg High School for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to DeMatha.

Hawkins was a top 50 recruit, who came to UConn following two years at powerhouse program DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) under Coach Mike Jones. He played AAU for Team Durant under Coach Angel Hernandez, and as a senior at DeMatha, averaged 19.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks, while shooting .636 overall and .464 from three-point range to lead DeMatha to an 11-0 record and was named 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year. Hawkins was a two-time Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention pick and averaged 20.2 points per game as a sophomore when he was at Gaithersburg High School (per UCONN).

Two $5,000 Scholarships Available to Student-Athletes (Walter Hardy Memorial Fund)

By MCS Staff

Published March 25, 2023 at 8:23AM

Per MCPS: The Walter Hardy Memorial Fund will award two $5,000 scholarships to MCPS student-athletes. The scholarship honors the accomplishments of deserving student-athletes who have overcome challenges to achieve success in the classroom and in competition. To be eligible, applicants must be Class of 2023 graduating seniors, and:

Applications are available here and are due Monday, May 1. Hardy was an MCPS coach, teacher and athletic director for more than 25 years. He served as head boys’ basketball coach at Paint Branch High School for 17 years. He also was athletic director at John F. Kennedy High School and had been athletic director at Sherwood High School for less than two months when he died in 2017. He was named All-Met Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading Paint Branch to Maryland’s 3A state basketball title.

Kindergarten Registration Opens Monday for 2023-2024 School Year

By MCS Staff

Published March 25, 2023 at 8:17AM

Per MCPS: On Monday, March 27, registration will be open for parents who wish to register their child for kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. Children must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2023. For more information about eligibility guidelines, registration or required documents to complete an application, call 240-740-4006 or visit the kindergarten enrollment website. Additional information available in the video below:

College Fair Set for April 18-19 in Germantown

By MCS Staff

Published March 25, 2023 at 7:54AM

The annual Montgomery County National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) National College Fair will be held on Tuesday, April 18 and Wednesday, April 19, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown. This free event will feature representatives from about 300 colleges and universities, and provides resources to students and parents navigating the college admissions process. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days and is open to Grade 11 students attending with their schools.

The fair is also open to all high school students and their families from 6:30–8 p.m. on April 18. Included are two workshops: “How to Finance College” and “Applying to College 101–Simple Steps to Get You Started.” Register to attend. Courtesy of MCPS. Video below:

MCPS Student-Run Café Edison Open for Breakfast and Lunch Through May 19

By MCS Staff

Published March 24, 2023 at 2:06PM | Updated March 26, 2023 at 8:50AM

Café Edison, an in-school, student-run restaurant at Thomas Edison High School of Technology, is now open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays through Friday, May 19. The restaurant will be closed through spring break, but will reopen on Wednesday, April 12.

Breakfast is served at 8:40 and 9 a.m., and lunch at 12:05 p.m. and 12:20 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 240-740-2024 or emailing Hospitality and Tourism teacher Jason Potyk. Cash or check payments are acceptable. The menu is available on the flyer, available on the school website (via QR code). Café Edison gives students an opportunity to gain valuable, real-world skills in a working restaurant. Students greet and seat guests. They also cook and serve the meals, bus the tables and handle restaurant clean up. Edison High School is located at 12501 Dalewood Dr. in Silver Spring.

Three MCPS Students Named Carson Scholars

By MCS Staff

Published March 24, 2023 at 7:44AM

Three MCPS students have been named Carson Scholars, earning $1,000 college scholarships. Carson Scholars are students who excel academically and donate their time and talents to others. students in grades 4 –11 who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and humanitarian qualities. MCPS students who are first-time scholarship recipients are:

Six additional MCPS students also reaffirmed their status as Carson Scholars for maintaining a 3.75 grade point average, and continuing to do volunteer work. They are:

Hundreds of Students Participated in the 12th Annual Minority Scholars Retreat

By MCS Staff

Published March 24, 2023 at 7:23AM

The Minority Scholars Program (MSP), a student-led initiative, held its 12th annual retreat at Northwest High School on March 18. The event included elementary, middle and high school workshops on racism, anti-racism, community building through community circles, and dismantling stereotypes. There was also talks from four seniors about why they got involved with MCPS and a talent show, with dance, song and spoken word performances.

Per MCPS: Seventeen years ago, MSP began as a student-driven initiative aimed at tackling the opportunity gap. Through student leadership and activism, it has served as a vehicle and a blueprint for creating change. Since its inception, MSP has worked to change the conversation around race, equity and the opportunity gap. MSP has been growing steadily and now has chapters in every MCPS high school, 24 middle schools and six elementary schools. Student leaders have spoken at county, state and national events, spreading the MSP model across the state and nation.

MCPS Message Regarding the Use of Inclusive Texts

By MCS Staff

Published March 24, 2023 at 7:20AM

Per Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS): MCPS expects all classrooms to be inclusive and safe spaces for students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ or have family members in the LGBTQ+ community. A broad representation of personal characteristics within curricular or instructional materials promotes this desired outcome. Therefore, as with all curriculum resources, there is an expectation that teachers utilize these inclusive lessons and texts with all students.

As is standard practice, when planning for instruction teachers/schools are encouraged to utilize a variety of resources to continue to promote an inclusive environment as outlined in the MCPS Core Values and Board Policy. Students and families may not choose to opt out of engaging with any instructional materials, other than “Family Life and Human Sexuality Unit of Instruction” which is specifically permitted by Maryland law. As such, teachers will not send home letters to inform families when inclusive books are read in the future.

Swastika Found Carved Into Wooden Stool at Walt Whitman High School

By MCS Staff

Published March 23, 2023 at 6:40PM

Earlier today, two Walt Whitman High School students found a swastika that had been carved into a wooden stool in the school’s science lab. Back in December, the words “Jews Not Welcome” were written on Walt Whitman’s sign and multiple Whitman staff members received antisemitic emails. Incidents of anti semitic graffiti have been found this year at several other MCPS schools, prompting the school system to release a community message asking parents for help with the ongoing problem. Whitman High School principal Robert Dodd wrote the following in a message to the Whitman community:

Yet again, I have to write and let our community know about another instance of behavior that is antisemitic. We have done so much as a school community to call out this type of activity and to educate our students while still addressing and healing from past incidents of antisemitism. Subsequently, having to write another letter is very distressing for me and profoundly upsetting for our Jewish community. While it feels like a gut punch to find another example of antisemitic hate, we remain undeterred and will forge ahead with our efforts. Unfortunately, the increase in incidents we’ve experienced at Whitman are on par with a disturbing trend in Maryland. An audit released today by ADL shows a 98% increase in antisemitic incidents in Maryland in 2022.