Twelve Thomas Edison High School of Technology students won gold medals at the annual Maryland State SkillsUSA competition in Baltimore on May 5.
Edison’s gold medal winners and their categories were: Alexis Wilson, Lovro Modric and Anthony Rosario, Community Service (Team Competition); Mychal Walker, Customer Service; Jennifer Miranda and Wendy Baires, Nail Care; Gabriel Bonilla, Jesse Bruce, Victor Gannon and Darren Rollins, Entrepreneurship; Trevor Sitkoff, Pin Design; and Jonathon Trefzger, Screen Printing Technology.
They will compete at the National SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City, Mo. in June.
A total of 93 students competed in 37 categories. In addition to the gold medal winners, 21 Edison students placed second or third.
Second Place, Silver Medalists
- Joseph Varkey, Computer Maintenance
- Thomas Shea, Computer Programming
- Mohamed Imtiyaz, Customer Service
- Francisca Abgodzah, First Aid/CPR
- Kayla Gimble, Food & Beverage Service
- Kara Kugler, Pin Design
- Justin Desimone, Plumbing
- Ryan Ali, Charlie Carter, Kyle Crane, Konstantin Hamilton and Mohammad Kiani, Quiz Bowl (Team)
Third Place, Bronze Medalists
- Jocelyne Videz, Action Skills
- Rosemary Marquez, Basic Health Care Skills
- Sheung Lu, Computer Maintenance
- Fabian Leon, Industrial Motor Control
- Abreham Berhanu, Photography
- Phuong Tran and Litze Salas, Promotional Bulletin Board
- Gregory Gadbois, Sheet Metal
- Amanda Ross, T-Shirt Design
SkillsUSA championships begin locally and continue through the regional, state and national levels. The SkillsUSA Championships reward students for excellence, involve industry leaders in directly evaluating student performance, and focus training relevant to employers’ needs.
Film director Randall Blair shows North Chevy Chase students how to use video equipment during Career Day.
More than 50 parents took part in Career Day at North Chevy Chase Elementary School, a schoolwide, all-day event. A diversity of careers were represented, including scientists, CNN reporter, FBI agent, film director, musician and green marketing representative. “All of the speakers this year came from the North Chevy Chase community, something that didn't happen five years ago," says school counselor Victoria Leahy-Jones, who organized the event. “The NCC community has really embraced this event which helps students see the connection between learning and careers." Speakers and volunteers are treated to breakfast the morning of Career Day. Students rotated around to various speakers, and in the afternoon, the Maryland Leadership Workshop gave two assemblies on leadership, emphasizing the value of being a positive leader, in the workplace and at school.
Elementary and middle school students displayed their works of art at the annual White Flint arts show. Groups from Stone Mill, Broad Acres, Judith A. Resnik, Lake Seneca, Flower Valley and Jones Lane elementary schools, and White Oak and Kingsview middle schools gave musical performances during the event that ran from April 18–22. MCPS students at all grade levels have an opportunity to participate in a wide range of visual and performing arts activities during the school year.
The Student Government Association at Oakland Terrace Elementary School recently held a Pennies for Patients fundraiser, collecting more than $10,000 dollars for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Students collected coins, dollars and checks and even held a fundraiser at Elevation Burger in Wheaton.
This year's food service honorees are: (from left to right) Vanessa Rios, Georgia Siozios, Christina Liao, Susan Ault, Gloria Lawrence, Yuan Shen, Mei Chang and Mariann Rutherford.
The hard work and valuable contributions of MCPS food and nutrition service personnel were honored by the Board of Education at its May 8 meeting. Food service employees, who serve 13 million meals to Montgomery County schoolchildren each year, were recognized in conjunction with the 27th annual Salute to Food and Nutrition Service Personnel Day in MCPS.
In honor of this, the Division of Food and Nutrition Services recognized eight employees for their dedication and commitment to MCPS students. They are: Susan Ault, cafeteria manager IV, Rocky Hill Middle School; Mei Chang, cafeteria manager IV, Francis Scott Key Middle School; Gloria Lawrence, food service satellite manager II, Little Bennett Elementary School; Christina Liao, food service satellite manager III, Clopper Mill Elementary School; Vanessa Rios, cafeteria worker I, Galway Elementary School; Mariann Rutherford, family daycare manager, Division of Food and Nutrition Services; Yuan (Elaine) Shen, food service field manager, Division of Food and Nutrition Services, and Georgia Siozios, cafeteria worker I, Argyle Middle School.
Bring the family to watch the Bethesda Big Train baseball game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, during MCPS Appreciation Night.
MCPS faculty, teachers, staff and their immediate families can receive free admission, food and drinks with a valid MCPS ID. MCPS students and their families will receive a 40 percent discount off tickets. Tickets can be purchased here. Use the discount code of MCPS at checkout to receive the discount.
The Bethesda Big Train will take on the Southern Maryland Nationals on June 14. The game will be played at Shirley Povich Field, Cabin John Regional Park, 10600 Westlake Dr. in Rockville. Gates open at 6 p.m.
MCPS Appreciation Night
James Hubert Blake High School sophomore Claudia Alarco has been named by the Maryland Commission for Women as one of six recipients for the prestigious Women of Tomorrow Award. The goal of the program is to honor girls who are outstanding students and members of their communities and who have a strong vision for the future. Alarco serves as President of the Blake Class of 2014 and the President of Project Change Club, and is also an active member of the County Executive’s Youth Advisory Committee. During her term as the President of the Project Change Club at Blake, she was able to raise almost $1,000 for the Japanese citizens who were affected by the tsunami in 2011. She has served as a swimming coach for disabled children at Georgetown Aquatics, and was lead volunteer of an ice skating program for young children. Her efforts on the volleyball court lead her to receive the Sportsmanship Award for her academic excellence and her enthusiasm with her teammates. As of January 2012, she had nearly 1,000 Student Service Learning hours, while maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA. Alarco will be honored on June 22 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel.
Northwest High School senior Daniel Vitelli is one of 13 student-athletes chosen among 600 finalists statewide to be a recipient of the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA)/Allstate Minds in Motion Scholarship. Vitelli participated in interscholastic athletics in the fall, winter and spring seasons. His sports included cross country, swimming and diving, boys’ lacrosse, and track and field. Vitelli is also a member of the National Honor Society, a College Board AP Scholar with Honors, and a Northwest Ambassador. A luncheon honoring this year’s recipients will be held on June 5 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Vivienne Chen, a junior at Montgomery Blair High School, was awarded an honorable mention in the American Society of Human Genetics’ National DNA Day Essay Contest. Chen will receive a monetary prize of $100. Chen’s essay describes the important role that DNA plays as the blueprint of life, but she then went on to explain that, “the human genome is not the sole player in determining gene expression.” The contest educates students and teachers about important concepts in genetic science. More information is available here.
Loiederman student Caitlin Deerin is honored after her first-place win in an anti-bullying essay contest.
Three seventh grade students at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School placed first, second and third in the First 10 Minute Anti-Bullying New Play Contest, sponsored by Adventure Theatre. The winners are: first place, Caitlin Deerin, for A Star is Never Black or Blue, second place, Antonia Harrison, In the Corner of My Eye, and third place, Yasna Khademian, for My Little Ray of Sunshine. Constance Y. Lee, Loiederman theater teacher, helped students with their applications. They received the opportunity to have their plays directed and performed in a staged reading by professional D.C. thespians and gift cards from Monument Bank.
Friday, May 18, is Bike to Work Day, when commuters across the Washington, D.C. region are encouraged to abandon their cars in favor of bikes. Why bike to work? It’s a great way to get physical activity your body needs while decreasing your impact on the environment. Bicycling to work also can help save you money by eliminating your need for a monthly gym membership, cutting your fuel costs, and reducing your need for car maintenance.
Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclists Association are offering designated pit stops, maps and resources to make it easier for first-time bike commuters.
Pit Stops
On Bike to Work Day, there will be pit stops across Maryland, Virginia and Washington that offer refreshments, fun raffles and T-shirts for registered participants. Register for the pit stop most convenient to you and you can pick up your free Bike to Work T-shirt when you arrive.
Learn more about pit stops and see which one is most convenient for you.
Register now on the Bike to Work website.
Find Your Route
If you have not biked to work before, you can find the best route with the Montgomery County Bikeway Map. The interactive map helps you identify major bike paths, minor bike paths and shared roadways. Be sure to open the map legend on the left side of the screen to help you understand what you are seeing.
Visit the Bikeways Interactive Map.
First Time Rider Resources
For those potential riders who might be hesitant about taking the first spin, the Bike to Work website offers resources for first-time riders. Depending on where you live, you may be able to borrow a bike for Bike to Work day at no charge, hook up with a biking buddy, or even join a commuter convoy.
Visit the First Time Riders page for more information.
Also, pick up more useful tips on health and nutrition in this month’s wellness newsletter, available here. Read about wellness champion Jon Freda, athletic director at Richard Montgomery High School, find out who won the Walk This Way fitness challenge and pick up tips for controlling high blood pressure.
More than 4,800 employees participated in the Walk This Way challenge from Well Aware, the MCPS employee fitness program. Now, let's celebrate our successes and stay active throughout the summer. Well Aware will hold an awards ceremony to honor all winners from 4:30–5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, at Rockville High School. During the ceremony, the winners of the Spirit Awards will be announced, so be sure to reserve a seat now. RSVP by sending an email here.
The Grand Prize winners are as follows:
School Grand Prize
- Potomac Elementary School
- Poolesville Elementary School
- John Poole Middle School
- Thomas Edison High School of Technology
Winners will receive a $5,000 grant for physical education equipment or to support staff wellness.
Team Grand Prize
- Blocks of Granite: Katherine Siguenza, Amy Hannum, Manju Upadhyaya, Rovena Katsafanas, Janet Gawler and Michael Herlihy
- Sole Sisters: Ashley VanCleef and Krista Vega
- Steppin’ with the Control Freaks: Jade Pridgeon, Carolyn Gibson, Ana Pérez, Michelle Williams, Kim Whitfield, Laura Salteris, Margarita Gomez, Maria E. Douglas, Kristen Millios and Nina Barbosa
- Fit Chicks: Evelyn Wilson-Carr, Ivy Reed, Karen Murphy and Jennifer Milstein
- Sole Striders: Barb Baliles, Howard Kpakima, Julie Broyles, Carlos Nalda, Evelyn Zuniga-Sanchez and Karen Wilson
- Get it Done: Yanira Lopez, Heather Welter, Mary Newman, Tina Moore, Leslie Gordon, Maria Anthony, Antoinette Lewan, Susan Dowling, Gabriel Bellagamba and Joy Burkley
Winners will receive a healthy lunch and a six-week exercise class for their teams.
Overall Lifestyle Change Prize
- Carolina Kindel
- Ann Plummer
- Saulan Cheung
Winners will receive a healthy lunch for the winners and up to 10 of their coworkers.
Individual Grand Prize
- Doreen Brandes
- Judie Dan-Weisletten
- Lisa Orifici
Winners will receive a healthy lunch for the winners and up to 10 of their coworkers.
In this digital age, we’re surrounded by dieting information. Well Aware, the employee wellness program, and UnitedHealthcare are offering a series of free seminars on the myths of dieting. These seminars will teach you to differentiate fact from fiction and how to implement a healthy diet to achieve weight loss.
The seminars are:
- Monday, May 21
Clarksburg Transportation Depot Staff Lounge
13100 Shawnee Lane, Clarksburg
10–11 a.m. - Tuesday, May 22
Quince Orchard High School Cafeteria
15800 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg
4–5 p.m. - Thursday, May 24
Paint Branch High School Cafeteria
14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
4–5 p.m.
If you would like to participate, register by emailing the employee wellness program with your name and which seminar you plan to attend.
Wellness
Newly hired employees to MCPS take part in a six-hour onboarding course, which welcomes them and highlights the school system’s mission, values and culture.
MCPS is seeking motivated employees who have a story to tell that will immediately bring our new employees onboard with the MCPS mission and vision. Ambassadors would co-teach the half-day session with two colleagues.
If you are passionate about your work and love speaking to adult audiences, sign up on Professional Development Online (PDO) to attend, Ambassadors for Onboarding Information Seminar (course number 54082). The session will be offered from 4 p.m.–5:30 p.m. on May 24, at the Center for Skillful Teaching and Leading, Festival at Muddy Branch, 283 Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg.
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) has developed an online professional development series to support MCPS staff in their use of the 21st Century interactive classroom technologies (Promethean board, ActiVotes/ ActivExpressions and ActivSlate, among others).
Through hands-on practice, the one-hour sessions will provide participants the opportunity to connect interactive technologies to effective teaching and learning. Current and upcoming offerings include a variety of topics such as the basics of using ActivInspire, making sense of the equipment, leveraging the Learner Response System, and meaningfully integrating multimedia into flipchart lessons.
For more details and registration, search “OCTO: Interactive Classroom Webinar Series” on PDO.
Upcoming interest meetings are being held for the following programs:
Washington Adventist University Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education: This two year partnership is for MCPS employees with at least 60 credits or an Associate of Arts degree. Successful completion of the program results in a bachelor's degree with Maryland teacher certification in elementary and special education. Participants in the program will work as a paid paraeducator in MCPS. Interest meetings will be held at the Office of Human Resources and Development, 45 W. Gude Dr. in Rockville from 4–5 p.m. on May 24 (Aspen Conf. Rm., 1C-19). Register on PDO. Contact Russ Fazio at 301-315-7384 for more information.
University of Maryland Reading Master's Degree: The Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership (TLPL) at the University of Maryland offers a Master of Education degree, leading to Reading Specialist certification. This program will focus on fundamental literacy issues with special attention to the ways reading specialists address issues that are unique to English Language Learners. Courses will be held at the Universities of Maryland at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr. in Rockville. The program will begin in July 2012. For more information, contact Rose Marie Codling or Russ Fazio.
Montgomery College Offers Teacher Certification: This innovative teacher preparation program is for talented individuals who wish to become teachers in MCPS secondary schools. The competitive program is designed to address Maryland’s teacher shortage in high need areas such as Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Spanish. Recruiting areas vary from year to year, and are usually announced around July 1. Potential candidates must have at least a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75 and be able to document expertise in the selected teaching field. For more information, contact Russ Fazio or the School of Education at 240-567-4061, or email. For more information, visit this website.
University of Maryland Partnership in Human Development: The University of Maryland, College Park is seeking candidates for the Human Development Master’s Degree partnership program beginning in the summer of 2012. This is a two-year, 30-credit program focusing on the middle and high school adolescent and includes courses in human and cognitive development, achievement motivation, social bases of behavior, learning theory, learning styles and technology in the classroom. For more information, contact Eileen Kramer ekramer@umd.edu at 301-405-1659 or Russ Fazio at 301-315-7384.
George Washington University, Early Childhood /Special Education Graduate Certificate: The Building Inclusive Communities (BIC) program begins in the fall of 2012. Eligible special educators (Early Childhood Certified: Infants—Grade 3) will receive full funding to complete an 18-credit Graduate Certificate program in bilingual special education. The program is offered primarily online. Interest meetings are being held from 4 –5 p.m. at the Office of Human Resources and Development, Beech Conference Room, 45 W. Gude Dr. in Rockville, on May 16, May 23 and May 30. Register on PDO.
For more information, contact Russ Fazio at 301-315-7384 or Allison Gunter at 202-973-1148.
Towson University, Master’s of Arts in Teaching Special Education: This partnership is designed for those without formal training in the field of education who are seeking initial teacher certification and a master's degree in special education. Program begins in the fall of 2012 and can be completed in six semesters with the final internship to be scheduled for the spring or summer of 2015. Classes are offered at the Universities of Maryland at Shady Grove. For more information, contact Judy Webster at 301-738-6326 or Russ Fazio 301-315-7384.
Johns Hopkins University Professional Immersion Partnerships: The School of Education at Johns Hopkins University is offering the following master's degree programs in education: ProMAT for applicants interested in becoming a middle or high school teacher or ProSEMS for applicants interested in becoming special education teachers. The application deadline for the next cohort is October 1. Interviews are held every October with applicants notified of admission decisions in December. For questions contact Russ Fazio at 301-315-7384 or Kathy Erkert at 301-294-7054.
George Washington University Teachers 2000 Partnership: The Teachers 2000 Partnership is seeking highly qualified teaching applicants in the areas of secondary special education (focus: LD, EBD, transition, LFI, SCB, autism) and early childhood/special education (Pre-K–Grade 3). Special education paraeducators in MCPS with bachelor's degrees are encouraged to apply. Tuition support is provided for all courses required for licensure and stipends are available. For more information, contact Russ Fazio at 301-315-7384 or Jeanne Embich at 202-973-1108.
Retirement celebrations are being held for the following MCPS employees:
Joseph Bellino (38 years of service), teacher, at Montgomery Blair, Seneca Valley and Watkins Mill high schools; Cynthia Changuris (34 years), resource teacher at Blair; Frank Cohen (14 years), teacher at Blair; Shelley Sherman (27 years), resource teacher at Blair; and Lucyna Phair (31 years), paraeducator at Blair. The celebration will be from 5–9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. The cost is $48 for dinner, DJ and dancing (cash bar). Send payment to Donna Franklin at Blair. RSVP by May 22 to Claudine Biggs at Blair at 301-649-2806.
Eloise Hurtado, Spanish teacher (30 years), Karen McElroy, special education teacher (30 years), and Rosemary deRosa, Family and Consumer Science teacher (28 years) at Kingsview Middle School. The celebration will be from 3:30–6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at The Comus Inn, Grand Room and Terrace, 23900 Old Hundred Road, Dickerson, MD, 20842. The cost to attend is $25 for appetizers (cash bar). Send payment to Tanya McEvoy at Kingsview. RSVP to McEvoy at 301-601-4611.
Nana Price and Thelma Prather, instructional assistant and paraeducator at RICA, after 23 and 26 years of service. The celebration will be at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1, at RICA, 15000 Broschart Road in Rockville. The cost is $25 for lunch and gift. Send payment to Daphne Williams at RICA. RSVP by May 21 to Williams at 301-251-6900.
Judi Raak, foreign language resource teacher at Westland Middle School, after 30 years. The celebration will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at Normandie Farm, 10710 Falls Road in Potomac. The cost is $45 for dinner and gift. Send payment to Alyssa Walstein at Westland. RSVP by May 23 at Walstein at 301-320-6515.
Mike Wells, acting assistant principal at Rocky Hill Middle School, after 38 years of service. The celebration will be from 6–11 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Frederick–Conference Center, 5400 Holiday Drive, Frederick, MD, 21703. The cost is $45 for dinner and gift. Send payment to Charlene Bradley at Rocky Hill. RSVP by May 25 to Bradley.
In addition, three members of the Clearspring Elementary School staff also are retiring: Kathleen Smith, second grade teacher (after 21 years of service), Barbara Brenner, attendance secretary (also after 21 years), and Elaine Mendoza, art teacher (afer 24 years). Smith’s enthusiastic teaching style has graced children at Judith A. Resnik, Watkins Mill, Gaithersburg Elementary and Clearspring. Brenner, who actually retired in March, has also worked at Woodfield and Montgomery Village elementary schools, and Forest Oak Middle School. Mendoza’s time with MCPS has been split between Damascus and Clearspring.
The location of the celebration for Janise Wyche haschanged. The celebration for Wyche, a prekindergarten teacher at Glen Haven Elementary School, will be held at La Fontaine Blue, 7963 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706. It will be from 1–4 p.m. on Sunday, June 10. The cost is $35 for lunch and gift, or $10 for gift donation only. Send payment to Lamonte Wyche, 10606 Inwood Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20902. RSVP by May 18 to Tracey Wyche-Atkinson at 240-988-1668.
More than 200 people attended the spring forum on social and emotional learning at Walt Whitman High School.
More than 200 staff, parents and community members attended Superintendent Joshua Starr’s spring forum on social and emotional learning at Walt Whitman High School on May 10. The event, which featured interactive presentations and small-group discussions, was Dr. Starr’s fourth and final forum of the school year.
The event featured remarks from Dr. Starr and from Donna Morgan, the manager of Whole Child Programs for ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).
The superintendent has held four forums this spring that have delved into areas of interest, which have provided opportunities for MCPS parents, staff and community members to hear about the latest trends and research from guest panelists, find out what’s happening in our schools, and work in small groups to share thoughts, ideas and concerns with the superintendent and other participants.
More than 200 people attended the first forum on March 12, on the topic of English language learners. The second forum, held on March 22 at Col. Zadok Magruder High School, addressed gifted education and attracted a crowd of more than 400 people, and about 350 attended the third forum on special education at Seneca Valley High School.
You can watch videos from the events on the Spring Forums website.
Seventy-five seniors from 23 high schools were honored at the Superintendent’s Performing Arts Gala on May 7 at Rockville High School. The students received awards for excellence in dancing, acting, as well as set design, choreography and for technical crews who work “behind the scenes.” The awards were given by Superintendent Joshua P. Starr.
Nine schools also performed highlights from their programs, including Clarksburg, Albert Einstein, Walt Whitman, Walter Johnson, Seneca Valley, James Hubert Blake, Sherwood, Thomas S. Wootton and Watkins Mill high schools. This was the 12th year for the performing arts gala.
In 2004, when Dr. Marco retired, the stadium was dedicated to him and was renamed Jerome M. Marco Stadium. His wife Mary stands to his left.
Alan Goodwin, principal of Walt Whitman High School, remembers former principal Jerome “Jerry” Marco, who died on May 9.
Dr. Jerry Marco, former principal of Whitman High School for 29 years, recently passed away after struggling with a range of illnesses. Dr. Marco was a very devoted educator and respected by all for his accomplishments and for his kindness to everyone. He started his 47 years in education in Pennsylvania teaching math for four years, and he then transferred to MCPS to teach math at Wheaton High School in 1962. In 1966, he worked as a counselor at Kennedy High School and as an assistant principal at Churchill High School from 1967 to 1970. Dr. Marco next became principal at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, and in 1975, he moved to Whitman as principal.
Dr. Marco worked closely with the Whitman community, staff and students to enhance the school’s academic, athletic and extracurricular programs. The efforts resulted in a stellar national reputation that remains to this day. Dr. Marco loved his students and wanted them to reach their academic potential while pursuing their interests. The art and music programs excelled under his watch, and he encouraged students to start extracurricular clubs around their interests, all in an effort to keep students involved in school. Dr. Marco would give inspirational speeches to athletic teams before they played a big game emphasizing that they should exude pride in what they do. He was also very concerned about student safety and instituted a very tough zero-tolerance policy related to drinking and drugs.
Dr. Marco’s slogan for Whitman was “Pride + Determination = Success.” He said he strived to model hard work and fairness as exemplary ways for his staff and his students to conduct themselves. His style of leadership included mentoring other leaders and potential leaders. He emphasized to leaders to always keep the best interest of the students in mind when making a decision. He also suggested that students be given as much autonomy as possible when they were running a club, a fundraiser or other function so they could learn from the experience and not just rely on adults.
He also counseled leaders to employ the personal touch as often as possible because education is about helping others and empowering others to pass on acts of kindness. He was renowned for sending personal notes to people at Whitman and to other schools and offices congratulating them for a promotion or another accomplishment, or thanking them for an array of reasons. Dr. Marco told leaders to keep their office doors open to be available whenever someone had a question or a need. Finally, Dr. Marco told leaders to find time to spend with their own families.
Because of his mentoring, leadership practices and sage advice, Dr. Marco was known as the “Godfather of Montgomery County administrators” and his legacy lives on in so many of us.
Whitman’s student newspaper, the Black & White, also published the following obituary about Dr. Marco. Read it here.
A new bi-monthly TV program hosted by Superintendent Joshua Starr has premiered and provides viewers an in-depth look at the important work going on in our schools. Each episode will highlight programs, staff and initiatives that help make MCPS a successful learning environment.
The first episode of mcpssuper visits Oakland Terrace Elementary School and is focused on seeing Curriculum 2.0 in action. The program can be seen on MCPS TV (Comcast Ch. 34 and Verizon Ch. 36), and online.
The program schedule is as follows: Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Wednesdays, at 10:15 pm, Fridays at 12:15 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 12:15 p.m.
More information on mcpssuper
During its May 8 business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education selected a name for a new elementary school in the Downcounty Consortium, received an update on the implementation of Curriculum 2.0 and approved a tool that will be used for the superintendent’s evaluation and the Board’s self-evaluation. The Board also took action on several construction items, and approved resolutions recognizing School Food and Nutrition Personnel; scholarship winners from the Montgomery County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and Pupil Personnel Worker Week.
Read the news release.
A celebration for retiring Deputy Superintendent of Schools Frieda K. Lacey will be held on Friday, June 8, at the Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., Building II in Rockville. The reception will begin at 5 p.m., with dinner and a special program at 6:30 p.m. Those wishing to attend should RSVP by May 23.
In addition, you can also make a contribution to Dr. Lacey's Legacy Project: Guiding the Pathways of Success, a weeklong, pre-college summer program. More information is available here. Make checks payable to the MCPS Educational Foundation and send payment to Adrian B. Talley, Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Dr., Room 11, Rockville, MD, 20850.
Dr. Lacey has worked for MCPS for 41 years, serving as Deputy Superintendent for the past eight years. She came to MCPS in 1971 as a special education teacher and has served in a variety of roles, including supervisor of Special Education Instruction, principal of the former McKenney Hills Learning Center, executive assistant to the Superintendent of Schools and Chief of Staff.
See the invitation.
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School for the Creative and PerformingArts will hold its first Arts Festival from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, rain or shine.
The festival will be a community celebration of the arts in and around Loiederman. The event will feature student performances; workshops on dance, visual art, theater and music; a silent auction, and information and services from local artists.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School
Cannon Road Elementary School will host a Community Open House from 6–8 p.m. on Thursday, May 31. Community members, past students and others are invited to tour the newly renovated building at 901 Cannon Road in Silver Spring.
The event will offer student musical performances, and the media specialist will conduct technology demonstrations. Classrooms will be open for viewing and the Annual Art Show will be on display throughout the building. The PTA will provide refreshments.
The Bulletin is always on the lookout for stories on inspirational people, school events and other happenings throughout MCPS. Got a cool classroom project your colleagues should know about? Does your office have a best practice that would benefit others? If you have something you’d notify the local newspaper about, tell us too! Help us spread the word about our great schools, great staff and great students. Submit your ideas here.
And don’t forget to send in your Shout Outs for coworkers who deserve a pat on the back.
Submit a story.