All Goshen Elementary School students participate in What I Need (WIN) Time for 30 minutes per day, four times per week, for additional enrichment in reading and math. 80 percent of students increased math and literacy MAP scores between fall 2021 and spring 2022. The video below discusses WIN time and how it has been effective for students at Goshen:
Malaika Wande, a 10th grader at Montgomery Blair High School, was named Councilmember for a Day on Nov. 15. Wande’s passion is advocating for affordable housing, especially for families looking to move from renting to owning a home. She proposes expanding affordable housing and ownership programs in Montgomery County due to the rise in prices in Montgomery County and across the state.
Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice has selected a student to be Councilmember for a Day since 2016. Councilmember Rice created the recognition to engage youth in the county to write about issues they care about and connect with their local government to enact change.
MCPS held a retirement celebration for Dr. Judith Docca, longtime Montgomery County Board of Education member and former MCPS employee, at the Universities at Shady Grove on Nov. 29.
Dr. Docca spent 38 years with MCPS—as a teacher, human relations specialist, assistant principal at Montgomery Blair High School and principal at Argyle Middle School. She was elected to four four-year terms on the Board of Education. The Montgomery Blair High School Jazz Combo played during the celebration; there was also a performance from the NAACP’s Afro Academic Cultural Technological Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) vocalist Kevin Dukes.
MCPS is hosting Your Story Matters, a mental health forum for parents and caregivers that will include panel discussions and workshops. The event will be held in person from 6–8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Richard Montgomery High School. Doors open at 6 p.m. with information tables and welcome activities; the program begins at 6:30 p.m. High school students are also welcome to attend.
The four panel discussions for Your Story Matters will be focused on the African American, Asian and Hispanic communities. For the Hispanic community, there will be a panel presented in English and a separate panel presented in Spanish. Topics will focus on anxiety and depression, grief during the holidays and academic stress. Panels will also examine the stigma around mental health in those specific communities.
Awards season is here! Don’t forget to nominate exceptional teachers, supporting services staff and administrators for top honors. A variety of awards are accepting submissions and deadlines are fast approaching. More information below:
The Montgomery County Public Schools Teacher of the Year Award: The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Teacher of the Year Award honors a full-time kindergarten through Grade 12 teacher with a minimum of six years’ experience as an MCPS teacher. The MCPS Teacher of the Year will represent MCPS as its nominee for the Maryland State Teacher of the Year award. Submit applications to Maria Lopez-Silvero in the Office of Human Resources and Development. Deadline: midnight on Friday, Dec. 16
2020 Quince Orchard graduate Marquez Cooper has earned his first all-conference (Mid-American Conference) after posting the sixth 1,300+ yard season in Kent State football history.
In high school, Cooper led Quince Orchard to a 12-1 record and the No. 11 ranking in the state of Maryland. He helped the team to a 2019 MPSSAA 4A state semifinal appearance, rushing for 2,897 yards and 51 touchdowns in just two years of high school football.
A letter (seen below) was communicated to the John F. Kennedy High School community, in Silver Spring, informing parents and guardians of an incident that occurred at school on Wednesday involving graffiti with threatening language found in the bathroom. Per the letter, the threat is not believed to be credible, but school administrators, the security team, and the community engagement police officer will continue to be visible and on high alert this week. The full letter can be seen below:
“Dear Cavalier Parents and Guardians,
(*) = Seed
4A: (2) Quince Orchard vs (1) Flowers– The Cougars beat Broadneck 42-9 in the semifinals. RB Iverson Howard rushed for 210 yards & 2 touchdowns in the victory. WR Tavahri Groves also contributed with 129 yards of total offense and 2 touchdowns. Flowers, from PG County, defeated Wise 20-13 in their semifinal game. This will be QO’s 9th appearance in the state finals, having won 4. Flowers will be playing in their 1st state final in school history. These two squads have only played each other once prior, in 2011 they met in the state semifinal resulting in a 23-12 Quince Orchard win. Quince Orchard vs Flowers High School Football Game of the Week (2011) The Head Coaches of QO & Flowers, John Kelley & Dameon Powell respectively, both played their high school ball in MoCo. Kelley at Seneca Valley and Powell at Sherwood. In addition, they played against each other twice in 1996, Seneca winning the regular season meeting and Sherwood getting revenge in the playoffs. Thursday night Quince Orchard vs Flowers for the 4A State Championship at Navy Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Prediction: Quince Orchard by 17
The pilot and passenger of a small plane that crashed into a power line tower near Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village around 5:30pm on Sunday were successfully rescued without incident by EMS personnel using two specialty crane/boom trucks just after midnight on Monday. According to Maryland State Police, the pilot was identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. and the passenger was identified as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The plane was also removed from the power lines early Monday morning.
ICYMI @MontgomeryCoMD Rescue operations @mcfrs @dcfireems Technical Rescue Team(s) rescue/removed 2 adult occupants trapped on plane that crashed into power lines in Gaithersburg, MD area. Tower & Crane company (contractors) working w/ PEPCO & @mcfrs to get plane down. https://t.co/bgesIAf7uQ pic.twitter.com/sY3O0Eq2tG
Dozens of MCPS high school student dancers took the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore on Nov. 21 to represent their schools at the 22nd annual MCPS Latin Dance Competition. The event was organized by the After School Dance Fund, whose mission is to build strong Latin dance clubs in MCPS and to support the academic and social-emotional success of students.
“The annual MCPS Latin dance competition has been taking place at the Music Center at Strathmore since 2010 and is the culmination of Montgomery County’s elite high school Latin dance program which started back in 1999 at Seneca Valley High School. The main objective is to strengthen the social emotional well being of our students and promote health, exercise, and unity through Latin dance education. Students compete in the Junior and Senior categories showcasing their choreographies in Duets/Partner: Salsa, Chacha, Merengue, Bachata, Jack and Jill, Parent/Student, and Best in Show (Group).”
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has announced that schools will be closed on Monday, November 28th, 2022. The closure is due to power outages across the county stemming from a plane crash earlier today in Gaithersburg.
Per MCPS: MCPS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 28, due to a widespread power outage and its impact on safety and school operations.