Myles Frost graduated from Wootton High School in Rockville in 2017. Last night, just five years later, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In December of 2021, he took over the role of Michael Jackson on Broadway’s MJ.
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Poolesville High School held a ceremonial groundbreaking for its modernization and expansion currently underway. Poolesville is adding 160,000 square feet and renovating 60,000 square feet of the existing school. When completed in December 2024, the school, which currently has 1,274 students, will be able to house 1,500 students.
On June 2, Gaithersburg Middle School hosted the second annual joint Model UN Conference with Silver Spring International Middle School. Ninety students participated in the one-day event. The four committee sessions, run by seventh and eighth graders, debated climate change and press freedom. This was the first in-person middle school Model UN conference at an MCPS school. The program is in its seventh year and taught by Julie Sanders.
At more than 439,000 square feet, Seneca Valley High School is the largest MCPS project to have achieved certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system, the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Points are assessed during project design and after construction to achieve a final rating of Certified, Silver or Gold. With Seneca Valley’s Silver certification, the total number of MCPS schools with LEED certification is 37.
“Seneca Valley High School students and families prioritized environmental consciousness throughout the design process for their new building, noting that we must all play our role in ensuring a safe and sustainable future for our children and our community,” said Dr. Marc Cohen, principal at Seneca Valley.
The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments at its June 7 business meeting:
Lisa J. Bain, school secretary at Lakelands Park Middle School, died on May 25. She was 54 years old and had been with MCPS for more than 13 years.
MCPS piloted the Out-of-School Time program to provide students and families with engaging options for students on days when school was not in session. These in-person and/or virtual activities supported academic skills, physical and emotional wellness, art and digital learning skills.
Please participate in a focus group for parents, guardians, and caregivers. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard! As part of the Antiracist System Audit, MCPS is looking for parents and guardians from different racial and cultural backgrounds to share their experiences. These will be 60 to 90 minutes on Zoom. The conversations are completely confidential.
The Carroll County Board of Education held its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening and voted to ban certain flags, including pride flags, on school property. The ban is described as a ban on flags that “represent political symbols.” The board voted 4-1 on Wednesday night in favor of the new policy. Students will still be allowed to wear or show materials like pride flags on their clothing.
According to Fox 45 News, “the draft policy is a result of some teachers and parents expressing concern about the Pride flag being displayed inside some county classrooms. While the policy does not specifically mention Pride symbols, it lists what flags aside from the American flag that can be used. That list does not include the flag used to show support for LGBTQ rights.”
On June 7, the Montgomery County Board of Education adopted a $2.92 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. This is an increase of $137.9 million (5 percent) from the current FY 2022 budget. The budget will allow MCPS to provide a continuation of key services, provide critical support to students for mental health and well-being and cover pandemic increases on operating costs.
“This budget will help the school system to continue moving forward, improving teaching and learning for all students, and advancing equity and excellence in MCPS,” said Board President Brenda Wolff. “We must continue to do all we can to eliminate disparities in academic achievement and ensure our students have the resources needed for a healthy and safe school environment. We want to thank County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Gabe Albornoz and the entire County Council for its commitment to the students of Montgomery County Public Schools.”
MCPS hosted a Future Educators celebration for 12 graduating seniors on June 8. The Office of Human Resources and Development has been working on a “Grow Your Own” strategy to attract, recruit and excite MCPS students with the possibility of a teaching career with the district.
The event recognized the students for their outstanding academic performance and commitment to return to MCPS once they have finished college.
Myles Frost graduated from Wootton High School in Rockville in 2017. Four years later, in December of 2021, he took over the role of Michael Jackson on Broadway’s MJ. Frost, who plays the King of Pop in the new musical, received a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway debut.
He was nominated for ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Michael Jackson in MJ the Musical. “It’s been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I’ve been introduced to so many different things…it’s been an amazing honor.” Frost told Broadway World in a recent interview.
The Montgomery County Board of Education today appointed Wootton principal Ms. Kimberly Boldon to the role of Consulting Principal, following 19 years at the school as an administrator and teacher, with the last seven as principal.
A letter was sent to the Wootton community providing information about the timeline and process for the selection of the new principal. The selection process will include an opportunity for staff and families to provide input. The full letter can be seen below.
Congressman David Trone (MD-06) announced the winners of the Congressional Art Competition from Maryland’s 6th District. Each year, the House of Representatives hosts the Congressional Art Competition, recognizing high school artists who live or attend school in each Congressional district.
“Maryland is home to some of the most creative students in the nation, and their talent was put in the spotlight during this year’s Congressional Art Competition,” said Congressman David Trone. “We selected our first place winner through public voting on social media, with Emily Duan of Richard Montgomery High School receiving the most votes for her artwork entitled, ‘Reminiscence.’ Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to Emily and our other winners for their incredible work.”