Earlier today, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent George Arlotto announced that he would be recommending to the Board of Education the lifting of the mask mandate in all AACPS buildings as part of his update on school system operations at tonight’s Board meeting.
The Board of Education voted tonight, 8-0, to remove the mask mandate in all public schools. Masks will now be optional in AACPS schools starting Friday, February 18th.
Senior women’s basketball player Crystal Jones is this week’s Shorewoman of the Week for the third time. Jones averaged 13.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per contest in a 3-1 week for Washington College. She is a Silver Spring native and graduate of Wheaton High School.
On Saturday in a 47-38 win at Ursinus, she notched her second double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds as Washington College tied its most single-season wins in Centennial Conference play in program history with 11. This past Thursday, Jones started the team’s game-closing 14-2 run in a 62-55 comeback win over Franklin & Marshall with a three-pointer as she scored 13 points. In Tuesday’s 62-45 win at McDaniel she led all players with 17 points. In a road game at Swarthmore on Monday night, she just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds, with her nine boards being a contest-best.
On Friday, MCPS sent out a community messaging announcing that MCPS in now accepting religious exemptions to their COVID-19 vaccine requirement for student athletes. They cite the decreasing COVID-19 transmission rate as well as the high vaccination rate in Montgomery County as the reason for their decision.
Full message below:
Montgomery County Public Schools sent out the following community message:
Dear MCPS Families,
The Washington Post published an Op-Ed Friday morning written by Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones.
Jones talks about last month’s shooting at Magruder High School, and the fact that several students who are alleged to have witnessed or known about the shooting, posted on Twitter and Snapchat about the incident instead of calling 9-1-1.
Yesterday, Governor Larry Hogan called on the Maryland State Board of Education to rescind its school mask policy, citing the state’s dramatically improved health metrics, the widespread availability of vaccines for school age children, and the growing consensus among medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials.
The Maryland State Board of Education provided a response last night, stating that the school mask policy will not be dropped until a vaccination level of 80% is reached and transmission levels drop.
Here are seven things you need to know for Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. They include the appointment of a permanent superintendent, information about the school well-being, safety and security review, an antiracist audit update, information about COVID-19 rapid take-home test kits and more.
Read Dr. McKnight’s message to the community.
Press release from Governor Hogan’s office:
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today called on the Maryland State Board of Education to rescind its school mask policy, citing the state’s dramatically improved health metrics, the widespread availability of vaccines for school age children, and the growing consensus among medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials.
Dr. Cavena J. Griffith was appointed as Principal at the upcoming Gaithersburg Elementary School #8. She is currently the principal intern at Whetstone Elementary School.
Construction has continued to progress at the site of the new Gaithersburg elementary school that will be located at Kelley Park.
13 educators who completed the National Board Certification process and became National Board Certified Teachers in December 2021, were recognized by the Montgomery County Board of Education in this morning’s meeting.Through its National Board Certification Program, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certifies highly accomplished educators who meet rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer review.
NBPTS seeks to identify and recognize teachers who effectively enhance student learning and demonstrate the high level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitments reflected in the Five Core Propositions that define what National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) should know and be able to do.
Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 8, 2022