Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
The Latina Legacy Conference will be held from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, at 15 W. Gude Dr. in Rockville. The conference will include workshops on history, empowerment, mentorship and wellness; a career panel and a mentor luncheon. Latina community leaders will talk to students about opportunities within and outside MCPS to help prepare them for their futures.

The keynote speaker is Melissa Rivera, communications specialist with the Department of Communications.

Panelists will include:

• Alicia Deeny, principal, Richard Montgomery High School
• Melissa Laureano, parent community coordinator
• Paula Pero, world language resource teacher, Albert Einstein High School
• Norca Yarborough, lead Emergent Multilingual Learners (EML) therapeutic counselor
• Karla Lopez-Arias, supervisor, Behavioral Health

Female high school students will be invited by their respective schools to participate. Students are encouraged to contact their school’s Latina Legacy Conference (LLC) sponsor, if interested in attending.

Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
Join MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association (MCSPA) for a series of virtual events for youth and families on a variety of mental health issues. The free expo from Oct. 10–15 will feature daily themes, dynamic speakers and informational videos, as well as two live events: a Waymaking special on student mental health, and a resource fair and Q&A session.

To kick off the week of activities, there will be a systemwide mindful moment hosted by Superintendent Monifa McKnight. She will lead students in the activity during morning announcements.

Virtual events will include videos on topics falling into several categories, including mental health matters (such as depression, grief and loss, eating disorders, ADHD and autism); equity, diversity and inclusion (such as school climate, discrimination and supporting nonbinary and transgender students); personal safety (such as vaping, dating violence, social media safety and signs of suicide); physical well-being (such as positive self-talk, exercise and mindful eating); resiliency (such as stress management, mindfulness and delayed gratification) and relationship building (such as social skills, healthy vs. unhealthy friendships and talking to parents about tough topics).

Students can earn up to nine Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for watching videos, attending virtual workshops and participating in follow-up advocacy action.

The Waymaking mental health forum will be livestreamed from 6:30–8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

This event will highlight student perceptions and concerns regarding their mental health. The presentation will include videos from the Our Minds Matters club and a panel of student leaders discussing their thoughts and experiences related to mental health. There will also be time for Q&A.

The virtual resource fair and expert panel will be livestreamed from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. The fair will provide mental health resources and supports available from MCPS, county agencies and nonprofits, and there will be Q&A.

Learn more.

Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
The National Hispanic College Fair will be held on Oct. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. To kick off the fair, MCPS is inviting all students in 8th through 12th grades to a virtual career panel with Latinx professionals to talk about their experiences in different career fields. Pre-registration is required.

During the panel, professionals working in various careers will share insights about their responsibilities, education and experiences to acquaint students with different career opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to earn two SSL hours by completing a reflection exercise after the panel. The virtual career panel will be held via Zoom. Students can register using this link.

The panelists include:
Reinaldo Santiago, Ed.D, Deputy Director, Center for Hispanic Policy Research
Karla Silvestre, Director of Community Engagement, Montgomery College and Vice President, Montgomery County Board of Education
Tiffany Vega Gibson, President and Founder, La Vega Management
Aaron J. Reyna, President, Reyna Consulting Firm
Jorge Cariga, Senior Student Development Specialist, Saint Elizabeth University
Sara Chaves, LMSW, Managing Counselor, Heartly House
Carlos Mellot, UniServ Director, Washington County Teachers Association
Marcelo Quiñones, Esq., Supervising Attorney, County of Santa Clara, California
Iraina Briganty, LCSW-C, Program Director, Sheppard Pratt
J. Alex Chunga, Assistant Director of Laboratories, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
Jessica Berrellez, Executive Officer, Office of Digital Transformation – FDA

The National Hispanic College Fair will be held on Oct. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. To kick off the fair, MCPS is inviting all students in 8th through 12th grades to a virtual career panel. Info: https://t.co/CFE0RrhH6y

— MCPS (@MCPS) October 3, 2022

MCPS sent the following community message on Thursday evening:
Here are eight things to know for Thursday, Sept. 29. They include a follow-up letter from Dr. McKnight on athletics safety, a reminder about Family Physical Education Week, a survey about next year’s school calendar, mental health information and more.

1. Monitoring for Potential Severe Weather this Weekend
   Weekend weather conditions are being closely monitored. Any decision to cancel weekend activities will be announced by 6 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, October 2, through the MCPS emergency communications network:

• • • The MCPS homepage, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

    • MCPS Cable Channel 34

    • MCPS Social Media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

    • MCPS News and Information Line 301-279-3673

    • Alert MCPS

    • ConnectED

There are no changes to Friday activities at this time

2. MCPS Athletics Safety Plan—At Work and Working
In a community letter yesterday, Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight shared her appreciation for the positive community support as the new athletics safety plan was implemented last week. From her letter:
“This past Friday, I saw some good-spirited, high-energy games, where student-athletes competed at a high level and spectators enjoyed watching them. This positive outcome did not happen by accident. Our students called on their peers to uphold good sportsmanship and a respectful environment; staff, parents and volunteers modeled positive behavior and everyone enjoyed a safe and exciting series of athletic events, which are an important part of our school cultures.”
Read the full message.
Read the RAISE report (newsletter) focused on sportsmanship and safety.

3. Understand the Dangers of Edibles
It is important that parents and students understand the dangers of edibles, an ongoing concern in many local communities, including Montgomery County. Edibles are food products infused with marijuana. They are often made to look like candy, but contain dangerous substances, including THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. They can cause serious health problems to children who may ingest them intentionally or unintentionally. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children can experience significant effects from ingesting THC, including intoxication, anxiety/panic, dizziness, poor coordination and excessive sleepiness. If a person is in distress, call 911 immediately. If you suspect your child may be using substances, contact the Montgomery County SASCA unit or call, text or chat 988.
Learn more at this U.S. government website, Just Think Twice

4. Oct. 3-7 is Family Physical Education Week
October is Health Literacy Month, and Oct. 3-7 is Family Physical Education Week. Daily physical activity has many benefits; it can increase energy, focus and readiness to learn, and reduce stress and anxiety. Physical activity benefits all of us, so helping students’ families be active together is one of MCPS’ physical education goals.
Participate together in the October Physical Activity Calendar (See the calendar in English and Spanish).

5. Provide Your Input on the 2023–2024 School Calendar
The process for community input for next year’s school calendar begins now by asking for your input. This survey seeks to gauge the community’s interests as calendar scenarios are developed for the 2023–2024 school year. Staff will present the scenarios at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Share your interests by Thursday, Oct. 13. Access the survey.

6. Be Sure to Tune In to Mental Health Awareness Week, Oct. 10–15
MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host free virtual events Oct. 10–15 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on issues that are important to them. The weeklong expo will feature daily themes, dynamic speakers and informational videos, as well as two live events: a Waymaking Special on Student Mental Health, and a Resource Fair and Q&A session on Saturday, Oct. 15. Sessions will be available in multiple languages.
Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Week.
See mental health information and resources.

7. Literacy Council Offers Free ESL Classes for MCPS Parents
In collaboration with MCPS, the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) is offering free English as a Second Language classes for MCPS parents. Parents with questions regarding class availability and the sign-up process should email Kevin Ralph from LCMC at [email protected] or call 240-665-0471.

8. SSL Hours Available to Students on Election Day
MCPS supports the Montgomery County Board of Elections by encouraging students to participate in the election process. Students are eligible for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours towards their high school graduation requirement or a stipend (depending on the work).
Learn more about Election Day service opportunities.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Montgomery Public Schools released a survey this week asking the public to provide input on the 2023-2024 school year calendar. According to MCPS, “This survey seeks to gauge the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) community’s interests as the calendar scenarios are developed for school year (SY) 2023–2024. Prior to presenting the calendar scenarios for discussion at the Board of Education Meeting on October 25, 2022, MCPS is providing an opportunity for the public to provide input. Please share your SY 2023–2024 calendar interests by Thursday, October 13, 2022.”

A few of the questions include:
Which of the following are you most interested in seeing in SY 2023–2024 calendar scenarios? (Select one)
Closed for the full Thanksgiving Week
A longer Winter Break (currently Winter Breaks are 9 days, including the weekends)
More frequent, shorter breaks throughout the year
Nothing. Leave the calendar like it is.
I don’t know
The state of Maryland does not require school systems to close on the following Holidays- Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Which of the following do you wish to see the school system close for? (Select one)
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Both
Neither
I don’t know
If SY 2023–2024 calendar scenarios included more days off, how do you hope MCPS will handle the impact? (Select one)
Start the school year up to 3 days earlier
End the school year up to 3 days later
Preference not to have additional breaks that impact either the start or end of the school year
You can view and take the survey here. 

MCPS has proclaimed Wednesday, October 12th as “Walk to School Day.” The event is celebrated by thousands of schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as in more than 40 countries worldwide. The originally chosen date was Wednesday, October 5th, but that is a date of no school for MCPS students and teachers so it was corrected to October 12th.

Per the proclamation: “Children who walk to school have been found to have higher academic performance in terms of attention/alertness, verbal, numeric, and reasoning abilities. Walking to school can further foster personal growth by developing a sense of independent decision making, emotional bonds with peers and the natural environment. Walking to school helps reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted by vehicles.

The Board of Education and the superintendent of schools proclaim October 5, 2022, as “Walk to School Day” and the school system notify the public and school community of “Walk to School Day,” publicize this resolution and the school system’s participation through internal and external communications, and encourage everyone to consider the safety of pedestrians and, in particular, student walkers and bicyclists every day.”

At a press conference on Wednesday, Montgomery County Public Schools announced several new safety measures that will be implemented at upcoming sporting events as a result of last week’s incident at Gaithersburg High School that resulted in the Gaithersburg/Northwest High School Football Game being called off following an on-field altercation between the teams, as well as the arrest of five individuals for fights that occurred after the game in Gaithersburg High School’s parking lot. The safety measures include:

• Students of the participating schools will be allowed to attend with a valid ticket and with their student ID or Synergy verification of their schedule. All other school-aged spectators must be accompanied by an adult chaperone—this includes all elementary and middle school students and high school students from other schools. Adult chaperones must stay and supervise students for the duration of their stay at the game. Spectators are asked to be patient at the gate, as admission may take additional time.
• Students and spectators must sit in the stands during the game. While there will be potential gatherings at halftime and postgame, large gatherings will not be allowed during the game.
• There will be no re-entry and spectators will not be admitted after halftime.
• Backpacks will not be allowed.
• Only student-athletes, coaches, game officials, athletic department staff, and credentialed personnel and media are permitted on the sidelines.
• Event security personnel will use separate entrances, staggered exits and additional support in high-traffic areas.
• Inappropriate and unruly behavior may result in suspension from subsequent MCPS athletic activities.

Per MCPS, these changes will be in effect for all high school athletic events for the remainder of the season. Should other incidents occur, other tiered security interventions will be implemented. These could include spectator capacity limitations and game time/date adjustments. Additional actions will be based on the following criteria or guidelines:

Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
Applications will open soon for the newly created Ruth and Norman Rales–Patricia Baier O’Neill Scholarship Recognizing Academic Excellence. These $10,000 scholarships for graduating high school seniors were announced earlier this year by the Norman R. Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation to honor the lives and contributions of Ruth and Norman Rales and Patricia O’Neill, who died Sept. 14, 2021, after having served the longest tenure in the history of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The Rales’ $10 million gift is the largest donation ever to the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation.

Annually, the program will award 200 scholarships worth $10,000 each to the highest achieving graduating seniors from low-to-moderate income households in Montgomery County to help ease the financial burden of attending college, beginning in 2023 through 2027. In total, 1,000 exceptional students will receive scholarships, in recognition of their hard work and achievement.

“As we remember Pat O’Neill’s towering legacy, I could not be more excited to see students begin to see the possibilities that these scholarships will offer as they prepare for college and their next steps,” said MCPS Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight. “This gift is an incredible statement on the power of education and a heartfelt commitment of support for our students.”

This scholarship honors the legacies of Ruth and Norman Rales, whose generosity and spirit of giving lives on through the Rales Foundation, and Patricia Baier O’Neill, who is remembered for her lifelong commitment to public service and to the children of Montgomery County. The Rales family has deep roots in Montgomery County, and the Rales Foundation has a history of philanthropic collaboration with MCPS.

Student applicants must be MCPS graduating seniors who have taken rigorous courses and hold a weighted GPA of 4.69 as of their Sept. 1, 2022 transcript. Students will need to submit an essay that will be reviewed by a committee established by the Educational Foundation. Applicants must also demonstrate a household income of $108,000 or below to be eligible.

More information about the application process will be available in mid-October.

Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association (MCSPA) will host free virtual events the week of Oct. 10–15 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on a variety of issues. The weeklong expo will feature daily themes, dynamic speakers and informational videos, as well as two live events: a Waymaking special on student mental health, and a resource fair and Q&A session.

The Waymaking mental health forum will be held from 6:30- 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12. The virtual resource fair and expert panel will be held from noon-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Virtual events will include pre-recorded videos and live interviews with experts on topics, including healthy habits, supporting positive school climate through equity and diversity, and supporting problem solving through appropriate use of social-emotional vocabulary. Experts are expected to speak on topics such as neurodiversity, exercise and wellness, yoga and pain management, substance use prevention and therapy dogs. Students may earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for participation in virtual activities.

Sessions will be available in multiple languages.

Per Montgomery County Public Schools:
“Dear MCPS Families,
As we enter the exciting time of year known as homecoming we write with a reminder of the importance of demonstrating respect by all spectators attending MCPS athletic events. The R.A.I.S.E. core values of the school district athletics program teach and reinforce respect and sportsmanship, academic excellence, integrity and character, spirited and safe competition, and equity and access. When you attend an MCPS sporting event you are enjoying an exhibition of skills developed by student-athletes in an educational setting. Being in the stands or on the sidelines is just like being in the classroom; respect for your fellow spectators, student-athletes, coaches and referees is the expectation.

You can support these expectations by following these simple guidelines.

• Applaud all student-athletes for their efforts.
• Accept the decisions of officials and coaches.
• Appreciate all participants for their commitment.
• Support school personnel in conducting a spirited and safe contest.
• Maintain composure when something seems to go against your team.
• Respect the rights of other spectators.
• Reward sportsmanlike behavior through cheering.
• Focus attention on the positive aspects of competition.
• Encourage student-athletes by showing enthusiasm and positive recognition. and…
• Demonstrate concern for the safety and welfare of student-athletes and each otherAlso, please comply with our spectator expectations:
• Tickets are purchased through GoFan. Spectators are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. General admission is $5.00, which includes convenience fee.
• Students should bring their student ID, in order to verify their enrollment
• Middle school students must purchase a ticket and be accompanied by a paying adult or will not be able to attend the event
• Elementary students (10 and under) are admitted free with a paying adult
• Senior citizens over the age of 62 are admitted free
• Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive!

We’ll see you at the game.

Montgomery County Public Schools”